Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the 'Back To School Jam' in the Bronx that helped launch hip hop culture into global popularity. On Today's Show:Joycelyn Wilson, assistant professor of hip-hop studies and digital media at Georgia Tech, explains the long relationship between hip hop, its artists, and politics.

Last week, the FDA approved the first ever pill specifically intended to treat postpartum depression. On Today's Show:Nicole Cirino, MD, reproductive psychiatrist, chief of division of reproductive psychiatry, professor at Baylor College of Medicine, and Postpartum Support International board member, provides an expert look at Zurzuvae, the new medication which could help the estimated 1 in 8 women in the United States experiencing symptoms of depression after giving birth.

Could more ballot measures be a remedy for partisan gerrymandering around the country? Plus, some legal analysis of former President Trump's direct threats.  On Today's Show:Kate Shaw, law professor at Cardozo Law School, ABC Supreme Court contributor and cohost of the Strict Scrutiny podcast, breaks down the latest legal investigations into Trump's business and political careers. 

Voters go to the polls today in Ohio to decide whether future ballot initiatives will need a 60%, rather than a simple, majority, which could impact upcoming abortion protection measures.  On Today's Show:Rachel Cohen, senior policy reporter at Vox, and Haley BeMiller, state government and politics reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, explain what's at stake in Ohio and nationally.

With charges officially filed against former President Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection, how are conservatives, including his voters, thinking about his 2024 campaign? On Today's Show:Charlie Sykes, founder and editor-at-large and host of a podcast at The Bulwark, MSNBC contributor and author of How the Right Lost Its Mind (St. Martin's Press, 2017), discusses the politics of former President Donald Trump's latest indictment.

Friday Special: We present longform readings of key excerpts from the Trump indictment, plus analysis from legal experts.  On Today's Show:Hear portions of the indictment read aloud by WNYC host Tiffany Hanssen, Kai Wright, host of WNYC's Notes from America, Micah Loewinger, correspondent for WNYC's On the Media, Elie Mystal, justice correspondent for The Nation and host of its new podcast Contempt of Court and the author of Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution (The New Press, 2022), and Jill Wine-Banks, MSNBC legal analyst, former Watergate special prosecutor, co-host of the podcasts #Sistersinlaw and IGenPolitics and the author of The Watergate Girl: My Fight for Truth and Justice Against a Criminal President (Henry Holt and Co., 2020).

How are Jewish interest groups in the United States responding to the unrest in Israel over Netanyahu's controversial attempts at court reform?  On Today's Show:Ron Kampeas, Washington bureau chief at the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, a news organization, discusses how Jewish Americans are reacting to a controversial judicial overhaul by the right-wing Israeli government. The new law severely weakens the Israeli judicial branch, and American Jewish groups have been quick to respond.

Yesterday, Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith released a 45-page, 4-count indictment against former President Trump for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election.  On Today's Show:Andrew Weissmann, professor of criminal and national security law at NYU School of Law, lead prosecutor in Robert Mueller’s Special Counsel's Office and the author of Where Law Ends: Inside the Mueller Investigation (Random House, 2020), offers legal analysis of the charges.

In Niger, a military general declared himself leader after a coup against the nation's first duly-elected president, who was an ally of the West in fighting terror in the region. On Today's Show:Alexis Akwagyiram, managing editor at Semafor Africa, discusses the recent coup in Niger, Russia's presence in West Africa, and the wave of coups that have taken place in the region in the last few years.

A number of headlines broke over the weekend related to the legal troubles of both former President Donald Trump, and the son of the current President, Hunter Biden. On Today's Show:Jonathan Lemire, host of “Way Too Early" on MSNBC, Politico White House bureau chief, and the author of The Big Lie: Election Chaos, Political Opportunism, and the State of American Politics After 2020 (Flatiron Books, 2022), discuses the latest national political news.