Loving and hating the word “moderate”

Some recent primary elections in the Midwest, particularly Wisconsin and Michigan, have changed the landscape for November's midterms. On Today's Show:Rachel Leingang, Midwest political correspondent for Guardian US, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Teo Armus, reporter for The Washington Post focused on politics, demographics, voters and immigration, offers political analysis of the latest primary election results, including in Wisconsin and Michigan, and what they might signal about the midterms this fall. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Over the past several years, a license-plate tracking company called Flock has partnered with over 40 percent of police departments nationwide, allowing local law enforcement to track people's whereabouts across state lines.  On Today's Show: Jason Koebler, co-founder of 404 Media, unpacks how officials, including ICE, are using the technology, and why anti-surveillance activists on both sides of the are pushing back against the cameras. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Over the past decade, the common meaning of the word 'woke' has fluctuated between "social consciousness" and "performative sensitivity."  On Today's Show:Jasmine Green, editorial & audience associate at The Bulwark, offers her take on the word "woke," the evolution of wokeness, and how Democrats might re-claim it from its current status as a mostly pejorative term. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With the midterms approaching, and intra-party debates about how far to push their agendas, we explore what it means to be politically 'moderate.'  On Today's Show:Jon Allsop, contributing writer at The New Yorker, discusses the latest national political headlines and his recent story, "What Does It Even Mean to Be a Moderate?" 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 more than 50 years since President Richard Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal.  On Today's Show:Jill Wine-Banks, legal analyst, former Watergate special prosecutor, co-host of the podcasts "#Sistersinlaw" and "Just the Facts" and the author of The Watergate Girl: My Fight for Truth and Justice Against a Criminal President (Henry Holt and Co., 2020), reflects on that time and the efforts to downplay the crimes of Watergate. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week marks the 81st anniversary of the US dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. On Today's Show:Fred Kaplan, Slate's War Stories columnist, contributor to The iPaper and the author of many nonfiction books and his latest, a novel, A Capital Calamity (Miniver Press, 2024), recalls the history and discusses the current state of nuclear weapons, especially as it relates to the war with Iran. 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's efforts toward peace in Iran and in Gaza both seem to be in a cycle of successes to celebrate, and setbacks to explain. On Today's Show:F. Gregory Gause, professor emeritus at Texas A&M University offers analysis of the ongoing war with Iran, which he argues has been a failure, so far.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Following a recent cybersecurity breech by OpenAI, in which two of their in-progress models autonomously hacked into the AI company Hugging Face, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are pushing for an "AI Kill Switch" bill in Congress.  On Today's Show:Brendan Bordelon, AI and tech influence reporter at Politico, discusses Washington's changing approach to AI regulation amid growing concerns over data security in every sector, and and unpacks how tech giants are responding to shift. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does the most up-to-date polling say about the electoral prospects in states with open Senate races this midterm season? On Today's Show:Jessica Taylor, Senate and governors editor for The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, offers analysis of the competitive Senate races ahead of this November's midterm elections, and discusses how likely it may be for Democrats to take control of Congress. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With geopolitical strife in the Middle East, the Strait of Hormuz and in Ukraine, how could President Trump's global posture impact the upcoming midterm elections? On Today's Show:Jonathan Lemire, co-host of Morning Joe on MSNOW; writer for MSNOW and contributing writer to The Atlantic, talks about the latest national political news. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.