On today’s podcast, Sarah and Steve talk with Natalie Jaresko, Ukraine's former minister of finance. They discuss the history of Ukraine, its people, and what the last two weeks have meant for the country. Show Notes: - NPR: “Kenyan U.N. ambassador compares Ukraine's plight to colonial legacy in Africa” - The Dispatch: “Why Did Russia Invade Ukraine Now?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
As the first week of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine passed, our hosts are here to discuss how the world has changed. Plus, President Biden delivers his first State of Union address and Texas holds the first primary elections of 2022. What have we learned from the last week? Show Notes: - TMD: “A Nuclear Plant Scare in Ukraine” - The Dispatch: “Will the European Union Admit Ukraine?” - The Dispatch: “The Coming Surrender to Iran” - The Dispatch: “Fact Checking the State of the Union” Learn more abo...
On today’s podcast, Steve is joined by Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine, our response to it, and his thoughts on the State of the Union. Steve is then joined by Barbara Comstock, former representative of Virginia, for a conversation about President Joe Biden’s speech last night and the future of the Republican Party. Show Notes: - French Press: “Questions and Answers After Six Days of War” - Jonah “Gradually, Th...
Right before recording today’s episode started, news broke that President Joe Biden is nominating Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. Our hosts take a quick look at that and what it means for SCOTUS. Then the conversation moved to the dire situation in Ukraine. David cautioned against believing all of the information we receive in the fog of war and the group discusses how many people on the right have flip-flopped on Putin. Tune in, too, for a preview of next week’s State of the Union a...
In a lively discussion about who Vladimir Putin is and the danger he poses to the world, Steve is joined by Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for The New York Times, and Susan Glasser, staff writer at The New Yorker. The two, who are married, offer insights to their book, Kremlin Rising, which they co-authored during their four year stay in Russia. The trio discuss Putin's rise to power, his current rhetoric, as well as how the Republican Party and Trump have grown increasingly close ...
According to polling from Gallup, Americans are as happy as they’ve almost ever been. Yet their feelings toward the country as a whole are near an all-time low. Why is that? Sarah, Steve, David, and Declan discuss that and more. Plus, in San Francisco, the left seemed to do some self-correcting after a successful recall of a number of school board members. And finally, as Steve promised members on this week’s Dispatch Live, a continued conversation about Rep. Liz Cheney. Show Notes: - Gallup sat...
Today on the podcast, Sarah and Steve are joined by Klon Kitchen, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, to discuss the latest in Ukraine after the country was hit by cyberattacks. Plus, how much is the Republican Party’s foreign policy views changing? And what exactly can the Chinese government do with all that TikTok data? Show Notes: - TMD: “Ukraine on the Brink” - Klon’s Dispatch piece: “The Old—and Incoherent—Foreign Policy of the New Right” - Ahmari, Deneen and Pappin: “Hawks ...
On today’s podcast, Sarah and Steve talk with Todd Rose, author of Collective Illusions: Conformity, Complicity, and the Science of Why We Make Bad Decisions. How much of our thinking about each other is informed by false assumptions? What are the consequences of a society this mistrustful? And what are we to do about it? Show Notes: - Collective Illusions by Todd Rose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
On today’s podcast, our hosts discuss the Republican Party’s decision to censure two of its own members, Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, over their involvement in the January 6 investigation. Plus, a growing list of states have lifted their mask mandates. What’s changed? Show Notes: - TMD: “Republicans Choose Their Corners in the January 6 Brawl” - The Sweep: “Did McCain-Feingold Ruin America?” - National Journal: “Biden is blowing his COVID moment” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit m...
Ohio Sen. Rob Portman joined The Dispatch Podcast to talk about the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. What is Vladimir Putin doing? Why should Americans care? Plus, Steve and David ask Sen. Portman about efforts to reform the Electoral Count Act. Show Notes: - Sen. Portman on Meet the Press - French Press: “Stop Screwing Around and Reform the Electoral Count Act” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
On today’s podcast, our hosts discuss the latest round of statements from former President Donald Trump and new reports about his role after the 2020 election. How are elected Republicans reacting? Plus, President Joe Biden has a Supreme Court seat to fill, and the world turns its eyes toward China as the Winter Olympics get underway. Show Notes: - TMD: “Trump Doubles Down on January 6 Role” - G-File: “This Was Always the Plan” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
On today’s podcast, Steve moderates a conversation about the politics of replacing Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court. Joining Sarah on the panel is Gregg Nunziata, who worked on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and John McCormack, Washington correspondent for National Review. What does replacing a Supreme Court justice look like from behind the scenes? Our panel has that answer and more. Show Notes: - Stirewaltisms: A Supreme Break for Biden - TMD: Breyer to Retire - Advisory Opinions: ...
The problems in Ukraine are getting worse. Our hosts discuss what led to the current situation and the role President Biden played in getting to this point. Then Sarah, David, Jonah, and Steve talk about two issues that are not getting enough attention as we head to the midterms: immigration and crime. Show Notes: - TMD: Germany Drags Feet On Ukraine - Uphill: What Price Will Putin Pay for a Ukraine Invasion? - NATO spending requirements - Crime stats - San Francisco Mayor crime speech Learn mor...
On today’s episode, Sarah and Steve speak with Heidi Heitkamp, former North Dakota senator and founder of One Country Project. They cover everything from the filibuster to President Biden’s first year in office. What doesn’t work about the Senate? Can Biden turn things around before the midterms? Show Notes: - TMD looks back at Biden’s first year - Uphill looks at the state of Build Back Better Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
A year ago, almost to the day, Joe Biden was sworn in as president of the United States. The gang looks back at a year full of shifts to progressive policies from Biden. Is he living up to his promise of restoring normalcy in America? Plus, Gallup says 2021 saw the greatest shift in party preferences for as long as Gallup has been around. What does that mean for the country and our politics? Finally, are we on the brink of World War III with Russia threatening to go into Ukraine? Show Notes: - H...
Rep. Dan Newhouse, one of the 10 House Republicans to impeach Trump, joins Sarah and Steve on today’s podcast. They discuss why he is against Biden’s new voting rights legislation and how much influence the federal government should have over elections. Plus, the congressman talks about his view of the filibuster, and the rightward shift of rural America. Show Notes: - Rep. Newhouse's statement against new voting rights legislation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
President Biden ran his 2020 campaign on the promise he’d bring back “normal” life in America. Almost one year later, there is still an ongoing pandemic, record-high inflation, and a serious lack of food in grocery stores. The gang discusses it all and what it means for the country. Plus, President Biden spoke about voting rights in Atlanta yesterday and the speech aggravated all four hosts. They discuss the speech and how it adds to the tearing of the social fabric in America. Show Notes: - Pre...
On today’s podcast, Chris Stirewalt fills in for Steve and Sarah and has a discussion with Josh Kraushaar of National Journal. They talk about the teacher strike in Chicago, which leads to a broader discussion of Biden and the Democratic Party’s unwillingness to challenge the extremes of the party. Plus, they discuss the upcoming midterms and the projected Republican landslide that could be the party’s largest majority since the 1920s. Show Notes: - Josh’s Interview with Jared Polis - Josh’s art...
On the eve of the anniversary of the January 6 insurrection, the podcast is dedicated entirely to the events at the Capitol. The gang recounts their memories from that bleak day in Washington and what it has meant for the country over the past year. A lively discussion about what role Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the left played in the lead-up and aftermath ensues. Finally, what will be different about how we talk about January 6 in 20 years? Show Notes: - First-ever editorial from The Dispatch call...
In the final episode of “The Dispatch Podcast” in 2021, our hosts talk about Joe Manchin’s non-reliability for the Democrats, the increasing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, and the growing spread of the more-infectious Omicron variant. They close by asking a question: How will historians in 100 years view the past two decades? Show Notes: - Give someone a Dispatch subscription this Christmas - TMD: “Manchin Says No to Build Back Better” - Jonah: “Democrats Are Still Misreading Political Rea...
On today’s episode, our hosts discuss the House’s vote to hold Mark Meadows, Donald Trump’s former chief of staff, in criminal contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the January 6 Select Committee. Plus, are we taking threats to vote counting seriously enough? Is Jonah right about Omicron? And, is President Biden being unfairly treated by the media? Show Notes: - TMD on Mark Meadows text messages - The Atlantic: “Trump’s Next Coup Has Already Begun” - Jonah’s G-File with his Omicron ar...
On today’s podcast, Sarah and Steve are joined by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. In 2020, Georgia was at the center of claims of voter fraud that kept President Trump from returning to the White House, and before that in 2018, the state was the site of claims of voter suppression that kept Stacey Abrams from the governor’s mansion. Raffensperger, author of the new book Integrity Counts, tells our hosts why Americans should have confidence and trust in our country’s elections. Sho...
In his new book, Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show, Jonathan Karl, ABC News' chief Washington correspondent, details what was really going on in the final months of the Trump administration, and in the aftermath of the 2020 election. What was happening behind-the-scenes as Trump left the White House? How should the press cover a potential 2024 campaign by the former president? Show Notes: - Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show by Jonathan Karl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
With all eyes on the Supreme Court today, the gang starts with an explainer of what is happening in the oral arguments of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. What’s at stake? Is it as monumental as some are making it out to be? When might we know how the court rules? Plus, a new COVID variant emerges, Russia builds up its military presence near Ukraine, and blue states fail to live up to their own ideals. Show Notes: - SCOTUSblog on Dobbs v. Jackson - TMD on Omicron - U.S., Allies Warn...
On today's podcast, our hosts discuss how to solve a problem like inflation. Will Biden's Build Back Better Act actually bring down prices? Plus, Sarah and the guys discuss pandemic fatigue driving voters to the GOP, what's going on at the Naval Observatory, and what the Kyle Rittenhouse and Ahmaud Arbery trials tell us about ourselves as a nation. Show Notes: - TMD: “Can the Build Back Better Act Curb Inflation?” - The Sweep: “Dems’ Permanent Pandemic Mindset Deepens Midterm Gap” - CNN: “Exaspe...
On today's episode, Sarah and Steve sit down with Scott Lincicome, senior fellow at the Cato Institute and author of The Dispatch newsletter Capitolism , to discuss the details of our global supply-chain issues. Plus, Lincicome answers questions about inflation, wages, and problems with our labor force participation. Show Notes: - Make sure you get Capitolism in your inbox - Lincicome’s latest Capitolism tackles our supply-chain woes - Lincicome’s Capitolism looking at our labor shortage Learn m...
On today's show, our hosts discuss issues up-and-down the supply-chain, and the political fallout it brings. Plus, the ripple effects of the House passing the infrastructure package, what we think we know about the 2022 midterms, and the latest news around the Steele dossier. Show Notes: - Lincicome’s latest Capitolism tackles our supply-chain woes - Uphill breaks down the bipartisan infrastructure bill - The Sweep digests the election results from last week - Politico : “The Surprising Strategy...
Today’s episode of The Dispatch Podcast is a little bit different than the typical Friday version. Steve interviewed Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse at the Aspen Security Forum on the topic of America’s response to the digital revolution across the globe. Among some of the more interesting topics discussed: China and “chuckleheads,” as Sen. Sasse refers to some members of Congress. Sen. Sasse explains why even though the country faces an immense amount of problems he is still optimistic about the future...
Sometimes the news of the day calls for some good old-fashioned rank punditry and after Tuesday’s elections today’s Dispatch Podcast does just that. Sarah, David, Jonah, and Declan look at the results not just in Virginia, but New Jersey, Minneapolis, and Buffalo, too. What do the results mean for the 2022 midterms? Anything at all? Our hosts break it all down. Show Notes: - TMD on election night in America Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
On today's podcast, Sarah and David talk with Ian Prior, executive director of Fight for Schools, to discuss what exactly is happening in Loudoun County, Virginia. Critical race theory in schools? A sexual assault controversy? And how will this all affect the race for governor in Virginia? Show Notes: - Prior “More Va. Public Schools Using Kids As Guinea Pigs For Critical Race Theory” - French Press “When the State Kinda Sorta Parents Your Child” - The Sweep : Down to the Wire in Virginia Learn ...
