The Dispatch Podcast

This is the audio version of the story documenting the creation and passage of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. The story is based on more than 21 hours of interviews with more than two dozen people involved, including lawmakers, staff, and human rights advocates. Show Notes:-PDF: How the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Became Law-Introduction and Part 1-Parts 2 and 3-Parts 4 and 5-Parts 6 and 7-Parts 8 and 9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah, Steve, and Jonah dive into a delightful political potpourri, tackling everything from the Biden administration’s possible gas tax holiday to immigration and the Georgia congressional runoffs. They also discuss the House Select Committee’s January 6 hearing on Tuesday, which produced some interesting testimonies. Show Notes:-TMD: “Biden’s Mixed Messages on Oil”-Karl Rove in the Wall Street Journal: “Biden Got the Energy Market He Wanted”-Capitolism: “Fueling Uncertainty”-TMD: “How Trump and His Aides Pressured State Officials” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Remember when filling up your gas tank didn’t cost the same amount as your weekly grocery bill? Leslie Beyer, CEO of the Energy Workforce & Technology Council, and Skanda Amarnath, the Executive Director at Employ America, join Declan to discuss the oil and gas supply issues America faces. The Biden administration’s current approach to the sector doesn’t inspire much confidence prices will come down any time soon, but there are levers policymakers could pull to ease the pain at the pump. Show Notes:-Capitolism: “Fueling Uncertainty”-Employ America Research Report Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been another week of interesting primary elections, and Sarah, David, Jonah, and Andrew discuss what we learned from Texas and South Carolina. Then our hosts dive into the details of the framework for a possible Senate gun bill and whether the House will learn to settle for compromise, not perfection. Finally, what are the key takeaways from the January 6 House Select Committee so far? Show Notes:-The Sweep: The Value of a Trump Endorsement-The Dispatch: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the January 6 Committee-The Sweep: The Politics of the January 6 Hearings-Uphill: The Way Forward for the Senate’s Gun Violence Bill-The Dispatch: Can We Make Red Flag Laws Work? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thiru Vignarajah, former deputy attorney general of Maryland, joins Sarah to talk about all things Baltimore: violent crime, reforming police practices, and the Baltimore City state’s attorney race. Plus: What might help bring down gun violence in major cities? Show Notes:-Justiceforbaltimore.com-French Press: Against Gun Idolatry-The Dispatch: Can We Make Red Flag Laws Work? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol held its first hearing Thursday night. Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and David discuss its fact-based and substantive approach to investigating what happened at the Capitol riots, and whether the Republican Party will hold former President Donald Trump accountable. Then our panel turns to the question of political violence in America: Is our political rhetoric out of control? Our hosts then cover how the California primaries are off to an interesting start with progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin’s recall on Tuesday. Show Notes:-The Dispatch: “Primetime Hearing Focuses on the Plan Behind January 6”-TMD: “January 6 Revisited”-Uphill: “January 6 Through the Images and Words of Those Who Lived It”-The Dispatch: “What Chesa Boudin’s Recall Says About Criminal Justice Reform”-The Atlantic: “How San Francisco Became a Failed City” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chuck Todd, host of NBC’s Meet the Press, joins Steve to discuss the public’s eroding trust in politicians and the political system. An alarming Pew Research poll turns the conversation to how context and nuance have been lost in political journalism and campaign coverage. Steve and Todd also cover the Trump divide within the Republican Party, what the January 6 Committee might tell us this week, and, of course, whether the Green Bay Packers will make the Super Bowl next season. Show Notes:-Pew Research: “Americans’ Views of Government”-The Sweep: “Why Issues Don’t Change Votes” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started almost 100 days ago. Our hosts are here to discuss the latest from the war and America’s role. Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and David then turn to the gun debate at home: Will mass shootings in recent weeks produce different political results than past tragedies? Finally they preview next week’s January 6 hearings on Capitol Hill. Show Notes:-French Press: “The Tide Is Turning Toward Russia”-The Dispatch: “​​A Marshall Plan for Ukraine?”-TMD: “100 Days of War in Ukraine”-New York Times: “Voters Say They Want Gun Control. Their Votes Say Something Different.”-New York Times: “A Timeline of Failed Attempts to Address U.S. Gun Violence”-RAND: “​​How Gun Policies Affect Mass Shootings”-RAND: “Facts About the Effects of Gun Policies Are Elusive but Important”-The Reload: “NRA Revenue Dropped $47 Million in 2021, Down $130 Million From Just 3 Years Prior”-San Diego Zoo Condor Cam Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Edward B. Foley, professor and director of the election law program at Ohio State, and Nick Troiano, executive director of Unite America, join Sarah for a conversation about reforming primaries. What does primary reform look like? Their conversation covers political science, history, and math. That’s right math. Can math save democracy? Show Notes:-Requiring Majority Winners for Congressional Elections-Foley in the Washington Post: “How our system of primary elections could destroy democracy”-The Sweep: “A Focus on the Problem with Primaries”-Unite America: “America Has a Primary Problem” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Tuesday, an 18-year-old gunman fatally shot 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Our hosts are here to discuss the latest updates and what comes next. Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and David then turn to this week’s round of primaries. What did they learn? They finish by discussing the latest from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. What does Russia’s Black Sea blockade mean for the world? Show Notes:-The Dispatch: “After Uvalde, What Now?”-Uphill: “Mass Shootings Reignite Gun Control Debate in Washington”-French Press: “Pass and Enforce Red Flag Laws. Now.”-The Sweep: “A Focus on the Problem with Primaries”-TMD: “A Big Night for GOP Incumbents”-The Dispatch: “Georgia Republicans Stick With Kemp by a Wide Margin” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices