An education advocate, who formerly supported school vouchers and charter schools, is now speaking in support of public education. On Today's Show: Diane Ravitch , education historian, former research professor of education at New York University, blogger at dianeravitch.net and author of the recent book An Education: How I Changed My Mind About Schools and Almost Everything Else (Columbia University Press, 2025), talks about the changes that led her to become a promoter of public schools. Hoste...
Dec 03, 2025•23 min•Ep. 403
Senator Mark Kelly appeared in a video alongside other veterans now serving in Congress, telling service members, “Our laws are clear: you can refuse illegal orders.” The Pentagon has since opened an investigation and even raised the possibility of recalling him to active duty for potential discipline. On Today's Show: Zachary Cohen , senior reporter on the national security beat for CNN, talks about what Kelly said, why Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the probe, and how this all fits int...
Dec 03, 2025•21 min•Ep. 402
On World AIDS Day, a look at the impact of foreign aid cuts on HIV prevention programs, particularly in South Africa. On Today's Show: Pratik Pawar , Future Perfect fellow at Vox, talks about a new HIV prevention drug the U.S. is making available worldwide, except to South Africa, the country with the most people living with HIV. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
Dec 01, 2025•23 min•Ep. 401
President Trump and his allies are framing the kidnappings and other attacks in Nigeria as Islamic attacks on Christians, and even threatening military action On Today's Show: Emmanuel Akinwotu , international correspondent for NPR, talks about the situation, including how extremist groups are killing people of all faiths in the country, not just Christians. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising...
Nov 26, 2025•20 min•Ep. 400
On points where he disagrees with the scientific concensus, what makes RFK. Jr so sure he's right? On Today's Show: Michael Scherer , staff writer at The Atlantic , talks about his Atlantic cover story on HHS Secretary RFK, Jr., and other news. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
Nov 25, 2025•23 min•Ep. 399
After a busy weekend for national political headlines, a local congressional leader weighs in. On Today's Show: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY8) offers his take on how the meeting between President Trump and Mayor-elect Mamdani went, and more national political news. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
Nov 24, 2025•19 min•Ep. 398
President Trump and NYC's Mayor-elect Mamdani are meeting in DC today after many traded barbs and concerns over how the two very different administrations will work with, or against, each other. On Today's Show: Jonathan Lemire , co-host of Morning Joe on MSNOW, writer for MSNOW and contributing writer to The Atlantic , talks about the national political news of the week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data f...
Nov 21, 2025•22 min•Ep. 397
For our monthly 'Call Your Senator' series, NJ listeners asked about their healthcare prices, and other national issues. On Today's Show: U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) talks about his work in the Senate and the issues in New Jersey, including the debate over ACA subsidies, the Gateway tunnel funding, and the Epstein files. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
Nov 18, 2025•23 min•Ep. 396
President Trump has reportedly reversed course on the Epstein investigation over the weekend, now urging his party to baack a vote to release a large tranche of emails and other documents. On Today's Show: Eleanor Mueller , congress reporter at Semafor, talks about the latest national political news from Congress, including the shutdown winners and losers, the upcoming vote in the House on the Epstein files and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information a...
Nov 17, 2025•20 min•Ep. 395
With so much political baggage attached to labels like communism, socialism and Marxism, we look at the terminology, and how much the distinctions matter. On Today's Show: Carlo Invernizzi-Accetti, professor of political science and executive director of the Moynihan Center at The City College of New York, and author of 20 Years of Rage: How Resentment Took the Place of Politics (Mondadori, 2024), explains the core principles of the various strains of thought on the left. Hosted by Simplecast, a...
Nov 14, 2025•22 min•Ep. 394
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives returned to work after a 54-day hiatus, and have been releasing documents throughout the day related to Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump. On Today's Show: Nicholas Wu , congressional reporter at POLITICO, talks about the contents of the files, the upcoming vote in the House on the funding bill that would end the government shutdown, why some Democrats are furious at their Senate colleagues who broke ranks to cut a deal and more. NOTE: This conversation ...
Nov 12, 2025•21 min•Ep. 393
On Veterans Day, we explore recent changes to the US military under Pete Hegseth. On Today's Show: Paul Rieckhoff , independent national security, veterans affairs and political analyst, host of the Independent Americans podcast, founder & CEO, Independent Veterans of America, co-founder of American Veterans for Ukraine, founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), discusses how vets are viewing the changes Pete Hegseth is making to the armed forces, and how well they feel the...
Nov 11, 2025•20 min•Ep. 392
A Long Island congressman explains his centrist, bi-partisan approach to the current political moment. On Today's Show: U.S. Representative Tom Suozzi (D-NY3) talks about the Senate's possible end to the longest shutdown in history, and what the election of Zohran Mamdani means for the Democratic party. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
Nov 10, 2025•21 min•Ep. 391
As Rep. Nancy Pelosi announces her decision to retire from Congress in 2027, the longest ever shutdown of the federal government continues. On Today's Show: Toluse Olorunnipa , staff writer at The Atlantic, discusses the latest national political news. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Nov 07, 2025•20 min•Ep. 390
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week on the legality of President Trump's tariffs. On Today's Show: Aziz Huq , professor of law at the University of Chicago Law School and author of The Rule of Law: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2024), offers legal analysis of the case, and how the justices might be inclined to rule, based on their questions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal da...
Nov 06, 2025•20 min•Ep. 389
Democrats won big in several electoral contests across the nation yesterday, including in NYC, New Jersey, Virginia and California. On Today's Show: Susan Page , USA Today Washington bureau chief and the author of several books, including The Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters (Simon & Schuster, 2024) and the forthcoming The Queen and Her Presidents (Harpers, April 2026), talks about what the New York City mayoral results might mean for Democrats moving forward, and offers an...
Nov 05, 2025•22 min•Ep. 388
In the Virginia governor's race, Democratic nominee and former congresswoman Abigail Spanberger has maintained a lead in polls since very early in the race over Republican nominee Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears. On Today's Show: Markus Schmidt , senior Virginia politics reporter and deputy editor at The Virginia Mercury , breaks down the latest on Virginia's gubernatorial race. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of ...
Nov 04, 2025•12 min•Ep. 387
One of the nation's most prolific historical documentarians takes on the American Revolution, ahead of next summer, when the US will celebrate its 250th birthday. On Today's Show: Ken Burns , documentary filmmaker, and Sarah Botstein , co-director of "The American Revolution," talk about their new, 12-part docuseries on PBS called "The American Revolution," which is being released ahead of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, in July 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz ...
Oct 31, 2025•23 min•Ep. 386
Due to the government shutdown, millions of Americans are likely to miss their Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program (SNAP) paychecks starting this Saturday. On Today's Show: Grace Yarrow , food and agriculture policy reporter for POLITICO and author of POLITICO Pro's daily Morning Agriculture newsletter, reports on which states will be most impacted and how recipients are preparing. Plus, Karen Yi , WNYC and Gothamist reporter covering homelessness and poverty, explores how local and state ...
Oct 28, 2025•19 min•Ep. 385
The federal shutdown continues, as President Trump continues to push the limits of executive power. On Today's Show: Joyce Vance , a legal analyst for MSNBC and former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, University of Alabama School of Law professor, and author of the Civil Discourse Substack, and of the new book, Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy (Dutton, 2025), talks about the rule of law and offers legal and historical context for the current moment i...
Oct 27, 2025•24 min•Ep. 384
On Today's Show: Julia Ioffe , founding partner and Washington correspondent of Puck and the author of Motherland: A History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy (Ecco, 2025), talks about her new book that delves into the feminist history of Russia and why it offers context for the war in Ukraine, and the latest news of Melania Trump's backchannel conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our...
Oct 24, 2025•29 min•Ep. 383
The nation's largest city is in the midst of both a mayoral election, and various standoffs with the Trump administration. On Today's Show: Errol Louis , political anchor of Spectrum NY1 News, host of Inside City Hall and The Big Deal with Errol Louis, New York Magazine columnist and host of the podcast "You Decide," talks about how each mayoral candidate says they will respond to ICE or other federal agents conducting raids in the city, like the one that happened earlier this week in Chinatown....
Oct 23, 2025•18 min•Ep. 382
In response to the "No Kings" protests this weekend, President Trump shared an AI-generated video involving brown liquid that surely signifies excrement. On Today's Show: Stuart A. Thompson , reporter at The New York Times covering online influence, breaks down his latest reporting on how President Donald Trump is using fake artificial intelligence generated imagery to attack his perceived enemies and successfully rouse his supporters. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.co...
Oct 22, 2025•18 min•Ep. 381
Recently, President Trump commuted the sentence of former Long Island congressman George Santos. On Today's Show: Grace Ashford , New York Times reporter covering New York State politics and government, talks about why Trump wanted Santos's early release after serving less than three months of his long sentence for crimes related to theft and fraud. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
Oct 21, 2025•18 min•Ep. 380
House Speaker Mike Johnson called this weekend's "No Kings" protests "hate America" rallies. On Today's Show: Listeners call in to share what they were rallying for and against, and respond to Johnson's characterization of the marches. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Oct 20, 2025•18 min•Ep. 379
The Supreme Court has, over the past few years, opted to grant the federal government and the executive branch more and more leeway. 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: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration (Random House, 2019) previews the cases the Supreme Court will take u...
Oct 17, 2025•15 min•Ep. 378
President Trump has been using different executive agency programs to target certain cities. On Today's Show: U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D NJ) weighs in on the Trump announcement that the Gateway tunnel project is "terminated." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Oct 16, 2025•17 min•Ep. 377
The federal government shutdown is now in its 15th day. 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 on President Trump's 'autocratic' tendencies. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
Oct 15, 2025•18 min•Ep. 376
On Saturday, the Trump administration rescinded the layoffs of hundreds of scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who were mistakenly fired the day before. On Today's Show: Apoorva Mandavilli , science and global health reporter at The New York Times , explains what happened and who remains at the CDC. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
Oct 14, 2025•20 min•Ep. 375
On today's show: Julian Brave NoiseCat , writer, filmmaker, student of Salish art and history and the author of We Survived the Night (Knopf, 2025), talks about his new book, the story of North American indigenous people through his reporting and his own story, all in the style of a traditional "coyote story." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....
Oct 13, 2025•19 min•Ep. 374
