KCRW's Left, Right & Center

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Left Right & Center is for listeners who feel like people on the other side of the political divide are on Mars. David Greene pieces together the big picture by inviting people from the left and the right to unpack their ideological differences, not to smooth them over, and look at what’s truly at stake. The show offers a rare kind of clarity. It doesn’t ask you to agree. It asks you to look more closely at what’s happening and to challenge your assumptions.  You might not always agree – you might even get angry – but you’ll know why you feel the way you do. No knee-jerk reactions or name calling. This show doesn’t promise easy answers or warm fuzzies; it promises more clarity for the chaotic political era we’re all living through.

  1. How TSA Lines Are Shifting Political Leverage On Immigration

    3 DAYS AGO

    How TSA Lines Are Shifting Political Leverage On Immigration

    Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code KCRW at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/kcrw The political brinksmanship over ICE enforcement goes on as travelers in some U.S. airports face hours of wait times at TSA checkpoints. History says voters would blame the party holding things up – Democrats – but polls suggest otherwise, which may be why Republicans are trying so hard to find a compromise. But Democrats aren’t budging, and President Trump isn’t throwing his own party a bone.  With ICE officers deployed to more than a dozen airports, there’s concern that they might be at polling sites this fall, too. The administration hasn’t completely ruled it out, citing potential security issues. Plus, the Supreme Court also tackled voting questions in a case about mail-in ballots. We’ll talk about the substance, and how President Trump might be using the case for political gain.  We also answer a listener’s question about talking to family from across the political aisle. Sarah Isgur is with us on the right and Mo Elleithee joins us on the left. Producer: Leo Duran Host: David Greene  Guests:  Mo Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service - @MoElleithee Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch - @whignewtons

    50 min
  2. Iran War Triggers Homeland Security Threats With Leadership In Flux

    20 MAR

    Iran War Triggers Homeland Security Threats With Leadership In Flux

    Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code KCRW at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/kcrw With our nation at war and under threat, the last thing you’d want is uncertainty and a staffing shakeup at the agency responsible for protecting our country. But here we are. We talk about why Joe Kent, the U.S. head of counterterrorism, resigned, and whether we may be better off with a replacement given his history of promoting conspiracy theories.  Also, President Trump vowed to take Cuba. We try to understand the foreign policy that’s taking shape where he seems to favor cutting the head of a country but leaving the body. In other words, don’t get too caught up in the details of what’s next because it’s not my administration’s problem.  Plus we take your questions, including what’s the difference between professional politicians and professional candidates. Mo Elleithee joins us on the left, and Sarah Isgur is with us on the right. Producer: Leo Duran Host: David Greene  Guests:  Mo Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service - @MoElleithee Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch - @whignewtons

    50 min
  3. Oil Markets Hang On Trump’s Every Word About Iran

    13 MAR

    Oil Markets Hang On Trump’s Every Word About Iran

    A president’s words alone can have a big impact. Like when President Trump told a reporter that the war in Iran is nearly over, oil prices dropped. That was a good sign for consumers, but was that responsible leadership from the president? We’re asking the same question of Congress where one senator said let’s not debate the war because a publicly divided legislative branch isn’t good for our troops abroad.  Also, there will be a change in leadership at the Department of Homeland Security, with Kristi Noem out and Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin picked to take her place. We’ll talk about the next secretary’s immense challenges ahead, including funding for the agency on hold and concerns about our preparedness for possible terrorist attacks.  Plus, we’ll take your questions as we talk with our panelists Mo Elleithee on the left and Will Swaim on the right. Producer: Leo Duran Host: David Greene  Guests:  Mo Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service - @MoElleithee Will Swaim, CEO of the California Policy Center - @WillSwaim

    50 min
  4. Trump Goes to War While Congress Sits Back

    6 MAR

    Trump Goes to War While Congress Sits Back

    The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, killing that country’s leader and sparking celebration from some Iranians. What’s not clear is why. President Trump’s reasoning for all this has been a moving target. We’ll talk about the stakes for the region and for the Trump presidency.  Also, the Congressional effort to limit the president’s war powers falls short. Is it time to just give up on Congress playing a role in authorizing military action?  The midterm elections kicked off with primaries in several states on Tuesday, and we talk about what we learned from the results in Texas where the race for Republican John Cornyn’s senate seat is heating up. We talk with Mo Elleithee on the left and Sarah Isgur on the right. Producer: Leo Duran Host: David Greene  Guests:  Mo Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service - @MoElleithee Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch - @whignewtons

    50 min
  5. Does Trump’s Economic Vision Match What Americans See?

    27 FEB

    Does Trump’s Economic Vision Match What Americans See?

    Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code KCRW at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/kcrw  The way President Trump saw it in his State of the Union address, our nation is getting stronger, safer and more affordable for American families. Polls paint a different picture where far more people think the economy has gotten worse, not better in Trump’s second term.  The president insists he has more levers to pull, including tariffs, despite the fact that the Supreme Court just shot his tariff policy down. We’ll talk about that defeat for Trump in court – what it says about the court’s makeup, and whether we should take this decision as a major check on presidential power.  Speaking of checks – we talk about the outrage over the way the gold medal-winning U.S. men’s hockey team responded in a congratulatory presidential phone call. There’s also outrage over a comment by California’s governor that struck some as racist. We examine when outrage is truly meaningful in this political climate – and who decides – with Mo Elleithee on the left and Sarah Isgur on the right. Producer: Leo Duran Host: David Greene  Guests:  Mo Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service - @MoElleithee Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch - @whignewtons

    50 min
  6. Prince Andrew Arrested. Will The Epstein Files Take Down Others?

    20 FEB

    Prince Andrew Arrested. Will The Epstein Files Take Down Others?

    The fallout from the millions of pages released from the Epstein Files has now reached the British royal family with the arrest of former Prince Andrew. In business and academia, many major figures have stepped down. However American politicians named in the files have faced few consequences. Why is that, and what are some of the larger political implications of the Epstein Files? Also, President Trump is preparing his State of the Union address. Our panelists give their recommendations for what he should focus on and how Democrats can most effectively respond. Plus, the fight over voting rights in Congress and at the state level. Republicans in Washington are trying to pass national voting rules, while Democratic states are actively pushing back. Producer: Leo Duran Host: Susan Davis  Guests:  Mo Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service - @MoElleithee Mike Dubke, veteran GOP communications strategist and advisor. He was the White House Comms Director under Donald Trump in 2017 - @MikeDubke

    50 min
  7. Texas Dems are stuck on identity politics with Senate race at stake

    13 FEB

    Texas Dems are stuck on identity politics with Senate race at stake

    The first votes of the 2026 midterm elections will soon be cast in Texas, and the Senate primary race is shaping up to be messy for both Democrats and Republicans. The two blue candidates, U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett and state Representative James Talarico are each facing blowback for comments they made about race and identity. There’s also an intraparty fracture between the GOP’s establishment and insurgent wings exposing itself in the race between incumbent Senator John Cornyn and his challenger, Texas Attorney General and Trump ally Ken Paxton. We’ll unpack how unsettled party fault lines on both sides could impact the general election. This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan package called the Housing for the 21st Century Act. Back in October, the Senate passed its own legislation called the ROAD to Housing Act. Both aim to boost housing supply and make buying more affordable for Americans. We’ll break down the policies and the politics. The Winter Olympics are underway in Italy and some American athletes are feeling complicated about representing the United States. After 27-year-old skier Hunter Hess expressed his “mixed emotions,” President Trump responded by calling him “a real loser.”  That insult is common in Trump's playbook when talking to political foes. We’ll talk about whether that playbook is still effective, especially when Olympians are the target. Producer: Robin Estrin Host: David Greene  Guests:  Elizabeth Bruenig, staff writer, The Atlantic - @ebruenig Will Swaim, host of National Review’s “Radio Free California;” president at the California Policy Center - @willswaim

    50 min
  8. Congress takes up ICE reforms, Trump calls to “nationalize” voting

    6 FEB

    Congress takes up ICE reforms, Trump calls to “nationalize” voting

    This week, Congress ended a partial government shutdown, approving funding for several federal agencies through September. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees I.C.E and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, was not among those agencies. Democrats say they won’t fund the D.H.S without restrictions on federal immigration agents. In this shifting political landscape, how will congressional Republicans respond? We’ll discuss the Democrats’ demands. How might congress realistically check President Trump’s immigration enforcement policies, given the violent and seemingly indiscriminate tactics we’re seeing in Minneapolis and nationally? With the midterms looming, will it be possible for the two parties to come together and compromise? Speaking of elections, President Trump this week repeated a call to “nationalize” elections, saying Republicans should “take over” voting in 15 states. Are free and fair elections under threat?  Here's the Carter-Baker Commission report.  Producer: Robin Estrin Host: David Greene  Guests:  Mo Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service - @MoElleithee Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch - @whignewtons

    50 min
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Left Right & Center is for listeners who feel like people on the other side of the political divide are on Mars. David Greene pieces together the big picture by inviting people from the left and the right to unpack their ideological differences, not to smooth them over, and look at what’s truly at stake. The show offers a rare kind of clarity. It doesn’t ask you to agree. It asks you to look more closely at what’s happening and to challenge your assumptions.  You might not always agree – you might even get angry – but you’ll know why you feel the way you do. No knee-jerk reactions or name calling. This show doesn’t promise easy answers or warm fuzzies; it promises more clarity for the chaotic political era we’re all living through.

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