Washington Monthly

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...

In his first inaugural address, FDR famously told the nation that there was "nothing to fear but fear itself." Fast forward to 2025, and fear is the hallmark of Donald Trump's first 100 days in office. Author and journalist Jonathan Alter contrasts the enduring legacy of FDR to the chaos of Trump. Co-hosted by Washington Monthly Legal Affairs Editor Garrett Epps and Contributing Edit...

Washington Monthly Editor-in-chief Paul Glastris, Politics Editor Bill Scher and Executive Editor for Digital Matt Cooper chat with host Anne Kim about Trump's abysmal progress toward his promise of a new "golden era" for America. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Promises Made and Broken 00:36 Trump's Trade Deal with China 06:10 Evaluating Trump's Promises on Trade 09:33 Gradin...

Lawyer and historian Ira Shapiro, author of three widely-acclaimed books on the history of the U.S. Senate, speaks with co-hosts Garrett Epps and Anne Kim about the Senate's long decline over the last 30 years, the role of former Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in the destruction of the institution, and the need for the Senate to step forward to defend US democracy.

Some Democrats are already talking about the prospect of impeaching Donald Trump, and there's plenty evidence already of the "high crimes and misdemeanors" the Constitution demands. But as Washington Monthly's Bill Scher and Matt Cooper argue, the politics risks of talking up impeachment might be too high at the moment to pursue.

Donald Trump has launched an all-out assault on the nation's largest and most prestigious law firms. While some have chosen to capitulate, others have chosen to fight. Washington Monthly Legal Affairs Editor Garrett Epps and contributing editor Anne Kim discuss the myriad ways in which Trump's attacks on Big Law are unconstitutional and why it's vital for firms to resist.

Trashing the economy and breaking the law - it turns out - are politically unpopular moves. Who knew? Washington Monthly politics editor Bill Scher and Executive Editor for Digital Matt Cooper talk through Trump's latest polls, the most recent laws broken, and the "big, beautiful" budget bill that could ultimately be Republicans' undoing. Moderated by contributing editor Anne Kim...

When the Associated Press refused to call the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America," Donald Trump expelled AP from the White House press pool. Was this legal? Washington Monthly Legal Affairs Editor Garrett Epps and contributing editor Anne Kim walk through the key legal concepts that undergird the First Amendment's freedom of the press and the three things every citizen should know: that governmen...

After another week of bad news, bad polls and adverse court rulings, has the Trump president hit a tipping point in its power and popularity? Washington Monthly Editor in Chief Paul Glastris and Politics Editor Bill Scher debate Trump's future with contributing editor Anne Kim.

Most Americans don't pay much attention to the US territory of Guam, but this tiny island has outsized strategic importance - especially as China considers how, and when, to retake Taiwan. Hosts Anne Kim and Garrett Epps speak with longtime foreign correspondent and author Christian Caryl about the Chinese threat to Guam and whether America is ready for a potential attack.

There's plenty that ordinary citizens can do to push back on the Trump regime. They can protest, they can support legal action, they can lobby elected officials, and, above all, they can stay informed. Co-hosts Anne Kim and Garrett Epps speak with journalist Timothy Noah about his recent piece for TNR on the tactics of successful resistance. Chapters 00:00 The Importance of Marching 06:10 Strategi...

Has Resistance 2.0 finally arrived? Washington Monthly politics editor Bill Scher and Executive Editor, Digital Matt Cooper chat with contributing editor Anne Kim about the impact of last weekend's massive "Hands Off" demonstrations and what the outcome of last week's special elections in Florida and Wisconsin spell for the viability of GOP electoral prospects in 2026.

Now that the Supreme Court has made racial preferences in college admissions illegal, can class-based affirmative action promote equity? Washington Monthly Editor-in-Chief Paul Glastris and Contributing Editor Anne Kim speak with Richard Kahlenberg, the nation's most prominent advocate of economic affirmative action.