The Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich

Latest Episodes:

Why are House Republicans so ready to impeach Biden with zero evidence, and unwilling to aid Ukraine? Saturday coffee klatch Dec 17, 2023

Show notes

Friends,

Good morning and welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch. Please grab a cup, pull up a chair, and join us.

Today, Heather and I examine:

— The House Republicans’ impeachment of Joe Biden despite zero evidence of any wrongdoing. Why did every single Republican House member vote in favor, even those elected from districts that overwhelmingly voted for Biden in 2020?

— Special Counsel Jack Smith went to the Supreme Court, asking it to rule on whether a president is immune from criminal prosecution. Why is Smith doing this? Why isn’t there more pressure on Clarence Thomas to recuse himself?

— Rudy Giuliani found guilty of defaming two election workers and fined $148 million. What’s Giuliani’s next move?

— The Fed kept interest rates where they were, but signaled it would reduce interest rates next year. Is it any wonder Wall Street went bananas? Will the stock market continue to rise?

— Despite the good economy, polls continue to show that Americans favor Trump over Biden. Is this because Trump is riding the wave of anti-establishment forces? Why is Trump able to ride this wave?

— The Texas Supreme Court decided that Texas’s strict abortion law doesn’t allow a woman to have an abortion even if her life is threatened. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court agreed to consider a challenge to the FDA’s approval of an abortion pill. Will all of this galvanize more political action against Republicans?

— Trump and his Republicans’ unwillingness to continue to support Ukraine. Is Putin salivating over the possibility of a Trump presidency, and Trump’s lack of support for Ukraine? Will the Republicans succeed in forcing America to choose between Israel and Ukraine?

— The use of AI in campaigns. Already, a candidate for office has been utilizing AI bots to make calls on her behalf. Will we be seeing more of this?

Please also take this week’s poll:

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Ukraine, Israel, Biden’s and Trump’s gaffes, and Norman Lear. The Saturday coffee klatch! Dec 09, 2023

Show notes

Friends,

Welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse. Today we examine:

— The Republicans are playing into Putin’s plan to take over Ukraine. Whatever happened to the GOP that was hawkish on Russia?

— Israel shifts to bombing southern Gaza. More children have been killed in Gaza since October 7 than all the children killed in every world conflict in 2022. Why isn’t Biden doing more to restrain Netanyahu?

— Biden’s confusion about the upcoming election, saying on Tuesday that he wouldn’t be running if Trump weren’t running, and saying on Wednesday that “fifty” Democrats could beat Trump. Why is Biden off message?

— Trump’s age and his gaffes. Why is he getting a free pass from the media?

— The jobs report has a lot of good news for Biden. So why aren’t more people enthusiastic about the Biden economy?

— Voters want to hear that Biden is on the side of the people rather than the powerful. Why isn’t Biden making this case? Why isn’t he advocating higher corporate taxes on companies with the highest ratio of CEO pay to median worker pay?

— Norman Lear died this week. He was one of the most creative and important forces in American entertainment — and, indirectly, American politics.

Here’s something I’ve been hiding for years — when I guest hosted for Bill O’Reilly on Fox News in 2001. It was a different era.

Have a look:

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

George Santos, Henry Kissinger, Sandra Day O’Connor, Gavin Newsom, and Ron DeSantis. It’s the Saturday Coffee Klatch! Dec 03, 2023

Show notes

Friends,

Welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse. Today we examine:

— George Santos’s demise. What is there about sociopathic liars and the Republican Party? Why were most House Republicans unwilling to oust him?

— Henry Kissinger and Sandra Day O’Connor. Was Kissinger a war criminal? Was O’Connor the most powerful woman in America?

— Gavin Newsom and Ron DeSantis. Was their debate on Fox News a preview of what we’ll see in 2028? Whatever happened to reasonable, decent, intelligent debate?

— Heather reveals something about Bob that very few people know or remember. Why didn’t Bob become a Fox News regular?

Please pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee, and join us for these and other stories. (And, should you wish, take our poll.)

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Saturday coffee klatch! Nov 26, 2023

Show notes

Friends,

Welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse. Today we examine:

— The temporary ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. What does it really mean?

— Black Friday holiday sales. My personal relationship to the day. Consumer spending is up, so why are so many people down on the Biden economy?

— Bob’s new Substack series on the reality of American capitalism and whether American capitalism is compatible with the common good. Is it?

— The mess at OpenAI and what it means. Has OpenAI sacrificed safety for big money? What does this mean for AI in general? Who should be balancing safety and profits?

— Nikki Haley’s political rise. Will she get the Republican nomination?

— My 1994 Thanksgiving speech predicting that a growing class of angry and frustrated people would become susceptible to a demagogue. Bob reveals a secret about that speech.

— Heather’s mother-in-law, Julia, who is visiting over Thanksgiving. And what Bob is grateful for (hint: her first name is Heather).

Thanks for joining us!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Republican political violence and other worries from the week: The Saturday Coffee Klatch Nov 18, 2023

Show notes

Friends,

Welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse. Today we examine:

— House Republicans will not kick out George Santos despite his fake resume and mounting evidence of illegal activity. Will the GOP and Santos be held accountable?

— Incidents of violence and potential violence in the House and Senate, among lawmakers. Why is this happening?

— Trump’s full-throated fascism — describing his opponents as vermin, planning to round up undocumented immigrants and place them in detention camps, encouraging violence. Where is this going?

— Meanwhile, Biden avoids or plays down conflict with big corporations, Wall Street, and billionaires — which means that the media ignores his accomplishments (the media reports on conflict). Why won’t he call them out? Why isn’t he taking credit for going after Google and Amazon?

— Elon Musk promotes antisemitism on “X” by advocating a post on “replacement theory.” Advertisers must pull out all advertising from X, and the rest of us should boycott the platform. Like Trump, Musk is building his base off of hate.

— Thanksgiving plans. Travel safely. Enjoy your family.

Please pull up a chair and, if you’re so moved, take our poll:

Our thanks to Kyle Parker, Naomi Bradford, and Michael Lahanas-Calderon for their technical assistance.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Electoral wins? Trump trials? CRs? Joe Manchin? The Saturday coffee klatch! Nov 12, 2023

Show notes

Friends,

Welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse. Today we examine:

— The results of races in Ohio, Kentucky, and elsewhere in “red America” are showing how out of step the GOP’s white Christian nationalism is with the majority of Americans. How much encouragement should Democrats take from this?

— Mike Johnson’s utter inability to get anything done, including a continuing resolution to keep the government open after Friday, and aid to Israel and aid to Ukraine. How large a problem is this likely to be?

— Trump’s civil fraud trial in New York. Why is he taking such a brash and outrageous approach to his defense?

— Joe Manchin decides not to run for Senate again. What does this mean for the Democrats? Will Manchin now run for president under the “No Labels” party? How big a problem might this be for Biden?

— Trump’s plans for taking over America. He’ll lose the 2024 election, but what happens if he doesn’t? Is Nikki Haley Trump’s likely vice presidential pick?

— My new series beginning next Friday on Substack about the common good and capitalism. Is American capitalism compatible with the common good?

Please pull up a chair and, if you’re so moved, take our poll:

Our thanks to Jordan Alport for his technical assistance.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

The war in Gaza, Sam Bankman-Fried’s comeuppance, Trump and the culture of hype, and the October jobs report Nov 04, 2023

Show notes

Friends,

Good morning, and welcome back to my Saturday coffee klatch with Heather Lofthouse (executive director of Inequality Media Civic Action), where we examine the highs, lows, and even lower points of the previous week. Please pull up a chair, grab a cup, and join us.

This week, Heather and I zoom in on:

— The war in Gaza. Why not a humanitarian pause? Why is Mike Johnson, the new speaker of the House, conditioning aid to Israel on cutting IRS funding? And why is he not moving forward with aid for Ukraine?

— Sam Bankman-Fried’s comeuppance. What happened to him? How could so many big investors have been taken in? Does his downfall mark the end of crypto?

— Our culture of hype, of which Donald Trump is the major exemplar. The civil fraud trial in New York accusing the Trump organization of inflating the value of its assets for the purpose of getting bank loans and minimizing the value for the purpose of minimizing taxes. Why is Trump taking this trial more seriously than any other he’s now involved in?

— The October jobs report. The Fed is “succeeding” in slowing the economy and creating fewer jobs. Why is this considered a good thing? What’s the economic outlook?

— Heather’s “bestie” is in town.

Our thanks to Michael Lahanas-Calderón and Tom Lofthouse for technical assistance.

P.S. If you didn’t know already, you can also listen to our klatch on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or whatever your favorite podcast app is.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Help! How do we deal with all this? Oct 28, 2023

Show notes

Friends,

Today we examine:

— The new speaker of the House, Mike Johnson. Who is he? What does his speakership mean? What does it bode for the future?

— The tragedy of Lewiston, Maine. If this can happen in a small Maine city, are any of us safe? Is there any prospect for stricter gun controls?

— The pending ground invasion of Gaza. What’s been delaying it? Beyond the likely loss of lives, is this a suicidal move for Israel? Will it lead to a wider war?

— Trump’s lawyers pleading guilty in the Georgia case. Do they make a Trump conviction more likely? Should they be disbarred?

— Halloween. Why Bob dislikes it, and a terrible trick he once played as a young teenager.

Our thanks to Michael Lahanas-Calderón for his technical help.

P.S. If you didn’t know already, you can also listen to our klatch on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or whatever your favorite podcast app is.

Please consider a paid or gift subscription to receive the whole package, and to help us bring this letter to you each day. (It’s about the cost of a coffee per week.)

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

What should be done? Oct 21, 2023

Show notes

Friends,

Today we’re adding a new feature so you can watch as well as hear us (should you wish). And we apologize for the technical difficulties this week. Please let us know in the comments if you’d like us to continue this feature (assuming we do better with the video and audio).

Today, Heather and I examine:

— The continuing tragedy in Israel and Gaza. What’s the outlook? What role is Biden playing? What should be done?

— The continuing clown show in Congress. Jim Jordan is in for speaker, then he’s out, then in, then out. House Republicans continue to preside over what’s in effect a shutdown of the House of Representatives. What’s going to happen?

— The good economic news that median household wealth in America increased by a record 37 percent between 2019 and 2022 — but then dropped when the pandemic stimulus relief was withdrawn.

— The continuing predation of large pharmaceutical corporations. Pfizer doubled the price of Paxlovid — which is critically important for people who get COVID (as I did two weeks ago). Again, what should be done?

— I’m heading to Washington for the 30th reunion of my team at the Department of Labor, which will happen later today. We haven’t seen each other since we implemented the Family and Medical Leave Act, raised the minimum wage, attacked sweatshops, and protected the health and safety of millions of workers.

— Our emergency alert earthquake warning — without an earthquake (for some of us).

And our weekly poll:

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe

Trying to make sense out of tragedy and dysfunction Oct 14, 2023

Show notes

Friends,

Today, we look at:

— The tragedy in Israel and Gaza. Who and what are responsible? Is Israel solving anything by bombing and mounting a ground invasion of Gaza? What’s the likely endgame here?

— The dysfunction of House Republicans, who have effectively stopped the U.S. government. Why Jim Jordan would be a disaster as speaker. Is there any way out of this Trumpish quagmire?

— The strikes by the UAW, SAG, and health workers at Kaiser Permanente. Why are we seeing this upsurge in labor action? How is it related to what the Biden administration has done? And why is this a good thing?

— Heather’s “I’m not surprised, but I’m fuming” segment — about Republican efforts around the country to repeal no-fault divorce. Why are Republicans doing this? How is this related to Republican efforts to stop abortions?

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit robertreich.substack.com/subscribe