America: The Story of the USA

America: The Story of the USA

By Liam Heffernan | A Mercury PodcastSociety & CultureNewsPoliticsHistory
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America: The Story of the USA episodes

  • Study Notes: Dolly Parton

    America: Study Notes are quickfire explainers for all the things you want to know about the USA, but don't want to ask.

    Today: Dolly Parton - the life of a woman whose music, generosity, and spirit shaped American culture for more than half a century. Dolly passed away this week, and today we’re taking time to honour her story, her work, and the legacy she leaves behind.

    .

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    10 min
  • In the Making: Natalie Harp, Canada, and Trump's War on Visas

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    .

    This week, Donald Trump tries to revoke 200,000 Visa applications, targeting those seeking asylum in the US, and his trade war with Canada heats up after Prime Minister Mark Carney imposes retaliatory tariffs.

    Plus, I speak with Marcia Chatelain about her new book, looking at the women behind the historic March on Washington 63 years ago. Buy it here: https://a.co/d/0fC6zeGF

    Joining me this week is a virtual audience of SOTUS listeners as we record the podcast live. To hear about our next live recording before anyone else, join the SOTUS community now: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/community

    .

    01:53 - Who is Natalie Harp?

    05:49 - The Midterms Explained

    09:59 - The Largest Visa Revocation in History

    16:45 - The US-Canada Trade War

    21:31 - Marcia Chatelain and Her New Book

    43:28 - Join the Next SOTUS Live Recording

    .

    News Sources:

    • Mass visa revocation: https://apnews.com/article/trump-rubio-visas-revoke-e9c14fdfd0ada439d2b9d8694e678a46? 

    • Trade War with Canada: https://apnews.com/article/trump-canada-tariffs-senate-2026-campaign-c3d2461184a2b8656abd01376452e0d5 

    • How Bright the Path Grows: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the March on Washington by Marcia Chatelain: https://a.co/d/0fC6zeGF 

    • Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America by Marcia Chatelain: https://a.co/d/00HXZIwX

      • .

      America: The Story of the USA is a Podcasts by Liam production for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mercury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠British Association for American Studies⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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      51 min
    • What is the Supreme Court Term, and Why Does it Matter?

      The Supreme Court term is the annual rhythm of American constitutional life - nine justices, a docket of cases, and decisions that can reshape law, politics, and everyday life.

      This year’s term produced headline rulings and quieter doctrinal shifts: questions about presidential power, the reach of federal agencies, the rights of transgender people, and immigration enforcement. It also renewed debate about the Court’s “shadow docket” - emergency orders and summary decisions that shape policy without full briefing or oral argument.

      These developments matter not just in Washington: they reverberate across democracies, including here in the UK, where debates about judicial review, executive discretion, and rights are very much alive. So today we’ll explain what it is, unpack the big cases and themes, and ask what the Court’s choices mean for politics, law, and democracy, as I ask… what is the Supreme Court term, and why does it matter?

      .

      Special Guests:

      Emma Long, Associate Professor in American History and Politics at the University of East Anglia, and an expert on the Supreme Court.

      .

      Join our new 24/7 SOTUS community now: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/community

      .

      Reading List:

      • Supreme Court of the United States - Official Opinions and Orders: https://www.supremecourt.gov

      • SCOTUSblog - Term coverage and case pages: https://www.scotusblog.com

      • “Shadow Docket” explainer - Brennan Center for Justice: https://www.brennancenter.org

        • .

        Highlights:

        02:29 - How the Supreme Court Works

        06:09 - The Chosen Ones

        09:56 - The Biggest Cases of Last Term

        13:57 - The Shadow Docket

        23:14 - Exercising Authority Over the President

        28:11 - Gaming the System

        32:36 - Roll Over

        40:59 - Setting an Example for Other Countries

        47:26 - Impartiality in the Supreme Court

        .

        Contact us: [email protected]

        Team SOTUS: ⁠⁠⁠https://sotus.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠community

        Brands & advertisers: [email protected]

        .

        Credits:

        Producer - Liam Heffernan

        Host - Liam Heffernan

        Editor - Liam Heffernan

        In Partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠British Association for American Studies⁠

        Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

        1 hr
      • Study Notes: What Qualifications Do You Need to Run for Office in the US?

        America: Study Notes are quickfire explainers for all the things you want to know about the USA, but don't want to ask.

        Today: what qualifications do you need to run for office in the United States?

        From the President to local city councils, we’ll break down the eligibility rules, how they’ve changed over time, and which offices are the hardest - and easiest - to run for.

        .

        Contact us: [email protected]

        Join the community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sotus.beehiiv.com/community ⁠⁠

        Get the newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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        10 min
      • In the Making: Lindsay Clancy and America's Live Courtroom Obsession

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        This week, as Trump continues to put his name on or build a wall through everything he touches, the Lindsay Clancy has gripped the nation, so we take a closer look at live courtroom coverage in America, and the impact this can have on both the trial and the people involved.

        Joining me this week is Emma Long, Associate Professor in American History and Politics at the University of East Anglia.

        .

        02:09 - The Trump, Not Trump, Sort Of Trump Kennedy Center

        10:28 - Big Bend Border Wall

        18:30 - Lindsay Clancy

        44:58 - Florida Governor Race

        .

        News Sources:

        • Kennedy Center votes to put Trump’s name back on the building: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/13/politics/kennedy-center-board-vote 

        • Construction of border wall halted: https://apnews.com/article/trump-border-big-bend-national-park-immigration-c8439ceed11ff5e7f3ca95fa0003327b 

        • Trump wants to end roadless rules in national forests: https://apnews.com/article/roadless-rule-forests-trump-e80a41e0231aa070313a3484261368f3 

        • Lindsay Clancy 101: https://www.biography.com/crime/a71603379/who-is-lindsay-clancy-duxbury-murder-trial 

        • Florida sets up Trump Backed-Donalds Against Former Republican Jolly in Gubernatorial Race: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/18/florida-primary-results-governor-senate

          • .

          America: The Story of the USA is a Podcasts by Liam production for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mercury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠British Association for American Studies⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

          Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/

          Join the community: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/community

          Get in touch: [email protected]

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          1 hr 11 min
        • How Did Four American Musicians Outwit the KGB?

          In 1985, four young American musicians travelled to Moscow with saxophones, sheet music, and a secret plan. They were members of the Klezmer Conservatory Band - talented, idealistic, and completely untrained in espionage. Yet under the watchful eye of the KGB, they embarked on a covert mission to smuggle information out of the Soviet Union and help Jewish Refuseniks escape oppression. Their hotel rooms were bugged, they were tailed by police, and every conversation carried risk. But through music, coded messages, and sheer nerve, they succeeded.

          Forty years later, one of the Klezmer musicians is telling their remarkable story. So today, we explore their mission, the danger they faced, the lives they changed, and why this story is being told now, as I’m asking… how Did Four American Musicians Outwit the KGB?

          .

          Special Guests:

          Merryl Goldberg, currently a Professor in the School of Arts at California State University San Marcos, but she was also the saxophonist and cipher-creator for the KCB quartet that entered the Soviet Union in 1985.

          Vince Houghton, co-author of Notes of Deception, Director of the National Security Agency's National Cryptologic Museum and the former Historian and Curator of the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC.

          .

          Join our new 24/7 SOTUS community now: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/community

          .

          Reading List:

          • Notes of Deception: How a Quartet of American Musicians Outwitted the KGB – The Untold Russian History of a Daring Cold War Mission by Merryl Goldberg and Vince Houghton: https://a.co/d/0gAn20cB

            • .

            Highlights:

            02:44 - Cuckoo Crazy

            08:04 - In Too Deep

            16:50 - Music as Code

            24:45 - We Need You Here

            30:02 - Meryl Versus KGB

            35:15 - People Need to be Advocates

            39:25 - What Happened to the Refuseniks?

            .

            Contact us: [email protected]

            Team SOTUS: ⁠⁠⁠https://sotus.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠community

            Brands & advertisers: [email protected]

            .

            Credits:

            Producer - Liam Heffernan

            Host - Liam Heffernan

            Editor - Liam Heffernan

            In Partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠British Association for American Studies

            Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

            51 min
          • Study Notes: What Does an American Education Look Like?

            America: Study Notes are quickfire explainers for all the things you want to know about the USA, but don't want to ask.

            Today: What does an American education look like?

            From a child’s first day of school all the way to college graduation, we’ll break down how the system works, what the grade levels mean, how the school year is structured, and what qualifications students earn along the way.

            .

            Contact us: [email protected]

            Join the community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sotus.beehiiv.com/community ⁠

            Get the newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://america-the-story-of-the-usa.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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            10 min
          • In the Making: Meta, TikTok, and Internet Safety

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            .

            This week, as Meta are handed another fine, we take a closer look at what it means, and the wider issues around child safety on the internet... and why social media companies are actively trying to shut down legislation that could help.

            Plus, Trump's approval ratings continue to fall, the midterms heat up as more candidates are confirmed, and an art installation in Chicago reignites conversations about US monuments.

            Joining me this week is Corbin Trent, former comms guy for both AOC and Bernie Sanders, and now writer at America’s Undoing and the Founder of A Fight Worth Having.

            America's Undoing: https://www.americasundoing.com/

            .

            03:20 - Katie Hobbs

            14:32 - Trump's Approval Rating

            20:49 - Child Safety on the Internet

            43:00 - Other Washingtons

            .

            News Sources:

            • America’s Undoing: https://www.americasundoing.com/ 

            • Meta’s record child safety fine: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd7lz3wr2rlo 

            • Perez Hilton’s infamous livestream: https://thetab.com/2026/08/06/a-four-hour-911-call-and-hospital-updates-the-latest-details-we-know-about-perez-hilton 

            • How TikTok Failed to Act on Perez Hilton: https://www.vanityfair.com/story/perez-hilton-tiktok-livestream-policy?srsltid=AfmBOopxRRQ7Gu9G3bJj-C25b1P3r5zN2oHRaAT_Ui3sipVOy3Pk20Is 

            • Kids Online Safety Act: https://issueone.org/press/big-tech-companies-pump-more-than-51-million-into-lobbying-this-year-as-industry-seeks-to-thwart-passage-of-kids-online-safety-and-privacy-act/ 

            • Arizona Governor Race: https://apnews.com/article/katie-hobbs-john-giles-lieutenant-governor-arizona-3d7d3b6ed775c18025263d8d3c430f55 

            • Chicago Monument Protest: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/11/style/chicago-washington-monument-amanda-williams 

            • Trump’s approval rating hits new low: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/08/11/trump-approval-rating-hits-new-low-latest-poll/91260164007/

              • .

              America: The Story of the USA is a Podcasts by Liam production for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mercury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠British Association for American Studies⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

              Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/

              Join the community: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/community

              Get in touch: [email protected]

              Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

              55 min
            • Who is John Foster Dulles?

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              .

              John Foster Dulles was one of the most consequential, and controversial, figures in twentieth‑century American foreign policy. As Dwight Eisenhower’s Secretary of State, he helped define the architecture of the Cold War, but his story begins long before the Cold War.

              He was a lawyer, an international negotiator, a religious thinker, and a man whose worldview was forged by the trauma of two world wars and the rise of communism. His legacy is complex: admired by some as a principled strategist, criticised by others as rigid, moralistic, or overly confrontational.

              So in this episode, we explore his life, career, impact, and the debates surrounding his legacy, as I’m asking… who was John Foster Dulles?

              .

              Special Guest:

              Professor Bevan Sewell, a leading historian of U.S. foreign relations whose work examines American strategy, ideology, and global power in the twentieth century.

              .

              Reading List:

              • The U.S. and the Global Cold War by Bevan Sewell & Scott Lucas (eds.): https://www.amazon.com/U-S-Global-Cold-War/dp/1472511520 

              • Reassessing U.S. Foreign Policy During the Cold War by Bevan Sewell: https://www.amazon.com/Reassessing-U-S-Foreign-Policy-During/dp/1472511520

              • John Foster Dulles: A Biography by Townsend Hoopes: https://www.amazon.com/John-Foster-Dulles-Biography-Hoopes/dp/0060129514 

              • The Life of John Foster Dulles by Robert Divine: https://www.amazon.com/Life-John-Foster-Dulles-Divine/dp/0393093500 

              • Dulles: A Biography of Eleanor, Allen, and John Foster Dulles by Leonard Mosley: https://www.amazon.com/Dulles-Biography-Eleanor-Allen-Foster/dp/0802132084 

                • The New Deal and the Triumph of Liberalism by Sidney Milkis & Jerome Mileur: https://www.amazon.com/New-Deal-Triumph-Liberalism-Milkis/dp/1558493741 

                • Strategies of Containment by John Lewis Gaddis: https://www.amazon.com/Strategies-Containment-John-Lewis-Gaddis/dp/019517447X 

                • The Cold War: A New History by John Lewis Gaddis: https://www.amazon.com/Cold-War-New-History/dp/0143038273 

                • The Eisenhower Era by Richard Damms: https://www.amazon.com/Eisenhower-Era-American-History/dp/1403945923 

                • The Flawed Architect: Henry Kissinger and American Foreign Policy by Jussi Hanhimäki: https://www.amazon.com/Flawed-Architect-Kissinger-American-Foreign/dp/0195172213 

                  • The United States and the Origins of the Cold War by Thomas Paterson: https://www.amazon.com/United-States-Origins-Cold-1941-1947/dp/0393093500 

                  • The Most Dangerous Man in America? The Making of John Foster Dulles by Mark G. Thomas: https://www.amazon.com/Most-Dangerous-Man-America-Making/dp/0807835038 

                  • The Suez Crisis by Derek Varble: https://www.amazon.com/Suez-Crisis-1956-Essential-Histories/dp/184176189X 

                  • The CIA and Covert Operations by John Prados: https://www.amazon.com/Presidents-Secret-Wars-Operations-World/dp/1560252285 

                    • Religion and American Foreign Policy by William Inboden: https://www.amazon.com/Religion-American-Foreign-Policy-1945-1960/dp/0521678263 

                    • Moral Crusades in Diplomacy by Robert McMahon: https://www.amazon.com/McMahon-Moral-Crusades-Diplomacy/dp/0300065304 

                      • The Cambridge History of the Cold War by Melvyn Leffler & Odd Arne Westad (eds.): https://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-History-Cold-War-Volume/dp/0521837192 

                      • The Global Cold War by Odd Arne Westad: https://www.amazon.com/Global-Cold-War-Third-Interventions/dp/052170314X 

                      • The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers by Paul Kennedy: https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Fall-Great-Powers/dp/0679720197 

                        • .

                        Highlights:

                        02:35 - Bred in the Bone

                        07:45 - Instinctively Conservative

                        14:03 - Dulles' Resume

                        18:21 - Massive Retaliation

                        24:36 - Dulles' Influence on Trump

                        29:23 - Embracing Decolonisation

                        32:42 - Not-So-Covert Operations

                        39:15 - Past Their Best

                        42:47 - Legacy

                        .

                        Contact us: [email protected]

                        Team SOTUS: ⁠⁠⁠https://sotus.beehiiv.com/⁠⁠⁠community

                        Brands & advertisers: [email protected]

                        .

                        Credits:

                        Producer - Liam Heffernan

                        Host - Liam Heffernan

                        Editor - Liam Heffernan

                        In Partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠British Association for American Studies

                        Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

                        57 min
                      • Study Notes: The Presidents - William Henry Harrison (1841)

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                        America: Study Notes are quickfire explainers for all the things you want to know about the USA, but don't want to ask.

                        Today: the ninth President of the United States, William Henry Harrison - his election, his presidency, his key achievements and controversies, and his lasting legacy.

                        .

                        America: The Story of the USA is a Podcasts by Liam production for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mercury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠British Association for American Studies⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

                        Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/

                        Join the community: https://sotus.beehiiv.com/community

                        Get in touch: [email protected]

                        Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

                        12 min

                      About America: The Story of the USA

                      From the publisher's feed

                      SOTUS is your deep‑dive guide to how the United States became what it is today. From George Washington to Donald Trump, we unpack the people, places and events that shaped, and continue to shape, the nation’s identity.