P.M. Edition for July 2. The U.S. has been adding jobs at a respectable clip, though the pace has been slowing. But WSJ economics reporter Justin Lahart reports that the labor market is showing other signs of softness. Plus, Tesla reports disappointing second quarter numbers, following months of declining sales. WSJ reporter Becky Peterson discusses why investors are still optimistic about the company. And Sean “Diddy” Combs was found not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking but was convicted of less serious offenses. Alex Ossola hosts.
After a marathon 27-hour session, Senate Republicans passed their version of President Trump's “big, beautiful bill.” Getting enough senators on board meant last-minute wrangling over key issues, including Medicaid, clean energy and the deficit. WSJ's Richard Rubin explains how Senate Republicans got to a “yes” vote, and what needs to happen before Trump can sign the bill into law. Annie Minoff hosts.
There’s a long-held belief that after the death of Buddy Holly rock & roll lost its way until the arrival of the Beatles. Early '60s rock was still growing in popularity, but the airwaves were ruled by teen idols, girl groups and novelty songs. However, that’s not the full story. This could be seen as a time of innocence and tremendous creativity which shattered with the assassination of President Kennedy.
We talk a bit more about Trump v. CASA, revisit the usage of "general," answer some voicemails, and then turn to Gutierrez v. Saenz, a procedural tangle about whether a death row inmate can sue a state prosecutor over access to DNA testing.
Ravi welcomes The Atlantic’s Tyler Austin Harper back to the show for a wide-ranging conversation on some of the week’s biggest headlines, from the Diddy verdict and the dangers of prosecutorial outreach to Bernie Sanders’ recent appearance on Rogan and Trump’s escalating legal attacks on the press.
They then turn to Zohran Mamdani’s win in the New York City mayoral primary and explore what the victory suggests about shifting ideas of political “moderation” and deep divides within Democratic messaging.
Finally, Ravi and Tyler dive into Tyler's recent piece, "What We Lose When We're Priced Out of Our Hobbies,"reflecting on the value of personal passions and their growing role as a political and social force.
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NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with Zohran Mamdani about his vision for New York City and his surprise win in the Democratic primary for mayor. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter. Today's episode of Up First was edited by Arezou Rezvani and produced by Mansee Khurana and Lilly Quiroz. Our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.
Trump has moved public opinion against his own immigration policy platform by sending masked agents out to nab people off the street. So, Democrats should skip the last war, and instead push for laws requiring ICE agents to show their faces and wear their names on their badge. And another no-brainer for the midterms, in light of the Big Ugly Bill: they should also grab the green eyeshades and talk up the dangers from the debt and deficit. Plus, the electoral calculations behind slashing Medicaid, a Democratic primary draft for 2028, and what was Murkowski thinking?
Contrary to popular myth, every Republican president since and including Herbert Hoover has increased the federal government's size, scope, or power. Over the last one hundred years, of the five presidents who presided over the largest domestic spending increases, four were Republicans.
As Independence Day approaches we sat down with Virginia’s new “Conservative Influencer” to talk about the founding of the nation, the struggles it’s had with socialism and how Nick Freitas’ life has changed since he announced that he was not going to seek re-election to focus on his “Making the Argument” podcast.
