
The Bill Press Pod
Deep dives into the crucial issues and emergencies facing America with the people trying to solve them.
Latest episodes

Dec 12, 2023 • 43min
How Can Evangelicals Support Trump? With Tim Alberta
Tim Alberta is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of the great new book, The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism. You can get your copy here. He was previously the chief political correspondent for Politico. He is also the author of American Carnage: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump. In this episode Alberta, a former seminarian and son of an evangelical pastor, discusses his personal experience with evangelical faith and the intersection of faith and politics. He explores the influence of evangelicalism on American politics, particularly in relation to Donald Trump and the rise of Christian nationalism. Alberta argues that the politicization of faith has had a negative impact on the church, leading to a decline in religious identification and attendance. He also addresses the role of race in the evangelical movement and the challenges of reconciling politics with the teachings of Jesus. Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, America’s largest and most diverse union. More information at Teamster.org.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dec 8, 2023 • 35min
"Explicit and Shocking." The Reporters' Roundtable December 8
Kevin Quits. Narrow House Majority. Ukraine/Border Fight. Blurred J6 Footage. “Moses” Mike Johnson. GOP Debate.(Why?) Haley Debates Well. Liz Cheney’s Warnings. Trump Dictator Day One. Hunter Biden Tax Charges. With Maya King, Politics reporter for The New York Times, covering the South, Linda Feldmann, Washington bureau chief, White House/politics correspondent at Christian Science Monitor. Host of the Monitor Breakfast and Arthur Delaney, Political Reporter at HuffPost. Today Bill suggests a great holiday gift: a one-of-a-kind scarf from his wife, Carol. Woven from Rayon Chenille or Bamboo, they make a great gift of warmth for the people you love. You can see the amazing designs at CarolPressScarves.com. Order now and they will arrive before Christmas.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dec 5, 2023 • 42min
"The Future is Unwritten" with Historian Heather Cox Richardson
Everyday, Boston College historian Heather Cox Richardson writes the newsletter, Letters from an American, A newsletter about the history behind today's politics. You can get it here. It is one of the most popular newsletters in America with over 1.3 million daily subscribers. That's a lot. She is a Professor of History at Boston College, where she teaches courses on the American Civil War, the Reconstruction Era, the American West, and the Plains Indians. Her latest book is Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America. This is the book we saw President Biden buy on his Thanksgiving vacation. You can get it here. On the podcast Bill and Professor Richardson discuss the importance of the upcoming presidential election and the threat to democracy in the United States. They also touch on topics such as the role of race and religion in American politics, the Ukraine conflict, and the potential for a two-state solution in the Middle East. Richardson expresses optimism about the future, citing historical examples of Americans standing up for democracy in challenging times.Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The United Food and Commercial Workers Union. They are the union members we most often see at our grocery stores, pharmacies, and retail department stores. They also work in food processing plants and in the cannabis industry. More information at UFCW.org. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dec 1, 2023 • 47min
"Two Things Can be True." The Reporters' Roundtable. December 1
Santos Expulsion Drama. “Trump’s Not Eating.” Right. McCarthy Quitting? Impeachment Fiasco. Haley Momentum? So What. Newsom-DeSantis Debate. Why? Israel Drags Down Biden. Favorite Stories! With Philip Bump, National Columnist for The Washington Post and author of the How To Read This Chart newsletter and the book, The Aftermath, Jason Dick, Editor in Chief at CQ Roll Call, Political Theater podcast host and Leah Askarinam, one of the top DC elections analysts. Today Bill suggests a great holiday gift: a one-of-a-kind scarf from his wife, Carol. Woven from Rayon Chenille or Bamboo, they make a great gift of warmth for the people you love. You can see the amazing designs at CarolPressScarves.com. Order now and they will arrive before Christmas. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nov 28, 2023 • 38min
Trump is "The Biggest Loser." With ABC News' Jonathan Karl
This is Jonathan Karl's third book on Trump, the three privately known together as the "Treason Trilogy." Karl is ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent. The book is Tired of Winning: Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party . You can get your copy here. The book is based on his interviews with Donald Trump and top Trump officials, and paints a picture of a chaotic and directionless White House under Trump's leadership. Karl argues that Trump personally led the charge to overthrow the government on January 6th and remains a clear and present danger to democracy. He also discusses the loyalty Trump demands from his supporters and the potential consequences if Trump were to be reelected in 2024. Karl concludes by urging voters to understand the stakes and the potential dangers of a Trump return to power. Today Bill highlights the work of the Laborers' International Union of North America. A union at the heart of the American Labor Movement. More information at LIUNA.org See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nov 24, 2023 • 40min
Dinner With the President. Breaking Bread at the White House
Special for the day after Thanksgiving. What a president eats can tell you a lot about the man. What he serves to people at the White House is also revealing. All that is the subject of a new book by Alex Prud’homme, Dinner With The President: Food, Politics, and a History of Breaking Bread at the White House. You can buy it here. Prud’homme is the author, with his great aunt Julia Child of My Life in France, a New York Times bestseller and the inspiration for half of the movie, Julie and Julia. He's also written several important nonfiction books so he is well positioned to look at food and politics at the White House.Today Bill has a great holiday gift idea! One of a kind, hand-loomed rayon chenille and bamboo scarves by his weaver wife, Carol Press. Check out the beautiful and unique designs at CarolPressScarves.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nov 21, 2023 • 39min
Life in the Golden Age of Hollywood and DC with George Stevens, Jr.
John Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, Sidney Poitier, Edward R. Murrow, James Earl Jones, Steven Spielberg, Laurence Fishburne, Robert Wagner, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and George Stevens, Sr., just a few of the people we meet in Bill's interview with George Stevens, Jr. In addition to working with his father, the legendary film director George Stevens. Sr., George Stevens, Jr. was a successful producer and director in Hollywood before being lured to Washington as a member of Edward R. Murrow’s team at the United States Information Agency during the Kennedy administration. Stevens founded the American Film institute and created the Kennedy Center Honors. He ran those for 37 years, interacting with the greatest artists and performers of our time and presidents from Carter to Obama. He's captured it all in a new book, a memoir, entitled My Place in the Sun: Life in the Golden Age of Hollywood and Washington. You can get your own copy here.Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. America's most diverse union, as they like to say, from A to Z. From airline pilots to zookeepers. More information at teamsters.orgSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nov 17, 2023 • 45min
"The Real Challenge." The Reporters' Roundtable November 17
GOP Reps Fight Club. Santos Doomed. Israel Divides Democrats. GOP Abortion Woes. Trump’s Vermin Libel. Biden’s 2024 Themes. Biden-Xi Summit. Pandas! With Ginger Gibson, Senior DC Editor for NBC News, Alex Seitz-Wald, Senior Digital Reporter for NBC News, Amanda Becker, covering DC and politics for 19th News and Igor Bobic, Senior Political Reporter for Huff Post. Today's Bill Press Pod is supported by The United Food and Commercial Workers Union. More information at UFCW.orgSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nov 14, 2023 • 42min
Network of Lies with Brian Stelter.
Brian Stelter is one of the top reporters covering the media. After covering media for The New York Times, he had a long career at CNN on the same beat as host of the weekly show, Reliable Services. He is a Special Correspondent for Vanity Fair. And the author of the new book, Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Battle for American Democracy. You can buy a copy here. Bill and Brian explore the close relationship between Fox News and Donald Trump. Stelter discusses how Fox News hosts coordinated with White House officials to spread false information about voter fraud after the 2020 election. He also highlights the extent to which Fox News and Trump are intertwined, and how this relationship has influenced the network's coverage. Stelter argues that Fox News has become an extreme and anti-democratic outlet, and that the media as a whole is struggling to cover a radicalized Republican Party. He also touches on the coverage of the Israel-Palestine conflict and the challenges faced by journalists reporting from the region.Today Bill gives a shoutout to the actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA. They secured an historic settlement with the studios gaining compensation from streaming and protections from Artificial Intelligence. After the Writers Guild and United Auto Workers wins it sure looks like unions are back!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nov 10, 2023 • 49min
"It's like an onion." The Reporters' Roundtable November 10
KY: Beshear Wins. VA: Youngkin Loses. OH: Abortion Rights Wins. Joe Manchin’s Future. 3rd Party Threats. GOP Debate: Why? Trump Confused. Ivanka Testifies. Shutdown Looming. With Lynn Sweet, columnist and Washington Bureau Chief at the Chicago Sun-Times, John Bennett, Editor-at-Large & Analysis Columnist, CQ Roll Call, writer of the CQ Afternoon Briefing and Emily Goodin, U.S. political reporter for DailyMail.com. Today Bill has a great holiday gift idea! One of a kind, hand-loomed rayon chenille and bamboo scarves by his weaver wife, Carol Press. Check out the beautiful and unique designs at CarolPressScarves.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.