DecodeDC

Latest Episodes:

187: Whose job is it to enforce immigration law? Mar 30, 2017

Show notes

In the first of two episodes, we visit Frederick County Maryland where local law officers are working hand-in-hand with federal immigration officers to detain and deport undocumented immigrants in the community. Now President Trump wants to give them more authority and that makes the sheriff very happy.

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186: The skinny on Trump's skinny budget Mar 23, 2017

Show notes

The President came out with his version of the budget - which he called a "skinny budget". While lots of people freaking out, we ask: what is a skinny budget, and does it really matter?

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185: A warning against hyperpartisanship from 1796 Mar 16, 2017

Show notes

The warnings George Washington made in his farewell address — about hyperpartisanship, excessive debt, and foreign wars — have incredible resonance today, says John Avlon, the author of “Washington’s Farewell.” He speaks with Jimmy about what we can learn from the address and how its message was once appropriated by Nazis, in 1939.
Plus: John reveals that President Washington had bad credit.

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184: Obamacare Trumpcare Healthcare 101 Mar 10, 2017

Show notes

What’s the individual mandate? Who’s in a high-risk pool? How do tax credits work in health care? With the debate over the future of health care in America raging, we go back to basics and explain some important concepts with the help of Sarah Kliff from Vox. Also in this episode, Jimmy reveals his age — and Sarah reveals which health care option tripped her up last year.

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183: Trump is at odds with the courts. Has a president ever defied them? Mar 02, 2017

Show notes

President Donald Trump recently gave the federal courts the proverbial middle finger, lashing out on Twitter at a “so-called judge” who had ruled against him and promising “see you in court” after losing an appeal. Has this happened before or is this the new normal? This week: Donald Trump’s apparent disdain for the federal judiciary and whether there’s a precedent in history.

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182: I'm a reformed lobbyist. Ask me anything Feb 23, 2017

Show notes

You asked and we answered. This week: what’s the difference between lobbying and bribery, a real example of a lobbyist buying their agenda into law (or failing to), and the best reform for the lobbying industry. Plus, Jimmy’s former salary.

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181: How cops can legally take your car, home, or cash Feb 16, 2017

Show notes

When Tien Nguyen stopped at a rest area in Kansas, he didn't expect to have his car searched by the highway patrol - and when they took $40,000 he had in cash and sent him on his way, he was furious. But he was astounded when he learned that it was all completely legal.
It's a practice called civil asset forfeiture, and in this week's episode, we hear about how Tie has to go to court to get his money back. We also talk to his lawyer, who wants the system changed completely, and we hear from someone who uses the practice all the time in his job.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this episode incorrectly stated that Tien Nguyen is an American citizen. He is a permanent resident.

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180: What the hell is a trade war? Feb 09, 2017

Show notes

Everything you’ve always wanted to know about trade, trade deficits, tariffs, trade wars, courtesy of Felix Salmon of Slate Money. Plus, Felix explains which is better — a strong dollar or a weak one.

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179: A user's guide to 'alternative facts,' aka lies Feb 01, 2017

Show notes

Imagine being lied to, repeatedly, for days on end, and what that does to your brain. Well, you may not have to imagine it—it seems like more and more “alternative facts” are coming out of Washington every day. In this episode, author Maria Konnikova tells us how repeated lies affect our brain, and Paul Singer of USA Today tells us how to deal with it.

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178: Hey Tea Party, meet your lefty cousins Jan 26, 2017

Show notes

After this election, some on the left are feeling pretty powerless - but Angel Padilla isn't. He got together with 30 other former congressional staffers to put together a concrete guide on how to resist President Trump's policies, and they borrowed all their knowledge from an unlikely source--The Tea Party. It's called Indivisible, and in this episode, Jimmy gets to the bottom of how it might work.

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