The Takeout

Israel. Gaza. Ukraine. Congress. There is so much news right now. We thought it would be helpful to check in with some of the best reporters in the business to bring you the latest on several stories making headlines. Major's guests this week include Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan, Senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang, congressional corrrespondent Scott MacFarlane and David Martin, the best national security reporter around. Join us! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For those closely following the latest headlines out of Washington, the GOP's efforts to elect a new Speaker of the House appears as if it's a neverending quest. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) lost the House speaker vote for a second time on Wednesday, nearly a week after Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) ended his speaker bid. Major's guest this week is Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), who thinks Republicans could consider pressing pause on their quest and look to a temporary Speakership to break the current impasse. While it's not his preferred approach, Buck is intrigued by the idea of having the current Speaker Pro Tempore, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-SC), be elected as Speaker on a temporary basis. Thanks to Capitol Hill's Santa Rosa Taqueria for hosting us this week! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY) is frustrated. The removal of Kevin McCarthy of speaker has left the House paralyzed, unable to perform basic functions like passing an aid package for Israel, Lawler says. Major sits down with the freshman lawmaker to discuss the battle over the next speaker of the house and understand why Lawler is not supporting Rep. Steve Scalise, the GOP's pick for speaker. "This, to me, is the craziest thing I've ever seen," Lawler said. Join us.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Major sits down with the team behind new CBS show "FBI True" which explores famous cases handled by the FBI and the people who helped solve them. Executive producer Anne Beagan and former FBI official John Miller join Major to talk about FBI True's next episode: the 2016 bombing in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan (airs October 10th at 9p ET on CBS). Stay for a conversation about a future episode of FBI True that examines notorious spy Robert Hanssen. Major talks with former FBI special agent Rich Garcia who worked on the Hanssen investigation. And for more on the Hanssen story, you can also check out Major’s new podcast "Agent of Betrayal: The Double Life of Robert Hanssen," available wherever you get your pods. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we take a break from politics to tell spy stories. Lis Wiehl, author of “A Spy in Plain Sight” joins Major to talk about the book’s subject, former FBI agent Robert Hanssen. Hanssen was the most damaging spy in FBI history and he’s also the focus of Major’s new podcast series “Agent of Betrayal: The Double Life of Robert Hanssen.” Download and subscribe wherever you get your pods. And Join us for a fun conversation with Lis. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sean Penn set out to make a documentary about the youthful, new Ukrainian president, Volodomyr Zelensky. Zelensky had had a successful career as a comedic actor prior to jumping into politics. In fact, he played the fake Ukranian president on TV before he became the elected president. What Penn didn't anticipate was that the first day of shooting the film would also be the among first days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Join us for a riveting and at times introspective edition of "The Takeout." To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services committee, sits down with Major in his Capitol Hill office to talk about a potential government shutdown, Republican efforts to launch an impeachment inquiry against President Biden and the impact of Senator Tommy Tuberville’s (R-LA) hold on military promotions. Plus, Smith explains his years long struggle with chronic pain, crippling anxiety and the healthcare system. Join us for an enlightening conversation about how he overcame a challenge millions of Americans face. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hot enough for you? The three-month period from June to August was the hottest ever recorded, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. Wildfires in Maui claimed at least 115 lives and devastated the town of Lahaina. And a category 4 hurricane hit Southern California in August. What on Earth is happening? We've got Pulitzer Prize winning author and New Yorker staff writer Elizabeth Kolbert to break down the latest climate news and the broader trends of a warming planet. Plus, Major's tribute to Smash Mouth and Jimmy Buffett. Join us! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did we get here politically? It's a question we've asked a lot lately. Author and professor Matthew Dallek has a theory on the origins of our current political moment. His new book, "Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right," traces how a group in the 1960s laid the foundation for 21st century conservatism and may have paved the way for Donald Trump's political ascension. We're at Ris in DC's West End...join us! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join us for an interview with actor/writer/producer/stand-up Wayne Federman, who helped make a documentary called "George Carlin's American Dream," a look at the life of comedian George Carlin. Carlin happens to be Major's favorite stand-up comedian of all time. We're at Junior's in New York City. Pull up a chair. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Corndogs, anyone? Major is at the state fair in Des Moines, Iowa, talking politics and eating porkchops. He spent time with an array of politicos who hope to influence the outcome of January's caucuses - Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), GOP presidential contender Asa Hutchinson, Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart and conservative political activist Bob Vander Platts. Major also talked to a slew of Republican voters who weighed in on former President Trump's prospects and his primary challengers. Join us. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the bassist for The Avett Brothers, Bob Crawford spends a lot of time on the road. When he's on a tour bus or a plane, you can usually find him reading history. He turned that passion - and a love of politics and current events - into a podcast on America's 6th president, John Quincy Adams. In "Founding Son: John Quincy's America" Crawford chronicles the extraordinary life of a man whose political career intersected with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. He joins us at The Smith in downtown DC. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In search of an 'Oppenheimer' companion piece? The new documentary, 'A Compassionate Spy,' is our focus on this week's episode, with the film's writer/director, Steve James, joining Major over Zoom. James' film tells the story of Ted Hall, the controversial Manhattan Project physicist who after just a year working at Los Alamos decided to pass secrets about the bomb to the Soviet Union. It's a real-life spy thriller that most Americans have never heard of, with a central character who James believes "acted on principle...[Hall] was not one of those spies that did it for money or glory." Be sure to stick around for the Outtake Especiale where James, a filmmaker with over a dozen documentaries on his resume (including producer Jamie Benson's top-five-film-of-all-time, 1994's 'Hoop Dreams'), shares a few of his personal film favorites. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastch

Major sits down for pizza with California Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell at Stellina, a Neapolitan pizza joint in DC's Union Market. Swalwell reacts to the Hunter Biden plea agreement that fell apart this week and weighs in on President Biden's 2024 re-election prospects. Swalwell, who served as an impeachment manager in the wake of the January 6th Capitol attack, explains the daily threats he gets and how it impacts him, his family and staff. Also, Swalwell dishes on his relationship with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a fellow member of the California House delegation. Join us! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Washington Post reporter and author Ben Terris joins Major to discuss his new book, "The Big Break: The Gamblers, Party Animals, and True Believers Trying to Win in Washington While America Loses Its Mind." Terris's book looks at Washington after the Trump presidency and asks a fundamental questions of the political class in DC: Why are you here? Join us at Unconventional Diner in downtown DC for chicken and waffles and a great conversation! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, it's all about historic firsts: for the first time in our seven-year history, we paid a visit to the historic Ben's Chili Bowl, a restaurant that's been serving their "original half-smokes" to hungry Washingtonians since 1958. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), who in 2017 became the first woman of color to be elected to Congress from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, knows Ben's well - she frequented the original location on U Street NW as a staffer for then-U.S. Senator John Kerry in the early 2000s. Join us for an in-depth discussion on Ayanna's journey to Congress, her advocacy for student loan relief, her view that the Supreme Court is "making history for all the wrong reasons" and more! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Evangelical voters are likely to play a significant role in deciding whether former President Trump will capture the GOP nomination in 2024. Jon Ward, chief national correspondent for Yahoo! News, knows that voting bloc well. Ward's new book, Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement that Failed a Generation, is about his upbringing in an influential evangelical church. The book is a deeply personal account that details a painful estrangement between Jon and his family members as he sought to tell the truth in his reporting on American politics. This conversation was recorded on June 26, 2023 at The Roost food hall on Capitol Hill. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Journalist and author Neil King, Jr. joins Major at The Grill at Harryman House in Reisterstown, MD. On the menu: a chat about Neil’s new book “American Ramble,” a chronicle of his 300+ mile walk from Washington, D.C. to New York City. Join us for a stroll through history. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Republican former governor of Maryland has a lot to say about the 2024 race for the GOP nomination - a contest he says he will not join. But would he consider a third party challenge early next year? Governor Larry Hogan sits down with Major on the banks of the South River at Mike's Restaurant and Crabhouse in Riva, MD. Hogan dishes on Trump and the classified documents indictment, why he thinks Ron DeSantis' campaign is off to a rocky start and what election denialism means for the Republican party. Pull up a chair and Join us for crabs, hush puppies and good conversation. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rhode Island senator Sheldon Whitehouse joins Major for pastries and coffee at Ted's Bulletin on Capitol Hill. Whitehouse goes deep on former President Trump's legal troubles and his own experience prosecuting a celebrity politician. Plus, a discussion about President Biden's age and the 2024 race, why Whitehouse wants ailing California senator Dianne Feinstein to stay in office and where things stand with Supreme Court ethics rules reform. Join us! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices