Remember when filling up your gas tank didn’t cost the same amount as your weekly grocery bill? Leslie Beyer, CEO of the Energy Workforce & Technology Council, and Skanda Amarnath, the Executive Director at Employ America, join Declan to discuss the oil and gas supply issues America faces. The Biden administration’s current approach to the sector doesn’t inspire much confidence prices will come down any time soon, but there are levers policymakers could pull to ease the pain at the pump. Sho...
Jun 23, 2022•42 min•Ep. 224
It’s been another week of interesting primary elections, and Sarah, David, Jonah, and Andrew discuss what we learned from Texas and South Carolina. Then our hosts dive into the details of the framework for a possible Senate gun bill and whether the House will learn to settle for compromise, not perfection. Finally, what are the key takeaways from the January 6 House Select Committee so far? Show Notes: - The Sweep: The Value of a Trump Endorsement - The Dispatch: How I Learned to Stop Worrying a...
Jun 17, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 223
Thiru Vignarajah, former deputy attorney general of Maryland, joins Sarah to talk about all things Baltimore: violent crime, reforming police practices, and the Baltimore City state’s attorney race. Plus: What might help bring down gun violence in major cities? Show Notes: - Justiceforbaltimore.com - French Press: Against Gun Idolatry - The Dispatch: Can We Make Red Flag Laws Work? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Jun 15, 2022•58 min•Ep. 222
The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol held its first hearing Thursday night. Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and David discuss its fact-based and substantive approach to investigating what happened at the Capitol riots, and whether the Republican Party will hold former President Donald Trump accountable. Then our panel turns to the question of political violence in America: Is our political rhetoric out of control? Our hosts then cover how the Califor...
Jun 10, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 221
Chuck Todd, host of NBC’s Meet the Press, joins Steve to discuss the public’s eroding trust in politicians and the political system. An alarming Pew Research poll turns the conversation to how context and nuance have been lost in political journalism and campaign coverage. Steve and Todd also cover the Trump divide within the Republican Party, what the January 6 Committee might tell us this week, and, of course, whether the Green Bay Packers will make the Super Bowl next season. Show Notes: - Pe...
Jun 08, 2022•49 min•Ep. 220
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started almost 100 days ago. Our hosts are here to discuss the latest from the war and America’s role. Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and David then turn to the gun debate at home: Will mass shootings in recent weeks produce different political results than past tragedies? Finally they preview next week’s January 6 hearings on Capitol Hill. Show Notes: - French Press: “The Tide Is Turning Toward Russia” - The Dispatch: “A Marshall Plan for Ukraine?” - TMD: “100 Days of War i...
Jun 03, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 219
Edward B. Foley, professor and director of the election law program at Ohio State, and Nick Troiano, executive director of Unite America, join Sarah for a conversation about reforming primaries. What does primary reform look like? Their conversation covers political science, history, and math. That’s right math. Can math save democracy? Show Notes: - Requiring Majority Winners for Congressional Elections - Foley in the Washington Post: “How our system of primary elections could destroy democracy...
Jun 01, 2022•56 min•Ep. 218
On Tuesday, an 18-year-old gunman fatally shot 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Our hosts are here to discuss the latest updates and what comes next. Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and David then turn to this week’s round of primaries. What did they learn? They finish by discussing the latest from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. What does Russia’s Black Sea blockade mean for the world? Show Notes: - The Dispatch: “After Uvalde, What Now?” - Uphill: “Mass Shootings Reign...
May 27, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 217
Erick Erickson, host of the Erick Erickson Show, joins Steve for a conversation about what we learned from the primary election results in Georgia, and what it all means for November and beyond. Steve is then joined by Khaya Himmelman to discuss her fact check of Dinesh D’Souza’s new documentary film 2,000 Mules. Show Notes: - Erick Erickson: “Trump's 2000 Mules Got Stuck in Georgia Clay” - Erick Erickson: “The Democrats Don't Want a Solution to Gun Violence” - Khaya’s fact check: “Fact Checking...
May 25, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 216
Following a man’s racist attack at a supermarket in Buffalo, in which he killed 10 people and wounded three more, our hosts are here to discuss what it means for our politics and culture. Sarah, Jonah, and Declan then discuss the baby formula shortage. How did the Biden administration drop the ball? And finally, reactions to the latest round of primaries around the country. Show Notes: - The Dispatch: “A Look at the State of Red Flag Laws After Buffalo” - TMD: “Grappling With the Buffalo Mass Sh...
May 20, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 215
Joining this week’s Dispatch Podcast with Sarah is former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. Esper was also secretary of the Army during the Trump administration, and in his new book, A Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Secretary of Defense During Extraordinary Times, he talks about the challenges that came with working under President Trump. In the podcast, Esper and Sarah discuss life on the inside of the administration, Esper’s infamous “Four Nos,” and what he sees as the greatest threat to the United ...
May 18, 2022•42 min•Ep. 214
The economic state of America, which technically may be improving according to the latest inflation numbers, is still not good. The gang (with deputy managing editor Michael Scott Reneau stepping in for Steve) discuss it and home in on why that’s bad news for Democrats. Plus, Tim Alberta of The Atlantic just wrote a profile of evangelical churches in America and it is so good Sarah, David, Jonah, and Michael had to talk about it and the state of evangelicalism on today’s episode. And finally, Se...
May 13, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 213
There is no shortage of stuff to talk about in This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America's Future, the new book by New York Times reporters Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns, and Steve does his best to discuss all of it in this week’s Dispatch Podcast. As Steve says, “The book makes you feel like you are in the room.” The trio breaks it all down—from January 6, those now infamous Kevin McCarthy recordings, and the early days of the Biden administration. Burns and Martin respond t...
May 11, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 212
What are we to make the Justice Samual Alito’s leaked draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health? Our hosts are here to discuss as the politics of abortion take shape. Sarah, Jonah, and David then pivot to what they learned from Tuesday’s primary elections. And finally, what does all of this mean for Trump’s chances in 2024? Show Notes: - David and Sarah’s podcast breaking down the Suprme Court leak - French Press: “The Supreme Court Abortion Leak—Your Questions, Answered” - G-File: “Why J...
May 06, 2022•57 min•Ep. 211
Utah Sen. Mitt Romney joins Steve for a discussion on the state of the economy and how to rein in inflation. Plus, the senator answers questions about canceling student debt, the Supreme Court abortion leak, J.D. Vance’s victory in Ohio, and the latest from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Show Notes: - Romney in the Wall Street Journal: “Biden’s Errors Worsen Inflation” - Capitolism: “Is President Biden Trying to Boost Inflation?” - TMD: “Washington Gears Up for a Post-Roe Future” - The Dispatch: ...
May 04, 2022•31 min•Ep. 210
Most economic numbers paint a dire picture for Democrats in the upcoming midterms. Steve, Jonah, and David discuss who is exactly to blame for that. Then the trio wade into the debate over forgiving student loans. (Spoiler alert: They aren’t fans.) Will the woes in the Democratic Party produce a Ronald Reagan-type figure on the right? Plus, what is everyone’s opinion of the White House Correspondents Dinner? Show Notes: TMD on the economy numbers Student loan forgiveness is regressive whether me...
Apr 29, 2022•53 min•Ep. 209
Lanhee Chen is running for state controller in California, but what does a state controller do? Steve gets that answer, plus Chen’s thoughts on California’s fiscal state and his plan if he wins the election. Chen also discusses his experience running Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign’s policy shop. Show Notes: - Chen’s campaign website - Los Angeles Times endorses Chen’s campaign Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Apr 27, 2022•33 min•Ep. 208
It was a busy week. The Justice Department is appealing a federal judge’s decision to strike down the CDC’s travel mask mandate. The Biden administration is standing by its plan to end Title 42, a pandemic-era border policy, despite pushback from Democrats. Texas and Florida have governors making their own questionable decisions. Netflix and CNN feel the full effects of the streaming wars. Plus, what did Kevin McCarthy say? Show Notes: - David and Sarah’s deep dive into the mask mandate decision...
Apr 22, 2022•54 min•Ep. 207
The Biden administration plans to end use of Title 42, the pandemic-era border policy, next month. The governor of Texas is busing migrants to the nation’s capital. Meanwhile, illegal border crossings are on the rise. Does anyone have a plan? Ali Noorani, president of National Immigration Forum and author of Crossing Borders, joins Sarah to discuss America’s immigration woes. Show Notes: - “Crossing Borders: The Reconciliation of a Nation of Immigrants” by Ali Noorani - Room to Grow: Setting Imm...
Apr 20, 2022•47 min•Ep. 206
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report this week, and our hosts are here to talk through it. What does this all mean for the upcoming midterms and 2024? They will discuss that too. Plus, Sweden and Finland are looking to join NATO. What does this mean for the Western alliance? What should we expect from Russia? Show Notes: - TMD: “Light at the End of the Inflation Tunnel?” - The Sweep: “Tsunami or Ripple? What a Midterm Wave Might Look Like.” - The S...
Apr 15, 2022•57 min•Ep. 205
Sarah and her guest are here to talk about sex. Christine Emba, a columnist for the Washington Post and author of the new book Rethinking Sex, examines our current sexual mores and finds them wanting. What’s the cause of today’s sexual malaise? What does a new sexual ethic look like? Listen (but maybe not with your young children) for those answers and more. Show Notes: - “Rethinking Sex” by Christine Emba - Christine in the Washington Post: “Consent is not enough. We need a new sexual ethic.” -...
Apr 13, 2022•50 min•Ep. 204
On Thursday, the Senate confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. Our hosts are here to discuss what her confirmation foreshadows for future Supreme Court fights. Plus, the Biden administration announced plans to end use of Title 42, a pandemic-era border policy, next month. What does that mean? Sarah, Jonah, and David finish the show discussing the practicality of bringing charges of war crimes as we learn more about the atrocities committed by Russia in Ukraine. Show Notes: -...
Apr 08, 2022•51 min•Ep. 203
Rep. Cheri Bustos is leaving Congress at the end of this term. What has she learned from her five terms in the House and—as the former leader of the House Democrats’ campaign arm—from the 2020 election? How can Democrats improve their prospects in the 2022 midterms? Sarah gets these answers and more in a candid conversation with the Illinois congresswoman. Show Notes: - Hope from the Heartland: How Democrats Can Better Serve the Midwest by Bringing Rural, Working Class Wisdom to Washington - How...
Apr 06, 2022•43 min•Ep. 202
President Biden announced he would tap our strategic oil reserves in an effort to fight high gas prices. Our hosts are here to discuss the economic realities of that decision. Plus, it was the slap heard around the world: Why can’t we stop talking about it? Sarah, Jonah, David, and Scott finish the show talking about gaffes, cocaine-fueled orgies, and standing in line. Show Notes: - TMD: “It’s a Petroleum Reserve Release, but Is It Strategic?” - The Dispatch: “The Uncomfortable Truth of Biden’s ...
Apr 01, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 201
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 1557 into law on Monday. The Parental Rights in Education Act—or “Don’t Say Gay” bill, as its detractors call it—is one of the most contentious and least understood pieces of legislation in recent memory. On today’s podcast, Declan is joined by Gabriel Malor, an appellate litigator based in Virginia, and Eugene Volokh, a law professor at UCLA, for a thoughtful conversation that dives into the bill text and elucidates what the law does—and doesn’t—do. P...
Mar 30, 2022•51 min•Ep. 200
Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings have wrapped, and our hosts are here to break down the week on Capitol Hill. Jonah, David, and Andrew then turn to the latest developments in the war in Ukraine. Plus, what do the guys make of those Ginni Thomas texts to Mark Meadows? Or Trump dropping his endorsement of Mo Brooks in the Alabama Senate race? Show Notes: - TMD: “Biden, World Leaders Huddle on Russia” - The Dispatch: “Inside the First Ukrainian City to Fall to Russia” - W...
Mar 25, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 199
Steve talks with Taras Byk, a political consultant now working with the Territorial Defense Forces in Kyiv, to get a sense of what’s happening on the ground in Ukraine. What’s changed since the last time they talked? Steve then has a conversation with Tom Karako, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Why has Russia not been able to establish air superiority? What do we need to know about those hypersonic missiles that Russia launched? Tom has those answers and mo...
Mar 24, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 198
As we pass the third week of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, our hosts are here to discuss the latest: The Biden administration looks to make a deal on Iran’s nuclear program. What are we to make of the president’s foregin policy? Plus, Sarah and the guys talk about inflation and the Federal Reserve’s decision on interest rates. Show Notes: - The Dispatch: “Concessions to Iran, Russia Pile Up in Nuclear Talks” - Uphill: “The House Hits Russia on Trade” - TMD: “An Interest Rate Increase” Learn more...
Mar 18, 2022•54 min•Ep. 197
On today’s episode, Steve speaks with Eric Edelman, a member of the U.S. foreign service for 28 years who served as a U.S. ambassador, a national security adviser to the vice president, and an under secretary of defense. They discuss Vladimir Putin and his strategy going into the invasion of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky’s address to Congress, and finish with the latest on the Iran deal. Show Notes: - Edelman’s page at The Dispatch - Edelman’s podcast Shield of the Republic - TMD: “Iran Deal on th...
Mar 17, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 196
On today’s episode, Steve has a conversation with Taras Byk, a political consultant and former journalist now working with the Territorial Defense Forces in Kyiv, Ukraine. What’s he seeing on the ground? How are the people of Ukraine holding up as we pass the second week of Russia’s invasion? Plus, Sarah, Steve, and Jonah are here to discuss the latest fallout around the world and here at home. Show Notes: - The Dispatch: “The Past Offers a Way Forward on Foreign Policy” - Uphill: “The Tug of Wa...
Mar 11, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 195
