*** The Radiotopia fundraiser is happening right now! Support this show by becoming a member today: https://on.prx.org/3Ehr3B6 *** It’s November 29th. In 1938, weeks after Kristallnacht, a plan emerges to accept Jewish refugees from Europe and settle them in Alaska. This was an attempt to skirt strict U.S. immigration quotas. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the plan and the larger context of anti-semitism and anti-refugee sentiment among Americans and congressional leaders. Sign up for our newsle...
Nov 29, 2022•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast *** The Radiotopia fundraiser is happening right now! Support this show by becoming a member today: https://on.prx.org/3Ehr3B6 *** It’s November 27th. We continue our chat with our producer, Jacob Feldman, about how the show comes together and some of the lessons he’s learned along the way of helping make 400 episodes. Thanks to all of you who have been there along for the ride. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Oprahdemics , hosted by Kellie, out...
Nov 27, 2022•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast *** The Radiotopia fundraiser is happening right now! Support this show by becoming a member today: https://on.prx.org/3Ehr3B6 *** It’s November 24th. And this is our 400th episode! We chat with our producer, Jacob Feldman, about how the show comes together and some of the lessons he’s learned along the way of helping make 400 episodes. Thanks to all of you who have been there along for the ride. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Oprahdemics , hos...
Nov 24, 2022•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast *** The Radiotopia fundraiser is happening right now! Support this show by becoming a member today: https://on.prx.org/3Ehr3B6 *** It’s November 22nd. In 1910, a group of the most powerful bankers in the country were invited to the secluded Jekyll Island, off the coast of Georgia, to develop a plan for what would eventually become the Federal Reserve. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Jacob Goldstein of Pushkin Industries to discuss the cloak and dagger arrangements for the meeting, why there...
Nov 22, 2022•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast *** The Radiotopia fundraiser is happening right now! Support this show by becoming a member today: https://on.prx.org/3Ehr3B6 *** It’s November 20th. In 1923, in Cincinnati, a referendum to limit the speed of cars fails after massive lobbying on the part of the auto industry. The referendum came up for a vote after tens of thousands of people signed a petition asking to limit the damage cars could do to pedestrians. In the wake of this, cities also passed jaywalking laws, effectively tilting th...
Nov 20, 2022•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast *** The Radiotopia fundraiser is happening right now! Support this show by becoming a member today: https://on.prx.org/3Ehr3B6 *** It’s November 17th. In 1914, activist William Monroe Trotter confronted President Wilson, in the Oval Office, over the treatment and degradation of Black Americans. Wilson became enraged at the conversation and threw Trotter out of the White House. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the heated moment, the larger Jim Crow context for the confrontation, and Trotter’s large...
Nov 17, 2022•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast *** The Radiotopia fundraiser is happening right now! Support this show by becoming a member today: https://on.prx.org/3Ehr3B6 *** It’s November 15th. This day in 1972, citizens of Colorado rejected a proposal that would have funded the 1976 Olympics Games. Denver had been awarded the games two years earlier, but now local residents and officials were starting to question the economic and environmental cost. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why Denver said no, and how people are starting to ask mo...
Nov 15, 2022•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast *** The Radiotopia fundraiser is happening right now! Support this show by becoming a member today: https://on.prx.org/3Ehr3B6 *** It’s November 12th. This day in 2012, the GOP is licking its wounds after an underwhelming election result. It begins a process of self-reflection that would result in the “Growth and Opportunity Report,” a blueprint for a party that turns off fewer voters and embraces diversity. Jody, Niki, and Kellie revisit the report in the light of the 2022 midterms, and discuss...
Nov 13, 2022•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast *** The Radiotopia fundraiser is happening right now! Support this show by becoming a member today: https://on.prx.org/3Ehr3B6 *** It’s December 3rd. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the Colored Conventions movement, and how Black leaders found a space for agency and progress before, during, and in the aftermath of the Civil War. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Oprahdemics , hosted by Kellie, out now from Radiotopia. This Day In Esoteric Political...
Nov 10, 2022•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s election day here in the United States. We hope you’ve already voted, or maybe are reading this while you’re standing in line. Today, we bring you an episode we originally did on election day in 2020 — a look at the history of how election results get conveyed, and the tension between speed and accuracy. Our guest is Jad Abumrad, former host of Radiolab. Enjoy, and happy voting! Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Oprahdemics , hosted by Kellie...
Nov 08, 2022•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the run-up to the November election, we’re doing a number of episodes that may help you track and process the current news. This week, it’s Mid-Terms week, looking at a few of our favorite mid-term elections that planted historical seeds for this year’s contest. Today, we look at an incident in 1981, where GOP-backed forces intimidated Black and Latino voters on Election Day as part of a ‘ballot security task force.” Some of the same tactics are popping up around the country in this year’s mi...
Nov 06, 2022•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the run-up to the November election, we’re doing a number of episodes that may help you track and process the current news. This week, it’s Mid-Terms week, looking at a few of our favorite mid-term elections that planted historical seeds for this year’s contest. Today, we look at the 1826 mid-term elections, where voters rebuked President John Quincy Adams after feeling that he’d been illegitimately elected in the previous election. This is also one of the first elections where the national p...
Nov 03, 2022•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the run-up to the November election, we’re doing a number of episodes that may help you track and process the current news. This week, it’s Mid-Terms week, looking at a few of our favorite mid-term elections that planted historical seeds for this year’s contest. Today, we look at the 1946 mid-term elections, where Republicans scored a sweeping victory and America offered a rebuke of the FDR era. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Oprahdemics , h...
Nov 01, 2022•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the run-up to the November election, we’re doing a number of episodes that may help you track and process the current news. This week, it’s Mid-Terms week, looking at a few of our favorite mid-term elections that planted historical seeds for this year’s contest. Today, we look at the 2010 Delaware senate race, where Christine O’Donnell faced accusations and rumors that she was a witch in high school. She ended up losing by 17 points, but the legacy of her Tea Party moment continues. Sign up f...
Oct 30, 2022•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the run-up to the November election, we’re doing a number of episodes that may help you track and process the current news. This week, it’s Polling Week, looking at some interesting polling-related stories with our friend Harry Enten of CNN. Today, a look at the fundamental forces that underlie midterm elections, and ways to measure them, such as the generic ballot. Be sure to catch Harry on CNN every day! Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Opra...
Oct 27, 2022•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the run-up to the November election, we’re doing a number of episodes that may help you track and process the current news. This week, it’s Polling Week, looking at some interesting polling-related stories with our friend Harry Enten of CNN. In 1994, Republicans took back control of congress for the first time in 40 years (!) in what was clearly a “wave” election. We discuss how the polling didn’t anticipate such a big gain, and when you call something a wave vs a swing vs some other term… Be...
Oct 25, 2022•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the run-up to the November election, we’re doing a number of episodes that may help you track and process the current news. This week, it’s Polling Week, looking at some interesting polling-related stories with our friend Harry Enten of CNN. In 2010, polls consistently showed Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid down to challenger Sharron Angle. But on election day, Reid ended up beating his polls by about seven points. We discuss what that race can teach us about midterm polling, and whethe...
Oct 23, 2022•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the run-up to the November election, we’re doing a number of episodes that may help you track and process the current news. This week, it’s Referendum Week, looking at the world of referendums, ballot initiatives, and more. Today, we look at California’s Proposition 13, perhaps the most significant ballot initiative in the 1970’s “referendum fever” era. It was part of a larger anti-tax revolt, and has had decades-long ripple effects for our politics and government. Sign up for our newsletter!...
Oct 20, 2022•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the run-up to the November election, we’re doing a number of episodes that may help you track and process the current news. This week, it’s Referendum Week, looking at the world of referendums, ballot initiatives, and more. In 2018, a group of women who came to be known as the “Badass Grandmas” got together to pass anti-corruption legislation in North Dakota. It showed the power of referendums at the state level to help fix our democracy. Our guest is Joshua Graham Lynn, CEO of the grassroots...
Oct 18, 2022•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the run-up to the November election, we’re doing a number of episodes that may help you track and process the current news. This week, it’s Referendum Week, looking at the world of referendums, ballot initiatives, and more. In 1778, Massachussets voters took part in the first referendum in US history, voting on whether to approve a state constitution. We discuss how that very first vote contained many of hte hallmarks of direct democracy initiative — and look at America’s appetite for direct ...
Oct 16, 2022•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the run-up to the November election, we’re taking on and revisiting some of our favorite mid-term related topics. Today, we revisit an episode from 2021. In 2010, Alaskan Senator Lisa Murkowski prevailed in her re-election effort — one in which she was forced to mount a write-in campaign after losing the primary. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how hard it is to get a successful write-in campaign going, and what the Murkowski story says about the way in which parties and voters can moderate th...
Oct 13, 2022•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the run-up to the November election, we’re taking on and revisiting some of our favorite mid-term related topics. Today, we revisit an episode from 2020. Just days before the 2000 mid-term election, beloved Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone died in a plane crash, upending the race. Jody and Niki discuss the political effect, and the loss of a progressive champion. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Oprahdemics , hosted by Kellie, out now from Rad...
Oct 11, 2022•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the run-up to the November election, we’re taking on and revisiting some of our favorite mid-term related topics. Today, we revisit an episode from 2020. On this day in 1994, Republicans in the House of Representatives gathered on the steps of the Capitol to announce the “Contract with America,” a plank of ten policy points that they pledged to uphold if they seized back power in the upcoming midterm elections. Jody and Niki are joined by pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson of Echelon Insights t...
Oct 09, 2022•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s October 6th. In 1794, violent skirmishes are breaking out in Western Pennsylvania as the newly formed country tries to levy a tax on whisky. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss how the tax was a test for the new government, and how paranoia and violence against tax collection has a long history in the United States. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Oprahdemics , hosted by Kellie, out now from Radiotopia. This Day In Esoteric Political History is ...
Oct 06, 2022•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s October 4th. In 1776, Benjamin Franklin is headed to France as the Continental Congress’s first diplomat, looking to secure support for the American independence movement. Jody and Kellie are joined by Mike Duncan, history podcaster behind series such as “Revolutions” and “The Fall of Rome.” They discuss Franklin’s diplomatic goal, his taste for the Parisian nightlife — and why the values of the Founding Fathers continue to be contested and politicized. Mike is on tour all this month! Comin...
Oct 04, 2022•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s October 2nd. This day in 1999, a First Amendment battle is brewing between New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and the Brooklyn Museum, which is mounting a controversial exhibit Giuliani deems “sick stuff.” Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Harry Siegel of the podcast FAQ NYC to discuss how every side took advantage of the news cycle — and what the controversy presaged about today’s free speech debates. Subscribe to FAQ NYC wherever you get your podcasts! Sign up for our newsletter! Find o...
Oct 02, 2022•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s September 29th. This day in 1896, a postal worker sets out to deliver the mail to ten rural towns in West Virginia. It’s the start of the Rural Free Delivery service. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how the program changed the way Americans got their mail, lined the pockets of the politicians and businessmen who backed the project — and transformed the country’s infrastructure. Plus: can you really mail a baby? Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget abou...
Sep 29, 2022•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s September 27th. This day in 1986, NBA star Isaiah Thomas promoted “No Crime Day” in the city of Detroit. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Slate’s Josh Levin to talk about the effort, how it represented the approach to drugs and violence in the 1980s, and the legacy of Thomas’s initiative. Josh and his team have a full episode on No Crime Day in the latest season of Slate’s “One Year” podcast. Be sure to subscribe to Josh’s latest season of One Year wherever you get your podcasts! Sign u...
Sep 27, 2022•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s September 25th. In 1971, the longtime activist and law professor Pauli Murray wrote a letter to Richard Nixon nominating herself for the vacant Supreme Court seat, even though she admits that the letter will likely make no difference as it “finds its way to the wastebasket.” Jody, NIki, and Kellie what the letter represents about Pauli Murray’s long career of activism, advocacy, and art. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com And don’t forget about Oprahdemics , hosted ...
Sep 25, 2022•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s September 22nd. Today, we visit two speeches that used anecdotes about dogs to deflect and charm. In 1944, FDR gave a speech about his dog Fala and the misuse of government funds — the jokes he cut about Fala, written with the help of Orson Welles, helped belittle his critics. Eight years later to the day, in a long speech about improper gifts and funds, VP candidate Richard Nixon told a story about receiving his pet dog Checkers. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the two speeches, why they wo...
Sep 22, 2022•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
