Ken Burns joins John Avlon for a conversation that feels like a pep talk America desperately needs. From the messy, human story of the Revolution to the warning signs we’re ignoring today, Burns makes the case that our past isn’t a museum piece, it’s a manual for saving the country.

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Investigative journalist Patrick Radden Keefe joins John Avlon to unpack what Northern Ireland’s “Troubles” can teach America about polarization, violence, and the fight for truth. From the lessons of Say Nothing to the perils of propaganda, they trace how societies unravel, and how we can stop it before it’s too late.

Keefe also dives into his craft, fact-checking at The New Yorker, writing like a novelist, and keeping faith in truth amid social media chaos.

The Bench Burner Article: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2001/12/10/the-bench-burner

Books Mentioned:

Say Nothing — by Patrick Radden Keefe

Empire of Pain — by Patrick Radden Keefe

A Secret History — by Donna Tartt

Presumed Innocent — by Scott Turow

Wingnuts — by John Avlon

Harvard law professor and democracy reformer Larry Lessig is taking on the big money machine. In Maine, he’s helping defend a ballot initiative that bans super PACs, backed by a stunning 75% of voters. If he wins, this case could crack Citizens United wide open and bring campaign finance reform to the entire country. This might just be the moment to end dark money’s grip on American politics.

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John Avlon talks with Senator Andy Kim about Trump’s “mob boss” politics, the rise of fear inside the GOP, and Kim’s plan to build an anti-corruption movement that takes on what he calls “the cowards and the crazies.”

Does “broken windows” policing actually work? John Avlon and John Miller dig into how a small idea changed New York City — and why it still sparks huge debates today. It’s a lesson in data, strategy, and how crime narratives get twisted for politics.

Are we really close to a second civil war? John Avlon talks with Barbara F. Walter, author of How Civil Wars Start and How to Stop Them, about the dangerous warning signs in America today. From democratic decline to political violence and Trump’s authoritarian playbook. But it’s not just doom: Walter lays out real solutions, from regulating social media algorithms to empowering citizens through peaceful resistance and local reforms. This episode is a sobering look at the risks,  and a hopeful roadmap for stopping the spiral before it’s too late.

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John Avlon sits down with CNN’s Elie Honig to unpack Trump’s escalating war on the rule of law. From the flimsy indictment of James Comey to the replacement of seasoned prosecutors with political lackeys, they trace how Trump is dismantling the Justice Department’s independence. Drawing lessons from Watergate to January 6th, they warn of the dangers ahead, and explore what reforms are needed to rebuild guardrails and protect democracy.

Rep. Dan Goldman joins John Avlon to rip into the FBI’s Epstein cover-up, Trump’s attacks on free speech, and the GOP’s cowardice on healthcare and democracy.

In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, John Avlon and libertarian thinker Nick Gillespie dive into America’s rising tide of political violence, and how reckless rhetoric fuels it. They explore Trump’s authoritarian drift, from tariffs and National Guard deployments to state capitalism that looks more like Xi Jinping than Ronald Reagan. Can new coalitions of centrists and libertarians push back against MAGA’s illiberal turn and rebuild a politics rooted in freedom, pluralism, and principle?

John Avlon sits down with Ambassador Nicholas Burns, who served as US Ambassador to China from 2021 to 2025. They discuss how Donald Trump’s foreign policy blunders are weakening America and strengthening China. From alienating India with sky-high tariffs, to undermining alliances with Japan and South Korea, to wavering on tech restrictions and Taiwan, Trump’s choices are giving Beijing an edge. They also talk about China’s massive “Salt Typhoon” cyberattack, its support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the bizarre hot-mic moment where Xi, Putin, and Kim Jong-un mused about living forever.

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