Half the Answer

Liberal Currents
  • 4.2 (17)
  • News Commentary
  • Updated Semiweekly

Caitlin M. Green and Trent R. Nelson interview experts who weigh in on current debates. In the process they seek not only to uncover answers to the questions of the day, but to explore why they are being asked in the first place. To understand the questions we ask, they believe, is half the answer.

  1. 6d ago

    Sexual Violence on Campus and the Universities That Enable It (with Nicole Bedera)

    Two years ago, a Cornell student reported to the police that she had been the victim of sexual assault by a group of fraternity brothers from Chi Phi. Now known as "Jane Doe," her case was mishandled, her words mangled, and her attackers protected from consequences. Sociologist Nicole Bedera speaks to us about how institutions of higher education regularly prevent survivors from accessing justice and in fact punish them for coming forward. Resources: "On the Wrong Side: How Universities Protect Perpetrators and Betray Survivors of Sexual Violence": https://bookshop.org/a/115699/9780520395893 https://www.thecut.com/article/trump-title-ix-rules-cornell-seven-case.html https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2026/09/editorial-cornell-won-t-we-will https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/blogs.cornell.edu/dist/5/7756/files/2025/10/2025-SARM-Survey-report_508.pdf https://spitfirenews.com/p/cornell-jane-doe-smear-campaign-statement-seven-police-report https://www.tompkinscountyny.gov/News-articles/District-Attorney-statement-regarding-Jane-Doe-v.-Cornell-University-et-al https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/01/nyregion/url-cornell-university-jane-doe-rape-case-statement https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2026/10/guest-room-the-whac-a-mole-ritual-of-suspending-fraternities-is-not-working-it-s-time-for-deeper-reforms Megyn Kelly image from https://flickr.com/photos/22007612@N05/53804005492 Matt Walsh image from https://flickr.com/photos/22007612@N05/52126969451

  2. Oct 13

    Graft the Likes of Which the World Has Never Seen Before (with Zach Everson)

    Donald Trump made more than two billion dollars in the first year of his second term. Much of it was from cryptocurrency, which he used to refer to as "based on thin air" until he started selling it. Zach Everson from Public Citizen explains how Trump ramped up his corruption and grifting after getting away with smaller stuff in his first term. Resources: https://www.citizen.org/about/person/zach-everson/ https://bsky.app/profile/zacheverson.com https://thinairrealmoney.com https://www.npr.org/2026/08/05/nx-s1-5919997/how-trump-made-an-estimated-2-2-billion-during-the-first-year-of-his-second-term https://www.everyoneislying.com

  3. Oct 10

    At First ICE Loses, Then It Flies, Flies Again (with Gillian Brockell)

    ICE has been transporting people in inhumane conditions to countries to which they have no affiliation or connection. What do the courts think about this? It's…confusing. Reporter Gillian Brockell is here to get the word out, sharing stories not only about ICE's awful actions and our ridiculous Supreme Court but also about how Democrats on Chicago's city council have fought back. Resources https://gillianbrockell.com https://prospect.org/2026/10/07/federal-judge-dhs-must-bring-back-gay-arizona-man-imprisoned-africa-ahmed-soliman/ https://prospect.org/2026/10/02/ice-airline-omni-air-chicago-trump-third-country-deportation-flights/ https://prospect.org/2026/09/30/supreme-court-allows-ice-to-restart-third-country-removals/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am0NlFUQYvQ

  4. Oct 2

    Everything's 'National Security' in Trump's Washington (with Stephanie Mencimer)

    Donald Trump is changing the landscape of Washington—literally. From East Potomac Park to the Kennedy Center to the 'Arc de Trump,' everything he touches turns to plaster and adhesive gold-colored filigree. And all the while, D.C. is still under occupation by National Guard out-of-towners. Stephanie Mencimer, a senior reporter with Mother Jones and resident of the city under siege, joins us. Resources https://bsky.app/profile/smencimer.bsky.social https://www.motherjones.com/topics/reveal-podcast/ https://www.youtube.com/@MotherJones https://www.tiktok.com/@motherjonesmag https://www.motherjones.com/author/Stephanie-mencimer/ https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/08/fore-trumps-dc-golf-course-is-already-in-the-rough/ https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/05/the-kennedy-center-was-part-of-dc-life-trump-destroyed-it/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/09/30/trumps-upscale-golf-plan-would-destroy-dc-haven-cyclists-runners/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/09/29/trumps-arch-not-expected-feature-drones-snipers-officials-say/ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/NZIUqUdoz2I https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/23/secret-white-house-bunker-undercuts-trumps-ballroom-lawsuit-ex-officials-say/ https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/us/politics/trump-ballroom-construction.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2026/09/30/kennedy-center-was-solvent-when-trump-took-over-then-its-finances-collapsed/ https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/29/politics/mike-lee-kennedy-center-bill https://apnews.com/article/trump-rose-garden-historical-statues-founders-sculptures-0fe922ef11337b4937adf3ac505e9b5b https://www.turtlediaries.net/p/update-from-the-great-american-state https://people.com/trump-rose-garden-renovations-complete-photo-timeline-11985903 https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/08/a-year-of-troops-in-washington/688317/ https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-put-thousands-soldiers-washingtons-streets-they-seldom-stop-crime-2026-08-19/ https://www.pbs.org/newshour/classroom/daily-news-lessons/2025/10/east-wing-of-white-house-torn-down-as-trump-clears-space-for-his-ballroom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNpIOlDhigw

  5. Sep 24

    Orange Man Deteriorating: What It Means for 2026 and 2028 (with Ryan Cooper)

    Donald Trump appears to be deteriorating…in every way possible. Physically, mentally, internationally, grammatically—somehow, orange man worsening, while word salads, IVs, and naps are great again. Ryan Cooper of the American Prospect helps us think through what it means for 2026, 2028, and beyond. Resources https://prospect.org https://www.leftanchor.com https://wlos.com/news/local/joke-trump-fema-funding-president-donald-trump-north-carolina-western-helene-reaction-whatley-cooper-election-candidates-politics-gov-josh-stein-community https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mvoaqk2q2523 https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-the-chance-for-peace-delivered-before-the-american-society-newspaper-editors https://www.liberalcurrents.com/how-the-homeless-continue-to-be-forgotten-in-the-midst-of-the-covid-19-pandemic/ "Donald Trump" by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

  6. Sep 16

    How the Tech Bros of Silicon Valley Would Govern Us (with Adrian Daub)

    When those at the very top echelon of influence in Silicon Valley think about, talk about, and interact with government, what does that look like? Can we come up with a legible, understandable picture of the tech elites' idea of what governing is and how they relate to it? Adrian Daub says yes, and he says it in his new book "What Tech Calls Governing." Resources "What Tech Calls Governing": https://bookshop.org/a/115699/9781503648333 "The Cancel Culture Panic: How an American Obsession Went Global": https://bookshop.org/a/115699/9781503640849 screengrab of Elizabeth Holmes from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGJSRFWALTI Elon Musk photo by Gage Skidmore https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/54349592271/in/album-72177720324044219 Mark Zuckerberg with Trump https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI-ULy4akl0 Peter Thiel photo by Gage Skidmore https://flic.kr/p/2n3bPZt Tim Cook in Oval Office from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSAGUjY2HIs

  7. Sep 9

    Trump, Israel, the Iran War, and the Death of the Two-State Solution (with Y. L. Al-Sheikh)

    What is the current state of affairs in Israel, Palestine, and the surrounding nations? We ask Y. L. Al-Sheikh for her help summarizing and contextualizing recent developments. Resources ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/diplomatofnight.com⁠ ⁠https://www.liberalcurrents.com/author/ylalsheikh/⁠ ⁠https://foreignpolicy.com/author/yaseen-al-sheikh/⁠ ⁠https://internationalpolicy.org/resource-author/y-l-al-sheikh/⁠ ⁠https://foreignpolicy.com/author/yaseen-al-sheikh/⁠ ⁠https://www.newyorker.com/news/a-reporter-at-large/new-maps-show-how-israel-has-thwarted-hopes-for-a-palestinian-state⁠ ⁠https://truthout.org/articles/air-force-is-reviewing-case-of-iran-war-gold-star-widow-being-denied-benefits/⁠ "The One State Reality: What Is Israel/Palestine?": ⁠https://bookshop.org/a/115699/9781501768408

  8. Sep 3

    Very Normal, Sir: Trump's Canadian and Iranian Quagmires (with Greg Sargent)

    Donald Trump's unprovoked trade war with Canada and his chaotic attacks on Iran have him hemorrhaging support in states he won in 2024. Why doesn't he seem to care? What is he thinking? We can't read minds, but we can talk to Greg Sargent from the New Republic about Trump's statements, posts, and actions over the last month or so. Resources https://newrepublic.com https://bsky.app/profile/gregsargent.bsky.social https://newrepublic.com/article/214669/trump-canada-trade-war-backfiring https://newrepublic.com/article/214682/transcript-krugman-trump-reveals-deep-contempt-maga-voters https://newrepublic.com/article/214748/transcript-trump-fury-canada-already-backfiring-badly

See All (108)

4.2
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

Caitlin M. Green and Trent R. Nelson interview experts who weigh in on current debates. In the process they seek not only to uncover answers to the questions of the day, but to explore why they are being asked in the first place. To understand the questions we ask, they believe, is half the answer.

Information

  • Creator
    Liberal Currents
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    108
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Liberal Currents
  • Show Website
    Half the Answer

You Might Also Like