When Things Fall Apart
On this week’s episode, Bill and Phil discuss the Israeli-Hamas conflict, concerns over the state of civil-military relations in the US, the politics behind Supreme Court justice retirements, and a look at the state of democracy in El Salvador and the United States.
Trump, Cheney, and the Big Lie
Bill and Phil reflect on Biden’s first 100 days, the implications of Facebook’s semipermanent Trump ban and Liz Cheney’s ouster from party leadership, elections in the United Kingdom, and Napoleon’s contested legacy in France.
COVID and Disinformation
On this week’s episode, Bill and Phil discuss Brazil and India’s struggles with Covid, why Trump’s Big Lie won’t go away, how disinformation is undermining the vaccination campaign in the US, and whether a high school cheerleader’s free speech rights include a snapchat tirade against her school.
Roland Paris on International Politics
Roland Paris, Professor of International Affairs at University of Ottawa and former Senior Advisor on Global Affairs and Defense to the Prime Minister of Canada, joins us to discuss U.S. global leadership, the state of democracy, the rise of China, and the difference between the academic and policy world.
Out of Many, One
On this week’s episode, Bill and Phil discuss immigration and the contrast between George W. Bush’s call for tolerance and the far-right America First Caucus’s call for a revival of Anglo-Saxon political traditions. We then examine Russia’s military buildup on the Ukrainian border and close with a look at the data from this year’s World Happiness Report.
A Dire Forecast
This week, we discuss a recently released intelligence forecast predicting a post-pandemic world that is upended by climate chance and splintering societies, reflect on what to make of Tucker Carlson’s unapologetic embrace of the racist “replacement theory” and whether there might be any connection to new data on domestic extremism in the U.S., and wrap up with a look at foreign policy, highlighting new developments in Northern Ireland, Israel and Afghanistan
Is Biden the Next FDR?
This week, Bill and Phil are joined by Dr. Brandon Sheridan who is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Elon University to discuss President Biden’s ambitious economic agenda and whether it signals a fundamental rethinking of the role of government in the economy. Then we talk about the impact of politics on professional sports. and new data on the Jan. 6 attacks released by the Chicago Project on Security and Threats.
COVID, Religion, Voting, and Boats
This week, Bill and Phil discuss recent revelations that the Trump administration’s coronavirus response was even worse than previously known, some recent data on religious identity in America, new voting rules in Georgia, and the big boat that got stuck in the Suez.
Congressman Sean Casten
Congressman Sean Casten, U.S. Representative for Illinois's 6th congressional district, joins Bill and Phil to discuss the American Rescue Plan, infrastructure and clean energy, and the state of American democracy.
Supreme Court Check-In
On this week’s episode, Bill and Phil are joined by constitutional law expert, Professor Tom Cavenagh, to get an update on the Supreme Court and to discuss the legal implications of voting rights legislation, the death penalty, and what former President Trump’s legal future looks like.
Human Rights Roundup
On this week’s episode, Bill and Phil break down the US intel report on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the Equality Act passing in the House, George Kennan’s Long Telegram turning 75, the Senate parliamentarian nixing the $15 minimum wage, and Biden overturning Trump’s architecture order.
Democracy Must Prevail
Bill and Phil break down Biden’s speech on democracy, the significance of Mario Draghi becoming Prime Minister of Italy, what Joe Biden’s stimulus plan tells us about his approach moving forward, and Ted Cruz’s infamous trip to Cancun.
Trump’s Second Impeachment
We examine the impeachment hearing as part of a broader conversation about accountability for the former president, and we take a look at the foreign policy agenda that Joe Biden outlined this week.
The Risk of Mass Violence
The threat of mass violence is on the rise in the United States, as demonstrated by the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Dr. James Waller, noted expert on mass violence and genocide, joins us this week to talk about the risk factors that contribute to widespread political and ethnic violence and to wrestle with the warning signs present in the United States today.
Looking Ahead to the Biden Presidency
Bill and Phil are joined by Dr. Suzanne Chod to break down the results of the Georgia Senate races, whether Biden has a chance to get his agenda through a split Senate, the upcoming 2nd impeachment of Donald Trump, and what the future may hold for the Republican Party.
Inauguration Day
On this week’s episode, Bill and Phil devote the entire episode to the presidential inauguration and what the future may hold for President Joe Biden.
Impeachment, Again
On this week’s episode, Bill and Phil discuss the historic second impeachment of Donald Trump, how the last 4 years of Trump led to the attack on the U.S. Capital, and we end the episode with an interview of Michael Blight, Assistant Professor of Communication, to discuss Trump’s social media ban and the practice of deplatforming.
Democracy Under Siege
On this week’s episode, Bill and Phil devote the entire episode to an extended conversation focused on breaking down and reacting to the pro-Trump extremists who attacked the Capital building yesterday.