Deseret Voices

Deseret News
Deseret News
  • 4.8 (149)
  • Politics
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to Deseret Voices, a weekly podcast from the Deseret News (https://deseret.com) that brings depth, nuance and respect to conversations about today’s complex topics and current events. Join our hosts, award-winning journalists McKay Coppins and Jane Clayson Johnson, every Thursday as they go beyond news headlines by talking with newsmakers and thought leaders to find common ground and uncover unique perspectives on today’s critical issues in politics, faith, sports, and more. 

  1. 4d ago

    9/11: The Morning We Broke the News | Two Anchors, 25 Years Later

    On Sept. 11, 2001, Carol Lin was the first national news anchor to break the story of the attacks on CNN — while Jane Clayson Johnson was hosting the CBS morning show when the towers were struck. Twenty-five years later, these two women sit down for the first time to share what they saw, what they felt, and what they never said on air. In this 9/11 25th anniversary conversation, you’ll hear the behind-the-scenes reality of anchoring live television during the worst terrorist attack in American history — from the unconfirmed reports flooding their earpieces (car bomb at the State Department, 10,000 body bags) to veteran correspondents weeping on camera at Ground Zero. Carol and Jane recall the persistent smell that hung over Lower Manhattan for weeks, the families desperately searching for loved ones, the first responders who ran into the burning towers with astonishing calm, and the moment Carol realized 9/11 had changed her life in the most unexpected way — it made her want to become a mother. This is more than a Sept. 11 memorial. It’s an intimate look at how two women carried the weight of history, what it cost them, and why they still believe in America’s capacity for unity 25 years later.

    9/11: The Morning We Broke the News | Two Anchors, 25 Years Later

  2. 4d ago

    The DOJ Came After Her. She Refused to Blink.

    When Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson opened a letter from the Department of Justice, she discovered something alarming: Her office was under federal investigation for refusing to surrender unredacted voter rolls. In this exclusive sit-down on the “Deseret Voices” podcast with McKay Coppins, Henderson exposes the escalating standoff between state sovereignty and federal overreach. Viewers will learn how Utah’s election officials are resisting demands for sensitive voter data — including Social Security numbers and driver’s license data — and why federalizing voter lists threatens the constitutional balance of powers. Henderson breaks down the reality of mail-in voting security, the withdrawal of federal intelligence support, and why decentralization remains America’s strongest defense against election manipulation. If you value independent, unvarnished reporting on politics, law, and constitutionality, hit the subscribe button to stay informed on the stories shaping American democracy.   Deseret Voices is hosted by award-winning journalists McKay Coppins and Jane Clayson Johnson, who go beyond the headlines to explore the stories, people, and ideas shaping our world today. Through thoughtful, in-depth conversations, the Deseret Voices podcast brings clarity and common ground to the complex issues defining our time.  Deseret Voices is a Deseret News podcast, produced by Keira Farrimond, Creative Director - Video & Podcasts.  Episodes of Deseret Voices drop every Thursday wherever you get your podcasts. Follow along and join the conversation on YouTube (@deseretnews), Instagram (@deseretnews), Facebook (@deseretnews) and X (@deseret).

    The DOJ Came After Her. She Refused to Blink.

  3. Sep 3

    Gov. Wes Moore on revenge, democracy, and forever wars

    Governor Wes Moore reveals what Republican governors are privately telling him about federal election interference—and why he says the Iran war is becoming another Afghanistan. In this episode of "Deseret Voices"  with McKay Coppins, the NGA chair and combat veteran opens up about his genuine friendship with Utah Governor Spencer Cox, what Democrats fundamentally misunderstand about Trump voters, and why 70% of Americans feel invisible to both parties. Viewers will learn: What Moore would do if federal agents appear at Maryland polling places Why Republican and Democratic governors are uniting around states' rights before the 2026 midterms Moore's Afghanistan fury and why he says no one can explain the Iran mission The surprising Spencer Cox quote about Moore's political future How Moore went from handcuffs at age 11 to the governor's mansion His case for national redistricting reform—even if it costs Democrats seats What "Watende" means and why it shapes his approach to political repair This interview covers the 2026 midterm elections, the Iran war, bipartisan governance, immigration reform, election integrity, and what's broken in American political culture—from someone who's both a combat veteran and a sitting governor.

    Gov. Wes Moore on revenge, democracy, and forever wars

  4. Aug 31

    We lived through 'Woke 1'. Should you be afraid of 'Woke 2'?

    AOC says "Woke 1 was crazy" — but is laughing off an era of defunding the police, prison abolition and ideological conformity actually enough? On this episode of "Deseret Voices," McKay Coppins sits down with The Atlantic's Idrees Kahloon to ask why Democrats can't simply wash their hands of Woke 1.0 and what the party's chaotic 2026 primaries reveal about its identity crisis heading into 2028. In this conversation, you'll learn: Why Republicans will never let Democrats "slink away" from woke-era positions How DSA candidates in 2026 still endorse prison abolition and resist prosecuting violent crime What the horseshoe between far-left and far-right ideas on race actually looked like Why wokeness, despite its Marxist roots, had almost no class consciousness — and how that pushed working-class voters rightward How Zohran Mamdani pulled off a genuine political reinvention while others couldn't The "law of excluded middle" — why genuine liberalism is being crushed between wokeness and the MAGA backlash Whether Trump will hold the GOP together or become the Lyndon Johnson of 2028 Why the moral gains that preceded wokeness are now at risk in the backlash era “Deseret Voices” is hosted by award-winning journalists McKay Coppins and Jane Clayson Johnson, who go beyond the headlines to explore the stories, people, and ideas shaping our world today. Through thoughtful, in-depth conversations, the “Deseret Voices” podcast brings clarity and common ground to the complex issues defining our time.  “Deseret Voices” is a Deseret News podcast, produced by Keira Farrimond, Creative Director - Video & Podcasts.  Episodes of “Deseret Voices” drop weekly wherever you get your podcasts. Follow along and join the conversation on YouTube (@deseretnews), Instagram (@deseretnews), Facebook (@deseretnews) and X (@deseret).

    We lived through 'Woke 1'. Should you be afraid of 'Woke 2'?

  5. Aug 28

    Is Canada Done Being America's Nice Neighbor?

    The United States and Canada share the longest undefended border in the world, deeply integrated supply chains — and a free-trade agreement that President Donald Trump negotiated himself during his first term and called a great deal. Now, these longtime allies are locked in an escalating trade war, with 50% tariffs on $20 billion in Canadian goods and Canada retaliating dollar for dollar. Mary Ng served as Canada's minister of international trade from 2018 to 2025. She spent years in the room where U.S.-Canada trade deals were made. In this episode of "Deseret Voices," she sits down with Jane Clayson Johnson to answer the questions Americans and Canadians are asking right now. In this conversation: Why Canada says these tariffs violate the USMCA — the very agreement Trump signed Who really pays when a 50% tariff is imposed on a Canadian product (hint: it's not Canada) How U.S.-Canada supply chains are so integrated that punishing one side hurts the other The energy leverage most Americans don't know about — Canada supplies up to 90% of US natural gas, up to 70% of American oil, and up to 80% of US electricity What the "elbows up" buy-Canadian movement tells us about where Canadian public sentiment is heading The dairy trade dispute — and the fact that the U.S. has never used its full market allocation Whether this trade war could last months or even years, and who blinks first A Depression-era law, Section 338, being invoked for the first time in nearly 100 years The story of Gander, Newfoundland — the tiny Canadian town that welcomed thousands of stranded Americans on Sept. 11, 2001 — and what it says about the relationship these two countries are putting at risk This is not a conversation about winners and losers. It is a conversation about what happens when neighbors stop trusting each other — and what it will take to find a path forward. “Deseret Voices” is hosted by award-winning journalists McKay Coppins and Jane Clayson Johnson, who go beyond the headlines to explore the stories, people, and ideas shaping our world today. Through thoughtful, in-depth conversations, the “Deseret Voices” podcast brings clarity and common ground to the complex issues defining our time.  “Deseret Voices” is a Deseret News podcast, produced by Keira Farrimond, Creative Director - Video & Podcasts.  Episodes of “Deseret Voices” drop every Thursday wherever you get your podcasts. Follow along and join the conversation on YouTube (@deseretnews), Instagram (@deseretnews), Facebook (@deseretnews) and X (@deseret).

    Is Canada Done Being America's Nice Neighbor?

  6. Aug 22

    We're Not Running Out of Water. It's Worse.

    Lake Powell is 30 feet from the point where water may stop flowing past the dam entirely and the expert who's spent his whole life on this river says we're asking the wrong question. We're not running out of water. We're running out of cheap water. On this episode of "Deseret Voices" with Jane Clayson Johnson, water law professor Rhett Larson of Arizona State University breaks down the Colorado River crisis with the nuance that headlines miss. He explains why the seven states that share this river have been deadlocked for years, why the rules governing their water expire at the end of 2026 with no replacement, and why the federal government is now stepping in with cuts that Arizona's governor has called "draconian." You'll learn why Lake Powell hitting dead pool could mean no winter vegetables for the entire country, why the 1922 Colorado River Compact was built on bad math, why farmers shouldn't be the scapegoats in this crisis, and why Larson — a self-described optimist — is now telling people to get worried. He also explains what data centers, semiconductor plants, and the AI boom mean for your water bill. Whether you live in Phoenix or Philadelphia, this conversation will change how you think about the water that flows through your food, your electricity, and your future.   “Deseret Voices” is hosted by award-winning journalists McKay Coppins and Jane Clayson Johnson, who go beyond the headlines to explore the stories, people, and ideas shaping our world today. Through thoughtful, in-depth conversations, the “Deseret Voices” podcast brings clarity and common ground to the complex issues defining our time.  “Deseret Voices” is a Deseret News podcast, produced by Keira Farrimond, Creative Director - Video & Podcasts.  Episodes of “Deseret Voices” drop every Thursday wherever you get your podcasts. Follow along and join the conversation on YouTube (@deseretnews), Instagram (@deseretnews), Facebook (@deseretnews) and X (@deseret).

    We're Not Running Out of Water. It's Worse.

  7. Aug 17

    Why the Border Debate Gets Migration All Wrong

    While ICE detentions hit record highs and deportation flights resume across the U.S., the woman running the U.N.'s global migration agency says almost everyone is having the wrong conversation. In this rare sit-down, IOM Director General Amy Pope explains why border enforcement alone can't stop migration — and reveals the surprising playbook already working in Brazil and Italy. On this episode of "Deseret Voices," Pope, the first woman to lead the International Organization for Migration, sits down with Deseret News Executive Editor Doug Wilks to talk about the real drivers of global migration, from conflict and climate change to economic opportunity.  Pope, a former human trafficking prosecutor who worked inside U.S. Homeland Security under two administrations, breaks down how Brazil and Italy are turning migrant labor into an economic win instead of a border crisis. She also opens up about the human cost of trafficking, her visit to a humanitarian center run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the story of a young man rescued crossing the Mediterranean who now works to save other migrants and how her own faith shapes her belief in human dignity — even amid what she calls the biggest displacement crisis in the world right now. “Deseret Voices” is hosted by award-winning journalists McKay Coppins and Jane Clayson Johnson, who go beyond the headlines to explore the stories, people, and ideas shaping our world today. Through thoughtful, in-depth conversations, the “Deseret Voices” podcast brings clarity and common ground to the complex issues defining our time.  “Deseret Voices” is a Deseret News podcast, produced by Keira Farrimond, Creative Director - Video & Podcasts.  Episodes of “Deseret Voices” drop every Monday wherever you get your podcasts. Follow along and join the conversation on YouTube (@deseretnews), Instagram (@deseretnews), Facebook (@deseretnews) and X (@deseret).

    Why the Border Debate Gets Migration All Wrong

  8. Aug 10

    In the Age of AI, What Is a University Education For — and Is It Still Worth It?

    Higher education is facing a season of disruption — from artificial intelligence and affordability concerns to political pressure, public skepticism and shifting demographics. But Baylor University President Dr. Linda Livingstone believes moments of uncertainty can also become moments of transformation. In this episode of "Deseret Voices," host Jane Clayson Johnson talks with President Livingstone about the greatest challenges and opportunities facing universities today. They discuss how Baylor balances rigorous scholarship with its Christian identity, why academic freedom matters, how AI is reshaping the purpose of college, and what universities must do to rebuild public trust. President Livingstone also reflects on Baylor’s own transformation during her presidency, including its rise to R1 research status, its efforts to reckon with its history, and its mission to “bring light to the world.” At the heart of the conversation is a question facing students, parents, educators and policymakers alike: What is the true value of higher education in an age of rapid change? “Deseret Voices” is hosted by award-winning journalists McKay Coppins and Jane Clayson Johnson, who go beyond the headlines to explore the stories, people, and ideas shaping our world today. Through thoughtful, in-depth conversations, the “Deseret Voices” podcast brings clarity and common ground to the complex issues defining our time.    “Deseret Voices” is a Deseret News podcast, produced by Keira Farrimond, Creative Director - Video & Podcasts.    Episodes of Deseret Voices drop every Monday wherever you get your podcasts. Follow along and join the conversation on YouTube (@deseretnews), Instagram (@deseretnews), Facebook (@deseretnews) and X (@deseret).

    In the Age of AI, What Is a University Education For — and Is It Still Worth It?
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4.8
out of 5
149 Ratings

About

Welcome to Deseret Voices, a weekly podcast from the Deseret News (https://deseret.com) that brings depth, nuance and respect to conversations about today’s complex topics and current events. Join our hosts, award-winning journalists McKay Coppins and Jane Clayson Johnson, every Thursday as they go beyond news headlines by talking with newsmakers and thought leaders to find common ground and uncover unique perspectives on today’s critical issues in politics, faith, sports, and more. 

Information

  • Channel
    Deseret News
  • Creator
    Deseret News
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    52
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    Copyright © 2025 Deseret News Publishing Company. All Rights Reserved
  • Show Website
    Deseret Voices

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