Washington Monthly

In what’s become increasingly common practice in recentmonths, the Supreme Court recently used its “emergency docket” to lift a lower court injunction barring the use of racial profiling by federal immigration officials. The Court’s order allows ICE officers in Los Angeles to continue aggressive “roving patrols” and detention practices based on a person’sappearance. While the Court’s order was uns...

In comparison to its glitzy neighbor in Princeton, NewJersey’s Montclair State University cuts a relatively low profile. But its impact on the region is just as profound. Montclair is New Jersey’s second largest public university, with 21,000 students – the majority of whom are racial minorities and half of whom are the first in their families to go to college. Montclair is also among the top-rank...

Donald Trump recently declared on TruthSocial that he plans to “lead a movement to get rid of mail-in ballots.” He claimed that “ELECTIONS CAN NEVER BE HONEST WITH MAIL IN BALLOTS/VOTING, and everybody, IN PARTICULAR THE DEMOCRATS, KNOWS THIS.” In truth, vote-by-mail is a bulwark of American democracy. Trump’s efforts to end vote-by-mail are an extension of hisefforts to control the nation’s elect...

President Donald Trump has condemned the District ofColumbia as a crime-ridden hellhole . He’s warned that “ caravans of mass youth rampage through city streets,” and that the district’s murder rate is higher than “ theworst places on Earth .” More than 2,200 National Guard troops now rove the streets of the nation’s capital, at a cost of more than $1 million per day. In truth, violent crime in D....

Higher education finance expert Sandy Baum explains what the“One Big Beautiful Act” means for student borrowers. Medical student and many middle-class parents could be in for a shock. Guest: Sandy Baum, Senior Fellow, Urban Institute Host: Anne Kim, Senior Editor, Washington Monthly

Unlike other college rankings that rate institutions for their “prestige” and selectivity, the Washington Monthly ’s College Guide and Rankings scrutinizes schools for what really counts – their commitments to public service, research and social mobility for their students. Founded by an abolitionist minister as the first inter-racial, coeducational college in the South, tiny Berea College in Kent...

The past president of Oregon Public Broadcasting says cuts to federal funding for public media could be catastrophic for rural communities in his state. Our guest is Steven Bass, who stepped down as president of Oregon Public Broadcasting in 2024 after 19 years. He calls public radio a “lifeline” for rural communities in his state. Hosts: Anne Kim and Garrett Epps

Until about a decade ago, the Texas GOP epitomized traditionalsmall-government conservatism. It championed tort reform, deregulation, and a laissez-faire, business-friendly atmosphere that politicians would often contrast to the oppressive regime of  California. But the election of Donald Trump has led to a peculiarphenomenon: the “Californi-fication” of Texas and the adoption of California-style...

No school can stand against the government’s limitless resources forever, says higher education finance expert Robert Kelchen. In this conversation with host Anne Kim, Robert discusses the current financial pressures facing universities, including threats to international student enrollment and the increase in the endowment tax included in the "One Big Beautiful Bill" Act. Chapters 00:00...

Donald Trump's destructive trade and tariff policies will leave America poorer and less competitive, argues trade policy expert William Reinsch, who speaks with host Anne Kim. And while the United States has shown itself to be an increasingly unreliable partner, the rest of the world is forming alliances without us, to our detriment. Reinsch also talks about the need for new US policies to address...

Donald Trump's disastrous economic policies on trade, immigration and the federal budget - along with his threats to the Fed - are a perfect recipe for economic disaster. Economist Rob Shapiro joins host Anne Kim to explain exactly why the US economy could be headed for a hard landing. He talks about the impact of high deficits on domestic savings and interest rates, the role of foreign invest...

After years of slavish fawning over Vladimir Putin, PresidentDonald Trump has apparently made an abrupt about-face in his views on the Russian President. In the last week, he has threatened huge tariffs  on Russia’s trading partners if Putin didn’t agree to a ceasefire; he’s also restarted the flow of arms to Ukraine via third-party transactions with European allies. But will Trump's new resol...

Anne Kim and Garrett Epps discuss the dangers of the SupremeCourt's increasing reliance on often unsigned emergency rulings – the so-called “shadow docket” - to rule in favor of President Trump's agenda. They also discuss the Court’s recent rulings limiting the rights of transgender minors and their parents and the erosion of the wall between church and state. Epps argues that the Court ha...

Beef is bad for the earth, but - perhaps surprisingly - biofuels may be worse. Journalist Michael Grunwald, author of the new book, "We Are Eating the Earth," speaks with Anne Kim and Bill Scher about the devastating environmental impacts of agriculture. Grunwald challenges conventional wisdom about the benefits of biofuels and reveals why organic farming is bad for the planet. He also offers tips...

Now that Trump's signature domestic policy agenda - the "one big beautiful bill" - is law, what can Americans expect? Washington Monthly's Bill Scher, Matt Cooper and Anne Kim tell you what you need to know about how this bill will affect ordinary Americans. They also talk about the political risks Republicans face in passing this unpopular legislation and the backlash that is certian to begin. Th...

Washington Monthly's Paul Glastris, Bill Scher, Matt Cooper and Anne Kim discuss the implications of President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, focusing on its Medicaid cuts, the betrayal of Trump's base, the impact on renewable energy, and the harsh immigration policies included in the bill. The discussion also touches on the political landscape leading up to the July 4th deadline for...

Ten years ago this week, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional right to same-sex marriage in its landmark ruling, Obergefell v. Hodges. Since then, marriage equality and LGBTQ rights have been increasingly under threat. Conservatives activists are successfully weaponizing trans rights issues as a wedge to undermine LGBTQ progress more broadly. In this episde, University of Oregon political s...

National Interest editor Jacob Heilbrunn joins Paul Glastris, Matt Cooper and Anne Kim to discuss the fallout from Trump's attack on Iran - and why Trump's prosecution of the war could be a failure. Also in this week's episode: How Republicans' "one big beautiful bill" is faltering in Congress, and the Supreme Court's decision upholding a ban on treatment for transgen...

Washington Monthly Editor in Chief Paul Glastris, Politics Editor Bill Scher and Executive Editor for Digital Matt Cooper join Anne Kim to talk about this weekend's protests, Trump's flop of a military parade, political violence in Minnesota, and the prospect of a regional war in the Middle East. Chapters00:00 The Military Parade and No-Kings Protests12:30 The Durability of the Resistance21:09 Pol...

In his latest attack on Harvard and other elite universities, Donald Trump has blocked the abiilty of international students to attend these schools. The results will be catastrophic for colleges nationwide, including the regional public schools that educate most Americans going to college. Co-hosts Anne Kim and Garrett Epps speak with higher education finance expert Robert Kelchen of the Universi...

Washington Monthly Politics Editor Bill Scher, Executive Editor Matt Cooper and Contributing Editor Anne Kim discuss the recent deployment of the National Guard by Trump in response to protests over immigration raids, the public's reaction to this escalation of power, and the implications for civil liberties. They also touch on the political fallout from the breakup between Trump and Musk, the...

The Trump Administration has threatened to suspend the writ of habeas corpus - which would enable the government to detain people without due process. But is this legal? Prof. Lee Kovarsky of the University of Texas at Austin, one of the nation’s leading experts in criminal law, speaks with co-hosts Anne Kim and Garrett Epps about the history and importance of habeas - and why Trump can't take it...

Washington Monthly Politics Editor Bill Scher and Executive Editor, Digital, Matt Cooper discuss the prognosis for the GOP's "big, beautiful" tax and spending bill in the Senate. They also discuss Trump's pivot on Russia, and whether "language" is why Democrats have lost working class voters.

After Donald Trump threatened to cut off funding to the state of Maine over the issue of transgender athletes, Gov, Janet Mills famously told the president, 'We'll see you in court." Since then, Maine has waged an effective resistance against Trump's attempts at federal coercion. Political science professors Luisa Deprez and Amy Fried discuss the contours of this defiance and its...

Washington Monthly Politics Editor Bill Scher breaks down the GOP's "big, beautiful" tax and spending bill - its prospects, its provisions, and its politics. Host: Anne Kim. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the GOP's Tax and Spending Bill 02:41 Current Status of the Bill and Key Developments 05:21 The SALT Deduction and Its Implications 08:21 Deficit Concerns and Freedom Caucus Dem...