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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 PodcastsThe Taliban Triumph: Andrew Bacevich, plus John Powers on Dick Gregory
Over almost 20 years in Afghanistan, the US lost 2,400 troops and personnel. Another 21,000 Americans have been wounded. The mission cost more than a trillion…
The Nation PodcastsTrump: the Big Loser on the Infrastructure Bill—Joan Walsh, plus Anne Sebba on Ethel Rosenberg
19 Republican Senators voted in favor of the bipartisan infrastructure bill on Tuesday, after Trump demanded they vote “no.” It took significant concessions by…
The Nation PodcastsThe Dems’ miserable concessions on infrastructure: John Nichols, plus Art Spiegelman on ‘Street Cop’
We said it couldn’t be done: a bipartisan bill getting through Congress. Now, however, it looks like the $1 trillion infrastructure bill will get the…
The Nation PodcastsThe Delta Variant: What Joe Biden Needs to Do Now--Gregg Gonsalves on the Pandemic, plus John Powers on ‘Summer of Soul’
Joe Biden needs to do a lot more to stop the global spread of the covid virus and its Delta variant—and to prepare the world for the next pandemics. Gregg…
The Nation PodcastsBernie's Big Deal: John Nichols on the budget, plus Francine Prose on Ethel Rosenberg
Bernie Sanders recently spoke with our John Nichols about the importance of doing big things in politics--and now Senate Democrats have agreed on a $3.5…
The Nation PodcastsRethinking global security: Katrina vanden Heuvel; plus Amy Wilentz on Haiti
World politics after the Biden-Putin Summit: Katrina vanden Heuvel argues that we need to rethink what real security means, and that it can't mean a new cold…
The Nation PodcastsWhy We Need the Utopian Imagination: Jeet Heer; plus George Sanchez on LA’s Boyle Heights
"Utopian" has been a term of abuse in politics for a long time now, synonymous with “irrational” and “impossible.” Instead, we are told, we should…
The Nation PodcastsThe Attack on “Critical Race Theory”: Kimberlé Crenshaw; Plus David Talbot and Margaret Talbot on the Sixties
“Critical Race Theory” has been attacked on Fox News nearly 1300 times. It’s being banned from public schools and colleges in something like 15 Republican…
The Nation PodcastsIt's Time to Mobilize for Voting Rights: John Nichols; plus David Kipen on a new Federal Writers Project
Voting rights suffered a defeat in the Senate this week, but really it's just the latest battle in a continuing struggle—and if anything, it clarifies the real…
The Nation PodcastsIt’s Not Just Joe Manchin: Joan Walsh on ‘Moderate’ Democrats, plus Kai Bird on Jimmy Carter
Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema are not the only Democrats opposed to filibuster reform—Dianne Feinstein says she won’t vote for it, either. And there are more…
The Nation PodcastsWhat Does Joe Manchin Want? John Nichols on Filibuster Reform, plus Amy Wilentz on Israeli Politics
Republicans are not just making it harder to vote—they’re making it easier for judges and state legislatures to reverse the results of elections they have…
The Nation PodcastsWhite Politics and Black History in Tulsa: David Perry on the Tulsa Race Massacre Commemoration, plus Katha Pollitt on Advice for Men
Joe Biden went to Tulsa on Tuesday to commemorate the fact that, one hundred years ago this week, in 1921, a white mob attacked an all-Black neighborhood…
The Nation PodcastsDemocrats, Israel, and Palestine: John Nichols, plus Robin D.G. Kelley on "Exterminate All the Brutes"
While Joe Biden has pledged an “ironclad commitment to Israel's security," many Democrats in Congress, and outside of Congress, have been moving away from…
The Nation PodcastsPalestinians' "Second Front': Saree Makdisi, plus Eric Foner on "The Underground Railroad"
Palestinians and Israel: Saree Makdisi talks about what Netanyahu has called “the second front”: Palestinian citizens of Israel, who are increasingly subject…
The Nation PodcastsPalestinian Lives--and Deaths: Rachel Kushner on refugees and Adam Shatz on Edward Said
Conflict between Israel and Palestine has been escalating this week. For this podcast we have two segments about Palestinians; neither is about the current…
The Nation PodcastsRapists, Misogynists, Creeps, and their Books: Katha Pollitt on Blake Bailey, plus Louis Menand on Cold War Culture
Blake Bailey’s new book about Philip Roth was taken out of print by the publisher after Bailey was accused of rape and attempted rape and “grooming” his…
The Nation PodcastsSenator Mazie Hirono: Reform the Filibuster—and the Supreme Court; plus Tim Schwab on Bill Gates and Katha Pollitt on Dr. Seuss
Mazie Hirono, Senator from Hawaii: She’s the only immigrant currently serving in the Senate, and she was the first Asian American woman elected to that office…
The Nation PodcastsThe Chauvin Verdicts and the Movement That Made Them Possible: Jody Armour on Minneapolis, plus Mark Hertsgaard on Earth Day
Guilty, guilty, guilty! The verdicts in the Derek Chauvin trial in Minneapolis made history—and came only after millions of people took to the streets, for…
The Nation PodcastsOrganizing at Amazon: What Went Wrong? Jane McAlevey, plus Amy Wilentz on Hunter Biden
The union organizing campaign at the Amazon fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama, was defeated by a vote of 1798 against and 738 in favor. Jane McAlevey…
The Nation PodcastsThe Fight Against Voter Suppression: Dale Ho on Georgia, plus Karen Greenberg on Ending our Forever Wars
There’s one political prediction that always comes true: record turnout in one election will be followed by a tidal wave of voter suppression efforts before…
The Nation PodcastsHow Kyrsten Sinema Sold Out: Aída Chávez; plus Joan Walsh: Should Breyer Retire?
The political transformation of Kyrsten Sinema, the new senator from Arizona: She’s one of the two most conservative Democrats in the Senate—but Aida Chavez…
The Nation PodcastsThe Covid Vaccines: Big Pharma Profits while the Global South Waits--Gregg Gonsalves on the Pandemic, plus John Nichols on Ron Johnson
The arrival of multiple vaccines against Covid-19 in less than a year after the virus’s emergence is sort of a miracle—but there’s nothing miraculous about the…
The Nation PodcastsHow the Democrats can Win in Ohio: Steve Phillips; plus Carol Sobel on Black Lives Matter vs. the LAPD
One of the senate seats being abandoned by a Republican incumbent is in Ohio. Can Democrats win that seat? It’s going to be hard. Unlike North Carolina, which…
The Nation PodcastsMike Davis: ‘Beware the light at the end of the covid tunnel’; plus Amy Wilentz on Michelle Obama’s ‘Becoming’
It’s been almost exactly a year since the covid lockdown began – 220 million Americans have died of Covid-19, and now 90 million Americans have gotten at least…
The Nation PodcastsParents in Prison: Chesa Boudin, plus Amy Wilentz on Protest in Haiti
Chesa Boudin, the recently elected district attorney of San Francisco, talks about prisoners as parents—he grew up with parents in prison (David Gilbert and…
The Nation PodcastsThe Trumpers Among Us: Katha Pollitt; plus Eric Foner on Will Smith’s series on the 14th Amendment
What are we going to do about the 74 million people who voted for Trump? Katha Pollitt has been thinking about that—and about proposals that we should try to…
The Nation PodcastsRepublicans After Trump: Rick Perlstein on the future of the GOP, plus Alan Minsky on what a true economic recovery should look like
The Republicans after the second impeachment: As Mitch McConnell takes the lead in trying to purge Trump from the party, how divided are they? And how much…
The Nation PodcastsHow Trump Incited an Insurrection: John Nichols on impeachment, plus Steve Phillips on Turning Texas Blue
John Nichols considers the arguments made by Trump’s lawyers, and by Republican Senators, that Trump is not guilty of inciting the insurrection of January 6…
The Nation PodcastsProsecute the Insurrectionists—All of Them: Elie Mystal on Storming the Capitol, plus Gary Younge on Obama; and We Remember Rennie Davis
Eight hundred people stormed the Capitol building on January 6, but fewer than 200 have been charged with crimes. Why so few? Elie Mystal, The Nation’s Justice…
The Nation PodcastsJoe Biden vs. Covid-19, Week One: Gregg Gonsalves on the Pandemic, plus John Nichols on Biden’s first week
The national death toll from covid-19 will reach half a million next month, and new strains of the virus are threatening. Joe Biden has called for what he…
The Nation PodcastsJoe Biden and Us: Joan Walsh; plus Barbara Ransby on Biden and Black America and Gary Younge on Storming the Capitol
Biden’s inauguration marked a triumph of hope over fear, says Joan Walsh. First we celebrate, and then we go to work debating what is possible and what is…
The Nation PodcastsTrump’s Crime: Incitement of Insurrection—John Nichols on impeachment, plus Astra Taylor on debt and Robert Lipsyte on Trump and golf
As the House moves to impeach Trump—a second time—for “incitement of insurrection,” Republican support for Trump is wavering. John Nichols comments on the…
The Nation PodcastsThe Trump Mob that Stormed the Capitol: Joan Walsh and Eric Foner
Wednesday was one of the worst days in the history of American democracy—Joan Walsh comments on the Trump mob that stormed the capitol, the capitol police who…
The Nation PodcastsVaccine Priorities: Politics and Ethics. Gregg Gonsalves on Covid-19, plus John Nichols on politics in 2020
Vaccine priorities: political and ethical questions about who comes first, after health care workers. Gregg Gonsalves considers the arguments—the choice is…
The Nation PodcastsWhite Voters in 2020—and Everybody Else: Joan Walsh on Politics, plus Amy Wilentz on the Trump Kids
A year, and a decade, of political challenges: Joan Walsh reviews the fall and rise of Kamala Harris, the return of Joe Biden, and the deepening problem posed…
The Nation PodcastsFrom Obama to Trump: Eric Foner; plus John Powers on John le Carré
Obama’s memoir of his political rise and his first two years in office, A Promised Land, reminds us of a time when Donald Trump barely existed on our political…
The Nation PodcastsMike Davis: We Need a Commission to Investigate Trump’s Covid Response; plus Amy Wilentz on pardons for the Trump kids
This week, as the UK began vaccinating people against Covid 19, we consider proposals here in the US to establish a coronavirus commission, empowered to…
The Nation PodcastsHow the Dems Can Win in Georgia: Joan Walsh on politics, plus David Cole on the Supreme Court and reapportionment
Georgia is the center of the political universe right now. On January 5, Georgia votes for two senators, a runoff election that will determine which party…
The Nation PodcastsStacey Abrams: The Fight for Georgia; plus Amy Wilentz on Ivanka, Don Jr., Eric—and Lara
All eyes are on Georgia now, as the campaigns for both senate seats are underway to determine which party will control the US Senate. For Democrats, the…
The Nation PodcastsThe Covid-19 vaccine: Why does Moderna get to keep all the profits? Gregg Gonsalves on virus politics, plus J. Hoberman on ‘The Chicago 7’
Monday we had good news on a Covid vaccine from Moderna, created with a billion dollars of taxpayer funding. Gregg Gonsalves takes up the question, Why does…
The Nation PodcastsMike Davis: Biden's Big Mistake; plus Jody Armour: Electoral Victories of Black Lives Matter
Mike Davis on the Trump voters: Latinos in south Texas and white workers in the rust belt—and Biden’s big mistake: allowing Trump to claim "the…
The Nation PodcastsBiden's Successes—and Trump’s: John Nichols and Joan Walsh
John Nichols says Joe Biden seems to be headed for a historic win. On Wednesday afternoon he already had more than 70 million votes—the largest number of votes…
The Nation PodcastsThe Politics of White Men, from Obama to Trump: Melissa Harris-Perry and Dorian Warren, plus Sherrod Brown on voting and Eric Foner on disputed elections
Melissa Harris-Perry and Dorian Warren talk about the changing voter turnout among white men and people of color over the last three presidential elections—and…
The Nation PodcastsMike Davis: Climate Change, Extreme Fires, and White Flight plus Rennie Davis on ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7'
Mike Davis argues that climate change is bringing “extinction events” to native land cover around the world. Extreme fires are one of the main forces bringing…
The Nation PodcastsCan ‘herd immunity’ lead to ‘re-opening America’? Gregg Gonsalves on Covid-19, plus Allissa Richardson on Black Cell-Phone Videos
A group of scientists are calling it “The Great Barrington declaration”—a strategy to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic by age-targeted reopening. The advocates…
The Nation PodcastsTrump Gets the Best Medical Care While Working to End Healthcare for Tens of Millions: Amy Wilentz on Covid-19, plus Ari Berman on Voting Rights
When Trump left Walter Reed hospital, he tweeted “don’t be afraid of Covid-19.” Amy Wilentz disagrees, and argues that, while the president got the best…
The Nation PodcastsThat Terrible Debate: John Nichols, plus Katha Pollitt on Melania
Biden debated Trump on Tuesday night—John Nichols has our analysis, and suggests that it may be the Republicans who pull out of the remaining debates, given…
The Nation PodcastsExpand the Court! Elie Mystal on Court Packing, plus Sonia Shah on Climate Disasters
We need at last two more justices on the Supreme Court—and more would be better—as many as ten more. Elie Mystal explains—he’s the magazine’s justice…
The Nation PodcastsTrump Needs Wisconsin to Win, but Biden Is Ahead: John Nichols With Good News from a Swing State, plus David Nasaw on Refugees
Voting by mail in Wisconsin will not be thrown into chaos by the state supreme court—John Nichols reports on a state Trump needs to win, where Biden is ahead…
The Nation PodcastsChris Hayes: The Catastrophe of Trump; plus Joan Walsh: Politics on TV in 1968
We are in “one of the most perilous and fraught moments for American democracy since the mid-nineteenth century,” says Chris Hayes; what’s hopeful is that “the…
The Nation PodcastsTrump in Kenosha: John Nichols; Black Lives Matter in Europe: Gary Younge
Trump’s visit to Kenosha on Tuesday was part of a backlash strategy, with right wing militias and their allies encouraged to provoke violence with Black Lives…
The Nation PodcastsRick Perlstein: The Republicans from Reagan to Trump: plus Pramila Jayapal: From Investment Banker to Community Organizer
Rick Perlstein talks about the rise of Reagan, from what seemed like a career-ending defeat in the 1976 GOP primary, to his narrow victory in the popular vote…
The Nation PodcastsWhen the LAPD came looking for a BLM activist: Melina Abdullah, plus Katie Porter on Voting by Mail and Jody Armour on Unequal Justice
A Black Lives Matter leader in LA confronts the LAPD—outside her house. Melina Abdullah is a co-founder of Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles; she’s also professor…
The Nation PodcastsFighting for Vote By Mail: Pramila Jayapal; plus Tom Frank on Trump, Biden, and ‘Populism’
When Attorney General Bill Barr told the House Judiciary Committee recently that voting by mail on a large scale presented a “high risk” for “massive voter…
The Nation PodcastsTrump's Dangerous Push for a Vaccine by October: Gregg Gonsalves, plus David Cole on the Police
Trump is rushing to develop a vaccine, and declare victory over Covid-19 just before the November election – whether or not the current research, “Operation…
The Nation PodcastsThis Is Disaster Relief Under Corporate Power: David Dayen, plus Amy Wilentz on Mary Trump
Senate Republicans introduced their new trillion-dollar economic stimulus bill, which they call “The HEALS Act.” It’s woefully inadequate, says David Dayen—and…
The Nation PodcastsNaomi Klein: Pandemic Capitalism and the Black Lives Matter Protests; plus Zoe Carpenter on Portland and Ivy Meeropol on Roy Cohn
The pandemic has slowed the speed of life under capitalism, Naomi Klein suggests in her recent conversation with Katrina vanden Heuvel—and that has created…
The Nation PodcastsTo Fight the Virus We Need a Massive Campaign of Disruption: Gregg Gonsalves, plus Meagan Day on the Eviction Crisis
The increasing number of cases of Covid-19, and of deaths, should be scary to everybody, Gregg Gonsalves says. A direct action campaign of disruption is…
The Nation PodcastsMike Davis: The Problem with Dr. Fauci; plus Amy Wilentz on Ivanka, and Debbie Nathan on Sandra Bland
Mike Davis argues that, while Dr. Anthony Fauci has been handed a golden opportunity to speak truth to power, America’s most respected doctor remains a team…
The Nation PodcastsDefund—and Disarm—the Police: Kelly Lytle Hernandez, D.D. Guttenplan, and Zoë Carpenter
Defunding the police and re-imagining public safety—in Los Angeles—starts with the LAPD, but includes the sheriffs, the school police, and the UCLA police…