Government & Politics

One of the most influential writers to emerge during the civil rights era, Baldwin, who died in 1987, spoke to Terry Gross in 1986 about growing up in Harlem and his decision to move to France.

Hezbollah, the militant group based in Lebanon, shares Hamas’ goal of destroying the state of Israel. New Yorker writer Dexter Filkins talks about his reporting trip to the Lebanese/Israeli border.

Anne Applebaum, has been writing for years about the rise in authoritarianism around the world and the erosion of democracy. Her latest book, "Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want To Run The World," is a potent read on how today's autocracies are not just ruled by one powerful leader, but are instead a sophisticated interconnected network.

The shooter who tried to assassinate the former president used an AR-15. Pulitzer-winning Washington Post reporter Todd Frankel explains why this rifle is the weapon of choice for mass shooters.

David Madland of the Center for American Progress says new, “good” jobs are on the rise, but many of the workers don’t realize it’s a result of Biden’s new industrial policies.

Brodesser-Akner's novel centers on the kidnapping of a rich businessman, and the impact, decades later, on his grown children. Her previous book is Fleishman Is In Trouble.

David Tatel, a former judge on the nation’s second highest court, shares his concerns about the state of our democracy and our judiciary. His new book is Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and Justice.

New York Times political correspondent Shane Goldmacher says the debate will look different from the one four years ago, with no audience and mics that can be muted should things get unwieldy.

The comic, actor and filmmaker came to the U.S. from El Salvador in his 20s. Torres tackled immigration in Problemista; his new HBO comedy series is Fantasmas. Originally broadcast March 24, 2024.

While reporting on Harvey Weinstein, Farrow unearthed details of the National Enquirer’s plan to pay for damaging stories about Trump and then bury the stories — a practice known as "catch and kill."

In his memoir, Small Acts of Courage, Velshi traces his family’s journey, from India to South Africa — where his grandfather crossed paths with Mahatma Gandhi — to Kenya, Canada and the U.S.

In Fat Leonard, journalist Craig Whitlock tells the story of a defense contractor who plied Navy commanders with lavish meals, trips, cash and sex workers. In return they let him overcharge taxpayers.

The Economist Middle East correspondent Gregg Carlstrom explains why some Arab leaders hate Hamas, fear Iran and have some sympathy for Israel — although not for how Israel is waging the war.

In The Demon of Unrest, author Erik Larson chronicles the five months between the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and the start of the Civil War, drawing parallels to today's political climate.

In his new book, Minority Rule, Berman connects the debates and compromises of the country's founders to contemporary politics. He says the founding fathers created a system that concentrated power in the hands of the elite and that today, institutions like the Electoral College and the Senate — designed as a check against the power of the majority — are having much the same effect.

Writer SALMAN RUSHDIE. Two years ago he was nearly killed at a festival about keeping writers safe from harm. He had just come on stage, when an assailant ran onto the stage, came at him with a knife and kept stabbing Rushdie, for 27 seconds. There was so much damage and blood loss, it’s remarkable he survived. RUSHDIE’S attacker is a muslim extremist, who wasn’t even born when the fatwa, a religious ruling, calling for Rushdie's death was issued by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini. SALMAN RUSHDIE’s new memoir is called Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder.

In her new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking, Montell says that our brains are overloaded with a constant stream of information that stokes our innate tendency to believe conspiracy theories and mysticism.

In 2020, voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of hard drugs. Journalist E. Tammy Kim explains how and why public opinion has turned.

Reporter Jake Adelstein's memoir about covering the organized crime beat in Japan is the basis of the Max series Tokyo Vice, now in its second season. Originally broadcast Nov. 9, 2009.

Marijuana has been legalized in some states, but ProPublica's Sebastian Rotella says there's still a thriving illicit market, dominated by criminals connected to China's authoritarian government.