The Dispatch Podcast

"Title 42," the pandemic-era immigration restriction, was slated to expire December 21, until the Supreme Court stepped in. Now, the Biden administration and conservatives are in loggerheads on what to do next. Esther sits down with Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, the Policy Director at American Immigration Council to discuss the historical context behind Title 42, its impact on border crossings, and what we might expect if it goes away.

Show Notes:

-Aaron Reichlin-Melnick’s American Immigration Council (AIC) profile

-AIC's Guide to Expulsions at the Border

-Docket filings related to the Application for Emergency Stay

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With new polls showing Donald Trump losing his grip on the Republican base, Sarah, David, and Steve debate the do's and don'ts of gauging Trump's political altitude. They also discuss Ron DeSantis' attempt to court the vax-skeptic voter, the recent COVID outbreaks in China, and what the implosion of Sam Bankman-Fried tells us about America's cult of the CEO. Plus: Should we be talking about MTG?

Show Notes:

-Josh Kraushaar on Trump's declining position

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Will the aftermath of Herschel Walker's defeat in Georgia create a rare window for Republican introspection? And can the infotainment right be part of the solution? Sarah, David, Jonah and Steve also discuss what we know (and don’t know) about the Hunter Biden scandal, wonder what ever happened to the Electoral Count Reform Act, and catch up on what’s going on in the rest of the world.

Show Notes:

-The Twitter thread that caught Steve's eye

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With the war not going as smoothly as he might have hoped, Putin turns to Iran for help replenishing Russia's arsenal. Frederick W. Kagan, director of the Critical Threats Project at AEI, joins David to explain the nature of this alliance-of-convenience and where things could go from here.Show Notes:

-Critical Threats: Ukraine Stream

-

Critical Threats: Iran Crisis Updates

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With Donald Trump officially running for president, Ron DeSantis faces a twisted decision tree. Sarah, David, and Kevin are here to make sense of it. Plus: how should the U.S. respond to the deadly missile incident in Poland? 

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Sarah, Jonah, and David come together to give the midterms a post-mortem to end all postmortems. They discuss the vibe theory of political trends, the presidential prospects of Republicans Not Named Donald Trump, and the lessons both parties took away from the elections.

Oh, and of course: do all roads lead to Georgia..? Again??

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On today’s explainer, Declan is joined by RAND Corporation senior researcher David Luckey. A retired Marine Corps officer, David is now devoted to getting congressional attention to the thing that killed tens of thousands of Americans last year: fentanyl. David explains the scope of the overdose epidemic, its force multipliers, and the ways to fight it.

Show Notes:

-The Morning Dispatch on the Fentanyl Crisis

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With religion, political corruption, nationalism, and court reform on the ballot, Israel concluded this week its fifth election in three years. Tomer Persico, research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, joins Adaam to offer a quick explainer about Benjamin Netanyahu's comeback, the rise of religious nationalism in Israel, and the universal language of populism. 

Show Notes:

-The Morning Dispatch on the Israeli election

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With less than a week before the midterms, Sarah, David, and Jonah come together to answer your questions: Can voters push their parties to be better? What’s the best way to engage with your representatives? When is Nick Cattogio joining the pod?

Plus: the panel reacts to Biden’s Democracy in Peril, Pt. 2 speech.

Show Notes:

-Sarah’s piece for POLITICO about the GOP’s election laws

-Sarah, David, and Jonah’s report for the National Constitution Center

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