Talking Feds
TALKING FEDS is a roundtable discussion that brings together prominent former government officials, journalists, and special guests for a dynamic and in-depth analysis of the most pressing questions in law and politics.
No Immunity For Fraudsters!
It was a week of bombshell developments across a range of venues, & a stellar roundtable of Senator Heidi Heitkamp, Carol Lee, & Charlie Sykes joins Harry to take stock, even as the news continued to explode. Killer potential testimony emerged against Trump, & the courts rejected his immunity claim. The House expelled George Santos; while evidence surfaced implicating Scott Perry in the insurrection. And Israel resumed its bombardment in Gaza in a way guaranteed to put maximum pressure on …
DOJ insider: Trying Trump
It’s our quarterly episode focusing on DOJ, and it coincides with a series of high-visibility cases—most but not all involving Trump—and the pivotal decisions they present for Garland, Smith, & Co. Our returning group of lawyers & journalists who know DOJ like the backs of their hands—Katie Benner, Paul Fishman, & Amy Jeffress—weighs in on fine-grained tactical decisions & larger priorities, while also giving us a sense of what it feels like these days inside the halls at 950 Pennsylvania.See …
Gag!
It was a week in which Donald Trump & his party plunged to new rhetorical and physical lows, & a terrific roundtable of Alisyn Camerota, Kyle Cheney & Bill Kristol join Harry to consider the fallout. Released temporarily from the fetters of a gag order, Trump launched a series of tirades that can only be described as fascist, inc comparing his opponents to “vermin.” The group considers the implications of Trump’s dark turn, courts’ efforts to rein him in, and …
It's (Half) the Economy, Genius!
Our semi-annual focus on economics with a stellar set of guests – Dean Baker, Paul Krugman, and Stephanie Ruhle – falls this week at the starkest of crossroads: economic news and bellwethers are stunningly good while American’s views of the state of the economy are stunningly bad. Our roundtable discusses these trends, along w/ several other important economic factors—including the impact of two wars-- before moving to thoughts about AI and where we are as a country with economic inequality. …
Leaning Tower of Trumps
It’s a week of stock-taking as well as explanation of the Trump developments on half a dozen separate fronts. With a fantastic panel of leading commentators – Norm Eisen, Hugo Lowell, and Jen Rubin, – we canvass the events of the week, especially in the NY fraud trial, but also double back to the nuanced, and largely under-appreciated, takeaways from recent events, involving Meadows and immunity, Trump’s motions in the Jan 6 case, Fulton County pleas, 14th Am §3, the …
From Russia with kompromat
8 years after reports surfaced of strange and worrisome connections between Donald Trump the presidential candidate & Russia, we still don’t know the full story, a glaring gap in the history & understanding of the Trump era. This special episode of Talking Feds plumbs the depths of what we do know & what we might discover, w/ an ideal set of guests: Jeannie Rhee & Andrew Weissman, senior members of the Mueller probe, and Adam Davidson, a journalist who has …
Purging the Effects of Trumpism: Political Bipartisanship (Recorded Live at the Texas Tribune Festival)
The concluding installment of a very special trio of episodes recorded live at the Texas Tribune Festival. Each episode explores the state of an institution of existential value to our democracy after eight years of Trump's influence and assesses what needs to be done going forward to return to full health. This episode explores what needs to be done to return to some semblance of healthy polity with the help of four distinguished panelists: Bill Kristol, Jason Kander, Jennifer Palmieri, …
Purging the Effects of Trumpism: Law Enforcement (Recorded Live at the Texas Tribune Festival)
The second of a very special trio of episodes recorded live at the Texas Tribune Festival. Each episode explores the state of an institution of existential value to our democracy after eight years of Trump's influence and assesses what needs to be done going forward to return to full health. This episode focuses on law enforcement with three incisive commentators who know law enforcement inside and out: Frank Figliuzzi, Juliette Kayyem, Asha Rangappa, and Elie Honig. To hear the Q&A; …
Foreign Policy in the Age of Trump
Our periodic focus on US foreign policy, with a twist. The Biden Administration must pursue foreign policy in a world keenly aware of the prospect of Trump’s return and all that entails for the U.S.’s trustworthiness. Meanwhile, the Administration's foreign policy initiatives have rekindled engagement on various fronts, extending beyond traditional alliances. In this episode, experts Natasha Bertrand, Amna Nawaz, & Robert Costa analyze the impact of these dynamics on the U.S.’s foreign affairs.Taped before the Israel-Hamas war.See Privacy Policy …
Remembering Dianne Feinstein
The country, the Senate, & CA lost one of its longest-serving and most distinguished public servants last week. Senator Dianne Feinstein—the first woman mayor of SF who became the longest serving female senator in history—had far too many important accomplishments to chronicle in an hour. But with the aid of 3 of the people who knew her best—Senator Barbara Boxer, Jim Lazarus, and DeeDee Meyers—this special episode of Talking Feds paints a detailed portrait of DiFi the person & political …