Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

What does a progressive freshman member of Congress have to say about the politics of this past election, and the process of passing Democrats' agenda? On Today's Show: U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY15, South Bronx) talks about the postponed vote on Build Back Better, and about the just-passed infrastructure bill. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for informat...

COP26 is wrapping up, and some last-minute commitments from the U.S. and China could help push the world toward its emissions reduction targets. On Today's Show: Mark Hertsgaard , executive director of Covering Climate Now and environmental correspondent of The Nation, has the latest key developments from the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland. Hosted by Simplecast, an A...

The Democrats don't have one single name for the legislative agenda that's working through Congress. They have many. Could more focused messaging help pass it more easily? On Today's Show: Anat Shenker-Osorio, strategic communications consultant and host of the "Words To Win By" podcast, discusses the Democratic party's messaging around the Build Back Better (or human infrastructure or reconciliat...

The trials of Kyle Rittenhouse, accused of shooting Black Lives Matter protesters, and of Ahmaud Arbery's alleged killers are both in jury selection. On Today's Show: Elie Mystal , justice correspondent for The Nation , joins to discuss the jury selection process, and how technicalities invite the possibility of racial bias into the courtroom. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adsw...

As the climate changes, and famine, drought and other displacing forces get more frequent & more severe, how will the world deal with those forced to flee their homes for safer ground? On Today's Show: David Miliband , president and chief executive officer of the International Rescue Committee, discuss how climate change is fueling conflicts all over the world, and what solutions are being discuss...

Race and racism were key factors in this past week's elections, which centered largely around the debate over teaching kids about the history of racism in America. On Today's Show: Jamelle Bouie , New York Times opinion columnist and CBS News analyst, reflects on electoral strategy following state and local Republican wins including what he calls "moral panic" over race in education as well as the...

It's not always easy to have conversations about race and racism. Why is it important to do it anyway, and how can we most effectively talk about it? On Today's Show: Celeste Headlee, author of Speaking of Race: Why Everybody Needs to Talk About Racism―and How to Do It (Harper Wave, 2021) draws on science and her own experience to offer guidance for having good conversations around issues of racia...

Two incumbent Democratic governors have not had the success they expected against GOP challengers. What can we glean from yesterday's election about politics going forward? On Today's Show: Nancy Solomon , reporter and editor in the WNYC newsroom, and Elena Schneider , national political reporter at POLITICO, break down preliminary results from New Jersey, where the governor's race is too close to...

As the UN gathers in Glasgow, Scotland to discuss global climate policy, the older lawmakers inside the summit, and the younger activists demonstrating outside have different priorities. On Today's Show: Marcela Mulholland , Political Director at Data for Progress, discusses their dissonant agendas. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection...

As Congress inches closer to a human infrastructure deal, which contains a number of extremely popular programs, how could it change the political calculus if it's passed? On Today's Show: Susan Page , USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power (Twelve, 2021), talks about the "framework" introduced by President Biden and the attempts to...

One of the most popular elements of Biden's 'Build Back Better' agenda, paid family leave, has been dropped from the bill. On Today's Show: Helaine Olen , Washington Post opinion columnist focusing on politics and economics, breaks down what's been going on in negotiations on the Hill, whether Democrats are close to a deal, and how the government would pay for it. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz...

We've been hearing about revelations from the leaked 'Facebook Papers.' What has the social media giant has been doing, and what they haven't been doing, around the world? On Today's Show: Sheera Frenkel , New York Times technology reporter and author of, with Cecilia Kang, An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook's Battle for Domination, joins to discuss her latest reporting on Facebook's influence in Indi...

What can the mayoral election in Buffalo, NY tell us about the current rifts between the center and the left in the Democratic party nationwide? On Today's Show: Robert McCarthy, political reporter at The Buffalo News , discusses the mayoral race in there, in which the incumbent Byron Brown is running a write-in campaign urging voters to support him, despite his loss to India Walton in the Democra...

After months of negotiations, the legislation that makes up Biden's "Build Back Better" agenda looks much thinner than how it started. Here's the latest on what's left. On Today's Show: John Nichols , national-affairs correspondent for The Nation magazine and the author, most recently, of The Fight for the Soul of the Democratic Party (Verso, 2020), discusses the latest news on the "Build Back Bet...

There appears to be movement from Sen. Sinema on certain budget reconciliation measures, but her changing position has lost her some of the support she had. On Today's Show: Luke Broadwater , congressional reporter in the Washington bureau of the New York Times, breaks down the latest on the budget reconciliation bill talks and how the House has voted to find Stephen Bannon in criminal contempt of...

Politics is about how we as a society come together to hash out what's important to us. Instead of politics, we talk about a 50-year old piece of music that does the same. On Today's Show: Sean Ono Lennon , musician and son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, discusses how John Lennon's 1971 song "Imagine" was shaped by its time and has influenced music for generations to come. Hosted by Simplecast, an A...

The past year or so of the COVID pandemic has reshaped the global economy. An international update on that, plus, a preview of the upcoming UN Climate Summit in Glasgow. On Today's Show: Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post columnist and author of Today's WorldView and the Post 's international affairs newsletter joins to talk about the latest in world news, including a preview of the global COP26 summ...

Trump is suing a Congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, as well as the National Archive, over whether he can exert executive privilege after leaving office. On Today's Show: Claudia Grisales , congressional reporter at NPR, brings the latest national political news, including Trump's lawsuit against the Jan. 6 Select Committee and the National Archives, and Biden's...

Today, a conversation about protecting democratic norms like voting rights in the face of attempts by Trump and his allies to rewrite them. On Today's Show: U.S. Representative Adam Schiff (D, CA-28), who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, talks about his new book Midnight in Washington: How We Almost Lost Our Democracy and Still Could (Random House, 2021), in which he looks back at his expe...

How does Joe Biden's Catholicism square with his agenda? We talk about that, and other ways the President's beliefs intersect with his political "brand." On Today's Show: Ayesha Rascoe , White House correspondent for NPR, brings the latest national political news, including a preview of President Joe Biden's trip to the Vatican and updates on the infrastructure deal. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWi...

The economy isn't in good shape right now, but this Nobel laureate in economics thinks a post-pandemic upturn is just on the way. On Today's Show: Paul Krugman , New York Times columnist, distinguished professor at the City University of New York Graduate Center, and the author of (now in paperback) Arguing with Zombies: Economics, Politics, and the Fight for a Better Future (W. W. Norton & Compan...

Last night was the second debate in the race for New Jersey governor, but the issues at play aren't unique to the Garden State. On Today's Show: Michael Hill , WNYC Morning Edition host and Nancy Solomon , reporter and editor in the WNYC newsroom talk about the second gubernatorial debate in New Jersey (which Michael moderated), between incumbent Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, and former Assemb...

Much ado has been made about the motivations of Senators Manchin and Sinema. What are they hoping to get out of the game of hardball they're playing with their party's agenda. On Today's Show: Amanda Terkel , Huffington Post's Washington bureau chief, talks about the latest national political news including continuing negotiations in Congress over the debt limit and crucial legislation related to...

As Congress negotiates the childcare provisions of a multi-faceted spending bill, we look at how US policy compares to the rest of the world. On Today's Show: Bryce Covert , an independent journalist who covers the economy and a contributing writer at the Nation, discusses the lack of public spending for early child care and the how the reconciliation package would affect it. Hosted by Simplecast,...

The winners of the Nobel Peace Prize have been announced, and this year the honor goes to two journalists "for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression." On Today's Show: Robert Mahoney , deputy executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, discusses the obstacles the journalists faced and this moment in journalism. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.co...