Sidebar
The Washington Post’s Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann gather for a weekly in-depth conversation about politics and power. From presidential candidates to members of Congress to the judicial system, Sidebar dives deep on the topics and people at the forefront of the political conversation.
The crew sits down each Thursday (with the occasional breaking news episode) to discuss what has happened that week, and what’s coming up the next week – with guest appearances from Washington Post reporters.
Latest episodes
Aug 5, 2021 • 18min
One big threat to Biden’s agenda: The map
The 2022 midterm elections are still more than a year away. But the battle to win those races has already begun in the form of redrawing legislative and congressional districts. What can we learn about which party will emerge with the greatest advantage?Related episodes and reading‘How to Flip the House’ series Not the'normal' Washington Biden promisedHow a voting law ignited a culture war
Jul 29, 2021 • 24min
The future of the Jan. 6 commission
The ongoing probe may have implications for the 2022 midterm race and for President Biden’s promise to tackle white supremacist violence. What might findings reveal about where the U.S. is headed? And what can the hearings tell us about what’s to come?Republicans voice opposition to Jan. 6 investigation as police officers call for accountabilityWill Trump stop Congress from obtaining documents and testimonies?What happens when a president asserts executive privilege?
Jul 22, 2021 • 30min
Biden vs. the delta variant
The delta variant raises new challenges for the Biden administration: Will they change their approach to masking? What steps can they take to combat vaccine disinformation and get more Americans vaccinated? And is the economy at risk of another meltdown?Vaccine hesitancy at home, desperation abroadThe mystery of the pandemic’s origins(and what it means for Biden)White House officials debate masking push as covid infections spike
Jul 15, 2021 • 21min
Should the U.S. government still invest in space?
How does NASA fit in when billionaires fly to space? What are Biden’s plans for the space agency and how much of Trump’s initiatives does he plan to continue? And, ultimately, why should the government still invest in space exploration at all?Related episodes and readingAs China’s space ambitions grow, NASA tells Congress it needs more money to competeEverything you need to know about going to space
Jul 8, 2021 • 23min
Inside the Trump White House during the pandemic response
On this episode, Post Reports host Martine Powers talks to two Post reporters who reported on chaos in the early days of the pandemic including details about how sick President Trump was and his proposal to send infected Americans to Guantánamo.Inside the extraordinary effort to save Trump from covid-19Trump and science: An erosion of our institutions, in public and behind the scenesThe president’s desperate push to reopen America
Jul 1, 2021 • 19min
What makes a president a good (or bad) leader?
As Americans celebrates the country's founding, we examine the presidency. How is a president’s leadership measured over time, and how do cultural moments change our historical perception? We offer insight from C-SPAN's Presidential Historians Survey. 'The Framers would not recognize the modern presidency.’Promises made. Promises kept?C-SPAN’s Presidential Historians Survey 2021
Jun 24, 2021 • 25min
Biden’s evolution on criminal justice
The Biden administration is supporting a bill that would end the sentencing disparity in crack and powder cocaine offenses. But that disparity exists largely because of bills President Biden spearheaded in 80s and 90s. How much has Biden evolved?How an early Biden crime bill created the sentencing disparity for crack and cocaine traffickingBiden administration endorses bill to end disparity in drug sentencing between crack and powder cocaineMenthol cigarettes kill more Black Americans. Should Biden ban them?
Jun 17, 2021 • 25min
Washington’s revolving door hits Biden on the way in
President Biden promised a government where“public servants serve all Americans, not themselves or narrow special interests.” But one set of brothers pose a challenge to Biden's efforts to return to transparency and accountability in government. Related reading and episodesLobbyist brother of top Biden adviser poses challenge to president’s ethics promisesNot the'normal' Washington Biden promised
Jun 10, 2021 • 23min
Biden says ‘America is back’ on the world stage. Is it?
Can Biden rally the world’s democracies to meet today's challenges? And what might this trip reveal about the Biden foreign policy doctrine? On this episode, White House reporter Anne Gearan weighs in from Europe, as she travels with President Biden.Related reading and episodesBiden’s personal diplomacy to be tested on his first trip abroadOpinion: Joe Biden: My trip to Europe is about America rallying the world’s democraciesBiden, Boris Johnson release updated Atlantic Charter after first meeting
Jun 3, 2021 • 28min
The mystery of the pandemic’s origins (and what it means for Biden)
What are the geopolitical implications of the intelligence community"redoubling its efforts" to identify the pandemic's origins? And what are the political challenges for President Biden in acknowledging a theory once touted by the Trump administration?Vaccine hesitancy at home, desperation abroadCoronavirus‘lab leak’ theory jumps from mocked to maybe as Biden orders intelligence reviewTimeline: How the Wuhan lab-leak theory suddenly became credible
