A Gentlemen’s Disagreement

Episode 183 - Back to school choice with Shaka Mitchell

Tucked inside the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was a first-of-its-kind provision establishing a federal tax credit scholarship program that has the chance to greatly expand school choice for families across the country. Shaka Mitchell, Senior Fellow for the American Federation for Children, joins us to analyze the implications of this provision and discuss the school choice movement writ large.

Episode 182 - How tariffs are affecting the global economy and geopolitics with Lydia DePillis

The New York Times's Lydia DePillis discusses how the U.S.-led trade war is playing out across the world from both economic and geopolitical perspectives, why reliable economic data matters, and why, despite the seeming warning sirens, the U.S. economy might not be headed for a come down anytime soon.

Episode 181 - Six in Sixty: creeping authoritarianism

We talk the takeover of DC, the stakes in Intel & Nvidia, the redistricting push, the control of The Kennedy Center, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the meeting with Putin.   

Episode 180 - A SCOTUS '24-'25 term review with Professor Jack Beermann

Boston University Law Professor Jack Beermann analyzes the major topics, trends, and decisions that came from the Supreme Court's 2024-2025 term. We talked about the Court's relationship with the other two branches of government, with the Trump Administration, and within itself. We looked at specific cases and the emergence of specific judges from this term as well as what might be ahead in the coming term. 

Episode 179 - Not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead with Ansley Skipper

Ansley Skipper of Protect Democracy discusses what the ouster of the president of her alma mater, UVA, after a pressure campaign from the Trump administration tells us about the state of higher education as we head into a new school year.

Episode 178 - Birthrates are falling and the sky might be too with Marc Novicoff

Is the falling global birthrate the actual existential crisis of our time? The Atlantic's Marc Novicoff joins us to discuss why it's a crisis, why that crisis is even worse than you might've heard, and why you should care.

Episode 177 - Democracy takes work: media literacy with Nolan Higdon

Critical media scholar Nolan Higdon discusses why being discerning about the news you're consuming is so necessary for you, as a citizen of a democracy, and for democracy, as a system, to succeed. We talk about the history of fake news, its current incarnation, and tips for becoming a more discerning consumer of news and, therefore, a better member of our democracy.

Episode 176 - Six months in, promises made, promises broken?

Is the controversy around the Epstein files the straw that broke the back of the MAGA coalition? Or is this just another example in a long line of "this time it's different!" wishful thinking for the anti-Trumpers?

Episode 175 - Beauty is in the eye of the beholder: the OBBB

We analyze the "One Big Beautiful Bill" from all the angles: from the process and potential precedent, to the actual impact the bill will have on people's lives, to the messaging of the bill from both parties. We also try to look at the long term effects of the bill: how did it change how our government will work for the people going forward and what does it mean politically for the midterms and beyond?

Episode 174 - Creating an independent (voter) identity with Lura Forcum

Lura Forcum of The Independent Center joins us to discuss how we might be able to turn the white whale of many American voters--independent candidates--into a reality.