The Dispatch Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Inflation Game May 13, 2022

Show notes

The economic state of America, which technically may be improving according to the latest inflation numbers, is still not good. The gang (with deputy managing editor Michael Scott Reneau stepping in for Steve) discuss it and home in on why that’s bad news for Democrats. Plus, Tim Alberta of The Atlantic just wrote a profile of evangelical churches in America and it is so good Sarah, David, Jonah, and Michael had to talk about it and the state of evangelicalism on today’s episode. And finally, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer held a vote on abortion access in America which failed miserably. What the heck was he thinking? Finally, what is the legacy of John Brown?

Show Notes:

-TMD on the latest inflation numbers and baby formula shortage

-Tim Alberta on the evangelical church

-Politico: Senate Democrats’ imaginary majority

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Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns on ‘This Will Not Pass’ May 11, 2022

Show notes

There is no shortage of stuff to talk about in This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America's Future, the new book by New York Times reporters Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns, and Steve does his best to discuss all of it in this week’s Dispatch Podcast. As Steve says, “The book makes you feel like you are in the room.” The trio breaks it all down—from January 6, those now infamous Kevin McCarthy recordings, and the early days of the Biden administration. Burns and Martin respond to McCarthy’s accusation that they took his comments “out of context.” Plus, why does Biden want to “do it all?” Finally, how do the authors deal with critics on the right that immediately write them off because they work for The New York Times?

Show Notes:

-This Will Not Pass by Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns

-Recordings of McCarthy saying he will urge President Trump to resign

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Supreme Court, Abortion, and the Political Fallout May 06, 2022

Show notes

What are we to make the Justice Samual Alito’s leaked draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health? Our hosts are here to discuss as the politics of abortion take shape. Sarah, Jonah, and David then pivot to what they learned from Tuesday’s primary elections. And finally, what does all of this mean for Trump’s chances in 2024?

Show Notes:

-David and Sarah’s podcast breaking down the Suprme Court leak

-French Press: “The Supreme Court Abortion Leak—Your Questions, Answered”

-G-File: “Why Joe Biden Hates Saying the A-Word”

-The Sweep: “What Does J.D. Vance’s Victory Tell Us About the Midterms?”

-Sarah in the Washington Post: “We in the ‘shallow state’ thought we could help. Instead, we obscured the reality of a Trump presidency.”

-Smithsonian’s National Zoo: “Tragic Loss of Animal Life at Smithsonian’s National Zoo”

-DCist: “There’s An Angry Turkey Attacking People On The Anacostia Riverwalk”

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Mitt Romney Talks Inflation and the Economy May 04, 2022

Show notes

Utah Sen. Mitt Romney joins Steve for a discussion on the state of the economy and how to rein in inflation. Plus, the senator answers questions about canceling student debt, the Supreme Court abortion leak, J.D. Vance’s victory in Ohio, and the latest from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Show Notes:

-Romney in the Wall Street Journal: “Biden’s Errors Worsen Inflation”

-Capitolism: “Is President Biden Trying to Boost Inflation?”

-TMD: “Washington Gears Up for a Post-Roe Future”

-The Dispatch: “Non-Interventionist Republicans: A Small, Vocal Minority”

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Is This The ‘70s All Over Again? Apr 29, 2022

Show notes

Most economic numbers paint a dire picture for Democrats in the upcoming midterms. Steve, Jonah, and David discuss who is exactly to blame for that. Then the trio wade into the debate over forgiving student loans. (Spoiler alert: They aren’t fans.) Will the woes in the Democratic Party produce a Ronald Reagan-type figure on the right? Plus, what is everyone’s opinion of the White House Correspondents Dinner?

Show Notes:

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California's Fiscal Future Apr 27, 2022

Show notes

Lanhee Chen is running for state controller in California, but what does a state controller do? Steve gets that answer, plus Chen’s thoughts on California’s fiscal state and his plan if he wins the election. Chen also discusses his experience running Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign’s policy shop.

Show Notes:

-Chen’s campaign website

-Los Angeles Times endorses Chen’s campaign

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Mask Mandates and McCarthy's Lie Apr 22, 2022

Show notes

It was a busy week. The Justice Department is appealing a federal judge’s decision to strike down the CDC’s travel mask mandate. The Biden administration is standing by its plan to end Title 42, a pandemic-era border policy, despite pushback from Democrats. Texas and Florida have governors making their own questionable decisions. Netflix and CNN feel the full effects of the streaming wars. Plus, what did Kevin McCarthy say?

Show Notes:

-David and Sarah’s deep dive into the mask mandate decision

-Sarah’s immigration conversation with Ali Noorani

-Uphill: “Kevin McCarthy’s January 6 Lie”

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Immigration and the Problem at the Border Apr 20, 2022

Show notes

The Biden administration plans to end use of Title 42, the pandemic-era border policy, next month. The governor of Texas is busing migrants to the nation’s capital. Meanwhile, illegal border crossings are on the rise. Does anyone have a plan? Ali Noorani, president of National Immigration Forum and author of Crossing Borders, joins Sarah to discuss America’s immigration woes.

Show Notes:

-“Crossing Borders: The Reconciliation of a Nation of Immigrants” by Ali Noorani

-Room to Grow: Setting Immigration Levels in a Changing America

-Texas Tribune: “San Antonio and other Texas cities confront the spillover from the border migration crisis”

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Political Implications of Inflation Apr 15, 2022

Show notes

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report this week, and our hosts are here to talk through it. What does this all mean for the upcoming midterms and 2024? They will discuss that too. Plus, Sweden and Finland are looking to join NATO. What does this mean for the Western alliance? What should we expect from Russia?

Show Notes:

-TMD: “Light at the End of the Inflation Tunnel?”

-The Sweep: “Tsunami or Ripple? What a Midterm Wave Might Look Like.”

-The Sweep: “To Agenda or Not? That Is the Question for the GOP.”

-TMD: “Finland and Sweden Weighing NATO Bids”

-New York Times: “Military Memo Deepens Possible Interstellar Meteor Mystery”

-WUSA: “Teens among seven people arrested after detectives find dog reportedly taken at gunpoint”

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Let's Talk About Sex Apr 13, 2022

Show notes

Sarah and her guest are here to talk about sex. Christine Emba, a columnist for the Washington Post and author of the new book Rethinking Sex, examines our current sexual mores and finds them wanting. What’s the cause of today’s sexual malaise? What does a new sexual ethic look like? Listen (but maybe not with your young children) for those answers and more.

Show Notes:

-“Rethinking Sex” by Christine Emba

-Christine in the Washington Post: “Consent is not enough. We need a new sexual ethic.”

-David in The Atlantic: “Consent Was Never Enough”

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