Pantsuit Politics

Beth sits down with Lauren Pinkston, an independent candidate for governor of Tennessee, on the same day Governor Beshear sent Senator Mitch McConnell a letter asking about his month-long hospitalization. They use that story, plus Graham Platner's exit from the Maine Senate race, to get at something bigger: what "honor" means in public life when authenticity and elitism both fall short. Then they...

Sarah's on summer break this week, so Beth sits down with chef, culinary historian, and seventh-grade history teacher Mica Chavez to trace how food actually built the world we live in — from the Columbian Exchange and the science behind corn, to slavery, immigration, and the industrial food system we're stuck with today. Topics discussed: The Columbian Exchange: how corn, chili, potatoes, and toma...

For America's 250th, we asked Ezra Klein what freedom actually requires of us — and he took us somewhere we didn't expect: attention. We get into why the older idea of freedom was about self-mastery, not just endless choice, and what that means for how we live, parent, and govern right now. It's a Fourth of July conversation about virtue, institutions, and whether we can still build something new....

We're celebrating America 250 with three-time Pulitzer winner Rick Atkinson, whose Revolution Trilogy strips the reverence off the founding to show what was actually there: the first American civil war, a continent of human loss, and a republic that has weathered worse than this. Outside of Politics, the most important question of the summer: what's your favorite fair food? Topics discussed:The Re...

After a wave of June primaries, the question isn't just whether democratic socialism is winning — it's what it's actually offering. Beth and Sarah pull apart the electoral story (charisma, anti-establishment energy, and a generational shift on Israel) from the policy story: where collective approaches have something real to contribute, where capitalism still delivers, and the third thing Trump is...

From a $14.5 million paint job peeling off the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to a sitting vice president's conversion memoir, this episode is about the distance between what leaders perform and what they actually deliver. Sarah and Beth dig into rushed, made-for-TV governance, Keir Starmer's resignation one day before Brexit's tenth anniversary, and the Washington Post's bombshell...

The President announced a "deal" with Iran on his birthday, between a UFC fight and a crypto promotion — except it isn't a deal, it's a memorandum of understanding, which is a fancy way of saying nobody agreed to much of anything yet. Sarah and Beth get into what's actually happening in Iran, then turn to a Pew Research framework that breaks the country into nine political types instead of two par...

The country got an invitation to its own 250th birthday and hesitated — do we even feel like celebrating right now? Sarah and Beth make the case that the answer is yes, and not in spite of how hard things are but because of it. A milestone is a chance to take stock and tell the most honest version of the story we can, regardless of what the loudest and most cynical voices do. Topics discussed:- Wh...

SpaceX's IPO begins trading today, with OpenAI and Anthropic close behind. The rules of going public seem to be changing by the day. We talk about why this IPO matters to all of us and the Bernie Sanders proposal for the public to take a stake in AI companies. Outside of politics, a halfway-through-2026 check-in on our words of the year (which we had fully forgotten, if that tells you anything!)....

The headlines about this job market are frightening, and the advice often feels contradictory, particularly for young people. Sarah sits down with professor Kim Miller — who taught both of us at Transylvania — to talk honestly about what is actually happening and what you can do about it. We cover negotiation, the power of real relationships, and how to make yourself ready for opportunities you ca...

This week's primary results gave Democrats and independents a few reasons to pay attention — and behind closed doors, the Republican caucus is finally showing some friction. Beth and Sarah go deep on Delaney Hall, a Newark ICE detention facility where protests are escalating, lawsuits are piling up, and conditions are becoming impossible to ignore. Outside of politics, what we're doing with our "t...

Graham Platner is running for Senate in Maine and trailing a string of controversies — a tattoo with Nazi-era symbolism, old Reddit posts, and now a Wall Street Journal exposé on explicit texts with multiple women. Sarah and Beth use his candidacy as a lens on what we actually want from politicians: how normal is too normal, what "progressive vs. moderate" names and misses, and whether emotional m...

On today's Pantsuit Politics: Ken Paxton defeats John Cornyn by 28 points — the widest primary margin against a sitting senator in nearly 50 years — and we dig into what it means for the Senate map and the midterms. Plus a redistricting roundup from South Carolina, Alabama, and Florida. And Outside of Politics: summer movies, from Project Hail Mary to The Odyssey to The Mandalorian & Grogu (the po...

Over the weekend, I started a “lessons learned” Google doc. I love the stark, in-your-face, no-hedging clarity that comes from a bullet point list: “Here are the words that distill years or months of experiences, emotions, decisions, triumphs, and set-backs.”  That energy seems to be in the air as Memorial Day unofficially kicks off summer. Pope Leo has distilled his thoughts on the dignity of hum...

Beth’s daughter, Ellen, asked why our books aren’t on the bestseller list, and honestly? Great question, Ellen. That one question opens up the whole can of worms today: how popular consensus gets manufactured — from the mysterious black box of the New York Times bestseller list to music catalogs being protected like the financial assets they literally are, to the Vulture piece that confirmed what...

Trump's China trip barely makes a headline, a $1.7 billion taxpayer-funded slush fund raises alarms, and we check in on where we're really at with AI — as users, as parents, and as small business owners trying to keep up. Topics Discussed: Trump Goes to China The AI Backlash Outside of Politics: The Goldilocks Summer Ready to go deeper? Visit our website for complete show notes, exclusive premium...

As Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman launches her run for governor of Kentucky, we were honored to sit down with her and discuss her path to public service and hopes for the future of Kentucky. Ready to go deeper? Visit ⁠⁠our website⁠⁠ for complete show notes, exclusive premium content, chats, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This weekend, the Virginia Supreme Court struck down the voter-approved congressional maps, while the Tennessee legislature eliminated its only Democratic Congressional District — but Sarah and Beth think despondence is the wrong response. Then they break down Trump's increasingly tangled Iran situation, why declaring victory and walking away might be the best bad option on the table, and what Ukr...

The Fifth Circuit ruled again on mifepristone and the legal, political, and medical mess that followed is anything but settled. Sarah and Beth break down what Louisiana's "sovereign injury" theory means for mail-access abortion pills, why "leave it to the states" was never a real answer, and where the Republican Party goes from here on an issue Donald Trump desperately wants to avoid. Then, inspir...

Sarah and Beth break down the Supreme Court's decision gutting the Voting Rights Act and what it means for the gerrymandering arms race reshaping our electoral map. They check on Trump's promises to lower prices and fix our fiscal house. Outside of Politics, prom season has them asking whether we've over-structured — or under-structured — life for our kids. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Rahm Emanuel came ready to talk — and y'all, we were ready. This conversation covers the education crisis in America (which I don’t think a single person in this audience needs to be convinced about), what Mississippi actually did to turn things around, why Rahm closed schools in Chicago and would do it again, and what a real federal education strategy could look like. We also got into fiscal real...

Sarah and Beth respond to the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, examining what it — alongside a pervasive anti-authority mood across American life — reveals about the state of our social contract. Outside of Politics, they reflect on Spotify's 20th anniversary list of its all-time most-streamed artists and songs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it mean to truly value free speech? Sarah and Beth discuss the controversy around Sharon McMahon speaking at Utah Valley University, the EO designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, and more. Plus, what leisure activities are actually worth it? Topics Discussed: Sharon McMahon and Utah Valley University  The Antifa Executive Order  The Prairieland Nine prosecution  Chip Ro...

Sarah and Beth unpack the bombshell New York Times investigation linking the shadow docket to Chief Justice John Roberts, assess the erratic messaging around day 53 of the war in Iran, and close with reflections on what a week out West in the national parks can do for your spirit. Topics Discussed: The Roberts Court and the Shadow Docket Day 53 of the War in Iran: The Commander-in-Chief Question S...

We spent Tuesday’s episode talking about headline national and global news, and it felt pretty bleak. Today, we’re zooming in on a bright spot, New York City, and asking what we can learn from Mayor Zohran Mamdani as he crosses the first-100-days milestone. Mamdani was hailed as a unique political talent on the campaign trail. We’re interested in how that star power translates to political power a...