The State of the Justice Department's Independence

Emily Bazelon, staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, co-host of Slate's "Political Gabfest" podcast, Truman Capote fellow for creative writing and law at Yale Law School and author of Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration (Random House, 2019) , recaps this week's news from the DOJ – including the investigation into Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell, the resignation of six prosecutors over the Renee Good shooting, and the recent raid of a Washington Post journalist's home – and offers analysis about what it might say about the state of judicial independence. 

Questions about ICE recruitment, vetting and training are being raised, especially after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis.On Today's Show:Laura Jedeed, freelance journalist focused on American conservative and far-right movements and author of the Substack Firewalled Media dot com, talks about her reporting on the shoddy screenings hopeful applicants to become ICE agents receive, which became clear when she was offered a position after applying at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement hiring expo -- despite her public profile as a journalist critical of ICE and the Trump administration.   

Kate Shaw, professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, co-host of the Supreme Court podcast Strict Scrutiny, and a contributing opinion Writer with the New York Times talks about the justices' responses to arguments in two cases involving transgender student athletes, plus other Supreme Court news.

President Trump sat down for a two-hour interview with a panel of New York Times reporters last week which included a question on the checks on his power on the world stage.  His reply: "My own morality."On Today's Show: Katie Rogers, White House correspondent for The New York Times, talks about their interview with President Trump, how they prepared for it and what was said about foreign policy. 

Minneapolis is coping with the shooting of a local woman by an ICE agent, and allegations that federal daycare funds have been misused.On Today's Show: Rachel Leingang, Midwest political correspondent for Guardian US, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, talks about how Minneapolis is "on edge" after the fatal shooting of a civilian by an ICE agent, which came after weeks of tension between the Somali community and the Trump administration, and Republicans' spotlight of fraud at child care centers in the state.

How do you know when something you're reading or watching online is real or fake? On Today's Show:Craig Silverman, co-founder of the Indicator, a publication that exposes digital deception, offers tips on how to identify AI generated content on the internet.

Trump's military action in Venezuela, including the arrest of President Maduro, could have implications for both Venezuelan and American politics.On Today's Show:Gisela Salim-Peyer, associate editor at The Atlantic, shares her reporting and analysis on Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro's arraignment this week after the Trump administration's military actions in the South American country — plus, hear the range of responses from New York's Venezuelan community. 

On the 5th anniversary of the Capitol riot, a local Senator reflects on Trump's presidency and his recent incursion in Venezuela. On Today's Show:Andy Kim, U.S. Senator (D NJ), talks about his work in the Senate

President Trump has said the US will "run" Venezuela, after a military operation led to the arrest and detention in NYC of President Nicolás Maduro.On Today's Show:William Neuman, former New York Times journalist and former bureau chief in Caracas, and the author of Things Are Never So Bad That They Can't Get Worse: Inside the Collapse of Venezuela (St. Martin's Press, 2022), offers context to the US invasion of Venezuela and capture of its leader Maduro. Plus, he talks about what might come next, as 

Robinson Meyer, founding executive editor of Heatmap, talks about how in the ten years since the Paris Agreement, as he says the "climate story is the China story" now. Plus, Jael Holzman, senior reporter at Heatmap, reports on how the Republican Party has turned fully against renewable energy sources, including offshore wind projects.