The ongoing campaign cycle was met by a number of twists that couldn’t have been predicted. A consequential presidential race, the pandemic, an economic downturn, and the killing of George Floyd by police. As the election cycle comes to an end, Heather Long, Economics Correspondent at The Washington Post, Maya King, Politics Reporter at Politico and Clare Malone, Senior Politics Writer at FiveThirtyEight analyze the last year of politics and dissect what it could mean for Tuesday’s outcome.
A standard election cycle would’ve meant interacting with voters at conventions, town halls, and canvassing events. As the pandemic upended traditional forms of campaigning, we’ve spent the last few months engaging with students, teachers, small business owners, religious leaders, and individuals from across the U.S. They update us on how things have changed since we last spoke and what hopes, if any, they have riding on Election Day.
The most recent national polls shows President Trump is trailing Vice President Joe Biden by almost nine points. Four years ago, pundits and politicians relied on polls that failed to account for counties that should’ve served as warning signs for Democrats. This time around there are fewer undecided and third-party voters who could swing us towards a surprise. Dave Wasserman, House Editor for The Cook Political Report, describes his reporting on key bellwether counties that could determine the outcome of the election.
President Trump has spent the last few months maligning the voting process and attempting to cast doubt on the outcome of the election. He’s made a number of misleading comments regarding absentee voting and has incorrectly stated that the process of counting ballots should end on November 3rd. Grace Panetta, Senior Politics Reporter Covering Elections and Voting for Business Insider, describes what we can expect on election night and beyond.
When the COVID-19 swept the U.S. in March, it was hard to fully understand how society would fundamentally change. Since then, more than 40 million Americans have filed for unemployment. As states grapple with the uncertainty that comes with reopening their economies, Politics with Amy Walter returns to a conversation from April about what it’s like to be entering the workforce at this time.
Hannes Schwandt, assistant professor at Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy, shares how cohorts unlucky enough to join the workforce during a recession see a loss in lifetime earnings.
Amanda Mull, a staff writer at The Atlantic, describes how disasters like pandemics alter the worldview of those transitioning into adulthood and how the current economic downturn has the potential to do the same for Generation C.
Judah Lewis was finishing the second semester of his senior year at Howard University when COVID-19 caused the school to close and classes to move online. The path to his last semester was not an easy one and now he feels like the rug has been pulled out from underneath him. Lewis talks to us about how the pandemic has jeopardized his post-graduation prospects and provides an update on his career plan.
In May, activist and playwright Larry Kramer died at age 84. He’d devoted his life to advocating for the gay community during the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Kramer was an outspoken critic of the government’s response to the crisis and famously criticized Dr. Anthony Fauci, who at the time was the face of the federal government’s response, in the pages of the San Francisco Examiner.
Dr. Fauci reflects on his friendship with Larry Kramer and how their bond influenced the rest of his career in public health.
The coronavirus pandemic has taken a serious toll on not only our health, but on the economic well-being of cities and states across the country. As leaders grapple with how best protect the health of their constituents in addition to mitigating the economic fall out caused by stay-at-home orders, preparation for future elections is in front of mind. Recently, California became the first state to modify its plans for the general election after Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order that said the state’s 20 million-plus registered voters would receive ballots in the mail. California Secretary of State Alex Padilla explains the logistics behind getting ballots to voters and what precautions will be taken for those who need to vote in person. John Myers, the Sacramento Bureau Chief of the Los Angeles Times, shares why it’s so easy to vote absentee in the state. David Wasserman, House editor for The Cook Political Report, dissects what a primarily vote-by-mail election looks like and uses the special election in the state’s 25th District as a case study.
In April, Wisconsin held its primary and local elections in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Many voters who did not receive their absentee ballots in time had to choose between risking their health to vote in person or not voting at all. This week, the state’s Supreme Court struck down the stay-at-home order signed by Democratic Governor Tony Evers in March. Amy shares her thoughts on the partial reopening.
Heather Long, economics correspondent at The Washington Post, and Betsey Stevenson, Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the University of Michigan, explain what the economic downturn means for small businesses and the American middle class long-term.
This week, a look at the way coronavirus is reshaping our worldview.
Louisiana was the first state to postpone their primary contest as a result of the ongoing public health pandemic. Several states have since followed its lead. Louisiana’s Secretary of State R. Kyle Ardoin joins Politics to explain the reasoning behind the decision to move their primary.
The global economy has slowed considerably as communities attempt to contain the spread of coronavirus. Economist and Howard University professor Andria Smythe describes the tools that policymakers are using to soften the economic blow.
Wendy Parmet, professor of law and the director of Northeastern University’s Center for Health Policy and Law in Boston, discusses the power that state and local governments have to deal with a public health crisis.
During times of crisis, people look to the President. A strong show of leadership has the power to calm nerves and reassure audiences that everything will be okay. Professor Barbara Perry is the Presidential Studies Director at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center. Professor Perry weighs in on what the role of the president has been historically and what lessons can be applied to the ongoing pandemic.
Check out our ongoing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here.
A new report has extended Social Security’s lifetime by one year, but the program is still on track to become insolvent in 2035.
US Companies Turn Back to Saudis Months After Khashoggi Killing
Just six months after Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi was, according to U.S. intelligence agencies, assassinated by Saudi Arabia, American businesses are starting to return.
Sri Lanka Attacks Highlight Continuing Threat From ISIS-Inspired Actors
ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Sri Lanka that have killed at least 300 people.
Guests:
New Tax Bill Will Make it Illegal for IRS to Offer Free E-Filing Option
The Taxpayer First Act just passed the House this week.
Politics and Voting in the Lone Star State
First, a look at investigations into Texas’s effort to remove thousands of voters from the rolls; Then a look at what Texas voters are looking for going into election season 2020.
Wyatt Cenac Shakes Up Late Night with a Deep Dive on Education
This season of comedian Wyatt Cenac’s “Problem Areas” explores education in the United States. Cenac spoke with The Takeaway about his show’s unique spot in the late-night landscape.
Guests:
Mark Jones
Wild Swings on Wall Street Have Economists Worried About Recession
The stock market is not the economy, and the economy is not the stock market. Yet the recent volatility is a troubling sign.
How Pediatricians Hope to Stop More Child Deaths on US-Mexico Border
Pediatrics professor Dr. Marsha Griffin has researched conditions in federal custody alongthe border.
By the Book on the Advice to Keep and the Advice to Ditch for the New Year
Kristen and Jolenta share the advice that’s stuck with them, and the advice they’ve ignored over the past year.
Guests:
You can connect with The Takeaway on Twitter, Facebook,Instagramor on our show page at TheTakeaway.org.
Trump Foundation to Shut Down After Agreement
The Trump Foundation is shutting down after an agreement was reached with New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood as part of an ongoing lawsuit.
Goldman Sachs Faces Criminal Charges for Billion Dollar Fraud
The firm is being accused of conspiracy to launder $2.7 billion from a Malaysian infrastructure fund.
Hollywood’s Obsession with Women of Color as “theHelp”
Aparicio is not the first woman of color to portray a servant.
Harvard’s Endowment Profits from California’s Dwindling Water Supply
By buying up land in California’s wine country, the Harvard Management Company is looking to make money off of the region’s limited water.
Guests:
You can connect with The Takeaway on Twitter, Facebook,Instagramor on our show page at TheTakeaway.org.
Can There Be Redemption for the Accused in the #MeToo Movement?
On Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, one rabbi explains what the Jewish faith can teach men trying to redeem themselves following allegations of sexual misconduct.
Trump’s Trade War with China Hits a Fever Pitch
President Trump’s escalating trade war with China ratcheted up another notch this week.
Community Health Workers and Churches Band Together After Florence
We talk to a director at a community health center in North Carolina, about how elderly residents and those with limited resources, have been coping after Hurricane Florence.
Oscar Lopez Rivera, long-time Puerto Rican independence activist, talks about the effects of U.S. colonialism.
Guests:
Anna Kinsey
Oscar Lopez Rivera
You can connect with The Takeaway on Twitter, Facebook, or on our show page at TheTakeaway.org.
Today we’re talking about the economy. The two big questions: 1.) Everyone says the economy is doing great. Objectively, is that true? And 2.) If it is true, why aren’t the Republicans and President better positioned going into the midterms?
Guests:
Lynn Vavreck, Hoffenberg Chair of American Politics at UCLA and a contributor to The Upshot at The New York Times
Jim Tankersley, reporter covering economic and tax policy for the New York Times
Colin Gordon, senior research consultant at the Iowa Policy Project
Erika Franklin Fowler, Associate Professor of Government at Wesleyan University
You can connect with The Takeaway on Twitter, Facebook, or on our show page at TheTakeaway.org.