Political News

  1. Voter Suppression Is Happening in the South. This Organizer Fights It.

    3d ago

    Voter Suppression Is Happening in the South. This Organizer Fights It.

    More To The Story: One of the defining issues heading into this year’s midterms is how redistricting has rapidly reshaped electoral maps across the country. When the Supreme Court gutted much of the Voting Rights Act earlier this year, a number of states redrew maps eliminating majority-Black districts, weakening Black political power potentially for years to come. But what does this shift feel like for someone working on the ground to expand voting access for Black communities when the promise of equal representation itself is under assault? Ask LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter Fund, a group that’s been working to increase voter participation within minority communities in the rural South, especially where turnout is low. On this week’s More To The Story, Brown talks with host Al Letson about her winding path into politics, her fight against ongoing voter suppression efforts in the South, and why it’s important to mobilize Black voters now more than ever. Producer: Josh Sanburn | Editor: Kara McGuirk-Allison | Theme music: Fernando Arruda and Jim Briggs | Copy editor: Nikki Frick | Digital producer: Artis Curiskis | Deputy executive producer: Taki Telonidis | Executive producer: Brett Myers | Executive editor: James West | Host: Al Letson Read: Whites Only (Mother Jones) Listen: Trump Says Voter Fraud Is Rampant. The Evidence Says Otherwise. (More To The Story) Read: This Is All John Roberts’ Fault (Mother Jones) Learn more: Black Voters Matter Fund Donate today at Revealnews.org/more Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at Revealnews.org/weekly Follow us on Instagram and Bluesky Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

  2. Was World War Two worth it? Some US conservatives have doubts

    4d ago

    Was World War Two worth it? Some US conservatives have doubts

    Since World War Two ended, most people living in the United States or Europe have generally upheld a consensus about its morality; that it was a just war fought against an evil Nazi regime, and the allies were right to fight it. But in a viral podcast debate with the British conservative Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Tucker Carlson seemed to disagree with that narrative, causing deep consternation within the wider conservative movement. The Global Story’s Tristan Redman speaks to BBC Newscast’s Adam Fleming about Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and the strand of British conservatism he represents. We also hear from the Conservative politician and Times of London columnist Lord Daniel Finkelstein - whose parents were survivors of a Nazi concentration camps and a Russian gulag - about why he thinks one of America’s most influential right-wing voices is casting doubt on World War Two history. (Photo: Tucker Carlson speaks at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US, 18 July, 2024. He has short brown hair with side parting. He gestures with both arms outstretched to the side as he speaks into a mic. He wears a dark blue jacket, a blue and white gingham shirt and a dark blue tie with yellow, diagonal stripes. Credit: Mike Segar/Reuters) Producer: Aron Keller and Cat Farnsworth Executive producer: James Shield Digital producer: Sam Gruet Sound engineer: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins

  3. Stop the Steal Never Stopped

    Oct 10

    Stop the Steal Never Stopped

    When the FBI showed up at a warehouse in Fulton County, Georgia, to seize hundreds of boxes of 2020 election records this past January, County Commissioner Dana Barrett thought it looked less like a criminal investigation and more like political theater.  It’s been more than five years since the election, the results already had been investigated multiple times, and the ballots had been counted, recounted, and recounted again. The lie that the 2020 election was stolen has persisted. And the “Stop the Steal” movement’s most ardent believers now hold unprecedented positions of power, including on the once-sleepy State Election Board in the important swing state of Georgia. A lawyer known for his willingness to take on long-shot election cases went from a little-known private practice attorney to a role in the White House, overseeing the country’s election integrity effort—despite being sanctioned by a court for making “unequivocally false” assertions around voting. And everyday members of the movement are trying to change what they fervently believe is a broken system—at the risk of actually breaking it in the process. This week on Reveal, Mother Jones reporter Abby Vesoulis and Reveal’s Najib Aminy examine how the long shadow of doubt over the 2020 elections is being weaponized and what it means ahead of the 2026 midterms.  This is an update of an episode that originally aired in May 2026.  Support Reveal’s journalism at Revealnews.org/donatenow Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get the scoop on new episodes at Revealnews.org/weekly Connect with us on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

  4. Polarization Is Not Our Biggest Problem

    Oct 9

    Polarization Is Not Our Biggest Problem

    During an I.C.E. operation in New York City, officers shot a man in a car while a child sat in the back seat. On this week’s On the Media, coverage of I.C.E. has decreased since the spring, while the agency’s operations have quietly surged. Plus, rightwing activists go after the H-1B visa program.  [01:00] Micah Loewinger hears from data journalist G. Elliott Morris about how I.C.E. coverage has decreased since it exploded across our front pages earlier this year, following the killing of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. However, José Olivares makes the case that I.C.E.’s operations have actually surged in the ensuing months – the agency has just been working more quietly. [15:05] Micah interviews Christopher Mathias about how the once-fringe far-right thinker Chris Rufo (known for his critiques of DEI’ and ‘CRT’) is fomenting anti-Indian bigotry and advocating for extremist “remigration” policies. [31:02] Micah speaks to political scientist Lilliana Mason about the most polarizing issue among Americans: who belongs in this country. Mason makes the case that while polarization is worrying, it is a symptom of a greater threat to democracy that demands our attention – the rise of ethnonationalist politics. Further reading: “Gone in 90 seconds: an ‘invisibilized’ ICE is arresting more people than ever” by Maanvi Singh, Will Craft, Andrew Witherspoon and Julius Constantine Motal“Three deaths, three states, 24 hours: one day in ICE’s quiet but ‘gruesome’ surge,” by José Olivares“‘What they’re doing qualifies as torture’: new details of ICE force-feeding revealed” by José Olivares“Iran, prices, ICE, and Epstein are the biggest stories of 2026,” by G. Elliott Morris“Chris Rufo — Known For ‘DEI’ and ‘CRT’ Panics — Tries to Make ‘the Indian Question’ a Thing,” by Christopher Mathias“Polarization is Not the Problem,” by Lilliana Mason  On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

  5. Trump Says Voter Fraud is Rampant. The Evidence Says Otherwise.

    Oct 7

    Trump Says Voter Fraud is Rampant. The Evidence Says Otherwise.

    More To The Story: If you’ve ever listened to President Trump talk about our elections, you might hear something like this: Voter fraud is rampant. Noncitizens are voting illegally. Our elections are rigged. The president uses the bully pulpit to repeat these claims despite study after study showing they’re just not true. But it’s not just the president. There are many others at the ground level saying the same things to justify voting restrictions that could disenfranchise legal voters, especially voters of color. One of them is J. Christian Adams. He’s the president of Public Interest Legal Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for stricter voter ID laws and sues states and local governments to remove voters from election rolls.  On this week’s “More To The Story,” Adams claims there’s systemic voter fraud in the US before abruptly ending the interview after host Al Letson challenges his assertions. Al then talks with Mother Jones National Voting Rights Correspondent Ari Berman about the lack of evidence from activists like Adams, the claims Adams and PILF have made that noncitizens are illegally voting, and what conservative activists who say election fraud is rampant are really trying to achieve. Producer: Josh Sanburn | Editor: Kara McGuirk-Allison | Theme music: Fernando Arruda and Jim Briggs | Copy editor: Vincent Sherry | Digital producer: Artis Curiskis | Deputy executive producer: Taki Telonidis | Executive producer: Brett Myers | Executive editor: James West | Host: Al Letson Read: Your Private Data is Building Trump’s Voter Purge Machine (Mother Jones) Listen: Stop the Steal Never Stopped (Reveal) Read: Minority Rule: The Right-Wing Attack on the Will of the People—and the Fight to Resist It (Picador) Read: The Myth of Voter Fraud (Brennan Center For Justice) Learn more: Public Interest Legal Foundation Donate today at Revealnews.org/more Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at Revealnews.org/weekly Follow us on Instagram and Bluesky Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

  6. America’s New Relationship With Israel…It’s Complicated

    Oct 3

    America’s New Relationship With Israel…It’s Complicated

    When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the stage at the United Nations last month, diplomats streamed for the exits. Three years after October 7, when much of the Western world rallied behind Israel in the wake of Hamas’ attack, the political ground has shifted. Some of the biggest changes are happening here in the US. Two years ago, Abbas Alawieh helped lead the Uncommitted movement, pressuring Democrats over Gaza. Now he’s running for Michigan state Senate, and Kamala Harris is calling him. Elsewhere in Michigan, AIPAC and its allies spent close to $30 million backing Abdul El-Sayed’s opponent in the Democratic Senate primary. El-Sayed won anyway. For some voters, the prominence of Israel itself is striking. “I don’t know why Israel has become the pivotal point,” said Mimi Price-Miletic, a  Democratic voter in Michigan. “There are so many issues in this country that we should be dealing with, and you’re worried about what’s happening, like, millions of miles away?” And the divide crosses party lines. Younger Republicans are questioning US support for Israel, even as party leaders advance deeper defense cooperation. Meanwhile, AIPAC faces new challenges to its influence, as younger Jewish political groups, like J Street and Jewish Voice for Peace, offer sharply different visions for what should come next. This week on Reveal, reporter Najib Aminy follows the new fault lines forming around the US–Israel relationship and asks: As the old political consensus is tested, who gets to shape what replaces it? Support Reveal’s journalism at Revealnews.org/donatenow Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get the scoop on new episodes at Revealnews.org/weekly Connect with us on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

  7. Trump's Guide to Stealing an Election

    Oct 3

    Trump's Guide to Stealing an Election

    The Supreme Court has denied a bid by the Trump administration to restrict mail-in voting. On this week’s On the Media, hear about the attempts, successful and not, to turn election conspiracies into policy. Plus, the case for literary gatekeepers.  [01:00] Micah Loewinger speaks with Rick Hasen, law professor and director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project at UCLA, about the state of our election systems heading into midterm season, and what headlines should hold our attention. [20:07] Brooke Gladstone speaks with Mark Krotov, the publisher and coeditor of the literary magazine n+1, about how old books are enjoying renewed popularity thanks to the flourishing “reissue” book market, and TikTokers’ penchant for hidden gems in the backlist. But what does the trend tell us about the health of the publishing industry? [35:41] Brooke also sits down with Laura McGrath, an assistant professor of English at Temple University and the author of the book, Middlemen: Literary Agents and the Making of American Fiction, to discuss the little-known history of literary agents, the unseen tastemakers choosing your favorite novels.   Further reading: “Exorcising Justice Alito’s Voter Fraud Boogeyman,” by Richard L. Hasen“A Judicial Guide to Search Warrants Seeking Election Materials,” by Richard L. Hasen and Shelby Wayment“Old Directions: Reviving the spirit of revival,” by Mark Krotov and Lisa BorstMiddlemen: Literary Agents and the Making of American Fiction, by Laura McGrath  On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.