Best Robert Richman Podcasts (2025)

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Dr. Tom Frieden and Brandy Zadrozny on RFK Jr. and the CDC 45:55

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18m ago45:55

45:55

Trump picked RFK Jr. to take over the Department of Health and Human Services, and chaos has ensued. So far, RFK Jr. is ignoring the advice of experts and bringing along his cronies to push vaccine skepticism. It could have a devastating impact on the health of Americans for years to come. We're joined by Former CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden, who cu…

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BBC's The Global Story 6:16

19h ago6:16

6:16

Hear a teaser for The Global Story, the daily BBC news podcast that covers the intersection where the world and America meet. Find The Global Story on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.By The Al Franken Podcast

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Randi Weingarten on Defending Our Public Education 44:30

7d ago44:30

44:30

We are joined by Randi Weingarten, the President of the American Federation of Teachers, to discuss her new book, “Why Fascists Fear Teachers: Public Education and the Future of Democracy.” In the book, Weingarten details how there has been a systematic demonization of teachers and public education in America. She argues that one of the pillars of …

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Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott on Reducing Violent Crime 41:31

13d ago41:31

41:31

Baltimore, Maryland is one of Donald Trump's most frequent targets when talking about crime in America. As the President continues to threaten to send troops into American cities, we wanted to hear from Baltimore's mayor, Brandon Scott. Since Mayor Scott took office, the city has seen a dramatic drop in violent crime. He explains his policies and h…

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The Culture of Play: Gary Ware 59:46

12d ago59:46

59:46

Gary Ware is a creative yet strategic Play Consultant that was brought here to make your life even better than it already is. By day, Gary helps companies and professionals level up their skills, and by night he is an improv comedian. In between all of Gary’s passions, his most desirous one is helping people become the best versions of themselves t…

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War Correspondent Tim Mak on the War in Ukraine 46:13

17d ago46:13

46:13

Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin in Alaska last month and came up empty handed... No ceasefire, no concessions, nothing. So what does the future of the war in Ukraine look like? We turn to journalist Tim Mak who has been based in Kiev since the start of the war. Tim is the founder of The Counteroffensive, a Substack that ch…

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BEST OF: Bob Odenkirk on Comedy (and Drama)! 53:46

24d ago53:46

53:46

In this Best Of episode, we revisit our 2022 conversation with comedian and actor Bob Odenkirk! We got to hear from him about his memoir “Comedy, Comedy, Comedy, Drama” and his early beginnings writing comedy in grade school. We reminisce about our days together at Saturday Night Live and discuss some of our favorite sketches. We also talk about hi…

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Barbara McQuade and Daniel Richman on Trump’s Politicization of the DOJ 54:53

1M ago54:53

54:53

In his second term, Donald Trump has upended many American institutions, but perhaps none more than the Department of Justice. He's filled the DOJ with lackeys, like AG Pam Bondi, who are corrupting our system of justice in ways never seen before. We're joined by two veterans of the DOJ: Barbara McQuade, professor at University of Michigan Law Scho…

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Ari Berman on the GOP’s Gerrymandering Plot 49:20

1M ago49:20

49:20

With Donald Trump and the Republican Party low in the polls, Texas is resorting to one of their favorite ways to win voters: cheating. They’ve drawn new maps to implement unprecedented gerrymandering, taking away five Democratic-held seats - all done at Trump’s insistence, of course. We're joined by Ari Berman, national voting rights correspondent …

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The Culture of Narrative with Michael Margolis 1:20:49

1M ago1:20:49

1:20:49

Michael Margolis the CEO of Storied, Inc – #1 narrative expert in tech Works with C-suite and VP leaders that need to get their story straight Clients include product execs at Meta, Google, Shopify, Uber, Salesforce $13B+ in investments thru executive buy-in and influence at scale 500+ keynotes and talks for Microsoft, Visa, Moody’s, SXSW, TEDx Aut…

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Franklin Foer on the Famine in Gaza 50:15

2M ago50:15

50:15

Gaza faces mass starvation as Israel blocks critical food and aid to the region. We're joined by The Atlantic's Franklin Foer to discuss his recent piece, “Israel's Last Chance,” and how the only answer to this atrocity is for Israel to flood Gaza with food. Foer also discusses the legitimate criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu, while acknowledging tha…

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Jonathan Alter on Trump’s Authoritarian Police State 45:44

2M ago45:44

45:44

We're joined by journalist and best-selling author, Jonathan Alter, to dig deeper into the latest in Trump’s America. Jonathan’s most recent piece in Washington Monthly explains how the BBB’s enormous funding for ICE will turn America into a police state. With over 75 billion dollars, ICE will now be bigger than all American law enforcement agencie…

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Kevin Nealon on His Career in Comedy! 1:03:02

2M ago1:03:02

1:03:02

We're thrilled to welcome an old friend from Al’s SNL days, comedian Kevin Nealon! Kevin and Al trade stories from working together on Saturday Night Live and discuss how the show has changed over the years. Kevin shares how he created several trademark bits, including Mr. Subliminal and Hans and Franz. Plus, we get backstories on some sketches tha…

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Catherine Rampell on Trump’s Economic Policies 39:49

2M ago39:49

39:49

We’re joined by Washington Post columnist and co-host of MSNBC's The Weekend, Catherine Rampell! Catherine breaks down what the Big, Beautiful Bill means for Americans and why it's been so important for Trump and the Republicans to get it done. It will balloon our deficit and gut the social safety net. And for what? Tax breaks for the richest Ameri…

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The Culture of Ai with Ion Valiskakis 1:17:08

2M ago1:17:08

1:17:08

Today’s guest is Ion Valaskakis — an executive coach, AI strategist, and expert in helping people thrive at the intersection of technology, neuroscience, and human performance. He’s the founder of Prometheus Strategic Advisors and writes the popular IoNTELLIGENCE newsletter, where he shares practical ways to upgrade your brain and master AI in toda…

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Dahlia Lithwick on The Godawful SCOTUS Term 48:54

2M ago48:54

48:54

Another devastating term of Trump's Supreme Court has come to a close. There's a lot to be angry about, so we're joined by Dahlia Lithwick, our authority on all things SCOTUS and host of Slate’s podcast, Amicus. Dahlia explains how this Supreme Court is using the "shadow docket" to advance bad policy without full briefings or arguments and how the …

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Marc Elias on Trump’s Authoritarian Second Term 46:24

3M ago46:24

46:24

One of Donald Trump's priorities when he returned to the White House was to target law firms that he felt had wronged him. While some immediately caved to his demands, others fought back... and won. We're joined by Marc Elias, preeminent election lawyer and founder of Democracy Docket, to discuss Trump using his second term to settle personal score…

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CNN’s Kasie Hunt on Her Career & Trump II 50:48

3M ago50:48

50:48

We are joined by CNN Anchor and Chief National Affairs Analyst Kasie Hunt for her first time on the podcast! It's a very fun conversation covering her work and what inspired her to follow her passion for journalism. She discusses the early days of her career covering Obama, Congress, and the passage of the Affordable Care Act. We also talk about ho…

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Molly Jong-Fast on her Bestselling Memoir! 47:15

3M ago47:15

47:15

We are joined by Molly Jong-Fast this week to discuss her new book, “How to Lose Your Mother: A Daughter's Memoir.” We've had Molly on the podcast many times, but you've never heard her like this! She discusses growing up in the shadow of her mother, feminist icon Erica Jong, and their relationship over the years. Molly shares stories of her mother…

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Heather McGhee on Trump’s Wars on DEI and Immigration 47:59

3M ago47:59

47:59

The Trump administration is waging war on DEI. But what does that mean? We ask one of our favorite guests, Heather McGhee, to break down how and why DEI has become such a focus for Trump and his allies. Heather wrote the groundbreaking book “The Sum of Us” and is an expert in economic and social policy. She explains that diversity is the backbone o…

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YouTube Sensation David Pakman on The Big, Beautiful Bill and More! 40:06

4M ago40:06

40:06

First time guest David Pakman joins us for this week's show! David is a political commentator and hosts one of the most watched independent progressive programs in the country. With over 3 million YouTube subscribers, David spreads truth and commentary on the devastating impact Donald Trump is having on our country. Al and David kick around news ou…

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George Packer on Vice President JD Vance 33:17

4M ago33:17

33:17

JD Vance has had an unorthodox rise to power. After a troubled childhood, he joined the Marines, graduated from Yale Law School, became a best-selling author, and then won a seat in the U.S. Senate. And now, at only 40, he is Vice President to Donald Trump, a man who Vance once described as "America's Hitler" and "cultural heroin." We’re joined by …

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225: BEST OF: Ed Shelleby on Being My Senate Communications Director 49:30

4M ago49:30

49:30

In this Best Of episode, we revisit our conversation with Al’s former Senate Communications Director, Ed Shelleby, to relive their time working together. Ed tells tales of him TRYING to manage Al's comedic impulses in serious situations, but also talks about the great work they accomplished together. Ed shares several behind-the-scenes stories incl…

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224: Michael Lewis on Amazing Government Workers 32:10

4M ago32:10

32:10

From the start of Donald Trump's second term, he's been eager to cut the federal workforce. So, Elon Musk headed the newly minted DOGE to begin slashing tens of thousands of jobs. Our friend, Michael Lewis, author of "The Big Short" and, most recently, "Who is Government?," joins us to share stories of public servants who not only improved this cou…

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223: Dahlia Lithwick on the Courts vs. Trump 44:13

5M ago44:13

44:13

We're joined by Dahlia Lithwick, award-winning journalist, author, and host of the Amicus podcast. Dahlia looks at the judicial pushback against the Trump administration, as the Courts have stood up to Trump's policies on birthright citizenship and deportation. We also discuss Trump’s targeting of law firms. The Supreme Court notably ruled 9-0 that…

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222: Mark Leibovich and Molly Jong-Fast on Trump’s 100 Days 46:36

5M ago46:36

46:36

Trump’s first 100 days back in office have been a whirlwind filled with chaotic, confusing, and authoritarian behavior and very little thoughtful policy - the perfect opportunity to welcome back our friends, Mark Leibovich of The Atlantic and Molly Jong-Fast, host of the Fast Politics Podcast. These 100 days have been filled with bizarre stories th…

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221: Robert Reich on Fighting The Trump Autocracy 45:39

5M ago45:39

45:39

Every day we see this country inch closer to authoritarianism under Donald Trump. We're joined by Robert Reich, political economist, professor, author, and former Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton. We cover how Reich thinks Democrats should fight back against this era of oligarchy in America. He explains the power of protest and lays out the me…

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220: BEST OF: Tim Alberta on Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism 59:35

5M ago59:35

59:35

In this Best Of episode, we revisit our conversation with Tim Alberta, the author of the profoundly disturbing book "The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory,” which was released before the 2024 election. In this interview, he explains how evangelicals have been turned into a political tool for the Republican Party. Alberta grew up in the evangelical …

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219: Atul Gawande on Musk’s Destruction of USAID 43:50

6M ago43:50

43:50

Elon Musk and DOGE have been taking a chainsaw to the federal government since Trump was re-elected. It could take us generations to fully recover from the damage inflicted by the careless and cruel nature of these cuts. We're joined by American surgeon, author, and public health advocate Atul Gawande to discuss just how devastating these actions a…

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218: Catherine Rampell on Trump’s Tariffs and DOGE 53:04

6M ago53:04

53:04

Despite widespread warnings about what economic havoc they could cause, Donald Trump announced his plan to put tariffs on nearly every nation in the world. Catherine Rampell, opinion columnist for The Washington Post and co-host of MSNBC’s The Weekend, gives her instant reaction to Trump's plan. If history (and the current stock market) is any indi…

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217: Jessica Yellin on Our Anxiety Producing News Cycle 37:57

6M ago37:57

37:57

A potentially catastrophic breach of security within The White House has set off alarm bells for both Republicans and Democrats in D.C. Independent journalist Jessica Yellin joins us to discuss SignalGate. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz are both under fire after The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg was added t…

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216: Norm Ornstein on Another Terrible Week in D.C. 34:31

6M ago34:31

34:31

It's been another chaotic week in Donald Trump's America, and we're thrilled to have our good friend, Norm Ornstein, back on the podcast. We talk about Trump's Executive Order TO dismantle the Department of Education and what that could mean to communities across the country. We also break down the divisions in the Democratic Party and why Leader C…

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215: BEST OF: Trae Crowder on Comedy and The Liberal Redneck 42:48

6M ago42:48

42:48

In this Best Of episode, we revisit our conversation with Trae Crowder, the viral comedian from Tennessee aka The Liberal Redneck. We talk about Trae's upbringing in a red state, why rednecks are Trumpies, and what happens to a community when the jobs leave. Listen to Trae’s take on Trump's appeal to voting rednecks, even though they might have see…

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214: Mark Leibovich on the Week in Washington 39:45

7M ago39:45

39:45

We're joined by our friend Mark Leibovich of The Atlantic to break down a wild week in Washington D.C.! Donald Trump gave his address to Congress. It was the longest one ever and didn't seem to say much (except blame Joe Biden for all of the country's problems). We also take a look at America's deteriorating relationship with Ukraine and how Republ…

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213: War Correspondent Tim Mak on Russia and Ukraine 50:01

7M ago50:01

50:01

As Trump and his administration try to rewrite history and say that Ukraine started the war with Russia, we're joined by Tim Mak, war correspondent and founder of The Counteroffensive. Tim has been living in Kyiv since the beginning of Russia’s invasion and discusses the toll that the war has taken on the people of Ukraine. He examines what kind of…

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212: Sarah Longwell on Voter Reactions to Trump's First Month 49:28

7M ago49:28

49:28

A month into Donald Trump's second term, how do voters feel about the job he's doing? We talk to Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark and host of The Focus Group podcast. We discuss how Trump is currently in the "honeymoon" period of his presidency and how plenty of voters are just happy that Trump is doing SOMETHING. Sarah also gives advice to…

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211: SPECIAL: Al on SNL's 50th 1:03:20

7M ago1:03:20

1:03:20

We're celebrating the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live this week! This special episode changes things up a bit as Executive Producer Peter Ogburn asks Al about his history with the show. We pull the curtain back on what a typical week looks like building up to the live show on Saturday and learn about how Al and his writing partner, Tom Davi…

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210: Molly O’Toole on Immigration 42:04

8M ago42:04

42:04

Donald Trump ran on a platform of mass deportations. Now that he's back in the White House, what does that look like? We're joined by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Molly O'Toole, whose upcoming book “The Route” details global migration through the Americas. Molly has spoken to hundreds of migrants making their way from war-torn countries to be …

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209: Peter Beinart on Israel and Gaza 37:14

8M ago37:14

37:14

With a confusing ceasefire deal underway in Gaza, we take a look at the path forward with Peter Beinart. Beinart serves as editor-at-large for Jewish Currents, is a frequent analyst on MSNBC, and has authored a new book, "Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning." The book examines the history of Israel and how Jews have responded to…

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208: Molly Jong-Fast on Trump’s First Week 42:58

8M ago42:58

42:58

President Donald Trump was sworn in (again) this week. Who better than Molly Jong-Fast from the Fast Politics podcast to join us to discuss his first week in office? We relive some quotable moments from his inaugural address and look at his most damaging executive orders. We also rundown some of the Cabinet nominees. Is anyone going to be stopped? …

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207: Ian Bassin on Saving Our Democracy 44:34

8M ago44:34

44:34

Donald Trump's unprecedented second term is upon us. As we prepare to endure another (at least) 4 years of this, we are joined by Ian Bassin, the co-founder and Executive Director of Protect Democracy. Trump has already promised to undermine democracy in America. How can we fight back? And how can we mount a defense to the coming onslaught? We also…

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206: Dana Milbank on The Nutcase Republican House 42:25

9M ago42:25

42:25

Dana Milbank, Washington Post Opinion columnist joins us this week! His latest book, "Fools on the Hill: The Hooligans, Saboteurs, Conspiracy Theories and Dunces who Burned Down the House", chronicles the ineffectiveness of the members of the U.S House. He makes the case that the MAGA members in the House have turned it into a dysfunctional nightma…

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205: BEST OF: Scott Galloway 36:49

9M ago36:49

36:49

Professor Scott Galloway is our guest in this New Year's Best Of. Galloway has thoughts on the current political climate and how extreme most of the Republican agenda is these days. He also speaks about how modern politics and policies have left our young people disaffected and feeling left out of the political process. From minimum wage to college…

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204: BEST OF: SNL's Jim Downey 1:07:15

9M ago1:07:15

1:07:15

In this Best Of episode, we revisit the conversation from earlier this year with SNL writer and producer Jim Downey. Al and Jim worked on several iconic sketches and remember some of their favorite political bits from the history of the show. They also discuss the importance of rewarding audiences for knowing stuff but not punishing them for not kn…

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203: The Atlantic's George Packer on the End of Democratic Delusions 41:48

9M ago41:48

41:48

The Atlantic's George Packer joins us to discuss his recent piece titled The End of Democratic Delusions. Packer discusses the new era that Donald Trump has ushered in and what that means to politics moving forward. Trump won a close election, but it's a moment for the Democratic establishment to take a look at their shortcomings and redevelop thei…

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202: Anne Applebaum & Frank Foer on Syria, The Middle East, and Ukraine 44:14

10M ago44:14

44:14

We're joined by two of our favorite foreign policy writers to examine what the end of Bashar al-Assad’s regime means to Syria and the region. Frank Foer and Anne Applebaum from The Atlantic also look toward the incoming Trump administration and what lies ahead. Can Trump be a steady hand to stop escalating war around the world? How will Israel reac…

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201: WaPo's Aaron Blake on The Transition 36:15

10M ago36:15

36:15

As we move closer to the second Trump administration, we are learning more about his incoming Cabinet. Aaron Blake, senior political reporter and author/host of The Campaign Moment newsletter and podcast for the Washington Post joins us to discuss some of Trump's Cabinet picks and their struggles to be confirmed. Also, the American people seem to o…

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200: BEST OF: Anne Applebaum on her book Autocracy, Inc. 34:18

10M ago34:18

34:18

In this Thanksgiving Best Of, we revisit our conversation with our friend Anne Applebaum! We aired this a few months ago when Anne's newest book, Autocracy Inc., had been released. She chronicles the rise of authoritarianism around the world and how those autocracies work together to keep themselves in power. With Donald Trump elected President onc…

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199: David Axelrod on The Trump Transition 40:49

10M ago40:49

40:49

Donald Trump's Cabinet selection is about as chaotic as we expected it to be. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name for Attorney General after a number of Republican Senators expressed concern with the pick. We're joined by David Axelrod, who says that Republicans in the Senate have more power than you might expect. David also examines how Democrats, the pa…

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198: David Weigel - Political Writer for Semafor 54:10

10M ago54:10

54:10

The incoming Trump administration has started announcing some of the picks for the incoming Cabinet. Somehow, they're worse than you could have imagined. We break down some of the unsavory characters who might be making policy in Trump's second term with political reporter for Semafor, David Weigel. Weigel also explains how the right wing media eco…