Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast

We look ahead to today's January 6th hearing, which will explore whether Trump allies were coordinating with extremist groups ahead of the insurrection. On Today's Show:Roger Parloff, journalist and senior editor at Lawfare, previews Tuesday's January 6 hearing, which will focus on the connection between former President Trump and extremist groups involved in storming the Capitol, like the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers. 

The left wants President Biden to take stronger action on abortion rights in the face of SCOTUS's decision to overturn Roe. But what can the White House actually do? On Today's Show:Elie Mystal, justice correspondent for The Nation and the author of Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution (The New Press, 2022), joins to discuss the latest political news, including President Joe Biden's executive order to protect abortion rights

We check in on the status of WNBA star Brittney Gringer, who is currently incarcerated in Russia on charges to which she just pleaded guilty. On Today's Show:Terri Jackson, executive director of the Women's National Basketball Players Association and Kavitha Davidson, sportswriter and correspondent for HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” join to discuss the trial of WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was detained in Russia on drug smuggling charges for the possession of two cannabis-derived vape cartridges.

Amid an energy crisis brought on by sanctions on Russian oil the European Union has designated gas — a fossil fuel — as 'green'. What does it mean for climate change? On Today's Show:Somini Sengupta, international climate reporter for The New York Times and lead writer for the Climate Forward newsletter, explains the decision and talks about why critics think this move will prolong Europe's reliance on fossil fuels.

Trump's White House Counsel on January 6th, Pat Cipollone, has agreed to testify before the congressional committee investigating the insurrection. On Today's Show:Kyle Cheney, senior legal affairs reporter for Politico, discusses what testimony the committee could hear from Mr. Cipollone, and how his testimony could shape the investigation going forward.

After visiting world leaders abroad, President Biden returns home to a number of political challenges, including the looming midterm elections this November. On Today's Show:Jonathan Lemire, host of “Way Too Early" on MSNBC, Politico White House bureau chief, and the author of the forthcoming The Big Lie: Election Chaos, Political Opportunism, and the State of American Politics After 2020 (Flatiron Books, 2022) talks about the latest political news, including President Joe Biden's political wins during the G7 and NATO Summits and the challenges he's facing back at home, like his perceived inaction towards protecting abortion rights.

When the Supreme Court released its opinion limiting the power of the EPA this morning, we were in the midst of speaking with a prominent environmentalist. On Today's Show:Bill McKibben, environmental activist, founder of Third Act and author of many books, most recently, The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks Back at His Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the Hell Happened (Henry Holt and Co., 2022), joins to talk about the news from Europe, where the E.U. reached a deal to phase out fossil fuels by 2035, in contrast to the breaking news that the Supreme Court in the United States has with conservative states and fossil fuel companies in curtailing the power of the Environmental Protection Agency.

In yesterday's Jan. 6 hearing, we heard vivid testimony from a former aide to Trump's chief of staff that detailed his behavior before, and during, the Capitol riot. On Today's Show:Michael Kranish, national political investigative reporter for The Washington Post, co-author of Trump Revealed: An American Journey of Ambition, Ego, Money, and Power (Scribner, 2016), joins to recap Tuesday's January 6th hearing, in which Cassidy Hutchinson, then-principal assistant to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, testified about what President Trump's inner circle knew.

In the wake of SCOTUS's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, what does the future of abortion rights activism look like? On Today's Show:Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, the lead litigator in the case, discusses her latest law case which delayed Louisiana's trigger abortion law and how people can get involved locally in advocating for the protection of abortion rights.

The Supreme Court ruled today on a case about prayer in public schools. So what does that, and other recent judicial opinions, mean for "freedom of religion"? On Today's Show:A series of recent Supreme Court cases, including the right to abortion, privileges the religious freedoms of Christians. Micah Schwartzman, professor and the director of the Karsh Center for Law and Democracy at the University of Virginia School of Law, joins to discuss his recent article asking if the same protection applies to people of the Jewish faith.