The Chuck ToddCast: Meet the Press

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down why Washington feels paralyzed — and how Trump’s gravitational pull still dictates everything from congressional gridlock to campaign strategy. From Mike Johnson’s dependence on Trump to Democrats’ internal tug-of-war between moderates and progressives, Chuck explores how both parties are struggling to govern in a fractured information ecosystem. He also looks at growing calls among policy thinkers for constitutional reform — from term limits and age caps to rethinking the incentives that drive political behavior. Despite the chaos, Chuck makes the case for cautious optimism: America’s democracy may be clogged, but it’s not beyond repair. Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and looks ahead to the weekend in college football. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:15 When Trump is overseas, the news cycle feels slower & less urgent 03:15 The American government is clogged like a toilet 04:00 Mike Johnson can’t do anything without Trump 05:15 There are not enough empowered moderates in congress 07:00 Republicans haven’t created an ACA alternative for 10 years 08:30 Democrats could pay a price for SNAP benefit cut 10:00 Democrats can extend funding for 3 weeks, and keep their leverage 12:30 The political elite in DC has self segregated in Trump 2.0 13:45 There’s no security for companies holding government contracts 15:00 Grifters have flooded to DC 15:45 Some progressives feel they can take over the Democratic party 16:30 Moderate Dems trying to find a way to grow the coalition 17:15 Large group of policy analysts worried about information ecosystem 18:45 DC gatherings being held to discuss preventing another Trump 21:00 America desperately needs to update the constitution 22:30 We shouldn’t be afraid to ask voters to make big changes 23:15 Strong argument for a 75 year old age limit for office 25:00 Trump is too lazy to pursue the worst course of history 26:45 The case for optimism during a dark political moment 27:30 Reforming the constitution is an 80/20 issue 28:15 Case for reform needs to tied to voters day to day lives 30:30 A bull in the China shop personality cult can’t run a country 31:30 We need to update the blueprint of the democracy 33:15 We desperately need better incentive structures for leaders 35:15 A leader needs to make the case for reform that isn’t about themselves or Trump 37:45 Ask Chuck 38:30 Would Dems impeach with control of both houses of Congress in '27? 43:00 Should we be paying congress more to attract better candidates? 48:00 If possible, would you make the US a parliamentary system? 53:30 Is 60 Minutes devolving into a FOX style program that lobs softballs? 59:30 Violent and dangerous rhetoric not equal on both sides? 1:03:15 World series reactionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down why Washington feels paralyzed — and how Trump’s gravitational pull still dictates everything from congressional gridlock to campaign strategy. From Mike Johnson’s dependence on Trump to Democrats’ internal tug-of-war between moderates and progressives, Chuck explores how both parties are struggling to govern in a fractured information ecosystem. He also looks at growing calls among policy thinkers for constitutional reform — from term limits and age caps to rethinking the incentives that drive political behavior. Despite the chaos, Chuck makes the case for cautious optimism: America’s democracy may be clogged, but it’s not beyond repair. Then, filmmaker Billy Corben joins Chuck Todd to talk about his new documentary Men of War—a wild true story that Corben calls “Florida Man with international implications.” The film follows a group of would-be mercenaries and ex-soldiers who tried to stage a coup in Venezuela, exposing how Miami’s shadowy underworld collides with global politics. Corben and Todd dive into the cocaine-fueled chaos of Miami in the ’80s and ’90s, the psychological toll of endless war, and how one ex-Green Beret accidentally stumbled into Trump’s orbit while plotting regime change. From Marco Rubio’s precarious foreign policy balancing act to the ongoing collapse of the Democratic Party in Florida, Chuck and Billy explore how Latin American politics, disinformation, and corruption all intertwine in the Sunshine State. Plus, they discuss Miami’s misunderstood identity, Trump’s rumored presidential library, and whether the city’s mayoral race signals what’s next for Florida’s political future. Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and looks ahead to the weekend in college football. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:15 When Trump is overseas, the news cycle feels slower & less urgent 03:15 The American government is clogged like a toilet 04:00 Mike Johnson can’t do anything without Trump 05:15 There are not enough empowered moderates in congress 07:00 Republicans haven’t created an ACA alternative for 10 years 08:30 Democrats could pay a price for SNAP benefit cut 10:00 Democrats can extend funding for 3 weeks, and keep their leverage 12:30 The political elite in DC has self segregated in Trump 2.0 13:45 There’s no security for companies holding government contracts 15:00 Grifters have flooded to DC 15:45 Some progressives feel they can take over the Democratic party 16:30 Moderate Dems trying to find a way to grow the coalition 17:15 Large group of policy analysts worried about information ecosystem 18:45 DC gatherings being held to discuss preventing another Trump 21:00 America desperately needs to update the constitution 22:30 We shouldn’t be afraid to ask voters to make big changes 23:15 Strong argument for a 75 year old age limit for office 25:00 Trump is too lazy to pursue the worst course of history 26:45 The case for optimism during a dark political moment 27:30 Reforming the constitution is an 80/20 issue 28:15 Case for reform needs to tied to voters day to day lives 30:30 A bull in the China shop personality cult can’t run a country 31:30 We need to update the blueprint of the democracy 33:15 We desperately need better incentive structures for leaders 35:15 A leader needs to make the case for reform that isn’t about themselves or Trump 40:30 Billy Corben joins the Chuck ToddCast 42:30 Men of War is basically "Bay of Pigs" for Venezuela 43:15 Men of War is perfectly timed for today's news cycle 44:15 Cocaine boom was huge in Miami in the 80's & 90's 45:30 Men of War is "Florida Man w/ international implications" 47:30 The psychological damage of multiple tour deployments 49:30 The main character Jordan is a "post-modern" version of a soldier 53:45 Protagonist accidentally entered Trump's high end orbit 58:00 Jordan needed to put together a trailer to find financiers for his coup 1:00:00 Shady international characters are common in Miami 1:00:45 Reception from the Venezuelan community for the doc? 1:02:45 Everybody in Miami wants to be president of a free Cuba 1:04:00 1950s cars are the only private possessions in Cuba 1:06:30 Chuck's grandfather worked in Cuba, had to display photos of Castro 1:09:00 Miami is misunderstood as a melting pot when it isn't 1:09:45 Miami has self segregated its neighborhoods 1:10:30 60% of Florida Venezuelans voted for Trump, now leaving the state 1:12:00 If ICE targets south Florida, there could be a massive political shift 1:13:15 Marco Rubio = Anakin Skywalker? Preventing the very worst of Trump 1:14:00 Rubio will be the fall guy for any major foreign policy failure 1:15:00 Administration is playing with fire in Venezuela 1:16:30 Congress has no idea what the administration is doing in Venezuela 1:18:00 The failed Venezuelan coup was memory holed because of Covid 1:20:00 Feels like we're redoing Latin American policy of the 80's 1:20:45 How has Jordan Goudreau not gotten a pardon from Trump? 1:23:00 American intervention in Latin America never goes well 1:24:30 End of USAID is creating vacuum in poor countries being filled by China 1:26:00 What does a "free Venezuela" look like in the Trump 2.0 era? 1:27:30 Jordan Goudreau feels betrayed by the American government 1:28:30 Algorithms have ruined social media 1:29:30 Is Miami-Dade red, blue, purple or something else politically? 1:33:00 Trump's future presidential library slated for Miami 1:34:15 Miami is still a firm red county 1:36:30 Nothing is going well in Florida for the Democratic party 1:37:15 Trump is less popular in Florida than he was a year ago 1:38:30 Who wins the mayor's race in Miami? 1:40:15 Mayor's race will head to a December runoff 1:42:30 There's historically been brazen corruption in Miami mayoral races 1:44:00 Trump thinks "asylum" means mental institution 1:46:30 Thoughts on Mario Cristobal 1:49:00 Miami can survive 1 loss and make the playoff, but not 2 1:52:30 Reuben Bain feels like a vintage Miami player 1:58:00 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Billy Corben 1:58:30 Ask Chuck 1:59:15 Would Dems impeach with control of both houses of Congress in '27? 2:03:45 Should we be paying congress more to attract better candidates? 2:08:45 If possible, would you make the US a parliamentary system? 2:14:15 Is 60 Minutes devolving into a FOX style program that lobs softballs? 2:20:15 Violent and dangerous rhetoric not equal on both sides? 2:24:00 World series reaction 2:28:00 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Filmmaker Billy Corben joins Chuck Todd to talk about his new documentary Men of War—a wild true story that Corben calls “Florida Man with international implications.” The film follows a group of would-be mercenaries and ex-soldiers who tried to stage a coup in Venezuela, exposing how Miami’s shadowy underworld collides with global politics. Corben and Todd dive into the cocaine-fueled chaos of Miami in the ’80s and ’90s, the psychological toll of endless war, and how one ex-Green Beret accidentally stumbled into Trump’s orbit while plotting regime change. From Marco Rubio’s precarious foreign policy balancing act to the ongoing collapse of the Democratic Party in Florida, Chuck and Billy explore how Latin American politics, disinformation, and corruption all intertwine in the Sunshine State. Plus, they discuss Miami’s misunderstood identity, Trump’s rumored presidential library, and whether the city’s mayoral race signals what’s next for Florida’s political future. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Billy Corben joins the Chuck ToddCast 02:00 Men of War is basically “Bay of Pigs” for Venezuela 02:45 Men of War is perfectly timed for today’s news cycle 03:45 Cocaine boom was huge in Miami in the 80’s & 90’s 05:00 Men of War is “Florida Man w/ international implications” 07:00 The psychological damage of multiple tour deployments 09:00 The main character Jordan is a “post-modern” version of a soldier 13:15 Protagonist accidentally entered Trump’s high end orbit 17:30 Jordan needed to put together a trailer to find financiers for his coup 19:30 Shady international characters are common to find in Miami 20:15 Reception from the Venezuelan community for the doc? 22:15 Everybody in Miami wants to be president of a free Cuba 23:30 1950s cars are the only private possessions in Cuba 26:00 Chuck’s grandfather worked in Cuba, had to display photos of Castro 28:30 Miami is misunderstood as a melting pot when it isn’t 29:15 Miami has self segregated its neighborhoods 30:00 60% of Florida Venezuelans voted for Trump, now leaving the state 31:30 If ICE targets south Florida, there could be a massive political shift 32:45 Marco Rubio = Anakin Skywalker? Preventing the very worst of Trump 33:30 Rubio will be the fall guy for any major foreign policy failure 34:30 Administration is playing with fire in Venezuela 36:00 Congress has no idea what the administration is doing in Venezuela 37:30 The failed Venezuelan coup was memory holed because of Covid 39:30 Feels like we’re redoing Latin American policy of the 80’s 40:15 How has Jordan Goudreau not gotten a pardon from Trump? 42:30 American intervention in Latin America never goes well 44:00 End of USAID is creating vacuum in poor countries being filled by China 45:30 What does a “free Venezuela” look like in the Trump 2.0 era? 47:00 Jordan Goudreau feels betrayed by the American government 48:00 Algorithms have ruined social media 49:00 Is Miami-Dade red, blue, purple or something else politically? 52:30 Trump’s future presidential library slated for Miami 53:45 Miami is still a firm red county 56:00 Nothing is going well in Florida for the Democratic party 56:45 Trump is less popular in Florida than he was a year ago 58:00 Who wins the mayor’s race in Miami? 59:45 Mayor’s race will head to a December runoff 1:02:00 There’s historically been brazen corruption in Miami mayoral races 1:03:30 Trump thinks “asylum” means mental institution 1:06:00 Thoughts on Mario Cristobal 1:08:30 Miami can survive 1 loss and make the playoff, but not 2 1:12:00 Reuben Bain feels like a vintage Miami playerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd breaks down why this year’s elections may be local—but their impact will be national. From Virginia’s bellwether governor’s race to key contests in New Jersey and New York City, these results will offer a preview of the political mood heading into the 2026 midterms. Chuck dives into Abigail Spanberger’s cautious campaign strategy, Winsome Earle-Sears’ grievance-fueled messaging, and why Virginia voters rarely reward extremes. Plus, a look at how third-party candidates could shake up the New Jersey race and why Zohran Mamdani’s performance in NYC will signal the direction of the progressive movement. Finally, Chuck reveals his ToddCast Top 5 list of American political scions running in upcoming election and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:00 Chuck will be LIVE on Youtube & X on election night! 05:30 The 2025 elections are local, but will have national impact 06:15 Virginia is a fairly good bellwether state for national politics 07:00 Virginia is purple but is not MAGA 07:30 Party controlling White House almost always loses VA governor race 08:45 Spanberger has run a very cautious campaign 09:45 Winsome Earle-Sears has been throwing things at the wall 10:45 Virginia voters don't reward grievance politics 12:15 Virginia hasn't split ticket amongst big three races since 2005 14:15 Spanberger has kept Jay Jones at arms length 17:00 Virginia will give us preview of which way field is tilting for midterms 17:30 2018 class of Democrats has produced some high profile candidates 18:45 Mikie Sherill has run a more contested race than Spanberger 19:45 Ciaterreli outperformed polls in 2021, could happen again 21:45 Third party candidates could swing the NJ governor race 22:00 Mamdani will win in NYC, it's a matter of whether he clears 50% 24:00 Mamdani needs a big margin in order to have a mandate 25:15 What the results will tell us about the 2026 midterm landscape 29:00 ToddCast Top 5 - Top 5 American Political Scions 30:45 It's been a bad run lately for run for political scions 31:30 #1 Maine governor race features 3 political scions 33:30 #2 Georgia governor race features 2 political scions 34:45 #3 Beau Bayh 36:00 #4 Jack Schlossberg 37:45 #5 Chip Keating 38:45 Honorable mention - Andrew White 39:45 Ask Chuck 40:00 What if we had public debates where only verified facts are allowed? 43:30 Would state level Democratic parties create a separate platform from DNC 47:00 How do you define "short term" and "long term" when describing politics? 50:30 Will markets dip in Trump's second year like it does historically? 56:15 Who are three modern political thinkers best suited to express our ideals?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd breaks down why this year’s elections may be local—but their impact will be national. From Virginia’s bellwether governor’s race to key contests in New Jersey and New York City, these results will offer a preview of the political mood heading into the 2026 midterms. Chuck dives into Abigail Spanberger’s cautious campaign strategy, Winsome Earle-Sears’ grievance-fueled messaging, and why Virginia voters rarely reward extremes. Plus, a look at how third-party candidates could shake up the New Jersey race and why Zohran Mamdani’s performance in NYC will signal the direction of the progressive movement. Veteran Nevada journalist and author of the upcoming book “The Game Changer”, Jon Ralston joins to break down how the Silver State became America’s ultimate political bellwether — and what that means heading into 2026. They explore how the state’s service-based economy, booming Hispanic population, and explosion of non-affiliated voters have reshaped Nevada politics, plus how “No Tax on Tips” gave Trump an unexpected foothold. Ralston explains why Vegas’ tourism slump could upend the next governor’s race and how corporatization has changed the city’s character. They also dig into the state of local journalism — from the challenges of nonprofit reporting to competing against hedge fund-owned outlets — and reflect on the late Harry Reid’s political legacy. From power-hungry governors to the fight for Nevada’s “first-in-the-nation” status, this episode reveals why what happens in Vegas won’t be staying there in 2026. Finally, Chuck reveals his ToddCast Top 5 list of American political scions running in upcoming election and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:45 Chuck will be LIVE on Youtube & X on election night! 06:15 The 2025 elections are local, but will have national impact 07:00 Virginia is a fairly good bellwether state for national politics 07:45 Virginia is purple but is not MAGA 08:15 Party controlling White House almost always loses VA governor race 09:30 Spanberger has run a very cautious campaign 10:30 Winsome Earle-Sears has been throwing things at the wall 11:30 Virginia voters don’t reward grievance politics 13:00 Virginia hasn’t split ticket amongst big three races since 2005 15:00 Spanberger has kept Jay Jones at arms length 17:45 Virginia will give us preview of which way field is tilting for midterms 18:15 2018 class of Democrats has produced some high profile candidates 19:30 Mikie Sherill has run a more contested race than Spanberger 20:30 Ciaterreli outperformed polls in 2021, could happen again 22:30 Third party candidates could swing the NJ governor race 22:45 Mamdani will win in NYC, it’s a matter of whether he clears 50% 24:45 Mamdani needs a big margin in order to have a mandate 26:00 What the results will tell us about the 2026 midterm landscape 30:15 Jon Ralston joins the Chuck ToddCast 32:15 Adapting to the breakneck speed of the news cycle 34:15 Nevada has become the preeminent swing state in America 37:00 The service industry & growing hispanic population define Vegas 37:45 Nevada is a bellwether for the Democratic party 39:30 Nevada continuing to lobby for first in the nation status 41:00 Las Vegas natives are a rarity, Vegas is a destination 42:45 Trump was able to connect with NV voters via "No Tax on Tips" 43:45 NV voters felt Democratic party took them for granted 44:45 Nevada's governor has a lot of power 47:15 There's been an explosion of non affiliated voters in Nevada 48:45 Is either major party making a strong case to non affiliated voters? 50:15 How competitive will the Nevada governor's race be? 52:45 Does Joe Lombardo have ambition outside the state of Nevada? 53:45 Lombardo's strategy could look similar to Glenn Youngkin's 55:45 What's behind the drop in tourism to Vegas? 56:45 Canada, immigration policy and lack of value proposition hurting Vegas 57:45 Corporatization of casinos & high prices have driven away tourists 58:45 Tourism drop could greatly impact the governor's race 59:15 Any progress on diversifying the Nevada economy? 1:00:30 Making Vegas "Hollywood East" comes with huge challenges 1:02:00 Would energy be the best way to diversify the Vegas economy? 1:02:45 Warren Buffet has monopoly on NV utilities, preventing new investment 1:03:45 Nonprofit vs for profit journalism 1:05:15 Dealing with big moneyed interests as a nonprofit journalists 1:07:15 Local journalism in Nevada has mostly been hollowed out 1:08:00 Dealing with "donor fatigue" as a nonprofit journalist 1:09:30 Journalism skills translate well to uncomfortable fundraising asks 1:11:15 Challenges in the advertising space for journalism 1:13:15 Why have advertising dollars been harder to get for news orgs? 1:15:45 Hedge funds acquired newspapers for their real estate 1:17:45 Journalism has to be done in-person and in the field 1:18:30 What would Harry Reid's advice be for the Dem party of today? 1:20:00 Reid died early on into the process of Jon writing "The Game Changer" 1:21:00 Reid wouldn't be happy with what Chuck Schumer is doing 1:23:15 Reid and McConnell collectively delegitimized the judicial branch 1:25:15 How would Reid have handled confrontation with Trump? 1:29:30 How are you feeling about your Buffalo Bills? 1:35:00 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Jon Ralston 1:35:30 ToddCast Top 5 - Top 5 American Political Scions 1:37:15 It's been a bad run lately for run for political scions 1:38:00 #1 Maine governor race features 3 political scions 1:40:00 #2 Georgia governor race features 2 political scions 1:41:15 #3 Beau Bayh 1:42:30 #4 Jack Schlossberg 1:44:15 #5 Chip Keating 1:45:15 Honorable mention - Andrew White 1:46:15 Ask Chuck 1:46:30 What if we had public debates where only verified facts are allowed? 1:50:00 Would state level Democratic parties create a separate platform from DNC 1:53:30 How do you define "short term" and "long term" when describing politics? 1:57:00 Will markets dip in Trump's second year like it does historically? 2:02:45 Who are three modern political thinkers best suited to express our ideals? 2:06:30 How can Trump try to disrupt the election and how effective will he be? 2:10:00 Is it more likely that Kirk's shooter was part of Trump's community?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Veteran Nevada journalist and author of the upcoming book “The Game Changer”, Jon Ralston joins Chuck Todd to break down how the Silver State became America’s ultimate political bellwether — and what that means heading into 2026. They explore how the state’s service-based economy, booming Hispanic population, and explosion of non-affiliated voters have reshaped Nevada politics, plus how “No Tax on Tips” gave Trump an unexpected foothold. Ralston explains why Vegas’ tourism slump could upend the next governor’s race and how corporatization has changed the city’s character. They also dig into the state of local journalism — from the challenges of nonprofit reporting to competing against hedge fund-owned outlets — and reflect on the late Harry Reid’s political legacy. From power-hungry governors to the fight for Nevada’s “first-in-the-nation” status, this episode reveals why what happens in Vegas won’t be staying there in 2026. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: 00:00 Jon Ralston joins the Chuck ToddCast 02:00 Adapting to the breakneck speed of the news cycle 04:00 Nevada has become the preeminent swing state in America 06:45 The service industry & growing hispanic population define Vegas 07:30 Nevada is a bellwether for the Democratic party 09:15 Nevada continuing to lobby for first in the nation status 10:45 Las Vegas natives are a rarity, Vegas is a destination 12:30 Trump was able to connect with NV voters via “No Tax on Tips” 13:30 NV voters felt Democratic party took them for granted 14:30 Nevada’s governor has a lot of power 17:00 There’s been an explosion of non affiliated voters in Nevada 18:30 Is either major party making a strong case to non affiliated voters? 20:00 How competitive will the Nevada governor’s race be? 22:30 Does Joe Lombardo have ambition outside the state of Nevada? 23:30 Lombardo’s strategy could look similar to Glenn Youngkin’s 25:30 What’s behind the drop in tourism to Vegas? 26:30 Canada, immigration policy and lack of value proposition hurting Vegas 27:30 Corporatization of casinos & high prices have driven away tourists 28:30 Tourism drop could greatly impact the governor’s race 29:00 Any progress on diversifying the Nevada economy? 30:15 Making Vegas “Hollywood East” comes with huge challenges 31:45 Would energy be the best way to diversify the Vegas economy? 32:30 Warren Buffet has monopoly on NV utilities, preventing new investment 33:30 Nonprofit vs for profit journalism 35:00 Dealing with big moneyed interests as a nonprofit journalists 37:00 Local journalism in Nevada has mostly been hollowed out 37:45 Dealing with “donor fatigue” as a nonprofit journalist 39:15 Journalism skills translate well to uncomfortable fundraising asks 41:00 Challenges in the advertising space for journalism 43:00 Why have advertising dollars been harder to get for news orgs? 45:30 Hedge funds acquired newspapers for their real estate 47:30 Journalism has to be done in-person and in the field 48:15 What would Harry Reid’s advice be for the Dem party of today? 49:45 Reid died early on into the process of Jon writing “The Game Changer” 50:45 Reid wouldn’t be happy with what Chuck Schumer is doing 53:00 Reid and McConnell collectively delegitimized the judicial branch 55:00 How would Reid have handled confrontation with Trump? 59:15 How are you feeling about your Buffalo Bills?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd breaks down the ongoing government shutdown and the deep dysfunction gripping Washington. With the shutdown dragging into late October, Trump is reportedly tapping private donors to pay the military, while Speaker Mike Johnson keeps the House out of session — a move Chuck calls a major political blunder. As Trump consolidates control over both the presidency and Congress, Republicans appear more focused on shielding him than exercising oversight. Meanwhile, the Oversight Committee under James Comer has devolved into partisan theater, investigating the Bidens while ignoring blatant corruption in Trump’s orbit. Chuck argues that without real congressional checks, America risks drifting toward the kind of pre-revolutionary rot the Founders warned about — where power, privilege, and impunity rule unchecked. Finally, he hops in the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the publication of the Federalist Papers and why their lessons are extremely pertinent in the Trump era, answers questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and gives his college football recap. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:00 The government shutdown continues into the end of October 02:45 Trump tapping private donor to pay the military 03:45 Democrats have earned the leverage to reopen the government 04:15 Mike Johnson making a huge mistake by keeping House out of session 06:00 Voters want Congress to serve as a check on an unpopular president 07:45 House Republicans look like they're out to lunch & on vacation 08:45 Trump says he's both the speaker and the president 11:30 Sen. Lankford admits R's would be furious if Biden was doing what Trump is 12:30 Everything now is viewed or ignored through a partisan lens 14:45 Without congressional oversight, we lose our founding framework 15:30 Qatari jet gift was the type of bribe our founders warned about 16:30 Republicans in charge of oversight ignoring plane bribe 17:30 Trump using coin scheme to build international bribery racket, R's ignore it 19:00 The oversight committee under Comer has become a partisan weapon 19:45 Trump is ordering the DOJ to compensate his own business 21:15 Trump is using his power to direct money to his companies 22:00 The double standard from Republicans is insulting to the American people 24:45 Trump's orbit is giving pre-revolutionary France vibes 25:30 Oversight is still investigating the Biden family 26:15 Democrats aren't on moral high ground after Biden's family pardons 27:15 If the Bidens were doing anything Trump was doing, R's would impeach 28:00 Oversight has become partisan entertainment 28:45 Democrats weren't interested in Epstein until it entangled Trump 29:30 Trump's desperation to hold the house is to avoid oversight 30:15 Trump could stonewall oversight, but private companies can't 31:00 Private companies can't go to law enforcement when extorted 31:45 Mike Johnson is the weakest speaker in the modern era 34:00 ToddCast Time Machine 34:45 This week, in 1787 was the initial publication of the Federalist Papers 35:30 The papers were America's first political blog 36:30 Hamilton began by debating whether reason or rage would win out 37:45 Federalist #51 argued ambition must be made to counteract ambition 39:00 America's biggest problem now is an extraordinarily weak congress 39:45 Hamilton warned of political parties & can't limit it to one or two 40:45 Federalist #70 warned against an overly powerful executive 41:45 Federalist #65 worried that impeachment would become a partisan exercise 43:45 Federalist #78 argued that judges should never be elected 45:00 Madison argued in favor of slow deliberation 46:30 Founders warned that too few representatives breeds corruption 48:00 Hamilton argued that rights are only guaranteed by people enforcing them 50:00 Ask Chuck 50:15 Should Democrats flip the script and use "America First" messaging? 52:45 Should Democrats reign in ActBlue for advertising? 56:45 Why are there no consequences for cabinet members lying to congress? 58:45 Will Trump governing only for supporters backfire in the midterms? 1:02:15 College football updateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd breaks down the ongoing government shutdown and the deep dysfunction gripping Washington. With the shutdown dragging into late October, Trump is reportedly tapping private donors to pay the military, while Speaker Mike Johnson keeps the House out of session — a move Chuck calls a major political blunder. As Trump consolidates control over both the presidency and Congress, Republicans appear more focused on shielding him than exercising oversight. Meanwhile, the Oversight Committee under James Comer has devolved into partisan theater, investigating the Bidens while ignoring blatant corruption in Trump’s orbit. Chuck argues that without real congressional checks, America risks drifting toward the kind of pre-revolutionary rot the Founders warned about — where power, privilege, and impunity rule unchecked. Then, filmmaker Raoul Peck joins Chuck to discuss his powerful new documentary Orwell: 2+2=5 — an exploration of truth, propaganda, and power in the age of Trump. Peck, whose work often examines systems of control and colonialism, draws from Orwell’s life and letters to reveal how 1984 was never just a warning about the future — it was a reflection of the present. He and Chuck unpack how doublespeak, “alternative facts,” and the rewriting of history have crept into modern democracies, from the U.S. to Russia, and what Orwell’s insights reveal about the fragility of truth today. Peck also reflects on his own Haitian roots and how the legacy of colonialism still shapes global politics, from America’s interference in Haiti to its uneasy role as an arbiter of democracy abroad. The conversation turns to the media’s complicity in enabling authoritarian narratives, the dangers of AI-driven misinformation, and why reclaiming truth — and teaching future generations to defend it — may be the defining struggle of our time. Finally, he hops in the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the publication of the Federalist Papers and why their lessons are extremely pertinent in the Trump era, answers questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and gives his college football recap. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 06:00 The government shutdown continues into the end of October 06:45 Trump tapping private donor to pay the military 07:45 Democrats have earned the leverage to reopen the government 08:15 Mike Johnson making a huge mistake by keeping House out of session 10:00 Voters want Congress to serve as a check on an unpopular president 11:45 House Republicans look like they’re out to lunch & on vacation 12:45 Trump says he’s both the speaker and the president 15:30 Sen. Lankford admits R’s would be furious if Biden was doing what Trump is 16:30 Everything now is viewed or ignored through a partisan lens 18:45 Without congressional oversight, we lose our founding framework 19:30 Qatari jet gift was the type of bribe our founders warned about 20:30 Republicans in charge of oversight ignoring plane bribe 21:30 Trump using coin scheme to build international bribery racket, R’s ignore it 23:00 The oversight committee under Comer has become a partisan weapon 23:45 Trump is ordering the DOJ to compensate his own business 25:15 Trump is using his power to direct money to his companies 26:00 The double standard from Republicans is insulting to the American people 28:45 Trump’s orbit is giving pre-revolutionary France vibes 29:30 Oversight is still investigating the Biden family 30:15 Democrats aren’t on moral high ground after Biden’s family pardons 31:15 If the Bidens were doing anything Trump was doing, R’s would impeach 32:00 Oversight has become partisan entertainment 32:45 Democrats weren’t interested in Epstein until it entangled Trump 33:30 Trump’s desperation to hold the house is to avoid oversight 34:15 Trump could stonewall oversight, but private companies can’t 35:00 Private companies can’t go to law enforcement when extorted 35:45 Mike Johnson is the weakest speaker in the modern era 37:45 Raoul Peck joins the Chuck ToddCast 39:15 How did you end up directing Orwell 2+2=5? 41:15 Coming from Haiti, you have a real understanding of abuse of power 42:45 Working with legendary documentarian Alex Gibney on the project 44:15 Would the film have been released if Kamala Harris had one? 45:45 Americans are becoming familiar with "doublespeak" under Trump 46:45 The contradiction of leading democracies being colonial 47:30 Orwell grew up in India, saw colonialism firsthand 48:45 Orwell joined Imperial Police Force in Burma 50:00 Orwell's letters revealed his inspiration and thought process 51:00 Orwell struggled to finish 1984 while very sick 52:00 Using historical media to create the documentary, no re-enactments 54:30 Why not tell this story in a movie? Does 1984 need to be re-made? 55:45 1984 was only a portion of the story 56:45 Orwell was writing about the present and warning about the future 58:30 US story starting with lies about the Iraq War using propaganda 1:00:00 Americans think authoritarianism only comes from "the other side" 1:00:45 Language sets the stage for the erosion of democracy 1:01:30 Authoritarians seek to remake and revise history 1:02:30 Russian citizens have basically given up on truth, don't believe anything 1:03:15 Trump's use of "alternative facts" is incredibly Orwellian 1:04:15 Trump accuses any negative coverage of being "fake news" 1:05:00 U.S. government purging certain words from their websites 1:07:00 Authoritarian takeovers can move very quickly 1:07:45 Journalism and discourse are controlled by a few tech companies 1:08:30 Trouble distributing the documentary in the current political climate? 1:10:00 Documentary breaking records…. But what does that say? 1:11:30 Too many people are tuning out during Trump's second term 1:12:00 People take democracy and their freedoms for granted 1:13:15 Mike Pence saved democracy… temporarily 1:14:15 AI generated videos will make people questions everything 1:15:15 Most of the press is captive to a few billionaires 1:16:15 The technology isn't the problem, lack of regulation is 1:17:45 Humans will want interpersonal contact in AI era 1:19:45 There is no such thing as neutrality in politics 1:21:15 Beating authoritarianism will take a generation in America 1:23:00 Why have Haiti and the Dominican Republic gone so differently? 1:24:45 The slave rebellion caused the U.S. to treat Haiti as a pariah 1:26:15 Haiti suffered from "cannon diplomacy" from colonial powers 1:27:00 The U.S. meddling in Haiti has always caused problems 1:29:15 U.S. has always asserted control in the western hemisphere 1:30:45 Next project is doc about assasination of Haiti's president 1:31:45 Using AI as a tool in creating films? 1:33:45 Government has performed almost no oversight of AI 1:36:00 ToddCast Time Machine 1:36:45 This week, in 1787 was the initial publication of the Federalist Papers 1:37:30 The papers were America's first political blog 1:38:30 Hamilton began by debating whether reason or rage would win out 1:39:45 Federalist #51 argued ambition must be made to counteract ambition 1:41:00 America's biggest problem now is an extraordinarily weak congress 1:41:45 Hamilton warned of political parties & can't limit it to one or two 1:42:45 Federalist #70 warned against an overly powerful executive 1:43:45 Federalist #65 worried that impeachment would become a partisan exercise 1:45:45 Federalist #78 argued that judges should never be elected 1:47:00 Madison argued in favor of slow deliberation 1:48:30 Founders warned that too few representatives breeds corruption 1:50:00 Hamilton argued that rights are only guaranteed by people enforcing them 1:52:00 Ask Chuck 1:52:15 Should Democrats flip the script and use "America First" messaging? 1:54:45 Should Democrats reign in ActBlue for advertising? 1:58:45 Why are there no consequences for cabinet members lying to congress? 2:00:45 Will Trump governing only for supporters backfire in the midterms? 2:04:15 College football updateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, filmmaker Raoul Peck joins Chuck to discuss his powerful new documentary Orwell: 2+2=5 — an exploration of truth, propaganda, and power in the age of Trump. Peck, whose work often examines systems of control and colonialism, draws from Orwell’s life and letters to reveal how 1984 was never just a warning about the future — it was a reflection of the present. He and Chuck unpack how doublespeak, “alternative facts,” and the rewriting of history have crept into modern democracies, from the U.S. to Russia, and what Orwell’s insights reveal about the fragility of truth today. Peck also reflects on his own Haitian roots and how the legacy of colonialism still shapes global politics, from America’s interference in Haiti to its uneasy role as an arbiter of democracy abroad. The conversation turns to the media’s complicity in enabling authoritarian narratives, the dangers of AI-driven misinformation, and why reclaiming truth — and teaching future generations to defend it — may be the defining struggle of our time. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Raoul Peck joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:30 How did you end up directing Orwell 2+2=5? 03:30 Coming from Haiti, you have a real understanding of abuse of power 05:00 Working with legendary documentarian Alex Gibney on the project 06:30 Would the film have been released if Kamala Harris had one? 08:00 Americans are becoming familiar with “doublespeak” under Trump 09:00 The contradiction of leading democracies being colonial 09:45 Orwell grew up in India, saw colonialism firsthand 11:00 Orwell joined Imperial Police Force in Burma 12:15 Orwell’s letters revealed his inspiration and thought process 13:15 Orwell struggled to finish 1984 while very sick 14:15 Using historical media to create the documentary, no re-enactments 16:45 Why not tell this story in a movie? Does 1984 need to be re-made? 18:00 1984 was only a portion of the story 19:00 Orwell was writing about the present and warning about the future 20:45 US story starting with lies about the Iraq War using propaganda 22:15 Americans think authoritarianism only comes from “the other side” 23:00 Language sets the stage for the erosion of democracy 23:45 Authoritarians seek to remake and revise history 24:45 Russian citizens have basically given up on truth, don’t believe anything 25:30 Trump’s use of “alternative facts” is incredibly Orwellian 26:30 Trump accuses any negative coverage of being “fake news” 27:15 U.S. government purging certain words from their websites 29:15 Authoritarian takeovers can move very quickly 30:00 Journalism and discourse are controlled by a few tech companies 30:45 Trouble distributing the documentary in the current political climate? 32:15 Documentary breaking records…. But what does that say? 33:45 Too many people are tuning out during Trump’s second term 34:15 People take democracy and their freedoms for granted 35:30 Mike Pence saved democracy… temporarily 36:30 AI generated videos will make people questions everything 37:30 Most of the press is captive to a few billionaires 38:30 The technology isn’t the problem, lack of regulation is 40:00 Humans will want interpersonal contact in AI era 42:00 There is no such thing as neutrality in politics 43:30 Beating authoritarianism will take a generation in America 45:15 Why have Haiti and the Dominican Republic gone so differently? 47:00 The slave rebellion caused the U.S. to treat Haiti as a pariah 48:30 Haiti suffered from “cannon diplomacy” from colonial powers 49:15 The U.S. meddling in Haiti has always caused problems 51:30 U.S. has always asserted control in the western hemisphere 53:00 Next project is doc about assasination of Haiti’s president 54:00 Using AI as a tool in creating films? 56:00 Government has performed almost no oversight of AISee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck dives into the chaotic new reality of Trump’s second term — one defined by self-interest, spectacle, and staggering corruption. As the president literally tears down the East Wing of the White House to build a grander event space, Chuck explores how the optics reflect a leader consumed by vanity rather than governance. From meme coin millions and Gulf state real estate deals to the blatant abuse of the pardon power, the episode unpacks how Trump has turned the presidency into a personal profit machine. With billions made, laws bent, and supporters still loyal, the question looms: is there any line Trump can cross that will finally cost him his base? Finally, he answers listener’s questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, and gives his weekend college football preview. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 01:00 Trump is tearing down the entire east wing of the White House 01:45 Optics of the White House demolition are extremely jarring 03:00 Trump more consumed with himself and his image than voters 04:45 Over time, Trump always manages to wear out his welcome 06:00 Trump is not putting America first 07:15 Trump shaking down his own DOJ for over $200 million 09:00 WH needed a bigger event space, but not without permission 10:00 Trump has entered "Let them eat cake" territory 11:30 Trump family has made billions on meme coin 13:00 Meme coin purchases could be straight up bribery 14:30 Trump has made millions from settlements 15:45 Trump family has made multiple real estate deals with gulf states 17:00 Trump's personal fortune is now between 5-6 billion dollars 17:30 Trump's abuse of the pardon power has undone the rule of law 18:30 Pardoned J6'ers have gone on to commit crimes 20:00 Trump has pardoned scores of Republican politicians 21:45 Claiming "political persecution" earns you a pardon from Trump 23:15 Trump has traded America foreign policy for personal gain 25:15 Trump is testing the premise he can do anything and not lose support 29:00 Ask Chuck 30:00 Why aren't we mandating watermarks on every piece of AI content? 34:00 Where was the No Kings energy on election day? 38:45 How can you have meaningful debate when you can't agree on facts? 45:30 Why have Hegseth, Bondi and RFK Jr. been able to cement their roles? 49:15 Why not do a "Where Chuck was right/wrong" segment similar to Cowherd? 53:30 How can Democrats uphold core values without sounding preachy? 58:00 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck dives into the chaotic new reality of Trump’s second term — one defined by self-interest, spectacle, and staggering corruption. As the president literally tears down the East Wing of the White House to build a grander event space, Chuck explores how the optics reflect a leader consumed by vanity rather than governance. From meme coin millions and Gulf state real estate deals to the blatant abuse of the pardon power, the episode unpacks how Trump has turned the presidency into a personal profit machine. With billions made, laws bent, and supporters still loyal, the question looms: is there any line Trump can cross that will finally cost him his base? Then, sports journalist and professor J.A. Adande joins Chuck Todd for a wide-ranging conversation on how money, media, and power are reshaping the world of sports. From the Big Ten’s potential $2 billion private equity deal to the rise of The Athletic and the collapse of local sports coverage, Adande explains how financial literacy has become essential for sports reporters — and why sports journalism remains one of the few thriving corners of the media industry. They dig into how gambling, influencer culture, and social media are transforming how fans consume sports — and how shows like Around the Horn and PTI paved the way for today’s single-voice, personality-driven debate model. Adande also reflects on the increased diversity in sports media, the tension between advocacy and escapism, and why issues like Latino discrimination and trans inclusion in sports are becoming defining cultural flashpoints. He also explains why the sports world has gotten out of the social justice advocacy business… and likely won’t be coming back. It’s a candid look at how sports coverage mirrors — and sometimes predicts — the shifts happening across American journalism. Finally, he answers listener’s questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, and gives his weekend college football preview. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 03:30 Trump is tearing down the entire east wing of the White House 04:15 Optics of the White House demolition are extremely jarring 05:30 Trump more consumed with himself and his image than voters 07:15 Over time, Trump always manages to wear out his welcome 08:30 Trump is not putting America first 09:45 Trump shaking down his own DOJ for over $200 million 11:30 WH needed a bigger event space, but not without permission 12:30 Trump has entered “Let them eat cake” territory 14:00 Trump family has made billions on meme coin 15:30 Meme coin purchases could be straight up bribery 17:00 Trump has made millions from settlements 18:15 Trump family has made multiple real estate deals with gulf states 19:30 Trump’s personal fortune is now between 5-6 billion dollars 20:00 Trump’s abuse of the pardon power has undone the rule of law 21:00 Pardoned J6’ers have gone on to commit crimes 22:30 Trump has pardoned scores of Republican politicians 24:15 Claiming “political persecution” earns you a pardon from Trump 25:45 Trump has traded America foreign policy for personal gain 27:45 Trump is testing the premise he can do anything and not lose support 31:30 J.A. Adande joins the Chuck ToddCast 32:30 Big Ten seeking $2 billion dollar private equity infusion 33:45 Money would keep current Big Ten setup for 2 decades 35:00 Knowledge of finance & business is a must for sports reporters 37:30 Sports journalism is one of the only growth areas in journalism 40:00 Why ESPN was a better option for J.A. than Sports Illustrated 40:45 The Athletic is the final destination for sportswriting 42:00 The role of sports journalism in rebuilding local news/media 43:30 The Athletic is evolving into a national sports outlet 45:00 Local sports reporting doesn't scale 46:00 Where do sports fans go to now for localized coverage? 47:00 It's more efficient for teams to leak stories to one national reporter 48:00 There is plenty of localized sports discussion, but not breaking news 50:00 There's no FOIA in sports coverage, reporters aren't entitled to access 51:30 Teams can shut out journalists and still get word out to the public 53:30 The impact of the pandemic on journalism and in-person access 54:30 Sports is one of the last places where people are debating the facts 55:30 Sports talk has become formulaic and like pro wrestling 56:45 The template for PTI was Siskel & Ebert 58:30 Around the Horn premised on winning a subjective argument 1:00:30 There's a huge audience for fake, manufactured competition 1:01:30 Sports talk moving to the singular influencer model 1:02:15 Cutting production costs is reason for centering shows on one talent 1:03:30 News will likely move to the sports talk, licensing model 1:05:15 Streamers haven't moved to pick up sports debate shows 1:06:00 Podcasts are a more intimate experience for the audience 1:07:45 The impact of the infusion of sports gambling into sports journalism 1:08:45 Journalists have to be more precise with gambling coverage 1:10:30 Newspapers would discourage gambling & still publish lines 1:12:30 Sports gambling journalism is a form of service journalism 1:13:45 Far more gender diversity now in sports journalism schools 1:15:45 There's never been a better time to be a woman in sports media 1:18:15 There's been a retreat from social commentary in sports media 1:19:45 Trans women in sports debate is dividing women 1:21:00 Baseball should be leading the fight against latino discrimination 1:23:00 Latino integration or expulsion will be a defining fight of our time 1:26:30 Sports will not be at the forefront of fighting for social justice 1:28:45 Sports as a source for escape vs a source of advocacy 1:30:30 Chuck's thoughts on interview with J.A. Adande 1:31:15 Ask Chuck 1:32:15 Why aren't we mandating watermarks on every piece of AI content? 1:36:15 Where was the No Kings energy on election day? 1:41:00 How can you have meaningful debate when you can't agree on facts? 1:47:45 Why have Hegseth, Bondi and RFK Jr. been able to cement their roles? 1:51:30 Why not do a "Where Chuck was right/wrong" segment similar to Cowherd? 1:55:45 How can Democrats uphold core values without sounding preachy? 2:00:15 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sports journalist and professor J.A. Adande joins Chuck Todd for a wide-ranging conversation on how money, media, and power are reshaping the world of sports. From the Big Ten’s potential $2 billion private equity deal to the rise of The Athletic and the collapse of local sports coverage, Adande explains how financial literacy has become essential for sports reporters — and why sports journalism remains one of the few thriving corners of the media industry. They dig into how gambling, influencer culture, and social media are transforming how fans consume sports — and how shows like Around the Horn and PTI paved the way for today’s single-voice, personality-driven debate model. Adande also reflects on the increased diversity in sports media, the tension between advocacy and escapism, and why issues like Latino discrimination and trans inclusion in sports are becoming defining cultural flashpoints. He also explains why the sports world has gotten out of the social justice advocacy business… and likely won’t be coming back. It’s a candid look at how sports coverage mirrors — and sometimes predicts — the shifts happening across American journalism. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: 00:00 J.A. Adande joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:00 Big Ten seeking $2 billion dollar private equity infusion 02:15 Money would keep current Big Ten setup for 2 decades 03:30 Knowledge of finance & business is a must for sports reporters 06:00 Sports journalism is one of the only growth areas in journalism 08:30 Why ESPN was a better option for J.A. than Sports Illustrated 09:15 The Athletic is the final destination for sportswriting 10:30 The role of sports journalism in rebuilding local news/media 12:00 The Athletic is evolving into a national sports outlet 13:30 Local sports reporting doesn’t scale 14:30 Where do sports fans go to now for localized coverage? 15:30 It’s more efficient for teams to leak stories to one national reporter 16:30 There is plenty of localized sports discussion, but not breaking news 18:30 There’s no FOIA in sports coverage, reporters aren’t entitled to access 20:00 Teams can shut out journalists and still get word out to the public 22:00 The impact of the pandemic on journalism and in-person access 23:00 Sports is one of the last places where people are debating the facts 24:00 Sports talk has become formulaic and like pro wrestling 25:15 The template for PTI was Siskel & Ebert 27:00 Around the Horn premised on winning a subjective argument 29:00 There’s a huge audience for fake, manufactured competition 30:00 Sports talk moving to the singular influencer model 30:45 Cutting production costs is reason for centering shows on one talent 32:00 News will likely move to the sports talk, licensing model 33:45 Streamers haven’t moved to pick up sports debate shows 34:30 Podcasts are a more intimate experience for the audience 36:15 The impact of the infusion of sports gambling into sports journalism 37:15 Journalists have to be more precise with gambling coverage 39:00 Newspapers would discourage gambling & still publish lines 41:00 Sports gambling journalism is a form of service journalism 42:15 Far more gender diversity now in sports journalism schools 44:15 There’s never been a better time to be a woman in sports media 46:45 There’s been a retreat from social commentary in sports media 48:15 Trans women in sports debate is dividing women 49:30 Baseball should be leading the fight against latino discrimination 51:30 Latino integration or expulsion will be a defining fight of our time 55:00 Sports will not be at the forefront of fighting for social justice 57:15 Sports as a source for escape vs a source of advocacySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd breaks down how Donald Trump’s presidency has become more about global showmanship than governing at home. From pushing Argentinian beef over American ranchers to a fragile Israel-Hamas peace deal and secretive efforts at regime change in Venezuela, Todd argues the administration is setting a dangerous precedent—one where the president wields unchecked power. He exposes how the Department of Homeland Security has morphed into a political PR arm, spending millions on self-promotional ads and luxury jets for Kristi Noem, all while ignoring real crises. Then, the conversation shifts to the next major political flashpoint: artificial intelligence. As fear of AI grows, politicians like Florida’s Hector Mujica are making it a centerpiece issue. Todd explores how AI could fuel a new populist revolt, with both parties scrambling to offer answers to voters’ unease. From vanity projects to vanishing trust in technology, this Chuck paints a picture of a government distracted by power plays while the ground shifts beneath it. Finally, Chuck gives his ToddCast Top 5 political TV shows of the past decade and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 00:30 Trump ignoring domestic issues in favor of international ones 01:45 Trump suggests buying Argentinian beef, hurting American ranchers 03:15 Trump's peace deal between Israel & Hamas may fall apart 04:30 Administration wants regime change in Venezuela, lying about it 06:15 Ecuador released survivor of navy attack in Caribbean, not a criminal 07:45 The precedent being set is the president has all the power 09:30 Dems painted Bush as caring more about other nations, can do same w/Trump 11:00 Trump administration spending huge money on themselves, not the public 11:45 DHS has spent $51m on direct to camera ads featuring Kristi Noem 13:30 DHS bought two Gulfstream private jets for Kristi Noem's use 15:30 When something goes wrong with DHS, Kristi Noem will get the blame 16:30 DHS has gotten lucky with an incredibly light hurricane season 17:45 Administration is using taxpayer dollars to promote a future presidential run 18:45 Republicans will be stuck defending Trump's vanity projects 20:00 There's a coming political & cultural war over AI 20:45 Companies already getting scrutiny for using AI avatars in ads 22:00 Florida Democrat Hector Mujica makes AI center of his campaign 23:00 Fear of AI could be strong political motivator for voters 24:00 Politicians will need a good answer to AI anxiety 25:00 The globalization "soft landing" never materialized, AI could be similar 26:15 Trump shaking down DOJ for 200 million over his indictments 27:30 Sora 2 is the exclamation point of tech ruining the information ecosystem 28:45 Tech companies failed on social media, need supervision on AI 29:45 AI will increase the value of human to human interaction 33:30 Humans won't be willing to marginalize themselves as a species 34:30 AI could create a massive populist revolt from across the spectrum 38:00 ToddCast Top 5 Political TV shows from the past 10 years 38:15 West Wing is incredibly unrealistic 39:45 #1 The Diplomat 42:45 #2 For All Mankind 45:00 #3 Veep 47:00 #4 Succession 48:30 #5 The Walking Dead 51:45 Ask Chuck 52:15 Thoughts on Trump's face on a coin or the "Arc De Trump"? 58:00 What will make Arkansas football great again? 1:00:30 Does message or experience matter more for a presidential candidate? 1:04:00 Has privatizing air traffic controllers been considered? 1:08:00 Thoughts on a local journalist breaking swastika flag story?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd breaks down how Donald Trump’s presidency has become more about global showmanship than governing at home. From pushing Argentinian beef over American ranchers to a fragile Israel-Hamas peace deal and secretive efforts at regime change in Venezuela, Todd argues the administration is setting a dangerous precedent—one where the president wields unchecked power. He exposes how the Department of Homeland Security has morphed into a political PR arm, spending millions on self-promotional ads and luxury jets for Kristi Noem, all while ignoring real crises. Then, the conversation shifts to the next major political flashpoint: artificial intelligence. As fear of AI grows, politicians like Florida’s Hector Mujica are making it a centerpiece issue. Todd explores how AI could fuel a new populist revolt, with both parties scrambling to offer answers to voters’ unease. From vanity projects to vanishing trust in technology, this Chuck paints a picture of a government distracted by power plays while the ground shifts beneath it. Then, he sits down with Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart to talk farming, politics, and the fight to keep Iowa relevant on the national stage. From corn and soybeans to caucuses and campaigns, Hart shares what it’s really like for farmers caught in the middle of tariffs, trade wars, and shrinking rural economies — and how Washington’s decisions have reshaped Iowa’s way of life. They discuss the state’s economic struggles, rural healthcare crisis, and the outsized impact of right-wing media, as well as the challenge of rebuilding trust in the Democratic brand across small towns that once went from Obama to Trump. Hart also dives into the future of Iowa’s political identity — why she thinks a rural state must remain among the first in the presidential primary calendar, how Democrats can connect urban and rural voters around shared values, and what success will look like for Iowa Democrats heading into 2026. It’s a candid, grounded look at where agriculture meets democracy, and how one state’s renewal could hold lessons for the entire country. Finally, Chuck gives his ToddCast Top 5 political TV shows of the past decade and answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 03:00 Trump ignoring domestic issues in favor of international ones 04:15 Trump suggests buying Argentinian beef, hurting American ranchers 05:45 Trump’s peace deal between Israel & Hamas may fall apart 07:00 Administration wants regime change in Venezuela, lying about it 08:45 Ecuador released survivor of navy attack in Caribbean, not a criminal 10:15 The precedent being set is the president has all the power 12:00 Dems painted Bush as caring more about other nations, can do same w/Trump 13:30 Trump administration spending huge money on themselves, not the public 14:15 DHS has spent $51m on direct to camera ads featuring Kristi Noem 16:00 DHS bought two Gulfstream private jets for Kristi Noem’s use 18:00 When something goes wrong with DHS, Kristi Noem will get the blame 19:00 DHS has gotten lucky with an incredibly light hurricane season 20:15 Administration is using taxpayer dollars to promote a future presidential run 21:15 Republicans will be stuck defending Trump’s vanity projects 22:30 There’s a coming political & cultural war over AI 23:15 Companies already getting scrutiny for using AI avatars in ads 24:30 Florida Democrat Hector Mujica makes AI center of his campaign 25:30 Fear of AI could be strong political motivator for voters 26:30 Politicians will need a good answer to AI anxiety 27:30 The globalization “soft landing” never materialized, AI could be similar 28:45 Trump shaking down DOJ for 200 million over his indictments 30:00 Sora 2 is the exclamation point of tech ruining the information ecosystem 31:15 Tech companies failed on social media, need supervision on AI 32:15 AI will increase the value of human to human interaction 36:00 Humans won’t be willing to marginalize themselves as a species 37:00 AI could create a massive populist revolt from across the spectrum 40:45 Rita Hart joins the Chuck ToddCast 41:45 Experience of working as farmers in Iowa 42:45 How much of your corn is for human consumption? 44:30 What can farmers do with soybeans if they can't find a buyer? 45:30 Tariffs & trade war can have dire consequences for farmers 47:00 What did government intervention look like last time & how does it work? 48:00 The trade war allowed foreign markets to take US ag customers 49:45 Targeted tariffs work for manufacturing but not for agriculture 51:30 Iowa's place in rebuilding the Democratic party in the midwest 52:25 The national brand has stained the Iowa brand 53:30 Iowa is nearly last in the nation for economic and income growth 54:15 Iowa's healthcare & childcare are increasingly unaffordable 55:15 Rural healthcare access is extremely limited in rural Iowa 56:15 Iowa has the most Obama to Trump voting counties in America 57:30 Iowa's local news has diminished, voters focused on national news 58:45 FOX News & right wing media have huge influence in Iowa 1:01:00 The national Democratic Party is in a state of transition 1:02:45 Iowa Democrats have been activated and engaged 1:03:45 Iowa has good primary candidates, DSCC should stay out of it 1:05:30 Rob Sand emphasized party credentials rather than go independent 1:07:30 What issues should Iowa Dems lean in, and lean out on? 1:09:45 Can't divide issues that affect everyone into "us vs. them" 1:12:15 How should Democrats talk about immigration 1:14:15 Need a sensible way for hard-working immigrants to get citizenship 1:16:15 Why has the DNC moved away from Iowa as first in the nation status 1:17:30 Iowa is a great testing ground for Democratic campaigns 1:19:30 Balancing targeting the urban centers vs the rural vote in campaigns 1:20:15 Why rural Iowa matters to a future presidential candidate 1:21:45 A rural state needs to be in the first four primary states 1:23:15 Will Iowa GOP work with Iowa Dems to keep first in nation status? 1:24:30 Iowa Democrats should get to choose between a caucus or a primary 1:27:15 Improving the caucus process to increase participation 1:28:30 What does success look like for Iowa Democrats in 2026? 1:30:30 There's a reason both Kim Reynolds and Joni Ernst dropped out 1:31:15 What is the job of a state party chair? 1:34:45 Avoiding burnout during the constant state of fundraising 1:37:45 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Rita Hart 1:40:15 ToddCast Top 5 Political TV shows from the past 10 years 1:40:30 West Wing is incredibly unrealistic 1:42:00 #1 The Diplomat 1:45:00 #2 For All Mankind 1:47:15 #3 Veep 1:49:15 #4 Succession 1:50:45 #5 The Walking Dead 1:54:00 Ask Chuck 1:54:30 Thoughts on Trump's face on a coin or the "Arc De Trump"? 2:00:15 What will make Arkansas football great again? 2:02:45 Does message or experience matter more for a presidential candidate? 2:06:15 Has privatizing air traffic controllers been considered? 2:10:15 Thoughts on a local journalist breaking the swastika flag story?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd sits down with Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart to talk farming, politics, and the fight to keep Iowa relevant on the national stage. From corn and soybeans to caucuses and campaigns, Hart shares what it’s really like for farmers caught in the middle of tariffs, trade wars, and shrinking rural economies — and how Washington’s decisions have reshaped Iowa’s way of life. They discuss the state’s economic struggles, rural healthcare crisis, and the outsized impact of right-wing media, as well as the challenge of rebuilding trust in the Democratic brand across small towns that once went from Obama to Trump. Hart also dives into the future of Iowa’s political identity — why she thinks a rural state must remain among the first in the presidential primary calendar, how Democrats can connect urban and rural voters around shared values, and what success will look like for Iowa Democrats heading into 2026. It’s a candid, grounded look at where agriculture meets democracy, and how one state’s renewal could hold lessons for the entire country. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Rita Hart joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:00 Experience of working as farmers in Iowa 02:00 How much of your corn is for human consumption? 03:45 What can farmers do with soybeans if they can’t find a buyer? 04:45 Tariffs & trade war can have dire consequences for farmers 06:15 What did government intervention look like last time & how does it work? 07:15 The trade war allowed foreign markets to take US ag customers 09:00 Targeted tariffs work for manufacturing but not for agriculture 10:45 Iowa’s place in rebuilding the Democratic party in the midwest 11:40 The national brand has stained the Iowa brand 12:45 Iowa is nearly last in the nation for economic and income growth 13:30 Iowa’s healthcare & childcare are increasingly unaffordable 14:30 Rural healthcare access is extremely limited in rural Iowa 15:30 Iowa has the most Obama to Trump voting counties in America 16:45 Iowa’s local news has diminished, voters focused on national news 18:00 FOX News & right wing media have huge influence in Iowa 20:15 The national Democratic Party is in a state of transition 22:00 Iowa Democrats have been activated and engaged 23:00 Iowa has good primary candidates, DSCC should stay out of it 24:45 Rob Sand emphasized party credentials rather than go independent 26:45 What issues should Iowa Dems lean in, and lean out on? 29:00 Can’t divide issues that affect everyone into “us vs. them” 31:30 How should Democrats talk about immigration 33:30 Need a sensible way for hard-working immigrants to get citizenship 35:30 Why has the DNC moved away from Iowa as first in the nation status 36:45 Iowa is a great testing ground for Democratic campaigns 38:45 Balancing targeting the urban centers vs the rural vote in campaigns 39:30 Why rural Iowa matters to a future presidential candidate 41:00 A rural state needs to be in the first four primary states 42:30 Will Iowa GOP work with Iowa Dems to keep first in nation status? 43:45 Iowa Democrats should get to choose between a caucus or a primary 46:30 Improving the caucus process to increase participation 47:45 What does success look like for Iowa Democrats in 2026? 49:45 There’s a reason both Kim Reynolds and Joni Ernst dropped out 50:30 What is the job of a state party chair? 54:00 Avoiding burnout during the constant state of fundraisingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Massive “No Kings” protests swept across the country this weekend — peaceful, organized, and impossible to ignore. Chuck Todd breaks down what the demonstrations say about growing frustration with Trump’s leadership as his administration faces a government shutdown, soaring insurance costs, and a controversial new military campaign in the Caribbean. As Trump retweets crude AI videos and governs for only half the country, Congress remains silent on legally dubious strikes against Venezuela, an operation critics say has more to do with ousting Maduro than fighting drugs. Todd examines how America’s history of self-interest in Latin America and declining democratic norms at home have converged to create a moment of moral and political reckoning — and why ignoring it might come at a cost. Finally, Chuck Todd hops in the ToddCast Time Machine to recap the history of the Teapot Dome scandal and how it closely mirrors the corruption of the Trump administration, answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, and recaps the weekend in college football. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 01:30 No Kings protests held around the country 02:15 Protests were timed deliberately in advance of elections 04:30 Huge turnout numbers at the protests 08:30 No incidents at protests that led to confrontations with police 09:45 Trump retweets AI video of himself flying plane and dropping poop 10:45 Trump has the mentality of a 13 year old boy 12:00 Trump has no lifelong friends 13:15 Trump isn’t traveling the country to sell his agenda, unlike first term 14:15 Remarkable that so many people are willing to protest on a Saturday 16:00 Republicans would be wise not to dismiss the protests 16:30 Controversy grows around Trump’s military strikes in Caribbean 17:45 Congress is failing to provide any oversight of the executive 19:00 Insurance notices indicating massive premium spikes coming soon 20:00 Shocking there’s less outrage Trump governs for only half the country 20:45 Government shutdown has turned into a giant mess 22:15 Trump’s administration hints they aren’t sure boat strikes are legal 23:45 Venezuela story would get more attention if it was anywhere else 24:30 Administration refuses to call the strikes “war” 25:15 Repatriating captives helps administration avoid legal questions 26:45 Legality of strikes will be eventually be determined in US courts 28:00 Claiming cartels are “terrorists” doesn’t meet legal definition 28:45 Venezuela isn’t part of the fentanyl drug trade 29:30 Trump & Rubio’s obsession is actually about getting rid of Nicolas Maduro 31:00 The U.S. military has never gone after narcoterrorists before 32:00 Congress has not authorized use of military force in Caribbean 33:30 Members of congress not convinced by rationale for strikes 35:00 Trump is greenlighting killings without making case for it 37:30 If overdose deaths are the rationale, the problem is with Mexico 39:00 Trump hasn’t ruled out striking the Venezuelan mainland 41:00 The US had never designated a cartel as terrorists until this year 44:30 America’s history in Latin America is atrocious and self-interested 47:00 ToddCast Time Machine 47:15 October 25th, 1929 - Jury convicts the first cabinet secretary to prison 48:45 Teapot Dome scandal 50:00 Harding signed executive order transferring oil fields, leased to oil barons 51:15 Fall received $7 million dollars in exchange for oil leases 52:45 Harding's death spawned conspiracy theories about corruption 53:15 Albert Fall convicted of bribery 54:00 Comparing teapot dome to Trump's modern day corruption 55:15 The "out" party should always be the one in charge of oversight 56:30 Watergate isn't the parallel to Trump's corruption, Teapot Dome is 56:45 Ask Chuck 57:00 Will the No Kings protests have any real effect on politics? 59:30 How can Democrats regain control of the political narrative? 1:04:30 College football updateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Massive “No Kings” protests swept across the country this weekend — peaceful, organized, and impossible to ignore. Chuck Todd breaks down what the demonstrations say about growing frustration with Trump’s leadership as his administration faces a government shutdown, soaring insurance costs, and a controversial new military campaign in the Caribbean. As Trump retweets crude AI videos and governs for only half the country, Congress remains silent on legally dubious strikes against Venezuela, an operation critics say has more to do with ousting Maduro than fighting drugs. Todd examines how America’s history of self-interest in Latin America and declining democratic norms at home have converged to create a moment of moral and political reckoning — and why ignoring it might come at a cost. Then, Ars Technica space journalist Eric Berger joins Chuck Todd to unpack the new global race to the moon — and why it’s about power as much as science. With China poised to beat the U.S. back to the lunar surface, NASA’s Artemis program faces both technological and geopolitical pressure. Berger and Todd explore how space has become the next great stage for competition, where the first shots of a future war could be fired — not on Earth, but in orbit. From SpaceX’s dominance and Elon Musk’s influence, to Blue Origin’s lagging efforts and Boeing’s uncertain role, the conversation digs into who will actually shape humanity’s future beyond Earth. They also discuss the growing role of private companies in both space exploration and weather forecasting, how AI is reshaping meteorology, and whether we’ll ever see space-based energy or asteroid mining become viable. It’s a sweeping look at how politics, technology, and ambition are colliding — in a sky that’s getting more crowded by the day. Finally, Chuck Todd hops in the ToddCast Time Machine to recap the history of the Teapot Dome scandal and how it closely mirrors the corruption of the Trump administration, answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, and recaps the weekend in college football. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 01:30 No Kings protests held around the country 02:15 Protests were timed deliberately in advance of elections 04:30 Huge turnout numbers at the protests 08:30 No incidents at protests that led to confrontations with police 09:45 Trump retweets AI video of himself flying plane and dropping poop 10:45 Trump has the mentality of a 13 year old boy 12:00 Trump has no lifelong friends 13:15 Trump isn’t traveling the country to sell his agenda, unlike first term 14:15 Remarkable that so many people are willing to protest on a Saturday 16:00 Republicans would be wise not to dismiss the protests 16:30 Controversy grows around Trump’s military strikes in Caribbean 17:45 Congress is failing to provide any oversight of the executive 19:00 Insurance notices indicating massive premium spikes coming soon 20:00 Shocking there’s less outrage Trump governs for only half the country 20:45 Government shutdown has turned into a giant mess 22:15 Trump’s administration hints they aren’t sure boat strikes are legal 23:45 Venezuela story would get more attention if it was anywhere else 24:30 Administration refuses to call the strikes “war” 25:15 Repatriating captives helps administration avoid legal questions 26:45 Legality of strikes will be eventually be determined in US courts 28:00 Claiming cartels are “terrorists” doesn’t meet legal definition 28:45 Venezuela isn’t part of the fentanyl drug trade 29:30 Trump & Rubio’s obsession is actually about getting rid of Nicolas Maduro 31:00 The U.S. military has never gone after narcoterrorists before 32:00 Congress has not authorized use of military force in Caribbean 33:30 Members of congress not convinced by rationale for strikes 35:00 Trump is greenlighting killings without making case for it 37:30 If overdose deaths are the rationale, the problem is with Mexico 39:00 Trump hasn’t ruled out striking the Venezuelan mainland 41:00 The US had never designated a cartel as terrorists until this year 44:30 America’s history in Latin America is atrocious and self-interested 48:15 Eric Berger joins the Chuck ToddCast 49:15 China is on track to beat the U.S. back to the moon 50:45 NASA is still pursuing the Artemis program 52:00 Both the U.S. and China are targeting the moon's south pole 54:15 If you want to be a superpower, needs a presence on the moon 54:45 SpaceX's Starship is best equipped for Mars mission 55:30 Best methods of propulsion for long distance space missions 56:45 The biggest reason for lunar landing is geopolitics/flexing 57:30 Treaty says that no country can claim ownership of the moon 58:30 How would a private company stake a resource claim on the moon? 1:00:00 Has low earth orbit gotten too crowded with man made satellites? 1:01:00 In the next big war, the first shots will likely be fired into space 1:02:45 Cooperation in space has diminished, become more nationalistic 1:04:45 Most countries forced to rely on US, Russia and China for space launches 1:05:45 UAE is developing space capabilities with NASA's help 1:06:30 NASA can't get to space without private contractors/SpaceX 1:07:00 Elon Musk is the most important person to spacefight globally 1:08:30 Blue Origin is far behind SpaceX in capabilities for lunar lander 1:09:15 Will Boeing's space program ever deliver? 1:10:15 Will the first space hotel be in orbit or on the moon? 1:11:15 There's very little demand for orbital tourism, very expensive 1:12:45 Mars missions are incredibly different, will likely be one-way to start 1:14:15 There are no resources on Mars worth the cost of mining and shipping back 1:15:00 The only reason to go to Mars is to make humans a space-faring species 1:16:00 Robots are far superior to humans for scientific research missions 1:17:15 There's more water on Europa than Earth, life could be there 1:18:45 Best places in solar system for humans to possibly create bases 1:20:30 Is Bezos's idea of heavy manufacturing on the moon a pipe dream? 1:21:45 Mining asteroids could provide all the metals we'd ever need 1:22:30 SpaceX's Falcon9 rocket made cost of accessing space far lower 1:23:45 Are energy production advances the best way to sell space costs to taxpayers? 1:25:30 Space based energy production is far from being commercially viable 1:26:45 The Europeans surpassed the U.S. at meteorology 1:27:45 Can AI tools help fill the gaps after U.S. cut funding for NOAA? 1:28:30 AI hurricane modeling seems to be just as good as physics based models 1:29:30 Private sector still relies on the government for weather forecasting 1:30:45 We need better data collection for our weather forecasting 1:33:00 Private companies are hiring their own meteorologists 1:35:45 Microforecasting has gotten much better due to the internet 1:36:53 What does Ars Technica cover and what is its mission? 1:39:00 Do we know more about the solar system or the oceans? 1:43:15 Chuck's thoughts on the interview with Eric Berger 1:43:30 ToddCast Time Machine 1:43:45 October 25th, 1929 - Jury convicts the first cabinet secretary to prison 1:45:15 Teapot Dome scandal 1:46:30 Harding signed executive order transferring oil fields, leased to oil barons 1:47:45 Fall received $7 million dollars in exchange for oil leases 1:49:15 Harding's death spawned conspiracy theories about corruption 1:49:45 Albert Fall convicted of bribery 1:50:30 Comparing teapot dome to Trump's modern day corruption 1:51:45 The "out" party should always be the one in charge of oversight 1:53:00 Watergate isn't the parallel to Trump's corruption, Teapot Dome is 1:53:15 Ask Chuck 1:53:30 Will the No Kings protests have any real effect on politics? 1:56:00 How can Democrats regain control of the political narrative? 2:01:00 College football updateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ars Technica space journalist Eric Berger joins Chuck Todd to unpack the new global race to the moon — and why it’s about power as much as science. With China poised to beat the U.S. back to the lunar surface, NASA’s Artemis program faces both technological and geopolitical pressure. Berger and Todd explore how space has become the next great stage for competition, where the first shots of a future war could be fired — not on Earth, but in orbit. From SpaceX’s dominance and Elon Musk’s influence, to Blue Origin’s lagging efforts and Boeing’s uncertain role, the conversation digs into who will actually shape humanity’s future beyond Earth. They also discuss the growing role of private companies in both space exploration and weather forecasting, how AI is reshaping meteorology, and whether we’ll ever see space-based energy or asteroid mining become viable. It’s a sweeping look at how politics, technology, and ambition are colliding — in a sky that’s getting more crowded by the day. Timeline: 00:00 Eric Berger joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:00 China is on track to beat the U.S. back to the moon 02:30 NASA is still pursuing the Artemis program 03:45 Both the U.S. and China are targeting the moon’s south pole 06:00 If you want to be a superpower, needs a presence on the moon 06:30 SpaceX’s Starship is best equipped for Mars mission 07:15 Best methods of propulsion for long distance space missions 08:30 The biggest reason for lunar landing is geopolitics/flexing 09:15 Treaty says that no country can claim ownership of the moon 10:15 How would a private company stake a resource claim on the moon? 11:45 Has low earth orbit gotten too crowded with man made satellites? 12:45 In the next big war, the first shots will likely be fired into space 14:30 Cooperation in space has diminished, become more nationalistic 16:30 Most countries forced to rely on US, Russia and China for space launches 17:30 UAE is developing space capabilities with NASA’s help 18:15 NASA can’t get to space without private contractors/SpaceX 18:45 Elon Musk is the most important person to spacefight globally 20:15 Blue Origin is far behind SpaceX in capabilities for lunar lander 21:00 Will Boeing’s space program ever deliver? 22:00 Will the first space hotel be in orbit or on the moon? 23:00 There’s very little demand for orbital tourism, very expensive 24:30 Mars missions are incredibly different, will likely be one-way to start 26:00 There are no resources on Mars worth the cost of mining and shipping back 26:45 The only reason to go to Mars is to make humans a space-faring species 27:45 Robots are far superior to humans for scientific research missions 29:00 There’s more water on Europa than Earth, life could be there 30:30 Best places in solar system for humans to possibly create bases 32:15 Is Bezos’s idea of heavy manufacturing on the moon a pipe dream? 33:30 Mining asteroids could provide all the metals we’d ever need 34:15 SpaceX’s Falcon9 rocket made cost of accessing space far lower 35:30 Are energy production advances the best way to sell space costs to taxpayers? 37:15 Space based energy production is far from being commercially viable 38:30 The Europeans surpassed the U.S. at meteorology 39:30 Can AI tools help fill the gaps after U.S. cut funding for NOAA? 40:15 AI hurricane modeling seems to be just as good as physics based models 41:15 Private sector still relies on the government for weather forecasting 42:30 We need better data collection for our weather forecasting 44:45 Private companies are hiring their own meteorologists 47:30 Microforecasting has gotten much better due to the internet 48:38 What does Ars Technica cover and what is its mission? 50:45 Do we know more about the solar system or the oceans?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down a week that feels like a case study in America’s democratic backslide. With the government shutdown dragging on and Donald Trump disengaged from any real effort to end it, Republicans in Congress are paralyzed — and Democrats risk losing ground the longer it continues. Chuck examines how Trump’s brand of politics has reshaped the culture, from congressional dysfunction to GOP leaders dodging accountability on everything from Epstein files to free speech hypocrisy. Later, he dives into the Supreme Court’s looming decision on the Voting Rights Act, the ripple effects of potential gerrymandering shifts in the Sun Belt, and the latest shake-ups in Democratic primaries — from Janet Mills’ funding alliances to Florida’s Hector Mujica making AI a centerpiece of his campaign. It’s a snapshot of a democracy under strain — and a politics struggling to evolve. Finally, Chuck answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and previews the upcoming weekend in college football. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 00:45 The government shutdown non-update update 01:30 Trump is not engaged at all in trying to end the government shutdown 03:15 Prior presidents didn't engage in foreign trips during shutdowns 04:45 Republicans in congress can't negotiate without Trump 06:15 The longer the shutdown goes, the more Dems lose what they gained 07:30 Trump received more votes in LA county than 15 states he carried 08:30 Trump is punishing his own voters in blue states/cities 11:00 Mike Johnson's refusal to convene house gives Epstein theory credence 12:15 Johnson doesn't want members to have to take vote on Epstein files 13:45 Republicans trying to brand No Kings protests as a "Hate America" rally 14:15 Saying protestors "hate america"…is un-American 16:15 Donald Trump has culturally changed America for the worse 17:00 Release of abhorrent group chat from young Republican leaders 18:00 MAGA argues for "no speech police", but only for themselves 19:15 Speech should always be free, but speech does carry consequences 21:15 SCOTUS hearing case that could potentially end the Voting Rights Act 22:00 Fears over gerrymandering from SCOTUS ruling may be overblow 23:15 Gerrymandering could create many more swing seats in sun belt 25:45 We don't yet know whether the ruling will disenfranchise black voters 26:30 DSCC set up joint fundraising committee with Janet Mills in Maine 27:45 UAW has already endorsed Platner over Mills 28:00 Seth Moulton mounts primary challenge against Ed Markey 29:15 Generational vs. Ideological change in Democratic primaries? 30:00 New ads running for VA DA race addressing Jay Jones texts 31:00 Ad highlights Spanberger's refusal to endorse Jones 33:30 Democrat Hector Mujica enters Florida senate race 34:45 Mujica highlights federal job cuts and AI job displacement in ad 36:45 Mujica is the first candidate to really centralize AI in their pitch 38:15 AI advances might remind people of importance of human connectivity 40:15 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Michael McFaul 40:45 Ask Chuck 41:00 How closely does "The Morning Show" reflect an actual newsroom? 47:00 Do FCS and Div 2 & 3 programs more accurately rep college football? 51:15 Is Greg Abbot sending troops to Chicago to build a national profile? 56:45 What podcasts do you regularly listen to? 1:00:00 Why are conservatives attacking Bad Bunny's citizenship when he's American? 1:05:00 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down a week that feels like a case study in America’s democratic backslide. With the government shutdown dragging on and Donald Trump disengaged from any real effort to end it, Republicans in Congress are paralyzed — and Democrats risk losing ground the longer it continues. Chuck examines how Trump’s brand of politics has reshaped the culture, from congressional dysfunction to GOP leaders dodging accountability on everything from Epstein files to free speech hypocrisy. Later, he dives into the Supreme Court’s looming decision on the Voting Rights Act, the ripple effects of potential gerrymandering shifts in the Sun Belt, and the latest shake-ups in Democratic primaries — from Janet Mills’ funding alliances to Florida’s Hector Mujica making AI a centerpiece of his campaign. It’s a snapshot of a democracy under strain — and a politics struggling to evolve. Then, former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul joins Chuck Todd for a sweeping conversation about whether the world is slipping back into a pre–World War II world order marked by isolationism, power struggles, and a fading commitment to democracy. McFaul argues we’ve entered a new era of great power competition, with China offering an alternative world order and America retreating from its role as the global stabilizer. The two discuss how Trump’s “strong vs. weak” worldview reshapes alliances, why autocracy is gaining ideological ground inside the U.S., and what happens when America stops believing in exporting democracy. From the growing unity of the European Union post-Ukraine to Taiwan’s fears of being sold out to Beijing, Todd and McFaul explore whether it will take another crisis to “sober up” American politics. They also debate Trump’s paradoxical legacy — destabilizing allies while showing skill in Middle East negotiations — and what kind of leadership it will take to rebuild collective security and moral credibility in an increasingly unstable world. Finally, Chuck answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and previews the upcoming weekend in college football. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 03:15 It’s strange having an American president that’s not pro-democracy 04:15 The government shutdown non-update update 05:00 Trump is not engaged at all in trying to end the government shutdown 06:45 Prior presidents didn’t engage in foreign trips during shutdowns 08:15 Republicans in congress can’t negotiate without Trump 09:45 The longer the shutdown goes, the more Dems lose what they gained 11:00 Trump received more votes in LA county than 15 states he carried 12:00 Trump is punishing his own voters in blue states/cities 14:30 Mike Johnson’s refusal to convene house gives Epstein theory credence 15:45 Johnson doesn’t want members to have to take vote on Epstein files 17:15 Republicans trying to brand No Kings protests as a “Hate America” rally 17:45 Saying protestors “hate america”…is un-American 19:45 Donald Trump has culturally changed America for the worse 20:30 Release of abhorrent group chat from young Republican leaders 21:30 MAGA argues for “no speech police”, but only for themselves 22:45 Speech should always be free, but speech does carry consequences 24:45 SCOTUS hearing case that could potentially end the Voting Rights Act 25:30 Fears over gerrymandering from SCOTUS ruling may be overblow 26:45 Gerrymandering could create many more swing seats in sun belt 29:15 We don’t yet know whether the ruling will disenfranchise black voters 30:00 DSCC set up joint fundraising committee with Janet Mills in Maine 31:15 UAW has already endorsed Platner over Mills 31:30 Seth Moulton mounts primary challenge against Ed Markey 32:45 Generational vs. Ideological change in Democratic primaries? 33:30 New ads running for VA DA race addressing Jay Jones texts 34:30 Ad highlights Spanberger’s refusal to endorse Jones 37:00 Democrat Hector Mujica enters Florida senate race 38:15 Mujica highlights federal job cuts and AI job displacement in ad 40:15 Mujica is the first candidate to really centralize AI in their pitch 41:45 AI advances might remind people of importance of human connectivity 44:00 Michael McFaul joins the Chuck ToddCast 45:00 Are we in a similar set of conditions to pre-WW2? 46:00 We've entered a new era of great power competition 47:15 In some ways we're in a cold war, in some way we're not 48:00 Our economy is highly intertwined with China's 48:45 America's isolationism similar to 1930's 51:00 Was the cold war an outlier period for American & world history? 52:30 Everyone understood the USSR as an adversary during cold war 53:15 America was the great power during cold war, underestimated ourselves 54:15 The "law of the jungle" is returning as the US retreats from the world 56:00 No unity around "small d" Democracy in America, can't export it 57:15 Trump defines the world by "strong leaders vs. weak leaders" 58:15 Trump's style of diplomacy works in middle east, not with allies 59:30 China is another hegemon, and offering a different world order 1:00:30 Autocrats vs Democrats fight is between countries & domestic 1:01:45 Many Americans now closer to Putin ideologically than Democrats 1:03:15 Venezuelan activist wins Nobel, her message to Trump was brilliant 1:04:15 We should have done more to help democracy in Venezuela 1:07:00 Trump shut down NGOs that promote democracy on world stage 1:07:45 America needs to run a better pro-democracy campaign worldwide 1:08:30 America's security arrangement w/Europe was working well 1:09:45 Something bad will have to happen to sober up American politics 1:12:30 There's a fear of debate in American politics & on campuses 1:14:15 The importance of debate on college campuses 1:16:45 The EU has gathered collective strength as America retreats 1:17:45 Russia invasion of Ukraine + Reelection of Trump recalibrated Europe 1:19:45 Europe has gained unity and clarity 1:21:15 Trump deserves credit for trying to end the Russia/Ukraine war 1:23:00 How will the great power conflict play out in Asia 1:24:30 We need more alliances and collective security in Asia to counter China 1:25:15 Taiwan is nervous the US will sell them out to China 1:26:00 Invasion of Taiwan might be the event to wake up the west 1:26:45 Trump's skill set is uniquely suited to negotiations in middle east 1:28:30 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Michael McFaul 1:29:00 Ask Chuck 1:29:15 How closely does "The Morning Show" reflect an actual newsroom? 1:35:15 Do FCS and Div 2 & 3 programs more accurately rep college football? 1:39:30 Is Greg Abbot sending troops to Chicago to build a national profile? 1:45:00 What podcasts do you regularly listen to? 1:48:15 Why are conservatives attacking Bad Bunny's citizenship when he's American? 1:53:15 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul joins Chuck Todd for a sweeping conversation about whether the world is slipping back into a pre–World War II world order marked by isolationism, power struggles, and a fading commitment to democracy. McFaul argues we’ve entered a new era of great power competition, with China offering an alternative world order and America retreating from its role as the global stabilizer. The two discuss how Trump’s “strong vs. weak” worldview reshapes alliances, why autocracy is gaining ideological ground inside the U.S., and what happens when America stops believing in exporting democracy. From the growing unity of the European Union post-Ukraine to Taiwan’s fears of being sold out to Beijing, Todd and McFaul explore whether it will take another crisis to “sober up” American politics. They also debate Trump’s paradoxical legacy — destabilizing allies while showing skill in Middle East negotiations — and what kind of leadership it will take to rebuild collective security and moral credibility in an increasingly unstable world. Timeline: 00:00 Michael McFaul joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:00 Are we in a similar set of conditions to pre-WW2? 02:00 We’ve entered a new era of great power competition 03:15 In some ways we’re in a cold war, in some way we’re not 04:00 Our economy is highly intertwined with China’s 04:45 America’s isolationism similar to 1930’s 07:00 Was the cold war an outlier period for American & world history? 08:30 Everyone understood the USSR as an adversary during cold war 09:15 America was the great power during cold war, underestimated ourselves 10:15 The “law of the jungle” is returning as the US retreats from the world 12:00 No unity around “small d” Democracy in America, can’t export it 13:15 Trump defines the world by “strong leaders vs. weak leaders” 14:15 Trump’s style of diplomacy works in middle east, not with allies 15:30 China is another hegemon, and offering a different world order 16:30 Autocrats vs Democrats fight is between countries & domestic 17:45 Many Americans now closer to Putin ideologically than Democrats 19:15 Venezuelan activist wins Nobel, her message to Trump was brilliant 20:15 We should have done more to help democracy in Venezuela 23:00 Trump shut down NGOs that promote democracy on world stage 23:45 America needs to run a better pro-democracy campaign worldwide 24:30 America’s security arrangement w/Europe was working well 25:45 Something bad will have to happen to sober up American politics 28:30 There’s a fear of debate in American politics & on campuses 30:15 The importance of debate on college campuses 32:45 The EU has gathered collective strength as America retreats 33:45 Russia invasion of Ukraine + Reelection of Trump recalibrated Europe 35:45 Europe has gained unity and clarity 37:15 Trump deserves credit for trying to end the Russia/Ukraine war 39:00 How will the great power conflict play out in Asia 40:30 We need more alliances and collective security in Asia to counter China 41:15 Taiwan is nervous the US will sell them out to China 42:00 Invasion of Taiwan might be the event to wake up the west 42:45 Trump’s skill set is uniquely suited to negotiations in middle eastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd examines the mounting political and institutional strain as the government shutdown drags on — and why Democrats may need to declare a partial victory just to move forward. The episode explores how Trump’s rise has exposed deep vulnerabilities in the American system, from unchecked profiteering and politicized justice to the growing entanglement of big tech, big money, and government power. Todd breaks down the Democrats’ limited leverage, the GOP’s dependence on Trump’s engagement, and the urgent need for new constitutional and institutional guardrails. Plus, he looks at the emerging generational clash in the Democratic Party senate primary in Maine, as Janet Mills and Graham Platner become avatars for an “old vs. new” fight that could reshape the party’s future. Finally, he gives his ToddCast Top 5 list of potential political comebacks where politicians could win their old seat back, then answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 02:15 Democrats need to find a way to declare victory and end shutdown 03:30 Democrats drew attention to healthcare, but will see diminishing returns 04:15 Trump's rise has exposed tremendous vulnerabilities in our system 05:45 There's nobody in Trump's feedback loop that will expose him to bad info 07:00 Democrats need how to learn to embrace small victories 09:30 Democrats only have the power to win the argument 11:15 Republicans won't move without Trump engaging on shutdown 12:30 Trump takes victory lap on Israel, hard part is making agreement stick 13:30 If profiting off the presidency goes unchecked, we risk more in the future 14:45 Emoluments clause is not enough, need a constitutional amendment 15:30 Big tech, big money and the government have all become intertwined 18:00 Two big reforms that could help fix the democracy 20:00 We need to reform the Justice Department to prevent politicization 21:30 Companies that capitulated to Trump had the law on their side 23:00 The country needs to build new guardrails 24:00 Janet Mills vs Graham Platner will become avatars for "old vs new" 25:45 The older generation of Democratic leaders refuses to retire 27:30 If Mills wins, she'll be the oldest freshman senator of all time 28:15 Graham Platner already has released attack ad against Mills 29:30 Platner vs. Mills will become a headache and money sink for Democrats 32:30 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Tom Bonier 33:30 ToddCast Top 5 - Most Likely Political Comebacks 35:00 #1 Jesse Jackson Jr. 37:00 #2 Cori Bush 38:15 #3 John E. Sununu 41:15 #4 Sherrod Brown 42:15 Honorable mentions 43:00 #5 Javier Suarez 49:15 Ask Chuck 49:30 Why aren't presidential debates moderated as vigorously as local debates? 53:45 What are legal repercussions for violations of the HATCH Act? 59:00 Appreciation for interview with Paul Glastris on higher education 1:01:30 What is likely for Universal Basic Income as AI takes jobs?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd examines the mounting political and institutional strain as the government shutdown drags on — and why Democrats may need to declare a partial victory just to move forward. The episode explores how Trump’s rise has exposed deep vulnerabilities in the American system, from unchecked profiteering and politicized justice to the growing entanglement of big tech, big money, and government power. Todd breaks down the Democrats’ limited leverage, the GOP’s dependence on Trump’s engagement, and the urgent need for new constitutional and institutional guardrails. Plus, he looks at the emerging generational clash in the Democratic Party senate primary in Maine, as Janet Mills and Graham Platner become avatars for an “old vs. new” fight that could reshape the party’s future. Then, Chuck sits down with veteran Democratic strategist and data expert Tom Bonier to unpack one of the biggest political mysteries of the Trump era: why Democrats are losing voter registrations—and how the GOP got so good at winning them. From the fallout of the Bernie-Clinton primary to the brand erosion under Biden, Bonier traces how Democrats’ messaging, outsourcing, and demographic targeting have backfired while Republicans quietly built lasting grassroots infrastructure, particularly among younger and working-class voters. The conversation dives deep into the changing dynamics of party loyalty and political identity—why Gen Z and Latino voters are shifting, how Trump reactivated the “missing white vote,” and why college campuses have become unlikely conservative battlegrounds. Todd and Bonier also explore the Democrats’ shrinking Senate map, the Midwest’s populist tilt, and how data-driven strategies like “mixed mode” polling could determine which party defines the next generation of American politics. Finally, he gives his ToddCast Top 5 list of potential political comebacks where politicians could win their old seat back, then answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 06:15 Democrats need to find a way to declare victory and end shutdown 07:30 Democrats drew attention to healthcare, but will see diminishing returns 08:15 Trump’s rise has exposed tremendous vulnerabilities in our system 09:45 There’s nobody in Trump’s feedback loop that will expose him to bad info 11:00 Democrats need how to learn to embrace small victories 13:30 Democrats only have the power to win the argument 15:15 Republicans won’t move without Trump engaging on shutdown 16:30 Trump takes victory lap on Israel, hard part is making agreement stick 17:30 If profiting off the presidency goes unchecked, we risk more in the future 18:45 Emoluments clause is not enough, need a constitutional amendment 19:30 Big tech, big money and the government have all become intertwined 22:00 Two big reforms that could help fix the democracy 24:00 We need to reform the Justice Department to prevent politicization 25:30 Companies that capitulated to Trump had the law on their side 27:00 The country needs to build new guardrails 28:00 Janet Mills vs Graham Platner will become avatars for “old vs new” 29:45 The older generation of Democratic leaders refuses to retire 31:30 If Mills wins, she’ll be the oldest freshman senator of all time 32:15 Graham Platner already has released attack ad against Mills 33:30 Platner vs. Mills will become a headache and money sink for Democrats 36:30 Tom Bonier joins the Chuck Toddcast 38:15 Where did trend of Democrats shedding voter registrations begin? 39:15 Bernie/Clinton primary was when Dem brand took initial hit 40:30 Downturn in Dem brand came during Biden's four years 42:15 Democrats outsource their registration efforts more than GOP 43:30 Registration efforts targeted friendly demographics 44:30 Registered partisan turnout between 20' and 24' was 1 point 45:30 What can Dems learn from Republicans registration tactics? 46:30 The 2012 GOP autopsy was right, but didn't foresee Trump 47:15 Obama's campaign targeted younger voters & won 48:00 GOP created a consistent presence on college campuses 48:45 For Gen Z, their first interaction with government was Covid 49:30 Gender gap amongst younger voters was 25+ points 50:30 Trump won big with voters who don't consume much news 52:00 Why Gen X became the generation that most supports Trump 53:00 When someone registers for a party, that tends to stick 55:00 Trump brought out the "missing white vote" 56:00 Dems dominating with higher educated, higher propensity voters 57:45 Younger white men are overwhelmingly registering Republican 59:30 Younger voters are generally registering as unaffiliated 1:00:45 Are Dems counting on Trump voters only showing up for Trump? 1:01:30 Climate looks similar to 17' except Dems are more unpopular 1:02:30 What is causing the Democrats "brand problem"? 1:03:15 Voters didn't know about Biden's accomplishments 1:04:30 The importance of branding your agenda 1:05:30 Are there a "hard 7" number of swing states, or could others join? 1:07:00 Texas trending more blue, Florida trending more red 1:07:45 Migration patterns have made Florida tough for Democrats 1:08:30 Democrats have almost no margin for error to win the senate 1:09:15 What 4-6 states should Dems target to expand senate map? 1:11:30 Is the midwest out of reach for Dems for a generation? 1:12:45 Midwest voters are populist more than D or R 1:14:00 How and where can Dems stem losses in blue states? 1:15:45 Voter mobilization is easier to fix than persuasion 1:16:30 Why have Georgia and Arizona become more friendly to Dems? 1:17:45 API voters swung toward Trump in 24' but are swinging back 1:18:30 Latino voters are economically sensitive and more swingySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd sits down with veteran Democratic strategist and data expert Tom Bonier to unpack one of the biggest political mysteries of the Trump era: why Democrats are losing voter registrations—and how the GOP got so good at winning them. From the fallout of the Bernie-Clinton primary to the brand erosion under Biden, Bonier traces how Democrats’ messaging, outsourcing, and demographic targeting have backfired while Republicans quietly built lasting grassroots infrastructure, particularly among younger and working-class voters. The conversation dives deep into the changing dynamics of party loyalty and political identity—why Gen Z and Latino voters are shifting, how Trump reactivated the “missing white vote,” and why college campuses have become unlikely conservative battlegrounds. Todd and Bonier also explore the Democrats’ shrinking Senate map, the Midwest’s populist tilt, and how data-driven strategies like “mixed mode” polling could determine which party defines the next generation of American politics. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Tom Bonier joins the Chuck Toddcast 01:45 Where did trend of Democrats shedding voter registrations begin? 02:45 Bernie/Clinton primary was when Dem brand took initial hit 04:00 Downturn in Dem brand came during Biden’s four years 05:45 Democrats outsource their registration efforts more than GOP 07:00 Registration efforts targeted friendly demographics 08:00 Registered partisan turnout between 20’ and 24’ was 1 point 09:00 What can Dems learn from Republicans registration tactics? 10:00 The 2012 GOP autopsy was right, but didn’t foresee Trump 10:45 Obama’s campaign targeted younger voters & won 11:30 GOP created a consistent presence on college campuses 12:15 For Gen Z, their first interaction with government was Covid 13:00 Gender gap amongst younger voters was 25+ points 14:00 Trump won big with voters who don’t consume much news 15:30 Why Gen X became the generation that most supports Trump 16:30 When someone registers for a party, that tends to stick 18:30 Trump brought out the “missing white vote” 19:30 Dems dominating with higher educated, higher propensity voters 21:15 Younger white men are overwhelmingly registering Republican 23:00 Younger voters are generally registering as unaffiliated 24:15 Are Dems counting on Trump voters only showing up for Trump? 25:00 Climate looks similar to 17’ except Dems are more unpopular 26:00 What is causing the Democrats “brand problem”? 26:45 Voters didn’t know about Biden’s accomplishments 28:00 The importance of branding your agenda 29:00 Are there a “hard 7” number of swing states, or could others join? 30:30 Texas trending more blue, Florida trending more red 31:15 Migration patterns have made Florida tough for Democrats 32:00 Democrats have almost no margin for error to win the senate 32:45 What 4-6 states should Dems target to expand senate map? 35:00 Is the midwest out of reach for Dems for a generation? 36:15 Midwest voters are populist more than D or R 37:30 How and where can Dems stem losses in blue states? 39:15 Voter mobilization is easier to fix than persuasion 40:00 Why have Georgia and Arizona become more friendly to Dems? 41:15 API voters swung toward Trump in 24’ but are swinging back 42:00 Latino voters are economically sensitive and more swingy 43:30 What’s happening with the “Chamber of Commerce” GOP voter? 45:00 Preferred methodology for public opinion polling? 47:00 What is “mixed mode” polling? 48:30 What are the three polls you always make sure to analyze?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Moody’s chief economist Mark Zandi joins Chuck Todd to assess an economy that looks strong on paper—but feels weak for most Americans. While the top third of earners are doing well, lower-income households are tightening their belts as consumer spending slows and job creation stagnates. Zandi warns of a 30–40% chance of a recession by 2026, citing the drag from federal job cuts, the drying up of COVID relief funds, and the destabilizing effects of rising tariffs and electricity costs. They also dig into the booming—but risky—AI sector, where soaring valuations and limited job growth may be setting up the next market correction. Gold prices are surging, commercial real estate is slumping, and housing shortages are widening for middle-class renters. With Americans increasingly unable to move for better opportunities and faith in Washington deteriorating, Zandi and Todd explore whether the U.S. economy can remain the world’s “safe haven” — or if 2026 could be the year that confidence finally cracks. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Mark Zandi joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:00 The economy is only good for the top 1/3rd of earners 02:00 Lower income earners are struggling 03:30 Signs of a consumer pullback are starting to show up 05:00 The economy isn’t creating many jobs 05:30 Chance of a recession is forecast at 30-40% in 2026 07:15 The economic impact of the cuts to federal workforce 09:00 Loss of 100k+ federal jobs will be a drag on the economy 10:00 Covid money is drying up in state and local government budgets 10:30 AI is starting to have impact on the job force 13:00 Data center investment creates wealth but not jobs 14:30 Are the AI stocks creating a bubble? 15:30 Investors may be a bit over their skis with AI 16:45 Stock market could be headed for a massive correction 18:00 Stock price to earnings ratios are at historic high 19:30 Tariff impacts starting to show up, AI providing a tailwind for economy 21:00 Economy is very vulnerable to unforeseen shocks 21:45 Price of gold at all time high, a warning sign? 23:30 Uncertainty around American economy driving up gold price 24:45 Risk of American economy not being considered a “Safe Haven” 26:00 Loss of safe haven status means higher interest rates 26:30 Impact of rising electricity prices on the economy 28:30 Oil and gas prices have stayed relatively low 29:30 Why haven’t investors flocked to real estate as an investment? 30:30 The price of commercial real estate is down substantially 31:45 High interest rates have cooled demand for residential real estate 33:15 The high end rental market is oversupplied 34:00 Workforce/middle income housing is in short supply 35:30 Housing issues vary by city and region, hard to address nationally 36:45 How much would the economy benefit from domestic migration? 38:30 Aging population a big factor in lack of domestic migration 39:00 Most Americans can’t afford to move 40:15 Impact of America’s broken politics on the economy 42:00 Will issues with China’s economy affect the globe? 43:00 Level of risk going into 2026?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd breaks down the latest political and global chaos as the government shutdown drags on with no resolution in sight—because, as he puts it, “nothing moves without Trump.” From Trump’s trade threats against China and his transactional diplomacy in the Middle East to Netanyahu’s political freefall in Israel, the episode examines how American and global politics are increasingly driven by short-term leverage over long-term stability. Todd also exposes how Trump’s team has weaponized government institutions—from Russ Vought’s reckless layoffs to Pam Bondi’s politicized DOJ—and how Trump’s online behavior, including an embarrassing Truth Social blunder, raises national security concerns. With the rule of law eroding and America’s moral authority slipping away, Chuck warns that the U.S. may be entering an era where power, not principle, defines governance. Finally, Chuck goes back to the 1987 market crash in the ToddCast Time Machine to compare the conditions then to current market conditions, answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, and gives his college football update. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction - New addition to the Todd household 02:45 Trump/China threaten trade retaliation, just posturing? 03:45 Government remains shutdown, no resolution without Trump 05:00 Trump sensitive to tariff price hikes on pharmaceuticals 06:00 Trump's transactional diplomacy works well in the middle east 08:15 Can Netanyahu survive politically without an active war? 09:15 2/3rds of Israeli voters want Netanyahu to resign 10:15 Many of Israel's threats are gone, but is now very isolated 11:45 Trump's government has weaponized/politicized everything 13:00 Russ Vought's mass layoffs were sloppy, overfired at CDC 15:00 Pam Bondi has overtly weaponized the Justice Department 17:15 DOJ indicting Trump enemies he named in social media post 18:45 Trump was DMing Bondi on Truth Social, mistakenly posted publicly 20:30 Trump's communications far more insecure than Hilary's emails 23:15 The current Republican congress just rolls over for Trump 24:15 Trump is destroying the rule of law & reputation of the GOP 25:30 If roles were reversed Republicans would be apoplectic 26:45 US has lost moral authority & credibility on the world stage 28:15 Most military leaders would resign quietly if given illegal orders 29:45 Presidents used to respect their predecessors… not Trump 30:45 Trump's supposed to govern for the entire country, refuses to 33:15 Trump believes two wrongs make a right 34:15 Trump started a trade war with China, and nobody wins a trade war 35:45 United States is far too reliant on China for rare earth metals 38:30 ToddCast Time Machine 39:15 October 19th, 1987 - U.S. stock market crash 40:00 Crash resulted in added financial regulation and safeguards 41:45 In week leading up to crash, markets had seen sharp declines 42:15 Computerized trades contributed to crashed 43:45 Crash wasn't rooted in one singular event/issue 44:45 Crash didn't result in wider problems like banking crisis 45:30 Lesson learned was "Don't Panic", market came back 46:45 Current market is dominated by algorithmic trading, creates risks 47:45 Market is highly concentrated in tech 48:45 Why 1987 isn't a corollary for 2025 50:45 Market will always have volatility 51:15 Ask Chuck 51:30 Should more candidates not run under the D or R label? 56:00 What practices would you suggest to reform ballot access? 59:30 Is the risk of China owning Tiktok any worse than Trump allies? 1:03:45 Were Biden's infrastructure projects halted by Big Beautiful Bill? 1:06:45 College football updateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd breaks down the latest political and global chaos as the government shutdown drags on with no resolution in sight—because, as he puts it, “nothing moves without Trump.” From Trump’s trade threats against China and his transactional diplomacy in the Middle East to Netanyahu’s political freefall in Israel, the episode examines how American and global politics are increasingly driven by short-term leverage over long-term stability. Todd also exposes how Trump’s team has weaponized government institutions—from Russ Vought’s reckless layoffs to Pam Bondi’s politicized DOJ—and how Trump’s online behavior, including an embarrassing Truth Social blunder, raises national security concerns. With the rule of law eroding and America’s moral authority slipping away, Chuck warns that the U.S. may be entering an era where power, not principle, defines governance. Then, Moody’s chief economist Mark Zandi joins Chuck to assess an economy that looks strong on paper—but feels weak for most Americans. While the top third of earners are doing well, lower-income households are tightening their belts as consumer spending slows and job creation stagnates. Zandi warns of a 30–40% chance of a recession by 2026, citing the drag from federal job cuts, the drying up of COVID relief funds, and the destabilizing effects of rising tariffs and electricity costs. They also dig into the booming—but risky—AI sector, where soaring valuations and limited job growth may be setting up the next market correction. Gold prices are surging, commercial real estate is slumping, and housing shortages are widening for middle-class renters. With Americans increasingly unable to move for better opportunities and faith in Washington deteriorating, Zandi and Todd explore whether the U.S. economy can remain the world’s “safe haven” — or if 2026 could be the year that confidence finally cracks. Finally, Chuck goes back to the 1987 market crash in the ToddCast Time Machine to compare the conditions then to current market conditions, answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, and gives his college football update. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction - New addition to the Todd household 03:45 Trump/China threaten trade retaliation, just posturing? 04:45 Government remains shutdown, no resolution without Trump 06:00 Trump sensitive to tariff price hikes on pharmaceuticals 07:00 Trump’s transactional diplomacy works well in the middle east 09:15 Can Netanyahu survive politically without an active war? 10:15 2/3rds of Israeli voters want Netanyahu to resign 11:15 Many of Israel’s threats are gone, but is now very isolated 12:45 Trump’s government has weaponized/politicized everything 14:00 Russ Vought’s mass layoffs were sloppy, overfired at CDC 16:00 Pam Bondi has overtly weaponized the Justice Department 18:15 DOJ indicting Trump enemies he named in social media post 19:45 Trump was DMing Bondi on Truth Social, mistakenly posted publicly 21:30 Trump’s communications far more insecure than Hilary’s emails 24:15 The current Republican congress just rolls over for Trump 25:15 Trump is destroying the rule of law & reputation of the GOP 26:30 If roles were reversed Republicans would be apoplectic 27:45 US has lost moral authority & credibility on the world stage 29:15 Most military leaders would resign quietly if given illegal orders 30:45 Presidents used to respect their predecessors… not Trump 31:45 Trump’s supposed to govern for the entire country, refuses to 34:15 Trump believes two wrongs make a right 35:15 Trump started a trade war with China, and nobody wins a trade war 36:45 United States is far too reliant on China for rare earth metals 40:00 Mark Zandi joins the Chuck ToddCast 41:00 The economy is only good for the top 1/3rd of earners 42:00 Lower income earners are struggling 43:30 Signs of a consumer pullback are starting to show up 45:00 The economy isn't creating many jobs 45:30 Chance of a recession is forecast at 30-40% in 2026 47:15 The economic impact of the cuts to federal workforce 49:00 Loss of 100k+ federal jobs will be a drag on the economy 50:00 Covid money is drying up in state and local government budgets 50:30 AI is starting to have impact on the job force 53:00 Data center investment creates wealth but not jobs 54:30 Are the AI stocks creating a bubble? 55:30 Investors may be a bit over their skis with AI 56:45 Stock market could be headed for a massive correction 58:00 Stock price to earnings ratios are at historic high 59:30 Tariff impacts starting to show up, AI providing a tailwind for economy 1:01:00 Economy is very vulnerable to unforeseen shocks 1:01:45 Price of gold at all time high, a warning sign? 1:03:30 Uncertainty around American economy driving up gold price 1:04:45 Risk of American economy not being considered a "Safe Haven" 1:06:00 Loss of safe haven status means higher interest rates 1:06:30 Impact of rising electricity prices on the economy 1:08:30 Oil and gas prices have stayed relatively low 1:09:30 Why haven't investors flocked to real estate as an investment? 1:10:30 The price of commercial real estate is down substantially 1:11:45 High interest rates have cooled demand for residential real estate 1:13:15 The high end rental market is oversupplied 1:14:00 Workforce/middle income housing is in short supply 1:15:30 Housing issues vary by city and region, hard to address nationally 1:16:45 How much would the economy benefit from domestic migration? 1:18:30 Aging population a big factor in lack of domestic migration 1:19:00 Most Americans can't afford to move 1:20:15 Impact of America's broken politics on the economy 1:22:00 Will issues with China's economy affect the globe? 1:23:00 Level of risk going into 2026? 1:24:30 ToddCast Time Machine 1:25:15 October 19th, 1987 - U.S. stock market crash 1:26:00 Crash resulted in added financial regulation and safeguards 1:27:45 In week leading up to crash, markets had seen sharp declines 1:28:15 Computerized trades contributed to crashed 1:29:45 Crash wasn't rooted in one singular event/issue 1:30:45 Crash didn't result in wider problems like banking crisis 1:31:30 Lesson learned was "Don't Panic", market came back 1:32:45 Current market is dominated by algorithmic trading, creates risks 1:33:45 Market is highly concentrated in tech 1:34:45 Why 1987 isn't a corollary for 2025 1:36:45 Market will always have volatility 1:37:15 Ask Chuck 1:37:30 Should more candidates not run under the D or R label? 1:42:00 What practices would you suggest to reform ballot access? 1:45:30 Is the risk of China owning Tiktok any worse than Trump allies? 1:49:45 Were Biden's infrastructure projects halted by Big Beautiful Bill? 1:52:45 College football updateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd sits down with Washington Monthly editor-in-chief Paul Glastris to unpack how America's college ranking system went off the rails—and how it's warping higher education itself. Glastris argues that U.S. News & World Report rewards wealth, not value, pushing schools to chase prestige over affordability and teaching quality. He highlights Berea College as a model for what higher ed could be: a well-endowed school that actually invests in its students rather than its brand.The two also explore how higher ed's obsession with research grants and graduate programs has left undergrads behind, and why community and regional universities—where most Americans actually study—deserve more attention and funding. From the decline of community colleges to the disappearance of local journalism, Glastris and Todd make the case for a “New Deal for Higher Education” that values mobility, access, and public service over profit and rankings.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Paul Glastris joins the Chuck ToddCast01:00 Best colleges for the buck?03:15 US News ranks colleges in a horrific way04:30 Schools prioritize wealth when doing admissions07:30 Upward mobility matters more when ranking colleges09:15 Schools freak out when they lose ranking status10:45 Berea College is best bang for the buck school in America12:45 Berea has a massive endowment, but it's used for education15:30 Schools focus on post-grad programs rather than undergrad17:00 Research institutions should be put in their own category17:30 Trump administration is going after schools with research grants19:00 We've never seen an administration target college research20:15 It costs a ton of money to send kids to college now21:30 Do colleges prioritize hiring researchers or teachers?24:15 We overproduce academic talent in America26:15 Smaller schools face massive financial challenges28:30 Many schools border on predatory30:00 We need a “new deal” for higher education32:30 Most people get their BA's at local & regional universities34:00 America didn't get to making 2 years of college free35:15 The state of the community college system36:45 Florida never built a good state system, has no prestige schools37:45 Florida standardized passing courses counting at every school39:45 There's a wide disparity of outcomes between community colleges40:15 Community colleges offer community building activities42:45 College rankings are an important example of service journalism44:45 Local journalism was the foundational piece of the profession46:00 The economic underpinnings of local journalism have been wiped out48:30 Government and philanthropy can underwrite local journalism50:30 National opinion journalism undermined local journalism52:00 Small towns can't afford good journalismSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the government shutdown stretches on, Chuck Todd breaks down how both parties are calculating the political costs — and why Democrats may have already achieved what they wanted. With air travel disruptions mounting and healthcare debates pulling in new Republican attention, the public's patience is wearing thin. Meanwhile, tensions between Trump and Illinois leaders have escalated, raising questions about the politicization of the military and fairness in immigration enforcement.He also examines Democrats' deeper strategic struggles heading into 2026 and beyond — from misreading voters' frustration with cost of living to failing to invest early in registration and outreach. Inside the party, Virginia rallies around Jay Jones, while figures like Elissa Slotkin and Gavin Newsom position for future national influence. But viral missteps, like Katie Porter's interview fallout, reveal how Democrats are still struggling to master modern media and messaging in an increasingly short-form political world.Finally, he answers listeners' questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and previews the upcoming weekend in college football.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Introduction00:30 Government shutdown lingers on, Dems accomplished what they wanted 01:45 Air travel starting to be impacted by shutdown 03:00 The healthcare issue has gotten the attention of Republicans 04:00 General public only cares about issues that directly impact them 05:00 Either party could end the shutdown now 07:15 Showdown between Trump & leaders in Chicago escalates 08:15 Using Texas national guard in Illinois is a bridge too far 09:15 Too many leaders on both sides are way too online 10:30 ICE found by judge to be making warrantless arrests 12:45 Trump and Stephen Miller overplaying threat to the public 13:30 Public doesn't support deployments, wants apolitical military 14:45 Majority of voters think deportation process hasn't been fair 16:15 Politics getting personal between Trump & Illinois leaders 18:15 There are political risks for both sides 19:15 DNC believes they didn't spend early & enough to engage voters in 24' 21:45 Democrats takeaways are wrong. Biden was the biggest issue 23:00 Biden team misread the room, voters were upset at cost of living 24:15 DNC has put enough effort into voter registration 25:00 Appears party leaders in VA will rally around Jay Jones 26:45 Democrats willing to engage in GOP style "whataboutism" 28:00 There's still a vast chunk of America that cares about ethics 29:30 Elisa Slotkin headlining dinner in NH, eyeing run for president? 30:30 Looking like Gavin Newsom will win redistricting referendum 32:30 If California votes yes, it looks like R's will only pick up 3-4 seats in 26' 33:15 Katie Porter crashes out in viral interview clip, both parties pile on 35:00 Has Porter spent too much time in friendly interview spaces? 36:30 Porter's response to losing senate primary to Schiff was revealing38:00 Former Bernie strategist says Dems struggling with short form video41:00 Ask Chuck 41:15 Should we offer a tax credit for voting to incentivize participation? 45:15 Thoughts on an "American Unity" platform? What would you include? 52:00 Trump modeling terrible behavior & character for young people? 59:45 Military pay during government shutdown? 1:02:15 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the government shutdown stretches on, Chuck Todd breaks down how both parties are calculating the political costs — and why Democrats may have already achieved what they wanted. With air travel disruptions mounting and healthcare debates pulling in new Republican attention, the public's patience is wearing thin. Meanwhile, tensions between Trump and Illinois leaders have escalated, raising questions about the politicization of the military and fairness in immigration enforcement.He also examines Democrats' deeper strategic struggles heading into 2026 and beyond — from misreading voters' frustration with cost of living to failing to invest early in registration and outreach. Inside the party, Virginia rallies around Jay Jones, while figures like Elissa Slotkin and Gavin Newsom position for future national influence. But viral missteps, like Katie Porter's interview fallout, reveal how Democrats are still struggling to master modern media and messaging in an increasingly short-form political world.Then, he sits down with Washington Monthly editor-in-chief Paul Glastris to unpack how America's college ranking system went off the rails—and how it's warping higher education itself. Glastris argues that U.S. News & World Report rewards wealth, not value, pushing schools to chase prestige over affordability and teaching quality. He highlights Berea College as a model for what higher ed could be: a well-endowed school that actually invests in its students rather than its brand.The two also explore how higher ed's obsession with research grants and graduate programs has left undergrads behind, and why community and regional universities—where most Americans actually study—deserve more attention and funding. From the decline of community colleges to the disappearance of local journalism, Glastris and Todd make the case for a “New Deal for Higher Education” that values mobility, access, and public service over profit and rankings.Finally, he answers listeners' questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and previews the upcoming weekend in college football.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Introduction03:00 Government shutdown lingers on, Dems accomplished what they wanted04:15 Air travel starting to be impacted by shutdown05:30 The healthcare issue has gotten the attention of Republicans06:30 General public only cares about issues that directly impact them07:30 Either party could end the shutdown now09:45 Showdown between Trump & leaders in Chicago escalates10:45 Using Texas national guard in Illinois is a bridge too far11:45 Too many leaders on both sides are way too online13:00 ICE found by judge to be making warrantless arrests15:15 Trump and Stephen Miller overplaying threat to the public16:00 Public doesn't support deployments, wants apolitical military17:15 Majority of voters think deportation process hasn't been fair18:45 Politics getting personal between Trump & Illinois leaders20:45 There are political risks for both sides21:45 DNC believes they didn't spend early & enough to engage voters in 24'24:15 Democrats takeaways are wrong. Biden was the biggest issue25:30 Biden team misread the room, voters were upset at cost of living26:45 DNC has put enough effort into voter registration27:30 Appears party leaders in VA will rally around Jay Jones29:15 Democrats willing to engage in GOP style “whataboutism”30:30 There's still a vast chunk of America that cares about ethics32:00 Elisa Slotkin headlining dinner in NH, eyeing run for president?33:00 Looking like Gavin Newsom will win redistricting referendum35:00 If California votes yes, it looks like R's will only pick up 3-4 seats in 26'35:45 Katie Porter crashes out in viral interview clip, both parties pile on37:30 Has Porter spent too much time in friendly interview spaces?39:00 Porter's response to losing senate primary to Schiff was revealing40:30 Former Bernie strategist says Dems struggling with short form video44:00 Paul Glastris joins the Chuck ToddCast 45:00 Best colleges for the buck? 47:15 US News ranks colleges in a horrific way 48:30 Schools prioritize wealth when doing admissions 51:30 Upward mobility matters more when ranking colleges 53:15 Schools freak out when they lose ranking status 54:45 Berea College is best bang for the buck school in America 56:45 Berea has a massive endowment, but it's used for education 59:30 Schools focus on post-grad programs rather than undergrad 1:01:00 Research institutions should be put in their own category 1:01:30 Trump administration is going after schools with research grants 1:03:00 We've never seen an administration target college research 1:04:15 It costs a ton of money to send kids to college now 1:05:30 Do colleges prioritize hiring researchers or teachers? 1:08:15 We overproduce academic talent in America 1:10:15 Smaller schools face massive financial challenges 1:12:30 Many schools border on predatory 1:14:00 We need a "new deal" for higher education 1:16:30 Most people get their BA's at local & regional universities 1:18:00 America didn't get to making 2 years of college free 1:19:15 The state of the community college system 1:20:45 Florida never built a good state system, has no prestige schools 1:21:45 Florida standardized passing courses counting at every school 1:23:45 There's a wide disparity of outcomes between community colleges 1:24:15 Community colleges offer community building activities 1:26:45 College rankings are an important example of service journalism 1:28:45 Local journalism was the foundational piece of the profession 1:30:00 The economic underpinnings of local journalism have been wiped out 1:32:30 Government and philanthropy can underwrite local journalism 1:34:30 National opinion journalism undermined local journalism 1:36:00 Small towns can't afford good journalism1:43:45 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Paul Glastris 1:44:30 Ask Chuck 1:44:45 Should we offer a tax credit for voting to incentivize participation? 1:48:45 Thoughts on an "American Unity" platform? What would you include? 1:55:30 Trump modeling terrible behavior & character for young people? 2:03:15 Military pay during government shutdown? 2:05:45 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck sits down with Stanford political scientist Adam Bonica to unpack the dark underbelly of political fundraising. Bonica reveals how the Democratic consulting firm Mothership Strategies helped shape modern campaign fundraising — and how their tactics, often resembling internet scams, have extracted hundreds of millions from small-dollar donors, many of whom are elderly or unaware they've been opted into recurring donations. Together, they explore how much of that money never reaches campaigns at all, instead being funneled into consultant fees and internal operations that border on money laundering.The conversation broadens into the systemic corruption of campaign finance: both parties' use of apocalyptic fear-mongering, the rise of Super PACs with minimal voter impact, and how America's extreme wealth inequality has distorted democratic accountability. Bonica explains why the public now views the very need to raise money as inherently corrupt — and how anti-corruption could be the strongest defense against authoritarian drift. As billions pour into elections with diminishing effect, Chuck and Adam question whether the next era of U.S. politics can ever be disentangled from the cash that drives it.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Adam Bonica joins the Chuck ToddCast03:00 Fundraising tactics are beyond bizarre05:30 Mothership strategies behind much of the Dem advertising08:00 Democratic candidates were enamored by Mothership's strategy10:15 Many donors had been suffering from cognitive decline11:30 PAC's were basically money laundering13:35 Most fundraising dollars were spent internally on consultants15:00 Both parties use apocalyptic language when fundraising17:00 Campaign fundraising using the same tactics as scammers18:30 Political fundraisers prey on older people20:30 Donors have to actively uncheck recurring donations21:15 ActBlue adopted new rules after Adam's reporting24:00 Mothership has raised hundreds of millions of dollars28:00 Mothership claims their fight is a “necessary evil”31:00 The public is very concerned about corruption31:45 Anti-corruption is the #1 anti-authoritarian strategy33:15 Public sees the need to raise money as a form of corruption34:45 There is so much corruptibility on the fundraising side of politics35:30 Money spent by Super PACs has almost no effect on public opinion36:45 Trump was outspent and still won37:30 Democrats have fundraising advantage they are squandering38:15 Most Republican donor money came from $1M+ earners39:00 Democrats dominating donations from young professionals42:00 Democrats would gain credibility advantage disavowing dark money44:30 American wealth inequality is reaching extreme territory46:15 Billionaires aren't aligned with root Democratic party politics49:15 Will we see $5B presidential elections in 2028?50:45 There is more money per swing voter than ever52:30 $500m will be spent on CA redistricting55:00 Mainstream journalism rarely audits where money goesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd breaks down the political fallout as the government shutdown begins disrupting air travel—and both parties claim they're “winning.” He argues that when politicians are upending people's lives, no one is really winning. The conversation turns to Israel, where Prime Minister Netanyahu faces deepening domestic backlash and a loss of international allies. With 66% of Israelis wanting the war in Gaza to end and growing calls for Bibi's ouster, Israel's reliance on the U.S. has never been greater—or more politically divisive.Chuck also examines how the Israel issue is surfacing in U.S. campaign politics, from Democratic primaries to GOP power plays. With Republicans clearing primary fields and Democrats facing scandals like Jay Jones' in Virginia, both parties are wrestling with internal fractures—and the risks of clinging to power at any cost.Finally, Chuck gives his ToddCast Top 5 governor's seats most likely to flip parties, and answers listeners' questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Introduction02:30 Government shutdown begins affecting air travel 04:15 Both sides think they are winning the shutdown 05:30 Congress created the conditions for regular shutdowns 06:30 When you're disrupting people's lives, you aren't "winning" 07:30 Israel's public support is eroding in the United States 08:30 Under Bibi, Israel has never been more powerful and alone 09:30 Israel alienated allies, incredibly reliant on the United States 11:15 Partisan split between R's and D's over support for Israel 12:15 Growing skepticism for Israel's actions in Gaza 14:00 66% of Israelis want to end the war in Gaza 15:30 Majority of Israelis want Netayahu gone after war is over 17:00 Most Israelis goal is the getting hostages home, not eliminating Hamas 18:15 Bibi is clinging to power to avoid accountability 19:15 New ad in New Hampshire targeting Andy Beshear over support for Israel 20:45 Tough to know how salient Israel issue will be in a Democratic primary 22:45 Republicans are clearing primary fields across the country 23:30 If Ken Paxton is nominee in Texas, the senate could flip 25:30 Susan Collins is the only Republican that can win in Maine 27:15 Dem voters tired of establishment that isn't winning 28:30 MAGA gave Republicans most power they've had in decades 29:30 If Jay Jones allegations in VA surfaced a month ago, he'd be replaced 31:00 If elected, Jay Jones should resign and let assembly choose replacement 34:00 Democrats playing with political fire with Jay Jones36:15 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Adam Bonica 38:00 Toddcast Top 5 - Governor's seats most likely to flip parties 38:30 #1 Virginia 41:00 #2 Kansas 42:45 #3 Wisconsin, #4 Michigan 45:00 #5 Iowa 49:00 Ask Chuck 49:15 Will there ever be amendments to prevent corruption in government? 52:00 Does Trump think the public will believe misinformation about the economy? 57:00 Should Democrats offer a "Project 2029" to offer a clear vision for change? 59:30 How would you handle bad faith Republican arguments over shutdown?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd breaks down the political fallout as the government shutdown begins disrupting air travel—and both parties claim they're “winning.” He argues that when politicians are upending people's lives, no one is really winning. The conversation turns to Israel, where Prime Minister Netanyahu faces deepening domestic backlash and a loss of international allies. With 66% of Israelis wanting the war in Gaza to end and growing calls for Bibi's ouster, Israel's reliance on the U.S. has never been greater—or more politically divisive.Chuck also examines how the Israel issue is surfacing in U.S. campaign politics, from Democratic primaries to GOP power plays. With Republicans clearing primary fields and Democrats facing scandals like Jay Jones' in Virginia, both parties are wrestling with internal fractures—and the risks of clinging to power at any cost.Then, Chuck sits down with Stanford political scientist Adam Bonica to unpack the dark underbelly of political fundraising. Bonica reveals how the Democratic consulting firm Mothership Strategies helped shape modern campaign fundraising — and how their tactics, often resembling internet scams, have extracted hundreds of millions from small-dollar donors, many of whom are elderly or unaware they've been opted into recurring donations. Together, they explore how much of that money never reaches campaigns at all, instead being funneled into consultant fees and internal operations that border on money laundering.The conversation broadens into the systemic corruption of campaign finance: both parties' use of apocalyptic fear-mongering, the rise of Super PACs with minimal voter impact, and how America's extreme wealth inequality has distorted democratic accountability. Bonica explains why the public now views the very need to raise money as inherently corrupt — and how anti-corruption could be the strongest defense against authoritarian drift. As billions pour into elections with diminishing effect, Chuck and Adam question whether the next era of U.S. politics can ever be disentangled from the cash that drives it.Finally, Chuck gives his ToddCast Top 5 governor's seats most likely to flip parties, and answers listeners' questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Introduction04:30 Government shutdown begins affecting air travel06:15 Both sides think they are winning the shutdown07:30 Congress created the conditions for regular shutdowns08:30 When you're disrupting people's lives, you aren't “winning”09:30 Israel's public support is eroding in the United States10:30 Under Bibi, Israel has never been more powerful and alone11:30 Israel alienated allies, incredibly reliant on the United States13:15 Partisan split between R's and D's over support for Israel14:15 Growing skepticism for Israel's actions in Gaza16:00 66% of Israelis want to end the war in Gaza17:30 Majority of Israelis want Netayahu gone after war is over19:00 Most Israelis goal is the getting hostages home, not eliminating Hamas20:15 Bibi is clinging to power to avoid accountability21:15 New ad in New Hampshire targeting Andy Beshear over support for Israel22:45 Tough to know how salient Israel issue will be in a Democratic primary24:45 Republicans are clearing primary fields across the country25:30 If Ken Paxton is nominee in Texas, the senate could flip27:30 Susan Collins is the only Republican that can win in Maine29:15 Dem voters tired of establishment that isn't winning30:30 MAGA gave Republicans most power they've had in decades31:30 If Jay Jones allegations in VA surfaced a month ago, he'd be replaced33:00 If elected, Jay Jones should resign and let assembly choose replacement36:00 Democrats playing with political fire with Jay Jones38:30 Adam Bonica joins the Chuck ToddCast 41:30 Fundraising tactics are beyond bizarre 44:00 Mothership strategies behind much of the Dem advertising 46:30 Democratic candidates were enamored by Mothership's strategy 48:45 Many donors had been suffering from cognitive decline 50:00 PAC's were basically money laundering 52:05 Most fundraising dollars were spent internally on consultants 53:30 Both parties use apocalyptic language when fundraising 55:30 Campaign fundraising using the same tactics as scammers 57:00 Political fundraisers prey on older people 59:00 Donors have to actively uncheck recurring donations 59:45 ActBlue adopted new rules after Adam's reporting 1:02:30 Mothership has raised hundreds of millions of dollars 1:06:30 Mothership claims their fight is a "necessary evil" 1:09:30 The public is very concerned about corruption 1:10:15 Anti-corruption is the #1 anti-authoritarian strategy 1:11:45 Public sees the need to raise money as a form of corruption 1:13:15 There is so much corruptibility on the fundraising side of politics 1:14:00 Money spent by Super PACs has almost no effect on public opinion 1:15:15 Trump was outspent and still won 1:16:00 Democrats have fundraising advantage they are squandering 1:16:45 Most Republican donor money came from $1M+ earners 1:17:30 Democrats dominating donations from young professionals 1:20:30 Democrats would gain credibility advantage disavowing dark money 1:23:00 American wealth inequality is reaching extreme territory 1:24:45 Billionaires aren't aligned with root Democratic party politics 1:27:45 Will we see $5B presidential elections in 2028? 1:29:15 There is more money per swing voter than ever 1:31:00 $500m will be spent on CA redistricting 1:33:30 Mainstream journalism rarely audits where money goes1:37:30 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Adam Bonica 1:39:15 Toddcast Top 5 - Governor's seats most likely to flip parties 1:39:45 #1 Virginia 1:42:15 #2 Kansas 1:44:00 #3 Wisconsin, #4 Michigan 1:46:15 #5 Iowa 1:50:15 Ask Chuck 1:50:30 Will there ever be amendments to prevent corruption in government? 1:53:15 Does Trump think the public will believe misinformation about the economy? 1:58:15 Should Democrats offer a "Project 2029" to offer a clear vision for change? 2:00:45 How would you handle bad faith Republican arguments over shutdown?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt joins Chuck to talk about why mayors often stand apart from the hyper-polarized world of national politics. With no partisan primaries to cater to, Holt argues that mayors are forced to be pragmatic and bipartisan—because when city leaders fail, the public notices quickly. He describes how Oklahoma City reflects the political and demographic balance of the country, why federal dollars matter more than federal agents when it comes to public safety, and how cities are tackling challenges from police recruitment to affordable housing.The conversation also touches on the unique role sports and culture play in a city's identity, from Oklahoma City's investment in a new arena for the Thunder to preparing for Olympic events. Holt warns of the risks of growing too fast, as seen in places like Austin and Nashville, and reflects on how the decline of local news has made it harder to communicate with residents. From social media outreach to funding journalism, Holt lays out the modern challenges and opportunities for cities trying to govern effectively while Washington remains gridlocked.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Mayor David Holt joins the Chuck ToddCast00:45 What is the conference of mayors?01:45 Mayors are uniquely bipartisan in this political environment02:45 How has polarization not made its way into mayor's offices03:15 Mayor have to get things done04:15 When mayors screw up the public notices05:00 Mayors don't face partisan primaries06:30 The lack of primaries makes mayors govern in a bipartisan way08:30 Primaries are the “source of all evil” in American politics10:00 Does bipartisan nature of the conference put you at disadvantage w/Trump11:30 Mayors can't govern & cater only to their base13:00 Oklahoma City is a political & demographic microcosm of the country 15:00 Many cities are struggling to hire more police officers16:45 Trump sending troops into cities for law enforcement isn't helpful17:30 Crime doesn't really happen “in the streets”18:30 Hiring incentives for ICE is hurting police recruiting19:45 Cities are having to offer much higher salaries for police officers21:00 Federal dollars are better than federal agents for local enforcement22:00 Youth programs are important to preventing crime23:30 Local governments need federal help to reduce housing costs26:45 How do you control housing costs in a free market system?28:30 Government subsidies incentivize construction of low cost housing30:30 Ways to incentivize landlords not to raise rents too quickly32:45 Will cities run into a budget crisis now that covid money has dried up?34:00 OKC didn't use federal covid money for ongoing expenses36:00 OKC used taxpayer money to get the Thunder a new arena37:45 A major sports team is one of the best things a city can have39:00 Concerned about OKC growing too fast?40:30 Austin & Nashville grew too fast & caused quality of life issues41:45 OKC hosting several Olympic events43:30 Difficulties communicating to public with the decline of local news44:45 Even when local news covers stories, the public doesn't read it45:45 Using social media to communicate with constituents47:30 Funding local news & journalism49:30 Is Oklahoma State out after Oklahoma move to SEC?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck examines the second week of the government shutdown, explaining why Republicans are taking most of the blame—but why it's not an automatic win for Democrats. He breaks down the political incentives that keep both sides digging in, Trump's efforts to punish his own voters in blue states, and the growing risk of violent confrontations with protestors. Chuck also explores how the shutdown intersects with pressing economic and foreign policy issues, from spiking consumer prices and tariff-driven disruptions in agriculture to Trump's controversial actions involving Venezuela and the implications for international norms.Finally, Chuck hops in the ToddCast Time Machine and digs into the longstanding impacts of the Anita Hill hearings, answers listeners' questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and gives his college football update.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Introduction01:30 Government shutdown extends into second week 02:30 Republicans getting more blame, but not a slam dunk for Dems 03:45 The political incentives are to dig in, rather than compromise 05:30 Trump is punishing his own voters in blue states 07:15 Government employees set to start missing paychecks 08:15 Mike Johnson is jamming the senate 09:45 Senate Republicans have been forced into tough votes 11:30 Democrats will have to get to yes at some point 12:30 Stephen Miller's language should be alarming to judiciary 13:30 Trump is trying to incite a violent confrontation with protestors 15:15 Making shutdown fight about healthcare was signal to moderate voters 18:15 In prior six months, prices for consumer goods have spiked 19:15 Retailers announcing substantial price increases due to tariffs 21:00 52% drop in soybean exports to China 21:45 Trump floating "socialist" style policies to bail out farmers 23:15 Japan elects a conservative as first female prime minister 25:00 Trump makes dubious claims in defense of striking Venezuelan boats 26:30 Boat attacks are denying due process to foreign citizens 28:15 We're giving a permission slip to thugs & dictators around the world 29:30 Venezuela would be a bigger story if not for the shutdown 30:45 Nominee for Virginia DA, Jay Jones has disturbing texts released 33:15 Candidate apologizes after texts were made public 35:15 What Jay Jones says was disqualifying 37:30 Nobody is being held accountable for faulty character 39:45 Polarization may be so strong that scandals don't matter41:30 ToddCast Time Machine 41:45 October 11th, 1991 - Anita Hill testified before judiciary committee 42:30 There were no women on the senate judiciary committee 43:30 Hill's testimony was massively consequential for gender equality 45:30 Clarence Thomas was being fast tracked to the Supreme Court 48:00 Anita Hill allegations surface publicly on October 6th 49:00 Hill provides graphic testimony of inappropriate behavior by Thomas 50:45 Hill had a lot to lose and was afraid 51:45 It was the first time sexual harassment entered public zeitgeist 53:00 Gender, race and ideology mixed into toxic political stew 53:30 Senate confirms Thomas in bipartisan vote 5 days later 55:45 Anita Hill has never forgiven Joe Biden for the hearing 57:15 Hill hearings supercharged women's entry into politics 1:00:00 Ask Chuck 1:00:15 Was Hegseth's speech a step towards a presidential campaign? 1:02:45 Dangers of governing with an "ends justify the means" philosophy? 1:05:45 College football updateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck examines the second week of the government shutdown, explaining why Republicans are taking most of the blame—but why it's not an automatic win for Democrats. He breaks down the political incentives that keep both sides digging in, Trump's efforts to punish his own voters in blue states, and the growing risk of violent confrontations with protestors. Chuck also explores how the shutdown intersects with pressing economic and foreign policy issues, from spiking consumer prices and tariff-driven disruptions in agriculture to Trump's controversial actions involving Venezuela and the implications for international norms.The discussion shifts to domestic politics, where Chuck looks at the fallout from the Virginia DA nominee Jay Jones's released texts, and what they reveal about accountability—or the lack thereof—in an era of extreme polarization. With scandals often failing to stick in today's divided environment, the episode paints a picture of a government and a political culture under strain, struggling to address crises both at home and abroad.Then, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt joins Chuck to talk about why mayors often stand apart from the hyper-polarized world of national politics. With no partisan primaries to cater to, Holt argues that mayors are forced to be pragmatic and bipartisan—because when city leaders fail, the public notices quickly. He describes how Oklahoma City reflects the political and demographic balance of the country, why federal dollars matter more than federal agents when it comes to public safety, and how cities are tackling challenges from police recruitment to affordable housing.The conversation also touches on the unique role sports and culture play in a city's identity, from Oklahoma City's investment in a new arena for the Thunder to preparing for Olympic events. Holt warns of the risks of growing too fast, as seen in places like Austin and Nashville, and reflects on how the decline of local news has made it harder to communicate with residents. From social media outreach to funding journalism, Holt lays out the modern challenges and opportunities for cities trying to govern effectively while Washington remains gridlocked.Finally, Chuck hops in the ToddCast Time Machine and digs into the longstanding impacts of the Anita Hill hearings, answers listeners questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and gives his college football update.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Introduction03:00 Mayors have to govern for all voters04:30 Government shutdown extends into second week05:30 Republicans getting more blame, but not a slam dunk for Dems06:45 The political incentives are to dig in, rather than compromise08:30 Trump is punishing his own voters in blue states10:15 Government employees set to start missing paychecks11:15 Mike Johnson is jamming the senate12:45 Senate Republicans have been forced into tough votes14:30 Democrats will have to get to yes at some point15:30 Stephen Miller's language should be alarming to judiciary16:30 Trump is trying to incite a violent confrontation with protestors18:15 Making shutdown fight about healthcare was signal to moderate voters21:15 In prior six months, prices for consumer goods have spiked22:15 Retailers announcing substantial price increases due to tariffs24:00 52% drop in soybean exports to China24:45 Trump floating “socialist” style policies to bail out farmers26:15 Japan elects a conservative as first female prime minister28:00 Trump makes dubious claims in defense of striking Venezuelan boats29:30 Boat attacks are denying due process to foreign citizens31:15 We're giving a permission slip to thugs & dictators around the world32:30 Venezuela would be a bigger story if not for the shutdown33:45 Nominee for Virginia DA, Jay Jones has disturbing texts released36:15 Candidate apologizes after texts were made public38:15 What Jay Jones says was disqualifying40:30 Nobody is being held accountable for faulty character42:45 Polarization may be so strong that scandals don't matter45:15 Mayor David Holt joins the Chuck ToddCast 46:00 What is the conference of mayors? 47:00 Mayors are uniquely bipartisan in this political environment 48:00 How has polarization not made its way into mayor's offices 48:30 Mayor have to get things done 49:30 When mayors screw up the public notices 50:15 Mayors don't face partisan primaries 51:45 The lack of primaries makes mayors govern in a bipartisan way 53:45 Primaries are the "source of all evil" in American politics 55:15 Does bipartisan nature of the conference put you at disadvantage w/Trump 56:45 Mayors can't govern & cater only to their base 58:15 Oklahoma City is a political & demographic microcosm of the country 1:00:15 Many cities are struggling to hire more police officers 1:02:00 Trump sending troops into cities for law enforcement isn't helpful 1:02:45 Crime doesn't really happen "in the streets" 1:03:45 Hiring incentives for ICE is hurting police recruiting 1:05:00 Cities are having to offer much higher salaries for police officers 1:06:15 Federal dollars are better than federal agents for local enforcement 1:07:15 Youth programs are important to preventing crime 1:08:45 Local governments need federal help to reduce housing costs 1:12:00 How do you control housing costs in a free market system? 1:13:45 Government subsidies incentivize construction of low cost housing 1:15:45 Ways to incentivize landlords not to raise rents too quickly 1:18:00 Will cities run into a budget crisis now that covid money has dried up? 1:19:15 OKC didn't use federal covid money for ongoing expenses 1:21:15 OKC used taxpayer money to get the Thunder a new arena 1:23:00 A major sports team is one of the best things a city can have 1:24:15 Concerned about OKC growing too fast? 1:25:45 Austin & Nashville grew too fast & caused quality of life issues 1:27:00 OKC hosting several Olympic events 1:28:45 Difficulties communicating to public with the decline of local news 1:30:00 Even when local news covers stories, the public doesn't read it 1:31:00 Using social media to communicate with constituents 1:32:45 Funding local news & journalism 1:34:45 Is Oklahoma State out after Oklahoma move to SEC?1:37:30 Chuck's thoughts on interview with David Holt 1:38:45 ToddCast Time Machine 1:39:00 October 11th, 1991 - Anita Hill testified before judiciary committee 1:39:45 There were no women on the senate judiciary committee 1:40:45 Hill's testimony was massively consequential for gender equality 1:42:45 Clarence Thomas was being fast tracked to the Supreme Court 1:45:15 Anita Hill allegations surface publicly on October 6th 1:46:15 Hill provides graphic testimony of inappropriate behavior by Thomas 1:48:00 Hill had a lot to lose and was afraid 1:49:00 It was the first time sexual harassment entered public zeitgeist 1:50:15 Gender, race and ideology mixed into toxic political stew 1:50:45 Senate confirms Thomas in bipartisan vote 5 days later 1:53:00 Anita Hill has never forgiven Joe Biden for the hearing 1:54:30 Hill hearings supercharged women's entry into politics 1:57:15 Ask Chuck 1:57:30 Was Hegseth's speech a step towards a presidential campaign? 2:00:00 Dangers of governing with an "ends justify the means" philosophy? 2:03:00 College football updateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Teamsters president Sean O'Brien joins Chuck to talk about the future of organized labor in an era defined by Amazon, automation, and artificial intelligence. O'Brien warns that AI-driven job displacement could be the central issue of the 2028 campaign, and he argues that technology is being adopted without worker input—repeating mistakes unions made during NAFTA, when labor put too much trust in political leadership. He stresses that unions must be transactional, not partisan, as Democrats increasingly balance business interests while Republicans like Marco Rubio and Josh Hawley show new, if uneven, openness to labor.The conversation also dives into the political tightrope the Teamsters walk. With a membership that's 65% behind Trump and Republicans, O'Brien explains why endorsing Kamala Harris was never on the table, why Democrats shouldn't get credit for fixing problems they helped create, and how bad trade deals pushed states like Ohio from blue to red. From navigating tensions with other unions to weighing in on key 2026 races, O'Brien makes clear the Teamsters are willing to work with anyone who delivers for workers—and even open the door to college athletes unionizing by conference. This is a candid look at the shifting power and politics of America's labor movement.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Sean O'Brien joins the Chuck ToddCast00:30 Teamsters have reputation of being a less partisan union02:00 Teamsters have a very diverse membership03:15 Amazon could be the biggest threat to organized labor04:30 The threat of AI to workers05:45 AI job displacement could be central issue to 2028 campaign07:15 What leverage do the unions have when it comes to AI?09:15 3 Democratic governments vetoed bills for automated trucks12:30 How are unions dealing with technological change & automation14:00 Technology is being adopted without input for labor15:30 What mistakes did labor make during NAFTA negotiations?16:45 Labor made a mistake trusting political leadership with NAFTA18:00 Democrats used to be the party of labor, now also a party of business19:00 Labor needs to be transactional and not partisan21:30 Republicans like Rubio have become more friendly to labor22:45 Has the Republican shift been rhetorical or substantive?25:15 Josh Hawley was persuaded to stop supporting Right to Work26:30 Bad trade deals caused Ohio to flip from blue to red27:30 No explanation for why Sean wasn't invited to the DNC29:00 The Teamsters were never going to co-endorse Kamala Harris31:15 Teamsters have 65% Republican membership32:45 Labor is the last group taken care of during a bankruptcy34:30 Democrats don't deserve credit for fixing a problem they created36:30 What's the relationship like with other labor unions?38:00 There is some ill-will from other unions for not endorsing Harris39:00 An endorsement wouldn't move the needle with the members39:30 How can Democrats win back union members?41:15 The split between members and leadership over supporting D's43:30 How can you trust the Republicans?45:15 Teamsters will definitely weigh in on senate and house races in 202646:45 Teamsters would happily accept student athletes as union members48:45 College football union membership would likely be by conferenceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down the absurdity of the U.S. government repeatedly grinding to a halt over government shutdowns. He explains why disruptions like TSA slowdowns and flight delays could force a faster resolution, why this standoff likely won't last beyond a couple of weeks, and how Republicans may try to negotiate, only to walk back agreements through budget rescissions—or even consider ending the filibuster to reopen government. Chuck also examines the Democrats' post-Obama resilience, built on being seen as the “grown ups,” while Trump continues to erode norms, politicize governance, and set the tone for a crasser American culture. From the decisive swing of a 3-5 point “adult constituency” to Trump's retributive budget plans, fundraising battles in Maine and Michigan, and even Trump's transactional dealings with Qatar and Pfizer, this episode explores the fragile state of U.S. politics in an era where outrage is constant and functional governance feels increasingly out of reach.Finally, he answers listeners' questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and previews the upcoming weekend in college football.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Introduction01:15 Ridiculous for world's superpower to have their government shut down02:00 Flight delays, TSA issues could cause the fastest resolution04:00 Would be surprising if shutdown lasts longer than a couple weeks05:00 Vance signaled some willingness to negotiate06:30 Republicans can agree to demands, then use recissions to renege07:30 Republicans could end the filibuster and reopen the government08:30 Nominations should require a 75 vote threshold build consensus10:00 2013 shutdown got Terry McCauliffe elected as VA governor11:15 Trump has politicized every aspect of governance12:00 Russ Vought targeting cuts to only blue states in retribution14:45 What has kept the Democrats competitive post-Obama?15:30 Dems have benefitted from being considered the “grown ups”16:00 Dem activists feel like playing by the rules hasn't helped them18:30 Six week clean CR proposal was reasonable19:45 The “adult” constituency may be 3-5 points, and could be decisive21:30 Trump's behavior has been outrageous, but we've become numb to it22:45 We're in a “political depression”, have a barely functioning government24:45 There's no lines Trump won't cross, there are lines the left won't26:15 American culture has become more crass under Trump28:15 Our sense of decorum is being set by Trump and online MAGA30:15 Graham Platner raised $3.2 million in Maine senate race32:00 Is Janet Mills the strongest candidate to beat Susan Collins?33:00 Being an “outsider” will likely outweigh ideology35:00 Michigan democratic senate candidates all have strong fundraising36:00 Trump offers NATO style security guarantees to Qatar37:00 Airplane gift to Trump paying dividends for the Qataris 38:00 Pfizer agrees to name website TrumpRX40:30 Trump nominee pulled after opposition from crypto world42:30 Ask Chuck 42:45 Has anyone else ever started run for president as early as Trump? 50:15 Thoughts on use of centralized databases for voter rolls? 55:00 Why do government workers get back pay after a shutdown? 1:00:00 If Josh Shapiro dominates re-election could he leapfrog the Dem field? 1:03:15 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down the absurdity of the U.S. government repeatedly grinding to a halt over government shutdowns. He explains why disruptions like TSA slowdowns and flight delays could force a faster resolution, why this standoff likely won't last beyond a couple of weeks, and how Republicans may try to negotiate, only to walk back agreements through budget rescissions—or even consider ending the filibuster to reopen government. Chuck also examines the Democrats' post-Obama resilience, built on being seen as the “grown ups,” while Trump continues to erode norms, politicize governance, and set the tone for a crasser American culture. From the decisive swing of a 3-5 point “adult constituency” to Trump's retributive budget plans, fundraising battles in Maine and Michigan, and even Trump's transactional dealings with Qatar and Pfizer, this episode explores the fragile state of U.S. politics in an era where outrage is constant and functional governance feels increasingly out of reach.Then, Teamsters president Sean O'Brien joins Chuck to talk about the future of organized labor in an era defined by Amazon, automation, and artificial intelligence. O'Brien warns that AI-driven job displacement could be the central issue of the 2028 campaign, and he argues that technology is being adopted without worker input—repeating mistakes unions made during NAFTA, when labor put too much trust in political leadership. He stresses that unions must be transactional, not partisan, as Democrats increasingly balance business interests while Republicans like Marco Rubio and Josh Hawley show new, if uneven, openness to labor.The conversation also dives into the political tightrope the Teamsters walk. With a membership that's 65% behind Trump and Republicans, O'Brien explains why endorsing Kamala Harris was never on the table, why Democrats shouldn't get credit for fixing problems they helped create, and how bad trade deals pushed states like Ohio from blue to red. From navigating tensions with other unions to weighing in on key 2026 races, O'Brien makes clear the Teamsters are willing to work with anyone who delivers for workers—and even open the door to college athletes unionizing by conference. This is a candid look at the shifting power and politics of America's labor movement.Finally, he answers listeners' questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and previews the upcoming weekend in college football.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Introduction01:15 Ridiculous for world's superpower to have their government shut down02:00 Flight delays, TSA issues could cause the fastest resolution04:00 Would be surprising if shutdown lasts longer than a couple weeks05:00 Vance signaled some willingness to negotiate06:30 Republicans can agree to demands, then use recissions to renege07:30 Republicans could end the filibuster and reopen the government08:30 Nominations should require a 75 vote threshold build consensus10:00 2013 shutdown got Terry McCauliffe elected as VA governor11:15 Trump has politicized every aspect of governance12:00 Russ Vought targeting cuts to only blue states in retribution14:45 What has kept the Democrats competitive post-Obama?15:30 Dems have benefitted from being considered the “grown ups”16:00 Dem activists feel like playing by the rules hasn't helped them18:30 Six week clean CR proposal was reasonable19:45 The “adult” constituency may be 3-5 points, and could be decisive21:30 Trump's behavior has been outrageous, but we've become numb to it22:45 We're in a “political depression”, have a barely functioning government24:45 There's no lines Trump won't cross, there are lines the left won't26:15 American culture has become more crass under Trump28:15 Our sense of decorum is being set by Trump and online MAGA30:15 Graham Platner raised $3.2 million in Maine senate race32:00 Is Janet Mills the strongest candidate to beat Susan Collins?33:00 Being an “outsider” will likely outweigh ideology35:00 Michigan democratic senate candidates all have strong fundraising36:00 Trump offers NATO style security guarantees to Qatar37:00 Airplane gift to Trump paying dividends for the Qataris 38:00 Pfizer agrees to name website TrumpRX40:30 Trump nominee pulled after opposition from crypto world44:00 Sean O'Brien joins the Chuck ToddCast 44:30 Teamsters have reputation of being a less partisan union 46:00 Teamsters have a very diverse membership 47:15 Amazon could be the biggest threat to organized labor 48:30 The threat of AI to workers 49:45 AI job displacement could be central issue to 2028 campaign 51:15 What leverage do the unions have when it comes to AI? 53:15 3 Democratic governments vetoed bills for automated trucks 56:30 How are unions dealing with technological change & automation 58:00 Technology is being adopted without input for labor 59:30 What mistakes did labor make during NAFTA negotiations? 1:00:45 Labor made a mistake trusting political leadership with NAFTA 1:02:00 Democrats used to be the party of labor, now also a party of business 1:03:00 Labor needs to be transactional and not partisan 1:05:30 Republicans like Rubio have become more friendly to labor 1:06:45 Has the Republican shift been rhetorical or substantive? 1:09:15 Josh Hawley was persuaded to stop supporting Right to Work 1:10:30 Bad trade deals caused Ohio to flip from blue to red 1:11:30 No explanation for why Sean wasn't invited to the DNC 1:13:00 The Teamsters were never going to co-endorse Kamala Harris 1:15:15 Teamsters have 65% Republican membership 1:16:45 Labor is the last group taken care of during a bankruptcy 1:18:30 Democrats don't deserve credit for fixing a problem they created 1:20:30 What's the relationship like with other labor unions? 1:22:00 There is some ill-will from other unions for not endorsing Harris 1:23:00 An endorsement wouldn't move the needle with the members 1:23:30 How can Democrats win back union members? 1:25:15 The split between members and leadership over supporting D's 1:27:30 How can you trust the Republicans? 1:29:15 Teamsters will definitely weigh in on senate and house races in 2026 1:30:45 Teamsters would happily accept student athletes as union members 1:32:45 College football union membership would likely be by conference1:34:45 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Sean O'Brien 1:36:00 Ask Chuck 1:36:15 Has anyone else ever started run for president as early as Trump? 1:43:45 Thoughts on use of centralized databases for voter rolls? 1:48:30 Why do government workers get back pay after a shutdown? 1:53:30 If Josh Shapiro dominates re-election could he leapfrog the Dem field? 1:56:45 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck unpacks the latest government shutdown and the political brinkmanship that created it. He explores how shutdowns—once unthinkable—have become a partisan weapon, wasting money while allowing leaders like Donald Trump to punish opponents and play to their base. With Democrats at risk of shouldering equal or greater blame, Chuck asks whether the public is even paying attention, and what role figures like Russ Vought could play in reshaping government permanently. Beyond the shutdown, the conversation turns to the bigger picture: why voters never saw Trump as an aberration, why 2020 wasn't a full repudiation of 2016, and what Democrats must do to win back Trump voters in 2028. From Harris's struggle to differentiate herself from Biden to Clinton's careful dance with Reagan's legacy, Chuck argues that Democrats may need to admit Trump identified real problems—even as his solutions and behavior, especially with military leaders, remain deeply troubling.Finally, Chuck presents his ToddCast Top 5 senate races most likely to flip parties, answers listeners' questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, and recaps a frustrating night at the Cowboys/Packers game. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Introduction - Government begins shutting down01:15 Congress created shutdown conditions for political leverage02:00 Could shutdown trigger the end of the senate filibuster rule?02:45 Democrats have always messaged that shutdowns are bad04:30 Democrats could shoulder equal or more blame for shutdown06:30 Shutdowns are a massive waste of money07:30 Trump seems excited for shutdown to punish opponents09:15 Terrible trend of politicians only governing for their base 11:15 Independents are pretty sour on Trump's presidency13:00 Russ Vought at OMB could use shutdown to reorient gov't permanently14:30 Big danger for Democrats is whether the public is paying attention15:30 Chuck Schumer is “Mitch McConnell” level unpopular18:45 If Dems want to win in 28 they'll have to win over some Trump voters20:15 Democrats thought Trump was an aberration, voters didn't21:15 2020 wasn't a repudiation of why Trump was elected in 201624:00 Voters don't want status quo, which is why they elected Trump twice26:15 Harris needed to prove she was different from Biden and didn't27:45 For Clinton to win, he couldn't repudiate everything Reagan did30:00 Trump's behavior in front of military leaders was outrageous31:30 The military leaders handled the situation exactly as they should32:30 Hegseth lectured leaders of far higher rank than he earned in military33:45 Democrats will have to admit that Trump correctly identified problems34:45 Voters picked “political division” as the 2nd biggest problem after economy37:30 ToddCast Top 5 Senate races most likely to flip parties 38:00 #1 North Carolina 39:45 #2 Georgia 41:45 #3 Michigan 43:30 #4 Maine 45:30 #5 New Hampshire 51:00 Honorable mentions 51:30 Ask Chuck 51:45 Why is the lie that shutdown is over money for illegal immigrants pervasive? 54:45 Democrats feeling disheartened after talking to Trump supporters? 58:45 Would the country be better off if Trump was reelected in 2020? 1:03:00 Will Des Moines superintendent arrest derail Iowa senate campaign? 1:04:45 Chuck's experience at Cowboys/Packers game in Dallas 1:10:00 It was a great weekend of college football Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, NewsNation host Leland Vittert opens up about his personal journey growing up on the autism spectrum, the struggles his family faced, and the lessons that shaped his outlook on life and journalism. From being misunderstood in school and learning to navigate social cues, to the pivotal role his mother played in holding the family together, Vittert reflects on why he chose to go public with his story and how his experiences inform his new book—a parenting guide told from the child's perspective. He also explores how autism has served as both a challenge and, at times, a superpower in his career and personal life.The conversation widens to America's media landscape, where Vittert argues for a “radical center” approach and a journalism that calls balls and strikes on both sides rather than chasing flashy headlines. He stresses the importance of reviving local news, curating coverage around what matters most, and confronting the biases not only in how stories are told, but in which stories get told at all. This candid discussion is part memoir, part media critique, and a call for greater honesty—both in parenting and in public life.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Leland Vittert joins the Chuck ToddCast01:45 The public doesn't grasp autism and child development issues03:00 Autism wasn't well understood in the 80s03:45 Parents struggle to raise neurodivergent children05:00 Adapting to the world you live in, not expecting world to adapt to you06:45 Leland's father didn't want him to be defined by his disability07:30 PE teacher put Leland in with the girls “to protect him”08:15 The struggle with learning to pick up social queues13:15 Everyone in DC always wanted to be student body president14:00 Why go public with your story of being on the spectrum?16:30 There's a “parental reckoning” happening in America17:30 There are lots of broken young men susceptible to radicalization19:00 Nobody has definitive answers about causes of autism21:15 Scientists need to be humble enough to say “I don't know”22:30 80% of parents with disabled children get divorced24:30 Leland's mother held the family together, hero of the story26:30 Telling this story publicly is like going to therapy on live TV28:00 How did you share the story of your autism with your wife?31:00 You don't “get over” autism32:30 Where has autism showcased itself as a superpower in your life?34:30 Book is a parenting book written from the child's perspective36:15 There's no one answer to America's media problem37:45 What works and doesn't work in the news media??39:00 There is a “radical center” that's sick of extremes on both sides39:45 Journalists should call balls and strikes and call out both sides41:45 Cable news tends to obsess over stories that are flashy over substantive43:00 Journalists should curate stories that are most important44:45 Bias isn't just how you cover the news, it's what you cover46:30 Local news was a character reference for the national network journalists48:15 How to revive local news/journalism?51:00 Leland really put himself out there with this book Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck unpacks the latest government shutdown and the political brinkmanship that created it. He explores how shutdowns—once unthinkable—have become a partisan weapon, wasting money while allowing leaders like Donald Trump to punish opponents and play to their base. With Democrats at risk of shouldering equal or greater blame, Chuck asks whether the public is even paying attention, and what role figures like Russ Vought could play in reshaping government permanently. Beyond the shutdown, the conversation turns to the bigger picture: why voters never saw Trump as an aberration, why 2020 wasn't a full repudiation of 2016, and what Democrats must do to win back Trump voters in 2028. From Harris's struggle to differentiate herself from Biden to Clinton's careful dance with Reagan's legacy, Chuck argues that Democrats may need to admit Trump identified real problems—even as his solutions and behavior, especially with military leaders, remain deeply troubling.Then, Chuck is joined by NewsNation host Leland Vittert, who opens up about his personal journey growing up on the autism spectrum, the struggles his family faced, and the lessons that shaped his outlook on life and journalism. From being misunderstood in school and learning to navigate social cues, to the pivotal role his mother played in holding the family together, Vittert reflects on why he chose to go public with his story and how his experiences inform his new book—a parenting guide told from the child's perspective. He also explores how autism has served as both a challenge and, at times, a superpower in his career and personal life.The conversation widens to America's media landscape, where Vittert argues for a “radical center” approach and a journalism that calls balls and strikes on both sides rather than chasing flashy headlines. He stresses the importance of reviving local news, curating coverage around what matters most, and confronting the biases not only in how stories are told, but in which stories get told at all. This candid discussion is part memoir, part media critique, and a call for greater honesty—both in parenting and in public life.Finally, Chuck presents his ToddCast Top 5 senate races most likely to flip parties, answers listeners' questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, and recaps a frustrating night at the Cowboys/Packers game. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Introduction - Government begins shutting down01:15 Congress created shutdown conditions for political leverage02:00 Could shutdown trigger the end of the senate filibuster rule?02:45 Democrats have always messaged that shutdowns are bad04:30 Democrats could shoulder equal or more blame for shutdown06:30 Shutdowns are a massive waste of money07:30 Trump seems excited for shutdown to punish opponents09:15 Terrible trend of politicians only governing for their base 11:15 Independents are pretty sour on Trump's presidency13:00 Russ Vought at OMB could use shutdown to reorient gov't permanently14:30 Big danger for Democrats is whether the public is paying attention15:30 Chuck Schumer is “Mitch McConnell” level unpopular18:45 If Dems want to win in 28 they'll have to win over some Trump voters20:15 Democrats thought Trump was an aberration, voters didn't21:15 2020 wasn't a repudiation of why Trump was elected in 201624:00 Voters don't want status quo, which is why they elected Trump twice26:15 Harris needed to prove she was different from Biden and didn't27:45 For Clinton to win, he couldn't repudiate everything Reagan did30:00 Trump's behavior in front of military leaders was outrageous31:30 The military leaders handled the situation exactly as they should32:30 Hegseth lectured leaders of far higher rank than he earned in military33:45 Democrats will have to admit that Trump correctly identified problems34:45 Voters picked “political division” as the 2nd biggest problem after economy39:45 Leland Vittert joins the Chuck ToddCast 41:30 The public doesn't grasp autism and child development issues 42:45 Autism wasn't well understood in the 80s 43:30 Parents struggle to raise neurodivergent children 44:45 Adapting to the world you live in, not expecting world to adapt to you 46:30 Leland's father didn't want him to be defined by his disability 47:15 PE teacher put Leland in with the girls "to protect him" 48:00 The struggle with learning to pick up social queues 53:00 Everyone in DC always wanted to be student body president 53:45 Why go public with your story of being on the spectrum? 56:15 There's a "parental reckoning" happening in America 57:15 There are lots of broken young men susceptible to radicalization 58:45 Nobody has definitive answers about causes of autism 1:01:00 Scientists need to be humble enough to say "I don't know" 1:02:15 80% of parents with disabled children get divorced 1:04:15 Leland's mother held the family together, hero of the story 1:06:15 Telling this story publicly is like going to therapy on live TV 1:07:45 How did you share the story of your autism with your wife? 1:10:45 You don't "get over" autism 1:12:15 Where has autism showcased itself as a superpower in your life? 1:14:15 Book is a parenting book written from the child's perspective 1:16:00 There's no one answer to America's media problem 1:17:30 What works and doesn't work in the news media?? 1:18:45 There is a "radical center" that's sick of extremes on both sides 1:19:30 Journalists should call balls and strikes and call out both sides 1:21:30 Cable news tends to obsess over stories that are flashy over substantive 1:22:45 Journalists should curate stories that are most important 1:24:30 Bias isn't just how you cover the news, it's what you cover 1:26:15 Local news was a character reference for the national network journalists 1:28:00 How to revive local news/journalism? 1:30:45 Leland really put himself out there with this book1:31:15 Chuck's thoughts on interview with Leland Vittert 1:31:45 ToddCast Top 5 Senate races most likely to flip parties 1:32:15 #1 North Carolina 1:34:00 #2 Georgia 1:36:00 #3 Michigan 1:37:45 #4 Maine 1:39:45 #5 New Hampshire 1:45:15 Honorable mentions 1:45:45 Ask Chuck 1:46:00 Why is the lie that shutdown is over money for illegal immigrants pervasive? 1:49:00 Democrats feeling disheartened after talking to Trump supporters? 1:53:00 Would the country be better off if Trump was reelected in 2020? 1:57:15 Will Des Moines superintendent arrest derail Iowa senate campaign? 1:59:00 Chuck's experience at Cowboys/Packers game in Dallas 2:04:15 It was a great weekend of college football Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck looks at new polling showing just how unsettled Americans feel heading into yet another potential government shutdown. With 93% of the country agreeing that political violence is a problem and a majority believing we're in a full-blown political crisis, partisanship has hardened to the point where disagreement itself is seen as betrayal. Chuck traces how government shutdowns—once unheard of before 1980—became a recurring political weapon, thanks to Justice Department rulings, congressional maneuvering, and laws that reduced the political pain by exempting things like military pay and Social Security. The result: contractors left stranded, bipartisanship all but eliminated, and a system designed to fail.Finally, Chuck takes a trip in the ToddCast Time Machine to 1974, when congress gave the Freedom of Information Act teeth, plus answers listeners' questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Introduction01:00 New polling out leading into potential government shutdown 02:00 93% of the country believe political violence is a problem 03:00 Majority of the country believes we're in a "political crisis" 04:00 Democrats less likely to talk politics across the aisle 05:30 Partisans believe you're on "the other side'' if you don't agree with them 07:45 People need to feel secure in having political debate 09:00 Independent voters are disenfranchised relative to D & R voters 11:15 Before 1980 America never had a government shutdown 12:30 Two Justice Department opinions created the legal basis for shutdowns 15:00 Government shutdown threats are now an annual occurrence 16:15 Two laws passed to make political cost of a shutdown less painful 17:45 Exemptions for military pay and social security make shutdowns easier 18:45 Proposals for automatic government funding haven't passed 21:15 Government contractors can't work under shutdowns or CR's 22:30 Politicians deliberately created the conditions that lead to shutdowns 23:45 Congressional leadership wanted to create artificial leverage 25:00 The incentive structures for bipartisan compromise are gone 27:30 Congress had the power to deal with shutdowns and didn't30:30 The ToddCast Time Machine 31:00 October 5th, 1974 Congress put teeth in the Freedom of Information Act 32:30 Cheney and Rumsfeld argued transparency would hurt national security 33:00 Lawmakers overruled the presidential veto 35:00 Florida has some of the strongest government transparency laws 35:45 Multiple states created their own transparency laws after FOIA 37:00 Pentagon demanded restrictions on journalists, no outlets agree 39:00 We can't have a democracy without transparency 41:45 When your party is out of power you're more likely to believe nonsense 43:00 Ask Chuck 43:15 Parallels between LDS church in UT & OK nearly becoming a black state? 46:00 Chances the Republican gerrymanders backfire? 50:45 How can Americans abroad stay civically engaged and bring about change? 55:45 Where do you get your optimism from in this political climate? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck looks at new polling showing just how unsettled Americans feel heading into yet another potential government shutdown. With 93% of the country agreeing that political violence is a problem and a majority believing we're in a full-blown political crisis, partisanship has hardened to the point where disagreement itself is seen as betrayal. Chuck traces how government shutdowns—once unheard of before 1980—became a recurring political weapon, thanks to Justice Department rulings, congressional maneuvering, and laws that reduced the political pain by exempting things like military pay and Social Security. The result: contractors left stranded, bipartisanship all but eliminated, and a system designed to fail.Then, veteran journalist for The Economist, James Bennet joins Chuck to break down Donald Trump's scathing U.N. speech and what it reveals about his worldview: not isolationist, but relentlessly self-centered, with his personal interest framed as national interest. Bennet warns that Trump's grip on power is existential for him and his administration, and if institutions like the Supreme Court allow unchecked presidential firings, the rule of law itself could unravel. From the Cold War's stabilizing influence to the fractures of today's four-party system crammed into two, Bennet and Chuck explore whether America can navigate its political turmoil without mass violence, and how drone warfare, refugee flows, and the collapse of the international rules-based order are reshaping global politics.The conversation also turns inward, examining how journalism has struggled to adapt in the Trump era. Bennet reflects on writing for international audiences, the dangers of catering to niche media bubbles, and why legacy outlets must rediscover local reporting. He argues that deplatforming Trump was a massive mistake that accelerated the collapse of resistance, while public pressure against platforming controversial voices continues to erode open debate. From Biden's misunderstood mandate to the Senate's paralysis and the rise of cult-of-personality politics, this episode considers what reforms will be necessary both in government and in journalism.Finally, Chuck takes a trip in the ToddCast Time Machine to 1974, when congress gave the Freedom of Information Act teeth, plus answers listeners' questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Introduction 06:00 New polling out leading into potential government shutdown07:00 93% of the country believe political violence is a problem08:00 Majority of the country believes we're in a “political crisis”09:00 Democrats less likely to talk politics across the aisle10:30 Partisans believe you're on “the other side'' if you don't agree with them12:45 People need to feel secure in having political debate14:00 Independent voters are disenfranchised relative to D & R voters16:15 Before 1980 America never had a government shutdown17:30 Two Justice Department opinions created the legal basis for shutdowns20:00 Government shutdown threats are now an annual occurrence21:15 Two laws passed to make political cost of a shutdown less painful22:45 Exemptions for military pay and social security make shutdowns easier23:45 Proposals for automatic government funding haven't passed26:15 Government contractors can't work under shutdowns or CR's27:30 Politicians deliberately created the conditions that lead to shutdowns28:45 Congressional leadership wanted to create artificial leverage30:00 The incentive structures for bipartisan compromise are gone32:30 Congress had the power to deal with shutdowns and didn't35:00 James Bennet joins the Chuck ToddCast 36:30 Trump scolds other nations in scathing U.N. speech 37:30 Trump behaved like Hugo Chavez in U.N. speech 38:45 Trump is not an isolationist, but it's all centered around him 39:30 Trump sees his interest as the national interest 41:15 How alarmed should we be? 42:15 Things have gotten pretty dark in the past two weeks 43:00 Staying in power is existential for Trump & his administration 44:30 If you lose the rule of law, you lose the country 45:15 If SCOTUS allows fed firing, there's no going back 46:00 John Roberts desperate to avoid constitutional showdown 47:30 Government will require major reform after Trump 50:00 The cold war was a stabilizing force in American politics 52:00 America is a four party system crammed into two parties 54:00 Public sentiment has been pessimistic the entire 21st century 55:45 Can we get through this without mass violence? 57:30 It's hard to imagine a productive modern constitutional convention 59:00 The last "protectionist race" led to a world war 1:00:15 We're no longer living in the international rules based order 1:01:30 Drones are massively changing the dynamics of warfare 1:03:00 Refugee flows are causing political instability worldwide 1:03:30 Trump has no interest in leading internationally 1:05:00 Trump is constantly campaigning and only for his base 1:07:00 Did we export our politics to Israel, or the other way around? 1:08:45 Only Obama had a majority of the vote in the 21st century 1:09:45 Governors are the only politicians that campaign beyond their base 1:12:00 Biden misunderstood his 2020 mandate and overreached 1:13:30 Who is the Economist reader? 1:15:30 Writing about American politics for an international audience 1:17:30 If you had more resources, what would you focus on covering? 1:18:30 Legacy media needs to give more attention beyond D.C. and NYC 1:20:00 Need to find a new model in order to bring back local journalism 1:22:45 There's too many journalists in D.C. and not enough in America 1:24:30 Journalism now caters to niche audiences 1:26:15 Deplatforming Trump was a massive mistake 1:27:00 Once ABC caved in lawsuit, resistance to Trump collapsed 1:29:00 Public pressures journalists to not platform people they disagree with 1:30:00 Michael Bennet was consensus candidate to replace Schumer 1:31:45 Nothing gets done in the senate, many senators leaving 1:35:15 In the TV era, successful presidents have had cults of personality 1:36:15 Newsom having success emulating Trump's style1:39:00 The ToddCast Time Machine 1:39:30 October 5th, 1974 Congress put teeth in the Freedom of Information Act 1:41:00 Cheney and Rumsfeld argued transparency would hurt national security 1:41:30 Lawmakers overruled the presidential veto 1:43:30 Florida has some of the strongest government transparency laws 1:44:15 Multiple states created their own transparency laws after FOIA 1:45:30 Pentagon demanded restrictions on journalists, no outlets agree 1:47:30 We can't have a democracy without transparency 1:50:15 When your party is out of power you're more likely to believe nonsense 1:51:30 Ask Chuck 1:51:45 Parallels between LDS church in UT & OK nearly becoming a black state? 1:54:30 Chances the Republican gerrymanders backfire? 1:59:15 How can Americans abroad stay civically engaged and bring about change? 2:04:15 Where do you get your optimism from in this political climate? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, veteran journalist for The Economist, James Bennet joins Chuck to break down Donald Trump's scathing U.N. speech and what it reveals about his worldview: not isolationist, but relentlessly self-centered, with his personal interest framed as national interest. Bennet warns that Trump's grip on power is existential for him and his administration, and if institutions like the Supreme Court allow unchecked presidential firings, the rule of law itself could unravel. From the Cold War's stabilizing influence to the fractures of today's four-party system crammed into two, Bennet and Chuck explore whether America can navigate its political turmoil without mass violence, and how drone warfare, refugee flows, and the collapse of the international rules-based order are reshaping global politics.The conversation also turns inward, examining how journalism has struggled to adapt in the Trump era. Bennet reflects on writing for international audiences, the dangers of catering to niche media bubbles, and why legacy outlets must rediscover local reporting. He argues that deplatforming Trump was a massive mistake that accelerated the collapse of resistance, while public pressure against platforming controversial voices continues to erode open debate. From Biden's misunderstood mandate to the Senate's paralysis and the rise of cult-of-personality politics, this episode considers what reforms will be necessary both in government and in journalism.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 James Bennet joins the Chuck ToddCast01:30 Trump scolds other nations in scathing U.N. speech02:30 Trump behaved like Hugo Chavez in U.N. speech03:45 Trump is not an isolationist, but it's all centered around him04:30 Trump sees his interest as the national interest06:15 How alarmed should we be?07:15 Things have gotten pretty dark in the past two weeks08:00 Staying in power is existential for Trump & his administration09:30 If you lose the rule of law, you lose the country10:15 If SCOTUS allows fed firing, there's no going back11:00 John Roberts desperate to avoid constitutional showdown12:30 Government will require major reform after Trump15:00 The cold war was a stabilizing force in American politics17:00 America is a four party system crammed into two parties19:00 Public sentiment has been pessimistic the entire 21st century20:45 Can we get through this without mass violence?22:30 It's hard to imagine a productive modern constitutional convention24:00 The last “protectionist race” led to a world war25:15 We're no longer living in the international rules based order26:30 Drones are massively changing the dynamics of warfare28:00 Refugee flows are causing political instability worldwide28:30 Trump has no interest in leading internationally30:00 Trump is constantly campaigning and only for his base32:00 Did we export our politics to Israel, or the other way around?33:45 Only Obama had a majority of the vote in the 21st century34:45 Governors are the only politicians that campaign beyond their base37:00 Biden misunderstood his 2020 mandate and overreached38:30 Who is the Economist reader?40:30 Writing about American politics for an international audience42:30 If you had more resources, what would you focus on covering?43:30 Legacy media needs to give more attention beyond D.C. and NYC45:00 Need to find a new model in order to bring back local journalism47:45 There's too many journalists in D.C. and not enough in America49:30 Journalism now caters to niche audiences51:15 Deplatforming Trump was a massive mistake52:00 Once ABC caved in lawsuit, resistance to Trump collapsed54:00 Public pressures journalists to not platform people they disagree with55:00 Michael Bennet was consensus candidate to replace Schumer56:45 Nothing gets done in the senate, many senators leaving1:00:15 In the TV era, successful presidents have had cults of personality1:01:15 Newsom having success emulating Trump's style Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Dr. Michael Osterholm, one of the nation's foremost infectious disease experts, joins Chuck to confront the unsettling reality that Covid-19 was not “the big one.” From SARS and MERS as early warnings to the looming possibility of coronaviruses that are far more deadly than Covid, Osterholm argues that pandemics are inevitable—and the U.S. is dangerously unprepared. He discusses the political failures that prevented a serious after-action review, the collapse of government vaccine infrastructure, and why misinformation and anti-vaccine sentiment have left public health more vulnerable than ever.The conversation also looks forward: how mRNA technology could still be a game-changer, why developing respirators and updating building codes matter, and the urgent need for leadership with real bio-threat experience. Osterholm warns that everything from resurging childhood diseases to the rise of avian flu and the risk of bioterrorism are on the horizon, and he offers a sobering reminder—science is not fixed truth, it's the pursuit of truth. This episode is a wake-up call about what it will take to be ready for the next pandemic, which could be far worse than Covid-19.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Dr. Michael Osterholm joins the Chuck ToddCast01:15 Are American leaders ready for the next pandemic?02:30 Covid wasn't “the big one” pandemic03:30 SARS & MERS gave a warning about coronaviruses04:30 Coronaviruses in the wild that are as infectious as covid but more deadly05:15 Death rate of Covid was relatively low, could be much worse06:45 Pandemics are inevitable, and could be much worse than covid07:30 Politics didn't allow for an after action report on pandemic response09:00 We'll never know if covid was from a lab or nature10:30 We could have vaccines ready before pandemics begin, not doing the work11:15 Did you write your book assuming a crank like Kennedy would run HHS?11:45 Kennedy is the biggest challenge public health has faced in decades12:30 Pandemics cause society to lose its collective mind14:00 Anti vaxx anger came from people being angry about the pandemic14:30 How do you prepare for a pandemic if the government isn't leading?15:15 MRNA vaccines are easier to produce at scale15:45 $500 million in funding cut for MRNA vaccines16:45 CDC vaccine board is now completely dysfunctional19:15 Where does medical research go without government backing?19:45 PEPFAR was one of the best uses of American soft power21:00 There's nobody in the White House with bio threat experience21:45 Trump 1.0 had a credible pandemic response plan. 2.0 doesn't.23:00 We will see diseases come back that we thought were gone24:45 What preventative measures can be taken without the government?25:30 Lockdowns don't work, surges of cases are inevitable26:15 Lockdowns were over by June, impact was overstated27:30 Lockdowns should only be based on hospital use/capacity29:15 Don't do lockdowns, maximize medical care instead30:30 Public misconception that vaccine would make people immune 31:30 News media needs to be better at messaging public health info33:30 Risk to kids raised significantly with new covid variants34:45 Updates to scientific info get labeled as “flip flopping” when it's normal35:30 Science is not truth, it's the pursuit of truth36:30 Kennedy now linking acetaminophen to autism38:30 People dismiss health risks that fit their lifestyle, like drinking red wine39:45 Half the country was anti-expert, now anti-expert's are in charge41:30 BARDA was the envy of the world43:00 What else should we be doing in preparation for the next “big” pandemic?44:45 We need to develop a comfortable N95 respirator for the public45:45 Updating building codes to help prevent respiratory virus transmission48:15 MMR vaccine doesn't require a booster, likely confirms lifelong immunity51:30 Theme parks in Orlando will pressure government over vaccine mandate52:30 What's the status of H5N1 bird flu?54:15 There will be another flu virus pandemic, we just don't know when55:00 We're producing more poultry than ever, lots of opportunity for exposure56:00 We should be vaccinating livestock and poultry57:00 We're more vulnerable than ever to a bioterrorism attack Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck unpacks how Donald Trump's Department of Justice has become a political weapon, from targeting perceived enemies like James Comey to sweeping bribery cases under the rug, all while eroding public trust in law enforcement. He explores how Trump's strategy of framing his own criminal charges as political has worn down the public and set fire to the credibility of the legal system. Chuck also looks at the Democratic Party's internal strife over whether to embrace figures like Zohran Mamdani, the rising prospects of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and even murmurs of Lisa Murkowski eyeing a gubernatorial run. And beyond politics, he flags troubling signals in the economy—from surging Hamburger Helper sales to a slump in cardboard demand—that suggest things may not be as strong as the stock market makes them appear.Finally, he answers listeners' questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and previews an incredible weekend of sports. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Introduction01:15 Trump's DOJ targeting his perceived enemies 02:30 Trump convinced his base that all his criminal charges were political 04:00 Poor coordination by law enforcement allowed Trump to evade charges 05:00 Trump fired attorney who wouldn't bring charges against enemies 05:30 DOJ wants to charge James Comey with lying to congress 07:15 Trump has telegraphed this prosecution 10:30 Trump accused Biden DOJ of politicization, now his DOJ is overtly political 11:15 Trump's DOJ swept Homan bribery under the rug 12:15 Public trust in law enforcement is being destroyed 13:45 Trump is wearing out the public 14:45 Comey did his share of damage to the FBI's credibility 15:45 We need a better system for staffing top law enforcement job 17:00 Christopher Wray serving under Biden was good thing 18:00 Trump is taking a blowtorch to the credibility of the legal system 18:45 Mainstream Democrats are refusing to endorse Zohran Mamdani 20:15 Kamala Harris gives tepid endorsement of Mamdani 22:30 Party either wants the Dem socialists in the coalition or they don't 23:45 Fence sitting on Mamdani makes everybody mad 25:15 Leadership can't have it both ways 27:30 Democratic handwringing over Mamdani doesn't inspire confidence 28:00 AOC may run for senate or the presidency 29:00 AOC could win Chuck Schumer's seat 30:30 Don't expect Chuck Schumer will run again 31:30 Lisa Murkowski won't rule out gubernatorial run in 2026 34:00 Senators looking for options to get out of D.C. 35:15 Sales of Hamburger Helper way up, warning sign for economy 37:30 Cardboard box demand slumping, another warning sign 38:30 Economy looks better than it is due to AI boost to stock market41:30 Chuck's thoughts on the interview with Dr. Osterholm 42:00 Ask Chuck 42:15 Will Trump ever target podcasts the way he targets other media? 49:15 Comparing party platforms vs what they actually do while governing? 53:30 Why have Republican voters gone along with Trump's authoritarianism? 1:03:00 Weekend sports preview Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck unpacks how Donald Trump's Department of Justice has become a political weapon, from targeting perceived enemies like James Comey to sweeping bribery cases under the rug, all while eroding public trust in law enforcement. He explores how Trump's strategy of framing his own criminal charges as political has worn down the public and set fire to the credibility of the legal system. Chuck also looks at the Democratic Party's internal strife over whether to embrace figures like Zohran Mamdani, the rising prospects of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and even murmurs of Lisa Murkowski eyeing a gubernatorial run. And beyond politics, he flags troubling signals in the economy—from surging Hamburger Helper sales to a slump in cardboard demand—that suggest things may not be as strong as the stock market makes them appear.Then, Dr. Michael Osterholm, one of the nation's foremost infectious disease experts, joins Chuck to confront the unsettling reality that Covid-19 was not “the big one.” From SARS and MERS as early warnings to the looming possibility of coronaviruses that are far more deadly than Covid, Osterholm argues that pandemics are inevitable—and the U.S. is dangerously unprepared. He discusses the political failures that prevented a serious after-action review, the collapse of government vaccine infrastructure, and why misinformation and anti-vaccine sentiment have left public health more vulnerable than ever.The conversation also looks forward: how mRNA technology could still be a game-changer, why developing respirators and updating building codes matter, and the urgent need for leadership with real bio-threat experience. Osterholm warns that everything from resurging childhood diseases to the rise of avian flu and the risk of bioterrorism are on the horizon, and he offers a sobering reminder—science is not fixed truth, it's the pursuit of truth. This episode is a wake-up call about what it will take to be ready for the next pandemic, which could be far worse than Covid-19.Finally, he answers listeners' questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and previews an incredible weekend of sports. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Introduction04:00 Trump's DOJ targeting his perceived enemies05:15 Trump convinced his base that all his criminal charges were political06:45 Poor coordination by law enforcement allowed Trump to evade charges07:45 Trump fired attorney who wouldn't bring charges against enemies08:15 DOJ wants to charge James Comey with lying to congress10:00 Trump has telegraphed this prosecution13:15 Trump accused Biden DOJ of politicization, now his DOJ is overtly political14:00 Trump's DOJ swept Homan bribery under the rug15:00 Public trust in law enforcement is being destroyed16:30 Trump is wearing out the public17:30 Comey did his share of damage to the FBI's credibility18:30 We need a better system for staffing top law enforcement job19:45 Christopher Wray serving under Biden was good thing20:45 Trump is taking a blowtorch to the credibility of the legal system21:30 Mainstream Democrats are refusing to endorse Zohran Mamdani23:00 Kamala Harris gives tepid endorsement of Mamdani 25:15 Party either wants the Dem socialists in the coalition or they don't26:30 Fence sitting on Mamdani makes everybody mad28:00 Leadership can't have it both ways30:15 Democratic handwringing over Mamdani doesn't inspire confidence30:45 AOC may run for senate or the presidency31:45 AOC could win Chuck Schumer's seat33:15 Don't expect Chuck Schumer will run again34:15 Lisa Murkowski won't rule out gubernatorial run in 202636:45 Senators looking for options to get out of D.C.38:00 Sales of Hamburger Helper way up, warning sign for economy40:15 Cardboard box demand slumping, another warning sign41:15 Economy looks better than it is due to AI boost to stock market44:15 Dr. Michael Osterholm joins the Chuck ToddCast 45:30 Are American leaders ready for the next pandemic? 46:45 Covid wasn't "the big one" pandemic 47:45 SARS & MERS gave a warning about coronaviruses 48:45 Coronaviruses in the wild that are as infectious as covid but more deadly 49:30 Death rate of Covid was relatively low, could be much worse 51:00 Pandemics are inevitable, and could be much worse than covid 51:45 Politics didn't allow for an after action report on pandemic response 53:15 We'll never know if covid was from a lab or nature 54:45 We could have vaccines ready before pandemics begin, not doing the work 55:30 Did you write your book assuming a crank like Kennedy would run HHS? 56:00 Kennedy is the biggest challenge public health has faced in decades 56:45 Pandemics cause society to lose its collective mind 58:15 Anti vaxx anger came from people being angry about the pandemic 58:45 How do you prepare for a pandemic if the government isn't leading? 59:30 MRNA vaccines are easier to produce at scale 1:00:00 $500 million in funding cut for MRNA vaccines 1:01:00 CDC vaccine board is now completely dysfunctional 1:03:30 Where does medical research go without government backing? 1:04:00 PEPFAR was one of the best uses of American soft power 1:05:15 There's nobody in the White House with bio threat experience 1:06:00 Trump 1.0 had a credible pandemic response plan. 2.0 doesn't. 1:07:15 We will see diseases come back that we thought were gone 1:09:00 What preventative measures can be taken without the government? 1:09:45 Lockdowns don't work, surges of cases are inevitable 1:10:30 Lockdowns were over by June, impact was overstated 1:11:45 Lockdowns should only be based on hospital use/capacity 1:13:30 Don't do lockdowns, maximize medical care instead 1:14:45 Public misconception that vaccine would make people immune 1:15:45 News media needs to be better at messaging public health info 1:17:45 Risk to kids raised significantly with new covid variants 1:19:00 Updates to scientific info get labeled as "flip flopping" when it's normal 1:19:45 Science is not truth, it's the pursuit of truth 1:20:45 Kennedy now linking acetaminophen to autism 1:22:45 People dismiss health risks that fit their lifestyle, like drinking red wine 1:24:00 Half the country was anti-expert, now anti-expert's are in charge 1:25:45 BARDA was the envy of the world 1:27:15 What else should we be doing in preparation for the next "big" pandemic? 1:29:00 We need to develop a comfortable N95 respirator for the public 1:30:00 Updating building codes to help prevent respiratory virus transmission 1:32:30 MMR vaccine doesn't require a booster, likely confirms lifelong immunity 1:35:45 Theme parks in Orlando will pressure government over vaccine mandate 1:36:45 What's the status of H5N1 bird flu? 1:38:30 There will be another flu virus pandemic, we just don't know when 1:39:15 We're producing more poultry than ever, lots of opportunity for exposure 1:40:15 We should be vaccinating livestock and poultry 1:41:15 We're more vulnerable than ever to a bioterrorism attack1:43:45 Chuck's thoughts on the interview with Dr. Osterholm 1:44:15 Ask Chuck 1:44:30 Will Trump ever target podcasts the way he targets other media? 1:51:30 Comparing party platforms vs what they actually do while governing? 1:55:45 Why have Republican voters gone along with Trump's authoritarianism? 2:05:15 Weekend sports preview Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Congressman Chris Deluzio joins Chuck Todd to talk about the political transformation of Western Pennsylvania, the challenges of running as a Democrat in a swing district, and the lessons he's learned since succeeding Conor Lamb. From the hollowing out of factory towns to the rare but pivotal swing voters who decide elections, Deluzio reflects on the realignment that has reshaped the region's politics. He also opens up about how 9/11 led him to serve in the Navy, why he believes American democracy is at risk, and the urgent need for reforms to restore voter trust.The conversation also dives into big debates in Washington: partisan gerrymandering, government shutdown brinkmanship, establishing limits on presidential power, and the dangers of politicizing the military. Deluzio weighs in on rail safety after East Palestine, social media's effect on kids, and congressional corruption—from stock trading to pay structures that keep working-class Americans from serving. Plus, Chuck gets his take on the rising cost of energy, Pittsburgh sports, and whether Democrats can win back voters by focusing squarely on economic issues.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Congressman Chris Deluzio joins the Chuck ToddCast00:45 How much has your district changed since Connor Lamb won it?01:45 How did the Pittsburgh area swing from Democratic to Republican?02:30 The hollowing out of factory towns was key to political realignment in PA03:15 Who is the McCormick/Deluzio voter?04:15 Swing voters still exist but are rare06:00 How difficult is it to talk to voters with the “D” next to your name?07:45 9/11 sealed Chris's decision to join the navy09:45 We should be very concerned about the state of American democracy11:00 Younger generations will have a worse standard of living than their parents12:45 Democrats mixed message on redistricting13:30 We should have a federal ban on partisan gerrymandering14:15 Democrats can't unilaterally disarm15:15 Gerrymandering makes it hard to earn trust back with voters16:45 Senate Democrats should use their leverage in shutdown fight17:45 Only open to six week extension if Republicans willing to work with Dems19:00 Thoughts on Fetterman's intention to vote to fund the government20:30 There's been a scrambling of the centrist & progressive wings of the party22:00 The fissure in the party is more about fighting than ideology22:45 Fighting the imperial presidency is the priority24:30 We need to put limits on the executive to prevent overreach25:45 We can't be at the mercy of the whims of the president26:15 Kash Patel's FBI shut down investigation into Tom Homan taking cash bribe27:30 We need to formal guardrails and can't rely on norms28:15 Trump's efforts to politicize the naval academy and military30:00 Efforts to politicize the military are dangerous and erode trust30:45 Military lawyers ignored,extrajudicial killings in Caribbean are illegal32:45 Presidents have abused war powers for years, Congress needs to intervene34:00 Defense is one of the few areas of bipartisan cooperation34:45 Republicans willing to work on rail safety after East Palestine derailment36:15 Can congress work together on internet/social media safety for kids?37:15 Banning smartphones in classrooms has 80/20 support38:45 There's a huge concentration of power in tech and media39:45 It's harder for a president to bully a diverse market that isn't consolidated41:15 Voters agree that there's corruption, but they think all politicians are corrupt42:15 We should ban congressional stock trading, corruption breeds distrust43:30 Congress deserve pay raise in exchange for stock trading ban46:15 You shouldn't have to be wealthy to serve in congress47:00 Working class candidates need to be supported47:45 Can Democrats drop cultural issues and purely run on economics?49:30 The rise in energy bills could become a huge issue in coming months50:30 The Big Beautiful Bill will make the energy prices problem worse51:30 Tempted to go to the Steelers game in Ireland?53:00 Pittsburgh Pirates ownership issue55:00 More PSU or Pitt fans in your district? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chuck Todd unpacks the escalating chaos around Donald Trump's second term, from his doom-and-gloom rhetoric to the brazen decisions that have left few guardrails in place. Voters may not reject Trump's ideas outright, but his nonstop turbulence—from shaming pregnant women over Tylenol to undermining global allies—has created deep political vulnerabilities. Todd explores how small businesses, foreign policy, and even health guidance have been rattled by Trump's need for instability, while noting that divided government historically forces presidents to govern more broadly. The monologue also turns to Vice President Kamala Harris, whose new book reveals her frustrations with the 2020 ticket and her uneasy positioning for the future, raising tough questions about her political style and prospects.Finally, he gives his “ToddCast Top 5” football coaches on the hot-seat and answers listeners' questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps vary based on advertisements)00:00 Introduction00:15 Trump speeches create heightened sense of doom & gloom 01:30 Trump's actions the past few weeks have been brazen 02:30 Far fewer people standing up to Trump in his second term 04:15 Voters don't reject Trump's ideas, they disapprove of the chaos 06:30 Trump's political prospects are deflating every day 08:30 The last 3-4 elections have been "vote against" elections 10:15 Divided government forces presidents to govern broadly 12:00 The goal of bringing order to chaos is popular 12:30 Trump has brought nothing but chaos to health & vaccine policy 13:30 Trump & team shamed pregnant women & blamed Tylenol for autism 15:00 Trump showed no evidence to support Tylenol recommendation 16:00 Trump only tries to please his base 16:30 Trump trashes Europe and UN in speech to the UN 17:45 Trump wants constant instability & chaos 19:30 The lack of certainty is upending small businesses 20:45 Trump is incapable of preaching a message of unity 23:30 The constant chaos is Trump's biggest political vulnerability 24:45 Voters wanted Trump 1.0, a Trump with guardrails 25:30 A voters lived experience will Trump perception 27:30 Trump's post on Ukraine didn't sound like it was written by Trump 28:30 Trump's post cancelling meeting with Schumer had a Trump tone 30:00 Marco Rubio is clear eyed about the threat from Russia 32:00 Trump cancels meeting with Democrats, headed for gov't shutdown 33:15 Trump is not interested in negotiating with Democrats 34:30 Kamala Harris reveals her true feelings in new book 36:00 Harris admits she settled for Tim Walz, Buttigieg was her first choice 37:30 The book makes it harder for her to win the presidency is the future 39:00 Harris's style doesn't match the mood of the voters 40:00 Harris was put in a near impossible situation41:45 ToddCast Top 5 football coach hot seats 42:15 Mike Gundy fired by Oklahoma State 44:45 #1 Mike McDaniel of the Miami Dolphins 45:45 #2 Brian Callahan of the Tennessee Titans 46:45 #3 Luke Fickell of Wisconsin 48:30 #4 Dabo Swinney of Clemson 51:30 #5 Billy Napier of Florida + Honorable mentions 55:15 Ask Chuck 55:30 Why has the term "writ large" become used so much in news & podcasts? 1:02:15 Are journalists who stay silent in face of authoritarianism showing cowardice? 1:06:15 Shrinkflation showing up now at Costco Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chuck Todd unpacks the escalating chaos around Donald Trump's second term, from his doom-and-gloom rhetoric to the brazen decisions that have left few guardrails in place. Voters may not reject Trump's ideas outright, but his nonstop turbulence—from shaming pregnant women over Tylenol to undermining global allies—has created deep political vulnerabilities. Todd explores how small businesses, foreign policy, and even health guidance have been rattled by Trump's need for instability, while noting that divided government historically forces presidents to govern more broadly. The monologue also turns to Vice President Kamala Harris, whose new book reveals her frustrations with the 2020 ticket and her uneasy positioning for the future, raising tough questions about her political style and prospects.Then, Congressman Chris Deluzio joins Chuck to talk about the political transformation of Western Pennsylvania, the challenges of running as a Democrat in a swing district, and the lessons he's learned since succeeding Conor Lamb. From the hollowing out of factory towns to the rare but pivotal swing voters who decide elections, Deluzio reflects on the realignment that has reshaped the region's politics. He also opens up about how 9/11 led him to serve in the Navy, why he believes American democracy is at risk, and the urgent need for reforms to restore voter trust.The conversation also dives into big debates in Washington: partisan gerrymandering, government shutdown brinkmanship, establishing limits on presidential power, and the dangers of politicizing the military. Deluzio weighs in on rail safety after East Palestine, social media's effect on kids, and congressional corruption—from stock trading to pay structures that keep working-class Americans from serving. Plus, Chuck gets his take on the rising cost of energy, Pittsburgh sports, and whether Democrats can win back voters by focusing squarely on economic issues.Finally, he gives his “ToddCast Top 5” football coaches on the hot-seat and answers listeners' questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win!Timeline:(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)00:00 Introduction02:45 Trump speeches create heightened sense of doom & gloom 04:00 Trump's actions the past few weeks have been brazen05:00 Far fewer people standing up to Trump in his second term06:45 Voters don't reject Trump's ideas, they disapprove of the chaos09:00 Trump's political prospects are deflating every day11:00 The last 3-4 elections have been “vote against” elections12:45 Divided government forces presidents to govern broadly14:30 The goal of bringing order to chaos is popular15:00 Trump has brought nothing but chaos to health & vaccine policy16:00 Trump & team shamed pregnant women & blamed Tylenol for autism17:30 Trump showed no evidence to support Tylenol recommendation18:30 Trump only tries to please his base19:00 Trump trashes Europe and UN in speech to the UN20:15 Trump wants constant instability & chaos22:00 The lack of certainty is upending small businesses23:15 Trump is incapable of preaching a message of unity26:00 The constant chaos is Trump's biggest political vulnerability27:15 Voters wanted Trump 1.0, a Trump with guardrails28:00 A voters lived experience will Trump perception30:00 Trump's post on Ukraine didn't sound like it was written by Trump31:00 Trump's post cancelling meeting with Schumer had a Trump tone32:30 Marco Rubio is clear eyed about the threat from Russia34:30 Trump cancels meeting with Democrats, headed for gov't shutdown35:45 Trump is not interested in negotiating with Democrats37:00 Kamala Harris reveals her true feelings in new book38:30 Harris admits she settled for Tim Walz, Buttigieg was her first choice40:00 The book makes it harder for her to win the presidency is the future41:30 Harris's style doesn't match the mood of the voters42:30 Harris was put in a near impossible situation44:30 Congressman Chris Deluzio joins the Chuck ToddCast 45:15 How much has your district changed since Connor Lamb won it? 46:15 How did the Pittsburgh area swing from Democratic to Republican? 47:00 The hollowing out of factory towns was key to political realignment in PA 47:45 Who is the McCormick/Deluzio voter? 48:45 Swing voters still exist but are rare 50:30 How difficult is it to talk to voters with the "D" next to your name? 52:15 9/11 sealed Chris's decision to join the navy 54:15 We should be very concerned about the state of American democracy 55:30 Younger generations will have a worse standard of living than their parents 57:15 Democrats mixed message on redistricting 58:00 We should have a federal ban on partisan gerrymandering 58:45 Democrats can't unilaterally disarm 59:45 Gerrymandering makes it hard to earn trust back with voters 1:01:15 Senate Democrats should use their leverage in shutdown fight 1:02:15 Only open to six week extension if Republicans willing to work with Dems 1:03:30 Thoughts on Fetterman's intention to vote to fund the government 1:05:00 There's been a scrambling of the centrist & progressive wings of the party 1:06:30 The fissure in the party is more about fighting than ideology 1:07:15 Fighting the imperial presidency is the priority 1:09:00 We need to put limits on the executive to prevent overreach 1:10:15 We can't be at the mercy of the whims of the president 1:10:45 Kash Patel's FBI shut down investigation into Tom Homan taking cash bribe 1:12:00 We need to formal guardrails and can't rely on norms 1:12:45 Trump's efforts to politicize the naval academy and military 1:14:30 Efforts to politicize the military are dangerous and erode trust 1:15:15 Military lawyers ignored,extrajudicial killings in Caribbean are illegal 1:17:15 Presidents have abused war powers for years, Congress needs to intervene 1:18:30 Defense is one of the few areas of bipartisan cooperation 1:19:15 Republicans willing to work on rail safety after East Palestine derailment 1:20:45 Can congress work together on internet/social media safety for kids? 1:21:45 Banning smartphones in classrooms has 80/20 support 1:23:15 There's a huge concentration of power in tech and media 1:24:15 It's harder for a president to bully a diverse market that isn't consolidated 1:25:45 Voters agree that there's corruption, but they think all politicians are corrupt 1:26:45 We should ban congressional stock trading, corruption breeds distrust 1:28:00 Congress deserve pay raise in exchange for stock trading ban 1:30:45 You shouldn't have to be wealthy to serve in congress 1:31:30 Working class candidates need to be supported 1:32:15 Can Democrats drop cultural issues and purely run on economics? 1:34:00 The rise in energy bills could become a huge issue in coming months 1:35:00 The Big Beautiful Bill will make the energy prices problem worse 1:36:00 Tempted to go to the Steelers game in Ireland? 1:37:30 Pittsburgh Pirates ownership issue 1:39:30 More PSU or Pitt fans in your district?1:40:30 ToddCast Top 5 football coach hot seats 1:41:00 Mike Gundy fired by Oklahoma State 1:43:30 #1 Mike McDaniel of the Miami Dolphins 1:44:30 #2 Brian Callahan of the Tennessee Titans 1:45:30 #3 Luke Fickell of Wisconsin 1:47:15 #4 Dabo Swinney of Clemson 1:50:15 #5 Billy Napier of Florida + Honorable mentions 1:54:00 Ask Chuck1:54:15 Why has the term "writ large" become used so much in news & podcasts? 2:01:00 Are journalists who stay silent in face of authoritarianism showing cowardice? 2:05:00 Shrinkflation showing up now at Costco Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. 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