Mark and Carrie

Mark Blyth, political economist at Brown's Watson Institute, and political scientist Carrie Nordlund share their take on the news.

On this episode: Trump and Melania have coronavirus; the electoral insignificance of Trump's tax returns; a dumpster fire debate; thinking long-term on this month's Supreme Court fight; the rest of the world's plan for climate change; what a coronavirus second/third/pick-your wave might look like.

Mark Blyth, political economist at Brown's Watson Institute, and political scientist Carrie Nordlund share their take on the news.

On this episode: a global tour of climate catastrophes; Trump's immovable poll numbers; environmental hypocrisy across the political spectrum; are there anarchist bus lines to midwestern suburbs? (No); why Brexit hurts our brains; the future of commutes; The Crown, The Last Dance, and other TV nostalgia.

Mark Blyth, political economist at Brown's Watson Institute, and political scientist Carrie Nordlund share their take on the news.

Steven Bannon's lack of imagination; the conundrum of reopening America's schools; following the money in the USPS; the implications of Apple's staggering wealth; Phil Collins forever.

Mark Blyth, political economist at Brown's Watson Institute, and political scientist Carrie Nordlund share their take on the news.

On this episode: {Not} containing coronavirus in the US; America's navel gazing and obsession with Hydroxychloroquine; making sense of the GDP numbers; the coronavirus and Trump's chaotic campaign strategy; disparaging women in politics; Biden's VP selection conundrum; and Mark finally watched 'The Crown'.

Mark Blyth, political economist at Brown's Watson Institute, and political scientist Carrie Nordlund share their take on the news.

On this episode: unpacking the biggest SCOTUS cases of the last two weeks; Trump's not-so-good summer so far; questioning if Trump's numbers are really as bad as they seem; 2020 Election as declaration of culture war; the difference between affect (also known as bull***t) and truth; the racial, economic, and generational contours to the debate over 'free speech'.

Mark Blyth, political economist at Brown's Watson Institute, and Carrie Nordlund, political scientist and associate director of Brown's Master of Public Affairs program, share their take on the news.

On this episode: Covid-19 surges in some US states amid reopening and quarantine 'fatigue'; the EU's potential ban on travelers from the US; the Supreme Court's surprising decisions on DACA and LGBTQ rights; the evolution of Black Lives Matter protests and calls to defund the police; workshopping slogans for liberals; the results of this week's Democratic Congressional primaries; calls to tear down statues of racist figures from history; the joy of watching TikTok users mess with Donald Trump.

Mark Blyth, political economist at Brown's Watson Institute, and Carrie Nordlund, political scientist and associate director of Brown's Master of Public Affairs program, share their take on the news.

On this episode: What this podcast can add to the conversation (and what it can't); the economic ramifications of systemic racism; America's uniquely violent, militarized police system; Trump's escalating rhetoric and actions in response to the week's unrest; making sense of the growing corporate support of Black Lives Matter; catching up on Tuesday's primaries; how police violence, civil unrest, and coronavirus intersect.

[Recorded June 5, 2020]

Mark Blyth, political economist at Brown's Watson Institute, and Carrie Nordlund, political scientist and associate director of Brown's Master of Public Affairs program, share their take on the news.

On this episode: different scenarios as US states experiment with ‘opening up’ their economies; pandemic coverage in the US compared to the rest of the world; the Kafkaesque non-scandal that is ‘Obamagate’; whether the potential EU relief fund will be like ‘Hamilton’ the person or ‘Hamilton’ the musical; the ‘Pandemic’ movie, and why Americans love conspiracy theories; fantasizing about Prince Harry’s trip to a California DMV.

Mark Blyth, political economist at Brown's Watson Institute, and Carrie Nordlund, political scientist and associate director of Brown's Master of Public Affairs program, share their take on the news.

On this episode: thoughts on a future relief bill, in the face of historic unemployment; the profound lack of new ideas in Congress; making sense of Trumps re-election strategy; wondering if we’re a failed state; the Democratic Party's struggle over how to handle sexual assault allegations in 2020; how the the whole economy is like an off-season vacation house (if we're lucky).