"Fraud on Me!"

Donald Trump skipped Iowa in the final days before the nation’s 1st primary to remain in DC courtrooms and deliver his stump speech fueled by grievance, resentment, and vengeance. 3 well-known experts in the ways DC–Katie Benner, Norm Ornstein, and Elliot Williams–join Harry to analyze Trump’s maneuvers & suss out where the cases are going. They then turn to the other Capitol Hill drama involving Hunter Biden, analyzing his showdown with House committees looking to savage him to get at his dad.

Harry speaks with Elliot Williams, Katie Benner, and Norm Ornstein.

Rocky (Mountain) High Court

The new year ushers in an astonishingly jam-packed and, for Donald Trump, precarious series of court dates at all levels of the state and federal courts, including the US Supreme Court, and they begin just as the formal primary season gets underway. In this all-new Talking Feds, a terrific panel—Jonathan Capehart, Sadie Gurman, and Jim Walden—join Harry to focus on the two big cases now on appeal and then take up the diminishing prospects for bipartisan action in Congress on immigration.

Harry speaks with Jonathan Capehart, Sadie Gurman, and Jim Walden.

Lonelyville, USA

This week’s episode is a special discussion on a crisis in the U.S. that is as grave as it is underappreciated — loneliness. Nearly three in five U.S. adults are considered lonely, according to data from Morning Consult, with underrepresented racial groups and people with low incomes particularly likely to grapple with loneliness. In this special re-release of a Talking Feds episode that garnered significant attention, Prof Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, and Senator Chris Murphy join Harry to assess the crisis’s magnitude, causes, consequences, and possible reduction strategies.

Harry speaks with Dr. Vivek Murthy, Senator Chris Murphy, and Julianne Holt-Lunstad

The Fentanyl Crisis Rages On

Fentanyl remains the leading cause of deaths of all Americans aged 18-45, and in the last year took over 100,000 lives. Its combination of astonishing potency, synthesis, and control by criminal cartels have produced an extraordinary health and law enforcement crisis. In this special re-release of a Talking Feds episode that garnered significant attention, we begin by examining recent developments in the Fentanyl crisis before revisiting a conversation that is only more pertinent now than when we first released it over a year ago.

Harry speaks with Nora Volkow, Keith Humphreys, and Lenny Bernstein.

An Inquiry into an Investigation into an Impeachment

A week in which important pitched battles commenced, as explained and analyzed by a super-knowledgeable panel of Al Franken, Alexi McCammond, & Bob Shrum. The House Rs voted to undertake an impeachment inquiry based on meager or nonexistent proof of any wrongdoing by Pres. Biden. And there were harbingers of Supreme Court intervention in the 2024 election, with the Court’s initial consideration of Trump immunity & of availability of Mifepristone, which is used in over ½ the abortions in the US.

Harry speaks with Al Franken, Alexi McCammond, and Bob Shrum.

Staring into the Abysses

An episode with a somewhat longer vantage point than our normal fare, w/ a matching thoughtful panel of David French, Susan Glasser, & Jonah Goldberg. We begin with a clear-eyed & sober look at the prediction by a noted political scientist that the Trump presidency is becoming more and more likely. From there, we turn to McCarthy’s calling it quits and Johnson’s latest kissing of Trump’s ring. We then delve into the debacle of the university presidents’ testimony, and the lessons it presents.

Harry speaks with David French, Susan Glasser, and Jonah Goldberg.

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 Biden.

Harry speaks with Carol Lee, Charlie Sykes, and Heidi Heitkamp.

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.

Harry speaks with Katie Benner, Paul Fishman, and Amy Jeffress.

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 his R colleagues’ bullyboy conduct.

Harry speaks with Kyle Cheney, Bill Kristol, and Alisyn Camerota.

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. 

Harry speaks with Stephanie Ruhle, Paul Krugman, and Dean Baker.