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Left, Right & Center

KCRW

Left Right & Center is for listeners who feel like people on the other side of the political divide are on Mars. David Greene pieces together the big picture by inviting people from the left and the right to unpack their ideological differences, not to smooth them over, and look at what’s truly at stake. The show offers a rare kind of clarity. It doesn’t ask you to agree. It asks you to look more closely at what’s happening and to challenge your assumptions. 

You might not always agree – you might even get angry – but you’ll know why you feel the way you do. No knee-jerk reactions or name calling. This show doesn’t promise easy answers or warm fuzzies; it promises more clarity for the chaotic political era we’re all living through.

KCRW 2020, 498771

Left Right & Center is for listeners who feel like people on the other side of the political divide are on Mars. David Greene pieces together the big picture by inviting people from the left and the right to unpack their ideological differences, not to smooth them over, and look at what’s truly at stake. The show offers a rare kind of clarity. It doesn’t ask you to agree. It asks you to look more closely at what’s happening and to challenge your assumptions. 

You might not always agree – you might even get angry – but you’ll know why you feel the way you do. No knee-jerk reactions or name calling. This show doesn’t promise easy answers or warm fuzzies; it promises more clarity for the chaotic political era we’re all living through.

KCRW 2020, 498771
20hr 36min
Thumbnail for "Graham Platner Drops Out In Maine Senate Race".
How did Graham Platner’s Senate campaign get so far despite the problems with his past? Plus, Trump embraces the image that he can get what he wants, even if it seems like corruption.
July 10, 202650min 14sec73.44 MB
Thumbnail for "The ‘Socialist’ Brand Helps Some Democrats…For Now".
The Democratic Socialist movement is boosting progressive candidates during the primaries. But what happens during the generals where independent voters will be pivotal, and most say “socialism” is a dirty word?
August 7, 202650min 16sec69.7 MB
Thumbnail for "Affordability Rules the Midterms. Trump Calls It 'Made Up'".
Most voters this November say they care about one thing – fixing America’s affordability crisis. Which party has the most convincing pitch and will get your vote?
July 31, 202650min 30sec48.37 MB
Thumbnail for "The Midterm Impact Of Progressives, Election Deniers & Iran".
Progressives are battling establishment Dems in primaries. Party leaders on both sides think many will lose to Republicans in the fall, but should they be so sure?
July 24, 202650min 15sec77.24 MB
Thumbnail for "How Should Lawmakers Balance Privacy and Transparency About Their Health?".
Senator Mitch McConnell returned to the public eye after a weeks-long absence and after rumors about his health spread. What do politicians owe the public when they’re ailing or aging, and should they be expected to trade privacy for transparency with the people they represent?
July 17, 202650min 15sec76.71 MB
Thumbnail for "No, The Supreme Court Didn’t Make Trump Unilaterally More Powerful".
Some say the Supreme Court gave the president unprecedented levels of power this term, but it’s way more complex than that. We look at how the justices redefined the powers of the presidency.
July 3, 202650min 15sec73.95 MB
Thumbnail for "Who Speaks For The Parties? Dems and GOP Fight It Out".
Democratic primaries this week tested the power of Zohran Mamdani to reshape his party. Meanwhile, President Trump’s power in the Republican Party was tested when he met with GOP Senators.
June 26, 202650min 15sec71.54 MB
Thumbnail for "Is Anyone Happy With Trump’s Iran Deal?".
President Trump says his peace deal with Iran is better than Obama’s, but some in his own party disagree. Plus, the White House is party crashing the planning for America’s 250th birthday, and a listener asks if Americans actually want a strong executive branch.
June 19, 202650min 15sec71.61 MB
Thumbnail for "The World Cup Is Getting Outplayed By Politics".
Sports have a chance to unite the world, but is the White House border policy pulling the welcome mat out from under World Cup visitors? Plus, Democratic voters in Maine picked Graham Platner to challenge Senator Susan Collins in November, and how fixing mail-in voting could help combat conspiracy theories.
June 12, 202650min 15sec71.29 MB
Thumbnail for "Why Did Iowa Republicans Snub The Trump-Backed Candidate?".
Iowa Republicans picked Zach Lahn over his Trump-backed opponent in the gubernatorial primary. Was this a rebuke of Trump? We debate whether the president’s tough immigration policies are needed to keep the country safe. Also, Trump’s Anti-Weaponization Fund seems to be dead, and a listener asks when A.I. political ads cross a line.
June 5, 202650min 15sec68.93 MB
Thumbnail for "Introducing "Intention to Treat: Money and Misdiagnosis"".
June 1, 202624min 58sec59.94 MB
Thumbnail for "Senate Control Rides On Paxton, Texas’ Flawed GOP Pick".
Senate control could ride on Texans’ pick for a GOP candidate impeached by his own party. The Pope warned about the dangers of AI, and we answered a listener frustrated with President Trump’s “Anti-Weaponization Fund.”
May 29, 202650min 16sec48.23 MB
Thumbnail for "Trump’s $1.8B Fund Draws Cries of ‘Brazen Corruption’".
Trump created the Anti-Weaponization Fund to help those wronged by the government, but who’s it really going to benefit? Plus, Trump worked to oust disloyal Republicans, but they might have the last laugh.
May 22, 202650min 16sec74.74 MB
Thumbnail for "The Gerrymandering Rush Is Leaving Voters In the Dust".
States rushing to redraw congressional maps have left some voters in the dark. Is our government ready for the next health crisis? And the MAHA movement struggles to fight the junk food lobby.
May 15, 202654min 59sec107.47 MB
Thumbnail for "The Abortion Debate Returns With Risks For Both Parties".
Abortion is back in the spotlight and both parties are hedging on its place in the campaigns. Trump shook up several primary races in Indiana, and the California governor’s race heats up with a complex primary that could lock Democrats out.
May 8, 202650min 16sec75.14 MB
Thumbnail for "Supreme Court Ruling Threatens Black Representation In Congress".
The Supreme Court gutted a key piece of the Voting Rights Act. Why conspiracy theories spread after the attempted attack on the president. And King Charles tried to smooth over U.S.-U.K. relations.
May 1, 202650min 11sec72.54 MB
Thumbnail for "Virginia Gives Democrats An Edge In Redistricting".
The arms race to control Congress heats up after Virginians voted to redraw district maps. It gives Democrats the edge to flip several seats, but where does it end? Plus, Vice President J.D. Vance on the international stage, and the Make American Healthy Again movement is scrambling party lines.
April 24, 202650min 15sec73.52 MB
Thumbnail for "Trump and Vance Pick a Fight with the Pope".
Trump’s war in Iran has led to a battle for moral authority with Pope Leo. The Strait of Hormuz blockade could backfire in favor of China. Do recent elections signal a troubling trend for the MAGA movement? We also get a special tour inside the Supreme Court from Sarah Isgur.
April 17, 202650min 15sec76.18 MB
Thumbnail for "Trump Threatens An Apocalypse…To Maybe Get A Ceasefire?".
President Trump threatened to end an entire civilization, and that got us a ceasefire with Iran. But it’s a fragile peace for now. Was that bluster successful, like the White House says, or reckless? Plus, Congress returns after a two-week break to that continuing stand-off on funding for Homeland Security. Also, how Artemis II can bring all of us together.
April 10, 202650min 14sec70.9 MB
Thumbnail for "The Iran War Is Redefining America’s Place In The World".
President Trump’s war with Iran is transforming more than just the Middle East. It’s redefining America’s place in the world, the economy and his own party. Trump is also trying to change the meaning of citizenship and the media landscape.
April 3, 202650min 15sec71.13 MB
Thumbnail for "How TSA Lines Are Shifting Political Leverage On Immigration".
TSA checkpoints at some airports are jammed, and the fight over ICE enforcement is showcasing both parties’ leverage on immigration and how it’s shifted. Plus, Trump deployed ICE agents to airports, and there’s concern he might send them to polling sites in November, too.
March 27, 202650min 16sec75.53 MB
Thumbnail for "Iran War Triggers Homeland Security Threats With Leadership In Flux".
We talk about the state of national security with the resignation of a top counterterrorism official, and the head of Homeland Security in flux. Plus, is Trump’s foreign policy strategy to oust leaders but keep their regimes? We also take your questions.
March 20, 202650min 16sec72.4 MB
Thumbnail for "Oil Markets Hang On Trump’s Every Word About Iran".
What does responsible leadership look like when oil and stock prices shift on the President’s word? One of his former advisors suggests he’s manipulating the markets. Plus, the state of America’s national security because of the war and Kristi Noem’s ousting as Homeland Security secretary.
March 13, 202650min 16sec74.87 MB
Thumbnail for "Trump Goes to War While Congress Sits Back".
President Trump launched the U.S. into war with Iran, but the reasons keep shifting. We look at the stakes for Iran, for the region, and for Trump’s presidency. Also, congressional Democrats failed in their effort to check the president’s war powers, and how the midterm elections are shaping up after this week’s first primaries in Texas and more.
March 6, 202650min 15sec71.26 MB
Thumbnail for "Does Trump’s Economic Vision Match What Americans See?".
President Trump’s State of the Union laid out a triumphant vision of America’s economy, but he missed an opportunity to tell Americans he feels their pain. Plus Trump’s path forward on tariffs, and outrage directed at California’s Governor Gavin Newsom and the U.S. men’s hockey team.
February 27, 202650min 14sec73.6 MB

Graham Platner Drops Out In Maine Senate Race

Thumbnail for "Graham Platner Drops Out In Maine Senate Race".
July 10, 202650min 14sec

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? He seems to embrace the image of being able to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. Is there a disciplined message Democrats can craft to combat the power of his persona? 

And David gives a tribute to Don Gonyea, who is stepping away from NPR after a legendary political reporting career.

Producer: Leo Duran

Host: David Greene 

Guests: 

Thumbnail for "Graham Platner Drops Out In Maine Senate Race".
Graham Platner Drops Out In Maine Senate Race
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