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Texas Republicans are pinning their hopes on Senate candidate Ken Paxton, the state attorney general who was impeached for abusing his office. Maine Democrats are pinning theirs on Graham Platner, who’s had to explain an old tattoo that looks like a Nazi symbol. Welcome to the 2026 installment of the race to control the U.S. Senate.  

Pope Leo used his platform to warn about the dangers of A.I. It’s a big topic here in the U.S., but neither the Trump White House nor Congress seem eager to do much. 

Plus, a listener incensed over taxpayer dollars being used for Trump’s “Anti-Weaponization Fund” asks what he should do with his anger.   

Producer: Leo Duran

Host: David Greene 

Guests: 

• Mo Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service - @MoElleithee
• Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch - @whignewtons

Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code KCRW at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/KCRW

What is an anti-weaponization fund? Is it a legit use of taxpayer dollars to help people of all political stripes who were wronged by their government, or is it a corrupt slush fund to help President Trump and his political allies? One immediate question on the minds of Democrats is if people who attacked the Capitol on January 6 will be some of the early beneficiaries. 

Also, despite Trump’s sagging poll numbers, he continues to hold sway over his party with one primary vote after another against sitting Republicans. Is there a political cost for Trump and the GOP if a coalition of lame ducks starts growing with an eye towards their own counter-revenge? 

And we’ve got some great questions from you this week, including whether we really need politicians at all to run a government. 

Producer: Leo Duran

Host: David Greene 

Guests: 

• Elizabeth Bruenig, staff writer, The Atlantic (@ebruenig)
• Mike Dubke, veteran GOP communications strategist and advisor. He was the White House Comms Director under Donald Trump in 2017 (@MikeDubke)

Some voters are in the dark about which districts they live in and who their candidates are because officials in several states and the president are obsessed with redrawing congressional maps. The latest push on redistricting comes after the Supreme Court struck down parts of the Voting Rights Act.

Also, public health officials are clear: hantavirus is different from COVID and highly unlikely to cause a global pandemic. But is our government ready for the next health crisis?   

And RFK Jr talks a lot about Making America Healthy Again. But so far, he’s getting politically beaten up by the junk food lobby. 

Producer: Leo Duran

Host: David Greene 

Guests: 

• Elizabeth Bruenig, staff writer, The Atlantic (@ebruenig)
• Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch (@whignewtons)

Abortion is back at center stage in our politics after a federal appeals court halted access to a mail-order abortion medication. We’ll talk about next steps in the Supreme Court and the decision facing both parties on whether to lean into this issue at this moment. Democrats know it can galvanize their base, but do they want to take attention away from affordability? On the right, could this expose President Trump’s failure to deliver the strong message on abortion that many supporters wanted? 

As we go deeper into this midterm election year, we’re also learning that President Trump can still dictate how some elections play out. He sank some incumbent Republicans in Indiana who refused to stand with him on redistricting.  And in Texas, if the President doesn’t decide soon who to endorse in the U.S. Senate, the two GOP candidates risk draining their resources. 

And there’s a chaotic mess for Democrats in the race for California’s governor. It’s a mess that could lead to a Republican replacing Gavin Newsom.  

Producer: Leo Duran

Host: David Greene 

Guests: 

• Mo Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service - @MoElleithee
• Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch - @whignewtons

The Supreme Court gutted a key piece of the Voting Rights Act, and Louisiana lawmakers are moving fast to redraw district maps ahead of this year’s midterms. The decision could help Republicans’ chances to hold on to their House majority, while delivering a blow to Black representation in Congress. 

Conspiracy theories spread fast after last weekend’s attempted attack on the president. Some people said without any evidence that it was staged as a distraction from the Iran War or Trump’s approval numbers, or even a ploy to get the White House ballroom built. What do you do when conspiracy theories move faster than facts?

Plus, King Charles III’s charm offensive to mend U.S.-U.K. relations, which are at an historic low because of Britain’s lack of support for the Iran War. We look at if that can be fixed with a royal touch. Mo Elleithee joins on the left, and Sarah Isgur is with us from the right.

Producer: Leo Duran

Host: Susan Davis

Guests: 

• Mo Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service - @MoElleithee
• Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch - @whignewtons

Democrats claimed victory in Virginia to redraw district maps and flip as many as four seats from Republicans in Congress. It’s the latest in a gerrymandering arms race to control the House that started with the Texas GOP, but where does it end?

We talk about the President’s negotiating tactics in Iran. It’s also a big test for Vice President J.D. Vance to prove himself on the international stage. But with little to show so far, what does it mean for his aspirations to the White House?

Plus, Congress takes up a huge bill to address food and farming in America. However, the typical left/right divide is scrambled by the Make America Healthy Again movement. Liz Bruenig joins from the left, and Sarah Isgur is with us on the right.

Producer: Leo Duran

Host: McKay Coppins, staff writer, The Atlantic (@mckaycoppins) 

Guests: 

• Elizabeth Bruenig, staff writer, The Atlantic (@ebruenig)
• Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch (@whignewtons)

Pope Leo’s call for peace evidently didn’t sit well with President Trump. He lashed out and called the Pope bad for foreign policy, while Vice President JD Vance lectured the pontiff to be careful when opining on matters of theology. 

The president’s next move in Iran is a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, but is it an effective strategy to force negotiations, or could it backfire and possibly embolden China?

Also, what Viktor Orban’s fall as Hungary’s leader could tell us about the health of far-right movements.

Plus, we chat with Sarah Isgur about her new book that takes us inside the Supreme Court, “Last Branch Standing.” 

Producer: Leo Duran

Host: David Greene 

Guests: 

• Mike Dubke, veteran GOP communications strategist and advisor. He was the White House Comms Director under Donald Trump in 2017 - @MikeDubke
• Mo Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service - @MoElleithee
• Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch - @whignewtons

President Trump wanted the Iran War to end quickly after six weeks of fighting, and so he issued a dire threat: submit or he will “end an entire civilization.” Now we’re in a fragile two-week ceasefire for negotiations. The White House says the warning was necessary to get us to this point, but critics called it reckless.

Congress also returns to DC after its two-week recess, and it’s back to the continuing standoff on funding for the Department of Homeland Security. What can we expect from a legislative branch that was already struggling to get much done before a midterm election year?

Plus we reflect on the meaning of the Artemis mission and whether it puts all our partisan battles in perspective. 

Producer: Leo Duran

Host: David Greene 

Guests: 

• Mike Dubke, veteran GOP communications strategist and advisor. He was the White House Comms Director under Donald Trump in 2017 - @MikeDubke
• Mo Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service - @MoElleithee

President Trump gave a speech this week about the Iran War to say he’s going to finish dismantling the country’s regime. But he also added that this regime seems pretty reasonable. We focus on what’s actually taking place: The U.S. role in the world has shifted dramatically, Russia and China seem to be benefitting from U.S. actions, the American economy seems vulnerable and Trump’s standing with his party seems to be changing. 

President Trump is also trying to redefine the meaning of U.S. citizenship. Should being born here automatically mean you’re a citizen? The President thinks not, and the question is now before the Supreme Court. 

And Trump has used a lot of words to trash the news media in our country. A top administration official thinks it’s been way more than a war of words – he’s doing a victory lap. We talk about all that with Liz Bruenig on the left and Sarah Isgur on the right.

Producer: Leo Duran

Host: David Greene 

Guests: 

• Elizabeth Bruenig, staff writer at The Atlantic - @ebruenig
• Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch - @whignewtons

Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code KCRW at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/kcrw

The political brinksmanship over ICE enforcement goes on as travelers in some U.S. airports face hours of wait times at TSA checkpoints. History says voters would blame the party holding things up – Democrats – but polls suggest otherwise, which may be why Republicans are trying so hard to find a compromise. But Democrats aren’t budging, and President Trump isn’t throwing his own party a bone. 

With ICE officers deployed to more than a dozen airports, there’s concern that they might be at polling sites this fall, too. The administration hasn’t completely ruled it out, citing potential security issues. Plus, the Supreme Court also tackled voting questions in a case about mail-in ballots. We’ll talk about the substance, and how President Trump might be using the case for political gain. 

We also answer a listener’s question about talking to family from across the political aisle. Sarah Isgur is with us on the right and Mo Elleithee joins us on the left.

Producer: Leo Duran

Host: David Greene 

Guests: 

• Mo Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service - @MoElleithee
• Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch - @whignewtons

Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code KCRW at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/kcrw

With our nation at war and under threat, the last thing you’d want is uncertainty and a staffing shakeup at the agency responsible for protecting our country. But here we are. We talk about why Joe Kent, the U.S. head of counterterrorism, resigned, and whether we may be better off with a replacement given his history of promoting conspiracy theories. 

Also, President Trump vowed to take Cuba. We try to understand the foreign policy that’s taking shape where he seems to favor cutting the head of a country but leaving the body. In other words, don’t get too caught up in the details of what’s next because it’s not my administration’s problem. 

Plus we take your questions, including what’s the difference between professional politicians and professional candidates. Mo Elleithee joins us on the left, and Sarah Isgur is with us on the right.

Producer: Leo Duran

Host: David Greene 

Guests: 

• Mo Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service - @MoElleithee
• Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch - @whignewtons