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. 7h ago

    Eat Like a Politician? (with Bennett Rea of Cookin' with Congress)

    What was Andrew Jackson's favorite gelatin-based meal? Why did Hilary Clinton feel a deep and urgent need to tell everyone about her fantastic chocolate chip cookie recipe? Did Ronald Reagan really eat that many jelly beans? We answer these questions and more with Bennett Rea, creator and host of Cookin' With Congress. Plus a little taste test! Resources https://www.cookinwithcongress.com/ https://www.instagram.com/cookinwithcongress/?hl=en https://www.youtube.com/@cookinwithcongress https://www.tiktok.com/@cookinwithcongress https://cookinwithcongress.substack.com/

    1h 32m

  2. May 21

    Richard Dawkins Finds Love, Isolation as a Societal Norm, and Other AI News (with Hagen Blix)

    Is this chatbot sentient? Is AI my friend? Is isolation hackable? Trent and Caitlin discuss recent AI news, Sam Altman's troubles legal and otherwise, labor organizing as a strategy against the worst fears of AI experts, and whether Richard Dawkins is conscious, in this news digest episode with linguist and AI researcher Hagen Blix. Resources https://bookshop.org/p/books/why-we-fear-ai-on-the-interpretation-of-nightmares-hagen-blix/377a4501006cfc55?ean=9781945335174&next=t Letter to Meta leadership https://mcipetition.com/ https://jacobin.com/2025/02/tech-workers-silicon-valley-trump https://jacobin.com/2025/12/hype-artificial-intelligence-vc-capital https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/meta-start-capturing-employee-mouse-movements-keystrokes-ai-training-data-2026-04-21/ https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/18/sam-altman-house-attack-ai https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/05/12/technology/openai-trial-sam-altman-elon-musk https://www.wired.com/story/meta-layoffs-bad-vibes-mark-zuckerberg-ai/ https://tech-insider.org/meta-layoffs-8000-employees-135-billion-ai-capex-2026/ https://unherd.com/2026/05/is-ai-the-next-phase-of-evolution/?edition=us https://unherd.com/2026/05/when-claudia-met-claudius/

    1h 34m

  3. May 13

    What lengths should Democrats go to save a Liberal Society? (with Jacob Levy)

    In a time when the ruling party seems to be totally fine with breaking every law, every rule, and every norm that was holding our country in the general shape and consistency of a democracy, what should the opposition party be willing to do? Are there times when retaliation that goes against one of our principles might serve a greater purpose? Are there times when it would only further erode our values? Trent and Caitlin ask Political Theory Professor Jacob T. Levy what he thinks. Resources jacobtlevy.com https://bookshop.org/p/books/rationalism-pluralism-and-freedom-tomlinson-professor-of-political-theory-jacob-t-levy/70b7b87a3f2b1667?ean=9780198717140&next=t https://bsky.app/profile/jacobtlevy.bsky.social https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/06/supreme-court-john-roberts-voting-criticism-00909592 https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a71244450/john-roberts-scotus-political-power/ https://ballsandstrikes.org/scotus/louisiana-v-callais-opinion-recap-voting-rights-act/ https://theconversation.com/racial-gerrymandering-may-be-here-to-stay-282349 https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/04/trump-civil-service-schedule-f/682609/ https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/house-lawmakers-press-paramount-ceo-warner-brothers-acquisition-2026-05-12/ SCOTUS photo By Fred Schilling - https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/justices.aspx, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=124352288

    1h 11m

  4. May 7

    Dystopian Prisons, Progressive Messaging, and the 2026 Midterms (with Whitney Curry Wimbish)

    Progressive messaging is so hot, the cynical opportunists are appropriating it for mass appeal. A combat surgeon returned from Gaza has found financial support in a pro-Palestine super PAC. Public pressure may prevent new ICE facilities. Journalist Whitney Curry Wimbish walks us through these and other recent stories she has worked on for The American Prospect. Resources https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ https://prospect.org/2025/12/26/profiting-off-immigrant-illness-abuse-and-terror/ https://www.vera.org/news/a-blueprint-for-resistance-how-residents-and-local-governments-are-shutting-down-ice-detention-in-warehouses https://prospect.org/2026/04/30/palestine-super-pac-new-jersey-12-district-adam-hamawy/ https://prospect.org/2026/04/28/pennsylvania-congressional-race-pits-corporate-defender-crosswell-against-union-organizer/

    48 min

  5. May 1

    Understanding How Israeli Settlers Are Illegally Seizing New Regions of the West Bank (with Oren Ziv)

    Apartheid and incursions into Palestinian territory are accomplished by a specific set of tactics. Oren Ziv, an Israeli photojournalist, joins Trent and Caitlin to describe some examples of the strategies he has seen in person and learned of in his reporting. Resources https://www.activestills.org/ https://www.972mag.com/writer/orenziv/ https://www.972mag.com/israeli-settler-violence-condemnations-smokescreen/ https://www.972mag.com/israel-settler-outposts-west-bank-area-b/ https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-disinherited-journal-of-a-palestinian-exile-fawaz-turki/0d994329d6134ffc?ean=9780853452485&next=t https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/03/1114702 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/08/israeli-lawyer-arrested-for-peaceful-protest-leaves-prison-after-110-days https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2026-04-22/ty-article/.premium/israels-independence-day-ceremony-would-inspire-even-pyongyang/0000019d-b479-dbb2-a19d-b77f446d0000 https://www.ft.com/content/2f826acb-c1d2-4144-a9cc-73d008a727a3?syn-25a6b1a6=1 https://www.972mag.com/march-of-return-nakba-2026/ Map of areas A, B, and C https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Map-of-Areas-A-B-and-C-after-Oslo-II_fig1_276258691

    1h 2m

  6. Apr 28

    The Cancel Culture Panic: Understanding How an American Obsession Went Global (with Adrian Daub)

    You can't say anything these days! Especially not on a college campus, and especially not if you're a white man. For evidence, please enjoy this loose assemblage of sixth-hand anecdotes with no detail or reporting to back it up. This is the discursive form that Caitlin and Trent brought Stanford professor Adrian Daub on to discuss, described in his 2024 book, The Cancel Culture Panic: How an American Obsession Went Global. Resources The Cancel Culture Panic: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-cancel-culture-panic-how-an-american-obsession-went-global-adrian-daub/7c3bcd17c60f4e52?ean=9781503640849&next=t Academic paper on Caitlin's cancellation story: https://journals.linguisticsociety.org/proceedings/index.php/PLSA/article/download/5257/4885/10012 In Bed With The Right podcast https://gender.stanford.edu/podcasts Assorted cancel culture discourse 2020-2022 https://harpers.org/a-letter-on-justice-and-open-debate/ https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/10/new-puritans-mob-justice-canceled/619818/ https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/07/steven-pinker-will-be-just-fine/614323/ https://www.spiked-online.com/2020/07/09/steven-pinker-wont-be-cancelled-but-you-could-be/ https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/07/opinion/campus-speech-cancel-culture.html https://www.motherjones.com/recharge/2020/07/factually-flawed-anti-pinker-letter/ Caitlin's answer to the MJ thing https://c-moriah-green.medium.com/bad-news-about-that-pro-pinker-mother-jones-piece-it-doesnt-make-any-f*****g-sense-5efb27a72495 Cancel Culture is Over https://www.persuasion.community/p/why-woke-failed https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/04/graham-platner-nazi-tattoo-democrats-voters-maine.html We're fixing it with the help of our wealthy donors https://www.chronicle.com/article/meet-the-donors-funding-the-civil-dialogue-boom-at-colleges https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2026/4/15/harvard-donors-viewpoint-diversity/ https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/university-intellectual-freedom-center-creates-100000609.html https://stevenpinker.com/files/pinker/files/documents/steven-pinker-im-pinned-between-cancel-culture-and-trump-002.pdf Thank you Mr. Trump BUT https://ash.harvard.edu/articles/why-im-excited-about-the-white-houses-proposal-for-a-higher-ed-compact/ https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/opinion/democrats-trump-midterms-future.html Charlie Kirk Acts https://wpln.org/post/tennessees-charlie-kirk-act-bans-student-walkouts-protects-conservative-speakers/ https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/free-speech/2026/04/21/tenn-passes-charlie-kirk-act-defending-campus-speakers

    1h 55m

  7. Apr 23

    Understanding Israel, Palestine, Iran, and Lebanon (with Y. L. Al-Sheikh)

    Look at my Iran negotiator, dawg, we’re never getting through the Strait of Hormuz. Friend of the program Y. L. Al-Sheikh helps us understand the unfolding diplomatic and military nightmare that is the Middle East, and how the United States plays a role in each.

    54 min

  8. Apr 17

    Orban Out!: Understanding Viktor Orban, Peter Magyar and the Hungarian Election (with RoteRote)

    Goodbye to Viktor Orban! Don't let the door hit you! Trent and Caitlin bring you a discussion with resident Europe expert Hunter CG (also known as @roterote). Resources https://bsky.app/profile/roterote.bsky.social https://www.tiktok.com/@roterotemedia https://linktr.ee/roterotemedia https://19thnews.org/2026/04/voting-citizenship-proof-laws-trump-save-america-act/ https://www.newsweek.com/viktor-orban-hungary-election-jd-vance-rally-11804123 https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-cash-shipment-detained-hungary-745c17643b9a0965024d7a8410c5fc17 https://www.euandyou.eu/ https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-owned-continent-dave-keating/8629bc69280d3c81?ean=9782960407303&next=t https://www.rev.com/transcripts/vance-and-orban-press-conference https://newrepublic.com/article/179776/heritage-foundation-viktor-orban-trump https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/14/opinion/magyar-orban-hungary-trump-defeat.html

    2h 46m
See All (86)

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
    86
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Liberal Currents
  • Show Website
    Half the Answer

You Might Also Like