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Harry Litman

Talking Feds is a roundtable discussion that brings together prominent former government officials, journalists, and special guests for a dynamic and in-depth analysis of the most pressing questions in law and politics.

Talking Feds

Harry turns to professor of medicine at Stanford, former Obama public policy official, and practicing primary care physician Dr. Kavita Patel to try to understand the Trump administration’s feverish transformation of federal health policy. Dr. Patel explains Trump’s warnings about tylenol, RFK Jr.’s plans for the CDC, and the costs of politicizing medicine. Dr. Patel offers a raw look at the reality of being a doctor amid these drastic changes, revealing details she’s never before shared publicly.
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Trump's Prescription for Chaos and Poor Health

In the wake of the shocking indictment of James Comey, Harry convenes DOJ veterans Paul Fishman and Mimi Rocah, plus political analyst Jonathan Alter, to discuss the seismic implications for the rule of law. The panel then breaks down the stunning details of the bribery scandal that's quickly enveloping immigration czar Tom Homan. The group ends with a turn toward some hopeful news: the return of Jimmy Kimmel to TV screens and the small respite it signals for freedom of speech.

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Comey Before the Storm

In this month’s “Molly Harry Mashup,” Harry and Molly Jong-Fast break down the whirlwind of political and legal chaos under the current administration. From Trump’s clash with Jimmy Kimmel and his obsession with the Nobel Peace Prize, to the unraveling of DOJ norms and the erosion of the Constitution, to the bizarro Trump vaccine claim, Molly and Harry cut through the noise to explain what’s really happening in the political AND legal worlds—and why it matters.

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Molly Mashup: Trump, Tylenol, and Turmoil

A week in which America suddenly came to look like classic autocratic regimes with the removal from TV of late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel, and more enforced exiles to come, for the simple sin of displeasing Trump. A trenchant panel of Bill Kristol and Juliette Kayyem take stock of this nightmarish development, as well as Trump’s effort to destroy the independence of the Fed, and the increasingly checkered and controversial on-the-job performance of FBI director Kash Patel.
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Autocracy Live!

In the latest conversation in the Talking San Diego series, Harry sits down with Harvard historian and New Yorker writer Jill Lepore in front of a live San Diego audience to discuss Lepore’s important new book, “We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution.” The book contains revelations about the importance to the Framers of the Amendment process, which Lepore argues has become a dead letter since the failure of the proposed Equal RIghts Amendment. In its stead various generations of Americans have looked to either political events or, more recently, the U.S. Supreme Court, to announce fundamental changes in our charter document, with significant consequences for the democracy In her book, as in her conversation with Harry, Lepore challenges the Supreme Court’s dominant doctrine of originalism; and she rallies Americans to be able to become more personally involved in repairing fundamental problems with the Constitution. The book was released for purchase Tuesday, September 16.

This event was made possible by the generous support of the Prebys Foundation, which made it possible for local high school teachers and students to attend free of charge; by KPBS who have their own deep dive series on the American founding coming out in November in the form of a new Ken Burns series; and by Warwicks, our bookselling partners. 

You can read more about Jill’s book in the Atlantic and the New York Times. 

Talk to you later

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The Constitution Was Intended To Be Amended

As the country reels from the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Harry welcomes a special all-Contrarian panel of George Conway, Norm Eisen, and Jen Rubin to grapple with the attack's aftershocks. Has the country taken a yet darker turn, with political violence now in the mix? Will Trump seek to institute a crackdown on his critics? And has Kash Patel’s leadership weakened the FBI’s ability to respond effectively and impartially to a rising tide of politically motivated attacks? 
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A Darker Turn

Harry talks to Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat who’s got a hand in a wide array of headline-grabbing initiatives on Capitol Hill. Representative Krishnamoorthi fills Harry in on what Trump has planned for Chicago, what Democrats are saying about a possible government shutdown, whether further Epstein disclosures are on the way, and why he thinks it’s past time to ban members of Congress from trading stocks.
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Rep. Krishnamoorthi: “We Have To Stand Up”

Senator Heidi Heitkamp and CNN's Aaron Blake join Harry to break down a week that saw a series of sharp legal setbacks for the Trump administration and the return of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Trump is working Congress to keep Epstein materials from the public eye, but the hydraulic push from victims may prove too much to ignore. Meanwhile Trump is making noises about his next targets for a military incursion despite a serious legal rebuff. And as a dismal new jobs report suggests, the economy may be cracking under the weight of the president’s chaotic—and apparently illegal—tariffs.

Mentioned in this episode: 

Aaron’s reporting: ⁠ https://www.cnn.com/profiles/aaron-blake

Judge Charles Breyer’s ruling in the Posse Comitatus case: 

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.450934/gov.uscourts.cand.450934.176.0_1.pdf

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Epstein Returns and the Courts Push Back

Senator Richard Blumenthal takes Harry through his bombshell report exposing the colossal waste generated by the ironically-named Department of Government Efficiency during its rampage through the federal government. Illegal firings, spoiled food aid, and the installation of Elon Musk's overpaid minions all came with a price—both in billions of dollars and in quality of government. Plus, the two former federal prosecutors talk about Trump's efforts to push unqualified loyalists into top law enforcement posts with or without Senate approval. 

Mentioned in this episode: 

Senate minority staff report on DOGE: https://www.washingtonpost.com/documents/b256b202-ff01-48dc-a2d1-80b0e43fa87a.pdf

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Senator Blumenthal Exposes the DOGE Boondoggle

Guest host Jonathan Alter convenes Peter Baker, Molly Jong-Fast, and Charlie Sykes to talk through Trump’s latest lunge for unchecked power. The quartet dig into the week’s flurry of controversial firings and the prospects for a long-promised, now long-overdue peace deal in Ukraine. They then put Trump’s mafioso tactics under a microscope, investigating why they’ve worked so well, and what everyone can do to resist them.Mentioned in this episode:Jonathan’s Substack: https://oldgoats.substack.com/Peter’s reporting: https://www.nytimes.com/by/peter-baker#latestMolly’s podcast: https://fastpoliticspod.com/Charlie’s Substack: https://charliesykes.substack.com/

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Mob Boss in the White House

The indictment of Donald Trump on charges growing out of multiple schemes to steal the election is the most important case in the history of the Department of Justice and probably the country. We’ve had some quick reactions on cable TV. But in this special live tape episode, 3 of the country’s most knowledgeable commentators – Norm Eisen, Renato Mariotti, and Jen Rubin – join Harry for the most in-depth discussion out there of the most important legal and strategic issues the indictment presents.
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A Deep Dive into the 1/6 Indictment

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