KCRW's Left, Right & Center
Left Right & Center is a political podcast hosted by David Greene that brings together voices from the left and right to discuss ideological differences and explore what's at stake in current events. The show aims to provide clarity without asking listeners to agree, encouraging them to challenge their assumptions and understand their own perspectives better. It avoids knee-jerk reactions and name-calling, offering a thoughtful examination of the chaotic political era.
Episodes
The Iran War Weighs On Troop Morale & Voters’ Patience
Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code KCRW at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/kcrwThe political lives of some Republicans literally depend on their carefully crafted messaging around an unpopular war and unpopular president. Many know they can’t abandon Trump, and getting on his bad side doesn’t generally end well for Republicans, either. W
Let’s Make Sense Of Democrats’ Conflicting Primary Results
Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code KCRW at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/kcrwPart of any midterm election year is trying to guess the larger trends to see how our politics are evolving in one direction or another. “Progressives are gaining momentum!” Except not in Wisconsin this past week. “President Trump can steer any primary vote hi
The ‘Socialist’ Brand Helps Some Democrats…For Now
Progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s Senate primary, but he’ll have to beat Republican Mike Rogers who wants to flip this seat for the GOP. Can El-Sayed and other progressive candidates win over independent voters this fall? Polls suggest they have a lot of work to do, with a lot at stake for Democrats. Also, how our legal system pushes back against a president who often act
Affordability Rules the Midterms. Trump Calls It 'Made Up'
What does “affordability” mean, and who should we trust to deliver it? Democrats are pounding the affordability message hard, saying President Trump began a global tariff war and a war in Iran that have both pushed prices up for Americans. We’ll talk about what actual ideas Democrats are offering to bring relief. The boldest ideas so far have come from their more progressive members, whic
The Midterm Impact Of Progressives, Election Deniers & Iran
Progressive Democrats are surging in primary elections across the country, but the party establishment is worried they’ll lose this November. Republicans think those progressives will be easier to beat, too.So how will this intra-party fight among Democrats play out and determine control of Congress? And why is the GOP so sure they can beat progressive Dems when some polls show their part
How Should Lawmakers Balance Privacy and Transparency About Their Health?
Senator Mitch McConnell was absent from Capitol Hill for weeks. Rumors and conspiracies swirled until he recently reappeared and said he was in medical care recovering from a fall.He’s not the only politician who’s hid their health from the public eye – Joe Biden, for instance, tried to keep concerns about his health quiet before the 2024 election – until it was too hard to ignore.We talk
Graham Platner Drops Out In Maine Senate Race
Democrats badly want to win control of the Senate this fall, but they just suffered a bad blow: Graham Platner, their candidate in Maine, dropped out of the race after facing rape allegations. Whose job was it to vet Platner? And what do Democrats do with this race now? Then, from cryptocurrency profits to calling the head of FIFA, what is President Trump’s relationship with corruption? H
No, The Supreme Court Didn’t Make Trump Unilaterally More Powerful
The Supreme Court finished its term with some pre-July 4th fireworks by issuing decisions that continue to shape the powers of the presidency. But how solid is this narrative out there that Trump benefits from a conservative-leaning court? The justices also loosened the leash for how much the parties can coordinate with and help fund congressional candidates. We look at what impact this c
Who Speaks For The Parties? Dems and GOP Fight It Out
Are socialists taking over the Democratic Party? New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a proud Democratic Socialist, won some stunning victories in Congressional primaries. His chosen candidates beat out more mainstream Democrats. Republicans have their own issues. President Trump met with several GOP senators and things got testy. His decision to target sitting Republicans in recent primaries m
Is Anyone Happy With Trump’s Iran Deal?
Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code KCRW at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/KCRWPresident Trump is lauding his peace deal between the U.S. and Iran as a success – one far greater than the deal former President Obama brokered. But even members of his own party are skeptical that the new plan is any better. What goals did he achieve in this
The World Cup Is Getting Outplayed By Politics
Politics cast a big shadow over several big sporting events this week. The President’s immigration policies are affecting players’ and fans’ plans to travel to World Cup events in the U.S., the Administration hosts a UFC event on the White House lawn, and Trump caused disruption and was met with boos when he visited Madison Square Garden for an NBA Finals game.We dig into the all-importan
Why Did Iowa Republicans Snub The Trump-Backed Candidate?
Iowa Republicans picked Zach Lahn over the Trump-backed Randy Feenstra in the gubernatorial primary. Lahn’s a farmer who spoke about the pain of high fertilizer prices and cancer caused by pesticides, earning him support from the MAHA. Was this some rebuke of Trump, or just voters looking for the right person to make their lives better? Critics say ICE detainees face horrific conditions.
Introducing "Intention to Treat: Money and Misdiagnosis"
We bring you an episode of "Intention to Treat: The Race Equation." It's a new series from the New England Journal of Medicine that investigates how race-specific diagnostic tools harm Black patients and contribute to growing health inequities.
Senate Control Rides On Paxton, Texas’ Flawed GOP Pick
Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code KCRW at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/KCRWTexas Republicans are pinning their hopes on Senate candidate Ken Paxton, the state attorney general who was impeached for abusing his office. Maine Democrats are pinning theirs on Graham Platner, who’s had to explain an old tattoo that looks like a Nazi symbo
Trump’s $1.8B Fund Draws Cries of ‘Brazen Corruption’
Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code KCRW at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/KCRWWhat is an anti-weaponization fund? Is it a legit use of taxpayer dollars to help people of all political stripes who were wronged by their government, or is it a corrupt slush fund to help President Trump and his political allies? One immediate question on th
The Gerrymandering Rush Is Leaving Voters In the Dust
Some voters are in the dark about which districts they live in and who their candidates are because officials in several states and the president are obsessed with redrawing congressional maps. The latest push on redistricting comes after the Supreme Court struck down parts of the Voting Rights Act.Also, public health officials are clear: hantavirus is different from COVID and highly unli
The Abortion Debate Returns With Risks For Both Parties
Abortion is back at center stage in our politics after a federal appeals court halted access to a mail-order abortion medication. We’ll talk about next steps in the Supreme Court and the decision facing both parties on whether to lean into this issue at this moment. Democrats know it can galvanize their base, but do they want to take attention away from affordability? On the right, could
Supreme Court Ruling Threatens Black Representation In Congress
The Supreme Court gutted a key piece of the Voting Rights Act, and Louisiana lawmakers are moving fast to redraw district maps ahead of this year’s midterms. The decision could help Republicans’ chances to hold on to their House majority, while delivering a blow to Black representation in Congress. Conspiracy theories spread fast after last weekend’s attempted attack on the president. Som
Virginia Gives Democrats An Edge In Redistricting
Democrats claimed victory in Virginia to redraw district maps and flip as many as four seats from Republicans in Congress. It’s the latest in a gerrymandering arms race to control the House that started with the Texas GOP, but where does it end?We talk about the President’s negotiating tactics in Iran. It’s also a big test for Vice President J.D. Vance to prove himself on the internationa
Trump and Vance Pick a Fight with the Pope
Pope Leo’s call for peace evidently didn’t sit well with President Trump. He lashed out and called the Pope bad for foreign policy, while Vice President JD Vance lectured the pontiff to be careful when opining on matters of theology. The president’s next move in Iran is a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, but is it an effective strategy to force negotiations, or could it backfire and poss
Trump Threatens An Apocalypse…To Maybe Get A Ceasefire?
President Trump wanted the Iran War to end quickly after six weeks of fighting, and so he issued a dire threat: submit or he will “end an entire civilization.” Now we’re in a fragile two-week ceasefire for negotiations. The White House says the warning was necessary to get us to this point, but critics called it reckless.Congress also returns to DC after its two-week recess, and it’s back
The Iran War Is Redefining America’s Place In The World
President Trump gave a speech this week about the Iran War to say he’s going to finish dismantling the country’s regime. But he also added that this regime seems pretty reasonable. We focus on what’s actually taking place: The U.S. role in the world has shifted dramatically, Russia and China seem to be benefitting from U.S. actions, the American economy seems vulnerable and Trump’s standi
How TSA Lines Are Shifting Political Leverage On Immigration
Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code KCRW at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/kcrwThe political brinksmanship over ICE enforcement goes on as travelers in some U.S. airports face hours of wait times at TSA checkpoints. History says voters would blame the party holding things up – Democrats – but polls suggest otherwise, which may be why Rep
Iran War Triggers Homeland Security Threats With Leadership In Flux
Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code KCRW at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/kcrwWith our nation at war and under threat, the last thing you’d want is uncertainty and a staffing shakeup at the agency responsible for protecting our country. But here we are. We talk about why Joe Kent, the U.S. head of counterterrorism, resigned, and whether
Oil Markets Hang On Trump’s Every Word About Iran
A president’s words alone can have a big impact. Like when President Trump told a reporter that the war in Iran is nearly over, oil prices dropped. That was a good sign for consumers, but was that responsible leadership from the president? We’re asking the same question of Congress where one senator said let’s not debate the war because a publicly divided legislative branch isn’t good for
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