Join Bill Curtis and Jane Albrecht as they speak with Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci about 2022 elections, Republican tactics, and some of the most divisive political topics in the United States. What if Trump decides to run again? How will The Mooch plan to stop him? They cover politics, voting rights, bit coin, abortion, Biden, and vaccines…all as we close out year two of the pandemic with the death toll still rising. Episode Timestamps: 03:26- Were you always a ...
Dec 27, 2021•32 min•Ep. 74
What will it take for Dems to connect with black & brown voters? How can Democrats keep Republicans from branding them, radicals? What can Democrats do better to keep the house? All this and more is discussed on the season finale of Politics: Meet Me in the Middle. Bill and Jane are joined by Lanae Erickson (Senior Vice President for the Social Policy Program at The Third Way) and Quentin James (founder and president of The Collective) to explore their six month study and report that was pra...
Jul 27, 2021•39 min•Ep. 73
There are ways to improve the relationship between Russia and the United States, but it's going to be a long road. This week Timothy Frye continues his look at the possibilities of joint gains and the mutual benefits of better political relations between the two countries. Timothy Frye is the Marshall D. Shulman Professor in Political Science at Columbia University and Co-Director of a research laboratory at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. He worked for the US Information Agency in the...
Jul 19, 2021•33 min•Ep. 72
Timothy Frye kicks off our series on US-Russia relations. Timothy Frye is the Marshall D. Shulman Professor in Political Science at Columbia University and Co-Director of a research laboratory at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. He worked for the US Information Agency in the Soviet Union in the late 1980s, advised the Russian Securities and Exchange Commission in the 1990s, and directed the Harriman Institute at Columbia from 2009 to 2015. Born in Utica, New York, he earned a B.A. in Ru...
Jul 05, 2021•36 min•Ep. 71
Bill Curtis, Jane Albrecht, and Ted Lieu continue their discussion with Congressman Ted Lieu about cybersecurity and the potential threats to America’s infrastructure. According to Lieu, the Trump Administration did not take cybersecurity as seriously as it should have, even eliminating government cybersecurity positions. The new administration seems to be taking the issue of cybersecurity with more gravity. He wants more people to realize that the severity of an attack could go well beyond indi...
Jun 21, 2021•25 min•Ep. 70
Bill Curtis, Jane Albrecht, and Congressman Ted Lieu discuss computer hackers, cyber warfare, America's infrastructure, and how we can keep our country safe from these attacks. This is part one of our two-part series on cyber security with Representative Ted Lieu. Congressman Ted W. Lieu represents California’s 33rd Congressional District. Serving his fourth term in Congress, Ted has already made a significant impact in Washington. He was elected President of the Democratic Freshman Class by his...
Jun 14, 2021•34 min•Ep. 69
Nowadays there's not much that enflames passions more than a conversation about gun safety, the NRA, and the "right to bear arms." In this episode, Constitutional law professor Eugene Volokh goes toe-to-toe with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Ed Larson and host Bill Curtis as they argue what the framers meant when they crafted the second amendment on this encore edition of Politics: Meet Me in the Middle. Episode Timestamps: 2:10 2nd Amendment Lesson 4:06 Deeper Dive into the 2nd Amendment 5:3...
Jun 07, 2021•29 min•Ep. 66
Bill Curtis and Jane Albrecht continue their discussion on cybersecurity with author and tech-wiz, David Holtzman. What’s a Zombie Bot? Has a Trojan attacked your computer? How can we protect ourselves from Hackers? This episode will both scare and enlighten you to all matters of personal and business cybersecurity. David Holtzman is a world-class information technologist, currently working with global block chain companies, with deep expertise in privacy, encryption, ethics, cybersecurity, digi...
May 31, 2021•26 min•Ep. 67
Bill Curtis and Jane Albrecht discuss cybersecurity with author and tech-wiz, David Holtzman. They dive deep into the Colonial Pipeline Hack, ransomware, and Solar Winds. You’ll learn about the capabilities of Russia, China, and other nations in the cyber-wars. Do you want to know what Zero Day means, who’s DarkSide, Fancy Bear and Cozy Bear?... which software is the safest, Apple or Microsoft? And how wars will be fought in the future? This two-part series on cyber-intelligence will certainly d...
May 24, 2021•38 min•Ep. 66
This episode is going to be a little different. We're going to focus on trending topics in the news and social media, mostly political Twitter, and then ask our host, who'll be playing a guest this episode, about his thoughts, feelings and opinions on some of these topics. Plus, later, we'll do a get to know Bill a bit more with the producers Lightning Round. Episode Timestamps: 1:13 Social Media Platform 2:19 The Recent Biden Poll 3:29 The Covid unemployment benefits effect 7:52 Biden Putin vs ...
May 17, 2021•37 min•Ep. 65
Bill and Jane sit down with economist, Stephanie Kelton for a comprehensive conversation about the federal budget, inflation, jobs, revamping the debt system, the power of the purse, and the US economy. Stephanie is a leading authority on Modern Monetary Theory, a new approach to economics that is taking the world by storm. She is considered one of the most important voices influencing the policy debate today. Her New York Times bestseller, The Deficit Myth: Modern Monetary Theory and the Birth ...
May 10, 2021•40 min•Ep. 64
It's the second half of Bill Curtis and Jane Albrecht's conversation with Bill Kristol, and they cover just about everything under the political sun. Jane and Bill ask about the Republican's inability to think for themselves when it comes to outlandish conspiracy theories, getting rid of the filibuster, and dissecting Biden's infrastructure plan... all while the verdict comes down on the murder of George Floyd. Plus, we also have a riveting "Lighting Round" with our guest! William Kristol is edi...
May 03, 2021•33 min•Ep. 63
Bill Curtis and Jane Albrecht discuss the insurrection, Trump-ism, and the Biden infrastructure plan with political commentator, Bill Kristol. William Kristol is Editor-at-Large of The Bulwark. He was a founder of The Weekly Standard, and is a regular guest on leading political commentary shows. Prior to his work at The Weekly Standard, Kristol led the Project for the Republican Future, an organization that helped shape the strategy that produced the 1994 Republican congressional victory. From 1...
Apr 26, 2021•41 min•Ep. 62
Michael Steele joins Bill Curtis and Jane Albrecht to discuss what changes need to be made in the Republican (and Democratic) Party. Michael Steele the former RNC Chairman, former Lt. Gov. Maryland, political analyst for MSNBC, and host of The Michael Steele Podcast. When he was elected Lt. Governor of Maryland in 2003, Michael Steele made history as the first African American elected to statewide office; and again with his subsequent chairmanship of the Republican National Committee in 2009. Ep...
Apr 19, 2021•34 min•Ep. 61
CEO of Liberty Hill Foundation, Shane Murphy Goldsmith, joins Bill Curtis and Jane Albrecht to talk about her story, dream job as an activist, reforming the police, social imbalance, what brought her to her current position in life, and how LHF is making LA a better place for all. Episode Timestamps 2:05 Shane’s Origin Story 4:41 Community 5:36 Gang Life 6:00 The Police State 7:58 Reasons SMG joined the LAPD Commission 11:08 Making a Difference 12:53 Some of the things SMG learned about the poli...
Apr 12, 2021•36 min•Ep. 60
Bill Curtis and Jane Albrecht invite Congressman Ted Lieu to the show to discuss the aftermath of the insurrection, his personal feelings on January 6th, 2021, and breaking down the Biden Infrastructure Plan. Episode Timestamps: 1:57 Following up after the storming of the Capitol 3:00 Details on the day of the insurrection 3:57 The fear Ted felt 4:41 How the insurrection changed Ted 5:46 Feelings about the impeachment process 7:35 Diving into the decision not to convict the president 8:20 On two...
Apr 05, 2021•49 min•Ep. 59
Economist and Professor Ioana Elena Marinescu returns for part 2, with hosts Bill Curtis and International Trade Attorney Jane Albrecht, to discuss where the US currently stands economically, where it will stand in a post-COVID world, and the arguments for and against raising the minimum wage. Episode Timestamps: - :30 Minimum Wage - 1:54 Difference between a federal and state minimum wage - 2:36 Why we need a federal minimum wage - 3:33 Why a new minimum wage won’t lose jobs - 5:45 Places of bu...
Mar 22, 2021•29 min•Ep. 58
What are the pros and cons for Universal Basic Income, the Andrew Yang Plan, and ending poverty in the United States once and for all? Ioana Elena Marinescu, assistant professor of public policy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice, joins Bill Curtis and Jane Albrecht in Part 1 of 2 of an in-depth discussion on these topics and more. Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all on an individual basis, without any work ...
Mar 15, 2021•35 min•Ep. 57
Are we living through a "crisis of facts"? Poppy MacDonald, President of USA Facts.org, a non-profit, non-partisan civic initiative aimed at making verified government numbers more available, and understandable, joins Bill Curtis and Jane Albrecht to discuss “Nothing but the facts!” and how data might be the one thing that brings our divisive country together. Poppy is leading an effort to help Americans ground their democratic debate in real, backed up facts. Episode Timestamps: 2:22 How did Po...
Mar 08, 2021•35 min•Ep. 56
Producer Joey Salvia tosses out subjects for our hosts, Bill Curtis and Jane Albrecht, to tackle, and possibly solve, including poverty, divisiveness, and fake news. Topics discussed include the nursing home scandal in NYC, Ted Cruz, why the media needs Trump, taxes, the rich, the poor, and other hot news topics. Episode Timestamps: 1:47 Governor Cuomo and NY Nursing Home Scandal. Managing a pandemic 9:11 Damn Lies and the people who choose to believe (and act on) them. Misinformation and strang...
Mar 01, 2021•40 min•Ep. 55
What is the responsibility of social media outlets like Facebook, YouTube, Google, and Twitter in a healthy society? In a time where anyone - including radicals and even politicians - can use 'shock jock' outrageous methods to influence and mobilize huge audiences, to promote violence, and ruin people's lives, how can we get a handle on it? Renown Yale Law Professor and author, Jack Balkin, returns for a discussion with hosts Bill Curtis and member of the Supreme Court Bar, Jane Albrecht, about ...
Feb 22, 2021•35 min•Ep. 54
"American democracy has weathered these cycles before, and we'll get through them again." - Jack Balkin Politics: Meet Me in the Middle is back for 2021: a new administration, another impeachment, and the same old politics. Legal scholar, Yale Law Professor, and author, Jack Balkin, joins Bill Curtis, Jane Albrecht and Professor Ed Larson for a discussion about the constitution, political polarization, impeachment, and The Cycles of Constitutional Time, to explain, and help us weather, this waxi...
Feb 15, 2021•35 min•Ep. 53
We welcome author, legal scholar, and professor, Sanford Levinson to the podcast to discuss the need for adjustments in our constitution, campaign finances, and election process. Sanford Levinson holds the W. St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood, Jr. Centennial Chair in Law at the University of Texas Law School. His is the author of over 200 articles in professional and more popular journals and has written numerous books. TIMESTAMPS: :20 Where did our constitution fall short in checks &...
Dec 28, 2020•38 min•Ep. 52
Why has the constitution failed? Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, one of the country’s preeminent constitutional law and federal civil procedure scholars and frequently argues appellate cases, including in the United States Supreme Court, returns to discuss the constitution and recent Supreme Court rulings regarding the 2020 election. Our host, Bill Curtis recites political poetry, revisits a few SCOTUS decisions, and asks Professor of History and Pulitzer Prize winner, Ed Larson, can Trump pardon himsel...
Dec 21, 2020•35 min•Ep. 51
What happened with this years election polls? Do news sources and polling institutes need to re-earn our trust? Expert pollster, and founding director of the Monmouth University Polling institute, Patrick Murray joins the show again to defend and illuminate the poll results from the election. Timestamps: 2:49 Have the polls in the past been an accurate representation of the results? 4:04 Why did it seem that pollsters didn’t improve their accuracy from 2016 to 2020? 6:38 How do pollsters usually...
Dec 14, 2020•36 min•Ep. 50
E.J. Dionne Jr,. author, journalist, and long-time op-ed columnist for The Washington Post, revisits his pre-election predictions and discusses the difference between Progressives and Moderates, the transition into the White House, and new predictions for the Biden Administration. Timestamps: 2:32 E.J.’s presidential prediction from a past recording is revisited. 3:40 Does the Democratic party realize the mixed messages they’ve sent from the election? 5:11 Did the election say “no” to progressiv...
Dec 07, 2020•37 min•Ep. 49
UBI expert, professor and economist Ioana Marinescu of the University of Pennsylvania joins the Meet Me in the Middle panel of Pulitzer Prize winning historian Ed Larson, International Trade Attorney Jane Albrecht, and CurtCo CEO Bill Curtis, to discuss universal basic income, minimum wage, and the stimulus. With the economy potentially breaching the danger zone as the country begins to lockdown again, a discussion of increased public benefits becomes more important than ever. Throughout the epi...
Nov 30, 2020•38 min•Ep. 48
Politics: Meet Me in the Middle is excited to welcome back Pepperdine Professor, author, and regular contributor to CNN Dan Caldwell to the show. Top of the mind on today’s episode is the transition process from President Trump to President-elect Joe Biden. The panel discusses what the country can expect during the next two months, as well as some potential worries with concern to a rocky transition. Will President Trump pull our troops out of Afghanistan? How will relations between North Korea ...
Nov 23, 2020•35 min•Ep. 47
Will there be a peaceful transition of power between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, and what moves can we expect to see from Trump as he grips on to his last days as President? Norman Ornstein, renowned political scientist, contributor to CNN, FOX, The Atlantic, the National Journal, and NPR, and author joins Bill Curtis, Pulitzer Prize Winning Historian Ed Larson, and International Trade Attorney Jane Albrecht, to break down our current, somewhat unprecedented political situation including what wi...
Nov 16, 2020•32 min•Ep. 46
How will the newly appointed Supreme Court Justice, Amy Coney Barrett, determine America's path forward? Supreme Court Litigator Ed Warren returns to discuss some of his previous, spot-on predictions and the implications around the massive changes happening in the country, including of course, the impending election. TIMESTAMPS: 3:15 Ed Warren predicts Justice Amy Coney Barrett for Supreme Court 9 months ago and discusses why he thought the way he did 6:45 How pre-planned was Justice Amy Coney B...
Nov 03, 2020•35 min•Ep. 45
