Left, Right & Center

Food, health care, and rent are all going up, but wages are not. There’s tiny relief in gas prices finally dipping this month, and job gains are better than expected. However, Americans are still worried about a looming recession. 

Guest host Gustavo Arellano discusses President Biden’s response to inflation and the threat of a recession with Elizabeth Bruenig, staff writer at The Atlantic, on the left; and Sarah Isgur, staff writer at The Dispatch, on the right.

Plus, the January 6 Select Committee held their seventh public hearing this week, which focused on linking former President Trump and far-right extremist groups. As Trump hints at a potential 2024 White House run, how much do Americans care about what’s been revealed in the hearings? Have they changed opinions about the 2020 election? And will that impact whether or not Republicans would support Trump’s third run for the White House? Panelists discuss with special guest Keli Goff, columnist and producer of “Reversing Roe.”

The overturning of Roe V. Wade and recent mass shootings continue to cast a shadow over American politics. President Joe Biden has been reacting to those and other domestic problems with an incremental approach, and many Democrats find that too slow. More and more of them are publicly expressing their frustration. How much will this hurt Biden politically? 

Guest host Gustavo Arellano discusses with Tim Carney, columnist at the Washington Examiner and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, on the right; and Baratunde Thurston, a founding partner at Puck, creator and host of the podcast “How to Citizen,” and host of the PBS show “America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston,” on the left. 

Meanwhile, Biden scored international wins recently at the G7 and NATO summits. Will that shore up his poll numbers and political capital back at home? His current approval rating is 38%, according to a poll released last week by Harvard CAPS-Harris. Panelists discuss with special guest Juliette Kayyem, professor of national security at Harvard; former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security; and author of the book “The Devil Never Sleeps: Learning to Live in an Age of Disasters.”

Plus, who are the winners and losers of the 2022 primary season heading into the November midterms? And what is next for both parties?

This week, the Supreme Court wrapped up its term after issuing opinions that dramatically alter Americans’ abilities to confront climate change, our constitutional rights, and faith in the high court itself.

Guest host Kimberly Atkins Stohr talks rolling back the EPA’s power with Christine Emba, columnist and editor at the Washington Post, on the left; Sarah Isgur, staff writer and host for The Dispatch, on the right; and special guest Jonathan H. Adler, a professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where he directs the Coleman P. Burke Center for Environmental Law.

Plus, how does the end of Roe V. Wade affect the legal landscape, the public opinion of the court, and the message Democrats are sending to voters?

And the January 6 Select Committee’s surprise witness gave jaw-dropping testimony about Trump’s actions and state of mind on the day of the insurrection. Is it enough to change minds?

This week, bipartisanship emerged in the Senate, where 14 Republicans voted with Democrats to move forward with a gun safety bill. What should we make of this latest effort?

Guest host Kimberly Atkins Stohr talks gun politics with David Dayen, executive editor at The American Prospect, on the left; and Sarah Isgur, staff writer and host for The Dispatch, on the right.

Republican election officials appeared before the House Select Committee investigating January 6 to detail how they stood up to former President Trump. How worried should Americans be about our next elections? Special guest Rick Hasen, UC Irvine professor of law and political science, joins to answer that question.

Plus, the legal case of “Happy” the elephant could have far-reaching implications for animal rights.

In its most recent hearing, the House Select Committee recounted all the ways former President Trump tried to pressure Vice President Mike Pence into doing what he wanted: to illegally stop the electoral vote count and overturn the election. The committee says Pence’s life was endangered. Advisors to Pence are just the latest voices from Trump’s world to join the House Select Committee in painting a full picture of how close the country came to a constitutional crisis.

Guest host Gustavo Arellano, of The Los Angeles Times and The Times Daily podcast, represents the left and asks what else do Republicans and federal prosecutors need to know about Trump’s motivations to bring an indictment? 

John Avlon, senior political analyst and anchor for CNN, joins from the center. Sarah Isgur, staff writer for The Dispatch and host of The Dispatch podcast, joins from the right. This week’s special guest is Emily Bazelon, staff writer for the New York Times and co-host of Slate’s Political Gabfest podcast. 

Plus, can the Federal Reserve reduce inflation without triggering job loss or a recession?

President Joe Biden came to Los Angeles this week to host the Summit of the Americas, an event that’s supposed to bring together leaders from across the Western Hemisphere. But the agenda was overshadowed by the list of world leaders who were excluded or who boycotted, including Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Mexico, and more. Biden’s looking to make diplomatic progress on migration and the economic devastation and violence that drives it. Can he succeed?

Voters went to the polls across the country this week, with some big primary races in states like California. Pundits like to draw national conclusions from local races and sometimes that’s a mistake, but we can’t help ourselves. 

This week also marked the dramatic kickoff to the House hearings on the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. 

Guest host Gustavo Arellano, of The Los Angeles Times and The Times Daily podcast, tackles all this with panelists Tara Setmayer, senior advisor with The Lincoln Project, in the center; and Sarah Isgur, staff writer at The Dispatch, on the right; as well as special guest Julio Ricardo Varela, interim executive director of Future Media.

A bipartisan group of senators is working to find gun control legislation that could make it through Congress. Ideas are being tossed around, like raising the age requirement for buying a gun. To date, Republicans on Capitol Hill have not been interested in passing any gun control measures. Is there hope for a bipartisan compromise? *

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Guest host Gustavo Arellano of the LA Times joins from the left — with Sarah Isgur, staff writer at The Dispatch, on the right, and Tara Setmayer, senior advisor at The Lincoln Project, from the center. 

Then, special guest Gal Beckerman shares his idea about kids being the leaders in pressuring Congress to pass gun legislation. But is it fair to expect kids to  take on this burden?

And gas prices continue to rise, baby formula is still scarce, and inflation doesn’t look like it’s ending soon. Can Biden and Democrats improve the situation in time for the midterm elections?

On May 24, an 18-year-old opened fire at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 children and two adults. The nation responded in horror and dismay that a school shooting happened again. There have been 212 mass shooting incidents in 2022, and the U.S. has the world’s highest number of mass shootings, according to the World Population Review. Can politicians agree on reforms that could decrease the catastrophic number of such incidents in the U.S.?  

Guest host Jessica Yellin of “News Not Noise” discusses with Elizabeth Bruenig, staff writer at The Atlantic, on the left; and Avik Roy, president of the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, on the right.  

Then, special guest Evelyn Farkas, executive director of the McCain Institute, shares her thoughts on how likely Ukraine is to win the war against Russia, which is now in its fourth month. With rumors that President Putin has cancer and that Russian elites are unsettled by the  economy and global isolation, is there an increasing chance Putin leaves power in the near future? 

China has been watching all this with their eyes on Taiwan, where tensions have been ramping up. On his recent trip overseas, President Biden said he would defend Taiwan from Chinese aggression. Should U.S. policy toward Taiwan and China change?

This week, the nation witnessed another mass shooting. The gunman live-streamed the attack in which he specifically targeted Black people. Police soon uncovered the shooter’s racist manifesto and his inspiration from “the Great Replacement Theory.” Did this act result from mental illness or racism? 

The majority of Americans believe in some form of gun control but once again, Congress is at an impasse. What is it going to take to implement change? 

Also, the shooter found information about “the Great Replacement Theory” via social media chat rooms. Fox News broadcasts sanitized versions of the same ideas, and the Republican Party under Trump regularly echoed racist beliefs. Should Fox News and Republicans be held responsible?

 Guest host Jessica Yellin of “News Not Noise” discusses with Sarah Isgur, staff writer for “The Dispatch” and host of “The Dispatch Podcast,” on the right; and Baratunde Thurston, a founding partner at Puck and creator and host of the podcast “How to Citizen,” on the left. 

 Then, mixed results are trickling in from this week’s primaries. A number of Trump-backed candidates won, including Sen. Doug Mastriano, in the governor’s race in Pennsylvania. In the state’s Senate race, Trump-endorsed celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz and hedge fund executive Dave McCormick are still tied. Meanwhile, another Trump-supported candidate, incumbent Madison Cawthorn, lost in North Carolina’s GOP race. What does this say about Trump’s power with GOP voters?  

At the same time, Democrat Cheri Beasley made history as the first Black woman to become chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Is there hope for the Democratic Party after all?

Finally, panelists rant about the baby formula shortage, Judge Alito’s leaked draft abortion ruling, and what the polls really say about Americans’ views on Roe vs. Wade.

The Senate has stymied a vote intended to secure nationwide abortion rights. Democrats knew this would happen – so why did they introduce the bill at all?

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said it was a way to get every member on record about their abortion stance. It also shored up support for Democrats ahead of a hotly contested midterm election. How can Democrats motivate their base when they face so many structural obstacles to their policy goals?

Guest host Jessica Yellin of “News Not Noise” discusses with Tim Carney, columnist at the Washington Examiner, on the right; and Chuck Rocha, president of Solidarity Strategies, on the left.

Then: What is the Latino vote? The concept itself may be flawed, since the 16.5 million of them who voted in 2020 are hardly a monolith, but it’s a question that’s quickly becoming relevant. They’re turning out to vote in historic numbers, and polling shows Republicans are making huge inroads among Latino voters. How can Democrats reverse that trend? And what can they learn from the Republican approach?

Gen Z and millennials are now the largest voting bloc in the U.S. They’re the most diverse and technology-savvy generation this country has ever seen, but they’re inheriting some very real problems. So what do they care about, and what’s animating them ahead of the midterms?

We bring on Gen Z guests Javon Price, a policy analyst at the America First Policy Institute, on the right; and Elise Joshi, the operations director at Gen Z For Change, on the left, for a special segment exploring the zeitgeist of this generation.

Finally, our Gen Z panelists rant about why the fight against climate change is not over, and how the Dallas Cowboys can bring home a Lombardi.