Now & Then

How can the past help inform today’s most pressing challenges? Every Wednesday, award-winning historians Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman use their encyclopedic knowledge of US history to bring the past to life. Together, they make sense of the week in news by discussing the people, ideas, and events that got us here today. Now and Then is produced by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Last refreshed: June 30th, 2025 at 9:39 PM ⓘ

Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.

Follow on

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

RSS

Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app

Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Investigating Democracy

On the second episode of Now & Then, “Investigating Democracy,” Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman discuss the history of congressional commissions, following the Senate Republican filibuster of the proposed commission to investigate the January 6th insurrection. Heather and Joanne look back on investigations of the 1856 caning of Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner, the 1871 Ku Klux Klan hearings, and the 1954 back-and-forth between Senator Joseph McCarthy and the Army. In the proce...

Jun 08, 2021•47 min

Entangling Alliances

On this first episode of Now & Then, “Entangling Alliances,” Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman discuss the emerging Biden Doctrine and the relationship between foreign and domestic policy throughout American history. Heather and Joanne focus on the French Revolution, Teddy Roosevelt’s progressive turn, and the cultural legacies of the Vietnam War as three moments from “then” that can particularly inform this transitional moment for America’s role in the world. Join CAFE Insider to li...

Jun 01, 2021•49 min

Introducing Now & Then

Now & Then is a new podcast from CAFE hosted by historians Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman. Each Tuesday, they will break down the week in news and look back at historical parallels to help us understand our present. Along the way, they’ll introduce us to history’s influential and often-forgotten characters. New episodes drop every Tuesday starting June 1st. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

May 14, 2021•2 min

← Prev

Hosted on Megaphone by Spotify

For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android