Positively Dreadful
55 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 967 ratingsPositively Dreadful, hosted by Crooked Media’s Editor in Chief Brian Beutler, takes listeners below the headlines of the stories stirring widespread anxiety in today’s news landscape to give them a richer understanding and appreciation of how and why to remain engaged, even in the face of daunting challenges.
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Episodes
Biden Says the F Word
September 09, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 57.9 MBPresident Joe Biden finally defined the MAGA movement for what it is, a form of “semi fascism”, and in turn ignited a debate about whether he was unwise, technically incorrect, or plain old offensive. The “F word” is complicated - it’s bandied about and stretched beyond meaning in some circles while others refrain from it to avoid seeming hysterical. Yet these elaborate rules and rubrics to distinguish what is fascist get in the way of clearly identifying the threats to our democracy. Histor...
Can Student Loans and the American Dream Coexist?
September 02, 2022 07:00 - 59 minutes - 54.1 MBPresident Biden’s long awaited student-loan forgiveness plan has stirred up a fair amount of controversy. Many of the arguments were advanced in bad faith, some were above-board policy judgements, but none of them tackled the bigger question of whether America’s social contract with rising generations is fundamentally broken. The deal used to be that if you work hard and go to college, you’ll be rewarded with a lifetime of economic security. Biden did a good thing by making people who bought...
Monkeypox and the Punditry Pandemic
August 26, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 58.4 MBWhat do Monkeypox, COVID-19, and James Comey have in common? Each of them revealed weak spots in our institutions, including a tendency among people in positions of influence, power, and public information to filter what they know and what they should convey through the lenses of mass psychology and political analysis. Monkeypox isn’t deadly or new, and yet the response too slow to contain the epidemic, and the communication around it from experts and professionals has been roundabout and co...
Dark Brandon Rises
August 19, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 62.5 MBInflation is down, Trump is on the run, Democrats are on the march. And out of the primordial stew of all this good news, Dark Brandon has risen—a new, viral depiction of Joe Biden as a relentless, remorseless political warrior who crushes his enemies and easily overcomes obstacles in his way. On the one hand, Dark Brandon is a fun, satisfying retort to years of unanswered right-wing attacks on the president as a confused, failing old oaf. But on the other, it’s a real-time demonstration of ...
Raid On Our Parade
August 12, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 68.1 MBDemocrats are having a good month. The Inflation Reduction Act passed the Senate, Republicans are paying for the Dobbs decision, and the January 6th committee is reminding Americans that Trump and the GOP are a bunch of lying insurrections. And this recent sharp turn of events makes Democrats all the more hopeful that there won’t be a wipe out in November. But what is the lesson here? Is it that consensus-building is always the wisest course? Or that Democrats would be better off heightening...
Lock Him Up?
August 05, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 71 MBFormer FBI investigator Peter Strzok joins to talk about how the Trump accountability story isn’t fully written. The January 6 hearings, and earlier investigations, have revealed more Trump crimes than we could have imagined six years ago, yet he hasn’t faced criminal charges and our institutions haven’t been bolstered to protect future threats he poses to the Constitution. Is the justice system failing? Or are we making a mistake by putting so much stock into legal accountability in the fir...
Baby Got Build-Back
July 29, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 65 MBJoe Manchin and Chuck Schumer strike a deal on a big budget bill that would dedicate hundreds of billions of dollars to clean energy, giving Democrats much needed wind at their backs ahead of the midterms. The climate fight is a case study for how Democrats can harness political power, win back voters, and proactively redefine what it means to be a Democrat.
How to Make Guns Toxic
July 22, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 77 MBA bipartisan bill in Congress is one step forward for gun safety, but the Supreme Court just pushed us two steps back. As the legislative path to reducing gun violence has closed, we might have more success if we can influence the way people think about guns in America. How can we change hearts and minds rather than laws, and, in doing so, make gun culture anathema instead of something we celebrate or just roll our eyes at?
Make the Movies Maverick Again
July 15, 2022 07:00 - 51 minutes - 47.2 MBMoviegoing has changed a lot in the past several years, as movies have become increasingly niche and box offices dominated by derivative blockbusters. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have another golden age of cinema, even if it’ll be different from the ones in our past. Top Gun: Maverick managed to break the mold as a big budget action movie that quickly became a cultural touchstone for all kinds of Americans, proving, perhaps, that we can at least rekindle moviegoing, with movies everyone f...
How to Restore Roe
July 01, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 61.7 MBThe Supreme Court has overturned Roe v Wade, access to abortion has collapsed across the country, and Democrats in Washington don’t have the votes to undo the decision right now. It’s a mess. But we may be able get Roe back sooner than it seems—if Democrats and their allies in the reproductive rights movement learn from years of their own missteps, and quickly. That will determine whether restoring the right to abortion takes six months or 60 years.
Optimistic Realism with Rep. Jamie Raskin
June 24, 2022 07:00 - 51 minutes - 47.4 MBRepresentative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) joins Brian to talk about how personal loss and the insurrection changed him, why unchecked optimism fails us when corrupt people come to power, and how we can still balance realism with hope today.
Coming Soon: Positively Dreadful
June 17, 2022 07:05 - 2 minutes - 4.13 MBCrooked Media’s Editor in Chief Brian Beutler takes a deep dive beneath the headlines of the stories stirring anxiety throughout society to give you a richer understanding and appreciation of how and why to remain engaged—even in the face of daunting challenges. New episodes every Friday starting June 24th on the Rubicon feed.
The Sum of It All
April 30, 2021 10:01 - 59 minutes - 81.6 MBIn our final episode, Brian Beutler and author Heather McGhee look back at the highs and lows of President Biden’s first 100 days, and ahead to the path he’ll have to carve if he wants to overcome the politics of white grievance to implement a transformational agenda for a multiethnic democracy. For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/rubicon.
A Supreme Threat to Biden's Agenda
April 23, 2021 10:01 - 50 minutesThis week on Rubicon, Brian Beutler talks to legal scholar Leah Litman about why Democrats and Republicans viewed the fight over the courts so differently for so long, whether Biden's judicial nominees signal an end to that disparity, and what he and Democrats in Congress can do to protect his agenda from right-wing justices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A Supreme Threat to Biden's Agenda
April 23, 2021 10:01 - 48 minutes - 66 MBThis week on Rubicon, Brian Beutler talks to legal scholar Leah Litman about why Democrats and Republicans viewed the fight over the courts so differently for so long, whether Biden's judicial nominees signal an end to that disparity, and what he and Democrats in Congress can do to protect his agenda from right-wing justices.
Bessemer and the Bigger Picture
April 16, 2021 07:01 - 46 minutes - 63.9 MBThis week on Rubicon, Brian Beutler talks to civil rights icon Rev. Dr. William Barber about efforts to unionize Amazon workers, how that fight continues, and what a Democratic majority in Congress can do to strengthen labor rights for working people of all races. For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/rubicon.
Rejoining The World
April 09, 2021 07:05 - 44 minutes - 61.1 MBThis week on Rubicon, Brian Beutler talks to Crooked Media's own Tommy Vietor about the challenges President Biden will face fixing the damage Trump did around the world, and how he can unite global leaders on a series of climate goals. They also discuss Biden's first major foreign policy steps, like ordering airstrikes in Syria, trying to salvage the Iran Nuclear deal, and reining in public and corporate corruption. For a transcript of his episode, please visit crooked.com/rubicon.
Protecting Democracy
April 02, 2021 07:01 - 43 minutes - 60.4 MBThis week on Rubicon, Brian Beutler talks to FiveThirtyEight senior writer Perry Bacon about the wave of voter suppression laws that are hitting states like Georgia - and what President Biden and the Department of Justice can do about it. They also talk about the biggest threats to HR1 and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act - looking beyond the filibuster to other ways Republicans are preparing to fight those bills—in both the court of public opinion and the regular kind. For a transcript of ...
The Roaring 20s
March 26, 2021 07:00 - 43 minutes - 60.2 MBThis week on Rubicon, Brian Beutler talks to The Roosevelt Institute’s Mike Konczal about President Biden’s coming $3 trillion economic reform package, which would fund infrastructure, green jobs, child and elder care, and community college. They talk about the bill’s chances of passing Congress, whether it warrants comparisons to FDR’s New Deal, and whether and how it would cement Biden’s legacy. For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/rubicon.
Death by Papercuts
March 19, 2021 07:00 - 44 minutes - 60.7 MBThis week on Rubicon, Brian Beutler and Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) discuss the child-migrant crisis and the ways it complicates efforts to pass immigration reform. They also explore why Democrats shouldn’t freak out over Donald Trump’s performance with Latino voters, why some of his Latino voters already regret their votes, and how Democrats can combat the scourge of disinformation in Latin communities. For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/rubicon.
98% Great
March 12, 2021 08:00 - 43 minutes - 59.9 MBThis week on Rubicon, Brian Beutler talks to Senator Brian Schatz about the passage of the American Rescue Plan, the provisions in it that address poverty and healthcare, and whether its passage will be the high-water mark of the Biden era, or just the beginning. For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/rubicon.
Classroom Conflict
March 05, 2021 08:00 - 36 minutes - 50.8 MBThis week on Rubicon, host Brian Beutler and education reporter Rachel Cohen discuss the origins of the contentious debate over school reopening, and how President Biden has navigated it. They then look ahead to how the looming COVID-relief bill will help modernize schools and whether those investments will allow students to resume normal, in-person education in the fall. For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/rubicon.
A Promise Is A Promise
February 26, 2021 08:01 - 51 minutes - 70.5 MBThis week on Rubicon, host Brian Beutler talks to writer Matthew Yglesias about President Biden's pledge to forgive student loan debt, the debate over how much debt should be forgiven, what authority Biden has to do it -- and the political and economic risks and benefits. Beutler and Yglesias take different sides on the importance of loan forgiveness - and debate whether Biden should follow through on his promise quickly or wait until other Congressional scores are settled. For a transcript...
Inherent Power
February 19, 2021 08:01 - 40 minutes - 55.6 MBThis week on Rubicon: Brian Beutler talks to John Dean, the former White House counsel for Richard Nixon who got swept up in the Watergate conspiracy before turning on his boss and helping end the Nixon presidency. They discuss the fallout from the impeachment hearings, whether Democrats have the stomach to truly hold the Trump Administration accountable, and how commissions, select committees and subpoena power can be wielded without Republican votes. For a transcript of this episode, vis...
Democracy Needs Heroes
February 12, 2021 08:00 - 41 minutes - 56.9 MBThis week on Rubicon, Brian Beutler looks beyond Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial to the broader question of what post-Trump accountability should look like across the federal government. He asks author, historian, and culture critic Ruth Ben-Ghiat about the common tactics modern authoritarian leaders use (and have used for the past century), how other countries have tried (and often failed) to stop them, and whether the early steps President Biden and his majorities in Congress have ...
Graduating Kindergarten
February 05, 2021 10:00 - 38 minutes - 53.3 MBThis week on Rubicon: Brian Beutler talks to climate science writer Emily Atkin about the predictable first steps President Biden has taken to fight climate change, and the exciting but under-the-radar ways that Biden has woven climate science into offices throughout his administration. They discuss the more difficult, lasting steps that have tripped up progressive officials and activists for decades (carbon tax, legislation, regulations, it's all here!) Learning from the Obama years, they s...
A Problem You Have To Solve
January 29, 2021 10:00 - 55 minutes - 75.8 MBThis week on Rubicon: Brian Beutler talks to MSNBC's Chris Hayes about Biden's COVID plan, the parts of the plan that will be hardest to execute (spoiler alert: vaccines!), and how to recalibrate our criticism for a president who finally takes the pandemic seriously. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, please visit crooked.com/rubicon. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected].
Time Is Our Enemy
January 22, 2021 10:00 - 33 minutes - 46.1 MBOur season two launch episode takes a broad look at the ways Republicans might try to hobble President Biden as he ramps up his administration, and how he and Democrats in Congress can team up to stop them. Host Brian Beutler speaks with Faiz Shakir, a Capitol Hill veteran who also managed Bernie Sanders's 2020 campaign, about the policies, strategies, and messages Democrats should use if they want to govern successfully. For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/rubicon
Rubicon: The First Hundred Days of the Biden Presidency (coming January 22)
January 14, 2021 17:08 - 3 minutes - 4.65 MBCrooked Media’s Editor in Chief Brian Beutler walks you through the early decisions that will mark the dawn of the Biden era, explain their importance, and analyze whether or not they meet the urgency of the moment. New episodes every Friday starting Jan. 22.
To Be Continued
February 07, 2020 10:30 - 22 minutes - 15.7 MBWith the impeachment of Donald Trump behind us, the most vulnerable Republican senators will now have to explain to their constituents why they voted to conceal evidence of Trump’s guilt, and let him off the hook, and contend with the fact that Mitt Romney, the former leader of their party, refused to participate in the coverup. But they’ll only face these questions if the rest of us keep the public eye trained on Trump’s corruption. Matthew Miller rejoins host Brian Beutler to discuss how w...
To Be Continued
February 07, 2020 10:30 - 24 minutesWith the impeachment of Donald Trump behind us, the most vulnerable Republican senators will now have to explain to their constituents why they voted to conceal evidence of Trump’s guilt, and let him off the hook, and contend with the fact that Mitt Romney, the former leader of their party, refused to participate in the coverup. But they’ll only face these questions if the rest of us keep the public eye trained on Trump’s corruption. Matthew Miller rejoins host Brian Beutler to discuss how wh...
The Proposition
January 31, 2020 10:30 - 38 minutesWhen Republicans acquit Donald Trump, it’ll mark the end of this impeachment process. Much more importantly it’ll mark the dawning of a brave new world. What kind of America will we live in? And, short of Trump losing the election soundly, will it be possible to go back? Susan Hennessey, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and the Executive Editor of the Lawfare blog, joins host Brian Beutler to discuss whether Republicans are unmaking the republic. Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...
The Proposition
January 31, 2020 10:30 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MBWhen Republicans acquit Donald Trump, it’ll mark the end of this impeachment process. Much more importantly it’ll mark the dawning of a brave new world. What kind of America will we live in? And, short of Trump losing the election soundly, will it be possible to go back? Susan Hennessey, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and the Executive Editor of the Lawfare blog, joins host Brian Beutler to discuss whether Republicans are unmaking the republic.
The Fix
January 24, 2020 10:30 - 31 minutes - 43.6 MBWhat if the Senate completes an impeachment trial in a way that deprives the public of the fairness it demands, and plainly violates the oath senators take to do impartial justice? Harvard Law Professor, and host of the Noah Feldman joins host Brian Beutler to discuss the opening of the trial of Donald Trump, and the legitimacy crisis we face if Republicans complete his coverup for him.
The Fix
January 24, 2020 10:30 - 34 minutesWhat if the Senate completes an impeachment trial in a way that deprives the public of the fairness it demands, and plainly violates the oath senators take to do impartial justice? Harvard Law Professor, and host of the Noah Feldman joins host Brian Beutler to discuss the opening of the trial of Donald Trump, and the legitimacy crisis we face if Republicans complete his coverup for him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Floodgates
January 17, 2020 10:30 - 32 minutes - 44.4 MBA deluge of new details about the Ukraine scheme have made Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump more desperate than ever to conceal as much incriminating information as they can. And they may still have the tools they need to keep the public from ever learning the full truth. Kate Brannen, the editorial director at Just Security who unearthed some of these details, joins host Brian Beutler to discuss the lastest extraordinary developments, and what Trump and McConnell, in their desperation, migh...
The Floodgates
January 17, 2020 10:30 - 34 minutesA deluge of new details about the Ukraine scheme have made Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump more desperate than ever to conceal as much incriminating information as they can. And they may still have the tools they need to keep the public from ever learning the full truth. Kate Brannen, the editorial director at Just Security who unearthed some of these details, joins host Brian Beutler to discuss the lastest extraordinary developments, and what Trump and McConnell, in their desperation, might...
The Standoff
January 10, 2020 10:00 - 31 minutes - 22 MBWhen Donald Trump’s impeachment trial begins—whenever it begins—the Senate will be divided between Democrats, who will demand to hear from all the first-hand witnesses who defied the impeachment inquiry, and Republicans who will want to acquit Trump without letting any new incriminating information come to light. Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Sarah Binder joins host Brian Beutler to walk us through all the arcane rules and requirements senators will have to navigate if they hope to ho...
The Standoff
January 10, 2020 10:00 - 34 minutesWhen Donald Trump’s impeachment trial begins—whenever it begins—the Senate will be divided between Democrats, who will demand to hear from all the first-hand witnesses who defied the impeachment inquiry, and Republicans who will want to acquit Trump without letting any new incriminating information come to light. Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Sarah Binder joins host Brian Beutler to walk us through all the arcane rules and requirements senators will have to navigate if they hope to hold...
The Showdown
December 20, 2019 10:00 - 32 minutesThe House of Representatives has impeached Donald Trump, but the fight has only just begin. His trial won’t begin until 2020; but between now and then that fight won’t stop. In fact, this may be the most important phase of it. The Washington Post’s Greg Sargent joins host Brian Beutler to look ahead, and discuss what each of us—Democratic members of Congress, presidential candidates, impartial journalists, activist, or just regular voters—can do to make sure both Trump and those who seek to c...
The Showdown
December 20, 2019 10:00 - 30 minutes - 69.2 MBThe House of Representatives has impeached Donald Trump, but the fight has only just begin. His trial won’t begin until 2020; but between now and then that fight won’t stop. In fact, this may be the most important phase of it. The Washington Post’s Greg Sargent joins host Brian Beutler to look ahead, and discuss what each of us—Democratic members of Congress, presidential candidates, impartial journalists, activist, or just regular voters—can do to make sure both Trump and those who seek to ...
The Dodge
December 13, 2019 10:00 - 28 minutes - 66.6 MBThis week House Democrats announced the official articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. Trump is just the fourth president in U.S. history to face the prospect of impeachment for alleged misconduct in office, but many were left wondering why there were only two articles, one for abuse of power for pressuring Ukraine to assist him in his re-election campaign and the second for obstruction of Congress. This week, Rubicon host Brian Beutler speaks to Michelle Goldberg, a column...
The Dodge
December 13, 2019 10:00 - 31 minutesThis week House Democrats announced the official articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. Trump is just the fourth president in U.S. history to face the prospect of impeachment for alleged misconduct in office, but many were left wondering why there were only two articles, one for abuse of power for pressuring Ukraine to assist him in his re-election campaign and the second for obstruction of Congress. This week, Rubicon host Brian Beutler speaks to Michelle Goldberg, a columni...
The Choice
December 06, 2019 11:00 - 35 minutesDonald Trump wants House Democrats to impeach him as soon as possible. Lucky for him, House Democrats ALSO want to impeach him as soon as possible. The problem? When it comes to what’s best for Donald Trump, only one of them can be right. Sorting out who’s right and who’s wrong is one of the most pressing issues in all of politics right now. So host Brian Beutler brought Matthew Miller, former Justice Department official, back on the show to try to answer the question and sort through ALL of ...
The Choice
December 06, 2019 11:00 - 32 minutes - 45.4 MBDonald Trump wants House Democrats to impeach him as soon as possible. Lucky for him, House Democrats ALSO want to impeach him as soon as possible. The problem? When it comes to what’s best for Donald Trump, only one of them can be right. Sorting out who’s right and who’s wrong is one of the most pressing issues in all of politics right now. So host Brian Beutler brought Matthew Miller, former Justice Department official, back on the show to try to answer the question and sort through ALL of...
The Backstory
November 29, 2019 10:00 - 28 minutes - 38.9 MBThrough two weeks of impeachment hearings, we learned a lot about the hoops President Trump and his associates jumped through before he hopped on the phone with his Ukrainian counterpart and said, “I would like you to do us a favor, though.” What they left fairly murky is why Trump viewed Ukraine as such a ripe target for corruption in the first place. On this week’s episode, Brian Beutler and The Atlantic’s Frank Foer discuss the true origins of the Ukraine scandal, and how they fit into a ...
The Backstory
November 29, 2019 10:00 - 30 minutesThrough two weeks of impeachment hearings, we learned a lot about the hoops President Trump and his associates jumped through before he hopped on the phone with his Ukrainian counterpart and said, “I would like you to do us a favor, though.” What they left fairly murky is why Trump viewed Ukraine as such a ripe target for corruption in the first place. On this week’s episode, Brian Beutler and The Atlantic’s Frank Foer discuss the true origins of the Ukraine scandal, and how they fit into a m...
The Confession
November 22, 2019 10:00 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBThe impeachment inquiry will soon move into its closing phase. Republicans have given no indication that they will take any steps to protect the country from President Trump’s corruption. And we remain in the dark about a great deal. As the public hearings draw to a close, Quinta Jurecic, managing editor with the Lawfare blog, joins host Brian Beutler to discuss the dots left unconnected thus far, and what we risk by not connecting them.
The Confession
November 22, 2019 10:00 - 36 minutesThe impeachment inquiry will soon move into its closing phase. Republicans have given no indication that they will take any steps to protect the country from President Trump’s corruption. And we remain in the dark about a great deal. As the public hearings draw to a close, Quinta Jurecic, managing editor with the Lawfare blog, joins host Brian Beutler to discuss the dots left unconnected thus far, and what we risk by not connecting them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices...
The Evidence
November 15, 2019 10:00 - 26 minutes - 36.8 MBThis impeachment is a test for Republicans: When it’s all said and done, when they’re all out of excuses, will they admit that what Trump did was wrong? Or will they vote, with the whole world watching, to say they’re fine with it. As the inquiry enters a new open phase, the Washington Post’s Greg Sargent joins host Brian Beutler to discuss how close we are to that point, and whether Republicans will pass or fail the test when we get there.