The Mother Jones Podcast
Mother JonesThe Mother Jones Podcast
Each episode will go deep on a big story you’ll definitely want to hear more about. We’ll share with you our best investigations (think private prisons, electoral skullduggery, Dark Money, and Trump's Russia connections), and informative interviews with our reporters and newsmakers. We're hoping to make your week more informed with the stories that really matter, told by us, the folks you trust for smart, fearless reporting.
© Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress
Each episode will go deep on a big story you’ll definitely want to hear more about. We’ll share with you our best investigations (think private prisons, electoral skullduggery, Dark Money, and Trump's Russia connections), and informative interviews with our reporters and newsmakers. We're hoping to make your week more informed with the stories that really matter, told by us, the folks you trust for smart, fearless reporting.
© Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress
David Byrne Rode His Bike to Our Office and Talked About Everything
...about the future of our show.
The common denominator? Fear of Black liberation.
Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and mayoral candidate India Walton talk Black radical politics with Mother Jones reporter and columnist Nathalie Baptiste.
From 2019: While people worry about a world in which abortion access is no longer protected, the women of Mississippi are already living it.
Armed standoffs with the government, "Uber militias," and folkloric celebrity. Is Bundy as dangerous as ever?
Flint’s water crisis wound up being a crash course in how residents have learned to band together in a catastrophe.
Refugees escaping the Taliban will encounter a broken American system—cruel and politicized to the point of collapse.
Her evolution from radical activist to Senate obstructionist is the stuff political fairy tale—and nightmare.
“It’s no less a lie than saying that the moon landing was faked.”
Women in multiple countries have been living in fear of Sergey Grishin. Now they’re fighting back.
A plea to shake us free from this mind-numbing rhetorical stalemate.
“It would have been cartoon malpractice not to have a go at him.”
How a pop historian shaped the soul of Biden’s presidency.
A note from our host, Jamilah King
In part two of our series on the deadly January 6 attack, we look back, so we can move forward.
We’re going deep on the insurrection, charting the rise and fall of a recently radicalized COVID truther-turned-MAGA-fanatic.
A Mother Jones exclusive reveals Heritage Action for America bragging about drafting voter suppression legislation in eight battleground states.
Travel bans are separating desperate families, as the fight to unleash vaccine technology around the world intensifies.
The author curates a new collection of essays that gets to the heart of Black people’s connection to the land.
After a century of disposition, Black farmers are drawing on generations of struggle to reclaim their agricultural heritage.
The Lucas Brothers go deep on comedy, philosophy, and the Black Panther leader’s legacy.
A historic moment for police accountability, and what happens next.
Inequality in the US has grown to absurd and immoral levels. Can understanding the psychology of the ultra-wealthy help claw back cash and restore sanity?
A new book and podcast about Lady Bird Johnson reveal the first lady's role as a powerful political operator and influential player in the Johnson White House.
Warnings of "impending doom" in the ongoing war between vaccines and variants.
A conversation with Dr. Deeba Ashraf about the harmful public health impacts of shame.
Law professor and author Cass Sunstein discusses his new book about combatting falsehoods.
The climate crisis is coming for everyone.
What the megastar's legacy taught a generation about living in America today.
Why the most comprehensive voting rights bill since 1965 needs more than just a majority to pass.
Roxane Gay shares her thoughts on cultural criticism, writing for social change, and house shopping on HGTV
All your questions about this week's flurry of pandemic news, answered by our newsroom experts.
But a flurry of executive orders and a big new bill are putting reform at the heart of his agenda.
Historical examples of national healing reveal a hard road for life after Trump.
His betrayal of the nation was profound and existential. There must be a full reckoning.
The new president has the most ambitious climate plan in US history. Will it be enough to save the planet?
The author and epidemiologist discusses the “make or break” imperative to fight pandemic disinformation.
Pomp, police, and former presidents: The Mother Jones team takes you ringside for Biden's swearing-in, and assesses the historical echoes, from “American carnage” to “love and healing”.
The historically bipartisan vote in the House will endure in the lead paragraph of Trump's political obituary.
Shocking, not surprising: The Capitol Siege was the logical and predictable result of a strategy to unleash the forces of white supremacist extremism.
"This is a the first time I felt directly threatened for being a reporter." MoJo reporter Matt Cohen on covering the Capitol riot up-close.
Reporter Ari Berman breaks down the Senate Majority Leader's legacy, and what Biden can achieve now that Democrats control the chamber.
MoJo's David Corn on how Republicans are enabling Trump's attempt to shatter democracy.
Trump, turmoil, and 2020: The MoJo podcast team replays the year's defining moments.
Is Biden’s optimism toward bipartisanship a sign of naivety? Or is it exactly what the country needs?
We take you along for the ride as Democrats barnstorm Georgia in the last few weeks before the pivotal runoff elections.
Organizing against voter suppression and high turnout in November are giving Democrats hope.
The President-elect is promising a renewed urgency, as pressure mounts.
Our guide to enjoying a holiday season like no other, while keeping your family safe.
As cases multiply nationwide, scientists and big thinkers help map a path towards a pandemic-proof America.
To combat the most damaging long term impact of Trump’s legacy, Biden must go big—and quickly.
Our instant analysis of Biden's big win and Trump's continued threats to a peaceful transition.
Live Election Special: Trump defied expectations. Can Biden maintain his narrow lead? We bring you essential next-day analysis.
Bonus Episode: Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland on holding the president accountable, whether he wins or loses.
Eight MoJo reporters team up for a livestream event to tackle all the big issues facing voters during this final week of the campaign.
Democrats can flip the battleground state only if they don't take its fired-up Latinx activists for granted.
Arguing about politics with your family? You’re not alone.
Recent Cuban immigrants to Florida have swung dramatically towards Trump. Alex Otaola is one of them.
A night of sound and fury, signifying Trumpian nihilism.
Trump was already trashing the Constitution to stay in power. Now he can remake the Supreme Court for a generation.
The codependency between Trump and Fox is more dangerous than you think.
The Democratic candidate says he triumphed in a competitive New York primary by building "the best team a billion dollars cannot buy."
Trump and other Republicans’ new embrace of the conspiracy follows unprecedented growth in unexpected quarters.
Changing the system from the inside: the national movement to make prosecutorial power accountable.
The senator from California has always been a barrier-breaker. Now, history is in her sights.
Bonus: The longtime lawmaker and progressive powerhouse says "enough is enough". Black women belong at the top.
Emily Oster has become a pop-oracle for all things kids, COVID, and how to survive parenting in 2020.
The inside story of Mayday 1971 and the largest mass arrest in US history.
The TV star talks about beating the late-night boys' club, surviving 2020, and her teenage crime spree.
The Blondie frontwoman talked to David Corn about her superstardom, creative process, #MeToo, and philosophy about environmental activism.
“It’s not a spectator sport anymore, being an American,” the actor says. “You have to throw your hat into the ring.”
An investigation into an eccentric self-help group with celebrity devotees and zero oversight.
The "Orange Is the New Black" star shares how her own forced family separation during childhood drove her to demand a better future.
Trump kicked off his reelection with spectacular fabrications. He can't, and won't, stop.
Fixes in the margins will only do so much. America needs to totally reimagine how it polices its citizens.
"Bigotry Is a Lethal Weapon": Ibram X. Kendi's Guide to Fighting Racism
This Summer Will Be Long, Violent, and Necessary
The Unprecedented Challenge of Grieving 100,000 Americans
Celebrate Pandemic Workers. Then Fight Like Hell for Their Rights.
Exclusive: Stacey Abrams on Trump's Existential Threat to Voting
Fight Trump with Science. Fight Trump with Data. Fight Trump with Facts.
Trump's 100 Days of Deadly Coronavirus Denial
ICE Detainees Got Pepper-Sprayed After Demanding Coronavirus Help
Elizabeth Warren and Adam Schiffs' Urgent Plans to Investigate Trump’s Coronavirus Disaster
Online Learning During the Pandemic Is Extra Tough Where Wifi Is Illegal
I Beat COVID-19. But I Can’t Donate My Blood for Research Because I’m Gay.
Doctors on the Pandemic Frontlines Speak Out
Many Restaurants May Never Re-Open After Coronavirus
Surviving Trump’s Border Crossing is Just the Beginning. Here’s What Happens Next.
I’m Self-Quarantined for Coronavirus After Attending Trump's Big GOP Love-in
Sci-Fi Genius William Gibson's Trump-Free Alternate Reality
Super Tuesday Special: Biden's Big Night. Bernie's Long Fight.
Pramila Jayapal on Bernie's Historic Candidacy and Trump's Toxic Presidency
How the QAnon Conspiracy is Adapting to Help Trump in 2020
She Killed Her 3 Kids. Does She Belong in Prison?
How Bernie Sanders Won New Hampshire
What the Iowa Caucus Data Debacle Means
Trump Is Going to Get Off Scot-free. Or Is He?
Van Jones: Liberals Can Work With Trump to Make America Better
Trump Is an "Existential" Threat: Ilana Glazer, Eric Holder, and 2020
My Brother Fled Australia's Climate-Fueled Inferno: "It Was a War Zone"
The Political Fight that Will Shape 2020—and Beyond
How to Burst Your Reality Bubble and Embrace Lasting Solutions
Trump's Name Will Be Stained By Impeachment Forever
They Made a Killing on the Mortgage Crisis. Now They Run Trump's America.
We've Never Seen a Primary Season Quite Like This
Trump's Stealth Attack on Skilled Migration
Trump Is Winning the Border Wars. For Now.
The Republican Conspiracy Frenzy Can Only Protect Trump for So Long
A Fearless Pop Superstar Navigates Hong Kong’s Violent Stand-Off
We Got 8 Presidential Candidates to Confront the World's Biggest Threat
Ronan Farrow on How NBC Almost Derailed #MeToo Before It Began
Inside the US Marshals' Secretive, Deadly Detention Empire
Trump's Reckless Gift to ISIS
Naomi Klein’s Blistering Warning: Fight for Your Lives.
Trump's Unexplained $50 Million Loan. Is It Tax Fraud?
History Comes Knocking for Donald Trump
I'm Racist. You're Racist. The System Is Racist. Now What?
Searing 9/11 Stories from the Day that Changed Everything
“Our President Is Unstable”: A Senator Tears into Trump's Reckless Racism
Rapsody’s Newest Album Is a Rapturous Celebration of Black Womanhood
A Radical Idea for Reclaiming Our Toxic Reality
Epstein, QAnon, and the Conspiracist in Chief
El Paso’s Nightmare Is America’s New Normal
Trump Killed the Era of Great American Diplomacy
Gun-Safety Activist Shannon Watts on How to Fight Like a Mom and Beat the NRA
Critic Emily Nussbaum Says You Should Never Feel Shame for Loving that TV Show
An Unaccompanied Minor's Online Detective Work Is Giving Hope to Others
"Intentional Cruelty": AOC Tells Us What She Saw Inside a Migrant Detention Center
Tennessee Is Accelerating Executions. I Went to See Why.
Betrayal. Torture. Escape. An American ISIS Wife’s Exclusive Tell-All.
Inside an ISIS Prison
My Secret Journey to the War America Can't Escape
Happy Pride. Here’s What We’re Fighting For.
The Only State Lawmaker Who Lives on the Border
Women Are Under Attack and Fighting Back
Julián Castro's Anti-Trump Border Battle
Trump Is Rigging the Census
Want Access? Pay Your Way to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago.
Doug Jones Explains How to Win in the South
The Mueller Report Is the Opposite of an Exoneration
Columbine Changed Everything
How One Border Town Beat Extremist Vigilantes
Mayor Pete’s Plan to Beat Trump
Donald Trump Should Probably Stop Dancing in the Street
Mueller Is Done. Trump Is About To Go Nuclear.
How Tech Giants Gave the NZ Shooter More Firepower
Now Is the Time to Freak Out
The Real Border Crisis Trump’s Not Talking About
Rehabs Are Targeting and Trapping Opioid Users
How to Finally Reboot the Oscars
So Many Candidates. Who Can Beat Trump?
The Maddening Fight for 6-Year-Old Moira Ermentrout
Everyone Hates the State of the Union Address
Breaking News Edition: Why Roger Stone's Arrest Should Scare Don Jr.
The Painful Reality of Surviving Trump’s Shutdown
Mr. President, Have You Ever Worked for Russia?
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Biggest Fight
He Was Dying. Then Doctors Tried Some Forgotten Viruses.
Be a Better You: How to Break Political Tribalism
DeRay Mckesson on How to Turn Outrage into Hope
"Broad City" Star Ilana Glazer Takes Over the Podcast
Trump Put a Target on Our Backs: Trans Americans Fight Back
How the Trump-Addicted Media Blew Another Election
Lie, Block, Betray: Trump After the Blue Wave
Breaking News Edition: Trump Goes Full Mob Boss
Trump Wakes Up Shaking
Trump Ate the GOP. Now He’s Digesting It.
It’s Finally Time to Talk About the Polls
Road Trip Through the Battleground States
The Argument for Rage
The Conservative Case for Destroying the GOP
Breaking News Edition: Ford’s Bravery, Kavanaugh's Fury
A Constitutional Crisis Is Just a Tweet Away
Voting Has Never Been Harder—or More Important
The Viruses That Could Save Us All
The Mind-Boggling Private Prison Comeback
America's Rage-Inducing Student Debt Machine
Cohen, Guilty. Manafort, Guilty. Now What?
Parkland Teens Are Throwing Everything at the Midterms
Putin Is Hacking America on Trump's Watch
Ben Carson’s War on Fair Housing
#MeToo Heads to Church
Rev. William Barber Is Fighting Like Hell for Democracy
Can Violent Racists Kick Their Addiction to Hate?
Who Gets to Make America
Nightmare at the Border
Dan Pfeiffer Tries to Save America
Strippers, Guns, and Cash: Selling Painkillers in America
Torn Apart by Trump's Travel Ban
Make America Toxic Again
Primary Season in America
Follow the thread. Untangle the news. The Mother Jones Podcast is coming soon, featuring original and independent journalism from our award-winning newsroom.
David Byrne Rode His Bike to Our Office and Talked About Everything
December 5, 201830min 59sec
On this week's show, host Jamilah King interviews the prolific artist, David Byrne about police shootings, Janelle Monáe, stage fright, “True Stories,” and fake news. Since the late-1970s, when Byrne formed Talking Heads, his career has been an endless stream of fascinating side projects, starting with his super-weird, super-cool Brian Eno collab, "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts." He founded his own World Music label, and his obsession with the National Color Guard Championships led to a documentary, "Contemporary Color." In November, as his American Utopia tour wrapped up, Byrne re-released his 1986 film, True Stories, which explores the inner lives and outer quirks of residents of a fictional Texas town. “It’s like 60 Minutes on acid,” Byrne once said. The timing was brilliant—but coincidental, he admits: “I hadn’t looked at it in a while. And a lot of it does seem prescient and newly relevant. There’s a lot of stuff that seems oddly like, ‘Oh. I recognize this! It seemed like fiction in the movie, and now it’s fact.’” Our interview with Byrne kicks off a month-long special holiday series, featuring some of our very most interesting studio interviews.
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