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The Bill Press Pod

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Deep dives into the crucial issues and emergencies facing America with the people trying to solve them.

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Episodes

The Disinformation Epidemic. With Barbara McQuade

In this episode of the Bill Press Pod, Bill welcomes Barbara McQuaid, a legal analyst for NBC, Co-host of the podcast Sisters-in-Law and author of Attack from Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America to discuss the pervasive issue of disinformation, particularly under the Trump administration. They explore how disinformation is used deliberately to advance political agendas, create divisions, and destabilize societies. They also discuss the role of social media, technology, and AI in amp...

Jun 10, 202540 minEp. 641

"This Will Get Crazier. The Reporters' Roundtable. June 6, 2025

Trump-Musk Feud. Impact on BB Bill? Whose Side Are You On?. Epstein Files in Play. Will Trump Punish Musk? What Does Elon Want? Trump: Investigate Biden Autopen. Travel Bans Back. Karine Jean-Pierre Bombs. With Sudeep Reddy, Senior Managing Editor at Politico, Sarah Wire, Senior National Political Correspondent at USA Today and Kirk Bado, Editor at National Journal Hotline. Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by SAG-AFTRA More information at SAGAFTRA.org . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com...

Jun 06, 202540 minEp. 640

Unmasking the GOP's Decline: A Conversation with Norm Ornstein

In this episode of the Bill Press Pod, Norm Ornstein discussed the significant changes in the Republican Party and the broader implications for American democracy since the publication of his 2012 book, "It's Even Worse Than It Looks". Ornstein is a political scientist and an emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a leading expert on Congress. Ornstein asserted that the party has dramatically shifted from being a traditional problem-solving entity to one that is highly radical...

Jun 03, 202539 minEp. 639

"That's a nasty question." The Reporters' Roundtable. May 30, 2025

Trump’s Tariff Tirade. Tariff Chaos Continues. The MAGA Path to Pardons. Putin Plays Trump-Again. Big Beautiful Bill Backlash. Flawed RFK, Jr. Report. Musk’s Tragic Legacy. 2028 Democrats. With Linda Feldmann, White House Correspondent and Washington Bureau Chief for The Christian Science Monitor, Phillip Bump, Columnist for the Washington Post and author of the How to Read This Chart Newsletter and Evan McMorris-Santoro, Reporter for NOTUS and writer for NOTUS Reports daily newsletter. Today's ...

May 30, 202546 minEp. 638

Trump's Erratic and Ineffective Foreign Policy. With Joe Cirincione.

In this episode of the Bill Press Pod, our own foreign policy expert, Joe Cirincione, discussed several pressing foreign policy issues. Cirincione is a National Security Analyst with decades of experience in DC. They began by touching on King Charles' historic visit to Canada for the parliamentary opening—a gesture seen as supportive of Canada amid criticism from Donald Trump. They then shifted focus to Trump's peculiar interest in Greenland, interpreting it as a potential financial motivation r...

May 27, 202540 minEp. 637

"It's a head scratcher." The Reporters' Roundtable. May 23, 2025

More Tariff Chaos. Public Feeling It? Markets Not Happy. Big “Beautiful” Bill. It’s Chances in the Senate. Trump’s Crypto Corruption. The Used 747 Bribe. White House Shakedowns. The End of the Penny. With Emily Goodin, Senior White House Correspondent for DailyMail.com, Jason Dick, Editor-in-chief of CQ-Roll Call and Jeff Dufour, Editor-in-chief of the National Journal. Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The Laborers' International Union of North America. More information at LIUNA.org . See ...

May 23, 202541 minEp. 636

Pope Leo XIV: Love and Unity with Sylvia Poggioli from Rome

In this episode, Bill speaks with Sylvia Poggioli from Rome about the new Pope, Leo XIV, and what he might bring to the table. Poggioli is the legendary NPR Rome, Vatican and Senior European Correspondent. They talk about Pope Leo’s inauguration mass, which was a big event with around 200,000 people attending. Leo XIV's homily focused on love, unity, and peace, similar to Pope Francis, but with a stronger push for unity within the Church. Leo XIV's background is pretty diverse, and he seems to u...

May 20, 202530 minEp. 635

Bill's Report From Peter's Square and on Pope Leo XIV

Bill had the great fortune of being in Saint Peter's Square when the new Pope was announced. He tells us what it was like and his thoughts on Leo XIV See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

May 16, 20257 minEp. 634

Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal. Chapter 12: Year in Review

We are back next week with new episodes of The Bill Press Pod. The 12th and final chapter chronicles the demise of our fictional magazine, Capital Monthly. The pressure from the White House, from advertisers and from Social Media algorithms kills the independent journalism that was, in our stories, documenting what life was like for people under Donald Trump's second term guided by Project 2025. We now have seen, in real life, what evil Project 2025 has wrought. We hope this update of Trump's Pr...

May 16, 20259 minEp. 634

Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal-Chapter 11: Hurricane Trump

Bill is back next week from his research and writing sabbatical. While he's gone, we decided it’s important to revisit the horrors we laid out in our Project 2025 podcast series, Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal – and have the series author, pro-democracy advocate and the author of nine books, David Pepper, tie them to what’s actually happened so far. In Chapter 11, set in November in Tallahassee, fictional Florida, Governor Buck Bryce confidently addresses the press regarding Hurrica...

May 13, 202516 minEp. 633

Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal Chapter 10- How Attacking "Woke" Plays Out in Reality

While Bill is on a research and writing sabbatical for the next 2 weeks we decided it’s important to revisit the horrors we laid out in our Project 2025 podcast series, Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal – and tie them to what’s actually happened so far. The first part of Chapter10 introduces the fictional character Dr. Joy Brewer, a dedicated researcher focused on studying cancer clusters affecting Black Americans. Joy learns from her colleague, Dr. Matthias Kunz, that all federal gran...

May 09, 202535 minEp. 632

Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal. Episode 9-The Insurrection Act.

While Bill is on a research and writing sabbatical for the next 2 weeks we decided it’s important to revisit the horrors we laid out in our Project 2025 podcast series, Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal – and tie them to what’s actually happened so far. The story in this chapter follows fictional Private Troy Marquis, who attends a tense early morning briefing at a military reserve base in Philadelphia. Troy is told that a radical group, Antifa, has invaded the city, prompting a second...

May 06, 202554 minEp. 631

Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal-The Assault on Public Education

While Bill is on a research and writing sabbatical for the next 3 weeks we decided it’s important to revisit the horrors we laid out in our Project 2025 podcast series, Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal – and tie them to what’s actually happened so far. Project 2025 proposed to eliminate the Department of Education and divert federal education funding into universal school voucher programs, allowing public money to be used for private and for-profit schools. This would result in cuts t...

May 02, 202547 minEp. 630

Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal Chapter 7 -The Brutal Attack on Workers and Unions

While Bill is on a research and writing sabbatical for the next 4 weeks we decided it’s important to revisit the horrors we laid out in our Project 2025 podcast series, Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal – and have the series author, pro-democracy advocate and the author of nine books, David Pepper, tie them to what’s actually happened so far. In this episode of Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal, we see the real-life effects of this assault on unions and workers. In our fictio...

Apr 29, 20251 hrEp. 629

Trump's Project 2025: Update: Chapter 6. Mass Deportation Disaster

While Bill is on a research and writing sabbatical for the next 4 weeks we decided it’s important to revisit the horrors we laid out in our Project 2025 podcast series, Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal – and tie them to what’s actually happened so far. The story that leads off Chapter 6 captures the struggles of 12-year-old Alvaro and his mother in a fictional detention center in West Texas. Alvaro expresses his hunger to his mother, who is too weak to properly care for herself. As th...

Apr 25, 20251 hr 3 minEp. 628

Bill's thoughts on the next Pope. From Bologna Italy

Bill interrupted his sabbatical in Europe to share his thoughts on the death of Pope Francis and who just might replace him. And how important that is for the Catholic Church, and the world. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Apr 24, 20257 minEp. 629

Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal. Chapter 5: The Department of Retribution.

While Bill is on a research and writing sabbatical for the next 4 weeks we decided it’s important to revisit the horrors we laid out in our Project 2025 podcast series, Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal – and have the series author, pro-democracy advocate and the author of nine books, David Pepper, tie them to what’s actually happened so far. In Chapter 5, Part one, the fictional characters Congresswoman Louise Getty (a stand-in for Liz Cheney) and Senator Wade Stiller, former rivals, ...

Apr 22, 202556 minEp. 627

Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal-Chapter 4: The End of Vaccine Mandates

While Bill is on a research and writing sabbatical, we decided it’s important to revisit the horrors we laid out in our Project 2025 podcast series, Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal – and to ask the author David Pepper tie them to what’s actually happened so far. This episode tells the fictional story of a middle school that opens its doors to unvaccinated students under a second Trump Regime as Trump eliminates Federal funding for schools with vaccine mandates. The story follows the ...

Apr 18, 202544 minEp. 626

Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal-Chapter 3: The Death of Expertise.

While Bill is on a research and writing sabbatical for the next 5 weeks we decided it’s important to revisit the horrors we laid out in our Project 2025 podcast series, Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal – and tie them to what’s actually happened so far. In Chapter 3, the fact-based fictional story of Dr. Yvette Hardman and JJ Newsom depicts the dismantling of expertise and science-based decision making in the federal government under a second Trump administration guided by Project 2025...

Apr 15, 202553 minEp. 625

Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal-Chapter 2: The Threat to Reproductive Freedom

While Bill is on a research and writing sabbatical for the next 6 weeks we decided it’s important to revisit the horrors we laid out in our Project 2025 podcast series, Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal – and tie them to what’s actually happened so far. Chapter Two depicts the personal story of Eve, a nurse struggling with infertility, whose treatment is threatened by the new president's actions. The episode explores how the president's policies are impacting everyday Americans, partic...

Apr 11, 202544 minEp. 624

Trump's Project 2025 Chapter One Update: Deportation

While Bill is on a research and writing sabbatical for the next 6 weeks we decided it’s important to revisit the horrors we laid out in our Project 2025 podcast series, Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal – and tie them to what’s actually happened so far. Chapter One depicts how the lives of everyday Americans would be impacted by the policies outlined in Trump's Project 2025 and the return of Donald Trump to power. The fictional story follows Ammon Maher, a college student and immigrant...

Apr 08, 202540 minEp. 623

"It's All Just Nuts. "The Reporters' Roundtable. April 4, 2025

Tarriff Debacle. Trump Defiant. Negotiation Ploy? Countries Fight Back. GOP is Nervous. Margin Slips in Florida Races. Musk Loses Wisconsin Race. Musk White House Turmoil. New Mothers Fight Johnson. Laura Loomer Flex. Booker’s Very Very Long Fight. With Sudeep Reddy, Senior Managing Editor at Politico, Nikki Schwab, Chief Political Campaign Correspondent at the Daily Mail and John Bennett, White House Correspondent at CQ Roll Call. Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The United Food and Comme...

Apr 04, 202546 minEp. 622

"Technically, that is a constitutional crisis." With Legal Editor, Dahlia Lithwick

This podcast episode features a conversation between Bill Press and Dahlia Lithwick, Author of Lady Justice , Senior Editor at Slate Magazine , Regular Contributing Analyst at MSNBC and AMICUS Podcast Host . They discuss: * **Concerns about the Rule of Law:** They express concern about the Trump administration's actions testing the legal system, particularly regarding court rulings, executive orders, and targeting law firms. * **Impeachment Threats:** Trump's calls to impeach judges for unfavora...

Apr 01, 202536 minEp. 621

"This is not the way to do it." The Reporters' Roundtable. March 28, 2025.

Security Scandal. GOP Crickets. Good Journalism. Stefanik Under The Bus. Special Election Worries. Greenland Fights Back. Car Tariffs. Canada Fights Back. Social Security Cuts. End FEMA? Purge Smithsonian. With Sarah Wire, Senior national political correspondent for USA Today, Jeff Dufour, Editor-in-Chief of The National Journal and Jason Dick, Editor-in-Chief of CQ-Roll Call. Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The Laborers' International Union of North America. More information at LIUNA.org...

Mar 28, 202545 minEp. 620

10 Bad Laws That are Ruining America. With Elie Mystal

In this episode of the Bill Press Pod, Bill interviews Ellie Mystal, Legal Analyst and Justice Correspondent for The Nation, on his new book, Bad Law: Ten Popular Laws That Are Ruining America. Mystal identifies ten laws plus a constitutional amendment that he argues are detrimental to America. During their conversation, they discuss the misconception of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) as redefined by Republicans, the problematic impact of the Hyde Amendment on abortion rights, and the ad...

Mar 25, 202540 minEp. 619

"Everyone is Unhappy." The Reporters' Roundtable. March 21, 2025

Dept. of Education Closed? Impeach Judges! Obey Court Orders? Constitutional Crisis. Musk vs Social Security. GOP Fears Musk, MAGA. Musk Solid with Trump. Town Hall Anger. Dems in Disarray. AOC Rising. Andrew Cuomo Back. Tesla is Political. With Maya King, Political Reporter at The New York Times, Emily Goodin, Senior White House Correspondent for the DailyMail.com and Arthur Delaney, Senior Reporter at HuffPost. Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The American Federation of Government Employ...

Mar 21, 202543 minEp. 618

SAY: "MAGA is a death cult." With Democratic Message Maven-Anat Shenker-Osorio

In this episode, Bill talks with Anat Shenker-Osorio. She is a strategist, pollster and messaging consultant for progressive politicians. organizations and causes in the United States and around the world. Shenker-Osorio argues that progressives are not even "losing" the messaging war but rather failing to participate effectively. She attributes this to: An over-reliance on the idea that "good policies sell themselves." A lack of consistent, repeated messaging. Flawed message testing that doesn'...

Mar 18, 202540 minEp. 617

"There is no method to it." The Reporters' Roundtable March 14, 2025

Schumer Caves. No Shutdown. Trade War Escalates. Markets Seesaw. Trump Approval Fades. Trump Sells Tesla at White House. Judges Slap Down Musk. Dems Attack Musk & Tax Cuts. With Phillip Bump, Columnist for the Washington Post and author of the newsletter, How to Read This Chart, Linda Feldmann, Washington Bureau Chief, White House/Politics Correspondent at the Christian Science Monitor and Igor Bobic, Senior Politics Reporter at Huff Post. Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The American ...

Mar 14, 202538 minEp. 616

The Right-wing "Echo Machine." With Progressive Podcaster David Pakman

In this episode Bill talks with popular progressive podcaster David Pakman. Pakman is the author of the new book, The Echo Machine: How Right-Wing Extremism Created a Post-Truth America. They discuss the current state of communication and disinformation in the United States, focusing on the challenges faced by progressives in countering right-wing extremism and misinformation. It highlights the importance of media literacy and critical thinking in combating the spread of false narratives, and th...

Mar 11, 202532 minEp. 615

"Is The Tide Turning?" The Reporters' Roundtable. March 5, 2025

Backlash to Trump. Tariff Uncertainty. Markets Down. Inflation Risk to GOP. Musk’s Power Fading? Cuts Hurting Red States. Education Dept. Done? Trump’s Rally at Congress. Dems Fumble Response. Dems Bad Hand. Dems Need a Leader. With John Bennett, White House Correspondent & Editor-at-Large, CQ Roll Call, Kirk Bado, Editor, National Journal Hotline and Evan McMorris-Santoro, Reporter and NOTUS Daily Newsletter writer. Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The United Food and Commercial Worke...

Mar 07, 202551 minEp. 614
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