We begin our wide-ranging conversation by discussing the attack on a Moscow concert hall last week. What are the implications of that violence? And who is behind it? Then delve into the US's failure to fund the Ukrainian effort and the resulting loss of life. Will we help them? Or will Republicans continue to enable Putin? Anne also lays out the dangers of a second Trump term. With autocracy on the rise around the world, what would it look like here in America? See Privacy Policy at https:...
Mar 31, 2024•43 min•Ep. 161
Domenico Mantanaro joins us to cover the political landscape! Trump trials, the general election, the Robert Hur report, and Congress. Plus, is Donald Trump taking over the RNC to help bail him out of his financial problems? And as a reporter, how does Domenico maintain objectivity vs neutrality? See all of Domenico's reporting here! https://www.npr.org/people/392602474/domenico-montanaro Al is going on tour! See if he's coming to your town and grab tickets today! https://www.a...
Mar 24, 2024•51 min•Ep. 160
Former Republican operative Tim Miller joins the podcast to discuss a wide range of topics! We cover Biden's re-election strategy and react to his State of the Union speech. (Plus the GOP response from Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), With Congress as dysfunctional as it is, is there any chance of funding the effort in Ukraine? And does Tim still find common ground with his old Republican Party? See more of Tim's work at The Bulwark Al is going on tour! Get your tickets today! See...
Mar 17, 2024•46 min•Ep. 159
While anti-Semitism has run rampant among the far right, it has been growing among the political left. In Frank Foer's recent piece for The Atlantic, he explains how we got to this point. How have college campuses and schools become the center for anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic speech? How did college presidents mishandle the hate speech on their campuses? And what is the future of American Jews if Trump is elected again? Read Frank Foer's entire piece in The Atlantic: https://www.the...
Mar 10, 2024•57 min•Ep. 158
Reproductive rights are under attack all over the country and will be one of the most important issues in the election this November. Abortion bans and limits on reproductive help are extremely unpopular and could be bad news for the Republicans enacting them. This is a must listen for reproductive rights! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Mar 03, 2024•47 min•Ep. 157
The author of the profoundly disturbing book "The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory" explains how evangelicals have been turned into a political tool for the Republican Party. Alberta grew up in the evangelical wing of the Presbyterian Church and watched as they turned their back on him after he criticized Donald Trump. How did the evangelical church turn so far towards right wing politics? What exactly is an evangelical? How can those voters ever be won back? Al is going on tour! See ...
Feb 25, 2024•58 min•Ep. 156
David Frum from The Atlantic Monthly discusses the chaos that Donald Trump would bring if he were elected to a second term. From the border to foreign aid to Trump's attempt to pardon his crimes... Can we withstand another Trump term? Read more from David in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/david-frum/ Al is going on tour! See if he's coming to your town and grab tickets today! https://www.alfranken.com/appearances See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Ca...
Feb 18, 2024•40 min•Ep. 155
Tales from the Campaign Trail See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Feb 11, 2024•38 min•Ep. 154
Will the Jan. 6th Trial happen in time? Or will it just be the Stormy Daniels Case? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Feb 04, 2024•46 min•Ep. 153
On MAGA See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Jan 28, 2024•44 min•Ep. 152
Al & Jim On How They Tried to Reward the Audience for Knowing Stuff but Not Punish Them for Not See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Jan 21, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 151
The Federalist Society’s Got the Worst Ones All Lined Up See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Jan 14, 2024•41 min•Ep. 150
Heather says that Trumpers have bought into an alternative reality and that we are, at this moment, on a knife’s edge. She’s an historian and not a clairvoyant. But she’s also an activist, doing all she can to spread the word through historical analysis. Beat that, Trump! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Jan 07, 2024•58 min•Ep. 149
Really great! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Dec 31, 2023•55 min•Ep. 147
Jim talks about comedy and his decision to come out against Trump. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Dec 24, 2023•59 min•Ep. 148
A Tour of the Big Political Events of 2023 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Dec 17, 2023•46 min•Ep. 146
A tour of Ukraine, Russia, China, Israel, and Gaza See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Dec 10, 2023•47 min•Ep. 145
My friend Norman Lear passed on this week at 101. A great man, who created legendary TV See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Dec 06, 2023•46 min•Ep. 144
Where they’ve been and where they’re going See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Dec 03, 2023•45 min•Ep. 143
Protect Democracy's Executive Director on Our Nightmare See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Nov 26, 2023•47 min•Ep. 142
The New York Times Reporter Puts the Current Trial Into Perspective See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Nov 19, 2023•28 min•Ep. 141
On the 2024 Election! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Nov 12, 2023•43 min•Ep. 140
Israel’s No-Win Situation See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Nov 05, 2023•37 min•Ep. 139
How A Far-Right Zealot Got to be 2 nd in Line for POTUS See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Oct 29, 2023•31 min•Ep. 138
An Analysis from the Middle East Scholar See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Oct 22, 2023•42 min•Ep. 137
And 15% of Americans Believe this Stuff! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Oct 15, 2023•53 min•Ep. 136
The Climate Has Always Changed – Just Not This Fast!!! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Oct 08, 2023•50 min•Ep. 135
And what it says about our politics See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Oct 01, 2023•52 min•Ep. 134
The Trump trials and the ug-ug-ugly Garland hearings See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Sep 24, 2023•48 min•Ep. 133
The Atlantic writer on where it stands and where it’s going. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
Sep 17, 2023•47 min•Ep. 132
