Dale Maharidge, Pulitzer Prize winner, author, journalist and academic, talks about his latest book F**cked at Birth: Recalibrating the American Dream for the 2020s. He tells the story of the title of the book and its relation to his cross country drive that explores our nation increasing class divide.

Michael Lind talks about his latest book, The New Class War: Saving Democracy From the Managerial Elite. He shows how the decline of trade unions, churches and grassroots political parties disempowered the working class and offers ideas on how Western democracies can include working class majorities in politics, the economy and culture to overcome class warfare.

Rick Perlstein, author of an epic series of books tracing the rise of the modern American conservative movement, talks about his latest book, Reaganland, as well as the linkage of Trumpism to that era, changes in news coverage during the 1970s (hint: Roone Arledge), the impact of culture (movies and TV) on politics and the role of race relations on politics since the 60s.

Nathan Kalmoe, Associate Professor of Political Communication at LSU, talks about his recent book With Ballots and Bullets: Partisanship and Violence in the American Civil War and its very relevant applications to the current political landscape. He also challenges some long-held myths about the war and especially Lincoln’s reelection in 1864.

Governor Kim Reynolds talks about her Condition of the State speech delivered this week. She discusses her major initiatives on schools, health care, broadband, workforce training, licensing reform and criminal justice.

Jon Fasman, US Digital Editor and former Washington correspondent for The Economist magazine, talks about the Capitol riots, police response, the 25th Amendment, hateful slogans and flags used by rioters, the fallout among Republicans, and the global response. He also provides analysis on the Georgia Senate elections and the rising spread of misinformation and its impact on democracy.

Libby Meyer, Federal Reporter for Iowa Starting Line, talks about the contested Iowa 2nd congressional district race and the autopsy report on the 2020 Iowa caucuses, two major stories bookending a strange and unpredictable year in Iowa politics.

Scott Eyman talks about his latest book, Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise, and how the Hollywood star’s tragic upbringing shaped his career and life. The discussion includes Grant’s death in Davenport in 1986 as well as his rise to stardom, top performances and other topics.

Jerry Seib, Washington Editor of the Wall Street Journal and author of the Capital Journal column, talks about this new book, We Should Have Seen It Coming: From Reagan to Trump—A Front-row Seat to a Political Revolution. Topics include the early signs of change in the GOP, cultural and economic cracks that emerged, and how the party moves forward.

John Barry, author of The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History, discusses his landmark book and lessons for dealing with the current coronavirus pandemic. He also discusses the individuals involved during that time, from scientists to business leaders to elected officials, and how their efforts aided or held back addressing the pandemic.