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Talking Feds: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Harry Litman
Talking Feds is a roundtable discussion that brings together prominent former government officials, journalists, and special guests for a dynamic and in-depth analysis of the most pressing questions in law and politics.
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The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 2 days ago1h 1m
How To Lose a War in Six Months
As casualties mount and gas prices rise, the White House knows it may be losing its chance to resolve its war with Iran in time to prevent a midterms wipe-out for Republicans. To plumb the depth of the political damage and assess the decisive races, Harry talks with Susan Glasser, Astead Herndon, and Juliette Kayyem. The group breaks down Trump’s decision to go back to war, Hegseth’s worrying obfuscations about American casualties, the transformed Maine Senate race, and the no-holds-barred fight for the future of the Democratic party playing out in Michigan.Mentioned in this episode: Susan’s analysis: https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/susan-b-glasserAstead’s show America, Actually: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/america-actually-with-astead-herndon/id1890552134Juliette’s Substack: https://substack.com/@juliettekayyemAstead’s interview with Abdul El-Sayed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE9quwCWKuYNew Yorker reporting on former Biden administration officials and Gaza: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/07/27/how-biden-emboldened-israels-aggression-toward-gaza-and-iran Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 6 days ago48 min
Maggie Haberman on a Year of “Pure Trump”
Maggie Haberman has been on the Trump beat for decades. Now she has written—with co-author Jonathan Swan—a tour de force on how the president is remaking our government in his image. Haberman gives Harry an inside look at a White House in thrall to a president who’s never been so uninhibited. She shares a swath of insights about Trump’s health, his reluctance to help Republicans in the midterms, just how close he came to invoking the Insurrection Act, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 1 weeks ago58 min
Blanche in the Arena
Aaron Blake, Conor Lamb, and Mimi Rocah join Harry to break down Todd Blanche’s confirmation hearing, two new ICE killings, and a primetime election rant. Did Todd Blanche manage to persuade senators that he's a traditional do-the-right-thing prosecutor? Why is Trump suddenly embracing ICE’s abuses again, and could that cost him the midterms? Finally: was Trump’s big speech a prelude to a declaration of war on fair midterms, or a de facto admission that his endless claims of fraud are all baseless? Mentioned in this episode: Aaron’s reporting: https://www.cnn.com/profiles/aaron-blakeConor’s Substack: https://conorlambpa.substack.com/Mimi’s Substack: https://substack.com/@mimirocah1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 2 weeks ago33 min
The Biggest Epstein Questions for Blanche and Trump
Over the next two days, would-be Attorney General Todd Blanche will get a grilling from the Senate about how he and the Department of Justice handled transparency regarding Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes. Julie K. Brown—the reporter who has done the most to expose and explain the Epstein saga—knows what senators need to ask. She joins Harry to lay out how the DOJ continues to fail Epstein’s victims, why she thinks Trump will pardon Ghislaine Maxwell, and all the ways Epstein worked to manipulate the federal prosecutors tasked with delivering justice. Mentioned in this episode: Julie’s reporting: https://www.miamiherald.com/profile/218644665/ Julie’s Substack: https://jkbjournalist.substack.com/ Harry’s column about Katie Phang’s Epstein transparency suit: https://harrylitman.substack.com/p/cutting-edge-legal-argument-could Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 2 weeks ago1h 2m
Trump's Economy: Inflation, Instability, and Influence
Stellar economic analysts Dean Baker, Paul Krugman, and Stephanie Ruhle join Harry for his periodic deep dive into the ways Trump is reshaping the U.S. economy. The panel weighs the immediate and long-term economic effects of Trump’s on-again, off-again war with Iran. Next, they take stock of Trump's record-breaking self-enrichment, and of how the Supreme Court has opened the door to more chaos and self-dealing. They close with a look at Kevin Warsh, Trump’s hand-picked new Fed Chair, tasked with keeping a fragile economy on track. Mentioned in this episode: Dean’s column: https://cepr.net/series/dean-bakers-beat-the-press/Paul’s Substack: https://paulkrugman.substack.com/Stephanie’s new show: https://www.ms.now/money-power-politics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 2 weeks ago1h 10m
Adam Schiff is Ready to Battle Blanche
For his latest Talking San Diego conversation, Harry sits down with California Senator Adam Schiff. The two start with a close look at the upcoming confirmation battle over would-be Attorney General Todd Blanche. Drawing on their shared background as federal prosecutors, the two discuss what makes Blanche a singularly troubling nominee. The senator then shares his analysis of Blanche's prospects, including his probable reception among critical Republicans. Senator Schiff then lays out tactics for defending the midterms, plans for righting Chief Justice John Roberts’s wrongs—including by packing the bench—and his efforts to protect California from a vengeful Trump. Harry and the senator also cover some slightly lighter fare, including the status of the senator’s comedy career and what life is like inside Trump’s brain, where the senator "lives rent free." This Talking San Diego event was made possible by our venue partner Congregation Beth Israel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 3 weeks ago58 min
Slaughterhouse-Six
It’s our annual Supreme Court term wrap-up. To break down a term marked by juggernaut victories for the conservative legal movement—as well as a few key losses for Trump—Harry is joined by Amy Howe, Dahlia Lithwick, and Steve Vladeck. They break down the biggest cases and spotlight several overlooked decisions with enormous long-term consequences for executive power, immigration, and the structure of the American government itself. Finally, the trio looks ahead to the next term and posits ways to restrain a runaway court. Mentioned in this episode:Amy’s reporting: https://www.scotusblog.com/author/amy-howe/Dahlia’s reporting: https://slate.com/author/dahlia-lithwickSteve’s Substack: https://www.stevevladeck.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 3 weeks ago32 min
David Brooks on Trump, AI, and Fixing America
Harry talks with David Brooks about how we can redeem the society that produced an epidemic of loneliness, a shallow public life, and of course, Donald Trump. The two discuss Brooks’s stubborn optimism and the solutions he thinks could turn the tide toward a stronger, more communal America. Brooks lays out his hopes and fears for AI, warning of a society riven not just by income inequality but “cognitive inequality.” And he describes the kind of leader he’d like to see funnel the widespread demands for change that continue to roil American politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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About Talking Feds
Talking Feds is a roundtable discussion that brings together prominent former government officials, journalists, and special guests for a dynamic and in-depth analysis of the most pressing questions in law and politics.
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