In 2022 the Supreme Court gave control of abortion back to “the people and their elected representatives.” This November will be the greatest test yet of what that means. Democrats are running hard on the issue and as many as 16 states will vote directly on abortion. A grassroots movement has sprung up to defend reproductive rights. Will this fight decide the election? And what will the results mean for women’s ability to have an abortion? 

Charlotte Howard hosts with Sacha Nauta and Idrees Kahloon. Mary Ziegler of the University of California, Davis, and The Economist’s Stevie Hertz and Daniella Raz also contribute. 

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For months, a big foreign-aid deal looked like it was going nowhere in the House of Representatives. Now $95bn of support is heading out the door. How did the bill get through? What does it mean for Ukraine and for American leadership in the world?

Charlotte Howard hosts with James Bennet and Idrees Kahloon. They’re joined by The Economist’s Adam O’Neal and Anton La Guardia.

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While America’s focus has been on the presidential election, the race for Congress is even more volatile. With razor-thin majorities in the House and the Senate, both chambers might flip in November. What does that mean for governing? And how will the outcomes of these elections shape the next presidency?

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon. They’re joined by The Economist’s Aryn Braun and Jessica Taylor from The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter.

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It’s not long since America was widely thought to be on the brink of recession. Instead the economy expanded by 3% in 2023, and continues to defy expectations. But why aren’t voters happier with Joe Biden’s economy? 

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon. They’re joined by The Economist’s Simon Rabinovitch and Neale Mahoney, professor of economics at Stanford University. 

Thank you to the William J. Clinton Library and the UVA Miller Center for some of the audio used in this episode. 

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America has launched strikes against Iranian-backed militias in the Middle East, in response to an attack on a base in Jordan where three US troops died. How close are America and Iran to war?

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon. They’re joined by General Frank McKenzie, former commander of US Central Command, and The Economist’s Anton La Guardia. 

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Joe Biden’s chances against Donald Trump in November do not look good. He is unpopular and his age puts many Americans off. How did it come to this? And what can the Democrats do about it?

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon. They’re joined by Congressman Dean Phillips, who is primarying Mr Biden, and The Economist’s Edward Carr.

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This week we are celebrating our 200th episode. Each of our hosts has selected a year from the 20th century that they find particularly significant. We’ll take a trip back in time to explore those years—finding how each has affected, and has parallels with, today’s America.

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon.

“‘Till We Meet Again” performed by Henry Burr and Albert Campbell, written by Richard A Whiting and Raymond B Egan, published by Jerome H Remnick & Co.

“Rebecca” produced by Selznick International Pictures. 

“Killing Me Softly” performed by Roberta Flack, written by Charles Fox, published by Atlantic.   

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If the election were held tomorrow, Donald Trump would probably be the favourite to win.  How should we be thinking about the race with a year to go? And how can the world outside of America prepare itself for the possibility of a second Trump term?

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon. They’re joined by Vanderbilt University’s John Sides and The Economist’s Ed Carr. 

Checks and Balance will be recording a live show in Philadelphia later this month.  Find out more and get your ticket here.

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On foreign policy, trade and immigration, the Republican Party wants America to push the world away. This is a departure, but also a return to what the party used to believe. How did the Republican Party go from isolationism to internationalism and then back again? And what does that mean for America’s foreign policy?

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon. They’re joined by Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, and The Economist’s Edward Carr.

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California is overhauling its mental-health system. The state exemplifies two broad shifts in mental-health care in America: the building of more beds and an expansion of involuntary treatment. What is the best way to treat severe mental illness?

John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon. They’re joined by The Economist’s Aryn Braun, who speaks to Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, and Darrell Steinberg, the mayor of Sacramento. 

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