The Al Franken Podcast

4.6 (7910)
政治
一周一更

A five-time Emmy winning SNL comedy writer/producer, joins a four-time #1 NYT bestselling author, a three-time highest-rated national progressive radio host, a two-time Grammy winning artist, and a former US Senator. So, it gets a little crowded in the booth when Al talks public policy and sometimes political comedy with notable guests. Think “The Daily” without the resources of the NYTimes.

14小时前

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott on Reducing Violent Crime

Baltimore, Maryland is one of Donald Trump's most frequent targets when talking about crime in America. As the President continues to threaten to send troops into American cities, we wanted to hear from Baltimore's mayor, Brandon Scott. Since Mayor Scott took office, the city has seen a dramatic drop in violent crime. He explains his policies and how investing in the community has helped calm the violence in Baltimore. So it's no surprise that he does NOT want Trump sending troops to his city. Mayor Scott shares how growing up in Baltimore impacted his political ideology. He also discusses some of the major victories he's had, including lawsuits against a major gun dealer AND opioid manufacturers and distributors. Those lawsuits have brought hundreds of millions into the city and are being reinvested directly into the community. LEARN more about the Mayor of Baltimore’s work: https://mayor.baltimorecity.gov/ Get 60% off of your first box of meals for your dog with our newest sponsor, Ollie! https://www.ollie.com/franken

42 分钟
9月7日

War Correspondent Tim Mak on the War in Ukraine

Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin in Alaska last month and came up empty handed... No ceasefire, no concessions, nothing. So what does the future of the war in Ukraine look like? We turn to journalist Tim Mak who has been based in Kiev since the start of the war. Tim is the founder of The Counteroffensive, a Substack that chronicles life in Ukraine and the agony of this war. Tim breaks down the current state of the war, and he’s not too optimistic about the possibility of peace anytime soon. 70% of Ukrainians believe the war will still be going on a year from now. And if a deal is struck, how does the world make sure that Russia doesn't just attack again? READ Tim’s work in The Counteroffensive: https://www.counteroffensive.news/ Get 15% off your skin care with our new sponsor, OneSkin, using code FRANKEN! https://www.oneskin.co

46 分钟
8月31日

BEST OF: Bob Odenkirk on Comedy (and Drama)!

In this Best Of episode, we revisit our 2022 conversation with comedian and actor Bob Odenkirk! We got to hear from him about his memoir “Comedy, Comedy, Comedy, Drama” and his early beginnings writing comedy in grade school. We reminisce about our days together at Saturday Night Live and discuss some of our favorite sketches. We also talk about his sketch series, “Mr. Show with Bob and David.” Bob also shares about his 13 years playing Saul Goodman on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul and how he nearly died of a heart attack on set. You'll also hear Bob discuss his then-new movie, Nobody, which was so successful, it got a sequel. Go see Nobody 2 in theatres now! https://www.fandango.com/nobody-2-2025-240144/movie-overview For information on our newest sponsor, Mint Mobile: www.mintmobile.com/franken

54 分钟
8月24日

Barbara McQuade and Daniel Richman on Trump’s Politicization of the DOJ

In his second term, Donald Trump has upended many American institutions, but perhaps none more than the Department of Justice. He's filled the DOJ with lackeys, like AG Pam Bondi, who are corrupting our system of justice in ways never seen before. We're joined by two veterans of the DOJ: Barbara McQuade, professor at University of Michigan Law School, and Daniel Richman, professor at Columbia Law School. We discuss the disturbing tendencies of Trump's Justice Department: from emphasizing immigration enforcement, to investigating Trump’s political rivals, to firing agents en masse for prosecuting the Jan 6th cases, and so on. The damage being done will take years, if not decades, to undo. Plus, the Epstein Files continue to impact Trump’s presidency. Why is Ghislane Maxwell being treated so well? It’s almost as if Trump hopes she’ll exonerate him in exchange for a sweetheart deal. READ Barbara's book “Attack from Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America”: https://www.sevenstories.com/books/4577-attack-from-within READ Daniel’s recent opinion piece in NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/29/opinion/trump-is-discovering-the-downside-of-a-justice-department-with-no-credibility.html Get 20% off your first order of low carb, keto-friendly bread from our newest sponsor, Royo! Use promo code FRANKEN at www.eatroyo.com

55 分钟
8月17日

Ari Berman on the GOP’s Gerrymandering Plot

With Donald Trump and the Republican Party low in the polls, Texas is resorting to one of their favorite ways to win voters: cheating. They’ve drawn new maps to implement unprecedented gerrymandering, taking away five Democratic-held seats - all done at Trump’s insistence, of course. We're joined by Ari Berman, national voting rights correspondent for Mother Jones, to walk us through Texas Governor Abbott’s scheme. Democrats are attempting to fight back in Texas and across the country… even if it is a fight they are likely to lose. We discuss how the Supreme Court continues to erode voting rights and how Chief Justice John Roberts is NOT the moderate that he'd like us to think that he is. If history is any indication, Democrats SHOULD have a successful midterm election. But history may not be enough to overcome this gerrymandering lollapalooza and the attacks on voting rights. READ Ari's work in Mother Jones: https://www.motherjones.com/author/ari-berman/

49 分钟
8月10日

Franklin Foer on the Famine in Gaza

Gaza faces mass starvation as Israel blocks critical food and aid to the region. We're joined by The Atlantic's Franklin Foer to discuss his recent piece, “Israel's Last Chance,” and how the only answer to this atrocity is for Israel to flood Gaza with food. Foer also discusses the legitimate criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu, while acknowledging that some of the protests can veer into antisemitism, especially on college campuses. Columbia and Harvard are the most prominent universities being attacked by the Trump administration, which is using accusations of antisemitism to withhold federal funding. And while we are seeing Harvard fight back, Foer warns that the end goal for the administration seems to be more government control over universities. READ all of Foer's recent writing on Israel, Columbia, and Harvard: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/franklin-foer/ Get 60% off of your first box of meals for your dog with our newest sponsor, Ollie! https://www.ollie.com/franken

50 分钟
8月3日

Jonathan Alter on Trump’s Authoritarian Police State

We're joined by journalist and best-selling author, Jonathan Alter, to dig deeper into the latest in Trump’s America. Jonathan’s most recent piece in Washington Monthly explains how the BBB’s enormous funding for ICE will turn America into a police state. With over 75 billion dollars, ICE will now be bigger than all American law enforcement agencies combined. We discuss Trump's authoritarianism, including the ongoing shake down of American universities and law firms. Plus, Texas Republicans are redistricting the state to add 5 new Republican seats to the House. How can Democrats fight back? Can California and New York do the same? Amid all of the depressing news, Alter also brings a message of hope! He deeply believes in the importance of people power. Citizens are learning ways to resist and make their voices heard. And with the coming midterms, he's optimistic that Democrats CAN take back the House. DONATE to World Central Kitchen and help feed the starving people of Gaza: https://donate.wck.org/ READ Jonathan's piece on ICE in Washington Monthly: https://washingtonmonthly.com/2025/07/14/america-is-now-a-police-state/ CHECK OUT Jonathan’s Substack, Old Goats: https://oldgoats.substack.com/ For information on our newest sponsor, Mint Mobile: www.mintmobile.com/franken

48 分钟
7月27日

Kevin Nealon on His Career in Comedy!

We're thrilled to welcome an old friend from Al’s SNL days, comedian Kevin Nealon! Kevin and Al trade stories from working together on Saturday Night Live and discuss how the show has changed over the years. Kevin shares how he created several trademark bits, including Mr. Subliminal and Hans and Franz. Plus, we get backstories on some sketches that Al and Kevin worked on together. We also get into Kevin's post-SNL life, including his role on the hit TV show “Weeds,” his standup, and his hiking podcast! Go see Kevin on tour! https://kevinnealon.com/

1 小时 3 分钟

查看全部 349 集

Al Franken

主持人
Frank Foer

嘉宾
Jonathan Alter

嘉宾
Kevin Nealon

嘉宾
Catherine Rampell

嘉宾
Molly Jong-Fast

嘉宾
Heather McGhee

嘉宾
David Pakman

嘉宾

4.6

共 5 分

7,910 个评分

Gerrymandering plot

8月17日

Lee Esq

Great show Al as usual but enjoyable no! It’s terrifying.
More Jonathan Alter

8月3日

SJ Spector

Great show! Love you Al! Have J. Alter on once a quarter! Also, please return to announcing your ad breaks-the suddenness is completely unnerving.
Jonathan Adler

8月9日

Kat7427

Shame on Jonathan Adler for referring to sexually abused girls and children as “underage women”! There is no such thing as underage women. And shame on Al for not condemning this awful term on the spot. So F’ing gross.
Kevin Nealon COVID

7月27日

AZCap225

I wanted to push back on Kevin Nealon downplaying COVID as a cold. I still love Nealon, and he might have been completely tongue in cheek, but I’m immunocompromised as a result of COVID and have had 14 surgeries from one infection. Just one. One more could kill me and there are millions more like me. It’s no longer safe for many immunocompromised and disabled people to participate in society because of the lack of mitigation and people freely spreading COVID. Half of all infections are now asymptomatic, complicating safety. Summer colds aren’t a thing. COVID is rampant in summer. Our media has failed us as new peer reviewed research becomes available showing how truly devastating this virus is- cancer causing, destroys immunity. It crosses the brain blood barrier so that even vaccinated people are affected. Often not from the acute infection, but months or years later. Al, please host a medical professional willing to speak on recent COVID developments. Far too many folks think it’s over or not serious, to our detriment.

A five-time Emmy winning SNL comedy writer/producer, joins a four-time #1 NYT bestselling author, a three-time highest-rated national progressive radio host, a two-time Grammy winning artist, and a former US Senator. So, it gets a little crowded in the booth when Al talks public policy and sometimes political comedy with notable guests. Think “The Daily” without the resources of the NYTimes.