Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

The the editor-at-large of Jewish Currents argues for Palestinian liberation through non-violence, taking lessons from the successes and failures of South African resistance movements. On Today's Show:Peter Beinart, journalist, commentator and professor at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, shares his analysis of the Israel-Hamas war, and his hope - however distant it may feel right now - for peace. Plus, he reacts to President Biden's speech from his visit to Israel.

In today's installment of our monthly "Call Your Senator" discussion, NY's junior senator explained how she thought about the US's involvement in the Israel-Hamas war. On Today's Show:U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D NY) talks about her work in Washington, the U.S. response to the Israel-Hamas war, and more.

A Palestinian affairs analyst explains some of the long-standing internal politics of Gaza and the West Bank, including Hamas, Fatah and what has prevented a two-state solution. On Today's Show:Tahani Mustafa, Palestine analyst at the International Crisis Group, offers context from the Palestinian perspective to the Hamas attack and Israeli response.

  There's so much nuance and context behind the situation between Israel and Hamas, which often gets drowned out by emotionally charged discourse. On Today's Show:Julia Ioffe, founding partner and Washington correspondent of Puck, a new media company, draws on her Russian-Jewish-American identity to discuss the ongoing war in Israel and Gaza.

In the days since Hamas stormed past Israeli security checkpoints and began the deadliest stretch of violence in the reason since 2014, questions have emerged about the US's role. On Today's Show:Ishaan Tharoor, foreign affairs columnist at The Washington Post, and the author of the "Today's WorldView" newsletter and column, and Robin Wright, contributing writer and columnist for The New Yorker and Joint Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center and the US Institute of Peace, discuss the United States' foreign policy options related to the Israel-Hamas war, and how they will affect Israelis, Palestinians and Americans.

Over the weekend, Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel’s border with Gaza. On Today's Show:Dan Goldman, US Representative (D, NY-10), formerly lead counsel for the impeachment investigation of former President Trump in 2019 and former assistant US attorney SDNY, discusses the latest news from the Middle East following his trip to Israel over the weekend, and breaks down how Congress is reacting to the attack and Israel’s consequent war in Gaza. Then:Rami Khouri, Palestinian-American journalist and senior public policy fellow at the American University of Beirut, talks about the attack on Israel and the political context of the violence.

What's Congress's role in the nation's foreign policy regarding the violence in Israel, particularly as the House is mired in a GOP leadership fight? On Today's Show:Hakeem Jeffries, U.S. Representative (D NY-8th, Brooklyn) and House minority leader, talks about the latest national political news as Republicans in the House try to figure out who the next speaker will be and Israel declares war.

The jailed Iranian women's rights activist Narges Mohammadi, is this year's recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. On Today's Show:Summer Lopez, chief program officer of Free Expression Programs at PEN America and Azar Nafisi, author of many books including Reading Lolita in Tehran and most recently Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times (Dey Street Books, 2022), discuss Mohammadi's work, and the importance, and difficulties of speaking truth to power.

How might the bribery indictment of a prominent Democrat who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee impact the foreign policy of the United States? On Today's Show:Tom Malinowski, diplomat, McCain Institute senior fellow and former congressman representing NJ's 7th district, reflects on representing the 7th district, current New Jersey politics, and Senator Bob Menendez's impact on U.S. foreign policy.

A few GOP congressmembers from the party's far-right have, with the help of their Democratic colleagues, ousted the now former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.  On Today's Show:Ritchie Torres, U.S. Representative (D-NY15) talks about the deal that avoided a government shutdown, the fallout for McCarthy and the GOP, and what it means for the House's ability to govern through another impending budget fight.