The Latest

Joe and Alex break down the first primetime January 6th Committee hearing. Why is Trump in trouble? Joe lays out Liz Cheney's powerful case. What else was powerful from last night and how can Dems use it moving forward? How can we make sure we aren't just talking to ourselves -- and what can we do to help spread the word?  If you do one thing after listening, help us burst the Fox bubble. Make sure someone in your network who might not have seen it watches the powerful video from Thursday's hearing: https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2022/06/09/new-produced-video-capitol-riot-2022-january-6-hearings-vpx.cnn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist and author Frank Smyth joins the show to discuss the NRA and the gun lobby's deep-seated ideology -- all centered around the slippery slope that even a little bit of gun regulation could lead to "tyranny" and even "genocide" in their eyes. Frank's followed the NRA for nearly 40 years. He and Joe might not agree on everything but his perspective on what needs to be done is worth a listen. Check out Frank's work at franksmyth.com. You can support the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence here: https://www.bradyunited.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe lays out a path forward and how to get Republicans on the record voting against gun control legislation -- the choice between the two parties has never been more clear. What's Mike Pence up to post January 6th? Is he about to launch his Presidential run? And what does Georgia mean for the future of Trumpism in GOP primaries? Finally, a quick field trip to Hungary, the logical place for budding autocrats to showcase their authoritarian credentials. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We peel back the onion on media reporting a little -- how do journalists balance breaking news for their outlets vs saving a story for a book? Then how do Jonathan and Alex see what's going on with the GOP today? Will this moment pass? How does the world view our democracy and how close to the edge are we? And what's a conversation that they had reporting the book that you might not have heard yet? Read This Will Not Pass here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/This-Will-Not-Pass/Jonathan-Martin/9781982172480 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe and Alex discuss what's facing Democrats through the lens of a recent Progressive Policy Institute paper by two of Joe's former Mondale team. What have we learned since 1989? And is the key to breaking the streak and beating George HW Bush the same to the key to stopping Trump? With our democracy at stake, it's time to bust some myths about the electoral landscape. Read the report here: https://www.progressivepolicy.org/publication/the-new-politics-of-evasion%20%5Bprogressivepolicy-org%5D/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rick Hasen joins the pod to discuss his latest book, "Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics—and How to Cure It." What can we do to fix our elections? Rick points out we have to think way beyond legal solutions or policy - it's going to take all of us working on it. And what do we make of Elon Musk's Twitter purchase and its implications for Trump and free speech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Joe and Alex get into the electoral fallout from the leaked SCOTUS decision. Has Joe ever seen a moment like this about one issue? Then an update from Ohio, where it's getting Trumpier by the day. And some good news from Michigan - and a possible blueprint to win.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author and professor Jonathan Haidt joins us to talk about his recent Atlantic article on social media, polarization, and just what we can do about it. Did people change, or did the dynamics between us change? And what did one Twitter engineer describe as "handing a loaded gun to a four-year-old?" How do we "change the game?" Read Jonathan's latest article here: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/05/social-media-democracy-trust-babel/629369/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Disrupting the GOP's Outrage Machine will be a task Dems need to rally behind if we're going to restore democracy in the U.S. After this week's reports, what are Biden's next steps? Is the cancellation of federal student loan debt a realistic option? Does Rep. incumbent Mike Lee have a continued future in the UT Senate seat or can a Dem turn the tide? Plus, more listener questions answered. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why does it feel like Pres. Biden is struggling to move the ball when the economy is recovering and America's battle with COVID has vastly improved? Joe gives his advice for what Dems need to say now to win in November. Remember: a repeated lie gets more power than a silent truth. Then, Joe explains why the Dems might have a crucial advantage in their battle for the House, including some staggering numbers that may have you rethinking the landscape of 2022 voter enthusiasm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bestselling author Don Winslow joins the pod to discuss his new book "City on Fire" - an Iliad-inspired crime novel set in Rhode Island we can't wait to read. You probably have also seen Don's viral videos taking down Trump and the GOP - how did Don get started with those? "If they wanted an alley fight, we'd go into the alley" And take it from someone who has no problems getting his point across -- how do we craft a winning message this fall and take on the right-wing outrage machine? Order "City on Fire" and catch up on Don's work at donwinslow.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We welcome back Simon Rosenberg, one of the clearest voices on Democratic economic messaging -- and ask him the question -- why aren't Democrats repeating a winning message? What do we have to do to turn this ship around? How do we redefine the Democratic Party as a force for economic success, and how do we make voters listen? Follow Simon on Twitter @SimonWDC. With Democrats, Things Get Better Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Garrett Graff joins the pod to discuss his book Watergate: A New History, including some stories you might not know about just how close we came to a full cover-up of a "third-rate burglary at the Watergate". Then, he discusses the parallels with Jan. 6th and the Ukraine conflict -- before turning the table on Joe and interviewing him. Find Garrett's book here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Watergate/Garrett-M-Graff/9781982139162 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe and Alex are back to talk about the latest Russian plea to help their partner Donald Trump (key word: again!) Also - what are the implications of the Dems possibly moving Iowa back in the nomination process? What's going to happen to underdog candidates? And the listener question lightning round is back! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No, you aren't hallucinating. A Republican Senator actually said the quiet part out loud. Yes, their battle against Roe has far-reaching consequences, and their war on the Fourteenth Amendment could expand dramatically. Heather also discusses her recent interview with President Biden and how he's meeting the moment on a global scale. Find more from Heather: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe and Alex discuss President Biden's response to President Zelenskyy's appeal, how Biden's handling the Ukraine crisis, and what we have to get ahead of from the far-right propaganda machine. Plus, an update from The Union -- including a special town hall this coming Monday -- and what you can do to help. And of course, we find time for a few reader questions! Join The Union Town Hall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe's back to talk President Biden's momentum -- how can Dems most effectively message great jobs numbers and deficit reduction? And where should Democrats be focused first - the House or the Senate? Also, the latest on Rick Scott's effort to hand Dems a huge win on taxes and what on earth is going on with the far-right and Ukraine. If you're reading this on your parents' cell phone plan, well, don't get subpoenaed (cough cough, Stephen Miller). Nick Carmody's tweet thread: https://twitter.com/nick_carmody/status/1501670298805948416?s=21 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trygve Olson joins Alex this week for an update on how the flow of information from Ukraine is affecting the war on the ground. With anyone able to put 60 seconds of video online for global consumption instantly, how will this affect international perceptions of the war? Also - how does seizing a yacht change things? Finally, we discuss an important development in the Arizona Senate race. Joe'll be back next week, we promise! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Australian economist Nicholas Gruen joins the show -- and he's got some big ideas to get us past partisanship in democracy. How do you bridge the divide and bring people together to actually advance policy ideas? How do you pull people out of their partisan tribes? Find out about Nicholas's revolutionary idea and how he thinks we can get there. Follow Nicholas on Twitter @NGruen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices