Politics Brief

Latest Episodes:

How Our Elections Work Oct 22, 2018

Show notes

Joining The Takeaway to break down how voting varies across the country is David Becker, the executive director and founder of the Center for Election Innovation & Research.

Saudi Arabia's Royal "Reformers" Oct 22, 2018

Show notes

Last year, when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman became Saudi Arabia's Deputy Prime Minister, the press fawned over his reforms in the arena of women's rights and business. The Western media has devoted less coverage to his regime's human rights violations and destruction in Yemen. Georgetown University in Qatar professor Abdullah Al-Arian speaks to On The Media's Brooke Gladstone about the trope of the Saudi royal "reformers," where it comes from and why it persists.

Andy Borowitz's Take On Today's News Oct 19, 2018

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On The Brian Lehrer Show, Andy Borowitz, comedian and creator of The New Yorker's "The Borowitz Report" column, gives his satirical take on the news.

Trump's Curious Relationship With Saudi Arabia Oct 19, 2018

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Trump has been doing business with Saudis for years, even bragging during his presidential campaign about the large amount of money Saudi buyers paid for his apartments.

In this Trump, Inc. podcast extra, WNYC’s Charlie Herman talks with The Washington Post’s David Fahrenthold and Joe Nocera from Bloomberg Opinion about all the ways Saudi Arabia is intertwined with U.S. business interests, including those of the president himself.

The Women Bringing The Resistance To The Suburbs Oct 18, 2018

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WNYC's Nancy Solomon reports on three activists groups changing the political landscape of a large swath of New Jersey suburbs, places that have elected Republicans to local and national office for decades.

The Booming Jobs Market Oct 18, 2018

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New Labor Department numbers this week point to a record number of job openings, and a booming labor market like this means it’s a great time for employees to ask for more money in their current role, or to find new, better work. Harry Holzer, a professor of Public Policy at Georgetown and former Chief Economist for the U.S. Department of Labor, joins The Takeaway to discuss why the economy looks the way it does, how workers can benefit, and who is left out of this prosperous moment.

Dolly Parton's Take On The 19th Amendment Oct 17, 2018

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Hear the latest episode of More Perfect from WNYC Studios, featuring a song the legendary Dolly Parton wrote for the show about the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution, which gave women the right to vote.

Senator Ben Sasse On Political Polarization Oct 17, 2018

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Ben Sasse, Republican U.S. Senator from Nebraska and author of Them: Why We Hate Each Other--and How to Heal, argues that loneliness is the underlying cause of America's extreme polarization and that the solution lies in finding deepening "rootedness." That's on The Brian Lehrer Show.

Are Our Elections Secure? Oct 16, 2018

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Russian intelligence has been probing for weaknesses in our election systems. And there are plenty. Can states secure themselves from attack in time for the midterms? Sue Halpern, who reports on election security, joined The New Yorker Radio Hour to discuss.

Marc Molinaro, Gubernatorial Candidate Oct 15, 2018

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WNYC reporter Fred Mogul on the secrets (and limits) to Andrew Cuomo's long-shot Republican challenger for Governor of New York, Marc Molinaro.