If you work hard in the United States, there is no limit to the possibility of what you might achieve. That’s the American Dream. But the reality is that America today increasingly resembles aristocratic societies of the past, which were characterized by little social mobility and dramatic inequality perpetuated in part by the passage of enormous fortunes from one generation to the next. How and why this has occurred in the United States is largely the result of power, politics, and policy choices--choices that enable the coding of wealth in the legal systems that structure not only our economy, but our society and our democracy. The system is rigged--and rigged in favor of the few. Join Sean Morrow on the final episode of the third season of “Who Is?” for a look directly at the money, what it means for the rest of us, and what we can do about it.  James Henry, an economist, attorney, tax justice activist, and a senior advisor to the Tax Justice Network Paul Krugman, an economist, author, and longtime columnist at The New York Times. His most recent book is “Arguing with Zombies: Economics, Politics, and the Fight for a Better Future” Katharina Pistor, a professor at Columbia Law School. Her most recent book is “The Code of Capital: How the Law Creates Wealth and Inequality”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you work hard in the United States, there is no limit to the possibility of what you might achieve. That’s the American Dream. But the reality is that America today increasingly resembles aristocratic societies of the past, which were characterized by little social mobility and dramatic inequality perpetuated in part by the passage of enormous fortunes from one generation to the next. How and why this has occurred in the United States is largely the result of power, politics, and policy choices--choices that enable the coding of wealth in the legal systems that structure not only our economy, but our society and our democracy. The system is rigged--and rigged in favor of the few. Join Sean Morrow on the final episode of the third season of “Who Is?” for a look directly at the money, what it means for the rest of us, and what we can do about it.  <ul> <li>James Henry, an economist, attorney, tax justice activist, and a senior advisor to the Tax Justice Network</li> <li>Paul Krugman, an economist, author, and longtime columnist at The New York Times. His most recent book is “Arguing with Zombies: Economics, Politics, and the Fight for a Better Future”</li> <li>Katharina Pistor, a professor at Columbia Law School. Her most recent book is “The Code of Capital: How the Law Creates Wealth and Inequality”</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who Is Inherited Wealth?

Rebekah Mercer

Rebekah Mercer may be the most powerful woman in conservative politics today, and she’s never held--and probably will never run for--elected office. Since 2004, Rebekah Mercer has been the director of the Mercer Family Foundation, which means for nearly twenty years she has been one of the key people who is in charge of how her father Robert Mercer’s vast fortune is spent. And following the Citizens United decision in 2010, millions of dollars of that vast fortune have been dedicated to American politics, and primarily to American politics on the far right. The Mercers have played a major role in the contemporary rise of the far right, and from Cambridge Analytica to Kellyanne Conway, Rebekah Mercer and her father were instrumental in the election of President Donald Trump. But after Trump won, it was Rebekah who was named to his transition team. In 2021, however, Trump’s election almost feels like ancient history, and the real question is what will Rebekah Mercer do next, and what does that mean for the rest of us and our democracy?  Brendan Fischer, Director of Federal Reform at the Campaign Legal Center  Jane Mayer, Chief Washington Correspondent at The New Yorker, and author of several books, including “Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right”    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rebekah Mercer may be the most powerful woman in conservative politics today, and she’s never held--and probably will never run for--elected office. Since 2004, Rebekah Mercer has been the director of the Mercer Family Foundation, which means for nearly twenty years she has been one of the key people who is in charge of how her father Robert Mercer’s vast fortune is spent. And following the Citizens United decision in 2010, millions of dollars of that vast fortune have been dedicated to American politics, and primarily to American politics on the far right. The Mercers have played a major role in the contemporary rise of the far right, and from Cambridge Analytica to Kellyanne Conway, Rebekah Mercer and her father were instrumental in the election of President Donald Trump. But after Trump won, it was Rebekah who was named to his transition team. In 2021, however, Trump’s election almost feels like ancient history, and the real question is what will Rebekah Mercer do next, and what does that mean for the rest of us and our democracy?  <ul> <li>Brendan Fischer, Director of Federal Reform at the Campaign Legal Center </li> <li>Jane Mayer, Chief Washington Correspondent at The New Yorker, and author of several books, including “Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right”  </li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who Is Rebekah Mercer?

Pete Buttigieg

Mayor Pete is now Secretary Buttigieg, which means that the former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is now a member of the Biden Administration. A surprisingly popular presidential candidate in 2020, Buttigieg has an unusual story, and in just a few years, he’s gone from planning bike lanes and roundabouts to overseeing the nation’s highways, airports, and more. Buttigieg has already run for president once and he’ll almost certainly do it again, so it’s South Bend and beyond on this episode of "Who Is?," for a look at the man who could one day be America’s first (openly) gay president.  Sam Centellas, Executive Director of la Casa de Amistad, a community center which has been serving the needs of immigrants and residents of South Bend, Indiana, since 1973 Beth Osborne, Director of Transportation for America. During the Obama Administration, Osborne served as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy as well as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy  Adam Wren, a Features Correspondent at Insider's Washington Bureau  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mayor Pete is now Secretary Buttigieg, which means that the former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is now a member of the Biden Administration. A surprisingly popular presidential candidate in 2020, Buttigieg has an unusual story, and in just a few years, he’s gone from planning bike lanes and roundabouts to overseeing the nation’s highways, airports, and more. Buttigieg has already run for president once and he’ll almost certainly do it again, so it’s South Bend and beyond on this episode of "Who Is?," for a look at the man who could one day be America’s first (openly) gay president.  <ul> <li>Sam Centellas, Executive Director of la Casa de Amistad, a community center which has been serving the needs of immigrants and residents of South Bend, Indiana, since 1973</li> <li>Beth Osborne, Director of Transportation for America. During the Obama Administration, Osborne served as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy as well as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy </li> <li>Adam Wren, a Features Correspondent at Insider's Washington Bureau</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who Is Pete Buttigieg?

Andrew Yang

In 2020, Andrew Yang ran for president, and although he never really had a serious chance, he became a familiar name, and a familiar face. In 2021, he’s running for Mayor of New York City, and this time, he might win. If he does, Yang will face an enormous challenge: navigating one of the world’s most important cities through an uncertain recovery. A man with essentially no political experience but a lot of ideas and a lot of charisma, Yang has the opportunity to reimagine how the post-pandemic city functions. But he’ll also have to contend with the day-to-day realities of governing, from policing to public schools to public housing. On this episode of “Who Is?,” Sean Morrow dives deep into Yang himself, examines the policy and the people behind his current campaign for mayor, and explores how a city like New York can build an inclusive economy as it recovers from Covid-19. Katie Honan, who covers City Hall in New York City for The Wall Street Journal Amy Liu, vice president and director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, which she co-founded in 1996 Harry Siegel, a senior editor at The Daily Beast, columnist at The New York Daily News, and co-host of the podcast FAQ NYC  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2020, Andrew Yang ran for president, and although he never really had a serious chance, he became a familiar name, and a familiar face. In 2021, he’s running for Mayor of New York City, and this time, he might win. If he does, Yang will face an enormous challenge: navigating one of the world’s most important cities through an uncertain recovery. A man with essentially no political experience but a lot of ideas and a lot of charisma, Yang has the opportunity to reimagine how the post-pandemic city functions. But he’ll also have to contend with the day-to-day realities of governing, from policing to public schools to public housing. On this episode of “Who Is?,” Sean Morrow dives deep into Yang himself, examines the policy and the people behind his current campaign for mayor, and explores how a city like New York can build an inclusive economy as it recovers from Covid-19. <ul> <li>Katie Honan, who covers City Hall in New York City for The Wall Street Journal</li> <li>Amy Liu, vice president and director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, which she co-founded in 1996</li> <li>Harry Siegel, a senior editor at The Daily Beast, columnist at The New York Daily News, and co-host of the podcast FAQ NYC</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who Is Andrew Yang?

Unless you’re lucky enough to live on another planet, you’ve probably heard about the climate crisis. It’s a problem we must address if we want humanity--and the rest of the Earth’s animal and plant population--to continue to survive and thrive. But in order for that surviving and thriving to happen, we must immediately and definitively cut emissions and begin the transition away from fossil fuels. How’s that going? As you’ve probably heard, not so well, and as a result, more radical approaches are increasingly in the mix. Geoengineering is one of these, and while it won’t solve the climate crisis, it may enable us to remove some of the carbon dioxide we’ve emitted and even artificially lower global temperatures while we detox from fossil fuels. The catch? We don’t really know what would happen if we did it, and we may not be able to undo it. On this episode of “Who Is?,” it’s a look at one of the big choices we may have to make in the not so distant future.   Elizabeth Kolbert, who has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1999. Her most recent book, “Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future,” was published in February of 2021  Janos Pasztor, executive director of the Carnegie Climate Governance Initiative (C2G). Pasztor was previously United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Climate Change in New York under Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Unless you’re lucky enough to live on another planet, you’ve probably heard about the climate crisis. It’s a problem we must address if we want humanity--and the rest of the Earth’s animal and plant population--to continue to survive and thrive. But in order for that surviving and thriving to happen, we must immediately and definitively cut emissions and begin the transition away from fossil fuels. How’s that going? As you’ve probably heard, not so well, and as a result, more radical approaches are increasingly in the mix. Geoengineering is one of these, and while it won’t solve the climate crisis, it may enable us to remove some of the carbon dioxide we’ve emitted and even artificially lower global temperatures while we detox from fossil fuels. The catch? We don’t really know what would happen if we did it, and we may not be able to undo it. On this episode of “Who Is?,” it’s a look at one of the big choices we may have to make in the not so distant future.   <ul> <li>Elizabeth Kolbert, who has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1999. Her most recent book, “Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future,” was published in February of 2021 </li> <li>Janos Pasztor, executive director of the Carnegie Climate Governance Initiative (C2G). Pasztor was previously United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Climate Change in New York under Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who Is Geoengineering?

Americans aren’t in agreement about much these days, but there does appear to be one thing that they overwhelmingly support: legalizing the medical and recreational use of cannabis. Across the country, cannabis is winning at the ballot box and in the statehouse, and whether you partake or not, legalization has major implications for civil rights and civil liberties, for social and racial justice, and, of course, for those who see cannabis as an enormous opportunity to make a lot of money. While federal legalization remains distant, how states legalize could play a significant role in determining the type of cannabis economy that may emerge in America. Will it be a market characterized by equity and competition--a small business success story--or a market dominated by politically influential corporate interests: Big Weed? On this episode of “Who Is?,” Sean Morrow takes a look at legalization and who stands to benefit from it.     Emily Dufton, a writer and historian. Her first book is “Grass Roots: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Marijuana in America” Beau Kilmer, Director of the Drug Policy Research Center and McCauley Chair in Drug Policy Innovation at RAND Majority Leader Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes, who represents District 141 in the New York State Assembly  Shaleen Title, Distinguished Cannabis Policy Practitioner in Residence at the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center of the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Americans aren’t in agreement about much these days, but there does appear to be one thing that they overwhelmingly support: legalizing the medical and recreational use of cannabis. Across the country, cannabis is winning at the ballot box and in the statehouse, and whether you partake or not, legalization has major implications for civil rights and civil liberties, for social and racial justice, and, of course, for those who see cannabis as an enormous opportunity to make a lot of money. While federal legalization remains distant, how states legalize could play a significant role in determining the type of cannabis economy that may emerge in America. Will it be a market characterized by equity and competition--a small business success story--or a market dominated by politically influential corporate interests: Big Weed? On this episode of “Who Is?,” Sean Morrow takes a look at legalization and who stands to benefit from it.     <ul> <li>Emily Dufton, a writer and historian. Her first book is “Grass Roots: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Marijuana in America”</li> <li>Beau Kilmer, Director of the Drug Policy Research Center and McCauley Chair in Drug Policy Innovation at RAND</li> <li>Majority Leader Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes, who represents District 141 in the New York State Assembly </li> <li>Shaleen Title, Distinguished Cannabis Policy Practitioner in Residence at the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center of the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who Is Big Weed?

Deb Haaland

In 1851, then Secretary of the Interior Alexander H.H. Stuart wrote the following: “What is to become of the aboriginal race? … A temporary system can no longer be pursued. The policy of removal, except under peculiar circumstances, must necessarily be abandoned; and the only alternatives left are, to civilize or exterminate them.” In 2021, Congresswoman Deb Haaland, a Laguna Pueblo woman, was confirmed Secretary of the Interior. Haaland, a single mother who enrolled in college at 28 and would later experience homelessness, is a remarkable person--and politician--whose presence in the Biden Administration marks a profound assertion of Indigenous political power in the United States.   Julia Bernal, Alliance Director at the Pueblo Action Alliance John Leshy, who has dedicated much of his career to America’s public lands and the laws that govern them, served as Solicitor of the U.S. Department of the Interior throughout the Clinton Administration. His political history of public lands in the United States, “Our Common Ground,” will be published in late 2021 by Yale University Press Jenni Monet, a journalist who writes about Indigenous Affairs  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1851, then Secretary of the Interior Alexander H.H. Stuart wrote the following: “What is to become of the aboriginal race? … A temporary system can no longer be pursued. The policy of removal, except under peculiar circumstances, must necessarily be abandoned; and the only alternatives left are, to civilize or exterminate them.” In 2021, Congresswoman Deb Haaland, a Laguna Pueblo woman, was confirmed Secretary of the Interior. Haaland, a single mother who enrolled in college at 28 and would later experience homelessness, is a remarkable person--and politician--whose presence in the Biden Administration marks a profound assertion of Indigenous political power in the United States.   <ul> <li>Julia Bernal, Alliance Director at the Pueblo Action Alliance</li> <li>John Leshy, who has dedicated much of his career to America’s public lands and the laws that govern them, served as Solicitor of the U.S. Department of the Interior throughout the Clinton Administration. His political history of public lands in the United States, “Our Common Ground,” will be published in late 2021 by Yale University Press</li> <li>Jenni Monet, a journalist who writes about Indigenous Affairs</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who Is Deb Haaland?

Joan Rohlfing

Does the nuclear command authority of the United States protect the world from an ill-considered strike by the Commander in Chief? Short answer: No. Before 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, many people may have thought that existential risk was the stuff of science fiction. Not anymore. Joan Rohlfing has been working on managing existential risk for decades. From arms control to disarmament, she has had a hand in almost every conceivable aspect of the nuclear portfolio. And while an intentional or inadvertent use of nuclear weapons could conceivably end the human story at any moment, Rohlfing is optimistic. Nuclear is a solvable problem, and the solutions we might imagine and enact--from international cooperation to technology innovation--offer models for mitigating existential risk elsewhere. On “Who Is?” this week, it’s the end of the world, and what we can do to prevent it.Joan Rohlfing, President and Chief Operating Officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Does the nuclear command authority of the United States protect the world from an ill-considered strike by the Commander in Chief? Short answer: No. Before 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, many people may have thought that existential risk was the stuff of science fiction. Not anymore. Joan Rohlfing has been working on managing existential risk for decades. From arms control to disarmament, she has had a hand in almost every conceivable aspect of the nuclear portfolio. And while an intentional or inadvertent use of nuclear weapons could conceivably end the human story at any moment, Rohlfing is optimistic. Nuclear is a solvable problem, and the solutions we might imagine and enact--from international cooperation to technology innovation--offer models for mitigating existential risk elsewhere. On “Who Is?” this week, it’s the end of the world, and what we can do to prevent it. <ul><li>Joan Rohlfing, President and Chief Operating Officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative</li></ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

A Conversation with Joan Rohlfing

In 2012, hundreds of fast-food workers in New York City walked off the job to demand higher wages and the right to unionize, in what would mark the beginning of the “Fight for $15.” In 2021, raising the minimum wage to $15-an-hour nearly made it into the American Rescue Plan, the enormous COVID-19 relief package which President Biden signed in March. And from fast-food workers to home care workers and beyond, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is engaged in the fights that may determine the future of work--and of workers--in the United States. On this episode of “Who Is?,” Sean Morrow talks labor, politics, and power with Mary Kay Henry, International President of SEIU. Mary Kay Henry, International President of the 2 million-member Service Employees International Union Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2012, hundreds of fast-food workers in New York City walked off the job to demand higher wages and the right to unionize, in what would mark the beginning of the “Fight for $15.” In 2021, raising the minimum wage to $15-an-hour nearly made it into the American Rescue Plan, the enormous COVID-19 relief package which President Biden signed in March. And from fast-food workers to home care workers and beyond, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is engaged in the fights that may determine the future of work--and of workers--in the United States. On this episode of “Who Is?,” Sean Morrow talks labor, politics, and power with Mary Kay Henry, International President of SEIU.  <ul><li>Mary Kay Henry, International President of the 2 million-member Service Employees International Union</li></ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

A Conversation with Mary Kay Henry

Tom Vilsack

Do you eat food? If you answered yes, you are impacted by the United States Department of Agriculture, and the person who is currently in charge of it: former Governor of Iowa Tom Vilsack. And it’s not just food: from environmental justice, to economic justice, to racial justice, to climate justice, agriculture sits at the nexus of many of the critical issues of our time. Basically, power isn’t always where you think it is, and the Secretary of Agriculture is probably the most powerful cabinet official that you’ve maybe never heard of. On this episode of “Who Is?,” Sean Morrow heads to Iowa, for a look at an agency with changemaking potential that is particularly susceptible to business as usual, and for a glimpse at who’s in charge in the Biden Administration.  Chris Clayton, Ag Policy Editor at The Progressive Farmer. Clayton is the author of “The Elephant in the Cornfield: The Politics of Agriculture and Climate Change” Navina Khanna, Executive Director of the Health, Environment, Agriculture and Labor (HEAL) Food Alliance, which is based in Oakland, California Adam Mason, State Policy Director at Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Kathie Obradovich, Editor of the Iowa Capital Dispatch   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you eat food? If you answered yes, you are impacted by the United States Department of Agriculture, and the person who is currently in charge of it: former Governor of Iowa Tom Vilsack. And it’s not just food: from environmental justice, to economic justice, to racial justice, to climate justice, agriculture sits at the nexus of many of the critical issues of our time. Basically, power isn’t always where you think it is, and the Secretary of Agriculture is probably the most powerful cabinet official that you’ve maybe never heard of. On this episode of “Who Is?,” Sean Morrow heads to Iowa, for a look at an agency with changemaking potential that is particularly susceptible to business as usual, and for a glimpse at who’s in charge in the Biden Administration.  <ul> <li>Chris Clayton, Ag Policy Editor at The Progressive Farmer. Clayton is the author of “The Elephant in the Cornfield: The Politics of Agriculture and Climate Change”</li> <li>Navina Khanna, Executive Director of the Health, Environment, Agriculture and Labor (HEAL) Food Alliance, which is based in Oakland, California</li> <li>Adam Mason, State Policy Director at Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement</li> <li>Kathie Obradovich, Editor of the Iowa Capital Dispatch </li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who Is Tom Vilsack?

“Who Is?,” an original podcast from NowThis, explores the biographies of influential people in the United States and beyond. Now in a third season, “Who Is?” presents deep dives into the stories of political power players, the donor class, and more. The podcast is hosted by NowThis correspondent Sean Morrow.

I really like the show - I can’t wait for next season.  Keep up the good work!

Who is review

One of my favorite things to listen to, despite how it depresses me about how power corrupts...

Wonderful, interesting, delightful

Who Is?

Mohammad Bin Salman

How did Saudi Arabia get away with the brutal murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the kidnapping and alleged torture of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, and even 9/11? How does it get away with war in Yemen and human rights violations at home? Oil, and the wealth that oil has brought about. On the first international episode of Who Is, Sean Morrow explores the 34-year-old trillionaire in charge of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad bin Salman, and the story of a monarchy that is using its wealth to secure its global legitimacy--and expand its influence--through investments in Silicon Valley notables like Twitter, Uber, and Slack. Featuring Agnès Callamard, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Executions, who investigated Khashoggi’s 2018 killing.  Hala Aldosari, Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow at the MIT Center for International Studies  Agnès Callamard, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Executions and Director, Global Freedom of Expression, Columbia University  Steven A. Cook, Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. His latest book is False Dawn: Protest, Democracy, and Violence in the New Middle East   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did Saudi Arabia get away with the brutal murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the kidnapping and alleged torture of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, and even 9/11? How does it get away with war in Yemen and human rights violations at home? Oil, and the wealth that oil has brought about. On the first international episode of Who Is, Sean Morrow explores the 34-year-old trillionaire in charge of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad bin Salman, and the story of a monarchy that is using its wealth to secure its global legitimacy--and expand its influence--through investments in Silicon Valley notables like Twitter, Uber, and Slack. Featuring Agnès Callamard, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Executions, who investigated Khashoggi’s 2018 killing. <ul> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/Hala_Aldosari" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hala Aldosari</a>, Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow at the MIT Center for International Studies</li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/AgnesCallamard" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Agnès Callamard</a>, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial Executions and Director, Global Freedom of Expression, Columbia University</li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/stevenacook" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Steven A. Cook</a>, Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. His latest book is False Dawn: Protest, Democracy, and Violence in the New Middle East </li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who is Mohammad bin Salman?

In 2000 and 2016, the candidate who lost the popular vote was elected president. Somehow, that’s democracy at work, and it’s thanks to a baroque institution called the Electoral College. Born out of the same contentious negotiations in 1787 that gave America the Three-fifths Compromise and the structure of the Senate, which bestows equal representation on Wyoming (the least populated state) and California (the most), the Electoral College remains with us today despite numerous attempts to abolish it. That’s because the Constitution is almost impossible to change, and because the Electoral College ultimately values some votes more than others. But America is changing, and as the composition of the electorate shifts as America grows more diverse, is the Electoral College a symbol of the insurmountable structural problems embedded in our democracy or a distraction from the power we exercise when we all vote? Rev. Dr. William Barber II, president of Repairers of the Breach and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign Alexander Keyssar, the Matthew W. Stirling Jr. professor of history and social policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government Sanford Levinson, the W. St. John Garwood, Jr. Centennial Chair in Law at the University of Texas Law School Mark Hugo Lopez, director of global migration and demography research at the Pew Research Center Representative Emilia Sykes, who represents Ohio’s District 34 in the Ohio House of Representatives, where she is Democratic Minority Leader  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2000 and 2016, the candidate who lost the popular vote was elected president. Somehow, that’s democracy at work, and it’s thanks to a baroque institution called the Electoral College. Born out of the same contentious negotiations in 1787 that gave America the Three-fifths Compromise and the structure of the Senate, which bestows equal representation on Wyoming (the least populated state) and California (the most), the Electoral College remains with us today despite numerous attempts to abolish it. That’s because the Constitution is almost impossible to change, and because the Electoral College ultimately values some votes more than others. But America is changing, and as the composition of the electorate shifts as America grows more diverse, is the Electoral College a symbol of the insurmountable structural problems embedded in our democracy or a distraction from the power we exercise when we all vote? <ul> <li>Rev. Dr. William Barber II, president of Repairers of the Breach and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign</li> <li>Alexander Keyssar, the Matthew W. Stirling Jr. professor of history and social policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government</li> <li>Sanford Levinson, the W. St. John Garwood, Jr. Centennial Chair in Law at the University of Texas Law School</li> <li>Mark Hugo Lopez, director of global migration and demography research at the Pew Research Center</li> <li>Representative Emilia Sykes, who represents Ohio’s District 34 in the Ohio House of Representatives, where she is Democratic Minority Leader</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who Is Electoral College?

Kamala Harris

After a lifetime of firsts--from San Francisco District Attorney to California Attorney General to the Senate--Kamala Harris could become the first woman to serve as Vice President. Born in Oakland, California, and raised in Berkeley, Harris’s groundbreaking career in law enforcement has opened up space for women like Chicago’s Kimberly M. Foxx and Baltimore’s Marilyn Mosby. But it has also on occasion put her at odds with the communities she is first to represent in office, and at times obscured her record on consumer protection, the environment, privacy, LGBTQ+ rights, and more. Nevertheless, Harris represents, in many ways, the future of the Democratic Party, and in just a few weeks, could be on her way to the White House.  Senator Barbara Boxer, who represented California in the Senate for nearly 25 years Tanya Christian, a New York City-based journalist covering news and politics Marisa Lagos, political correspondent at KQED in San Francisco. Lagos is co-host of the podcast Political Breakdown    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a lifetime of firsts--from San Francisco District Attorney to California Attorney General to the Senate--Kamala Harris could become the first woman to serve as Vice President. Born in Oakland, California, and raised in Berkeley, Harris’s groundbreaking career in law enforcement has opened up space for women like Chicago’s Kimberly M. Foxx and Baltimore’s Marilyn Mosby. But it has also on occasion put her at odds with the communities she is first to represent in office, and at times obscured her record on consumer protection, the environment, privacy, LGBTQ+ rights, and more. Nevertheless, Harris represents, in many ways, the future of the Democratic Party, and in just a few weeks, could be on her way to the White House. <ul> <li>Senator Barbara Boxer, who represented California in the Senate for nearly 25 years</li> <li>Tanya Christian, a New York City-based journalist covering news and politics</li> <li>Marisa Lagos, political correspondent at KQED in San Francisco. Lagos is co-host of the podcast Political Breakdown  </li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who Is Kamala Harris?

Leonard Leo

What do John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh have in common? They made it onto the Supreme Court of the United States in part as a result of the activity of Leonard Leo, the de facto head of the conservative legal movement. Leo, who until recently led the Federalist Society, is a masterful conductor of a network of nonprofits and advocacy groups that have largely succeeded in transforming the third branch of American government, the Judicial. If Amy Coney Barrett, a Leo favorite, is confirmed by the Senate, the conservative transformation of the courts may be the most significant and lasting accomplishment of the Trump Administration. Caroline Fredrickson, a senior fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice and distinguished visitor at Georgetown Law Robert O’Harrow Jr., an investigative reporter at the Washington Post Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice at the American Civil Liberties Union  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh have in common? They made it onto the Supreme Court of the United States in part as a result of the activity of Leonard Leo, the de facto head of the conservative legal movement. Leo, who until recently led the Federalist Society, is a masterful conductor of a network of nonprofits and advocacy groups that have largely succeeded in transforming the third branch of American government, the Judicial. If Amy Coney Barrett, a Leo favorite, is confirmed by the Senate, the conservative transformation of the courts may be the most significant and lasting accomplishment of the Trump Administration.<ul> <li>Caroline Fredrickson, a senior fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice and distinguished visitor at Georgetown Law</li> <li>Robert O’Harrow Jr., an investigative reporter at the Washington Post</li> <li>Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice at the American Civil Liberties Union</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who Is Leonard Leo?

It’s one thing to believe that a powerful elite exerts an outsize influence on American democracy. But it’s another thing to believe that this elite is involved in an organized conspiracy of Satanic worship and pedophilia, and further, that the only person who can save the children--and America--is President Donald J. Trump. This is the general thesis of QAnon, a bizarre and baseless ideology that has been embraced by as many as several million Americans, who organize primarily on social media. Although QAnon isn’t real, the rapid spread of extremist belief at the far right fringe--and the domestic security threat this represents--is real, and indicates that a small but not insignificant subset of Americans no longer inhabits the same reality as the rest of us. That’s a problem for democracy, and the democratic institutions on which society depends. On this episode of Who Is?, join Sean Morrow for a trip down the rabbit hole.  Amarnath Amarasingam, a professor at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, where he studies radicalization, terrorism, diaspora politics, post-war reconstruction, and the sociology of religion Nancy Rosenblum, the Harvard University Senator Joseph Clark professor of ethics in politics and government emerita. Her most recent book is “A Lot of People Are Saying: The New Conspiracism and the Assault on Democracy” Brandy Zadrozny, a reporter at NBC News, where she covers disinformation, extremism, and the internet   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s one thing to believe that a powerful elite exerts an outsize influence on American democracy. But it’s another thing to believe that this elite is involved in an organized conspiracy of Satanic worship and pedophilia, and further, that the only person who can save the children--and America--is President Donald J. Trump. This is the general thesis of QAnon, a bizarre and baseless ideology that has been embraced by as many as several million Americans, who organize primarily on social media. Although QAnon isn’t real, the rapid spread of extremist belief at the far right fringe--and the domestic security threat this represents--is real, and indicates that a small but not insignificant subset of Americans no longer inhabits the same reality as the rest of us. That’s a problem for democracy, and the democratic institutions on which society depends. On this episode of Who Is?, join Sean Morrow for a trip down the rabbit hole. <ul> <li>Amarnath Amarasingam, a professor at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, where he studies radicalization, terrorism, diaspora politics, post-war reconstruction, and the sociology of religion</li> <li>Nancy Rosenblum, the Harvard University Senator Joseph Clark professor of ethics in politics and government emerita. Her most recent book is “A Lot of People Are Saying: The New Conspiracism and the Assault on Democracy”</li> <li>Brandy Zadrozny, a reporter at NBC News, where she covers disinformation, extremism, and the internet </li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who Is QAnon? 

Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin is one of the wealthiest and most powerful people on the planet. And yet, much of his story remains a mystery. Born in St. Petersburg, when it was still known as Leningrad, Putin’s childhood unfolded on the streets of a city  recovering from a devastating, years-long siege during World War II. Today, Putin is the longest-serving Russian leader since Stalin, and could be in charge until 2036. On this episode of Who Is?, Sean Morrow dives deep into Putin’s past, and talks to some of the Russians who are fighting back against Putinism, and for freedom and democracy in Russia.  Catherine Belton previously served as the Moscow correspondent for the Financial Times. She’s currently a special correspondent at Reuters, and is the author of “Putin’s People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took On the West” Masha Gessen, a staff writer at The New Yorker and author of many books, including “The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin,” and most recently, “Surviving Autocracy”  Michael McFaul, who has taught at Stanford since 1995. McFaul served for five years in the Obama Administration, which included several years as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation. His most recent book is “From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin’s Russia”  Nadya Tolokonnikova, a founder of feminist collective Pussy Riot   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russian President Vladimir Putin is one of the wealthiest and most powerful people on the planet. And yet, much of his story remains a mystery. Born in St. Petersburg, when it was still known as Leningrad, Putin’s childhood unfolded on the streets of a city  recovering from a devastating, years-long siege during World War II. Today, Putin is the longest-serving Russian leader since Stalin, and could be in charge until 2036. On this episode of Who Is?, Sean Morrow dives deep into Putin’s past, and talks to some of the Russians who are fighting back against Putinism, and for freedom and democracy in Russia. <ul> <li>Catherine Belton previously served as the Moscow correspondent for the Financial Times. She’s currently a special correspondent at Reuters, and is the author of “Putin’s People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took On the West”</li> <li>Masha Gessen, a staff writer at The New Yorker and author of many books, including “The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin,” and most recently, “Surviving Autocracy” </li> <li>Michael McFaul, who has taught at Stanford since 1995. McFaul served for five years in the Obama Administration, which included several years as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation. His most recent book is “From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin’s Russia” </li> <li>Nadya Tolokonnikova, a founder of feminist collective Pussy Riot </li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who Is Vladimir Putin?

Jeff Bezos

In 1993, Jeff Bezos noticed that use of something called “the web” was up 2300 percent. So, he moved to Seattle and started a company: Amazon. Nearly thirty years later, Bezos, the wealthiest human being on the planet, is on track to become humanity’s first trillionaire, and Amazon has grown into one of the largest and most valuable companies in the world. An exquisite, revenue-generating machine, from e-commerce to Amazon Web Services, or, AWS, Amazon is both marketplace and infrastructure for the contemporary economy. But Amazon’s dominance and Bezos’s immense wealth come at a cost: to workers, to small businesses, and to the health of competitive markets. On this episode of “Who Is?,” the story behind the package--and your Amazon Prime membership. Vanessa, an Amazon worker and organizer with DCH1 Amazonians United Stacy Mitchell, co-director of the Institute for Local Self Reliance  Kshama Sawant, a Seattle City Councilwoman who has represented Seattle’s District 3 since 2014 Andreas Weigend, a data scientist who previously served as Amazon’s chief scientist. He is the author of the book “Data for the People”  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1993, Jeff Bezos noticed that use of something called “the web” was up 2300 percent. So, he moved to Seattle and started a company: Amazon. Nearly thirty years later, Bezos, the wealthiest human being on the planet, is on track to become humanity’s first trillionaire, and Amazon has grown into one of the largest and most valuable companies in the world. An exquisite, revenue-generating machine, from e-commerce to Amazon Web Services, or, AWS, Amazon is both marketplace and infrastructure for the contemporary economy. But Amazon’s dominance and Bezos’s immense wealth come at a cost: to workers, to small businesses, and to the health of competitive markets. On this episode of “Who Is?,” the story behind the package--and your Amazon Prime membership.<ul> <li>Vanessa, an Amazon worker and organizer with DCH1 Amazonians United</li> <li>Stacy Mitchell, co-director of the Institute for Local Self Reliance </li> <li>Kshama Sawant, a Seattle City Councilwoman who has represented Seattle’s District 3 since 2014</li> <li>Andreas Weigend, a data scientist who previously served as Amazon’s chief scientist. He is the author of the book “Data for the People”</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who Is Jeff Bezos?

In 2018, after defeating a powerful corporate Democrat in one of the biggest political upsets in American history, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became the most prominent progressive in the United States. In office, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez has proposed visionary policy, like the Green New Deal, and become famous for her willingness to challenge the status quo directly--a formidable poise she developed over more than a decade of experience in grassroots organizing. Ocasio-Cortez, who will turn 31 in October, is a politician with a long career ahead of her. As she cruises toward a second term, more than anything else, she has proven that it is possible to fight back against the moneyed political establishment and win. On the first episode of the second season of “Who Is?,” join Sean Morrow, host of “Who Is?,” as he talks with the journalist who first covered AOC’s longshot primary challenge, the volunteers who were with her from the start, and the activists fighting on the ground to propel the progressive movement forward.  Naureen Akhter, Deputy District Director for Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Aida Chavez, who covers Congress and politics at The Intercept Shaniyat Chowdhury, an activist and insurgent candidate who challenged Representative Gregory Meeks in New York’s 5th congressional district Bianca Cunningham, a former co-chair of the New York City Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), and a co-founder of the DSA AfroSocialists and Socialists of Color Caucus  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2018, after defeating a powerful corporate Democrat in one of the biggest political upsets in American history, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became the most prominent progressive in the United States. In office, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez has proposed visionary policy, like the Green New Deal, and become famous for her willingness to challenge the status quo directly--a formidable poise she developed over more than a decade of experience in grassroots organizing. Ocasio-Cortez, who will turn 31 in October, is a politician with a long career ahead of her. As she cruises toward a second term, more than anything else, she has proven that it is possible to fight back against the moneyed political establishment and win. On the first episode of the second season of “Who Is?,” join Sean Morrow, host of “Who Is?,” as he talks with the journalist who first covered AOC’s longshot primary challenge, the volunteers who were with her from the start, and the activists fighting on the ground to propel the progressive movement forward.  <ul> <li>Naureen Akhter, Deputy District Director for Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez</li> <li>Aida Chavez, who covers Congress and politics at The Intercept</li> <li>Shaniyat Chowdhury, an activist and insurgent candidate who challenged Representative Gregory Meeks in New York’s 5th congressional district</li> <li>Bianca Cunningham, a former co-chair of the New York City Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), and a co-founder of the DSA AfroSocialists and Socialists of Color Caucus</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez?

Charles Koch

A billionaire among billionaires, Charles Koch is one of the most powerful men in the world. By all accounts a brilliant businessman, Charles inherited his father’s company when Lyndon B. Johnson was in the White House, and, over decades, has transformed privately held Koch Industries into a massive multinational conglomerate with annual revenues of well over a hundred billion dollars. Since the 1970s, he’s not only reinvested that money in his company, but funneled it into American politics, financing ideas, organizations, and politicians, which together present a carefully engineered attempt to dismantle the regulatory state, and perhaps government itself. And he’s been very successful: Charles Koch, more than anyone else, may epitomize the pervasive influence of money on American democracy. On the final episode of the first season of Who Is, Sean Morrow explores the biography of Charles Koch, and the history of the Koch Network, for a look at how the very, very wealthy seek to control the political process, and what the rest of us can do about it.  Amy Goodman, Host and Executive Producer of Democracy Now!   Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, Assistant Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. His most recent book is State Capture: How Conservative Activists, Big Businesses, and Wealthy Donors Reshaped the American States -- and the Nation   Christopher Leonard, Author of Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A billionaire among billionaires, Charles Koch is one of the most powerful men in the world. By all accounts a brilliant businessman, Charles inherited his father’s company when Lyndon B. Johnson was in the White House, and, over decades, has transformed privately held Koch Industries into a massive multinational conglomerate with annual revenues of well over a hundred billion dollars. Since the 1970s, he’s not only reinvested that money in his company, but funneled it into American politics, financing ideas, organizations, and politicians, which together present a carefully engineered attempt to dismantle the regulatory state, and perhaps government itself. And he’s been very successful: Charles Koch, more than anyone else, may epitomize the pervasive influence of money on American democracy. On the final episode of the first season of Who Is, Sean Morrow explores the biography of Charles Koch, and the history of the Koch Network, for a look at how the very, very wealthy seek to control the political process, and what the rest of us can do about it. <ul> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/democracynow" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amy Goodman</a>, Host and Executive Producer of Democracy Now! </li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/awh" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alexander Hertel-Fernandez</a>, Assistant Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. His most recent book is State Capture: How Conservative Activists, Big Businesses, and Wealthy Donors Reshaped the American States -- and the Nation </li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/CLeonardNews" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christopher Leonard</a>, Author of Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America </li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who is Charles Koch?

Mike Pence

Vice President Mike Pence, who has described himself as “a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order,” for decades, was born a Catholic Democrat, but rose to prominence as an Evangelical conservative. Once elected to Congress, his friendly attitude toward big business attracted the attention of billionaire donors like Charles Koch. But as Governor of Indiana, Pence became infamous for how his faith informed his politics, from praying for an answer to an HIV outbreak in Scott County, to advocating for a religious freedom policy that enabled business owners to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people. Then came Donald Trump. On the penultimate episode of the first season of Who Is, Sean Morrow turns to Pence biographer Tom LoBianco, to try to understand the man who could be the next President of the United States.  Tom LoBianco, Reporter and Author of Piety &amp; Power: Mike Pence and the Taking of the White House   Sarah Posner, a Reporting Fellow at Type Investigations, where she covers the religious right, white nationalism, and more. Her latest book, Unholy: Why White Evangelicals Worship at the Altar of Donald Trump, is out on May 26, 2020   Laura Ungar, a Midwest Editor and Correspondent at Kaiser Health News. Ungar recently returned to Austin, Indiana, for a look at how the city has recovered, and to evaluate the challenges faced by those living in rural America, for Kaiser Health News and NPR. Her extensive coverage of Austin may be found at https://www.courier-journal.com/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vice President Mike Pence, who has described himself as “a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order,” for decades, was born a Catholic Democrat, but rose to prominence as an Evangelical conservative. Once elected to Congress, his friendly attitude toward big business attracted the attention of billionaire donors like Charles Koch. But as Governor of Indiana, Pence became infamous for how his faith informed his politics, from praying for an answer to an HIV outbreak in Scott County, to advocating for a religious freedom policy that enabled business owners to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people. Then came Donald Trump. On the penultimate episode of the first season of Who Is, Sean Morrow turns to Pence biographer Tom LoBianco, to try to understand the man who could be the next President of the United States. <ul> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/tomlobianco" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tom LoBianco</a>, Reporter and Author of Piety &amp; Power: Mike Pence and the Taking of the White House </li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/sarahposner" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sarah Posner</a>, a Reporting Fellow at Type Investigations, where she covers the religious right, white nationalism, and more. Her latest book, Unholy: Why White Evangelicals Worship at the Altar of Donald Trump, is out on May 26, 2020 </li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/laura_ungar" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Laura Ungar</a>, a Midwest Editor and Correspondent at Kaiser Health News. Ungar recently returned to Austin, Indiana, for a look at how the city has recovered, and to evaluate the challenges faced by those living in rural America, for Kaiser Health News and NPR. Her extensive coverage of Austin may be found at <a href="https://www.courier-journal.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.courier-journal.com/</a> </li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who is Mike Pence?

Tom Cotton

Arkansas is one of America’s poorest states. Today, it’s also one of its reddest, and the politicians it sends to Washington, like its star senator, Tom Cotton, aim to cut the government assistance programs that many Arkansans depend on. But the state was once solidly democratic, and elected charismatic democratic politicians like former President Bill Clinton, for decades. In the second of three episodes exploring the contemporary Republican Party, and the future of the party after Trump, Sean Morrow digs into the forces that brought Sen. Cotton to power, including deep pocketed donors like Charles Koch, and untangles the complexities of white identity politics and the nationalization of Southern beliefs and attitudes.    Ernie Dumas, Journalist and Author of The Education of Ernie Dumas   Tamika Edwards, Executive Director of the Social Justice Institute at Philander Smith College   Angie Maxwell, Director of the Diane Blair Center of Southern Politics and Society and an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Arkansas  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Arkansas is one of America’s poorest states. Today, it’s also one of its reddest, and the politicians it sends to Washington, like its star senator, Tom Cotton, aim to cut the government assistance programs that many Arkansans depend on. But the state was once solidly democratic, and elected charismatic democratic politicians like former President Bill Clinton, for decades. In the second of three episodes exploring the contemporary Republican Party, and the future of the party after Trump, Sean Morrow digs into the forces that brought Sen. Cotton to power, including deep pocketed donors like Charles Koch, and untangles the complexities of white identity politics and the nationalization of Southern beliefs and attitudes.   <ul> <li>Ernie Dumas, Journalist and Author of The Education of Ernie Dumas </li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/tamikasedwards" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tamika Edwards</a>, Executive Director of the Social Justice Institute at Philander Smith College </li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/AngieMaxwell1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Angie Maxwell</a>, Director of the Diane Blair Center of Southern Politics and Society and an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Arkansas</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who is Tom Cotton?

Mike Pompeo

As Democrats nationwide consider who their party will nominate to challenge President Trump in November, Republicans look ahead -- to 2024. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, after a meteoric rise through Kansas politics to leading the CIA and the State Department, is widely believed to be preparing to run for higher office. A businessman; a veteran; and a committed Christian, Pompeo represents one possible future for the Republican Party. He’s also an object example of how conservatives, by and large, have accommodated themselves to Trump. On this episode of Who Is, Sean Morrow inspects the complex and contradictory beliefs and impulses of the man who rode the Tea Party to Congress and Benghazi to fame.  Lara Jakes, a Diplomatic Correspondent based in the Washington bureau of The New York Times   Dion Lefler, Government and Politics Reporter at The Wichita Eagle   Tom Shine, Director of News and Public Affairs at Wichita Public Radio, KMUW   Nahal Toosi, Foreign Affairs Reporter for Politico  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Democrats nationwide consider who their party will nominate to challenge President Trump in November, Republicans look ahead -- to 2024. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, after a meteoric rise through Kansas politics to leading the CIA and the State Department, is widely believed to be preparing to run for higher office. A businessman; a veteran; and a committed Christian, Pompeo represents one possible future for the Republican Party. He’s also an object example of how conservatives, by and large, have accommodated themselves to Trump. On this episode of Who Is, Sean Morrow inspects the complex and contradictory beliefs and impulses of the man who rode the Tea Party to Congress and Benghazi to fame.<ul> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/jakesNYT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lara Jakes</a>, a Diplomatic Correspondent based in the Washington bureau of The New York Times </li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/dionkansas" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dion Lefler</a>, Government and Politics Reporter at The Wichita Eagle </li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/thomaspshine" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tom Shine</a>, Director of News and Public Affairs at Wichita Public Radio, KMUW </li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/nahaltoosi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nahal Toosi</a>, Foreign Affairs Reporter for Politico</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who is Mike Pompeo?

Stephen Miller

Who is Stephen Miller? One of three Senior Advisors to the President--along with Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump--Miller is arguably the person who has had the greatest impact on the most people. Policy that Miller has devised, and, thanks to a conservative-leaning Supreme Court, by in large been able to enact, has changed how immigration works in the United States. But that's not all: as one of President Trump's favorite speechwriters, Miller has crafted much of the language that brings "Make America Great Again" to life. On this episode of Who Is, Sean Morrow explores how a Jewish kid from liberal Santa Monica became an immigration hardliner, and dives deep into the history of immigration--and immigration control--in the United States. Airs 02/04/2020.      Marisa Franco, director and co-founder of Mijente, a political, digital, and grassroots hub for Latinx organizing and movement building  Dr. Kelly Lytle Hernandez, Professor of History, African American Studies, and Urban Planning at UCLA, and the author of Migra! A History of the U.S. Border Patrol   Nick Miroff, immigration enforcement and Department of Homeland Security reporter at the Washington Post   Laurie Winer, co-founder and editor of the LA Review of Books  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who is Stephen Miller? One of three Senior Advisors to the President--along with Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump--Miller is arguably the person who has had the greatest impact on the most people. Policy that Miller has devised, and, thanks to a conservative-leaning Supreme Court, by in large been able to enact, has changed how immigration works in the United States. But that's not all: as one of President Trump's favorite speechwriters, Miller has crafted much of the language that brings "Make America Great Again" to life. On this episode of Who Is, Sean Morrow explores how a Jewish kid from liberal Santa Monica became an immigration hardliner, and dives deep into the history of immigration--and immigration control--in the United States. Airs 02/04/2020.     <ul> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/marisa_franco" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Marisa Franco</a>, director and co-founder of Mijente, a political, digital, and grassroots hub for Latinx organizing and movement building</li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/klytlehernandez" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dr. Kelly Lytle Hernandez</a>, Professor of History, African American Studies, and Urban Planning at UCLA, and the author of Migra! A History of the U.S. Border Patrol </li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/NickMiroff" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nick Miroff</a>, immigration enforcement and Department of Homeland Security reporter at the Washington Post </li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/lauriewiner" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Laurie Winer</a>, co-founder and editor of the LA Review of Books</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who is Stephen Miller?

Jared Kushner

Jared Kushner, husband of Ivanka Trump, is probably the most powerful person in the United States who we know the least about. The grandchild of immigrants who escaped the Holocaust, Kushner is the beneficiary of his family’s meteoric rise, and the quintessential rich kid: before his donation-based admission to Harvard, Kushner hobnobbed with politicians and managed segments of his family’s vast real estate holdings. In graduate school, he bought a newspaper--and ran it into the ground--and a billion-dollar Manhattan office tower--which, until the election of President Donald Trump, nearly bankrupted the family business. But once his father-in-law is elected president, Kushner finds himself--or maneuvers his way into--the middle of everything, whether it’s building the wall, devising a solution to the Israel-Palestine imbroglio, or negotiating a trade deal with China. Featuring Andrea Bernstein, author of the newly released book American Oligarchs: The Kushners, the Trumps, and the Marriage of Money and Power.       Andrea Bernstein, co-host of the Trump Inc. podcast from WNYC and ProPublica, and author of American Oligarchs: The Kushners, the Trumps, and the Marriage of Money and Power   Daniel Golden, Senior Editor at ProPublica and author of The Price of Admission: How America's Ruling Class Buys Its Way into Elite Colleges—and Who Gets Left Outside the Gates   Vanessa Grigoriadis, host of Tabloid: The Making of Ivanka Trump and author of Blurred Lines: Rethinking Sex, Power and Consent on Campus   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jared Kushner, husband of Ivanka Trump, is probably the most powerful person in the United States who we know the least about. The grandchild of immigrants who escaped the Holocaust, Kushner is the beneficiary of his family’s meteoric rise, and the quintessential rich kid: before his donation-based admission to Harvard, Kushner hobnobbed with politicians and managed segments of his family’s vast real estate holdings. In graduate school, he bought a newspaper--and ran it into the ground--and a billion-dollar Manhattan office tower--which, until the election of President Donald Trump, nearly bankrupted the family business. But once his father-in-law is elected president, Kushner finds himself--or maneuvers his way into--the middle of everything, whether it’s building the wall, devising a solution to the Israel-Palestine imbroglio, or negotiating a trade deal with China. Featuring Andrea Bernstein, author of the newly released book American Oligarchs: The Kushners, the Trumps, and the Marriage of Money and Power.      <ul> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/AndreaWNYC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Andrea Bernstein</a>, co-host of the Trump Inc. podcast from WNYC and ProPublica, and author of American Oligarchs: The Kushners, the Trumps, and the Marriage of Money and Power </li> <li> <a href="http://twitter.com/danlgolden" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Daniel Golden</a>, Senior Editor at ProPublica and author of The Price of Admission: How America's Ruling Class Buys Its Way into Elite Colleges—and Who Gets Left Outside the Gates </li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/vanessagrigor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vanessa Grigoriadis</a>, host of Tabloid: The Making of Ivanka Trump and author of Blurred Lines: Rethinking Sex, Power and Consent on Campus </li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who is Jared Kushner?

Mark Esper

In the United States, war is big business. The Department of Defense, led by Secretary Mark Esper since 2019, has a budget of $738 billion this year. And while many of those dollars pay for those who serve in the armed forces and the maintenance of a nuclear arsenal, a significant portion of that budget will go to the military-industrial complex, which President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned Americans about in his farewell address in 1961, and which, prior to his appointment, Secretary Esper represented in Washington as a lobbyist. With the question of war in the air after the United States--in a targeted drone strike on Iraqi soil approved by President Donald Trump--assassinated the second most powerful man in Iran, Qasem Soleimani, who stands to profit? On this episode of Who Is, Sean Morrow dives deep into Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and the military-industrial complex.     Kate Brannen, Editorial Director of Just Security  Jack Detsch, Pentagon Correspondent of Al-Monitor  Aaron Mehta, Deputy Editor and Senior Pentagon Correspondent of Defense News  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the United States, war is big business. The Department of Defense, led by Secretary Mark Esper since 2019, has a budget of $738 billion this year. And while many of those dollars pay for those who serve in the armed forces and the maintenance of a nuclear arsenal, a significant portion of that budget will go to the military-industrial complex, which President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned Americans about in his farewell address in 1961, and which, prior to his appointment, Secretary Esper represented in Washington as a lobbyist. With the question of war in the air after the United States--in a targeted drone strike on Iraqi soil approved by President Donald Trump--assassinated the second most powerful man in Iran, Qasem Soleimani, who stands to profit? On this episode of Who Is, Sean Morrow dives deep into Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and the military-industrial complex.    <ul> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/K8brannen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kate Brannen</a>, Editorial Director of Just Security</li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/JackDetsch_ALM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jack Detsch,</a> Pentagon Correspondent of Al-Monitor</li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/AaronMehta" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Aaron Mehta</a>, Deputy Editor and Senior Pentagon Correspondent of Defense News</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who is Mark Esper?

Nancy Pelosi

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is the most powerful woman in the United States. The first woman to lead the House of Representatives--and third in line to the presidency--she’s passed landmark legislation like the Affordable Care Act; has been the legislative partner, or adversary, of three presidents; and is playing a decisive role in the impeachment of President Trump. All that, and she didn’t even hold elected office until she was 47, after she had raised five children. Whatever your politics, this is Nancy Pelosi’s moment. Join Sean Morrow for this not-to-be-missed look at the woman who is, arguably, the leader of the democratic party.  John Lawrence, former Pelosi Chief of Staff; Visiting Professor at the University of California's Washington Center; author of The Class of '74: Congress after Watergate and the Roots of Partisanship  Paul Kane, Senior Congressional Correspondent and Columnist at the Washington Post  Stephanie L. Young, former White House Senior Public Engagement Advisor in the Office of Public Engagement  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is the most powerful woman in the United States. The first woman to lead the House of Representatives--and third in line to the presidency--she’s passed landmark legislation like the Affordable Care Act; has been the legislative partner, or adversary, of three presidents; and is playing a decisive role in the impeachment of President Trump. All that, and she didn’t even hold elected office until she was 47, after she had raised five children. Whatever your politics, this is Nancy Pelosi’s moment. Join Sean Morrow for this not-to-be-missed look at the woman who is, arguably, the leader of the democratic party.  <ul> <li>John Lawrence, former Pelosi Chief of Staff; Visiting Professor at the University of California's Washington Center; author of The Class of '74: Congress after Watergate and the Roots of Partisanship </li> <li>Paul Kane, Senior Congressional Correspondent and Columnist at the Washington Post </li> <li>Stephanie L. Young, former White House Senior Public Engagement Advisor in the Office of Public Engagement</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who is Nancy Pelosi?

On this episode of Who Is, host Sean Morrow explores the backstory of Fox News and its founders: media savant Roger Ailes and Australian billionaire Rupert Murdoch. A sophisticated mix of media and politics, what we know as Fox News is the result of a decades-long conservative effort, and has become a defining force in American politics and presidential elections. Featuring scholars who study conservative media and movements--A.J. Bauer, Reece Peck, and Khadijah White--as well as Caroline Heldman, who appeared on the network hundreds of times, and whose harrowing recollections of the behavior of major personalities echo in contemporary dramatizations like Bombshell and The Loudest Voice, among others.GUESTS:  A.J. Bauer, Assistant Professor of Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University   Reece Peck, Assistant Professor at the City University of New York, Staten Island  Khadijah White, Assistant Professor of Journalism and Media Studies at Rutgers University  Caroline Heldman, Professor of Politics at Occidental College  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of Who Is, host Sean Morrow explores the backstory of Fox News and its founders: media savant Roger Ailes and Australian billionaire Rupert Murdoch. A sophisticated mix of media and politics, what we know as Fox News is the result of a decades-long conservative effort, and has become a defining force in American politics and presidential elections. Featuring scholars who study conservative media and movements--A.J. Bauer, Reece Peck, and Khadijah White--as well as Caroline Heldman, who appeared on the network hundreds of times, and whose harrowing recollections of the behavior of major personalities echo in contemporary dramatizations like Bombshell and The Loudest Voice, among others.GUESTS:<ul> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/ajbauer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A.J. Bauer</a>, Assistant Professor of Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University </li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/peckreece" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Reece Peck</a>, Assistant Professor at the City University of New York, Staten Island</li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/khadastrophic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Khadijah White</a>, Assistant Professor of Journalism and Media Studies at Rutgers University</li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/carolineheldman" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Caroline Heldman</a>, Professor of Politics at Occidental College</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who Is Fox News?

Bernie Sanders

Sen. Bernie Sanders is America’s most prominent self-described democratic socialist, and he’s running for president--as a democrat. Born in Brooklyn, Sanders arrived in Vermont via Chicago, where he was first elected Mayor of Burlington in 1981 by a margin of 10 votes. And from the climate crisis to income inequality to his Medicare For All plan, Sanders has been a consistent progressive voice ever since, as mayor, congressman, and finally, senator. But has Sanders had a measurable impact on our democracy? Does he know how to ‘play the game’? On this episode, host of Who Is, Sean Morrow, talks to the Vermonters who know “Bernie” best, including another former candidate for president: former Vermont governor Howard Dean.GUESTS:  Howard Dean, 2004 Democratic Candidate for President; former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (2005-2009); Governor of Vermont (1991-2003)  Alan Abbey, Director of Internet and Media at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, Israel  Bob Kinzel, of Vermont Public Radio  Dave Levinthal, editor-at-large at the Center for Public Integrity  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sen. Bernie Sanders is America’s most prominent self-described democratic socialist, and he’s running for president--as a democrat. Born in Brooklyn, Sanders arrived in Vermont via Chicago, where he was first elected Mayor of Burlington in 1981 by a margin of 10 votes. And from the climate crisis to income inequality to his Medicare For All plan, Sanders has been a consistent progressive voice ever since, as mayor, congressman, and finally, senator. But has Sanders had a measurable impact on our democracy? Does he know how to ‘play the game’? On this episode, host of Who Is, Sean Morrow, talks to the Vermonters who know “Bernie” best, including another former candidate for president: former Vermont governor Howard Dean.GUESTS:<ul> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/GovHowardDean" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Howard Dean</a>, 2004 Democratic Candidate for President; former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (2005-2009); Governor of Vermont (1991-2003)</li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/alanabbey" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alan Abbey</a>, Director of Internet and Media at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, Israel</li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/vprkinzel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bob Kinzel</a>, of Vermont Public Radio</li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/davelevinthal" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dave Levinthal</a>, editor-at-large at the Center for Public Integrity</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who Is Bernie Sanders?

Former Vice President Joe Biden has been in politics for like, ever. Elected to the Senate nearly fifty years ago in 1973, Biden was Obama’s Vice President and is now running for president himself (and not for the first time). He’s been praised for his public service, criticized for his record on race, and noticed for his sunglass selection. On this episode, host of Who Is Sean Morrow unpacks Biden’s long career, for the stories you need to know about Uncle Joe.GUESTS: Ryan Grim, The Intercept Natasha Korecki, Politico  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former Vice President Joe Biden has been in politics for like, ever. Elected to the Senate nearly fifty years ago in 1973, Biden was Obama’s Vice President and is now running for president himself (and not for the first time). He’s been praised for his public service, criticized for his record on race, and noticed for his sunglass selection. On this episode, host of Who Is Sean Morrow unpacks Biden’s long career, for the stories you need to know about Uncle Joe. GUESTS:<ul> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/ryangrim" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ryan Grim, The Intercept</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/natashakorecki" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Natasha Korecki, Politico</a></li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who Is Joe Biden?

Elizabeth Warren

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is running for president. A mother who had her first child at 22, Warren vaulted from Oklahoma to the halls of Harvard and on to the Senate. On this episode of Who Is, host Sean Morrow takes you beyond the 2020 hype for the stories that you need to know about the woman who wants to take on President Trump.GUESTS:  Sheelah Kolhatkar, of The New Yorker   James Pindell, of the Boston Globe  Alex Thompson, of Politico  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is running for president. A mother who had her first child at 22, Warren vaulted from Oklahoma to the halls of Harvard and on to the Senate. On this episode of Who Is, host Sean Morrow takes you beyond the 2020 hype for the stories that you need to know about the woman who wants to take on President Trump. GUESTS:<ul> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/sheelahk?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sheelah Kolhatkar</a>, of The New Yorker </li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesPindell" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">James Pindell</a>, of the Boston Globe</li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/alxthomp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alex Thompson</a>, of Politico</li> </ul> Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

Who is Elizabeth Warren?

The best podcast episodes of anyone with an interesting story. With famous guests like Obama, LeBron James, Drake, Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson, Michelle Obama, Serena Williams, to anyone who has a unique and interesting story to tell. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Episodes: Personal Stories & Great Interviews

The best self improvement podcast episodes. From improving productivity, to finding purpose in your life to what constitutes freedom, this topic is on anything and everything that can help people to improve their lives. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!