Logo for Left, Right & Center

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
21hr 4min
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 "Democrats sought accountability after deadly Texas floods. Was it too soon?".
Republicans accuse Democrats of playing partisan games following deadly floods in Texas. How soon is too soon to ask difficult policy questions after a tragedy?
Thumbnail for "Did the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ kill compromise in Washington?".
Is there a major shift on Capitol Hill, or are things working the way they always have? Plus, a SCOTUS ruling raises questions about parents’ rights.
Thumbnail for "Shouldn’t Congress have a say in US military action?".
Is it time to revisit Congress’ war powers authority? NATO makes a new commitment to defense spending. Plus, a democratic socialist could end up as NYC’s new mayor.
Thumbnail for "Trump keeps US and Europe in the dark on Iran plans".
What does “America First” mean when it comes to U.S. plans for Iran? The business community puts pressure on immigration policy. Plus, June marks 10 years since the Charleston church shooting.
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 "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 "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 "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?

Breaking up is hard to do

Thumbnail for "Breaking up is hard to do".
June 6, 202550min 34sec

President Donald Trump has made the “big, beautiful bill” a hallmark piece of legislation for his administration. However, the bill’s most vocal opponent has been one of Trump’s closest allies. Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and former head of DOGE, has called out the bill for increasing the debt ceiling. Musk has been pushing for legislators to kill the bill. In a press conference with German chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump responded to a question about Musk and shared his disappointment in the billionaire. It’s created a war of words between the president and the billionaire. Could the public spat signal the downfall of Trump’s spending plan?

A humanitarian aid organization in Gaza backed by the US and Israel is under scrutiny. The newly founded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has been criticized by more established aid groups for a lack of transparency and infrastructure following attacks on Palestinians as they attempted to receive food and resources delivered by GHF. Israel’s government says the group is necessary because of a lack of trust in groups like the United Nations and Amnesty International. But is their ability to handle the massive undertaking of providing aid to Gaza compromised?

How does support for overarching policies shift when those policies hit closer to home? KCRW discusses the dilemma facing a small Missouri town.

Thumbnail for "Breaking up is hard to do".
Breaking up is hard to do
00:00
50:34