Podcasts about centrists

Brian is joined by former Chief Counsel to the House Judiciary Committee Julian Epstein to break down the radical shifts happening within the modern political landscape. Epstein delivers a blistering critique of the academic and activist classes feeding today's Democratic politicians, explaining why an inability to understand wealth creation has led the left to push dangerous "deconstructionist" narratives. From the stunning hypocrisy surrounding Maine candidate Graham Platner's endless scandals to the left's shocking lack of moral clarity on Israel, Epstein explains why centrist and independent voters are executing a massive, permanent political realignment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Centrists

This week we talk about Keir Starmer, Labour, and the Reform UK party.We also discuss Tories, the Lib Dems, and two-party systems.Recommended Book: Peak by K. Anders Ericsson and Robert PoolTranscriptFor more than 100 years, the British political system has been dominated by two parties: Labour and the Conservative Party, often called the Tories.In practice, that means these two parties, which are center-left and center-right in their leanings, respectively, have tended to shape the direction of British politics and the Overton Window of thinkable proposals—things that might actually happen because they get the requisite support from politicians and the public.These two parties have usually had to work with other, smaller parties in order to get anything done, because the UK has a parliamentary system that often leaves the party with the most representatives lacking enough support to run a functioning government, solo. As a consequence, the Liberal Democrats, which is a fairly centrist party, the Green Party, which focuses on environmentalism and more left-wing concerns, Plaid Cymru (plied KUM-ree), which is the Welsh nationalist party, and the Scottish National Party, which is exactly what it sounds like, have long influenced Labour and the Tories, aligning their votes with whomever gives them a seat at the table. This has given some influence to smaller groups that might otherwise lack representation, though that influence has typically been moderate to meager, at best—the folks in Labour and the Conservative party have run things in the UK, and that's been the case for generations.Things started to shake up a bit in the 20-teens, however, when anti-immigration and EU-skepticism in Britain led to the creation of the far-right Brexit Party, which was co-founded by politician Nigel Farage, who was the leader of the UK Independence Party in the early 2000s and 20-teens, and who was previously a Tory, and Catherine Blaiklock, a politician and hotelier who stepped down from her position as party leader the year after the Brexit Party was founded after anti-Islamic and racist comments she'd previously made online were rediscovered.The Brexit Party existed, almost exclusively, to push for a no-agreement exit from the European Union by the UK, which was considered to be a fairly fringe ideology back then, but which gained a lot of steam as other populists began to add their support to the general concept.Both the government and the existing political structure of the UK was then caught flat-footed, by all indications very surprised by the eventual success of that push, and the UK left the EU on January 31, 2020, after a whole lot of skepticism that it would ever happen, even after a vote in favor of Brexit took place. This represented a serious come to Jesus moment for British politicians, but also British society, and there's been quite a lot of self-reflection and naval gazing in the years since, as the Brexit pullout from the EU has caused quite a lot of economic and diplomatic damage, while also shining a spotlight on numerous simmering issues that were previously overlooked or unaddressed, including the bubbling resentment and at times outright xenophobia felt by a significant portion of the British electorate, and persistent economic issues faced by folks at the middle and lower rungs of society.What I'd like to talk about today is the recent 2026 UK Local Elections, and what they seem to tell us about how things are going in British politics, and what they portend for the current Labour-run administration.—On May 7, 2026, the UK held local elections for 5,066 councillors, 136 local authorities, and six directly elected mayors. Some of these elections were postponed in 2025 to allow for government restructuring, but most of these positions were last up for election in 2022.This election was generally seen as an unofficial referendum on the governing Labour Party, and in particular the current Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, who has been in office for just under two years, and who stepped into the role of PM after the role was held by the Conservative Tories for 14 years; five different Prime Ministers taking the reins during that period, including David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak.All that changing in leadership is indicative of the chaos the UK government was experiencing at the time, the May 2010 general election leading to a period of significant austerity—the government cutting tons of social programs in order to reduce spending—which then fed into more support for Brexit when some members of the party positioned the economic issues people were facing as the consequence of EU-related immigration, and shortly thereafter, the world succumbed to the Covid-19 pandemic.There was a lot of truly significant political change from about 2010 onward, then, and a lot for the general population to be upset about. The Conservatives held onto power despite it all for those 14 years, but the shift back to Labour was the result of Starmer and his party saying, listen, we hear you, a lot has to change, and we can instigate that change. Trust us.This new election suggests that the majority of voters in the UK feel that the Labour Party hasn't lived up to that trust.In Wales, Plaid Cymru has taken the most seats, 43, but failed to achieve the 49 seat majority they would require to govern, solo.In Scotland, the SNP took the most seats, but also fell short of a majority, netting 58 seats, not the 65 required for a majority.Both of those results are not terribly shocking, though in Wales Labour lost a lot of power, down 35 seats and holding onto just 9. The Conservatives also lost in Wales, holding onto seven seats and losing 22.In Scotland, too, Labor lost some of their influence, losing 4 seats and retaining 17, while the Conservatives lost a whopping 19 seats, holding onto just 12.In England, the change in seat allocation was stunning, though.Labour lost 1406 seats, leaving them with 997, while the Conservatives lost 557 seats, holding onto just 773.Even considering those losses, the biggest story in England is the surge in support for previously small parties, in particular a far-right party called Reform UK, previously called the Brexit Party, and run by the aforementioned proponent of the British exit from the EU, Nigel Farage.Reform UK went from 2 seats to 1,444; a shocking outcome, and one that makes them the biggest winner in this election, by far. They also gained 17 seats, up from zero, in Scotland, putting them at an equal level there with Labour, and they went from zero to 34 in Wales, putting them in a competitive second place after Plaid Cymru, which again, claimed 43 seats.Other, non-Labour, non-Conservative parties also gained seats in this election, though not at the level of Reform UK.The Green Party gained two seats in Wales and six in Scotland, bringing them up to 15 there. They also gained 374 sets in England, bringing them up to 515 total seats, which leaves them in fifth place, but just 258 seats shy of the Conservatives.The Lib Dems, which are the local Centrist party, gained 151 seats, putting them in third. And there was a small surge in independent politicians winning elections, as well, that group now controlling 199 seats, up from 27 before this vote.In the wake of this absolute shellacking of Keir Starmer's Labour party—which again, lost 1406 seats in England, and their opposition, and in many ways their polar opposite, the far-right Reform UK party, gained even more than Labour lost, up 1442 seats—in the wake of that, Starmer has been asked to resign, and as of the day I'm recording this, at least, he's saying that he will not resign, and since there's no formal challenge to his leadership, he can stay in power if he chooses.There is a growing movement amongst Labour lawmakers to ask him to set a timetable for stepping down, however, and there's a pretty good chance that will happen, as the British political system allows parties to change their Prime Minister mid-term without requiring a new election, so they could swap him out for someone else, making him the face of this immense electoral failure, then they could try to change course before the next election, which will happen by mid-August of 2029, during which the vote will be for the 650 seats in the House of Commons, which is currently dominated by Starmer's Labour party.The big takeaway here, from political analysts at least, is that what used to be a reliably two-party system, for over a century that's been the case, is now a five-way race within a cultural context in which voters seem to be a lot less loyal to politicians and parties, and in which a whole lot of previously reliable infrastructure, social systems, and cultural expectations have been recently disrupted.People in the UK seem to be generally unhappy about all sorts of things, and that kind of broad unhappiness often results in more populism, which means general anti-establishment stances and us-versus-them ideologies, including racial, religious, and nationalistic versions of such ideologies, and typically a lot more support for charismatic leadership over leaders who are generally qualified and will probably be good at their jobs because they're experienced and knowledgeable.In other words, you're more likely to get loudmouths and celebrities running for office, successfully, in populist electoral contexts, and you're also more likely to see parties leaning into superficial race, class, and elite-vs-everyman issues, as opposed to running on well-defined approaches to dealing with more complex issues.In the meantime, until that 2029 election, it's likely Farage's Reform UK will bang the drum against the governing Labour party to gather more power in the lead up to 2029, and that other non-Labour, non-Conservative parties will attempt to do the same, newly energized by these results.And depending on how that non-voting-year rallying goes, this could represent a foot in the door for these smaller parties. And we could consequently see more former Labour and Conservative politicians and voters leaving for Reform, for the Lib Dems, for the Greens, and for independents. All of which will make UK politics a lot more chaotic, but also probably more diverse, with power less centralized and the government's makeup a bit less predictable.Show Noteshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_Kingdom_local_electionshttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/08/world/europe/uk-elections-local-takeaways.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/05/08/world/uk-local-elections-resultshttps://apnews.com/article/uk-elections-starmer-labour-what-to-know-eb11ff39b1b74bbaf9f4ef6abfd60f64https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/08/uk/uk-local-election-reform-farage-starmer-intlhttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-08/how-bad-for-labour-britain-s-local-elections-in-six-chartshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_the_United_Kingdomhttps://www.bbc.com/news/live/c1428pev1n0t#election-englanhttps://www.politico.eu/article/nigel-farage-reform-uk-win-next-general-election/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next_United_Kingdom_general_electionhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Blaiklockhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reform_UKhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigel_Faragehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brexit This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

From taking the middle ground to the mid-life crisis, Middle England to middle managers, to being a middle child - is occupying a position in the middle out of fashion?Anne McElvoy hosts Radio 4's ideas discussion programme and her guests this week for a middling conversation are:Journalist Catherine Carr. Her new book Who's the Favourite?: The Loving, Messy Realities of Sibling Relationships explores being a middle child and the relevance of birth orderWriter and broadcaster Mark Lawson, who has written novels set in middle EnglandSymeon Brown, home affairs correspondent at Channel 4 news, whose forthcoming book is The Good, the Black and the Boujee: The Story of Britain's New Black Middle ClassAdrian Wooldridge, journalist, author and Global Business Columnist at Bloomberg Opinion. His recent book is entitled Centrists of the World Unite! The Lost Genius of Liberalism.andClaire Ainsley, former adviser to Keir Starmer, now at the Progressive Policy Institute.Producer: Eliane Glaser

Abby & Robbie Martin talk about the latest cartoonish assassination attempt on Trump at the White House Correspondents Dinner, new accusations against Michael Jackson & the latest in the ongoing UFO disclosure scam Note: The last 25 minutes of this episode is included in the Patreon subscriber version, for the complete episode subscribe @ www.patreon.com/mediarootsradio

Amol puts your Radical questions to Adrian Wooldridge, a Bloomberg columnist and author of ‘Centrists of the World Unite: The Lost Genius of Liberalism'. They discuss individualism and society, a decline in support for the centre ground, the potential dangers of nostalgia, and how the political centre could engage young people. GET IN TOUCH  * WhatsApp: 0330 123 9480  * Email: radical@bbc.co.uk  Episodes of Radical with Amol Rajan are released every Thursday.  Amol Rajan presents the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 and hosts University Challenge on BBC One. Before that, Amol was the BBC's media editor and the editor of The Independent newspaper.  Radical with Amol Rajan is a Today Podcast. It was made by Rufus Gray and Oscar Pearson. Digital production was by Gabriel Purcell-Davies. Technical production was by Jonny Baker. The editor is Sam Bonham.

Progressive Pennsylvania State Rep. Chris Rabb returns with an update on his campaign for Congress and shares how the party can move forward from the infighting between centrist and progressive Democrats.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

November 2024 marked a significant political turning point in this, the bluest of blue cities. Moderate Daniel Lurie and a newcomer to politics defeated incumbent Mayor London Breed 55-45%. And Nancy Tung advanced the number of moderates on the 24 elected member SF Central Committee from 2 to 18. Has SF's performative political theater given way to a more results oriented, pragmatic approach ?

The term “far right” is frequently invoked in British political discourse. But who really fits the bill?This week, journalist and author Daniel Trilling joins Ellen and Alona to discuss how previously fringe positions have gained traction and entered mainstream politics.Daniel defines the far right and explores its increasingly influential place in British politics, drawing from his upcoming book If We Tolerate This. He shares how Reform UK and figures including Tommy Robinson have capitalised on public dissatisfaction and economic grievances—and how the political establishment on both the right and the left enabled and empowered them.He pinpoints the surprising moment that set us on a path where immigration became a divisive topic. And he explains why, even if far-right parties work within the bounds of democracy, their rise threatens democratic systems.Plus, Daniel suggests how ordinary citizens can respond—and argues that the defeat of Hungary's Viktor Orbán shows that resistance is possible.Daniel's book ‘If We Tolerate This' is published by Pan Macmillan. To watch Michael Ignatieff's analysis of the Hungarian elections and the fall of Orbán, click here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Henry Burke of the Revolving Door Project joins us to discuss his recent writing, "How OpenAI Hacked The Military-Industrial Complex" at The Lever and, "Centrists: Better Things Aren't Possible" at The American Prospect. "The Moment of Truth" with Jeff Dorchen follows the interview. Check out Henry's articles here: https://www.levernews.com/how-openai-hacked-the-military-industrial-complex/ and here: https://prospect.org/2026/03/10/centrists-better-things-arent-possible-democrats-south-carolina-third-way/ Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell Please rate and review This Is Hell! wherever you get your podcasts. It really helps the show ascend the algorithm to reach new listeners.

Liberalism is under its greatest threat since the 1930s. The question is whether its defenders have the nerve to admit why – and the ideas to fight back.Adrian Wooldridge, Bloomberg columnist and author of "Centrists of the World Unite!", joins CapX editor Marc Sidwell for an unsentimental diagnosis of liberalism's crisis — and an unexpectedly combative case for its recovery. The liberal tradition that defeated totalitarianism and built the modern world is not, he argues, exhausted. It has been betrayed: hollowed out by a self-satisfied establishment on one side and captured by identitarian collectivism on the other, while the intellectual energy of the age flows freely to the post-liberal right.But the book's argument is ultimately one of recovery. Liberalism has reinvented itself before — in the 1890s, a dying Gladstonian creed gave way to a new liberalism that produced Keynes, Beveridge and a generation that rebuilt the post-war world. The genius is latent. The question, as Wooldridge puts it, is whether today's liberals can sound something other than a faltering trumpet.Stay informed with CapX's unmissable daily briefings from the heart of Westminster. Go to capx.co to subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Centrists of the World, Unite! The world needs the path of Liberalism out of today's madnessNick Cohen and Adrian Wooldridge discuss Adrian's book "Centrists of the World Unite: The Lost Genius of Liberalism." They discuss how liberal institutions and ideologies have become corrupted across multiple domains - from "Woke" identitarianism on the left to neoliberal capitalism and global managerialism. Adrian identifies three main liberal overreaches: left liberals pushing extreme social policies, neoliberals promoting unfettered markets, and globalists supporting unmanaged immigration and multinational institutions.They discuss how these failures created conditions for authoritarian populism, with examples like Trump and Brexit, though Adrian argues these represent bad solutions to real problems rather than legitimate alternatives. They also talk about how tech companies pose a civilisational threat to liberal values by manipulating preferences and fracturing attention, and concluded with optimism about liberalism's historical pattern of revival after apparent deaths, suggesting current incremental adjustments by politicians like Sir Keir Starmer could lead to a new liberal renaissance.Read all about it!Adrian Wooldridge @adwooldridge is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion and an author. His book Centrists of the world, unite! The lost genius of liberalism" has just been published. Adrian's book lays out a centrist agenda for today's problems. It reminds us of the dynamism and fixed principles that have shaped the successes of liberalism and warns us against splitting into sub-groups that fail to grapple with the common good.Nick Cohen's @NickCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Air Date: 4/3/2026 Today we examine how decades of U.S. policy toward Cuba set the stage for the current crisis, we explore the human cost of the U.S. oil blockade on Cuba's 11 million people, and how the U.S. justifies an illegal siege while claiming to act in Cuba's interest using time-tested propaganda tactics. Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! TOP TAKES KP 1: Explainer 509 Is Cuba Next on Trumps Hit List - The Foreign Desk - Air Date 3-18-26 KP 2: Medea Benjamin Its a Very Dire Situation in Cuba Right Now Part 1 - The Marc Steiner Show - Air Date 3-17-26 KP 3: Will President Trump Act on His Threat to Take Cuba Part 1 - Fresh Air - Air Date 3-24-26 KP 4: Current Affairs Is Going to Cuba Part 1 - Current Affairs - Air Date 3-21-26 KP 5: Aid Convoy Goes to Cuba & Iran War Has Right Wing Media Bugging Out Ft. Brandon Sutton, Nathan Robinson, & Alex Skopic Part 1 - Left Reckoning - Air Date 3-17-26 KP 6: The Future of Democrats and the Desperation of Centrist; The Cuba Blockade with Hasan Piker Part 1 - The Majority Report - Air Date 3-27-26 (00:49:58) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR The Word "Sanctions" Is Hiding a Blockade — US Propaganda Hides Human Rights Abuses in Cuba DEEPER DIVES (01:00:46) SECTION A: HISTORY (01:35:03) SECTION B: CURRENT CRISIS (02:20:27) SECTION C: SOLIDARITY SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Composite image of the Cuban flag with the shadow of the United State of America over it. Credit: Internal design. Component images from Pixabay   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X

The boys talk about the insane drama that unfolded after Abdul El-Sayed announced his two campaign events in Michigan with Hasan Piker. Mallory McMorrow made a statement that contradicted her past stance of appearing on shows with large audiences and compared Hasan to Nick Fuentes. Democrats with 2028 dreams, like Elissa Slotkin and Corey Booker, are also inserting themselves into the drama. Broadly, Democrats are floundering when it comes to their association with Israel by performatively condemning AIPAC money without understanding why AIPAC money is bad in the first place. Of course, the war in Iran still wages on, and our Democrats are just waiting it out.Early access on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headintheofficepodSubstack: https://headintheoffice.substack.com/HITO Merch: https://headintheoffice.com/ Get 40% off Ground News: https://ground.news/checkout/all?fpr=headintheoffice YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4iJ-UcnRxYnaYsX_SNjFJQSubscribe to second channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3UoTN328OA7fK2dzicP-ZATikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headintheoffice?lang=enInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/headintheoffice/Twitter: https://twitter.com/headintheofficeThreads: https://www.threads.com/@headintheofficeDiscord: https://discord.gg/hito Collab inquiries: headintheofficepod@gmail.com(0:00) Elissa Slotkin & "alpha energy"(10:05) Intro/reviews(16:15) Mallory McMorrow, Hasan Piker, and the MI Senate race(43:15) Democrats reject Hasan, more McMorrow thoughts(1:00:09) Iran updates: the war & the response(1:11:53) Reviews/endingSeen on this episode:MY DEMOCRATS - https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/03/25/mallory-mcmorrow-michigan-senate-chuck-schumer-00246369 https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/sen-elissa-slotkin-hits-back-205346705.html https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/24/2028-democrats-reject-aipac-00841350https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/28/hasan-piker-democrats-midterms-2028-00849453Iran updates - https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/03/29/world/iran-war-trump-israel-oil

Y'know what? When the MAGATS and Centrists agree that bad things are gonna happen in the Persian Gulf, look for a soft place to land. Things are totally sideways among the MAGATS. 

It's Casual Friday on The Majority Report   On today's program:   Donald Trump says he "doesn't care" about making a deal with Iran because nothing proves one's indifference more than blurting it out loud every chance one gets.   JD Vance tries to drum support for the war effort by asking the public to imagine an Iranian with a nuclear suicide vest.   Twitch streamer, Hasan Piker - in NYC to cover the Tax the Rich rally with Bernie Sanders in the Bronx this Sunday - joins the program in studio to wrap the week's news.   In the Fun Half:   At CPAC, the largest conservative conference in the U.S., Nick Shirley gives one of the least inspiring speeches ever recorded.   Donie O'Sullivan interviews CPAC attendees and reveals a generational divide amongst GOP voters over the war in Iran.   We take a look at some Mayor Mamdani's recent sewer socialist victories including labor victories against large chain stores and saving millions in cutting government waste.   On Fox News' The Five, Dana Perino asks Trump a serious question about the situation in Iran, but the president gets distracted by how attracted he is to Perino.   Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) calls Merrick Garland a coward for not moving to hold the president and GOP accountable post January 6.   all that and more   No Kings Protests across the country this Saturday, March 28. Check out NoKings.Org to find the protest closest to you.   Check out longtime MR listener Jim Di Bartolo's new graphic novel F*ck Billionaires   To connect and organize with your local ICE rapid response team visit ICERRT.com The Congress switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. You can use this number to connect with either the U.S. Senate or the House of Representatives. Follow us on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! https://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: https://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 10% off your purchase Check out today's sponsors: SUNSET LAKE: From 3/27-3/30 we have a BOGO Use coupon code "Left Is Best" (all one word) for 20% off of your entire order at SunsetLakeCBD.com  Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech On Instagram: @MrBryanVokey Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on YouTube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com

Adrian Wooldridge speaks to EI's Paul Lay about his new book, Centrists of the World Unite! The Lost Genius of Liberalism. He believes that the West can only overcome its current malaise by rediscovering and reviving the liberal tradition.Image: Engraving of the frontispiece from Thomas Hobbes's ‘Leviathan' (1651). Credit: Alamy

The Mandelson Files are beginning to dribble out and they don't look good for Keir Starmer. Will this be the final albatross round the PM's neck? Zoë Grünewald and Rafael Behr talk over the unfurling consequences of the second-worst files in the world. Plus, liberalism has taken a battering this past decade, but don't worry! Centrism can still save the world. Bloomberg columnist Adrian Wooldridge's new book Centrists of the World Unite! is a battle cry to get liberalism back into the game. What went wrong? What does liberalism even mean in the 21st Century? Does anything unite left liberals, neoliberals and managerial liberals and why do they keep screwing up? And in the battle between liberalism and tech power, who wins?  Buy Centrists of the World Unite! through our affiliate bookshop and you'll help fund Oh God, What Now? by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org's fees help support independent bookshops too ESCAPE ROUTES • Adrian recommends Southland on Netflix. • Zoë recommends anything by the Danish painter Anna Ancher but if you can get to the Dulwich Picture Gallery it's definitely worth a visit.  • Raf has been reading Consciousness Explained by Daniel Dennett.  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Zoë Grünewald with Rafael Behr. Audio and Video Production by Chris Jones. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Cornershop. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Centrist

Yascha Mounk and Adrian Wooldridge explore how liberalism reinvented itself through past crises—and what that means for its survival today. Adrian Wooldridge is the global business columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. He is the author or co-author of 12 books, including Centrists of the World Unite: The Lost Genius of Liberalism.  In this week's conversation, Yascha Mounk and Adrian Wooldridge discuss how liberalism emerged as a solution to concrete historical problems, why the fundamental challenges liberalism addressed in the 17th and 18th centuries have returned in new forms today, and what lessons the origins of liberalism offer for defending it against contemporary threats. We're delighted to feature this conversation as part of our series on Liberal Virtues and Values. That liberalism is under threat is now a cliché—yet this has done nothing to stem the global resurgence of illiberalism. Part of the problem is that liberalism is often considered too “thin” to win over the allegiance of citizens, and that liberals are too afraid of speaking in moral terms. Liberalism's opponents, by contrast, speak to people's passions and deepest moral sentiments. This series, made possible with the generous support of the John Templeton Foundation, aims to change that narrative. In podcast conversations and long-form pieces, we feature content making the case that liberalism has its own distinctive set of virtues and values that are capable not only of responding to the dissatisfaction that drives authoritarianism, but also of restoring faith in liberalism as an ideology worth believing in—and defending—on its own terms. If you have not yet signed up for our podcast, please do so now by following ⁠this link on your phone⁠. Email: leonora.barclay@persuasion.community Podcast production by Mickey Freeland and Leonora Barclay. Connect with us! ⁠Spotify⁠ | ⁠Apple⁠ | ⁠Google⁠ X: ⁠@Yascha_Mounk⁠ & ⁠@JoinPersuasion⁠ YouTube: ⁠Yascha Mounk⁠, ⁠Persuasion⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠Persuasion Community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As oil prices rise, the Spectator's cover story this week – written by deputy editor Freddy Gray – wonders if Trump's gamble has backfired, and Operation Epic Fury could end up more like Operation Epic Fail. What does it mean to describe Trump's plan as ‘failing'? And can we judge him by the same metrics that we have judged other presidents? For this week's Edition, host William Moore is joined by political editor Tim Shipman, Bloomberg Opinion columnist Adrian Wooldrodge and actress and campaigner Sophie Winkleman. Adrian, author of Centrists of the Worlds Unite!, explains why comparisons with the 1930s might not be as hyperbolic as they seem – while Sophie sees logic in using the diplomatic power of Britain's monarchy. Could the King be Britain's 'Trump' card?As well as the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, they discuss: if Starmer's inexperience has hindered Britain's defence policy; why the decline of the textbook spells trouble for Britain's students – and the prevailing sense that smartphones should be banned for children; and that, while boasting might be human nature – it's much harder for those of with left-wing sensibilities.Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sheri Hoidra, Esquire, joins us again to give us her insights into the lawfare in immigration in the United States. She shares some war stories, frustrations and tales from the front lines. We also discuss some world events and politics. Two radical Centrists who are pretty disgusted with what has become of the rule of law. 

As oil prices rise, the Spectator's cover story this week – written by deputy editor Freddy Gray – wonders if Trump's gamble has backfired, and Operation Epic Fury could end up more like Operation Epic Fail. What does it mean to describe Trump's plan as ‘failing'? And can we judge him by the same metrics that we have judged other presidents? For this week's Edition, host William Moore is joined by political editor Tim Shipman, Bloomberg Opinion columnist Adrian Wooldrodge and actress and campaigner Sophie Winkleman. Adrian, author of Centrists of the Worlds Unite!, explains why comparisons with the 1930s might not be as hyperbolic as they seem – while Sophie sees logic in using the diplomatic power of Britain's monarchy. Could the King be Britain's 'Trump' card?As well as the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, they discuss: if Starmer's inexperience has hindered Britain's defence policy; why the decline of the textbook spells trouble for Britain's students – and the prevailing sense that smartphones should be banned for children; and that, while boasting might be human nature – it's much harder for those of with left-wing sensibilities.Produced by Patrick Gibbons.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I talk with Brian Kilmeade in episode #905 of The ANEZ SEZ podcast...

I had a lot to reflect on after spending the weekend in Los Angeles.

For episode 213, I talk about the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran, how we got here, and what this means for both Iran and Lebanon. Also: Israel's ideological opposition to the concept of accountability, Israel's decreasing popularity in the US, the Ayatollah's brutal reign, and finally Hezbollah's catastrophic decision to join the war and how this is causing a severe crisis in Lebanon.Support: You can support my work with a one-off or monthly donation on Ko-fi.Lebanon Masterclass: Spots are still available for my March-April 2026 masterclass on modern Lebanese history and politics, but not many. Find out more on the website, on Bluesky or on Instagram. If you're interested in a later class instead, let me know on ayoub@thefirethesetimes.com or Signal ayoub.02.Referenced:My pieces: Iranian protesters don't owe us an explanation and How Hezbollah Lost EverythingYuval Abraham for 972: ‘A mass assassination factory': Inside Israel's calculated bombing of Gaza and ‘Lavender': The AI machine directing Israel's bombing spree in GazaAlso: Saudi commentator / Centrist dems / Thread on Israel and accountability / US using AI to bomb IranMutual Aid links: Lebanon emergency reliefFTP: The Fire These Times is a proud member of ⁠From The Periphery (FTP) Media Collective⁠⁠. Check out other projects in our media ecosystem: Syria: The Inconvenient Revolution, From The Periphery Podcast, The Mutual Aid Podcast⁠, ⁠Politically Depressed⁠, and ⁠Antidote Zine⁠. If you're not a supporter yet, please consider doing so on Patreon.Social Media: The Fire These Times is on Bluesky, Instagram⁠ and has a ⁠website⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠From The Periphery is on⁠ ⁠Patreon⁠⁠, Bluesky⁠, ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠,⁠ Instagram⁠, and has a⁠ website⁠⁠Elia is on Bluesky, Instagram, Mastodon and has a website.Credits:Elia Ayoub (host, producer, episode design), Rap and Revenge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Music), ⁠⁠Wenyi Geng⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (TFTT theme design), Hisham Rifai⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP theme design), ⁠⁠Molly Crabapple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP team profile pics) and Antidote Zine⁠ (Transcriptions).Transcriptions: Want to help Antidote Zine transcribe episodes? Click here for more info.Note on sound quality: I know there's a bit of a variation as I was pacing between two different rooms. Note to self for next time: stick to one room! I also had to do a quick edit on this one and I may have missed a cough or two. Hopefully not.

The US State Department advised its citizens in Northern Mexico to ‘shelter in place', as the cartels took their reprisals, following a major Mexican security forces operation against gang kingpin El Mencho - and then another called El Tuli. It's all LOL, until you realise that this is just the start. By targeting the cartels, the US has poked a hornet's nest; And the hornets are on cocaine. Meanwhile - have you paid a US steel tariff in recent months? Was it over 30%? If so, you could be due a refund. Just dial 1-800-WHITE HOUSE to see if you may be eligible. The Supreme Court acknowledged that sorting out the tariffs strike-down would be ‘a complete mess'. But after the mess, the reckoning: deep down, this is a story about the US balance of payments. Finally, Christine Lagarde is stepping down from the ECB. Emmanuel Macron' s Napoleonic pincer movement is that this frees the way for a Lagarde Presidential Run – and stops a National Rally government from appointing its own bank governor in 2028. But with these kinds of cynical machinations now effectively running the European elite, the entire Centrist establishment may be embarking on its Russia Campaign. All of this. Coming up. For premium subscribers. That's right - it's premium week. If you're not a premium subscriber, you can sign up on our new Metternich Tier on Patreon, for eight dollars, pounds or Euros a month. patreon.com/multipolarityFor clarity, we should point out that founder subscribers still on the old Palmerston tier will stay at $5 a month. For anyone else, try it once, you won't regret it. And you can cancel any time. And if you like visual Multipolarity, you can always check us out on Substack, where we're expanding our output with a weekly Multipolarity Briefing every Tuesday. multipolaritypod.substack.com

Democrats should be doing victory laps right now, after President Donald Trump's rambling State of the Union address is already polling as the least popular SOTU speech of the century. Yet, the party still appears to be in worse shape than ever before, suffering from their own record-low approval ratings. Perhaps that's why people like Rep. Seth Moulton, a 47-year old Iraq War veteran, are calling for a change in leadership, as he challenges 79-year old Senator Ed Markey for his Massachusetts Senate seat. In this wide-ranging and challenging interview with the centrist Democratic congressman, Mehdi asks Moulton whether he can beat a progressive incumbent senator with such high approval ratings, and also challenges him on his own voting record in the House. SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe WATCH 'MEHDI UNFILTERED' ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/mehdi-unfiltered FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan

Episode 971 examines why fact-checkers keep losing to Republican lies in America's ongoing culture war, and why better stories—not more facts—are the only way to win. Driftglass and Blue Gal break down Will McGrath's powerful essay "In the Resistance, We Drive Minivans" to show how real stories about real people cut through propaganda in ways statistics never can. The episode also tackles why centrist pundits are tying themselves in knots now that "resistance liberals" turned out to be right about Trump and fascism all along, yet still can't be allowed to lead. It's about storytelling, leadership, and why some people would rather let their Bullshit Igloos collapse than admit the Left saw this coming a decade ago.Links for this episode: Will McGrath: "In The Resistance, We Drive Minivans" The New Republic:  "What's Behind the Centrists' Resistance to the “Resistance Liberals”?"Crooks and Liars:  "This Dingus Of The Week Also Seems To Be A Voyeur"https://crooksandliars.com/2026/02/dingus-week-also-seems-be-voyeurStay in Touch! Email: proleftpodcast@gmail.comWebsite: proleftpod.comSupport via Patreon: patreon.com/proleftpodor Donate in the Venmo App @proleftpodMail: The Professional Left, PO Box 9133, Springfield, Illinois, 62791Support the show

Niskanen Summer Institute: https://www.niskanencenter.org/niskanen-summer-institute-democracy-that-works/Steve Teles | Varieties of Abundance: https://www.niskanencenter.org/abundance-varieties/Realignment Newsletter: https://therealignment.substack.com/Realignment Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/therealignmentEmail the Show: realignmentpod@gmail.comSteve Teles, Niskanen Center Senior Fellow, returns to The Realignment. Marshall and Steve discuss how moderates, centrists, and the Abundance movement can navigate the anti-status quo/economic populist moment, why the modern center naturally trends towards milquetoast, aesthetic moderation, instead of boldly picking fights, and how the fights over school reform in the 2000s and 2010s (regardless of one's opinion of charter schools and unions) offer a better model. Plus, Marshall reminds undergraduates in the class of 2026 and later that Niskanen Summer Institute applications are due February 27th.

University of Canterbury associate sociology professor Dr Mike Grimshaw joins Emile Donovan.

With more than half a dozen Democrats already running for governor, San José Mayor Matt Mahan added his name to the field this week. Scott, Marisa and Guy discuss whether the centrist Silicon Valley Democrat and outspoken critic of Gov. Gavin Newsom's social media tactics can break through an already competitive race. They also dig into an effort in Sacramento to make it easier for residents to sue U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who use excessive force. Check out ⁠⁠Political Breakdown's weekly newsletter⁠⁠, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#podcast #progressive #Democrats #Michigan #ElissaSlotkin #Slotkin #Republicans #MAGA #Trump #CorporateGreed #CorporateCorruption #GovernmentCorruption #ICE #Immigration #HenryCuellar #WorkingClass #Authoritarianism #Fascism #Election2026 #Democracy #LeftofLansingHere's the Left of Lansing "Friday Short" for January 23, 2026.Seven corporate Democrats (or Democratic "Centrists) in the U.S. House voted with the autocratic MAGA majority to shovel more money to the Trump Regime's ICE Gestapo in a spending bill this week. That bill now moves onto the Senate where other "centrists" Democrats, like Michigan's Elissa Slotkin, says she will never back a push to Abolish ICE.Thanks to some excellent reporting, we now know that those pushing Democrats to say "reform ICE," rather than to abolish it are lobbyists for the defense and surveillance industries. There's a big election coming up in 10 months, and working class Americans are hoping there'll be a true opposition party to Trump's MAGA, but some Democrats would rather play along with authoritarianism than fight against it. Please, subscribe to the podcast, download each episode, and give it a good review if you can!leftoflansing@gmail.comLeft of Lansing is now on YouTube as well!leftoflansing.comMusic provided by Wanderbeats. To hear the latest project, visit Space Leopard on various streaming sites, or visit: https://www.youtube.com/@SpaceLeopardNOTES:"Author of ‘Don't Say Abolish ICE' Memo Is a Corporate Consultant." By Whitney Curry-Winbush of The American Prospect

Guest: Professor Richard Carwardine. Carwardine explains that President-elect Lincoln did not view Republicans as overly aggressive, positioning himself as a constitution-respecting centrist rather than a radical. Lincoln opposed slavery's expansion but acknowledged its constitutional protection where it already existed, believing the South was misled by elites and would eventually return to the Union. Ironically, Lincoln and Buchanan, though political opposites, worshiped at the same Washington church, sharing an old-school Presbyterian background.1861 ST. MICHAEL'S, CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA

H4-Wed1/14/26- TCJS- "Sen Jon Fetterman is one of the most centrist Congressmen ", "Calls on the WORD Talk line about Iran ; This is all America First", " When Donald Trump says the exact same thing Dems said.." , "The House of Reps to keep funding for Nat'l Endowment on Democracy "

This is an expanded episode of an essay i've recently written about how we need to radically rethink our idea of a centrist…one that needs to meet a completely new criteria…the center needs to hold the positions that a majority of Americans support. Radical idea I know. And currently, what is considered…“the center” does not meet this simple criteria. The current ideas of the “center” are radical brain rotted freaks. They are not serious people and should be treated as such.Our current center believes profit is the ultimate ego ideal to strive for…they wish to strip your humanity from every purchase you make.The irrational centrist holds profit as their first principle…in both the economic sense and the moral sense. We see this in the “not really political” influencers who define success through preselected goals: more cars, more crypto rug pulls, and a narcissistic drive to be seen “winning”. This is the “self-optimized narcissist” in action, a figure obsessed with an unachievable ego ideal.As Todd McGowan notes, the foundation of the capitalist structure is the promise of the future. We buy commodities to discover satisfaction, accumulate capital to “one day” have enough, and speed up distribution for future profit. This manufactured hope is sold back to us as progress, yet it is built on the false premise that satisfaction is always just one purchase away. Does it currently feel like the better tomorrow is coming?Our modern governance has transitioned from democratic deliberation to technocratic management. Digital platforms have eaten away at our minds, leaving behind conceptual ghosts and transactions. Our smartphones are no longer tools…they shape how we think and what we desire. We have entered a stage of "manufactured narcissism," where our public and private selves become indistinguishable as we perform roles scripted by the machine of fame and profit.Your average normie influencer does ad reads for another dog water company and we don't even blink an eye. If they want to be influencers, we should be holding their feet directly in the fire when they are lazy profit hungry fools. Why do they get a pass? The current center facilitates a narcissistic fantasy where we no longer view ourselves as distinct from the objects we consume… instead, we are pushed into a capitalistic based fragmentation where our own consumption becomes a rotted form of self-reification. This creates a smokescreen that prevents us from understanding what we truly desire or what a healthy politics looks like. The current “Enlightened Centrist” (EC) is often just someone who is mentally tired and lazy (CC Lex Fridman as the perfrect example of sounding lazy and thinking lazy). They are tired of ideological purity tests, so they adopt “centrism” as a brand to mask their complicity. They preach a “pathological optimism” that masks the smell of a decaying status quo.A true centrist position must be an ideological inversion based on material reality. Consider the data:* Bipartisan Support: 67% of Americans support a Billionaire income tax, and over 60% support a wealth tax.* Healthcare Priority: 72% of voters support “radical” measures to lower healthcare costs and reduce the role of insurance middlemen.* Red State Realism: In 2024, deep-red states like Missouri and Alaska voted to raise the minimum wage and mandate paid sick leave.These voters aren't “radical extremists”…they are working people who recognize that the status quo is irrational. Their “mistrust” is not a “doomer” mindset—it is a rational observation of a system where working full-time no longer guarantees stable housing or family milestones.The average American is grounded in reality. The elites? Are radical brain rotted fools that should be treated as such. And the irrational center tells us that universal healthcare and living wages are expensive fantasies. Meanwhile, “techno-utopians” like Sam Altman sell a delusional vision of an AI-driven future of abundance to obscure the current material rot of energy depletion and rising costs.They are promising you a better tomorrow while stealing everything from you today. How do we treat frauds? Do we give them another bail out? Or should we be operating more rationally? I think we should be prosecuting them for their lack of competence and fraudulent lies. It's that simple. The true center must step back into the “grey zone” of reality. It refuses to lie to itself about what the system is. It recognizes that “hope” has become a consumer product designed to distract us from the harsh truth of our material predicament.We must stop allowing media influencers to act as highly paid PR firms for power. A rational middle ground should operate with principles of moderation and compromise, but it must reject the binary of left and right, which serves as a controlled opposition designed to simulate choice without threatening power.The path forward is grounded in an awareness of our collective experience. By focusing on the expressed material needs of the vast majority, we can transition from objects of the "celebrity machine" to subjects who influence our own reality. This is the grounded, rational, and true hope for the future. One that the center MUST hold. Stay curious. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brendenslabyrinth.substack.com/subscribe

Guest: Professor Evan Ellis. Events in Caracas are shaping upcoming elections in Brazil and Colombia, pushing leaders like Lula toward moderation to appease centrist voters. In Colombia, frustration with President Petro's policies and security failures may favor right-wing candidates. Meanwhile, Peru's election focuses on public insecurity and deep Chinese investment.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.comIn this week's segment from Mehdi Unfiltered, Mehdi is joined by Paul Holden to discuss his new book, 'The Fraud: Keir Starmer, Morgan McSweeney, and the Crisis of British Politics.'SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribeWATCH ‘MEHDI UNFILTERED' ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/mehdi-unfilteredFIND ZETEO:Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_newsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonewsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonewsFIND MEHDI:Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasanTwitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasanInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasanTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan

Trump blasts Biden in address to the nation. Senior Reporter for The Hill Mike Lillis recaps the 18-minute speech and explains how GOP centrists are helping Democrats defy Mike Johnson on ACA.

Trump blasts Biden in address to the nation. Senior Reporter for The Hill Mike Lillis recaps the 18-minute speech and explains how GOP centrists are helping Democrats defy Mike Johnson on ACA.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

P.M. Edition for Dec. 17. Some frustrated Republicans have bucked leadership and sided with House Democrats to force a vote on extending expiring healthcare subsidies. WSJ Congressional reporter Siobhan Hughes explains how next year's midterms are factoring into that decision. Plus, the Oscars are going digital and heading to a new home: YouTube. And WSJ entertainment reporter Joe Flint tells us what options Paramount has left in its pursuit of Warner after the media company rejects its hostile bid. Julie Chang hosts.Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the year since President Trump won re-election — thanks in part to capitalizing on sitdowns on friendly podcasts — Democrats have been looking for their own answer to the so-called “manosphere.” One of the top contenders has emerged from an unlikely place: bright red Oklahoma. That's where Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan started their hit podcast, “I've Had It.” They've interviewed some of the biggest names on the left side of the political spectrum, like former President Obama, New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, and Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders. Welch in particular has gone viral for testy exchanges with former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker.  Kara and Jennifer talk about what it's like to be a liberal atheist in the Bible Belt, why Jennifer finds centrist Democrats so frustrating, and why she's skeptical about Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's recent break with Trump. They also talk about what Democrats get wrong about red states, and what she thinks the party needs to do to appeal to voters outside the coasts and big cities.  Please note: The original interview for this episode was taped Friday morning, before Greene announced her decision to resign from Congress and Mamdani met with Trump. We taped a second interview on Saturday morning to get Jennifer's reaction to the news.  Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Progressive and centrist Democratic candidates had big wins in the 2025 elections. On this week's On the Media, a data scientist fact-checks the claim that Democrats need moderate voters to win. Plus, an Arizona state senator shares how she's reaching her constituents on TikTok and on the ground.[01:00] Host Brooke Gladstone sits down with G. Elliot Morris, a journalist, statistician, and author of the data-driven news website Strength in Numbers, to hash out what the data says about whether becoming more moderate is really the key to Democratic candidates winning more elections.[20:09] Brooke chats with Matt Bennett, co-founder of Third Way, a center-left think tank, about his view that Zohran Mamdani's win in New York City poses a “serious political problem” for the Democrats.[36:06] Finally, Brooke calls up Analise Ortiz, state senator for Arizona's 24th district, to discuss how TikTok, old-fashioned door-knocking, and making tangible differences in peoples' lives is the way for the Democrats to start winning again. Further reading:Moderation is not a silver bullet, by G. Elliott MorrisSeven data-driven lessons from the 2025 elections, by G. Elliott MorrisWas It Something I Said? by Third WayDebunking Myths About the Democratic Party, by Third Way On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.

PREVIEW The rise of the anti-EU, pro-Russia AFD poses a political dilemma in Germany. While the AFD won't win an absolute majority, its potential gain in Bundestag seats could force the remaining parties into an almost impossible "centrist coalition." Such a coalition might require combining groups like the Christian Democrats with the highly detested Greens and the Socialist Party, whose economic policies are antithetical. The German establishment fears this resulting paralysis, comparing it to the situation in Holland. Guest: Anatol Lieven. 1945 BERLIN

This week on The Horse Race, Steve and Jenn sit down face-to-face, #reunited. Centrist dems have negotiated a deal to end the government shutdown. Steve discusses Trump's abysmal approval numbers, Jenn does not NOT talk about forum shopping, and there is zero discussion about "Donkey's of Exceptional Cuteness" in this episode.

A Long Island congressman explains his centrist, bi-partisan approach to the current political moment.On Today's Show:U.S. Representative Tom Suozzi (D-NY3) talks about the Senate's possible end to the longest shutdown in history, and what the election of Zohran Mamdani means for the Democratic party.

Simon's live US roundup from Washington for Nick Abbot's Sunday night / Monday morning programme on the UK's LBC.  This week, Donald Trump celebrates victory over the BBC, and breaking news about the US government shutdown.

How much transparency should we demand from the monarchy? Do the latest Dutch results show that populism is fracturing, or simply mutating? And, did Xi embarrass Trump?  __________ Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more. Get more from The Rest Is Politics with TRIP+. Enjoy bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access, live show ticket priority, our members' newsletter, and private Discord community – plus exclusive mini-series like The Rise and Fall of Rupert Murdoch. Start your 7-day free trial today at therestispolitics.com The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Fuse are giving away free TRIP Plus membership for all of 2025 to new sign ups

Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Deciding to Win Report: Deciding To Win – Toward A Common Sense Renewal of the Democratic PartySemafor: Left-wing ideas have wrecked Democrats' brand, new report warnsGOP Autopsy Report: RNCreport03182013.pdfRealignment Newsletter: https://therealignment.substack.com/Realignment Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/therealignmentEmail the Show: realignmentpod@gmail.com