Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

The primaries in Texas and North Carolina illuminate some political factors that could be at play in the midterms this November. On Today's Show:Lisa Lerer, national political correspondent for The New York Times, talks about the primary results and issues at play.

Active duty veteran and now member of the House Armed Services committee talks about the parallels between Trump's recent actions against Iran, and the circumstances that led to the invasion and occupation of Iraq.  On Today's Show: Rep. Pat Ryan, U.S. Representative (D, NY-18), offers his take on the conflict, the upcoming vote in the House on war powers and more.

The killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei leaves many questions unanswered about the future of Iran and the region. On Today's Show:Robin Wright, contributing writer and columnist for The New Yorker, talks about what might come next for Iran after its Supreme Leader was killed in an Israeli air strike, as the war continues to widen and the country remains divided politically.  

With President Trump's recent moves to federalize certain election regulations, what do we mean by 'voting rights' and 'election integrity?' On Today's Show:Anne Applebaum, staff writer at The Atlantic, historian and author of Autocracy Inc. (Penguin, 2024), offers her analysis of how President Trump and his administration are seeking to control elections, as well as science and culture, and why.  

Recent changes at the Washington Post's newsroom and opinion section point a spotlight at the relationship between owner Jeff Bezos and President Trump. On Today's Show:Ruth Marcus, a contributor to The New Yorker and a former columnist for the Washington Post and the author of Supreme Ambition: Brett Kavanaugh and the Conservative Takeover (Simon & Schuster, 2019), comments on national politics and the state of journalism.  

During his State of the Union address last night, President Trump singled out a passage about his 'voter ID' proposal as one of the most important priorities for his administration. On Today's Show:Ari Berman, national voting rights correspondent for Mother Jones, offers analysis of President Trump's State of the Union address, especially his talk of voter fraud and push to pass the SAVE act.

In early February, the EPA repealed the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding, a landmark regulatory move reversing the determination that greenhouse gases threaten public health.  On Today's Show:Pat Parenteau, emeritus professor at Vermont Law and Graduate School and former EPA regional counsel under President Ronald Reagan, explains what happens next, including the many challenges the Trump administration is facing from environmental groups, and how the repeal could impact both health and climate change.

Trump's State of the Union address is tomorrow, and with the midterm elections this November, his administration's priorities will be important for the GOP's congressional strategy. On Today's Show:Jonathan Lemire, co-host of Morning Joe on MSNOW and contributing writer to The Atlantic, talks about the latest national political news.

On Wednesday, the Trump administration issued a memo directing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to detain lawful refugees who have yet to secure permanent U.S. residency.  On Today's Show:Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker staff writer and the author of Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis (Penguin Press, 2024), discusses the latest news, including his latest reporting on how the agency's bureaucracy works.

An interview between Stephen Colbert and a Democratic primary candidate in Texas's Senate race has put CBS at odds with the FCC. On Today's Show:Scott Nover, media reporter for The Washington Post, discusses the dispute, and the extent to which the Trump administration can use regulatory power to pressure broadcasters.