Episodes

  • Zach Wahls Offers His Vision and Values for Iowa US Senate Race

    Zach Wahls Offers His Vision and Values for Iowa US Senate Race
    May 16 2026
    Zach Wahls, Democratic candidate for the US Senate and Iowa State Senator, talks about his motivations for running, economic issues, such as price increases, trade, manufacturing, reviving small towns and rural Iowa, as well as how he sees the primary as a microcosm of national party divisions and how the party can win back working class voters, especially in Obama-Trump counties along the Mississippi River.
    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
  • Josh Turek Touts Background and Accomplishments in US Senate Run

    Josh Turek Touts Background and Accomplishments in US Senate Run
    May 23 2026
    Josh Turek, Iowa US Senate candidate and State Rep. from Council Bluffs, talks about the reasons for his candidacy, key issues, his appeal to working class voters, the endorsement of his campaign by former Senator Tom Harkin, and much more.
    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
  • Two Heartland States, Iowa and Ohio, Will Play Major Roles in Midterm Elections

    Two Heartland States, Iowa and Ohio, Will Play Major Roles in Midterm Elections
    May 9 2026
    Chris Stein, senior politics reporter for Guardian US, talks about the upcoming midterm elections, the stake involved, impact of mid-decade gerrymandering by both parties, the role of President Trump, and a look at key races in Iowa and Ohio that may determine the outcome.
    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
  • A Look at the 1920s Global Economic Collapse and Key Lessons for Today

    A Look at the 1920s Global Economic Collapse and Key Lessons for Today
    Apr 25 2026
    Liaquat Ahamed talks about his book Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World. He reveals history through biography--the lives of four central bankers whose decisions precipitated the Great Depression and led to World War II. Key topics include the gold standard, financial "bubbles," the role of tariffs (Smoot-Hawley Act), lessons for today, and Ahamed's new book coming out soon that is a prequel to Lords of Finance. This book was awarded the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for History.
    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
  • Update on the Illinois General Assembly: Bears Project Moving Forward; Utility Cost Relief Not

    Update on the Illinois General Assembly: Bears Project Moving Forward; Utility Cost Relief Not
    May 2 2026
    State Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-65), Assistant Minority Leader, reports from Springfield as the legislature winds down its session. He discusses the mega-projects bill that includes the Bears stadium, property tax relief, the budget, gerrymandering, energy, ethics reform and Republican hopes to gain power in Illinois.
    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
  • Beirut Rules Provides Important Backdrop on Current US-Iran War

    Beirut Rules Provides Important Backdrop on Current US-Iran War
    Apr 18 2026
    Fred Burton, a former State Department special agent and New York Times best-selling author, talks about the book he co-authored with Samuel Katz called Beirut Rules: The Murder of a CIA Station Chief and Hezbollah's War Against America. He discusses Iran's role in terrorist bombings, kidnappings and killings of Americans after the Iranian revolution, the life, abduction and death of CIA Station Chief William Buckley, how 'Beirut Rules' differed from previous spycraft rules, why the US didn't retaliate, and much more. Burton also addresses whether the American public might be more supportive of the current Iran War if the terrorist attacks against the US from this period were given greater weight by the Trump administration.
    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
  • Daniel Shays's Rebellion: An American Story Both Sides of our Current Political Divide Can Appreciate

    Daniel Shays's Rebellion: An American Story Both Sides of our Current Political Divide Can Appreciate
    Apr 11 2026
    Daniel Bullen discusses his book, Daniel Shays's Honorable Rebellion: An American Story. He talks about how this 'rebellion' was misrepresented, the economic conditions that led to the protests by small farmers in western Massachusetts, profiles of Daniel Shays and his fellow protesters, the roles of Founders George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, the similarities and differences with the Whiskey Rebellion, and why this story is important for today.
    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
  • Book Explores Mitch McConnell's Rise in Politics and Wielding Of Power in the US Senate

    Book Explores Mitch McConnell's Rise in Politics and Wielding Of Power in the US Senate
    Mar 28 2026
    Michael Tackett, Deputy Washington Bureau Chief for the Associated Press and former Chicago Tribune political reporter, talks about his book, The Price of Power: How Mitch McConnell Mastered the Senate, Changed America, and Lost His Party. We discuss his rise in politics, understanding power and how to use it, mastering the rules of the Senate, the importance of fundraising, the filibuster, the Trump impeachments, and much more.
    Show More Show Less
    29 mins