Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

After an eventful Supreme Court term, in which the conservative majority ruled on affirmative action and other issues, a Democratic congressman weighs in. On Today's Show: U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY15) discusses the Supreme Court. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After playing a significant role in the Democrats' loss of their House majority, New York Dems are taking steps to regain their party's control of Congress. On Today's Show: Edward-Isaac Dovere , CNN senior reporter covering Democratic politics and campaigns across the country, and the author of Battle for the Soul: Inside the Democrats' Campaigns to Defeat Trump (Viking, 2021), talks about his re...

Where do race and class intersect in today's American politics? On today's show,  David Leonhardt , senior writer for The New York Times , who writes The Morning, The Times’s flagship daily newsletter, talks about race and class and explains what he calls the "class inversion" -- how college-educated Americans are increasingly likely to vote for Democrats while those without college degrees are in...

"Our republic is founded on the principle that it will continue only as long as the people keep democracy alive," said Benjamin Franklin. So is the Supreme Court doing that? On Today's Show: Susan Glasser , staff writer for The New Yorker, unpacks the end of a momentous Supreme Court term. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of...

Today, the Supreme Court ruled on religious freedom and LGBTQ+ discrimination, and struck down Pres. Biden's student loan forgiveness program. On Today's Show: Elie Mystal , justice correspondent for The Nation , host of its new podcast Contempt of Court with Elie Mystal and the author of Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution (The New Press, 2022) now in paperback, talks abou...

The Supreme Court's latest opinion ends affirmative action in college admissions. On Today's Show: Elie Mystal , justice correspondent for The Nation , host of its new podcast Contempt of Court with Elie Mystal and the author of Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution (The New Press, 2022), discusses.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for informatio...

How has the case against former President Trump related to classified documents changed now that  a relevant   voice recording has been made public? On Today's Show: Quinta Jurecic , fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, senior editor at Lawfare and contributing writer at The Atlantic , offers legal analysis of the indictment of former President Trump. Hosted by Simplecast, an...

Today's opinions from the Supreme Court include one case on  “independent state legislatures” and another on what constitutes a “true threat.”  On Today's Show: Elie Mystal , justice correspondent for The Nation, host of its new podcast Contempt of Court with Elie Mystal, and the author of Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution (The New Press, 2022) now in paperback, talks abo...

The complexities of US immigration policy mean that messaging around safety and border security plays a very real role in the asylum system's ability to function. On Today's Show: Julia Preston , contributing writer for The Marshall Project, traces the crisis at the southern border to its roots in America's broken asylum system. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for inf...

The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade one year ago tomorrow, bringing an end to federally protected abortion rights. On Today's Show: Alice Miranda Ollstein , health care reporter for POLITICO, talks about the effects of the Dobbs decision on individuals, as well as on electoral politics, one year since it was handed down. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for inform...

The term "pregnant people," while more accurate and inclusive, has received pushback, claiming that the phrase is overly "woke" and erases women. On Today's Show: For Pride month, Krys Malcolm Belc , writer and author of the memoir The Natural Mother of the Child: A Memoir of Nonbinary Parenthood (Counterpoint, 2021), talks about his experience and challenges as a non-binary, transmasculine parent...

With President Biden's son and former president Trump both navigating legal troubles, what does it mean for the 2024 election season? On Today's Show: Philip Bump , national columnist for The Washington Post and the author of The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America , talks about the latest national political news. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. S...

Can Democrats, who are currently in the minority in Congress, push through gun control legislation, despite House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's reluctance to bring it to the floor?  On Today's Show: US Rep. Pat Ryan (D, NY-18), talks about Democrats' longshot attempts to pass gun control legislation besides broad opposition from Republicans in the House - and other national political news. Hosted by Si...

To mark Juneteenth today, a look at the history of the holiday, and what it means for America's story to have two federally recognized Independence Days. On Today's Show: Annette Gordon-Reed , Harvard University professor and the author of The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family and On Juneteenth (Liveright, 2021), talks about the history of Juneteenth and how it has evolved since becoming...

The PGA announced it would merge with its Saudi-backed rival, LIV golf. On Today's Show: Sarah Leah Whitson , executive director of Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), founded by Jamal Khashoggi, talks about the moral and ethical compromises at play in professional golf. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data...

In a 7-2 ruling, the Court dismissed challenges to the Indian Child Welfare Act, allowing preferences for Native American parents in adoptions to remain in place. On Today's Show: Elie Mystal, justice correspondent for The Nation, Alfred Knobler Fellow at the Type Media Center and the author of Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution (The New Press, 2022) now in paperback, talk...

The death of track star Tori Bowie has called attention to persistent racial health disparities in pregnancy and childbirth. On Today's Show: Linda Villarosa , writer at the New York Times Magazine and contributor to the bestselling 1619 Project and the author of Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation (Anchor, 2023), talks about why these dispar...

After a blanket of orange smog covered the northeast from wildfires in Canada, how might climate change impact the frequency and intensity of wildfires? On Today's Show: John Vaillant , journalist and author of Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World (Knopf, 2023), looks at the links between climate change and increasing number of wildfires through the lens of a devastating fire at an oil i...

F ormer President Trump removed classified documents from the White House. But the indictment hinges on what he did when he found out he shouldn't have them. On Today's Show: U.S. Rep.  Dan Goldman   (D, NY-10) , who formerly led counsel for the impeachment investigation of President Trump in 2019 and is a former assistant US attorney SDNY, discusses the former president's second indictment, this...

A surprise 5-4 Supreme Court decision means the Voting Rights Act will "live to fight another day," after ruling that Alabama's election map under-counted Black voters. On Today's Show: Elie Mystal , justice correspondent for The Nation and the author of Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution (The New Press, 2022), breaks down the latest Supreme Court decision impacting voting...

Today an official from the US Armed Forces discussed the state of the country's military readiness, and its role in the conflict in Ukraine, and tensions with China. On Today's Show: Christine Wormuth , secretary of the U.S. Army, talks about recruiting and readiness challenges within the army, her professional role in the Defense Department, and the military's role in conflicts around the globe....

In order to reach an agreement to avoid a US government default, negotiations included some measures that could have an impact on the federal government's climate policy.  On Today's Show: Mark Hertsgaard , executive director of the global media collaboration Covering Climate Now and environment correspondent for The Nation magazine, offers a look at what the debt ceiling agreement means for key c...

The number of Americans who are part of any organized religion has been dropping for decades, and over the past ten years, dropped by about 11 points. On Today's Show: Ryan Burge , associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University, research director for Faith Counts, and the author of   The Nones: Where They Came From, Who They Are, and Where They Are Going   (Fortress Press,...

It's been one month since the Writers' Guild Of America's strike began. On Today's Show: Lisa Takeuchi Cullen , vice president of film/television/streaming for Writers Guild of America East, talks about the strike, how it's affecting productions and more related news. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for adv...

Happy Pride Month! We kick off our conversations about LGBTQIA+ lives by exploring how to think about  how   masculinity and femininity  can instill a feeling of  "gender euphoria." On Today's Show: Tuck Woodstock , journalist, educator and host of the Gender Reveal podcast, and Imara Jones , journalist, and founder and creator of Translash Media, and callers that identify as transgender shed ligh...