Ben Rhodes on America’s defining speeches

With basketball fresh on everyone's mind, someone with his feet in both the sports world, and the political world, discusses.  On Today's Show:Bill Bradley, two-time NBA champion with the Knicks and former U.S. senator (D NJ), host of American Voices on Sirius XM and featured in the autobiographical documentary "Rolling Along: Bill Bradley" talks about this year's NBA finals, his take on national politics, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Speeches have an important history in the United States, not only for their historical impact, but for their role in shaping a national identity. On Today's Show:Ben Rhodes, contributor to MS NOW, the co-chair of National Security Action and an advisor to former president Barack Obama and the author of All We Say: The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches (Random House, 2026), talks about his new book that tells the history of the United States and its central conflicts through public speeches, from Benjamin Franklin to Donald Trump. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's been a consequential week in D.C., as some issues, like war powers, have driven a wedge between President Trump and members of Congress, including some Republicans. On Today's Show:Elana Schor, senior Washington editor at Semafor, talks about the news out of Washington this week, including how some Republican senators are standing up to President Trump on war powers, the $1.8 billion dollar payout fund and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As the Trump administration continues to use the US military for geopolitical leverage, a look at the work of boots-on-the-ground service members. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ahead of the midterms, a look at some key races. On Today's Show:David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker and the host of The New Yorker Radio Hour, talks about the latest national political news, including the latest regarding the midterm elections, the Democratic Party's identity crisis and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The far-left politics of NYC's new(ish) mayor have drawn national attention, and raised questions about the future of Democratic politics. On Today's Show: New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani takes questions from listeners and talks about this week's news in the city, and other issues important to New Yorkers, including childcare, trans healthcare and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Trump administration announced that those seeking green cards would need to apply from their home countries, not within the U.S. as many had been able to do.  On Today's Show:Allan Wernick, legal advisor to CUNY Citizenship Now!, CUNY's free immigration law service program, offers the latest guidance on who will be affected by the change. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A recent Supreme Court decision weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. On Today's Show:Daniel Squadron, co-founder of The States Project, former New York State senator and author of the forthcoming book The Fourth Branch: How State Government Can Save Our Union (Zando, 2026), talks about the interplay between state legislatures and the redistricting fights happening now. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On our radio show, we're kicking off a series of forums for candidates running for Congress in consequential, local races. On Today's Show:Dan Goldman, US representative (D, NY-10), and Brad Lander, former NYC comptroller and former mayoral candidate, discuss key issues as they campaign in the June primary election to be the Democratic nominee for Congress for New York's 10th congressional district. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today's show: U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., talks about his new book, Crisis of the Common Good: The Fight for Meaning and Connection in a Broken America (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2026), and the underlying crises that have resulted in our current politics. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.