Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

With the withdrawal of US troops and the ascent of the Taliban, Afghan women have a lot to lose. So let's make sure we understand what they're facing. On Today's Show:Sarah Chayes, former NPR reporter who covered the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan, talks about the recent updates from Afghanistan and what Afghan women are experiencing as the United States withdraws from the country.

As the Taliban takes back the reins of government in Afghanistan, how has the Biden administration's withdrawal plan affected the lives of Afghans who assisted the U.S. military? On Today's Show:Fred Kaplan, Slate's War Stories columnist and the author of many books, including The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War (Simon & Schuster, 2020), and Kristen Rouse, president & founder of the NYC Veterans Alliance and board member of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, discuss the latest updates on the situation in Afghanistan.

Perdue Pharma is fighting in bankruptcy court to insulate themselves against opioid lawsuits that could cost trillions of dollars. So what does fighting the crisis looks on the street? On Today's Show:Sessi Kuwabara Blanchard, harm reduction outreach worker at a NYC syringe exchange, program director of the DSA's Opioid Overdose Prevention Program and freelance journalist, talk about why fentanyl is becoming more ubiquitous and what we can do to prevent overdose deaths.

Former Governor David Patterson took office after Elliot Spitzer resigned in a prostitution scandal. He brings his experience to help make sense of Cuomo's resignation. On Today's Show:David Paterson, former governor of New York, talks about Gov. Cuomo's resignation through the lens of his own experience as New York's governor and his long experience with politics in the state.

Gov. Cuomo took pains to explain in his resignation speech that he simply didn't know that his behavior was unacceptable. So how far has the #MeToo movement really come? On Today's Show:Rebecca Traister, writer-at-large for New York Magazine and the author of, most recently, Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger (Simon & Schuster, 2018), talks about the toxic workplace that Gov. Cuomo allegedly fostered, and how that intersected with the Me Too movement and was part of what led to his resignation.

There's division among Democrats in Congress over whether the same bill should address both physical infrastructure and human infrastructure. So what are the politics at play? On Today's Show:Rep. Josh Gottheimer, (D, NJ-5), co-chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus, talks about the infrastructure deal and whether the House will take it up, plus other national issues.

July's job numbers are out, but do they really paint a complete picture of the post-vaccine economy, with delta cases rising and unemployment benefits set to expire? On Today's Show:Jeanna Smialek, reporter covering the Federal Reserve and the economy for The New York Times and Lauren Hirsch, New York Times and DealBook reporter covering business, policy and mergers and acquisitions, discuss the latest jobs report and what the delta variant means for the return to the workplace.

Lots to cover in Congress these days, including the moderate/progressive split among Democrats, addressing the looming eviction crisis, and the best way to balance the Supreme Court. On Today's Show:Rep. Mondaire Jones, a Congressional freshman, (D-NY17, Rockland County and part of Westchester County), joins to brings the latest news, politics and analysis from the Capitol.

Yesterday's AG report found that all 11 sexual assault allegations against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo were credible. Where does he, and the state, go from here? On Today's Show:Gwynne Hogan, reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, and Karen DeWitt, Capitol bureau chief for New York State Public Radio, talk about what comes next for the governor and what role the state legislature plays. Plus, New York State Senator Brad Hoylman and chairman of the committee on judiciary, joins to discuss his committee's role in what's to come.

Amid rising cases of the delta variant, New York City is re-instating some COVID precautions that it had previously rolled back. What does the science have to say about the policy? On Today's Show:Nsikan Akpan, WNYC's health and science editor, breaks down the science behind breakthrough infections, local pols' decisions not to mandate indoor masking and more COVID news.