The Political Scene | The New Yorker

The New Yorker staff writer Jonathan Blitzer joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss Kristi Noem’s removal from her post as Secretary of Homeland Security. They talk about the lead-up to her firing—which included accusations of fiscal mismanagement and self-promotion—and her controversial tenure as the head of one of the largest and most powerful departments during Donald Trump’s second Presidential term. They also explore the history and evolution of the Department of Homeland Security and how its founding in the wake of the September 11th attacks laid the groundwork for the sweeping—and, according to some legal experts, unconstitutional—powers it wields today. 
This week’s reading: 

“Kristi Noem’s Fireable Offenses,” by Jonathan Blitzer

“How Donald Trump’s Iran War Is Destabilizing the Gulf,” by Isaac Chotiner

“The Zombie Regulator,” by E. Tammy Kim

“What the Selection of Iran’s New Leader Might Mean for the War," by Robin Wright

“The G.O.P.’s Latest Voter-Suppression Plan,” by Sue Halpern 

The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week. 
Tune in to The Political Scene wherever you get your podcasts. 

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As Iran’s retaliation hit American allies throughout the Middle East this week, David Remnick was joined by two New Yorker writers with decades of experience reporting from the region. Robin Wright has reported from Iran extensively, and she met with Ali Khamenei before he became the Supreme Leader of Iran; Dexter Filkins covered the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he has been reporting on the Pentagon and military readiness. Filkins and Wright discuss the possibilities for future leadership in Iran; the Administration’s chaotic statements in regard to its goals and time frame; and the economic impact of the war, which is already being felt around the globe. 
The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week. 
Tune in to The Political Scene wherever you get your podcasts. 

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The Washington Roundtable discusses the war that the United States and Israel have started with Iran, how the conflict might evolve and affect the whole region, and the Trump Administration’s rationale for launching the strikes. “I don’t think we have yet heard a clear explanation of what this war is about, what they intend to achieve, what the strategic goals are, and how it’s supposed to end,” the staff writer Jane Mayer says. The group also reflects on the lessons that they learned while reporting on the Iraq War about how conflicts such as these can transform societies. 
This week’s reading:

“Can Donald Trump Win a War with Iran If He Can’t Explain Why He Started It?,” by Susan B. Glasser

“Do U.S. Presidents Have the Power to Declare War?,” by Jill Lepore

“In the Texas Primaries, a Good Night for James Talarico, and a Bad One for John Cornyn,” by Benjamin Wallace-Wells

“What Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Meant to Iran, and What Comes Next,” by Robin Wright

“Has Trump Thought Through the Endgame in Iran?,” by Ishaan Tharoor

To discover more podcasts from The New Yorker, visit newyorker.com/podcasts. To send in feedback on this episode, write to [email protected] with “The Political Scene” in the subject line.
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The foreign-affairs journalist Ishaan Tharoor joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss the fallout from the United States’ joint military operation with Israel in Iran. They talk about the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—who was among the hundreds killed by drone and missile strikes—and how the country has retaliated against the U.S., Israel, and several of its Arab neighbors. Their conversation explores what comes next for the Iranian government and people, how the conflict fits into President Donald Trump’s broader foreign-policy vision, and whether this latest attempt at regime change in the Middle East is likely to succeed when past American interventions have failed. 
This week’s reading:

“Has Trump Thought Through the Endgame in Iran?,” by Ishaan Tharoor

“What Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Meant to Iran, and What Comes Next,” by Robin Wright

“Trump’s Reckless Decision to Pursue Regime Change in Iran,” by Isaac Chotiner

“Donald Trump Launches a War of ‘Epic Fury’ on Iran,” by Robin Wright

“What Mehdi Mahmoudian Saw Inside the Iranian Prison System,” by Cora Engelbrecht

The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week. 
Tune in to The Political Scene wherever you get your podcasts. 

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The Washington Roundtable is joined by Stephen Vladeck, a Georgetown Law professor and self-proclaimed “Supreme Court nerd,” to examine President Trump’s increasing defiance of the Supreme Court. The panel discusses whether the Court’s strong rebuke of the President’s tariff policy obscures a broader pattern of expanding executive power through the use of emergency “shadow docket” rulings, a kind of shortcut for dealing with emergency requests. “I think that’s where the Justices have shown the most inclination to vote in ways that might be inconsistent as a matter of legal principle, but consistent as a matter of partisan political preference,” Vladeck says. Vladeck is the author of “The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic.” 
This week’s reading:

“Donald Trump’s State of the Union Was Long and Wrong,” by Susan B. Glasser

“The Supreme Court’s Complicated Takedown of Trump’s Tariffs,” by Amy Davidson Sorkin

“The Right-Wing Nonprofit Serving A.I. Slop for America’s Birthday,” by Jessica Winter

“The Media Merger You Should Actually Care About,” by Jon Allsop

“Donald Trump’s Pantomime United Nations,” by Ishaan Tharoor 

The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week. 
Tune in to The Political Scene wherever you get your podcasts. 

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