We are joined by Randi Weingarten, the President of the American Federation of Teachers, to discuss her new book, “Why Fascists Fear Teachers: Public Education and the Future of Democracy.” In the book, Weingarten details how there has been a systematic demonization of teachers and public education in America. She argues that one of the pillars of public education is critical thinking, which prevents fascism from flourishing in society - so fascists (and wannabe fascists) hate it.

We explore a variety of topics facing schoolchildren and their parents today, including charter schools, artificial intelligence, phones in schools, and the treatment of LGBTQ+ students.

We also discuss Trump’s proposed elimination of the Department of Education, attacks on teachers unions, and how we may have kept the schools closed for too long during Covid-19.

READ Randi's new book: https://sites.prh.com/whyfascistsfearteachers

Baltimore, Maryland is one of Donald Trump's most frequent targets when talking about crime in America. As the President continues to threaten to send troops into American cities, we wanted to hear from Baltimore's mayor, Brandon Scott. 

Since Mayor Scott took office, the city has seen a dramatic drop in violent crime. He explains his policies and how investing in the community has helped calm the violence in Baltimore. So it's no surprise that he does NOT want Trump sending troops to his city.

Mayor Scott shares how growing up in Baltimore impacted his political ideology. He also discusses some of the major victories he's had, including lawsuits against a major gun dealer AND opioid manufacturers and distributors. Those lawsuits have brought hundreds of millions into the city and are being reinvested directly into the community.

LEARN more about the Mayor of Baltimore’s work: https://mayor.baltimorecity.gov/

Get 60% off of your first box of meals for your dog with our newest sponsor, Ollie! https://www.ollie.com/franken 

Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin in Alaska last month and came up empty handed...  No ceasefire, no concessions, nothing. So what does the future of the war in Ukraine look like? We turn to journalist Tim Mak who has been based in Kiev since the start of the war. Tim is the founder of The Counteroffensive, a Substack that chronicles life in Ukraine and the agony of this war.

Tim breaks down the current state of the war, and he’s not too optimistic about the possibility of peace anytime soon. 70% of Ukrainians believe the war will still be going on a year from now. And if a deal is struck, how does the world make sure that Russia doesn't just attack again?

READ Tim’s work in The Counteroffensive: https://www.counteroffensive.news/

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In this Best Of episode, we revisit our 2022 conversation with comedian and actor Bob Odenkirk! We got to hear from him about his memoir “Comedy, Comedy, Comedy, Drama” and his early beginnings writing comedy in grade school. We reminisce about our days together at Saturday Night Live and discuss some of our favorite sketches. We also talk about his sketch series, “Mr. Show with Bob and David.”

Bob also shares about his 13 years playing Saul Goodman on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul and how he nearly died of a heart attack on set.

You'll also hear Bob discuss his then-new movie, Nobody, which was so successful, it got a sequel. Go see Nobody 2 in theatres now! https://www.fandango.com/nobody-2-2025-240144/movie-overview

For information on our newest sponsor, Mint Mobile: www.mintmobile.com/franken

In his second term, Donald Trump has upended many American institutions, but perhaps none more than the Department of Justice. He's filled the DOJ with lackeys, like AG Pam Bondi, who are corrupting our system of justice in ways never seen before. 

We're joined by two veterans of the DOJ: Barbara McQuade, professor at University of Michigan Law School, and Daniel Richman, professor at Columbia Law School. We discuss the disturbing tendencies of Trump's Justice Department: from emphasizing immigration enforcement, to investigating Trump’s political rivals, to firing agents en masse for prosecuting the Jan 6th cases, and so on. The damage being done will take years, if not decades, to undo.

Plus, the Epstein Files continue to impact Trump’s presidency. Why is Ghislane Maxwell being treated so well? It’s almost as if Trump hopes she’ll exonerate him in exchange for a sweetheart deal.

READ Barbara's book “Attack from Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America”: https://www.sevenstories.com/books/4577-attack-from-within

READ Daniel’s recent opinion piece in NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/29/opinion/trump-is-discovering-the-downside-of-a-justice-department-with-no-credibility.html

Get 20% off your first order of low carb, keto-friendly bread from our newest sponsor, Royo! Use promo code FRANKEN at www.eatroyo.com

With Donald Trump and the Republican Party low in the polls, Texas is resorting to one of their favorite ways to win voters: cheating. They’ve drawn new maps to implement unprecedented gerrymandering, taking away five Democratic-held seats - all done at Trump’s insistence, of course.

We're joined by Ari Berman, national voting rights correspondent for Mother Jones, to walk us through Texas Governor Abbott’s scheme. Democrats are attempting to fight back in Texas and across the country… even if it is a fight they are likely to lose.

We discuss how the Supreme Court continues to erode voting rights and how Chief Justice John Roberts is NOT the moderate that he'd like us to think that he is. 

If history is any indication, Democrats SHOULD have a successful midterm election. But history may not be enough to overcome this gerrymandering lollapalooza and the attacks on voting rights.

READ Ari's work in Mother Jones: https://www.motherjones.com/author/ari-berman/ 

Gaza faces mass starvation as Israel blocks critical food and aid to the region. We're joined by The Atlantic's Franklin Foer to discuss his recent piece, “Israel's Last Chance,” and how the only answer to this atrocity is for Israel to flood Gaza with food.

Foer also discusses the legitimate criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu, while acknowledging that some of the protests can veer into antisemitism, especially on college campuses. Columbia and Harvard are the most prominent universities being attacked by the Trump administration, which is using accusations of antisemitism to withhold federal funding. And while we are seeing Harvard fight back, Foer warns that the end goal for the administration seems to be more government control over universities.

READ all of Foer's recent writing on Israel, Columbia, and Harvard: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/franklin-foer/

Get 60% off of your first box of meals for your dog with our newest sponsor, Ollie! https://www.ollie.com/franken

We're joined by journalist and best-selling author, Jonathan Alter, to dig deeper into the latest in Trump’s America. Jonathan’s most recent piece in Washington Monthly explains how the BBB’s enormous funding for ICE will turn America into a police state. With over 75 billion dollars, ICE will now be bigger than all American law enforcement agencies combined.

We discuss Trump's authoritarianism, including the ongoing shake down of American universities and law firms. Plus, Texas Republicans are redistricting the state to add 5 new Republican seats to the House. How can Democrats fight back? Can California and New York do the same?

Amid all of the depressing news, Alter also brings a message of hope! He deeply believes in the importance of people power. Citizens are learning ways to resist and make their voices heard. And with the coming midterms, he's optimistic that Democrats CAN take back the House. 

DONATE to World Central Kitchen and help feed the starving people of Gaza:

https://donate.wck.org/

READ Jonathan's piece on ICE in Washington Monthly: https://washingtonmonthly.com/2025/07/14/america-is-now-a-police-state/

CHECK OUT Jonathan’s Substack, Old Goats: https://oldgoats.substack.com/

For information on our newest sponsor, Mint Mobile: www.mintmobile.com/franken

We're thrilled to welcome an old friend from Al’s SNL days, comedian Kevin Nealon! Kevin and Al trade stories from working together on Saturday Night Live and discuss how the show has changed over the years. 

Kevin shares how he created several trademark bits, including Mr. Subliminal and Hans and Franz. Plus, we get backstories on some sketches that Al and Kevin worked on together.

We also get into Kevin's post-SNL life, including his role on the hit TV show “Weeds,” his standup, and his hiking podcast! 

Go see Kevin on tour! https://kevinnealon.com/