Talking Feds

Journalist and Talking Feds regular Emily Bazelon joins Harry to share her reporting on the stories of the rank-and-file Department of Justice staff who've weathered Trump's takeover. Emily spoke with 60 different attorneys who served in the department, and she tells Harry their stories of a department in ruin. What have the key moments looked like from the inside? How have career attorneys handled the wrenching choice of whether to stay on, or quit and risk replacement by a Trump loyalist? And how hard will it be for any new future to pick up the pieces? Mentioned in this episode: Emily's article: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/11/16/magazine/trump-justice-department-staff-attorneys.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For Talking Feds' latest Contrarian episode, Harry speaks with Norm Eisen, Jen Rubin, and Neera Tanden about the reopening, revelations, and reprisals that dominated the week's news. They break down where the Democrats went wrong in the shutdown fight and whether the cases against James Comey and Letitia James are collapsing. But, of course, with newly released documents exposing some of Jeffrey Epstein's connections to Donald Trump, the panel takes a hard look at what can be surmised from the cryptic messages. The question on everyone's minds: what in the world did Epstein mean when he called Trump the dog that hasn't barked?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry talks to Marty Lederman, the former Deputy Assistant Attorney General who authored an amicus brief with a legal discovery that has shaken the Administration's attempt to deploy the National Guard to Chicago and other Democrat-led cities. Marty and Harry explain the critical oversight in the administration's reasoning, and they think through what a bruising legal defeat would mean for the effort to put boots on the ground in American cities. It's a possible game changer in a case Harry has called a "moment of truth for the High Court." Mentioned in this episode:  Harry's Substack about the stakes of this case: https://harrylitman.substack.com/p/moment-of-truth-for-the-high-court The Supreme Court's request for briefs on the phrase "the regular forces": https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/102925zr_hgci.pdf Marty Lederman's expanded brief on the phrase "the regular forces": https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25/25A443/384148/20251110232925983_25A443.Lederman.Supplemental.Amicus.Brief.1110.pdf Illinois and Chicago's expanded brief on the phrase "the regular forces": https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25/25A443/384145/20251110210604383_Illinois%20Supplemental%20Letter%20Brief%20Master%20Final%20To%20File%20PDFA.pdf  The administration's expanded brief on the phrase "the regular forces": https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25/25A443/384115/20251110170907870_25a443%20Trump%20v.%20Illinois%20-%20Supp.%20Letter%20Br.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the aftermath of Tuesday's sweeping nationwide Democratic wins, Harry calls in a trio of some of the country's sharpest political thinkers—Emily Bazelon, Dave Weigel, and Rick Wilson—to unpack the meaning of the results. Was the increasingly painful government shutdown a decisive factor? Why are the voters who swung to Trump last year deserting him? And, crucially, how might Democrats keep their momentum going?  Mentioned in this episode:  David's reporting:  https://www.semafor.com/author/david-weigelEmily's reporting:  https://www.nytimes.com/by/emily-bazelon#latestThis week's episode of Slate's Political Gabfest:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spectacular-night-for-democrats/id158004641?i=1000735632723Rick's Substack:  https://therickwilson.substack.com/Rick's Talking San Diego appearance:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFN88EW3Znw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After releasing Harry's conversation with Carol Leonnig and Aaron C. Davis two days early to sync up with the publication of their new book—Injustice: How Politics and Fear Vanquished America's Justice Department—Talking Feds is hosting a special preview of another podcast that's exploring the consequential issues that impact, and define, American culture: The Alabama Murders, a new series by bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History podcast. Entangled in an affair with a parishioner, a Northwest Alabama minister makes a devastating choice. Rather than face the shame of divorce, he arranges for three men to kill his wife. One of the men convicted in her murder, Kenny Smith, spent decades on death row, only for his execution to go horribly wrong. Eventually, the consequences lead to the center of a hot national debate on who should be allowed to live, who should die, and how the state should kill them. On The Alabama Murders, Malcolm asks: why, in our efforts to alleviate suffering, do we so often make it worse? If you want to hear the full story, find Revisionist History wherever you get podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Department of Justice has been at the epicenter of both Trump's efforts to subvert the rule of law and the attempts to hold him accountable during his years out of the White House. Now two of the country's most prominent investigative journalists—Carol Leonnig and Aaron C. Davis—have authored an authoritative account of these tumultuous years at DOJ. Their book is Injustice: How Politics and Fear Vanquished America's Justice Department. Leonnig and Davis join Harry for an in-depth discussion: their first interview about their tour-de-force new volume, which is full of revelations about the existential battles within the Department, built on interviews with more than 250 people who witnessed them first hand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry sits down with David A. Graham, Katie Phang, and Maya Wiley to discuss federal agents' on-the-ground escalations and the courts' efforts to rein them in. They then move to the early warnings that Trump may interfere in next year's midterms before ending with a quick look at some of tomorrow's critical elections. The overlapping question that criss-crosses all 3 topics: how can Americans band together to protect the democracy, and especially to blunt the threat of a far more systematic attempt by Trump than the last time around to interfere in the elections. Mentioned in this episode: Amie Barrodale's Supreme Court satire:  https://www.theparisreview.org/fiction/8383/crystal-palace-amie-barrodaleDavid's piece in the Atlantic:  https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/12/2026-midterms-trump-threat/684615/Maya's MSNBC piece:  https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/trump-election-monitors-california-new-jersey-legal-rcna240313Katie's YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@katiephangnews Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are living through what feels like unprecedentedly dark days, which can cause us to lose sight of context, history, and all the hard moments that the nation has faced before. This week, Harry turns to legendary Congressman Barney Frank for his perspective of the Trump era through a more long-term lens. Rep. Frank, who won landmark achievements on issues from banking reform to civil rights, speaks to Harry about what Democrats need to do now, his forthcoming book, and whether Donald Trump's outrages have any parallel in American history. The two spoke by phone, so this conversation will sound slightly different from most Talking Feds episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A trio of superb economic analysts—Paul Krugman, Stephanie Ruhle, and Justin Wolfers—join Harry to break down how Trump is reshaping the U.S. economy. They weigh in on how long the shutdown can go on without major economic consequences, where tariffs are beginning to bite, and the future shape of the AI spike.  Then, the whole panel joins in a big picture analysis of how Trump's trademark chaotic, self-serving approach—combined with his attacks on institutions, immigration, and the rule of law—risks tearing up the foundations of American prosperity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry speaks with Congressman Eric Swalwell about the surge of popular resistance to Trump shown in the “No Kings” rallies and what it means for the president's attempts to remake the country in his image. They tackle Democrats' progress in the shutdown fight, some hopeful signs from the courts, and Trump's latest efforts to weaponize the DOJ. Plus, Rep. Swalwell pitches Harry on a new, creative legal strategy Democratic AGs could use to hold federal officials and agents to account. And this episode has got a special baseball bonus: after his conversation with Swalwell, Harry calls up baseball reporter Ben Walker for a debrief on Shohei Ohtani's mind-boggling night for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry talks with a great set of Talking Feds stalwarts—Charlie Sykes, Ali Vitali, and Jacob Weisberg—to get a handle on the fast-changing politics of the shutdown, the worthiness of the case against John Bolton, and the new group chat scandal roiling the GOP. Why is Vice President J.D. Vance calling criticism of leaked racist messages by rising Republicans "pearl-clutching"? Is the indictment against John Bolton just another political prosecution? And are top Republicans gearing up to give into Democrats on healthcare to get the government reopened? Mentioned in this episode: Charlie's Substack: https://charliesykes.substack.com/ Ali's interview with Senate Leader John Thune: https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/thune-msnbc-offered-democrats-vote-obamacare-subsidies-rcna237914 Politico's story revealing a Young Republicans groupchat: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/14/private-chat-among-young-gop-club-members-00592146 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christopher Eisgruber, the long-time president of Princeton University, joins Harry to talk about his new book, Terms of Respect. Eisgruber argues that robust free speech is alive and well on college campuses, and that instances of actual defeat of free speech are far more rare than critics charge. The key to navigating internal strife and external pressure—Eisgruber tells Harry—lies not in an abstract appeal to free speech or equality principles but rather in civil norms of respect that seek to further a model of deliberative community. Mentioned in this episode: Eisgruber's book: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/christopher-l-eisgruber/terms-of-respect/9781541607453/ Eisgruber's recent articles in the Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/christopher-l-eisgruber/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Three top-notch journalists—Emily Bazelon, Susan Glasser, and Kristen Holmes—join Harry to analyze the stunning news of a ceasefire in Gaza, the indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Trump's latest attempts to put troops on city streets. Will Trump have the attention span to ensure his deal endures, and why did he lash out at Kristen for asking about it? Are judges finally starting to wake up to the administration's far-fetched declarations of emergencies? And what revelation about the James indictment shocked Harry most? Mentioned in this episode: Emily's reporting: https://www.nytimes.com/by/emily-bazelon  Susan's latest column:  https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/trump-the-self-styled-president-of-peace-abroad-makes-war-at-homeKristen's reporting:  https://www.cnn.com/profiles/kristen-holmes-bioCNN's story about Lindsey Halligan not coordinating the James indictment with DOJ brass:  https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/10/politics/lindsey-halligan-no-coordinate-letitia-james-indictment-doj Judge Karin Immergut's ruling: https://www.portland.gov/federal/documents/10-4-2025-state-city-v-trump-temporary-restraining-order-granted/download Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Supreme Court expert, Strict Scrutiny star, and Obama White House alum Kate Shaw joins Harry to preview the new SCOTUS term. A steady stream of emergency rulings that mostly backed President's Trump power grab has set the tone for a new year at the court. Kate and Harry preview several of the upcoming blockbuster cases, especially those dealing with executive power and gay rights. They then broaden the conversation, discussing whether any precedent is safe from the conservative supermajority; whether legal reasoning really remains the basis of the court's decisions; and most important: whether there is any executive action so heinous that the court won't permit it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry pulls in a trio of political pros—former Senator Barbara Boxer, Jonathan Capehart, and Norm Ornstein—to assess the fight over the shutdown. Who will the public blame? How long will it last? They turn next to the stunning federal raid in Chicago, with agents busting down doors and snipers dropping in from helicopters. Does the action signal not just the abandonment of the 4th Amendment, but the arrival of an American gestapo? Finally, the trio decode Trump's speech to top military leaders, with its ominous call to use U.S. cities as "training grounds" for troops. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry turns to professor of medicine at Stanford, former Obama public policy official, and practicing primary care physician Dr. Kavita Patel to try to understand the Trump administration's feverish transformation of federal health policy. Dr. Patel explains Trump's warnings about tylenol, RFK Jr.'s plans for the CDC, and the costs of politicizing medicine. Dr. Patel offers a raw look at the reality of being a doctor amid these drastic changes, revealing details she's never before shared publicly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of the shocking indictment of James Comey, Harry convenes DOJ veterans Paul Fishman and Mimi Rocah, plus political analyst Jonathan Alter, to discuss the seismic implications for the rule of law. The panel then breaks down the stunning details of the bribery scandal that's quickly enveloping immigration czar Tom Homan. The group ends with a turn toward some hopeful news: the return of Jimmy Kimmel to TV screens and the small respite it signals for freedom of speech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this month's “Molly Harry Mashup,” Harry and Molly Jong-Fast break down the whirlwind of political and legal chaos under the current administration. From Trump's clash with Jimmy Kimmel and his obsession with the Nobel Peace Prize, to the unraveling of DOJ norms and the erosion of the Constitution, to the bizarro Trump vaccine claim, Molly and Harry cut through the noise to explain what's really happening in the political AND legal worlds—and why it matters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A week in which America suddenly came to look like classic autocratic regimes with the removal from TV of late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel, and more enforced exiles to come, for the simple sin of displeasing Trump. A trenchant panel of Bill Kristol and Juliette Kayyem take stock of this nightmarish development, as well as Trump's effort to destroy the independence of the Fed, and the increasingly checkered and controversial on-the-job performance of FBI director Kash Patel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest conversation in the Talking San Diego series, Harry sits down with Harvard historian and New Yorker writer Jill Lepore in front of a live San Diego audience to discuss Lepore's important new book, “We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution.” The book contains revelations about the importance to the Framers of the Amendment process, which Lepore argues has become a dead letter since the failure of the proposed Equal RIghts Amendment.  In its stead various generations of Americans have looked to either political events or, more recently, the U.S. Supreme Court, to announce fundamental changes in our charter document, with significant consequences for the democracy  In her book, as in her conversation with Harry, Lepore challenges the Supreme Court's dominant doctrine of originalism; and she rallies Americans to be able to become more personally involved in repairing fundamental problems with the Constitution. The book was released for purchase Tuesday, September 16. This event was made possible by the generous support of the Prebys Foundation, which made it possible for local high school teachers and students to attend free of charge; by KPBS who have their own deep dive series on the American founding coming out in November in the form of a new Ken Burns series; and by Warwicks, our bookselling partners.  You can read more about Jill's book in the Atlantic and the New York Times.   Talk to you later Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the country reels from the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Harry welcomes a special all-Contrarian panel of George Conway, Norm Eisen, and Jen Rubin to grapple with the attack's aftershocks. Has the country taken a yet darker turn, with political violence now in the mix? Will Trump seek to institute a crackdown on his critics? And has Kash Patel's leadership weakened the FBI's ability to respond effectively and impartially to a rising tide of politically motivated attacks?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry talks to Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat who's got a hand in a wide array of headline-grabbing initiatives on Capitol Hill. Representative Krishnamoorthi fills Harry in on what Trump has planned for Chicago, what Democrats are saying about a possible government shutdown, whether further Epstein disclosures are on the way, and why he thinks it's past time to ban members of Congress from trading stocks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senator Heidi Heitkamp and CNN's Aaron Blake join Harry to break down a week that saw a series of sharp legal setbacks for the Trump administration and the return of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Trump is working Congress to keep Epstein materials from the public eye, but the hydraulic push from victims may prove too much to ignore. Meanwhile Trump is making noises about his next targets for a military incursion despite a serious legal rebuff. And as a dismal new jobs report suggests, the economy may be cracking under the weight of the president's chaotic—and apparently illegal—tariffs. Mentioned in this episode: Aaron's reporting: ⁠ https://www.cnn.com/profiles/aaron-blake Judge Charles Breyer's ruling in the Posse Comitatus case: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.450934/gov.uscourts.cand.450934.176.0_1.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Senator Richard Blumenthal takes Harry through his bombshell report exposing the colossal waste generated by the ironically-named Department of Government Efficiency during its rampage through the federal government. Illegal firings, spoiled food aid, and the installation of Elon Musk's overpaid minions all came with a price—both in billions of dollars and in quality of government. Plus, the two former federal prosecutors talk about Trump's efforts to push unqualified loyalists into top law enforcement posts with or without Senate approval.  Mentioned in this episode:  Senate minority staff report on DOGE:   https://www.washingtonpost.com/documents/b256b202-ff01-48dc-a2d1-80b0e43fa87a.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest host Jonathan Alter convenes Peter Baker, Molly Jong-Fast, and Charlie Sykes to talk through Trump's latest lunge for unchecked power. The quartet dig into the week's flurry of controversial firings and the prospects for a long-promised, now long-overdue peace deal in Ukraine. They then put Trump's mafioso tactics under a microscope, investigating why they've worked so well, and what everyone can do to resist them.Mentioned in this episode:Jonathan's Substack: https://oldgoats.substack.com/Peter's reporting: https://www.nytimes.com/by/peter-baker#latestMolly's podcast: https://fastpoliticspod.com/Charlie's Substack: https://charliesykes.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Veteran journalist Ruth Marcus takes Harry on a tour of Attorney General Pam Bondi's Justice Department. Drawing on months of reporting including candid interviews with top officials, Marcus reveals the department's frightening new view of itself and the costs of Bondi's revolutionary tactics. The pair end with a look at another American institution undergoing seismic change: the Washington Post, which Marcus left this year after a four decade tenure.Mentioned in this episode:Marcus' story about Bondi and the department: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/08/25/pam-bondi-profileMarcus' piece about leaving the Washington Post: https://www.newyorker.com/news/essay/why-ruth-marcus-left-the-washington-postMarcus' piece about her dog: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/my-dog-tank-was-a-precious-creature-that-saw-no-dividing-lines/2020/08/31/4880738e-eb99-11ea-b4bc-3a2098fc73d4_story.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A jam-packed discussion following hot on the dramatic news of the raid of John Bolton's home, the stunning scenes in a militarized D.C., and the latest escalation in the gerrymandering arms race. Talking Feds regulars Jason Kander, Norm Ornstein, and Tara Setmayer join Harry to break down how long Trump can sustain his flagrant campaign of weaponizing law enforcement and politicizing the military—as well as how long the country can endure it. Mentioned in this episode:  Jason's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/majority-54/id1309354521   Norm's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dsrs-words-matter/id1420216970  The Seneca Project: https://www.senecaproject.us/  Jason's brilliant 2016 ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_S5s16Y1OA  Harry's substack about the detention of Texas legislator Nicole Collier: https://substack.com/@harrylitman/p-171582600  Video of Harry's interview with J.B. Pritzker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUyF845Wk7k&  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has a message for Donald Trump: if you want to mess with my state, “you have to come through me.” In this wide-ranging sit-down, Pritzker reveals to Harry why he thinks the gerrymandering fight, ICE arrests, and troops in D.C. are all a blaring signal to Democrats that they need to finally fight the president on his own terms, no-holds-barred. They also discuss Pritzker's very personal reasons for going into public service, Trump's direct attacks on the governor, and a lot more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a totally false picture of crime in D.C. as his pretense, Trump sought to turn the capital into a federal law enforcement enclave over local objections. Michael Podhorzer, Stuart Stevens, & Jacob Weisberg analyze Trump's move and what it means for the rest of the country. The panel then takes up the gerrymandering wars coming to a rolling boil in Texas & California, before ending with an in-depth discussion of whether some Democrats' new combative style is the right tonic for the party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry talks with E. Jean Carroll about her harrowing but ebullient new book—”Not My Type”—which is a tour of her exceptional legal victories over Donald Trump. The pair go inside Carroll's triumphant legal strategy and talk through details from the trials—all brightly illustrated by Carroll's inspired and colorful turns of phrase. The conversation closes with a dive into a shared fascination with boxing and Carroll's urgent advice for what the rest of us can do to take on Trump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was the week when the Department of Justice fully embraced its new status as the corrupt, ruthless agent for Trump's endless retribution agenda. The president's lieutenants in the department launched a legal barrage against Trump foes like Barack Obama, Adam Schiff, and New York AG Letitia James. We chronicle the steep descent with 3 DOJ experts: Kristy Greenberg, Perry Stein, and Glenn Thrush. Rough but essential listening. Plus: a special sidebar on the beleaguered Voting Rights Act. Courtside with Kristy Greenberg: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@CourtsidewithKG/videos⁠ Glenn's reporting: ⁠https://www.nytimes.com/by/glenn-thrush⁠ Perry's reporting: ⁠https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/perry-stein/ ⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry talks with top election law expert Marc Elias about the efforts by Trump and Republicans across the country to stack the deck in their favor for the 2026 midterms. They delve into the effort in Texas to gerrymander five new seats for Republicans. They then turn to the Department of Justice's extraordinary effort to acquire information from state and local officials, and the specific dangers it poses. They close with some thoughts about what all of us can do to fight back. It's always timely to check in with Marc Elias, but particularly now with the first signs of danger for the midterms. Marc's articles at Democracy Docket: https://www.democracydocket.com/author/marc_elias/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was another week dominated by the Epstein scandal, which grew ever more murky.  A stellar only-on-Talking-Feds roundtable of Alisyn Camerota, Josh Marshall, and Asha Rangappa joins Harry to work through both the law and politics of Trump's efforts to disentangle himself.  The panel then moves on to apparent capitulation to Trump's shakedown by a series of universities including Harvard, the former poster child for resistance. We close with a quick look at the Alina Habba mess in New Jersey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry and Molly team up once again to swap burning questions about law and politics. The standout topic: Trump's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Harry gives Molly the lowdown about the Justice Department's bizarre and deeply suspect dealings with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Molly reads Harry the tea leaves on whether masses of young men — and even Fox News mastermind Rupert Murdoch — might be ready to ditch Trump. Lots more besides! Molly's piece in the Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/18/opinion/colbert-late-show-cbs-trump.html Molly's book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/738849/how-to-lose-your-mother-by-molly-jong-fast/ Molly's podcast: https://fastpoliticspod.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was the week when the Epstein scandal showed up in earnest and looked as if it would be staying for a while. Susan Glasser, Adam Klasfeld, and Bill Kristol join Harry to break down what is powering it and assess Trump's various efforts to shake himself free, including dispatching the Deputy AG to Florida to interview Epstein's co-conspirator, Ghislane Maxwell. But the week also brought key advances in Trump's totalitarian agenda, with successful shakedowns of prominent civic institutions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With just 5% of the world's population, the United States holds nearly 25% of its prisoners. In this one-on-one, NYU Law Professor Rachel Barkow joins Harry to discuss her new book Justice Abandoned, which reveals how a series of U.S. Supreme Court decisions helped enable the rise of mass incarceration. From pretrial detention to stop-and-frisk, Barkow explains how the Court's embrace of “law and order” politics quietly gutted constitutional protections—and how today's conservative majority could, ironically, be positioned to help reverse course. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another scandal erupted for Trump this week, but this time it was MAGA up in arms over the Administration's doublespeak & failure to release the promised files involving Jeffrey Epstein. He also notched successes elsewhere, notably when Judiciary Committee Republicans unanimously approved his atrocious nomination of Emil Bove, and Congressional R's eliminated public funding for NPR & CPB. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry speaks with Representative Ro Khanna, who's spending the summer fighting Trump on a range of fronts, from the Big Beautiful Bill to the unauthorized bombing of Iran. Lately Rep. Khanna has flashed a maverick streak to go with his progressive bonafides. Can his "Benefits Over Billionaires" tour bring political punishment to Republicans who backed Medicaid cuts? Why is he standing up for professional gamblers? And how come a CA congressman is so excited about an NYC mayoral race? As always with Rep. Khanna—a several-time guest on Talking Feds—it's a discussion filled with thoughtful and provocative opinions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our latest Contrarian episode, with Norm Eisen, Michael Podhorzer, and Jennifer Rubin — each from the all-star cast of the dynamic new media venture. Republicans felt buyer's remorse as Americans learned the contents of their "Big Beautiful Bill." ICE, soon to be the country's biggest law enforcement agency, kept up its aggressive raids. And the DOJ sprinted toward the cliff's edge in its totalitarian activities. Plus Emil Bove, Justice Jackson, and a lot more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes you just need a break from the relentless pace of legal and political developments and the enormous stakes they present for the future of the country. That's what this 1-on-1 is. Harry speaks with Henry Winkler, Hollywood icon for 50 years and among the most unspoiled, upbeat well-adjusted figures in a famously dyspeptic industry. Henry relates his crazy fun summer – featuring a one-on-one meeting with the Queen (not to mention Bruce Springsteen and Joni Mitchell)--and provides his strategies for staying zen and happy as the world and society seem sometimes to be collapsing around us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's our annual end-of-term Supreme Court special episode, with a roundtable of three of the most eminent Court watchers in the country: Leah Litman, Melissa Murray, and Steven Vladeck. The nationwide injunction case capped off a conservative juggernaut of a term in which the 6 conservative justices expanded Executive power, contracted individual rights, augmented the Court's own power vis-a-vis lower courts, and pretty much had their way in all important cases. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry talks with Karim Sadjadpour, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and one of the country's foremost experts on Iran. Trump's strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities at least damaged their targets and a ceasefire is holding. But will the U.S. strikes force Iran to abandon its drive for a nuclear weapon, or just fuel its desperation? Should the U.S. fear reprisals? And what would it take to bring real, lasting change to Iran? Sadjadpour offers some answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was a week of legal, political, & military battles. Trump bombed Iran but with less definitive results than he had proclaimed, leaving next moves up in the air. A relative unknown stormed to victory in the NYC Dem primary, triggering widespread analysis of what if anything it showed about the state of the party. The Supreme Court ended its term with a series of 6-3 rulings. And Trump DOJ enforcer Emil Bove had a hearing for a judgeship amid widespread accusations of improper conduct at DOJ. Read Josh's post about Mamdani's Win: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/three-and-one-half-thoughts-on-mamdanis-big-big-win Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recorded live at Talking San Diego, Senator Cory Booker charts the personal and political path that led him from the streets of Newark to the well of the Senate—and to the longest speech in congressional history. With urgency and candor, he reflects on what it means to watch democracy erode in real time, and why moral imagination is now a political necessity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The episode starts with a 20-minute discussion with War Powers expert Rich Bernstein about Saturday's bombing of Iran. From there we go to our Friday roundtable of Talking Feds stalwarts–Jason Kander, Norm Ornstein, & Jacob Weisberg. We focus on both the prospective bombing of Iran and the domestic use of force in CA & elsewhere. The court of appeals opinion green-lighting the federalization of the national guard in CA raises the prospect of an expansion to different big cities in blue states. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt joins Harry Litman to discuss his bestselling book "The Anxious Generation" and how the shift to smartphone-based childhood around 2012 triggered a mental health crisis—especially among liberal girls. Haidt explains his moral foundations theory, why Americans can't agree on basic facts anymore, and how social media created a "curse of Babel" that's undermining both democracy and child development. Plus: his four practical norms for rolling back the phone-based childhood and why we may be accidentally training kids for authoritarianism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A wild, turbulent, and ugly week. Trump used protests to his immigration operations in LA to declare a “rebellion” and federalize the national guard. A court decision rejecting the move was itself stayed, leaving the situation tense and tenuous. Sen. Padilla was roughed up and arrested when he tried to ask a question at a press conference. Meanwhile, the Administration brought Abrego-Garcia back only to charge him with crimes, and an effort to have Congress ratify DOGE cuts looked likely to fail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harry sits down with Michael Lewis—author of Moneyball and The Fifth Risk—to discuss Who Is Government?, his new book spotlighting the unsung public servants who quietly hold the country together. They trace the project's roots to Trump's chaotic transition, explore the GOP-led assault on federal expertise, and ask: Can the damage be undone? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was a week in which events looked to be spinning out of control on multiple fronts. The bromance between Elon Musk and Donald Trump hit the rocks and broke to smithereens, with Musk by week's end calling for Trump's impeachment. The Big Beautiful Bill looked likewise to be at rough shoals, w/ several R's threatening to leave the fold. More courts ruled against the gov, especially in alien cases, and the gov reversed ground and brought Abrego Garcia home, only to charge him with federal crimes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A special recording from our Talking San Diego event with Rick Wilson. A longtime Republican strategist turned fierce Trump critic, Rick was among the first to sound the alarm on the threat Trump posed to American democracy. For nearly a decade, he's been relentless in his efforts to expose that threat—most memorably through a sharp, unflinching, and often darkly funny series of political ads that take aim at Trump and his enablers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Elon Musk Era of government came to an abrupt end as the architect of DOGE left the Administration, somewhat the worse for wear and tear. What remains in his wake of DOGE's slash-and-burn agenda is unclear. Sen Barbara Boxer, Mara Liasson, and Stuart Stevens join Harry to assess the Musk experiment. We then move on to Trump's no-holds-barred war against Harvard, and the damage it threatens for the school & American society as a whole. We then turn to the moving target of Trump's TACO tariffs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices