The People's Cabinet

Shalanda Young — former Director of the Office of Management and Budget — oversaw a $7 trillion federal budget that touched nearly every part of American life. In this episode, she joins The People’s Cabinet to break down what a federal budget really is, why raising the debt ceiling isn’t the same thing, and how upcoming budget fights could reshape the future of our economy.

We cover:

•Where $7 trillion actually goes — and what’s really driving the deficit

•The difference between passing a budget and raising the debt ceiling

•What’s at stake in the upcoming negotiations — and for whom

•How political standoffs put everything from Social Security to national defense at risk

•Why budget fights are about values, not just numbers

If you’ve ever wondered how Washington really spends your tax dollars — this episode makes it real.

What is the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — and why are so many powerful people trying to destroy it? In this episode of The People’s Cabinet, Dan sits down with CFPB Director Rohit Chopra to unpack what the agency actually does, how it protects everyday Americans, and what’s at stake as both Big Tech and political forces try to erode its power. From junk fees to AI-driven manipulation, Chopra lays out the future of consumer protection — and how we fight back.

We cover:

 •How Trump is trying to defang the CFPB — and what’s still at risk

•Why tech and finance executives see the CFPB as a threat

•The next wave of consumer harms and how AI makes it worse

•What the CFPB is doing to protect Americans in a rapidly changing economy

• What people can do to fight back today 

This is how consumer protection actually works — and how it gets undermined.

Talking about transgender women and girls in sports has become one of the most polarizing debates in American culture — often used to inflame rather than inform. Pablo Torre has spent years navigating these kinds of conversations at the intersection of sports, politics, and identity. In this episode, he joins Dan for a wide-ranging discussion about how we talk to each other — and who gets left out of the conversation.

We cover:

• Why the transgender sports debate is more about politics than policy

• What it’s like to straddle sports and politics as a commentator

• How to talk to people who aren’t already politically activated

• How the left can surpass the right in messaging

If you’re trying to engage in good faith — in a bad faith media environment — this episode will give you language, clarity, and maybe even a little hope.

With more than 3.5 billion views and millions of followers, Brian Tyler Cohen is one of the most influential democratic voices online. But how did he build that kind of reach — and what can Democrats learn from it?

In this episode, we cover:

• How he built his digital platform from scratch

• What Democrats get wrong in their media strategy

• How the left can build a powerful digital movement

• What you can do to break through the noise

If you care about politics and the future of media, this is a must-listen.

Tariffs. Trade wars. Global supply chains. Sound confusing? You’re not alone — and former Cabinet member U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai is here to break it all down. In this episode one of President Biden's main trade architects explains:

• Who typically oversees trade for the United States

• What trade policy is

• What tariffs are

• What Trump is doing with both

• What we should be doing instead

• How we move forward as a country -- and as a world

This is the trade episode for people who didn't think they needed it -- but are now learning the hard way that they do.

Ben, Brett and Jordan Meiselas have built Meidas Touch into the fastest-growing independent news network in the world, with over 450 million monthly views and a podcast whose listenership exceeds The Joe Rogan Experience.  How can we learn from their rise, and how can the left catch up – and even exceed – the right in this space?

Ben joins us to cover: 

• What independent media is, and how it has grown

• How to be unapologetically pro-democracy

• Whether Vice President Harris should have gone on Joe Rogan

• Why Democrats need to be “loud and proud” about their values

If you want a media future where the left leads—not follows—this episode is for you.

Washington feels broken, with lots of gridlock and few ideas. But there are some who are trying to change that.

Rep. Jake Auchincloss was dubbed "The Democrat Who is Thinking Differently" by The New York Times.

In this refreshingly practical episode, we dig into real ideas that could make life better, fast, including:

• Curbing social media’s influence on children

• Fixing our broken healthcare system

• Solving the housing crisis

• Reforming elections

• Reviving local democracy

If you’ve lost faith in Congress, this one might just bring you back.

Foreign policy can feel distant and complicated — but it shapes everything from our economy to our safety. Senator Chris Coons joins us to explain what’s actually going on in the world, and why it matters more than ever.

We cover:

• What foreign aid really is — and why it’s worth it

• What NATO literally stands for, what it does, and why it’s vital

• The latest on Ukraine and why support still matters

• What’s at stake with China, Taiwan, and the Pacific

• What’s the truth behind all the talk about Canada, Greenland, and the Panama Canal

• How this is affecting our place in the world

• What we should be doing instead, and what people can do in their communities

Clear, compelling, and deeply relevant — this is your foreign affairs explainer.

With tariffs dominating our lives, The People’s Cabinet drops a special pre-launch episode featuring former Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers Jared Bernstein.

In less than 20 minutes, Jared explains:

• What tariffs actually are 
• What a “reciprocal tariff” means
• Why Trump’s trade policy could backfire
• How we build a thoughtful trade policy that helps Americans 
• How Democrats can engage disaffected and MAGA-aligned voters without losing the plot

We hope you enjoy this BONUS PREVIEW of The People's Cabinet, and stay tuned for our official launch on 4/15!

Feeling overwhelmed by all that’s happening in our country?

Confused about what information is real?

Trying to figure out what to do?

You’re not alone.

My name is Dan Koh, and welcome to The People’s Cabinet, a podcast that directly explains the top issues facing our country today and talks about what we stand for, not just what we’re against.

I’ve worked in the White House, Boston City Hall, and the Huffington Post, and I’m here to ask the tough questions needed to understand how government works and how we can make it better.

Every episode will feature leading voices to present a positive vision of what we should be doing and how you can get involved.

We’ll give you real, substantive information to spark conversations with the people we need to persuade to win again.

Because the world doesn’t change when we tune out.

It changes when we show up, speak up, and take action.

Are you ready? Let’s Go.