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The Nation Podcasts
Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.
Episodes
The Nation PodcastsJohn Nichols on Democrats and Marijuana, plus Greil Marcus on Bob Dylan
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…
The Nation PodcastsNurses on Strike, plus Women Lawyers who Challenged Trump: Bryce Covert on hospitals, plus Dahlia Litwick on the Courts
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…
The Nation PodcastsCan the Democrats hold the Senate? John Nichols; Plus David Nasaw on Ken Burns's "Holocaust"
Can Republicans win control of the Senate? Trump’s candidates are the GOP's biggest problem, starting in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin. The…
The Nation PodcastsBhaskar Sunkara: Bernie in 2024? plus Chris Lehmann on the Brooks Brothers Riot
Should Bernie Sanders run in the Democratic primaries in 2024? President of The Nation, Bhaskar Sunkara says “yes” IF Biden doesn’t. Sanders transformed…
The Nation PodcastsSarah Posner on the Conservative Takeover of the Southern Baptists, plus Amy Wilentz on Jared
The transformation of the Southern Baptist Convention into a powerful right wing political force developed over the last 50 years. Before 1973, when abortion…
The Nation PodcastsAmy Littlefield on How Abortion Rights Triumphed in Kansas, plus Barbara Ehrenreich Remembered
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…
The Nation PodcastsChris Lehmann on GOP Plans for 2023, Patrick Leahy on Jan. 6
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…
The Nation PodcastsThe Mar-a-Lago Raid and the Democrats, plus ‘Dirty Work’ John Nichols on Trump, and Eyal Press on bad jobs
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…
The Nation PodcastsAbortion Rights Victories in Red States, plus the Crisis in Haiti
Ever since the Supreme Court abolished the constitutional protection for abortion, activists have been fighting in the states -- to protect abortion rights…
The Nation PodcastsLiz Cheney in the Wyoming Primaries and White Supremacy in Southern California
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…
The Nation PodcastsPramila Jayapal, from Banker to Organizer, plus Eric Foner on the Right to Vote
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…
The Nation PodcastsKatha Pollitt on Advice for Men and J. Hoberman on Film in the Age of Reagan
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…
The Nation PodcastsDaniel Squadron on How Trump’s Fake Electors Scheme Could Become Law, plus Amy Wilentz on Ivana
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…
The Nation PodcastsJohn Nichols on the 'Stop the Steal' rally, plus Rebecca Solnit and Thelma Young Lutunatabua on Climate Change
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…
The Nation PodcastsDavid Cole on What To Do About the Supreme Court, and Sarah Posner on School Prayer
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…
The Nation PodcastsMichele Goodwin on the end of abortion and Anatol Lieven on Ukraine
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…
The Nation PodcastsSarah Posner on White Evangelicals and the Jan. 6 Insurrection, plus Joan Walsh on Sex Ed
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…
The Nation PodcastsJohn Nichols on January 6 and Peter Dreier on Progressive Prosecutors
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…
The Nation PodcastsJohn Nichols on Crime and the Democrats, plus Sarah Posner on Sex and the Southern Baptists
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…
The Nation PodcastsKatha Pollitt on How to Protect Abortion Rights and Kelly Lytle Hernandez on “Bad Mexicans”
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…
The Nation PodcastsJohn Nichols on Politics in 2024; Amy Wilentz on Reparations for Haiti
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 Nation PodcastsJohn Nichols on Progressives in the Primaries, plus Lynn Garafola on 'La Nijinska'
Tuesday’s Democratic primaries for the House were flooded with money from pro-Israel groups seeking to defeat progressive candidates. It worked in North…
The Nation PodcastsAmy Littlefield on the fight for Abortion Rights, plus Chesa Boudin on Progressive Prosecutors
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…
The Nation PodcastsRebecca Solnit on How People Change and Why We Care; plus Eric Foner on 1776 and 2022
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…
The Nation PodcastsDavid Nasaw on Biden’s disgraceful Ukrainian refugee policy and Katha Pollitt on what abortion opponents are really thinking
Biden’s “new and improved” procedure for admitting Ukrainian refugees to the U.S. is “disgraceful." Historian and Nation contributor, David Nasaw joins us…
The Nation PodcastsJane McAlevey on Amazon Workers' Next Big Battles and Margo Jefferson on "Constructing a Nervous System"
The Amazon workers on Staten Island have won a historic victory—but now they must prepare to strike, and to win support for their strike from the community…
The Nation PodcastsGustavo Arellano on The Sheriff vs. Black L.A., and Michele Goodwin on Ketanji Brown Jackson
The sheriff of Los Angeles County: he’s got 10,000 deputies, in America’s biggest county, with 10 million people - and he’s become LA’s biggest political…
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How the Ukraine War Could End: Anatol Lieven; Plus E.J. Dionne & Miles Rapoport: 100% Voting
How could the war in Ukraine end? Anatol Lieven says Russia could gain control of the entire Donbass region and then declare a cease-fire – but if we want…
The Nation PodcastsJoan Walsh on Ginni Thomas, and Astra Taylor on Abolishing Student Debt
Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, will be called to testify before the House Committee investigating the January 6 insurrection…
The Nation PodcastsFighting about the Constitution: Fishkin & Forbath, plus P.E. Moskowitz on antidepressants
The Senate confirmation hearings for Biden’s Supreme Court nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson, have been following a familiar script: opponents look for scandal…
The Nation PodcastsWhat The Media Should Be Doing During Wartime; plus Hoberman on Comics As Propaganda
Bhaskar Sunkara, the founder of Jacobin, has become President of The Nation. He joins us to talk about what independent media can and should do during wartime…
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Jamie Raskin: Why It's Been So Hard to Nail Trump; plus Michael Kazin on the Democrats
Jamie Raskin, member of the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 insurrection, talks about the committee’s evidence against Trump–and the…
The Nation PodcastsPutin’s War: What is to be Done? Katrina vanden Heuvel, plus Elie Mystal on the constitution
Putin’s indefensible invasion of Ukraine has revived the Cold War, and renewed militarism and nuclear threats. We need Russia to negotiate a ceasefire—but we…
The Nation PodcastsCanadian Truckers: a Working Class Protest? Jeet Heer, plus Amy Wilentz on Paul Farmer
Now that Canada's "Freedom Convoy" has come to an end, we're wondering: was this protest really a working-class movement? As Jeet Heer explains on this…
The Nation PodcastsWill Trump’s candidates lose in November? John Nichols; Hunter S. Thompson: Peter Richardson
Mitch McConnell thinks Republicans are going to lose the Senate in November if Trump's candidates and issues dominate the election. Is McConnell right? Our…
The Nation PodcastsBiden and the Border: Ahilan Arulanantham, plus Amy Wilentz on Haiti
When Biden took office, progressives looked forward to a dramatic transformation of Trump’s anti-immigrant policies—and Biden’s initial moves were promising…
The Nation PodcastsThe Progressives’ Agenda: What’s Left? Ro Khanna, plus Katha Pollitt on Sex
The Democrats are not doomed to defeat in the midterms, says Ro Khanna. Politics can turn around in the next few months. Khanna represents Silicon Valley in…
The Nation PodcastsOur Coronavirus Criminals: John Nichols; plus Eric Foner on Slaveholders in Congress
Donald Trump is responsible for about 100,000 unnecessary deaths from Covid-19 during his presidency, according to scientists at The Lancet. John Nichols…
The Nation PodcastsCalifornia Dems’ Big Moves on Health Care: Sasha Abramsky; Ellen Schrecker on the ’60s
The paralysis of politics in Congress leads us to turn away from Washington and look at the states: What can the Democrats do when they control a state…
The Nation PodcastsBeto Can Win: Steve Phillips; plus Dave Lindorff on Atom Spies
Beto O'Rourke's strategy for winning the governorship of Texas focuses on organizing everywhere to massively boost Democratic voter turnout—the strategy Stacey…
The Nation PodcastsOmicron: A Kinder, Gentler Covid? Mike Davis, plus John Nichols on Jan. 6
Is Omicron the kinder and gentler Covid we’ve been waiting for? Less lethal, and more like the flu? Mike Davis comments on the pandemic—and the age of…
The Nation PodcastsRemembering Rennie Davis, Remembering Joan Didion
For our last podcast of 2021, we want to remember two people who died in the past year, and listen again to our interviews with them. Rennie Davis was probably…
The Nation PodcastsIvanka, Jared, Don Junior, & Eric on Jan. 6: Amy Wilentz on the Insurrection, plus Tom Lutz
Revelations about the January 6 insurrection include striking new information about the Trump kids that day: Who did what, and also who didn’t do anything. Amy…
The Nation PodcastsWhy Trump Won’t Be the Candidate in 2024: David Cay Johnston; Foner & Gates on DuBois
Trump is going to be indicted for racketeering and fraud, because of his financial crimes, and that will prevent him from being the Republican candidate…
The Nation PodcastsU.S. vs. China vs. Climate Change: Alfred McCoy, plus Kristina Wong on Mutual Aid
How will global warming change the world’s systems of power? Alfred McCoy argues that American global hegemony will end around 2030, replaced by China as world…
The Nation PodcastsOmicron and Inequality: Gregg Gonsalves; plus Gary Younge on Josephine Baker
The new Omicron variant of Covid-19: Gregg Gonsalves argues that it serves as a reminder of how little we're doing on pandemic prevention. We need government…
The Nation PodcastsWhite Vigilantes and Black Protest: John Nichols on Kyle Rittenhouse; Eric Foner on Housing
We’re still thinking about the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict in Kenosha, where Republicans have been celebrating the “not guilty” verdict in the trial of a…
The Nation PodcastsWhy Republicans Want to Ban the 1619 Project: Martha Jones, plus Gregory Boyle on gangs
Republicans continue to work to ban teaching about Black Americans’ place in our history – their legislation, proposed in 27 states, would prohibit teaching…
The Nation PodcastsTrump Will be a Lousy Candidate in 2024: John Nichols, plus Rebecca Solnit on George Orwell
The Democrats need to do big things fast if they want to have a chance of winning in 2022 and 2024. John Nichols says that Trump will be a “lousy candidate”…
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Cancel Bail Debt, Abolish Student Debt: Astra Taylor; plus Adam Shatz on John Coltrane
The Debt Collective has a new project: Cancelling probation debt of formerly incarcerated people. They’re actually doing it, for tens of thousands of…
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The Politics of Kidnapping in Haiti: Amy Wilentz; plus Dave Zirin on ‘The Kaepernick Effect”
Who really runs Haiti—the government, or the gangs? The kidnappings suggest it’s the gangs – and the leader of the gang that kidnapped 16 Americans has openly…
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How Dems Can Turn Texas Blue John Nichols on politics, plus Adam Shatz on Richard Wright
A recent poll found that only 42 per cent of registered voters in Texas say Republican Governor Gregg Abbott deserves to be re-elected in 2022. Biden lost…
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Winning in 2022: John Nichols, plus Melina Abdullah on the LAPD and Ray Suarez on “Going for Broke”
Some pundits say the only way Democrats can hold the House and Senate in 2022 is by appealing to swing voters in Republican states by talking about economic…
The Nation PodcastsAmerica’s Lunatics: Katha Pollitt; plus John Powers on Percival Everett’s Emmett Till novel
Are we a nation of lunatics? Katha Pollitt has been thinking about that—about the millions of people who say that Satan-worshipping pedophiles control American…
The Nation PodcastsControlling the Police: What is to be Done? Erwin Chemerinsky, plus Eyal Press on Dirty Work
Many proposals to reform the police were made after the Black Lives Matter protests of last summer the largest protest movement in American history. But the…
The Nation PodcastsBiden’s Disastrous Deportation of Haitians: Amy Wilentz; plus Ruth Milkman and Stephanie Luce on Occupy Wall Street
Joe Biden is deporting 15,000 Haitian refugees who crossed the border at Del Rio, Texas, to a country ravaged by assassination, earthquake, poverty, and gang…
The Nation PodcastsHow Mosques Became FBI Targets after 9-11: Ahilan Arulanantham on State Secrets, plus Amy Wilentz on ‘The Chair”
We’re still thinking about the 20th anniversary of 9/11. After the attacks that day, Muslim Americans endured years of racism and discrimination, oftentimes at…
The Nation PodcastsAbortion Politics and Republican Power: Rick Perlstein, plus Eric Foner on Tulsa
In Texas, the Republicans are empowering vigilantes to go after people helping women who seek abortions, turning the state’s citizens as bounty hunters. Rick…
The Nation PodcastsLong-term political cost of the Afghan pullout? Not much: John Nichols on Biden, plus Adam Shatz on a Black American in Paris
America’s longest war came to an end on Monday as the last troops left Afghanistan, 20 years after we started fighting there. How much have the disasters…
The Nation PodcastsWhat America Owes Afghan Women: Katha Pollitt, plus Eric Foner on Black politics and history
Katha Pollitt reports on Afghan womens’ organizations and what their leaders are saying about support from Americans—starting with the Afghan Women’s Fund…