The Bill Press Pod

Bibi vs. Donald. A Very Unpopular War. MAGA Fraying? Consumers: Who Cares. 200 Billion for War. Will Congress Pay? Trump Insults Japan’s PM. TSA Shutdown Pain. Save America Act Votes. Pritzker’s Senate Flex. Cesar Chavez Shock. With Kirk Bado, Editor of The National Journal Hotline, Amanda Becker, National Reporter for 19th News and Cameron Joseph, Politics Editor at Politico. 

Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by the Laborer's International Union of North America. More information at LIUNA.org.

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Bill discusses the third week of a U.S. and Israel-led war against Iran and Americans’ cratering support for Israel, with J Street founder Jeremy Ben-Ami and senior VP Ilan Goldenberg. Ben-Ami calls it Netanyahu’s long-sought war, notes the JCPOA(“The Iran Nuclear Deal” under Obama) had effectively constrained Iran’s program, and says the current effort lacks clear goals. They highlight polling showing a sharp decline in U.S. support for Israel—especially among 18–34-year-olds—and criticize AIPAC’s tactics and funding, urging Democrats to end “blank check” support, emphasize Palestinian rights, and pursue a balanced, pro-diplomacy approach.

They also explored why the war began, where it may lead, and its political fallout. Goldenberg argues there was no imminent threat, diplomacy and other alternatives existed, and the U.S. lacked technical negotiators, leaving outcomes likely to resemble a long containment quagmire with higher oil prices and persistent regional instability.

Today Bill highlights the work of J Street and suggests you check out their work at JStreet.org.

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War Hits the Homefront. Strait of Hormuz Blocked. Short(?) Term Pain. Low Support for War. Girls School Bomb Blame Game. TSA Struggles in Shutdown. Save Act Stalled. Filibuster Still Here. Old Pols Not Retiring. Replacing MTG. With Linda Feldmann, Washington Bureau Chief and White House Correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor, Jeff Dufour, Editor-in-chief at The National Journal and Maeve Sheehy, Congressional Reporter at Bloomberg Government.

Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The United Food and Commercial Workers Union. More information at UFCW.org.

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Bill Press examines two races that could shift U.S. politics: Texas’s U.S. Senate contest and California’s open governor’s race. In Texas, reporter Maria Recio of The Austin American-Statesman, explains how state Rep. James Talarico beat Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary, citing his earlier start, stronger ground game, appeal to Latino voters, moderate and faith-based profile, and high Democratic turnout; the GOP nominee will be decided in a May 26 runoff between Sen. John Cornyn and AG Ken Paxton, with Trump’s endorsement still uncertain and Paxton seen as more damaged by scandals. They discuss issues likely shaping 2026, including affordability, immigration enforcement conditions, and war. In California, Politico’s Melanie Mason details the top-two “jungle primary,” warning Democrats that eight candidates could split votes enough to allow two Republicans to advance; current frontrunners include Katie Porter, Eric Swalwell, and wealthy spender Tom Steyer, amid few major endorsements.

You can follow Melanie Mason’s work at Politico.com/newsletters/californiaplaybook

Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The Ironworkers Union.  More information at Ironworkers.org

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Kristi Noem Fired. Who’s Next? Latest Trump/Epstein Files. Talarico Wins in Texas. Texas Blue Mirage? Trump: Cornyn or Paxton. Iran War Vote Fail. War’s Economic Fallout. Iran Exit Strategy? With Shirish Date, Senior White House Correspondent for HuffPost, Sabrina Siddiqui, National Political Reporter at The Wall Street Journal and Arthur Delaney, Senior Politics Reporter for HuffPost covering Congress and the Economy. 

Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The Laborers' International Union of North America. More information at LIUNA.org.

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The U.S. is now at war in Iran after Donald Trump launched strikes without Congressional authorization, despite campaigning against regime change and new wars. Rep. Jim McGovern (D) Massachusetts, argues there is no justification or clearly defined mission, warns of quagmire-like consequences, rising costs, and criticizes Republicans and House leadership for blocking debate and ignoring Congress’s constitutional role and the War Powers Act, citing prior votes tied to Venezuela. National security analyst Joe Cirincione says the administration’s claims of an imminent threat collapsed, asserting Iran lacks missiles to reach the U.S. and is not close to a nuclear weapon; he frames the conflict as a regime-change war pushed by Israel and Saudi Arabia, worsened by Trump’s exit from the 2015 nuclear deal and bad-faith negotiations. They discuss risks including wider regional escalation, oil shocks, global recession, and damaged U.S. credibility.

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Hillary-Epstein Deposition. Presidential Precedent Set. Missing Trump/Epstein Docs. Epstein, Epstein, Epstein. War With Iran? SOTU as TV Show.  Trump’s Affordability Trap. Poll: Trump Losing It. With Emily Goodin, White House Correspondent for The New York Post, Philip Bump, Independent Journalist and MS-Now Contributor and Kirk Bado, Editor of The National Journal Hotline.

Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The American Federation of Teachers. More information at AFT.org

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Jason Dick, Editor-in-chief at CQ-Roll Call and Jeff Dufour, Editor-in-chief at The National Journal join Bill to analyze Trump's long, long State of the Union Address.

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***SCOTUS Tariff decision came after this was recorded. ***

(Prince)Andrew Arrested. Epstein Fallout Continues. DHS Shutdown. SOTU Preview. Democratic Response? Racist Randy Fine. Talarico and Colbert. Trump’s Naming Spree. With Jennifer Bendery, Senior Politics Reporter for HuffPost, Geoff Earle, Washington Correspondent for The New York Post and Evan McMorris Santoro, Reporter for NOTUS.

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Bill Press talks with Editor and Publisher Katrina vanden Heuvel and Executive Editor John Nichols of The Nation about the magazine’s editorial calling for the impeachment of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. They argue cabinet officers can and should be impeached, citing what they describe as Noem’s repeated false public narratives about federal operations in Minneapolis, including the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and they call for independent investigations, accountability, economic restitution for impacted businesses, and dismantling ICE. They discuss impeachment as a political constitutional tool, the likelihood of House action versus Senate conviction, and parallel accountability via elections and congressional oversight. The conversation also covers The Nation’s nomination of Minneapolis residents for the Nobel Peace Prize for their constitutional, mutual-aid-based resistance to masked federal agents, and notes leadership by Mayor Jacob Frey, Governor Tim Walz, and Attorney General Keith Ellison. In the second half, they broaden to U.S. policy in Latin America and the Caribbean, referencing The Nation’s long history of covering Venezuela and opposing the Cuba embargo, Rep. Jim McGovern’s resolution to lift the embargo, the rollback of the Obama opening, and a forthcoming profile of Marco Rubio, while arguing that empire abroad undermines democracy at home and that Trump’s posture is better described as aggressive unilateralism.

Today highlights the work of The Nation Magazine. Check it out at TheNation.com

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