As trust in science and institutions has eroded, the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science is teaching scientists how to better communicate their work to lay people. On Today's Show: Laura Lindenfeld , PhD, executive director of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science and professor of communication at Stony Brook University, explains how improv can help bridge the science gap, and how science communication intersects with politics. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.ad...
Jun 10, 2026•21 min•Ep. 519
With basketball fresh on everyone's mind, someone with his feet in both the sports world, and the political world, discusses. On Today's Show: Bill Bradley , two-time NBA champion with the Knicks and former U.S. senator (D NJ), host of American Voices on Sirius XM and featured in the autobiographical documentary "Rolling Along: Bill Bradley" talks about this year's NBA finals, his take on national politics, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information a...
Jun 09, 2026•22 min•Ep. 518
Speeches have an important history in the United States, not only for their historical impact, but for their role in shaping a national identity. On Today's Show: Ben Rhodes , contributor to MS NOW, the co-chair of National Security Action and an advisor to former president Barack Obama and the author of All We Say: The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches (Random House, 2026), talks about his new book that tells the history of the United States and its central conflicts throug...
Jun 08, 2026•23 min•Ep. 517
It's been a consequential week in D.C., as some issues, like war powers, have driven a wedge between President Trump and members of Congress, including some Republicans. On Today's Show: Elana Schor , senior Washington editor at Semafor, talks about the news out of Washington this week, including how some Republican senators are standing up to President Trump on war powers, the $1.8 billion dollar payout fund and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information...
Jun 05, 2026•23 min•Ep. 516
As the Trump administration continues to use the US military for geopolitical leverage, a look at the work of boots-on-the-ground service members. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Jun 04, 2026•22 min•Ep. 515
Ahead of the midterms, a look at some key races. On Today's Show: David Remnick , editor of The New Yorker and the host of The New Yorker Radio Hour, talks about the latest national political news, including the latest regarding the midterm elections, the Democratic Party's identity crisis and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
Jun 03, 2026•20 min•Ep. 514
The far-left politics of NYC's new(ish) mayor have drawn national attention, and raised questions about the future of Democratic politics. On Today's Show: New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani takes questions from listeners and talks about this week's news in the city, and other issues important to New Yorkers, including childcare, trans healthcare and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
Jun 02, 2026•22 min•Ep. 513
The Trump administration announced that those seeking green cards would need to apply from their home countries, not within the U.S. as many had been able to do. On Today's Show: Allan Wernick , legal advisor to CUNY Citizenship Now!, CUNY's free immigration law service program, offers the latest guidance on who will be affected by the change. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
May 29, 2026•18 min•Ep. 511
A recent Supreme Court decision weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. On Today's Show: Daniel Squadron , co-founder of The States Project, former New York State senator and author of the forthcoming book The Fourth Branch: How State Government Can Save Our Union (Zando, 2026), talks about the interplay between state legislatures and the redistricting fights happening now. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal...
May 28, 2026•22 min•Ep. 510
On our radio show, we're kicking off a series of forums for candidates running for Congress in consequential, local races. On Today's Show: Dan Goldman , US representative (D, NY-10), and Brad Lander , former NYC comptroller and former mayoral candidate, discuss key issues as they campaign in the June primary election to be the Democratic nominee for Congress for New York's 10th congressional district. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collec...
May 27, 2026•21 min•Ep. 509
On today's show: U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy , D-Conn., talks about his new book, Crisis of the Common Good: The Fight for Meaning and Connection in a Broken America (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2026), and the underlying crises that have resulted in our current politics. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
May 26, 2026•22 min•Ep. 508
As the Trump administration ramps up its pressure campaign against Cuba, a look at what it means for the geopolitics of the region. On Today's Show: Nahal Toosi , Politico’s senior foreign affairs correspondent and columnist, discusses her latest reporting on how President Donald Trump and his aides have grown frustrated that their posture towards Cuba doesn't seem to be working, and what sort of military action might be on the table. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com...
May 22, 2026•20 min•Ep. 507
Remembering Barney Frank and his recent advice for Democrats. On Today's Show: Hear excerpts from our 2015 interview with the former Massachusetts Congressman, followed by Jonathan Lemire , co-host of Morning Joe on MSNOW; writer for MSNOW and staff writer for The Atlantic , who talks about the late Barney Frank's advice for Democrats, including his defense of incremental change. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of persona...
May 21, 2026•25 min•Ep. 506
A legal expert weighs in on the ways President Trump has used the legal system to evade accountability and enrich himself. On Today's Show: Andrew Weissmann , professor of practice at NYU School of Law, co-host of the podcast Main Justice and author of Liar’s Kingdom: How to Stop Trump’s Deceit and Save America (Little, Brown, 2026), talks about the changes to the legal system needed to preserve US democracy. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our...
May 20, 2026•19 min•Ep. 505
CBS has canceled "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert." On Today's Show: As the final episodes air Bill Carter , editor at large for LateNighter.com, discusses what its loss says about today's media landscape. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
May 19, 2026•19 min•Ep. 504
President Trump and some of his administration officials have made recent 'gaffes' that could impact the GOP's prospects for the midterms in November. On Today's Show: David Graham , staff writer at The Atlantic and an author of the Atlantic daily newsletter, plus author of The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America (Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2025), offers analysis of FBI director Kash Patel's performance during Congressional testimony, plus how he says President Trump's recent gaff...
May 18, 2026•14 min•Ep. 503
A New Yorker journalist has been reporting on the AI dispute between Elon Musk and Sam Altman, as well as developments around the new PM of Hungary. On Today's Show: Andrew Marantz , staff writer at The New Yorker and author of Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation (Viking Press, 2019), talks about his recent reporting. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal da...
May 15, 2026•19 min•Ep. 502
President Trump has claimed that the US will sign a nuclear deal with Iran, but there are major obstacles standing in the way. On Today's Show: Nate Swanson , former director for Iran at the National Security Council between 2022 and 2025 and current director of the Iran strategy project for the Atlantic Council, offers analysis. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
May 14, 2026•17 min•Ep. 501
Between the impact of AI on the job market, and geopolitics on the energy market, the current economic situation is a lot to make sense of. On Today's Show: Kai Ryssdal , host and senior editor of Marketplace, talks about the latest economic news, including recent data on inflation, jobs and productivity, the effects of President Trump's tariffs and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
May 13, 2026•15 min•Ep. 500
As the November midterms start ramping up, a look at some recent polling, and some redistricting battles that could impact the outcomes. On Today's Show: Mara Liasson , NPR national political correspondent, talks about the latest national political news, including what's happening in foreign policy as President Trump travels to China and a deal to end the Iran war is still not happening. Plus, she discusses the redistricting wars and what a recent NPR/PBS/Marist poll found about the president's ...
May 12, 2026•14 min•Ep. 499
As academic terms like "critical race theory" have been reshaped by their use in political spheres, a conversation with someone who helped originate those ideas. On Today's Show: Civil rights scholar Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw , co-founder and executive director of the African American Policy Forum, founder and executive director of the Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies at Columbia Law School, distinguished professor and Promise Institute chair for human rights at UCLA Law S...
May 11, 2026•22 min•Ep. 498
Today, SCOTUS released a decision in a gerrymandering case in Virginia, blocking Democrats from an election map with 4 more likely blue districts. On Today's Show: Janai Nelson , president-director counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, talks about the implications of the Supreme Court's decision in Callais v. Louisiana, which they say gutted the Voting Rights Act. Plus, her reaction to the news that the Virginia Supreme Court overturned the voter-approved redistricting ballot measure that wou...
May 08, 2026•20 min•Ep. 497
Yesterday, the Supreme Court temporarily reinstated a Food and Drug Administration rule allowing the abortion pill mifepristone to be prescribed via telemedicine. On Today's Show: Melissa Murray , NYU law professor, co-host of the podcast Strict Scrutiny, MSNOW commentator and the author of The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader (Simon & Schuster, 2026), explains the Constitution and how all the problems inherent in the founding are contained in it, ...
May 05, 2026•22 min•Ep. 496
The Supreme Court's recent voting rights decision could fundementally change not only the nation's electoral landscape, but how the maps themselves are drawn. On Today's Show: Nick Corasaniti , New York Times reporter covering national politics, with a focus on voting and elections, talks about the possibility of "endless redistricting wars," and how this may affect this year's midterm elections and beyond. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our c...
May 04, 2026•21 min•Ep. 495
The Supreme Court heard arguments on two cases where the Trump administration is attempting to end TPS, or Temporary Protected Status, for thousands of Haitians and Syrians living in the US. On Today's Show: Ciarán Donnelly , senior vice president for International Programs at International Rescue Committee, and Daniel Berlin , policy director of Protection Pathways at the International Rescue Committee, offer their take on why the program should stay legal, as well as talk about the humanitaria...
Apr 30, 2026•20 min•Ep. 494
The Supreme Court was busy today, hearing oral arguments over an immigration case, and issuing opinions on a number of other issues. On Today's Show: Emily Bazelon , staff writer for The New York Times Magazine , co-host of Slate's "Political Gabfest" podcast, Truman Capote fellow for creative writing and law at Yale Law School and author of Charged (Random House, 2019), offers legal analysis of today's arguments before the Supreme Court over Temporary Protected Status for certain refugees, and ...
Apr 29, 2026•21 min•Ep. 493
With an abundance of national news, a look at how Democrats in the Congress are thinking about the nation's priorities. On Today's Show: U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D, NJ), author of Stand (St. Martin’s Press, 2026), talks about his ongoing efforts to gain support for a war powers resolution to stop the war in Iran and the approaching 60-day deadline, plus other national news. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal dat...
Apr 28, 2026•24 min•Ep. 492
Should the attack at the White House Correspondents' Dinner be thought of as an assassination attempt, or an attempted mass shooting? On Today's Show: Brian Stelter , chief media analyst for CNN Worldwide, lead author of the Reliable Sources newsletter and the author of several books, including Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Battle for America (Atria/One Signal Publishers, 2024), offers his perspective of the shooting at this weekend's White House Correspondent...
Apr 27, 2026•19 min•Ep. 491
Mayor Mamdani's populist politics and affordability agenda have brought him national attention, as well as comparisons to his predecessor, Fiorello La Guardia. On Today's Show: We present a live conversation in The Greene Space with NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and WNYC’s Senior Politics Reporter Brigid Bergin , about his first months in office, what he has accomplished so far, and what comes next. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and...
Apr 25, 2026•56 min•Ep. 490
A debate is underway among Democratic party leaders over whether to engage with influential, controversial streamer Hasan Piker. On Today's Show: Jonathan Cowan , co-founder and president of the centrist think tank Third Way, and Daniel Denvir , journalist, host of the Jacobin podcast The Dig, and author of All-American Nativism (Verso Books, 2020), address Piker's statements and debate whether or not politicians should interact with him, and more broadly, if he belongs in the Democratic coaliti...
Apr 23, 2026•24 min•Ep. 489
