A cabinet full of characters

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has spent this week on Capitol Hill in hopes of securing the necessary Senate votes to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. As Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” platforms gain popularity, senators and health experts raise concerns over Kennedy’s stances against vaccines and certain public health policies. As President-elect Donald Trump continues to flesh out his second term vision, immigration reform remains one of the biggest policies on his agenda. Trump won historically Democratic districts along the border and made large strides with Latino voters in the last election. Recently on Meet the Press, Trump expressed an openness to working across the aisle on deportations and family separations. It’s a more common sense approach compared to his rhetoric on the campaign trail. It’s also much more in line with how voters feel about immigration. In an article for The Atlantic, journalist Rogé Karma attributed the Democrats’ loss to their miscalculations about the Latino vote. Will Trump turn the electorate’s support for immigration reform into actionable policy?While Democrats continue to analyze their election missteps with immigration, the Left, Right, and Center panel looks at how progressive activism might have contributed to their loss. In his essay “How Gay Marriage Ruined Democratic Activism,” writer Jeremiah Johnson posits that Democrats learned all the wrong lessons from progressives. How true is that? Did moral absolutism cost Democrats the White House?

Bashar al-Assad’s reign over Syria ended this week after 13 years of contentious civil war. Rebel forces captured the capital city of Damascus, freed prisoners from detention facilities, and ousted Assad from his palace. As Syrian citizens celebrate the end of Assad’s regime, President Biden has reaffirmed the need for a “Syrian-led” political transition. What’s next for Syria? Should the United States get involved to uphold international democracy?Political violence struck in New York City last week when a gunman killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Police identified the suspect as 26-year-old Luigi Mangione. Americans across the political spectrum, many of whom are upset about the state of health care in the U.S., have shared support for the shooter’s actions. Their anger isn’t new, but have these frustrations crossed a line? As the NFL ramps up for its two Christmas Day marquee games, the Left, Right, and Center panel examines how modern sports culture mirrors politics. Both fields evoke a strong personal connection. Are sports as much of an identity as politics? Plus, how has gambling, ever more popular, affect the way we watch? 

President-elect Donald Trump has long spoken about his plan to put America first instead of acting as the world’s policeman. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law this week, but the nation’s parliament quickly overturned it. Syrian rebel forces entered the city of Aleppo for the first time in nearly a decade. President Biden is funneling additional resources into Ukraine. All the while, the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah hangs delicately in the balance. What kind of shift is the global community preparing for when it comes to U.S. foreign policy?Meanwhile on U.S. soil, current President Joe Biden is in hot water after issuing a blanket pardon on his son Hunter Biden. The younger Biden son was facing sentencing for two criminal cases involving gun ownership and tax charges. President Biden repeatedly claimed that he would not pardon his son if found guilty in order to restore faith in the justice system. Democrats and Republicans alike are fuming at the walking back of the decision. What are the implications of this pardon as America transitions presidents? As Biden bends the meaning of “justice,” KCRW continues to analyze what justice will mean in the next White House administration. President-elect Donald Trump wants to make big changes to American justice, national security, and intelligence proceedings — including with his pick for FBI director, Kash Patel. Patel has been outspoken with his desires to “go after” critical members of the media. Will fealty to the president take second place to national security? 

“Morning Joe” co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski are facing significant pushback for a recent visit to Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago estate. The MSNBC commentators told their audience they wanted to hear from Trump directly as he prepares for his second presidential term. Was the meeting good reporting, or simply self-serving? United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy believes America is experiencing a “loneliness epidemic,” which hits young people especially hard. He talks about ways to feel more connected and fulfilled, and how parents can care for their mental health.

Georgetown University released their annual “Battleground Civility Poll” this week, which found that voters believe national polarization decreased following Trump’s win. Voters gave polarization a 66.5 out of 100, the lowest score since 2019. While Kamala Harris scored higher on likability and hope for the future, Donald Trump scored higher on who could inspire results. Republicans won full control of Congress, but voters anticipate across-the-aisle compromise. Are people settling into Trump 2.0? One of Trump’s loftiest promises this campaign cycle was to “end all wars.” What does that mean for the United States’ relationships with Israel, Ukraine, and China? Plus, controversy is surrounding Trump’s Cabinet picks, which so far include Marco Rubio for secretary of state and Elon Musk for the self-designated “first buddy.” As the Republican Party preps for their future, the Democratic Party is reimagining theirs. Some congressional Democrats have spoken out against the party’s continued support of LGBTQ+ issues and the far left, claiming Democrats left everyday Americans by the wayside. In response, notable Democrats like Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear have pushed back against the idea of scapegoating progressives and the LGBTQ+ community. Is it possible for the Democrats to strike a balance? 

President-elect Donald Trump announced a handful of buzzworthy cabinet appointments over the past few days. Trump has already announced his picks for the secretaries of State, Homeland Security and Defense. Those picks - Marco Rubio, Kristi Noem and Pete Hegseth, respectively - were controversial enough before Trump announced his choice of Florida senator Matt Gaetz for Attorney General. Gaetz’s selection has drawn scrutiny from both sides of the aisle. Was the media meltdown over Gaetz what Trump wanted all along? How will Trump’s picks affect his executive governing?Another contentious appointment this week was Trump’s announcement of former ICE director Tom Homan as “border czar." Homan has outlined in interviews a plan for mass deportations of migrant families, including people born in the United States. Trump’s stance on immigration and border security were major drivers in his election victory. Many in the GOP see voters election of Trump as a mandate on immigration and support for his mass deportation proposal. But after voters in many states supported Trump for President and voted  down Democrats on the ballot, is that true? Did voters really want Trump’s policies, or just his leadership?Kamala Harris’s presidential defeat inspired plenty of introspection from the Democratic Party. Critics say the Democrats relied too heavily on identity politics and not enough on policy for the win. What role did sexism play in Harris’s loss? Is it as simple as the United States not being ready for a woman president?

President-elect Donald Trump is on track to be the first Republican to win the popular vote in 20 years. He won all the battleground states, knocking down the previous blue wall. Was this a referendum on the style of leadership the country desires? Trump outperformed his 2020 candidacy, while Kamala Harris underperformed in states President Joe Biden previously won.Donald Trump did better than anticipated with Latinos, Black men, and blue-collar workers. That success with key demographics led to his decisive victory. In the wake of the election, there is a close examination of Democratic strategy. What went wrong for Democrats? How did the party end up ceding its multicultural, working-class strongholds to Trump and the modern GOP? Will the loss shift the approach of Democratic strategists moving forward?The presidency wasn’t the only conservative victory on election night. It’s still too close to call the House, but Republicans are expecting to pair their White House win with control of Congress and a conservative Supreme Court. The Left, Right, and Center team discusses what a largely red executive, legislative, and judicial branch could mean for the country.

Polling shows the election is gridlocked in a tie. With both candidates preaching existential threats if they lose, and promising to save the country if they win, is fear or vibes a greater force in this election? Even after an assassination attempt, a sitting president stepping down, and felony convictions, neither side shows a strong lead. Whose charisma will prevail?Comedian-podcaster Tony Hinchcliffe stirred up controversy when he referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage” during Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden last Sunday. Despite the hateful comments and boos, Trump called the rally “a beautiful event.” To make matters more complicated, President Joe Biden made a gaffe of his own when he said the only garbage he sees floating out there are “his supporters.” The White House says he meant supporters of the “floating island of garbage” statement, but is the damage already done?With less than a week before election day, the Washington Post agitated its subscribers and employees with the decision not to endorse Kamala Harris for president. Thousands of readers unsubscribed. Some consider it a calculated business choice from owner Jeff Bezos, while others think it’s a step in the right direction for news media. The Left, Right, and Center panel analyzes how newspaper endorsements (or a lack thereof) influence the election and political press at large.

With days left in the race, some say the onus is on Vice President Kamala Harris to distinguish herself from Joe Biden’s previous not-Donald Trump strategy. At a CNN town hall on Wednesday, she walked back former progressive policies and hammered in working across the aisle. Is her strategy of playing the middle enough to win?Polls suggest that nearly half of voters in the U.S. intend to cast their ballots early. Tens of millions have already done so,  but in this tight a race, the fate of the election may rest on the undecided. How must Trump and Harris change their strategies to sway voters who haven’t picked yet?The overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 largely delegated abortion rights to the states. In a place as purple as Nevada, is codifying abortion at the federal level enough to influence voters to go blue? Or will abortion rights voters be content with state-level rights? As part of our 50 states series, the Left, Right, and Center panel examines what a post-Dobbs election means for single-issue voters in Nevada.

A new front has opened in the culture wars: meteorology. Rampant disinformation spread across the Southeast after Hurricanes Helene and Milton left thousands in need of disaster relief. While some conservative lawmakers have been trying to manage the devastation, others including Donald Trump have platformed dangerous conspiracy theories. What does the GOP’s relationship with disinformation mean for the party’s future, and where does it go after Trump?Nebraska is one of two states that does not use a winner-take-all system for its electoral votes. That means the blue dot of Omaha, Nebraska could conceivably swing a close presidential election. Does this reveal the weirdness of the Electoral College overall? In a system designed to protect the minority from the majority, is the reverse now true?Can journalism save a marriage? Journalist Brian Reed is the host of KCRW’s new podcast Question Everything, which turns the critical lens on his own profession. Reed tells the Left, Right, and Center team a story of an Orange County couple that almost lost a decades-long marriage over where they get their news before finding an outlet they could both agree on.  So how do journalism and politics tie into our personal relationships?