Brooks Oglesby Podcasts

Kyrsten Sinema, the Arizona senator who quit the Democratic Party in December, is up for reelection next year, and will be challenged by progressive Democrat Ruben Gallego. Steve Phillips points to evidence that her chances of reelection are poor. His new book, “How We Win the Civil War,” has a chapter on Arizona politics. Also: What if government …

Abortion rights voters are reshaping politics in the coming political season—starting with a special election to the Virginia State Senate. Also: the most important election of 2023 is for the open seat on the Wisconsin State Supreme Court. John Nichols explains. Also: Walmart is the biggest employer in America, and the Walton family, the children …

If you were planning a future coup, what could you learn from the failure of Trump’s efforts on January 6? Fintan O’Toole says it would need a better story – not attacking Congress, but “defending democracy.” He teaches at Princeton, and is the author most recently of We Don’t Know Ourselves: A Personal History of Modern Ireland. Also: Who’d want t…

Teaching Assistants and other grad student employees at the University of California won a historic victory in their strike last month. What does that mean for other universities and other union organizing campaigns? Nelson Lichtenstein joins the show to comment. Also this week, Andrew Bacevich talks about our “very long war” going back to the sixt…

For our end-of year show, we are featuring a couple of our favorite book segments from 2022. First, a Black guy’s guide to the Constitution: Elie Mystal explains why “our constitution is not good.” He’s The Nation’s justice correspondent and author of Allow Me to Retort. Also: “Bad Mexicans”—that’s what the revolutionaries of 1910 were called as th…

The biggest strike in the country this year, and the biggest in the history of American universities, may be over. After five weeks of picketing and protests, the union representing 48,000 graduate student employees at the University of California announced a settlement. The university made an offer, and union members are voting this week. Nelson L…

The Democrats triumphed in Arizona this November, electing the governor and the secretary of state, and reelecting senator Mark Kelly --in what used to be a red state. But then Senator Kyrsten Sinema quit the Democratic Party, and Progressives moved towards a primary election to challenge her. On this week's podcast, Steve Phillips explains how the…

On this episode of the Start Making Sense podcast, Nation correspondent, Joan Walsh, comments on Democratic incumbent, Senator Raphael Warnock beating Herschel Walker in the Georgia runoff, and what that means for the future of American politics. Also on this episode, the largest strike in the country this year, and the largest in the history of hi…

We know a lot about the bad things J. Edgar Hoover did, but it turns out there’s a lot we didn’t know. Historian Beverly Gage joins the podcast to explain. Her new book is “G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover & the Making of the American Century.” Also: Should the Supreme Court base its decision on what it can discern about the original intent of the framers? T…

Hundreds of thousands of young immigrants brought here by their undocumented parents since 2007 are not eligible for DACA. But now they may be eligible for jobs--at the University of California. UCLA law professor Ahilan Arulanantham explains. Also: the fight against pollution in LA’s port communities, where 300,000 people, mostly Latino, live next…

The Georgia Senate runoff campaign has begun--Joan Walsh has just returned from Atlanta, and explains why Trump’s candidate Herschel Walker seems likely to lose. Also: comment on what happened in Stacey Abrams’ tragic loss. Plus: in Los Angeles the terrible sheriff has lost his re-election campaign. Gustavo Arellano, the LA Times columnist, comment…

The Nation's political writers analyze the good, the bad, and the ugly in the midterms, and find keys to building a winning coalition for 2024. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacyBy The Nation Magazine

How can we save democracy from white nationalism and right-wing authoritarianism? Steve Phillips argues we need to organize and turn out the millions of non-voters – people of color and young people – with a long-term, data-based strategy. Steve’s new book is “How We Win the Civil War: Securing a Multiracial Democracy and Ending White Supremacy for…

hot d season over. thank you for listening. please never read any articles you find online. see you in 2023 for twow Currently watching: House of the Dragon, episode 10 Send questions in to @youlovetohearit on Twitter! Our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/postgameofthrones

Stacey Abrams, running for governor in Georgia, is behind in the polls of likely voters, which the pollsters define as people who vote regularly, especially in the last midterms, four years ago. But her whole strategy is to organize and mobilize people who do NOT vote regularly – to expand the electorate with young people, people of color, and thos…

What will Republicans do if they win control of the House in the midterms? Now they’ve said something about that, officially: they call it their “Commitment to America.” Chris Lehmann calls it “a grab bag of cultural resentments papering over an anemic policy wish list.” Also: The Trump years are not the only time American democracy has been threat…

The Only Understanders of Television and All Forms of Media have logged on. This was an episode that "love it or hate it got everyone talking" so we showed some restraint and waited like 20 minutes before considering the night man's sexual maneuvers Currently watching: House of the Dragon, episode 9 Send questions in to @youlovetohearit on Twitter!…

Joe Biden has just made marijuana legalization a campaign issue--the Democrats should run with it, says John Nichols. Also: Greil Marcus talks about Bob Dylan, from "Blowin' in the Wind" to "Murder Most Foul." He has a new book out, it's called "Folk Music: A Bob Dylan Biography in 7 Songs." Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Priva…

What Else Can I Say But Paddy Sweep Currently watching: House of the Dragon, episode 8 Send questions in to @youlovetohearit on Twitter! Our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/postgameofthrones

Nurses have taken the lead in the wave of this year’s labor activism. The largest private-sector nurses’ strike in American history took place recently in Minnesota – 15,000 nurses walked off the job for three days in the Twin Cities and the Twin Ports. Other nurses threatened strikes in half a dozen other places. Bryce Covert reports a key front i…

Just when you thought house of the hot d couldn't get any better, we have coffin flops and a little boy getting absolutely stomped out. We get devious schemes and knife attacks. We even get night time at day time Currently watching: House of the Dragon, episode 7 Send questions in to @youlovetohearit on Twitter! Our Patreon page: https://www.patreo…

We're 10 years older. 10 years stronger. 10 years dumber. We're back with a late pgot to tell you that even though the wise sailor flees from the storm, the professy will help. Fire indeed hot. Currently watching: House of the Dragon, episode 6 Send questions in to @youlovetohearit on Twitter! Our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/postgameofthr…

Can Republicans win control of the Senate? Trump’s candidates are the GOP's biggest problem, starting in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin. The Nation's National Affairs Correspondent, John Nichols has our analysis. Also on this week's episode of the Start Making Sense podcast, a discussion about Ken Burns' new documentary on PBS, “The …

Should Bernie Sanders run in the Democratic primaries in 2024? President of The Nation, Bhaskar Sunkara says “yes” IF Biden doesn’t. Sanders transformed American politics and, Bhaskar argues, he remains a uniquely important figure for Democrats and the left. Also: 20 years before the January 6 attack on the capitol, a Republican mob attacked a cent…

you know an episode of tv is bad when the audience knows information that the characters in the show are unaware of. but daemon is there and he's unambiguously good so it's hard to explain Currently watching: House of the Dragon, episode 5 Send questions in to @youlovetohearit on Twitter! Our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/postgameofthrones…

if you don't like something I said in this episode you can't get mad at me. i hauve covid Currently watching: House of the Dragon, episode 4 Send questions in to @youlovetohearit on Twitter! Our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/postgameofthrones

The transformation of the Southern Baptist Convention into a powerful right wing political force developed over the last 50 years. Before 1973, when abortion became a constitutional right, the Southern Baptists did not have a political position on abortion. Then came what they call the “conservative resurgence”—we call it the “fundamentalist takeov…

Remember how Kansas was the first state to vote directly on abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe, and how Kansans surprised everyone by voting to keep abortion rights in the constitution, 59%-41%? Amy Littlefield went to Kansas to report on the election for The Nation and see how the victory had been organized and won. Also on this week'…

Political intrigue. Symbolic animals. The human heart in conflict with itself. These are the things A Song of Ice and Fire fans hate the most Currently watching: House of the Dragon, episode 3 Send questions in to @youlovetohearit on Twitter! Our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/postgameofthrones…

Republicans are making plans if they win control of the House in November--Chris Lehmann reports that their top targets include the NLRB and the Department of Labor. Chris is The Nation’s new D.C. Bureau Chief. Also: Patrick Leahy of Vermont has been a senator for almost 50 years. He describes how, on January 6, when senators took refuge from the m…

You wouldn't be mad if I got married, right? Like if I were wed to someone? Of an appropriate age? You have to promise not to get mad at me Currently watching: House of the Dragon, episode 2 Send questions in to @youlovetohearit on Twitter! Our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/postgameofthrones

pgot back Currently watching: House of the Dragon, episode 1 Send questions in to @youlovetohearit on Twitter! Our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/postgameofthrones

The Mar-a-Lago raid by the FBI put Donald Trump back at the center of American politics, just before the midterms. Is that good for the Democrats? John Nichols comments. Also: Dirty work—and the people who do it: the low-income workers who do our most ethically troubled jobs. What does that have to do with the rest of us? Eyal Press explains—his bo…

Ever since the Supreme Court abolished the constitutional protection for abortion, activists have been fighting in the states -- to protect abortion rights where possible, and to expand them where that’s possible. They’ve had some remarkable success, at least in the short run. Katha Pollitt reports. Also: the attack on Salman Rushdie. Plus: The Org…

Liz Cheney is way behind in the polls leading up to next week’s Wyoming primary. John Nichols went to Wyoming to see her in action, and reports that she’s “fighting to outlast and replace Trump as the manager of the right-wing franchise in American politics.” Also on this week's show, a deep dive into Orange County, California. Ronald Reagan once c…

Pramila Jayapal is head of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and represents Seattle in the House. She will explain how, as a young immigrant from India, she went from being an investment banker to a lifelong organizer. Her book, “Use the Power You Have: A Brown Woman's Guide to Politics and Political Change,” is out now. Also historian Eric Fone…

Jordan Peterson’s books of advice for men have sold five million copies – he says men should work hard, be responsible, demand more of themselves—and make their beds.” Katha Pollitt joins the Start Making Sense podcast to discuss. Also: The synergy between politics and popular culture has never been clearer or stronger than in the Age of Reagan. J.…

The Supreme Court next term will take up a case that could make Trump’s fake electors scheme the law of the land. Daniel Squadron explains the situation – and how winning majorities in state legislatures in swing states is the key to preserving democracy in 2024. Squadron is the co-founder and executive director of The States Project. Also: Ivana T…

On Tuesday the January 6 committee held yet another dramatic hearing, this one on the origins of the ‘Stop the Steal” rally and the events that provoked that 1:30 am tweet of Trump’s urging supporters to come to Washington, where it “will be wild.” John Nichols has our analysis. Also on this week's episode, Rebecca Solnit and Thelma Young Lutunatab…

What is to be done about The Supreme Court? David Cole, national legal director of the ACLU, and legal affairs correspondent for the Nation, has the best answer: organize, and vote. Also: the people who say “America is a Christian Nation” had some big victories at the Supreme Court last week, on school prayer, and on taxpayer funding of religious s…

The end of abortion in 26 states will be deadly for many poor women, especially poor women of color. Law professor Michele Goodwin explains, reviewing the history of forced pregnancy under the slave regime in antebellum America, and how it was banned by the 13th Amendment’s prohibition of “involuntary servitude.” Also: How will the war in Ukraine e…

In understanding the January 6 insurrection, much of the focus has been on white nationalist militias like the Proud Boys. But white evangelicals also played a big part on January 6. Sarah Posner, author of Unholy: How White Christian Nationalists Powered the Trump Presidency, and the Devastating Legacy They Left Behind, joins the podcast to discus…

The January 6 committee hearings have been powerful and devastating, explains John Nichols. We’re also still thinking about Chesa Boudin's recall in San Francisco. Pundits everywhere are saying it means Democrats need to abandon their commitment to reforming the police and the criminal justice system. Peter Dreier doesn’t agree, explains why this w…

The results of Tuesday’s primaries in L.A. and San Francisco, according to the New York Times, were “a stark warning to the Democratic Party about the potency of law and order as a political message in 2022.” John Nichols disagrees. Also: our preview of the live TV hearings of the House committee on the January 6 insurrection. Plus: sex, politics, …

The coming repeal of constitutional protection for abortion leaves us with a lot of work to do--to protect and expand abortion rights in the states where it will remain legal, and to help women in states where it will be banned. Katha Pollitt joins the Start Making Sense podcast to explain what we need to do now – in politics, health care, and fund…

The next 6 months will be crucial in determining what happens to American democracy in 2024. Republicans are preparing to challenge the popular vote in many of the states they control by empowering state legislatures to pick electors for the electoral college rather than voters. To do that, they also need to elect Republican governors. The Nation's…

Tuesday’s Democratic primaries for the House were flooded with money from pro-Israel groups seeking to defeat progressive candidates. It worked in North Carolina, but not Pennsylvania, where Summer Lee won. John Nichols has our analysis. Also in this week's show, a discussion with Lynn Garafola about Bronislava Nijinska, the ballet dancer, choreogr…

It’s all up to the states now, where activists are fighting to elect pro-choice candidates and strengthen laws protecting abortion rights, and grassroots groups are preparing an enormous logistics operation to move people across entire regions of the country that are about to go dark on abortion access. Amy Littlefield, The Nation’s abortion access…

Why did we stop believing that people can change? Don’t we want people who did bad things to understand the damage they caused? Don't we want them to acknowledge it and make reparations? Bestselling author, Rebecca Solnit explains. Also on this week's show, Historian Eric Foner comments on the ways Republicans have made the teaching of American his…

Biden’s “new and improved” procedure for admitting Ukrainian refugees to the U.S. is “disgraceful." Historian and Nation contributor, David Nasaw joins us to discuss the shortcomings of the policy, and how it excludes all asylum-seekers who aren’t white and European. Also: Abortion and its opponents. Do opponents of abortion really believe abortion…