Episodes

  • The GOP's Plan to Tweak the Rules for Senate Confirmation

    The GOP's Plan to Tweak the Rules for Senate Confirmation
    Sep 9 2025
    With Senate Democrats holding up Donald Trump’s picks even for relatively minor jobs, Majority Leader John Thune proposes to speed confirmation by changing the chamber's rules to allow approval of blocks of uncontroversial nominees. Is this a good idea to restore a historical norm, or could it backfire if Democrats demand further rule rewrites when they return to power? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    27 mins
  • The Crisis of Confidence in the Western Tradition

    The Crisis of Confidence in the Western Tradition
    Sep 8 2025
    The values of the Western tradition have come under attack for unleashing a variety of sins, but is there a revival on the horizon? Paul Gigot speaks with historian Allen Guelzo about how “self-hatred” of Western civilization’s achievements has replaced thoughtful self-criticism, how much of this can be contributed to an ignorance of history, and the goals of Guelzo’s newest project, 'The Golden Thread: A History of the Western Tradition.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    30 mins
  • The GOP's Worries About RFK Jr.'s Health Department Mess

    The GOP's Worries About RFK Jr.'s Health Department Mess
    Sep 5 2025
    Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gets grilled on Capitol Hill, including by Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Barrasso, both of them physicians, about his agenda on vaccines, views of Operation Warp Speed, and staff changes at his department. Meantime, Florida officials say they will push to end all state immunization mandates, including in schools. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    27 mins
  • Trump Strikes Venezuelan Traffickers / China’s Big Military Parade

    Trump Strikes Venezuelan Traffickers / China’s Big Military Parade
    Sep 4 2025
    Donald Trump orders an airstrike on a speed boat in the Caribbean that he says was carrying narcotics, but should Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro also be worried, as the U.S. orders serious naval assets to the region? Meantime, Xi Jinping has a friendly photo-op with Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, amid a military parade in Beijing that showcases an axis of American adversaries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    25 mins
  • A Political Brawl Over DEI at Virginia's Public Universities

    A Political Brawl Over DEI at Virginia's Public Universities
    Sep 3 2025
    Democrats move to eject 22 of Gov. Glenn Youngkin's board appointees at three colleges, which they say is to protect the schools from Trump Administration meddling. But the Education Department accuses George Mason University of “illegally using race” in hiring, and Republicans are going to the state Supreme Court, arguing that Youngkin's appointees aren't fired at all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    27 mins
  • Donald Trump’s 'Emergency' Tariffs Lose Again in Court

    Donald Trump’s 'Emergency' Tariffs Lose Again in Court
    Sep 2 2025
    President Trump has imposed global tariffs by citing a 1977 emergency law known as IEEPA, but a federal appeals court says 7-4 that this is outside of his legal authority. Otherwise, what would stop the next Democrat in the office from declaring a climate "emergency" to declare a carbon tariff? The White House plans to appeal, but will it have any better luck at the Supreme Court? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    24 mins
  • ‘Snap-Back’ Sanctions on Iran / Trump's Next Ukraine Move

    ‘Snap-Back’ Sanctions on Iran / Trump's Next Ukraine Move
    Aug 29 2025
    The pressure on Iran is rising again, as U.S. allies in Europe trigger "snap-back" sanctions, citing Tehran's uranium stockpiles and nuclear enrichment. Meantime, two weeks after President Trump's peace summit in Alaska with Vladimir Putin, Russia hits Ukraine hard with new airstrikes. Plus, Taiwan wants to raise its defense budget to 5% of GDP to deter a Chinese invasion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    27 mins
  • Trump Wants to Fight Chicago Crime. JB Pritzker Says Stay Out

    Trump Wants to Fight Chicago Crime. JB Pritzker Says Stay Out
    Aug 28 2025
    Donald Trump considers sending federal forces, including National Guard troops, to clean up Chicago's streets, but Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker says he doesn't want the help. Could Trump do it over the objections of state and local leaders? And is this a winning political issue for the GOP, as Mayor Muriel Bowser announces that carjackings in Washington, D.C., have dropped 87%? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    28 mins