The Political Scene | The New Yorker

Ben Shapiro, the host of his eponymous podcast and the co-founder of the conservative website the Daily Wire, has lambasted the left and the Democratic Party for decades. Recently, though, Shapiro has taken to criticizing some of the loudest voices in the MAGA universe, including <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/02/02/tucker-carlsons-nationalist-crusade">Tucker Carlson</a> and Megyn Kelly. The rift is over the acceptance and promulgation of conspiracy theories and, in particular, the normalization of antisemitism. Shapiro discusses the <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/trump-epstein-and-the-women">Epstein files</a> and what they show—and do not show—about the powerful people connected to Jeffrey Epstein. The belief in conspiracies of the élite reflects “people’s desire to abdicate control over their own lives,” Shapiro tells David Remnick. They discuss Shapiro’s adherence to the conservative value of personal responsibility, and how he squares that with MAGA and its champions.  The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.  Tune in to The Political Scene<a href="http://swap.fm/l/tny-tps-extref"> wherever you get your podcasts</a>.

The Washington Roundtable discusses Donald Trump’s threats to “nationalize” elections in fifteen states, the recent F.B.I. raid to seize 2020 voting records at an election facility in Fulton County, Georgia, and the ways in which the Administration might meddle with a free and fair vote in 2026. Their guest, Richard Hasen, is the director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project at U.C.L.A.’s School of Law. “I actually think that now is the time to be preparing for this,” Hasen says. “I think states and localities should think about getting injunctions from federal courts against Donald Trump to prevent him from interfering with the tabulation of ballots.” This week’s reading: “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/donald-trump-already-knows-the-2026-election-is-rigged">Donald Trump Already Knows the 2026 Election Is ‘Rigged,’</a> ” by Susan B. Glasser “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/dan-bonginos-podcast-homecoming">Dan Bongino’s Podcast Homecoming</a>,” by Jon Allsop “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/02/09/why-the-dhs-disaster-in-minneapolis-was-predictable">Why the D.H.S. Disaster in Minneapolis Was Predictable</a>,” by Jonathan Blitzer “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/is-ice-leading-us-into-a-constitutional-crisis">Is ICE Leading Us Into a Constitutional Crisis?</a>,” by Isaac Chotiner “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-communications/how-jeff-bezos-brought-down-the-washington-post">How Jeff Bezos Brought Down the Washington Post</a>,” by Ruth Marcus “ ‘<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/critics-notebook/melania-is-a-forty-million-dollar-journey-into-the-void">Melania’ Is a Forty-Million-Dollar Journey Into the Void</a>,” by Lauren Collins “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-financial-page/how-trump-is-debasing-the-dollar-and-eroding-us-economic-dominance">How Trump Is Debasing the Dollar and Eroding U.S. Economic Dominance</a>,” by John Cassidy “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/newsletter/the-daily/russia-is-swarming-europe-with-young-agents">Russia Is Swarming Europe with Young Agents</a>,” by Ian Crouch Tune in <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/p7tKbZe1">wherever you get your podcasts</a>.

The New Yorker staff writer Lauren Collins joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss a new documentary about Melania Trump, which chronicles her life during the twenty days leading up to Donald Trump’s second Inauguration. They talk about the film’s glossy yet superficial portrait of the First Lady, who served as an executive producer, as well as its troubled rollout and poor critical reception. They also explore Melania’s tenure as First Lady and the contradictions at the center of her political identity as an immigrant married to a President whose anti-immigration rhetoric and policies have come to define both his Administration and the moment of the film’s release.  This week’s reading: “ <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/critics-notebook/melania-is-a-forty-million-dollar-journey-into-the-void">‘Melania’ Is a Forty-Million-Dollar Journey Into the Void</a>,” by Lauren Collins “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/q-and-a/what-a-melania-cinematographer-hoped-to-accomplish">What a ‘Melania’ Cinematographer Hoped to Accomplish</a>,” by Isaac Chotiner “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-communications/how-jeff-bezos-brought-down-the-washington-post">How Jeff Bezos Brought Down the Washington Post</a>,” by Ruth Marcus “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/02/09/why-the-dhs-disaster-in-minneapolis-was-predictable">Why the D.H.S. Disaster in Minneapolis Was Predictable</a>,” by Jonathan Blitzer “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/a-reporter-at-large/trumps-profiteering-hits-four-billion-dollars">Trump’s Profiteering Hits $4 Billion,</a>” by David Kirkpatrick The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.  Tune in to The Political Scene<a href="http://swap.fm/l/tny-tps-extref"> wherever you get your podcasts</a>.

The staff writers Emily Witt and Ruby Cramer discuss the situation in Minneapolis, a city effectively under siege by militaristic federal agents. “This is a city where there’s a police force of about six hundred officers [compared] to three thousand federal agents,” Witt points out. Cramer shares her interview with Mayor Jacob Frey, who talks about how Minneapolis was just beginning to recover from the trauma of George Floyd’s murder and its aftermath, and with the police chief Brian O’Hara, who critiques the lack of discipline he sees from immigration-enforcement officers. Witt shares her interviews with two U.S. citizens who were detained after following an ICE vehicle; one describes an interrogation in which he was encouraged to identify protest organizers and undocumented people, in exchange for favors from immigration authorities.  Ruby Cramer’s <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-political-scene/the-mayor-of-an-occupied-city">“The Mayor of an Occupied City</a>” was published on January 23rd. Emily Witt’s “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/the-battle-for-minneapolis">The Battle for Minneapolis</a>” was published on January 25th.  The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.  Tune in to The Political Scene<a href="http://swap.fm/l/tny-tps-extref"> wherever you get your podcasts</a>.

The Washington Roundtable is joined by the journalist and historian Garrett Graff to trace how post-9/11 immigration policy, which led to a surge in Border Patrol hiring, set the stage for today’s crisis in Minneapolis. The panel examines how ICE and C.B.P., created to protect Americans from outside threats, have been unleashed in America’s cities as what Graff calls "a fascist secret police." “The Border Patrol has never been intended to be a force that is routinely interacting with American citizens,” Graff says. “Full stop, period, let alone routinely patrolling American cities.” This week’s reading: “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/operation-trump-rehab">Operation Trump Rehab</a>,” by Susan B. Glasser “<a href="https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/10/border-patrol-the-green-monster-112220/">The Green Monster</a>,” by Garrett Graff for Politico, 2014 “<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/why-minnesota-cant-do-more-to-stop-ice/">Why Minnesota Can’t Do More to Stop ICE</a>,” by Garrett Graff for Wired  “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/02/09/the-schoolchildren-of-minneapolis">The Schoolchildren of Minneapolis</a>,” by Emily Witt “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/what-ice-should-have-learned-from-the-fugitive-slave-act">What ICE Should Have Learned from the Fugitive Slave Act</a>,” by Jelani Cobb “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/do-federal-officials-really-have-absolute-immunity">Do Federal Officials Really Have ‘Absolute Immunity’?</a>,” by Isaac Chotiner “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/on-television/witnessing-another-public-killing-in-minneapolis">Witnessing Another Public Killing in Minneapolis</a>,” by Vinson Cunningham “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-cruel-conditions-of-ices-mojave-desert-detention-center">The Cruel Conditions of ICE’s Mojave Desert Detention Center</a>,” by Oren Peleg “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/maybe-the-united-states-can-be-one-of-mark-carneys-middle-powers">Maybe the United States Can Be One of Mark Carney’s ‘Middle Powers,’</a> ” by Bill McKibben “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/02/02/trumps-greenland-fiasco">Trump’s Greenland Fiasco</a>,” by Joshua Yaffa “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/02/02/what-maga-can-teach-democrats-about-organizing-and-infighting">What MAGA Can Teach Democrats About Organizing—and Infighting</a>,” by Charles Duhigg The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.  Tune in to The Political Scene<a href="http://swap.fm/l/tny-tps-extref"> wherever you get your podcasts</a>.

The New Yorker writer and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Charles Duhigg joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss why Republicans have been more successful than Democrats at building durable political coalitions. They talk about the difference between short-term mobilization and long-term organizing, why large-scale protests often fail to translate into lasting power, and how conservative groups have quietly built local infrastructure that may sustain the MAGA movement beyond Donald Trump’s Presidency. They also examine how the left’s efforts are impeded by debates over ideological purity, and whether a renewed focus on community-based organizing and pragmatic coalition-building could reshape progressive politics in the coming years.  This week’s reading: “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/02/02/what-maga-can-teach-democrats-about-organizing-and-infighting">What MAGA Can Teach Democrats About Organizing—and Infighting</a>,” by Charles Duhigg “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/on-television/witnessing-another-public-killing-in-minneapolis">Witnessing Another Public Killing in Minneapolis</a>,” by Vinson Cunningham “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/do-federal-officials-really-have-absolute-immunity">Do Federal Officials Really Have ‘Absolute Immunity’?</a>,” by Isaac Chotiner “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/the-battle-for-minneapolis">The Battle for Minneapolis</a>,” by Emily Witt “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-cruel-conditions-of-ices-mojave-desert-detention-center">The Cruel Conditions of ICE’s Mojave Desert Detention Center</a>,” by Oren Peleg  The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.  Tune in <a href="http://swap.fm/l/tny-tps-extref">wherever you get your podcasts</a>.

Last October, Bari Weiss—best-known as a contrarian opinion writer who launched the right-leaning Free Press—was appointed the new editor-in-chief of CBS News. Donald Trump has called her new regime “the greatest thing that’s happened in a long time to a free and open and good press.” The New Yorker staff writer <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/clare-malone">Clare Malone</a> wrote about Weiss’s <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/01/26/inside-bari-weisss-hostile-takeover-of-cbs-news">hostile takeover of CBS</a> for the January 26, 2026, issue of the magazine. In a conversation with David Remnick, Malone discusses her reporting on Weiss: how resigning from the New York Times launched Weiss to prominence as a crusader against what she has characterized as woke groupthink; how Weiss gained the support of Silicon Valley titans who had their own political grievances; and the headlines about Weiss’s rocky beginning as head of a news network, including the on-air travails of her new anchor, Tony Dokoupil.  The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.  Tune in <a href="http://swap.fm/l/tny-tps-extref">wherever you get your podcasts</a>.

The Washington Roundtable discusses President Trump’s threats to acquire Greenland and his subsequent retreat. At Davos this week, the Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, characterized the episode as “a rupture in the world order.” To analyze how Trump’s rhetoric has heightened concerns about the durability of the transatlantic alliance, the Roundtable is joined by Carl Bildt, the co-chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations and the former Prime Minister of Sweden. “I think what we need to do as Europeans is to do our own thing,” Bildt says. “We now have a United States that, from our point of view, is unpredictable.”  This week’s reading: “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/its-time-to-talk-about-donald-trumps-logorrhea">It’s Time to Talk About Donald Trump’s Logorrhea</a>,” by Susan B. Glasser “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/an-unhappy-anniversary-trumps-year-in-office">An Unhappy Anniversary: Trump’s Year in Office</a>,” by Amy Davidson Sorkin “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-overlooked-deaths-of-the-attack-on-venezuela">The Overlooked Deaths of the Attack on Venezuela</a>,” by Oriana van Praag “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/01/19/the-ice-curtain">The Ice Curtain</a>,” by Ian Frazier “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/how-europe-can-respond-to-trumps-greenland-imperialism">How Europe Can Respond to Trump’s Greenland Imperialism</a>,” by Isaac Chotiner “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/01/26/lamonica-mciver-congress-ice-jail-visit-felony-charges">The Congresswoman Criminalized for Visiting ICE Detainees</a>,” by Jonathan Blitzer The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.  Tune in <a href="http://swap.fm/l/tny-tps-extref">wherever you get your podcasts</a>.

The New Yorker staff writer Jay Caspian Kang joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss the role the church has played in sustaining protest movements—and whether effective political dissent in the United States is possible without involvement from religious institutions. They talk about how churches have historically provided moral authority, infrastructure, and community to movements for social change, why those qualities have been difficult to replicate in the age of social media and mass protest, and what is lost when dissent becomes sporadic or primarily digital. They also examine whether churches still have the widespread credibility and organizing capacity to anchor protest today, and what it would take for religious institutions to once again embrace a central place in modern political life.  This week’s reading: <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/fault-lines/can-american-churches-lead-a-protest-movement-under-trump">“Can American Churches Lead a Protest Movement Under Trump?</a>,” by Jay Caspian Kang “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/01/26/inside-bari-weisss-hostile-takeover-of-cbs-news">Inside Bari Weiss’s Hostile Takeover of CBS News</a>,” by Clare Malone “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/an-unhappy-anniversary-trumps-year-in-office">An Unhappy Anniversary: Trump’s Year in Office</a>,” by Amy Davidson Sorkin “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-overlooked-deaths-of-the-attack-on-venezuela">The Overlooked Deaths of the Attack on Venezuela</a>,” by Oriana van Praag “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/01/26/why-trump-supports-protesters-in-tehran-but-not-in-minneapolis">Why Trump Supports Protesters in Tehran but Not in Minneapolis</a>,” by Benjamin Wallace-Wells  The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.  Tune in <a href="http://swap.fm/l/tny-tps-extref">wherever you get your podcasts</a>.

Before becoming a podcaster, Jennifer Welch had a successful career as an interior designer and co-starred in a reality show on Bravo. But, since 2022, she and Angie Sullivan, her co-host on the podcast “I’ve Had It,” have gained millions of fans as a sounding board for left-leaning political frustrations. These aren’t only concerns about MAGA but also about the Democratic establishment that she views as captive to a corporate agenda. Welch talks with David Remnick about her contentious interviews with Cory Booker and Rahm Emanuel, her belief in “dark woke,” and how a white Oklahoma woman in her fifties emerged as one of the most provocative voices on today’s left.  The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.  Tune in <a href="http://swap.fm/l/tny-tps-extref">wherever you get your podcasts</a>.

The Washington Roundtable is joined by Robert Kagan, a historian and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, for a conversation about the pressures facing American democracy, the security of elections, and how these domestic tensions interact with the collapse of international norms. Nearly a decade after his prescient 2016 column for the Washington Post, “This is How Fascism Comes to America,” Kagan contends that the U.S. has moved beyond the warning and into a full democratic crisis. “There is no chance in the world that Donald Trump is gonna allow himself to lose in the 2026 elections, because that will be the end of his ability to wield total power in the United States,” Kagan says. This week’s reading: “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/the-minnesota-war-zone-is-trumps-most-trumpian-accomplishment">The Minnesota War Zone Is Trump’s Most Trumpian Accomplishment</a>,” by Susan B. Glasser “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-the-uk/what-its-like-to-be-trumps-closest-ally-right-now">What It’s Like to Be Trump’s Closest Ally Right Now</a>,” by Sam Knight “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/a-dhs-shooting-puts-portland-back-under-the-microscope">A D.H.S. Shooting Puts Portland Back Under the Microscope</a>,” by James Ross Gardner  “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/jay-powell-the-prepster-banker-who-is-standing-up-to-trump">Jay Powell, the Prepster Banker Who Is Standing Up to Trump</a>,” by John Cassidy “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/how-donald-trump-has-transformed-ice">How Donald Trump Has Transformed ICE</a>,” Isaac Chotiner “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/how-colombias-president-reached-an-uneasy-detente-with-donald-trump">How Colombia’s President Reached an Uneasy Détente with Donald Trump</a>,” by Jon Lee Anderson  “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/irans-regime-is-unsustainable">Iran’s Regime Is Unsustainable</a>,” by Robin Wright “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-supreme-court-gets-back-to-work">The Supreme Court Gets Back to Work</a>,” by Amy Davidson Sorkin “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/01/26/the-lights-are-still-on-in-venezuela">The Lights Are Still On in Venezuela</a>,” by Armando Ledezma “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/01/19/marco-rubio-profile">How Marco Rubio Went from “Little Marco” to Trump’s Foreign-Policy Enabler</a>,” by Dexter Filkins  The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.  Tune in <a href="http://swap.fm/l/tny-tps-extref">wherever you get your podcasts</a>.

The New Yorker staff writer Dexter Filkins joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss Marco Rubio’s reëmergence as one of the most powerful, and most transformed, figures in Donald Trump’s second term. They talk about Rubio’s <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/01/19/marco-rubio-profile">unlikely ascent</a> to the dual roles of Secretary of State and national-security adviser, his journey from outspoken Trump critic to loyal enforcer, and what that evolution reveals about how power operates inside the Administration. They also examine Rubio’s central role in the <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/tag/venezuela">U.S. abduction</a> of the Venezuelan President, Nicolás Maduro, the dismantling of the State Department’s foreign-aid infrastructure, and the department’s growing reliance on coercion over diplomacy.  This week’s reading: “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/01/19/marco-rubio-profile">How Marco Rubio Went from “Little Marco” to Trump’s Foreign-Policy Enabler</a>,” by Dexter Filkins “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/01/19/denmark-is-sick-of-being-bullied-by-trump">Denmark Is Sick of Being Bullied by Trump</a>,” by Margaret Talbot “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/irans-regime-is-unsustainable">Iran’s Regime Is Unsustainable</a>,” by Robin Wright “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-supreme-court-gets-back-to-work">The Supreme Court Gets Back to Work</a>,” by Amy Davidson Sorkin “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/fault-lines/what-comes-after-the-protests">What Comes After the Protests</a>,” by Jay Caspian Kang  The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.  Tune in to The Political Scene<a href="http://swap.fm/l/tny-tps-extref"> wherever you get your podcasts</a>.

The Washington Roundtable discusses President Donald Trump’s health and the signs of his age-related decline: a noticeably reduced work schedule, fewer public appearances, and more rambling, profanity-laden outbursts. The panel examines how this undermines Trump’s self-styled image of strength and vigor, what lessons about aging Presidents can be drawn from the Biden and Reagan Administrations, and why America may be facing what scholars refer to as the “Bad Emperor” problem in Chinese history. “When strongmen get weak, watch out,” the staff writer Jane Mayer says.  This week’s reading: “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/war-is-peace-the-dozing-don-edition">War Is Peace, the Dozing Don Edition</a>,” by Susan B. Glasser “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-dishonorable-strikes-on-venezuelan-boats">The Dishonorable Strikes on Venezuelan Boats</a>,” by Ruth Marcus “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/mikie-sherrill-intends-to-move-fast">Mikie Sherrill Intends to Move Fast</a>,” by Gabriel Debenedetti “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/12/08/the-undermining-of-the-cdc">The Undermining of the C.D.C.</a>,” by Dhruv Khullar “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/the-legal-consequences-of-pete-hegseths-kill-them-all-order">The Legal Consequences of Pete Hegseth’s ‘Kill Them All’ Order</a>,” by Isaac Chotiner “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/12/08/in-the-line-of-fire">In the Line of Fire</a>,” by Benjamin Wallace-Wells “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-financial-page/what-can-economists-agree-on-these-days">What Can Economists Agree on These Days?</a> ” by John Cassidy  The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.  Tune in <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/p7tKbZe1">wherever you get your podcasts</a>.

The New Yorker staff writer Jon Lee Anderson joins Tyler Foggatt to talk about the Trump Administration’s military strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats in the Caribbean. They discuss the questionable intelligence and rationale behind the operation, the legal concerns raised by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s alleged order to leave no survivors in a September strike, and whether the attacks feels more performative than strategic. They also explore how Trump’s framing of the issue as a drug war intersects with his broader ambitions—from pressuring the Venezuelan President, Nicolás Maduro, to reasserting American dominance in the hemisphere—and how other Latin American countries may respond to further military action in the region. This week’s reading: “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/12/01/can-trumps-peace-initiative-stop-the-congos-thirty-year-war">Can Trump’s Peace Initiative Stop the Congo’s Thirty-Year War?</a>,” by Jon Lee Anderson “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-dishonorable-strikes-on-venezuelan-boats">The Dishonorable Strikes on Venezuelan Boats</a>,” by Ruth Marcus “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/the-legal-consequences-of-pete-hegseths-kill-them-all-order">The Legal Consequences of Pete Hegseth’s ‘Kill Them All’ Order</a>,” by Isaac Chotiner “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/12/08/the-undermining-of-the-cdc">The Undermining of the C.D.C.</a>,” by Dhruv Khullar “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/12/08/in-the-line-of-fire">In the Line of Fire</a>,” by Benjamin Wallace-Wells  The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week. Tune in to The Political Scene<a href="http://swap.fm/l/tny-tps-extref"> wherever you get your podcasts</a>.

The New Yorker contributing writer Anna Russell joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss the rise of family estrangement in mainstream culture. Recent studies have found that more than a quarter of all Americans are currently estranged from a relative. They talk about how the idea of going “no contact” has gained traction in mainstream culture, the personal and generational shifts that can lead people to distance themselves from relatives, and why family bonds feel less inviolable than they once did. They also look at the political disagreements that can lead to decisions to cut off contact, whether close family relationships can survive deep ideological divides, and what therapists and researchers say about the prospects for reconciliation following estrangement.  This week’s reading: “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/annals-of-inquiry/why-so-many-people-are-going-no-contact-with-their-parents">Why So Many People Are Going ‘No Contact’ with Their Parents</a>,” by Anna Russell “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/11/24/the-meaning-of-trumps-presidential-pardons">The Meaning of Trump’s Presidential Pardons</a>,” by Benjamin Wallace-Wells “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/fault-lines/nick-fuentes-is-not-just-another-alt-right-boogeyman">Nick Fuentes Is Not Just Another Alt-Right Boogeyman</a>,” by Jay Caspian Kang “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-darkest-thread-in-the-epstein-e-mails">The Darkest Thread in the Epstein E-mails</a>,” by Jessica Winter “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/11/24/kash-patels-acts-of-service">Kash Patel’s Acts of Service</a>,” by Marc Fisher  Tune in to The Political Scene<a href="http://swap.fm/l/tny-tps-extref"> wherever you get your podcasts</a>. Please help us improve New Yorker podcasts by filling out our listener survey: <a href="https://panel2058.na2.panelpulse.com/c/a/661hs4tSRdw2yB2dvjFyyw">https://panel2058.na2.panelpulse.com/c/a/661hs4tSRdw2yB2dvjFyyw</a>

When President <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/tag/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> began his tariff rollout, the business world predicted that his unprecedented attempt to reshape the economy would lead to a major recession, if Trump went through with it all. But the markets stabilized and, in recent months, have continued to surge. That has some people worried about an even bigger threat: that overinvestment in artificial intelligence is creating a <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-financial-page/is-the-ai-boom-turning-into-an-ai-bubble">bubble</a>. Andrew Ross Sorkin, one of today’s preëminent financial journalists, is well versed in what’s happening; his début book, “<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/305559/too-big-to-fail-by-andrew-ross-sorkin/">Too Big to Fail</a>,” was an account of the 2008 financial crash, and this year he released “<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/665634/1929-by-andrew-ross-sorkin/">1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History—and How It Shattered a Nation</a>.” He tells David Remnick that <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-financial-page/the-ai-boom-and-the-spectre-of-1929">the concern</a> lies in the massive borrowing to build the infrastructure for a future A.I. economy, without the sufficient revenue, currently, to pay off the loans. “If I learned anything from covering 1929, [and] covering 2008, it is leverage,” Sorkin says, “people borrowing to make all of this happen. And right now we are beginning to see a remarkable period of borrowing to make the economics of A.I. work.” Sorkin is the co-anchor of “Squawk Box” on CNBC, and he also founded the New York Times’ business section, DealBook.  Please help us improve New Yorker podcasts by filling out our listener survey: <a href="https://panel2058.na2.panelpulse.com/c/a/661hs4tSRdw2yB2dvjFyyw">https://panel2058.na2.panelpulse.com/c/a/661hs4tSRdw2yB2dvjFyyw</a>

The Washington Roundtable discusses the trove of Jeffrey Epstein correspondence released by Congress this week, the fractures it has caused in the Republican Party, and the potential political ramifications for President Trump. Their guest is the investigative reporter Michael Isikoff, who has spent decades reporting on major scandals in American politics, including the affair between President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, and Russian interference in the 2016 election. The panel considers the factors that made other scandals in the past, such as Watergate, break through the public consciousness and change the course of Presidencies.  This week’s reading: “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/the-epstein-scandal-is-now-a-chronic-disease-of-the-trump-presidency">The Epstein Scandal Is Now a Chronic Disease of the Trump Presidency</a>,” by Susan B. Glasser “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/did-democrats-win-the-shutdown-after-all">Did Democrats Win the Shutdown After All?</a>,” by Jon Allsop “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-financial-page/socialism-but-make-it-trump">Socialism, But Make It Trump</a>,” by John Cassidy “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/governments-and-billionaires-retreat-ahead-of-cop30-climate-talks">Governments and Billionaires Retreat Ahead of COP30 Climate Talks</a>,” by Elizabeth Kolbert “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/11/17/laura-loomers-endless-payback">Laura Loomer’s Endless Payback</a>,” by Antonia Hitchens “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/what-resistance-means-to-governor-j-b-pritzker">J. B. Pritzker Sounds the Alarm</a>,” by Peter Slevin  Tune in <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/p7tKbZe1">wherever you get your podcasts</a>. Please help us improve New Yorker podcasts by filling out our listener survey: <a href="https://panel2058.na2.panelpulse.com/c/a/661hs4tSRdw2yB2dvjFyyw">https://panel2058.na2.panelpulse.com/c/a/661hs4tSRdw2yB2dvjFyyw</a>

The New Yorker staff writer Eric Lach joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City mayoral race, and what his time in office might look like. They talk about some of his early appointments to his administration and how his ambitious agenda may be at odds with other wings of the Democratic Party. They also look at how members of both parties are interpreting Mamdani’s win, and how the new mayor might respond to President Donald Trump’s threats to withhold federal funds from the city.  This week’s reading: “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-local-correspondents/the-mamdani-era-begins">The Mamdani Era Begins</a>,” by Eric Lach “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/did-democrats-win-the-shutdown-after-all">Did Democrats Win the Shutdown After All?</a>,” by Jon Allsop “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/11/17/laura-loomers-endless-payback">Laura Loomer’s Endless Payback</a>,” by Antonia Hitchens “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/as-told-to/the-war-in-gaza-has-paused-but-home-is-still-gone">In Gaza, Home Is Just a Memory</a>,” by Mohammed R. Mhawish “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-the-uk/the-mess-at-the-bbc-will-never-end">The Mess at the BBC Will Never End</a>,” by Sam Knight Tune in to The Political Scene<a href="http://swap.fm/l/tny-tps-extref"> wherever you get your podcasts</a>.

Few Democratic officials have been more outspoken in opposition to the Trump Administration than J. B. Pritzker, the governor of Illinois. He seems almost to relish antagonizing Trump, who has suggested Pritzker should be in jail. Meanwhile, ICE and Border Patrol have targeted Chicago, and elsewhere in Illinois, with immigration sweeps more aggressive than what Los Angeles experienced earlier this year; they refused to pause the raids even on Halloween. The President has called Chicago a “hell hole,” but, in Pritzker’s view, immigration sweeps do nothing to reduce crime. “He’s literally taking F.B.I., D.E.A., and A.T.F.—which we work with all the time—he’s taking them out of their departments and moving them over to ICE, and they’re not . . .  helping us catch bad guys,” Pritzker says in an interview with the reporter <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/peter-slevin">Peter Slevin</a>. “He’s creating mayhem on the ground because you know what he wants? He wants troops on the ground in American cities, and the only way he can get that done is by proving that there’s some sort of insurrection or revolution or rebellion.” And yet, as Slevin tells David Remnick, a governor’s power to resist the federal government depends largely on the courts. Thus far, “the district courts have acted quite favorably toward the plaintiffs in various lawsuits against these actions by the federal government.”  New episodes of The New Yorker Radio Hour drop every Tuesday and Friday. Join host David Remnick as he discusses the latest in politics, news, and current events in conversation with political leaders, newsmakers, innovators, New Yorker staff writers, authors, actors, and musicians.  Please help us improve New Yorker podcasts by filling out our listener survey: <a href="https://panel2058.na2.panelpulse.com/c/a/661hs4tSRdw2yB2dvjFyyw">https://panel2058.na2.panelpulse.com/c/a/661hs4tSRdw2yB2dvjFyyw</a>

The New Yorker contributing writer Ruth Marcus joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss Donald Trump’s “revenge tour”—his effort to use the levers of government to settle personal and political scores. They talk about the indictment of the former F.B.I. director James Comey, why legal experts see the case against Comey as alarmingly weak, and how Trump’s campaign of retribution has expanded to include prosecutors, lawmakers, and even the families of his critics. They also consider how Trump’s quest for vengeance is testing the limits of American law, and whether the country can avoid a permanent cycle of political retaliation and lawfare. This week’s reading: “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-flimsy-dangerous-indictment-of-james-comey">The Flimsy, Dangerous Indictment of James Comey</a>,” by Ruth Marcus “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/what-will-bari-weiss-do-to-cbs-news">What Will Bari Weiss Do to CBS News?</a>,” by Jon Allsop “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/who-can-lead-the-democrats">Who Can Lead the Democrats?</a>,” by Amy Davidson Sorkin “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-volunteers-tracking-ice-in-los-angeles">The Volunteers Tracking ICE in Los Angeles</a>,” by Oren Peleg “<a href="http://newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/why-israel-and-hamas-might-finally-have-a-deal">Why Israel and Hamas Might Finally Have a Deal</a>,” by Isaac Chotiner Tune in to The Political Scene<a href="http://swap.fm/l/tny-tps-extref"> wherever you get your podcasts</a>.