Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

There was a lot we got wrong at the beginning of the pandemic. With cases rising around the country, maybe it's time to lock it down again, and take the second chance to get it right. On Today's Show:Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, infectious diseases physician with expertise in emerging infections and biosecurity, talks about the latest COVID-19 news, including what needs to happen to avoid another nationwide shutdown: faster and improved testing, a scaled up contact tracing program, and plans for isolation and quarantine for those who test positive. Plus, a look at how healthcare personnel are coping with no end in sight. 

Portland has been protesting police brutality for 2 full months. In recent weeks, the addition of federal agents seems to have re-ignited the public's outrage. On Today's Show:Anna Griffin, vice president of news at Oregon Public Broadcasting, Anne Applebaum, staff writer at The Atlantic, historian and author of Twilight of Democracy: the Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism, and Dr. Shirley A. Jackson, professor of Black Studies at Portland State University, offer different perspectives on the clashes between federal agents and protesters in Portland, Oregon.

Federal agents are cracking down on Portland protesters and AG William Barr set to testify on that. Plus, Trump's mixed messages in responding to COVID.  On Today's ShowAyesha Rascoe, NPR White House reporter, talks about the latest political headlines

It's Monday morning politics. Today's top stories -- will congress extend the $600 unemployment checks, and are the BLM protests in Portland still about Black lives? On Today's Show:Eugene Scott, politics reporter for The Fix at The Washington Post, talks about the latest national political news, including where Congress is on the next coronavirus relief bill, the federal agents in Portland and more.

On today's show: Hakeem Jeffries, U.S. Representative (D NY-8th, Brooklyn and Queens), talks about the next coronavirus relief bill currently being debated in Congress.

As businesses re-open and employees go back to work, how can they be sure their employers are taking their health seriously enough? And if they get sick, could they sue? On Today's Show:Heidi Li Feldman, professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center, explains worker's rights and the legal protections for their employers as reopening continues during the pandemic.

There's a newish acronym, BIPOC, that encompasses the victims of US colonization and slavery. But should they be lumped together? And who does that label leave out? On Today's Show:Jonathan D. Rosa, sociocultural and linguistic anthropologist at Stanford University, who researches language and race, talks about and answers questions on what BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) means, who it serves, where it comes from and how it affects our society, presently and in our future.

The President's aversion to facts has created fertile ground for conspiracy theories to take root. The most important question: will he and his base accept the results of the election? On Today's Show:Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post columnist and host of CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS, talks about his latest CNN special, examining President Trump's  proclivity for conspiracy-theory thinking, its history in the U.S., and what his claims about voter fraud could mean for the 2020 election 

The late Rep. John Lewis was a powerhouse of civil rights activism, and a leader for justice among lawmakers. We dip into the archive and listen to the history of "Good Trouble" he lived. On Today's Episode:We hear a conversation Brian had with Rep. John Lewis on the day that President Obama became the first Black Democratic nominee for president, tape of C.T. Vivian, a top lieutenant of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who died on the same day as Lewis, standing up to a sheriff in Selma, Alabama to defend the right to register Black voters. Jonathan Capehart, member of The Washington Post editorial board, host of the “Cape Up” podcast and an MSNBC contributor, remembers John Lewis, and talks about his legacy in Washington today.

Schools around the nation weigh the safety of students and staff against pressure from parents who can't go back to work with their kids staying home. Part 2 of a 2-part discussion: What do teachers need in the discussion about  re-opening schools? On Today's Show:Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, offers the union's view on how to balance the need to reopen schools against the risks of COVID-19 exposure.