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Left, Right & Center

KCRW

Left, Right & Center is KCRW’s weekly civilized yet provocative confrontation over politics, policy and pop culture.

KCRW 2020, 498771

Left, Right & Center is KCRW’s weekly civilized yet provocative confrontation over politics, policy and pop culture.

KCRW 2020, 498771
21hr 4min
Thumbnail for "Market Madness: Do the best-laid plans sometimes get reversed?".
The president reversed course on his tariff plan hours after it took effect. Can he bring back the nostalgic economic prosperity voters desire?
Thumbnail for "Could ICE protests sink Trump’s immigration policy?".
Will the protests over the National Guard hurt Trump politically? Plus, will the “Big, Beautiful Bill’s” unpopularity on Wall Street keep it from passing?
Thumbnail for "Breaking up is hard to do".
Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s whirlwind bromance comes to an end. Plus, why are Israel and the UN at odds over a new humanitarian aid group in Gaza?
Thumbnail for "The Court Tester".
The White House calls a wave of lawsuits a threat to the will of the people. Is Trump welcoming those challenges? Plus, campuses tackle a new diversity problem.
Thumbnail for "Corruption, Putin… Burritos?".
President Trump invites a few high rolling guests to dinner. Will there be political costs for Trump’s handling of Ukraine? Plus, should we regulate temptation?
Thumbnail for "GOP infighting creates a big, beautiful nightmare".
Cracks within the GOP turn the “Big, Beautiful Bill” into a mess. President Trump visits the Middle East. Plus, Democrats’ past and future collide.
Thumbnail for "Is the White House budget an attempt to test presidential power?".
Is the White House budget proposal an attempt to fight with Congress? Is America’s birth rate a policy problem? Plus, KCRW examines ChatGPT’s impact on campuses.
Thumbnail for "Voters push back on Trump … in Canada".
Donald Trump influenced an election in Canada — could it happen elsewhere? Plus, what’s driving Trump’s approach to Ukraine?
Thumbnail for "Chaos, conclaves and other concerns".
Can the “chaos” at the Department of Defense be resolved, or is it just how this White House operates? Plus, KCRW examines the political legacy of Pope Francis.
Thumbnail for "For the White House, when you’re wrong, you’re right".
A federal judge ordered the return of a wrongfully deported man — will the White House comply? What’s the likelihood of Harvard University losing $2 billion over antisemitism laws?
Thumbnail for "Is the economy about to have a degrowth spurt?".
Were the April special elections a win for Democrats? How will Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs affect American consumers? Plus, KCRW discusses the feasibility of a third Trump term.
Thumbnail for "That awkward moment when your war plans leave the group chat".
KCRW reacts to the mishandling of White House war plans. Donald Trump takes center stage in Canada’s snap election. Will any excuse for tariffs make sense?
Thumbnail for "Trump’s White House fights over flights".
Did President Trump defy court orders with deportation flights? Can Democrats recover from historically low polling? Plus, KCRW examines The Kennedy Center culture wars.
Thumbnail for "Thou doth protest too much … so leave?".
The arrest of a student protester raises questions on free speech. Is the White House picking which speech is illegal, or are they enforcing anti-discrimination laws?
Thumbnail for "Can Democrats fight Trump’s political power?".
Donald Trump flexed presidential powers during his address to Congress. But did punishing Ukraine weaken America’s image? Plus, KCRW analyzes how Democrats could gain influence.
Thumbnail for "Reality or reality TV?".
Which news headlines are worth the worry? If Democrats want to raise the alarms on Trump, they’ll have to communicate. Plus, KCRW takes listener questions.
Thumbnail for "Friend or foe? Trump turns foreign policy norms on their head".
Donald Trump points fingers at Volodymyr Zelensky about the war with Russia. Should the president take accountability for the DOJ? Plus, how valuable are political rallies?
Thumbnail for "Is ‘cancel culture’ cancelled?".
The right says it’s pushing back on cancel culture. Are they just redefining it? Plus, the president banishes pennies and paper straws.
Thumbnail for "Trump and Musk play disruptor".
KCRW unravels a disruptive White House week. Is the president just stirring outrage? Plus, we discuss Elon Musk’s influence on the foreign aid fight.
Thumbnail for "Is there a right time to push policy after tragedy?".
Donald Trump bashed DEI policies in response to a tragic plane crash. He’s bucked heads with LA’s mayor over the wildfires. Is now the time to focus on policy?
Thumbnail for "Can the president do that? Should he?".
Are Trump and Biden setting a dangerous precedent through their use of pardons? Will Congress retake its power to check the White House?
Thumbnail for "Trump’s Inauguration Day 2.0 is all about tone".
What can we expect from President-elect Trump’s inauguration? Will he squander the goodwill of the moment? Plus, KCRW takes pre-inauguration audience questions.
Thumbnail for "So long, Scranton Joe".
KCRW reflects on Joe Biden’s presidential legacy. How will the tumultuous events of his term be remembered, and what moments stood out most?
Thumbnail for "The ballad of the one-term Democrats".
Will the Senate defer to Trump on Cabinet nominees? Why does the transition to Trump’s second term feel familiar? KCRW looks at what’s ahead for 2025.
Thumbnail for "So long 2024!".
Should media outlets be concerned about free press under Trump? What were the biggest stories of the year? Plus, the panel answers questions from listeners.

Market Madness: Do the best-laid plans sometimes get reversed?

Thumbnail for "Market Madness: Do the best-laid plans sometimes get reversed?".
April 11, 202550min 34sec

March Madness may have ended, but Market Madness went into effect shortly after Trump announced “reciprocal tariffs” — some over 100% — on imported goods from dozens of countries. Stocks plummeted. Republican figureheads like Ted Cruz spoke out against the sweeping plan. According to Trump, his move became a success once global leaders started offering new trade deals. Then, just hours after the tariffs went into effect, Trump declared a 90-day pause on most of them, excluding China. While the market is still on shaky ground, Trump says it bounced back due to his “master negotiations.” Is the everyday American feeling the relief he claims? 

Meanwhile, prices are still rising. Voters yearn for the days when households could survive on a single income and eggs didn’t cost an arm and a leg. Even with an unfavorable economy, Trump framed his initial tariff plan as a path back to the old American Dream. Is that still possible? Or are we blinded by nostalgia? 

However, it makes sense for voters to cling to the past when facing the political and economic uncertainty of the future. But how should we go about it? America’s got a complicated past. According to the culture wars, the right believes the “greatness” of the past focuses on economic prosperity, and the left says the “greatness” of the past came at the cost of certain minority groups. Do we need to resolve a definition of American greatness?

Thumbnail for "Market Madness: Do the best-laid plans sometimes get reversed?".
Market Madness: Do the best-laid plans sometimes get reversed?
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