The Political Notebook

How far is the Trump administration willing to go? What is Iran trying to achieve by lashing out? Where is Congress?

Arizona legislative hits and misses. How does this session set up the 2020 election?

Forrest Radarian is a 10-year science teacher. He joins the podcast to talk about why he teaches, how education research might better inform our practices, and whether adding an “Adversity Score” to the SAT will change anything about equity in the U.S. education system. The SAT conversation begins at minute-marker (22:25).

Can the deal maker make a deal on immigration? How will Democrats handle the issue? How is the Democratic primary shaping up?

Is democratic-socialism America’s inevitable future? Does conservatism need to change to compete? Or does it just need more persuasive leaders?

How much more money will K-12 get in next year's budget? What about a 2020 ballot measure?

Is the Mueller report the last word? Is Barr spinning the conclusions? Can Trump shut down the border? Did Ducey backtrack or misstate his position on it? (The border shutdown conversation begins at minute-marker 12:30)

Is social media a help or a hindrance to a healthy living and a better politics? Is a better balance possible or likely?

Is the president exceeding his authority? Should Congress override his veto? Should the courts, if Congress doesn't?

Tax conformity, budget priorities, repeal of safety fee, sales tax referendum: How will it all come together?

Is the country ready for a European-style healthcare overhaul? Do Republicans have an alternative?

Is Ducey's pragmatic problem solving a winning formula for Republicans? Does Kelli Ward becoming party chair threaten that?

Trump mulls declaring a national emergency while McConnell sits on the sidelines. Will the Arizona legislature refer a tax increase to the ballot over Ducey's objection?

Oregon-based defense attorney and former public defender John Robb returns to the podcast to discuss the First Step Act. Does the new federal law represent an accelerating trend toward criminal justice reform? What are the potential consequences? What would be the most effective next steps?

Do we now only have two branches of government? What could the Senate and the House do to recover their authority? Will the Democrats impeach Trump? What would it take for the Republicans to convict?

We discuss three different ideas for education reform in Arizona. 1) K-12 testing: How do we reduce the amount of testing, but still hold students and schools accountable? 2) Higher education (18:00): How do we increase accessibility of the college degree? 3) Charter schools (25:00): Do we need charter school reform? If so, could it be done in a way that keeps the current benefits for students?

Did Trump kill McSally's chances? What will the national political scene look like for the next few years? Did #RedForEd make a difference in Arizona?

Matt Emerson returns to the Political Notebook for a reflection on the life of one of the great figures in U.S. military history. General Ulysses S. Grant won the Civil War for the Union and served as president during the tumultuous period of Reconstruction. How did an underachieving young man get thrust onto the bright lights of history? What made him such a brilliant general? What were his guidi...

The Arizona Supreme Court released the full opinion on Invest in Ed. Was the decision correct on the law? Was there something fishy about the way it went down?

A conversation about U.S. foreign policy over the last two years. Is Trump screwing things up, or is a naked assertion of American interests clearer and better?

Sinema was scripted, McSally was gaining ground in the debate until she blew it at the end. But we spent much of this podcast talking about Trump and the state of our national politics.

Moses Sanchez is running to be the next Mayor of Phoenix. We sit down for a wide ranging discussion of city issues: economic development, city finances, the proposed tax on marijuana dispensaries, policing, homelessness, sports stadiums, and the light rail.

What are Martha McSally, Kyrsten Sinema, Doug Ducey, and David Garcia doing right in their campaigns so far? What are they doing wrong? What are they missing?

The Arizona race for Superintendent of Public Instruction is set for November. Kathy Hoffman(D)is a speech therapist running on her experience working with kids in the classroom. Frank Riggs (R) is campaigning on his business and political experience. We talk about the role of Superintendent, as well as the education issues brought to the table by the candidates during their first debate broadcast...

The Arizona Supreme Court decided to kick Invest in Ed off the ballot. Was the decision justified? What will be the effect on the November elections? What's next for education funding in Arizona?