Campbell Conversations

In a Democratic presidential primary race, more progressive and left-oriented ideas seem to be supplying most of the energy, and the candidates seem keen to court it. This week, Grant Reeher speaks with Matt Bennett from the Washington D.C. based think tank Third Way, wo thinks that moderates hold the keys to defeating President Trump, both in the primary and in the general election.

Following President Trump's election, a progressive grassroots organization formed to resist his presidency. Calling itself Indivisible, it became a force, having tangible impacts on the 2018 midterm elections. This week, Grant Reeher speaks with Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible. The discuss the organization's future, and a new book that Levin has co-written, called "We Are Indivisible: A Blueprint for Democracy After Trump."

A host of regulations and protections were instituted in the wake of the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008. Have they now been dialed back too far? With other contributing national and global factors, are we at risk of another crisis? This week, Grant Reeher talks with Ron Feldman, First Vice President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, who thinks the answer may be yes.

What are the current challenges facing the Adirondack Park, a sparsely populated, but heavily visited area? What are the biggest environmental, cultural and economic issues, and what have been some recent successes? This week Grant Reeher talks with Brian Mann, Adirondack Bureau Chief for North Country Public Radio.

Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick is seeking an eighth term in November. This year, he has two challengers, Democrat Charles Keller and Conservative candidate Gary Lavine. This week, Grant Reeher speaks with Fitzpatrick about some of the criticisms leveled against him, and what Fitzpatrick would do in an eighth term.

Ryan McMahon was appointed Onondaga County Executive in November 2018 following the resignation of Joanie Mahoney. At the time, McMahon was serving as chairman of the Onondaga County Legislature. McMahon is running for county executive for the first time next month. His opponent is Democrat Tony Malavenda, a longtime business owner running for political office for the first time since the early 1980s. McMahon and Malavenda sit down for their first broadcast debate with Grant Reeher, and discuss

Congressional races in central New York are often considered bellwethers for the nation. In 2018, some central New York Democrats successfully challenged Republican incumbents, while others came up short. Why? Was is because of Donald Trump? This week, Grant Reeher explores the reasons behind this with Luke Perry, a professor of political science at Utica College, and author of the book "Donald Trump and the 2018 Midterm Battle for Central New York."

In an era of diminished public confidence in the media, what steps has NPR taken to strengthen connections and trust among its listeners? How does radio compare with other news mediums in communicating essential information? This week, Grant Reeher is joined by Rachel Martin, co-host of NPR's "Morning Edition." They discuss these issues, as well as some of Rachel's more memorable stories and interviews, and who her favorite NPR voice is.

The city of Syracuse has been a recent magnet for refugees. More than 10,000 have settles there in the last 12 years. But this year, at least one refugee will be the first in Syracuse to win public office. This week, Grant Reeher speaks with Chol Majok, the Democratic nominee for Syracuse 3rd District Common Council seat.

New York came up just short of legalizing recreational marijuana this year, and many political observers regard full legalization as just a matter of time. What are the important questions facing policymakers as they prepare for the inevitable? What can legalization in other states teach us? This week, Grant Reeher talks with Stanford University professor Keith Humphreys, an expert on marijuana policy and legalization.