Beyond Politics

Dan Adcock of the National Committee to Protect Social Security and Medicare explains what's the Covid Rescue bill for Social Security recipients.  Also, why his organization opposes the TRUST act -- a bill that would try to address shortfalls in Social Security funding. For the opposing view on that, check out Bob Bixby of the Concord Coalition in the Great Ideas podcast.

Also, more incidents of shocking gun violence in America, what does a media ratings plunge mean, and is Donald Trump launching his Republican vendetta campaign?

Federal law forces a lot of marijuana-related businesses that are legal int heir home states to operate in piles of cash.  The problem: that can lead to a pile of crime. Congressman Ed Perlmutter joins the show to explain how his new bill would help fix that problem.  And why does space matter? As a member of the congressional committee that oversees US Space policy, Congressman Perlmutter explains what's in it for all of us.

This episode posted in the Great Ideas Podcast earlier this week, and it's gotten such a reaction that we wanted to make it available in this feed as well for anyone who hasn't subscribed to both (but please do!!).  

Many experts argue that the modern filibuster has ruined Congress: it allows a small minority to run roughshod over the majority, and stops important things that the American people need and want. Others say that even with its flaws, getting rid of the filibuster could be dangerous and even destructive.  Norman Ornstein is one of the nation's leading experts on American government.  He explains what's going on and more important, how we might make it better without causing a Congressional meltdown.

A roundtable discussion on what's happening and what can be done next.  Also, can we fix the filibuster without breaking the congress, and is democracy reform a big federal takeover or a desperately needed fix to protect people's rights?

In 2010, Republicans rode a midterm wave to gain overwhelming control of drawing districts for state houses and Congress.  The result? Just in 2012, 1.4 million more Americans voted for Democrats for Congress, but Republicans still won a 33-seat majority.  In fact, the Center for American Progress estimates that an average of 59 politicians -- more than enough to determine the majority -- were elected to Congress each term simply because the lines were drawn in their favor. Former Attorney General of the United States Eric Holder created The National Democratic Redistricting Committee to fix that problem and support fair districts in America.  Its Executive Director John Bisognano joins us to explain what they're doing and how they hope to achieve fair representation for Americans. 

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

Joe Biden and the Democrats won the war over the $1.9 trillion Covid rescue bill...but can they win the peace? In 2009, President Obama and the Democrats fumbled the rollout of their stimulus bill. So can Dems avoid making the same mistake twice?  Also...is there a filibuster tweak deal on the horizon; convincing people to get vaccines; and what should Congress tackle next?

Young Americans think politics is broken.  Now, some former aides to Senator Bernie Sanders have launched a new group aimed at getting young people excited about fixing it.  They think they can get millennials and Gen Zers of all political persuasions fired up, including people on the right. Two of these impressive young leaders - Shana Gallagher and Joseline Garcia - join us to explain why this work is so important to their generation and to all of us, and how they're going to pull it off.

There's a titanic battle brewing over the future of the Internet, social media, and tech.  It's Facebook vs. Apple: two behemoths with very different visions of privacy, who their customers are, what they're selling, and what the rules should be.  Business and investing expert Chris Hill walks us through the fight that could define the future of media, commerce, and technology.  These discussions normally appear in our Capitol Close Up podcast, so please check that out and subscribe for more fascinating discussions like this. 

Harvard Associate Robert Paarlberg takes on everything we thought we knew about organic and locally-grown food.  Think it's better for health, the climate, the environment, low-income communities, and feeding a hungry world?  Not so fast! An unbiased look at the much more nuanced truth about farming, eating, and helping the planet, based on Dr. Paarlberg's new book: “Resetting the Table: Straight Talk about the Food We Grow and Eat.”