Atlantic writer George Packer on How the Pandemic and George Floyd’s Murder have Laid Bare America’s Weaknesses

George Packer

 Atlantic writer George Packer and Al discuss the how a corrupt political class, a heartless economy, systemic racism, and Donald Trump have led to the failures Americans have been witness to and the victims of these last several months.   Subscribe to The Al Franken Podcast on Apple, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. Signup for the Al Franken Newsletter here.  

Donna Edwards and Al Discuss Race, Cops, and Photo Ops

Donna Edwards

Former Congresswoman Edwards talks about being the mother of a young black man and whether George Floyd’s murder has finally brought us to an inflection point.   Subscribe to The Al Franken Podcast on Apple, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. Signup for the Al Franken Newsletter here.

NEA President Lily Eskelsen García on Teaching During a Pandemic and a DeVos

Lily Eskelsen García

 The host (and former member of the Senate Education Committee) and the president of the National Education Association talks about an important subject: how awful Betsy DeVos is. But also, education.   Subscribe to The Al Franken Podcast on Apple, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. Signup for the Al Franken Newsletter here.

Paul Krugman on Arguing with Republican Zombies

Paul Krugman

The NYT columnist and Nobel Prize winner discusses how Republicans operate in bad faith on issues like climate, tax cuts, deficits, income and wealth inequality, and now, the pandemic.

Epidemiologist Larry Brilliant on Where We Go from Here

Larry Brilliant

From 1973-76, Dr. Larry Brilliant was part of the World Health Organization team that eradicated smallpox and is Chairman of the Board of Ending Pandemics. He discusses how we go forward on Covid-19 after blowing it in the first six months.

Austan Goolsbee on Virus Economics

Austan Goolsbee

The former Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Obama speaks with clarity and common sense about how virus economics are different than normal economics.