Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has been thinking about the economy since she was a young girl in the working-class neighborhood of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, keenly attuned to how broader economic trends impacted the employment of her neighbors. Once she took her first economics class in college, she was hooked. She has since spent her career moving between academic and government roles, including many years at the Federal Reserve. Secretary Yellen joined David to talk about the barriers women face in finance, the economic implications of immigration, China and tariffs, and why government intervention in the financial system is necessary. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As a child, journalist Kasie Hunt eagerly awaited the arrival of “Time” magazine each week. She loved current events, which eventually piqued her interest in national security and journalism. She joined David to talk about growing up in a post-war period and watching 9/11 puncture that feeling of safety, covering Jan. 6 as a Capitol Hill reporter, what advice she would give a young campaign journalist, starting a new job at CNN while learning she had a brain tumor, and what she learned from that life-altering experience.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At 11 years old, Roger Carstens, already an avid news consumer, was struck by stories of genocide in Cambodia. He resolved that when he grew up, he would work to alleviate human suffering. That mission took him to the Army and jobs in the non-profit sector and government, including his current role as the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. In this job, Amb. Carstens works tirelessly to bring home Americans wrongfully detained across the globe. He talked with David about what keeps him up at night, the importance of entering negotiations with humility, his journey with spirituality, and his focus on the families of the hostages he works to free.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

DeMar DeRozan is a six-time NBA All Star and an Olympic gold medalist. But perhaps the defining legacy of his career will be his decision to speak out about his struggles with depression and mental health. He joined David to talk about growing up in Compton, California, surrounded by both gang violence and a strong, loving family; basketball as an escape; his drive to excel; the importance of speaking out about mental health; and his new book, “Above the Noise: My Story of Chasing Calm.”

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kamala Harris has “Freedom.” Donald Trump has “God Bless the USA” (and a lot of cease-and-desist letters). What makes for a good campaign song? And why do we respond so viscerally to the ones that work? Audie talks with DJ Cassidy, who DJ'd the DNC Roll Call. And Dana Gorzelany-Mostak, who studies the use of music in political campaigns.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi has joined David on The Axe Files many times to talk about her life, policy, and politics. With the recent release of her book, “The Art of Power,” the two again met to talk at the University Club of Chicago during the Democratic National Convention. Although they spoke before an audience, it sounded more like a conversation between Pelosi and a roomful of friends as she reflected on the high points of her career, Joe Biden exiting the presidential race, and the importance of protecting the Constitution on Election Day. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Vice President Kamala Harris prepares to take the stage for the final night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention as the Democratic presidential nominee, we are re-airing a conversation David had with Harris back in 2017. At the time, she was the new senator from California. They sat down to talk about the prospects for criminal justice reform legislation in Congress, why she believes Supreme Court nominees must be approved with 60 votes, her stance on immigration, and much more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Journalist Ezra Klein has been covering politics for two decades, first as a blogger from his undergrad dorm room and now as an Opinion columnist for The New York Times. He joined David to talk about the current political moment, the role of policy in elections, how Vice President Kamala Harris has stolen the spotlight from former President Donald Trump, why the normal political metaphors don’t fit the 2024 presidential race, and why he thinks Gov. Tim Walz was the bold pick to join Harris on the Democratic ticket.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Much has been said about perceived parallels between this year’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago and the 1968 convention, hallmarked by a violent response to anti-Vietnam War protestors and an incumbent who announced he would not seek reelection. Few are as qualified to speak on those comparison as Don Rose, a Chicago journalist, political strategist, and activist who was a leader in organizing the ’68 protests. He joined David to talk about 1968 and today, how protests against the war in Gaza could affect the DNC, how focusing on abortion issues may have helped Vice President Kamala Harris’ rise, and his surprise—and delight—at her selection of Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As a longtime reporter and observer of American politics and culture, Audie Cornish spends her days chronicling and analyzing history as it’s happening. This week, Audie joined David to talk about her own history: growing up in the “messy follow-up of integration” in Boston schools, being raised by immigrant parents, and unexpectedly finding herself on the path to journalism. Audie and David also discussed the state of American politics, how Vice President Kamala Harris is meeting the moment as a presidential candidate, and Audie's CNN podcast, “The Assignment.”

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices