Oregon Republicans Walked Out, Democrats Caved
Republican state senators in Oregon are refusing to go to work. In a state legislature where Democrats hold a supermajority, the walkout is one way Republicans can put a halt to their rivals progressive agenda. With several statehouses throughout the nation being held by a supermajority, is walking out going to become more common? Guest: Jason Wilson, journalist and columnist at The Guardian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
27 Jun 201921min
Mayor Pete’s Policing Problem
Eric Logan, a black resident in South Bend, Indiana, was shot and killed by a police officer in the early morning hours on Father’s Day. Mayor Pete Buttigieg returned to the city, putting a halt to his presidential campaign, to deal with the fallout. The return home hasn’t been so welcoming. Guest: Adam Wren, contributing editor at POLITICO and Indianapolis Monthly Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
26 Jun 201924min
A Polluted Town Fights for Its Right to Breathe
For years the residents of St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana thought their town was simply the victim of bad luck. Suffering more than their share of illnesses. Almost everyone in the town knows someone that has died of cancer. It was only in July 2016 that the EPA informed the people of St. John that the local neoprene plant was emitting carcinogens leaving the small town with the highest risk of cancer from air pollution in the whole nation. With the residents in a fight for their very lives, what could the way politicians reacted to another town’s poisonous air pollution tell us about why nobody has acted to save St. John, Louisiana? Guest: Sharon Lerner, environmental reporter at The Intercept Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
25 Jun 201925min
An Iran Deal Architect Watches It Get Nuked
Last week, a series of escalations brought the US to the brink of a strike on Iran. But only a few short years ago, the leaders of both countries were celebrating a landmark nuclear agreement. What changed? One of the architects of the Iran Nuclear Deal takes us through the journey, and lays out the Trump Administration’s limited options in the coming weeks. Guest: Ambassador Wendy Sherman, former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
24 Jun 201918min
The Smugglers Getting Rich Off Trump’s Policies
Mexico has agreed to crack down on immigration in response to threats from President Trump. But that isn’t stopping the flow of migrants -- it’s pushing it further underground. Guest: Emily Green, freelance reporter. You can read her latest story on VICE News. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
21 Jun 201916min
He Got a Pardon. Now He’s Administering Them.
For a long time, Brandon Flood kept his criminal history quiet - he worked in the Pennsylvania state government, and didn’t want his former convictions to detract from his career success. But now, that history makes him uniquely suited for his new job as secretary of the state’s Board of Pardons. How did he go from submitting his own pardon application - to one year later, leading the body that helps make those clemency decisions? This episode was originally posted in April. Guest: Brandon Flood, Secretary of the Pennsylvania state Board of Pardons. Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Ethan Brooks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
20 Jun 201917min
How Pelosi Holds the Line on Impeachment
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s political philosophy is an elegant one: If you want to do something bold, you must follow public sentiment, not lead it. Now why can’t House Democrats seem to shape public sentiment? And what makes them so afraid to cross their caucus leader? Guest: Rachael Bade, Congress reporter for the Washington Post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
19 Jun 201924min
Strange Alliances on the Supreme Court
It’s June, which means it’s the season of highly anticipated Supreme Court rulings. We’re taking a look at two cases that shook up the typical partisan fault line on the bench. How did conservative and liberal justices find themselves making unusual alliances on double jeopardy and racial gerrymandering? Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, Slate’s courts correspondent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
18 Jun 201923min
