In this episode Bill discusses the concerns around the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) with Dr. Rob Davidson, ER doc and the Executive Director of the Committee to Protect Healthcare. Davidson expresses concerns about Kennedy's history of anti-vaccine advocacy and his potential impact on public health policies. Key issues discussed include the measles outbreak in Texas, the threat of a bird flu pandemic, the cancellation of a key flu vacci...
Mar 04, 2025•34 min•Ep. 613
Musk Runs the Cabinet. Town Hall Backlash. Dangerous Fed Staff Cuts. If Government Fails… GOP Medicaid Danger. No Fraud Shown. Zelensky Visit. Tariffs on Tap. Suppressing the Press. With Lynn Sweet, Washington Bureau Chief and Columnist for The Chicago Sun-Times, Jasmine Wright, Reporter for NOTUS and Jeff Dufour, Editor-in-chief of The National Journal. Today's Bill Press Pod is supported The Laborers' International Union of North America. More information at LIUNA.org . See Privacy Policy at h...
Feb 28, 2025•45 min•Ep. 612
In this episode, Bill and Elie Mystal, The Nation Magazine’s Justice Correspondent, discuss the ongoing chaos and damage caused by the Trump administration and its close ties to Elon Musk including: The firing of prominent Black figures like Joy Reid of MSNBC and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown Jr., which Mystal argues is part of a broader effort to remove Black voices and influence from the government and media. Concerns about Trump and Musk's disregard for...
Feb 25, 2025•38 min•Ep. 611
Federal Worker Purge. Cuts Begin to Hurt. Voter Backlash. Trump’s Worsening Polls. GOP Senators Fear Trump, MAGA. Death Threats. McConnel’s Legacy. Trump Lies About Ukraine. Trump Wants DC Rule. Eric Adams on a Leash. With Jason Dick, Editor-in-chief of CQ-Roll Call, Arthur Delaney, Political Reporter at Huff Post and Amanda Becker, Journalist at 19th News covering politics and Washington. Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The American Federation of Government Employees. More information at...
Feb 21, 2025•45 min•Ep. 610
In the latest episode of the Bill Press Pod, Bill interviews CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, who discusses his new book, The Pardon: The Politics of Presidential Mercy . (Click the link to purchase.) Before addressing the book, they dive into current legal controversies, notably Trump's influence in New York, where a U.S. Attorney resigned rather than drop a case against Mayor Eric Adams, raising alarms about the politicization of the Justice Department. Toobin compares the situation to the "S...
Feb 18, 2025•32 min•Ep. 609
Musk in the Oval. Mass Firings. GOP Afraid of Trump. Where Are the Democrats? “The Price of Eggs.” Cuts Will Hurt. Trump Bans AP Reporters. Trump’s Own Gulf. Cabinet Forced Through. Constitutional Crisis. Trump Takes The Kennedy Center. With Geoff Earle, US Deputy Political Editor, Mail Online, Sudeep Reddy, Senior Managing Editor at Politico and Linda Feldmann, Washington Bureau Chief, White House/Politics Correspondent at Christian Science Monitor. Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The Un...
Feb 14, 2025•44 min•Ep. 608
The Trump administration is issuing a steady stream of controversial executive orders that are testing Congress, the courts, and the Constitution. This "flooding the zone with shit" strategy is making it difficult for the media to keep up and provide in-depth coverage. Today Bill speaks with leading Media Reporter, Oliver Darcy. Darcy, formerly with CNN, now writes the excellent daily newsletter, Status. Bill and Oliver discuss how the media is struggling to adequately cover and contextualize th...
Feb 11, 2025•40 min•Ep. 607
Gaza Chaos. Trump Never Changes. Elon’s Power Grab. Will Trump Dump Musk? USAID and Soft Power Gone. Rubio Falls In Line. Powerless Democrats. NYC Mayor’s Race. Shutdown Coming. Constitutional Crisis Already Here. Will Court Orders Be Ignored? With Maya King, Political Reporter for the New York Times based in New York, Philip Bump, Columnist for the Washington Post and author of the How to Read This Chart Newsletter and Kirk Bado, Editor of The National Journal Hotline. Today Bill highlights the...
Feb 07, 2025•42 min•Ep. 606
In this episode Oregon Senator Ron Wyden discusses the chaotic first weeks of the Trump administration, including the firing of inspectors general, threats to federal spending, and Trump's nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for HHS Secretary. Wyden criticizes Trump's disregard for the law and his attempts to undermine the federal government. He argues Democrats must focus on issues like healthcare costs, housing, and education to counter Trump's agenda that benefits the wealthy. Wyden also discusses ...
Feb 04, 2025•37 min•Ep. 605
DC Plane Crash. Consoler-in-chief-Not. False DEI Blame. Funds Freeze Fail. POTUS Power Grab. Deportation Theater. GOP Congress Capitulates. Democrats Muted. Flooding the Zone. Tight Confirmations. With Lynn Sweet, Columnist and Washington Bureau Chief at the Chicago Sun-Times, John Bennett, White House Correspondent & Editor-at-Large at CQ Roll Call and Emily Goodin, Senior White House Correspondent for DailyMail.com. Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The American Federation of Teachers...
Jan 31, 2025•40 min•Ep. 604
Trump's back in and tearing up the Constitution, the Federal Government and the World Order. What can elected Democrats do? In this pod, Bill talks with Congressman Mark Pocan of Wisconsin. He is a a long-time advocate for progressive policies. He was sworn in as the U.S. Representative for Wisconsin’s second congressional district in 2013. A small business owner, union member, Rep. Pocan fights for policies that promote economic and social justice. In the current Congress, he serves on the Hous...
Jan 28, 2025•34 min•Ep. 603
J6 Pardons. Pardon Backlash. Executive Order Theater. Birthright Citizenship. No Appeal to Unity. Hegseth Vote. Gabbard Iffy. Ramaswamy Out. Musk’s Power. Trump to NC and CA. With Jeff Dufour, Editor-in-chief at The National Journal, Igor Bobic, Senior Politics Reporter at HuffPost and Evan McMorris-Santoro, Reporter at NOTUS. Today's Bill Press Pod is The American Federation of Government Employees supported by More information at AFGE.org . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and C...
Jan 24, 2025•50 min•Ep. 602
Susan Glasser, is a staff writer at The New Yorker based in Washington, D.C., writes a weekly column on life in Washington and is a host of the Political Scene podcast. She is the co-author of “The Divider,” a best-selling history of Donald Trump in the White House, which she co-wrote with her husband, Peter Baker. She and Bill talk about the Trump's Inaugural Address and his "Niagara" of Executive Orders. And if there are any guardrails still in place. Spoiler Alert: No. Today's Bill Press Pod ...
Jan 21, 2025•33 min•Ep. 601
DOD-Hegseth In. DOJ-Bondi In. DNI-Gabbard?? Trump Dumps Turner. Biden’s Warning. TikTok Survives. Day One Exec. Orders. Deep Freeze Inauguration. With Linda Feldmann, Washington Bureau Chief and White House-Politics Correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor, Jason Dick, Editor in Chief at CQ-Roll Call and Arthur Delaney, Senior Politics Reporter at Huff Post. Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The United Food and Commercial Workers Union. More information at UFCW.org See Privacy Policy...
Jan 17, 2025•44 min•Ep. 600
This episode examines what went wrong in 2024 and how Democrats can win back the House, Senate, and White House after Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election. Our guest is one of the smartest political writers in the country. Ron Brownstein is a CNN Senior Political Analyst, and Senior Editor at Atlantic Magazine. He analyzes the factors behind Trump's win, including dissatisfaction with the economy under the Biden administration and Trump's ability to appeal to some pro-choice and e...
Jan 14, 2025•33 min•Ep. 599
Trump Sentenced. Trump’s SCOTUS? Jimmy Carter. Biden Dings Trump. Trump & Obama Chatting. Trump on Greenland. Use the Military? Fact-Free Facebook. One Big GOP Bill? John Fetterman? With Phillip Bump, National Columnist at The Washington Post and author of the How to Read This Chart Newsletter, Amanda Becker, Journalist covering politics and Washington for 19th News and Sudeep Reddy, Senior Managing Editor at Politico. Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The Ironworkers Union. More inform...
Jan 10, 2025•44 min•Ep. 598
Today’s Bill Press Pod is a wide-ranging discussion between Bill and Congressman Jared Huffman on the political landscape following the 2024 election. Huffman is a Democrat representing the 2nd Congressional District in California. They talked about the contrast between the peaceful transition of power in 2025 and the chaos of January 6, 2021. They looked at challenges facing the new Republican-controlled House under a narrow majority, and the potential for Democrats to withhold cooperation and ...
Jan 07, 2025•31 min•Ep. 597
Speaker Race. Fallout From Race. Small GOP House Margin. Hegseth Up First. Gabbard, Patel, RFK Jr. Next. First 24 Hours. First 100 Days. J6 Pardons. Carter’s Legacy. With Sarah Wire, Senior National Political Correspondent for USA Today, Kirk Bado, Editor of the National Journal Hotline and Jasmine Wright, Reporter at NOTUS. Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The Laborers' International Union of North America. More information at LIUNA.org . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy an...
Jan 03, 2025•46 min•Ep. 596
In this episode, an in-depth discussion of the life and legacy of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, as seen through the eyes of presidential historian Jonathan Alter. The key points: Carter's remarkable journey from a relatively unknown Georgia governor to becoming the 39th U.S. President, and how the Watergate scandal helped propel him to the White House despite low initial poll numbers. Carter's presidency is often misremembered as a failure, but Alter argues that while Carter struggled poli...
Dec 31, 2024•37 min•Ep. 595
As we are taking a holiday break, we are re-running two of the episodes of Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal series that we produced before the election. We produced it to warn people of what was coming if Trump were reelected, but now we think it's just as important for people to understand what we can actually expect in the next four years. And we hope it will help fuel our collective opposition and resistance to Trump 2.0 This is the second re-run, The Department of Retribution. In ...
Dec 27, 2024•59 min•Ep. 594
As The Bill Press Pod team takes a holiday break, we decided to re-run two of the episodes of Trump's Project 2025: Up Close and Personal series that we produced before the election. Though we produced it to warn people of what was coming if Trump were reelected, we think it's just as important now for people to understand what we can now actually expect in the next four years. And we hope it will help fuel our collective opposition and resistance to Trump 2.0 This episode tells the fictional st...
Dec 24, 2024•41 min•Ep. 593
2 Days to Govt Shutdown. Elon has the Power. Johnson Out? Can Musk Last? Gaetz Scandal Report. New Hegseth Drama. Gabbard in Trouble. Indict Liz Cheney? ABC Caves to Trump. CEO’s Bend the Knee. Drone Mania. With Sudeep Reddy, Senior Managing Editor at Politico, David Jackson, National Political Correspondent for USA Today and Lynn Sweet, Washington Bureau Chief and Columnist for The Chicago Sun Times. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19....
Dec 19, 2024•42 min•Ep. 592
Today’s guest is David Corn, the Washington Bureau Chief for Mother Jones, the progressive magazine and website. He is also and MSNBC contributor. He and Bill talk about the slate of cabinet nominees selected by President Trump, highlighting concerns about their lack of qualifications, experience, and potential conflicts of interest. David says Trump has assembled a "crank" cabinet of "cronies and oligarchs" who are unqualified and inexperienced for their positions, such as Peter Hegseth for Sec...
Dec 17, 2024•40 min•Ep. 591
Hegseth Rising. Gabbard Drama. Patel vs FBI. Elon and Vivek. Moguls to Mar-a-Lago. Trump vs The Media. Trump Normalized. Killer to Folk Hero. Syria Fallout. With Linda Feldmann, Washington Bureau Chief, White House/politics correspondent at Christian Science Monitor, Jeff Dufour, Editor-in-chief, The National Journal and John Bennett, White House Correspondent & Editor-at-Large at CQ Roll Call. Today Bill suggests a great holiday gift, a handwoven scarf from his wife Carol. These are all wor...
Dec 13, 2024•48 min•Ep. 590
Today’s guest is our go to man on Foreign Policy and National Security, Joe Cirincione. He is the former President of the Plowshares Fund and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He and Bill cover a wide range of global crises and upheaval, including the sudden collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and South Korea, and the prospect of Donald Trump returning to power. Cirincione provides insights on the key events and their geopolitical implications, ...
Dec 10, 2024•45 min•Ep. 589
Hegseth in Trouble. Vetting Fails. Gabbard in Doubt. Musk on the Hill. Biden Pardons Hunter. Pardon Trump’s Enemies? Biden’s Last Month Goals. Slim House Majority. With Maya King, Southeast Politics Reporter at The New York Times, Emily Gooden, Senior White House Correspondent for DailyMail.com and Kirk Bado, Editor, National Journal Hotline. Today Bill suggests a great holiday gift, a handwoven scarf from his wife Carol. These are all works of art in rayon chenille or bamboo. Check them out at ...
Dec 06, 2024•40 min•Ep. 588
Norm Ornstein, an Emeritus Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, discusses the implications of Donald Trump's appointments to key government positions if he becomes president again in 2024. Ornstein expresses concern about Trump's plan to appoint individuals who would undermine democratic institutions, such as the FBI, national intelligence, and the Department of Defense. He argues that there are few guardrails left to stop this "madness" and prevent the erosion of American democracy. Or...
Dec 03, 2024•43 min•Ep. 587
As another needed break from Politics on this Thanksgiving weekend, we once again share Bill's conversation with Ina Garten, recorded in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. Bon Appetit. Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by these unions fighting hard everyday for working men and women. The United Food and Commercial Workers Union , The International Association of Fire Fighters , The Laborers International of Union of North America , The International Brotherhood of Teamsters , The American Fed...
Nov 29, 2024•49 min•Ep. 586
Bill talks with the well-respected Health Policy reporter Sandhya Raman of CQ-Roll Call to get a sense of what Trump’s nominees in the health field means for our health and healthcare. There are serious concerns raised by leading health professionals about Donald Trump's nominations to lead major health agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and others. The main concerns are that...
Nov 26, 2024•39 min•Ep. 585
Matt Gaetz In. Nope. Pam Bondi In. Pete Hegseth? Tulsi Gabbard? RFK, Jr.? Recess Appointments. Not a Mandate. Musk Slashing. With Jason Dick, Editor in chief at CQ-Roll Call, Sarah Wire, Senior National Political Correspondent for USA TODAY, Katherine Tully-McManus, Congressional Reporter for Politico and Alex Gangitano, White House reporter for The Hill. Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by American Federation of Government Employees. More information at AFGE.org . See Privacy Policy at https...
Nov 22, 2024•53 min•Ep. 584
