The Political Scene | The New Yorker

Can California Actually Make Billionaires Pay?

Dave Regan, the president of the prominent California union S.E.I.U.-United Healthcare Workers West, joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss Proposition 40, a ballot measure that would impose a one-time, five-per-cent tax on the net worth of the state’s billionaires. They talk about the origins of the initiative—which came in response to cuts to health care from Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act—and how the political fight over the proposition fits into the broader wave of populist politics and a growing appetite for challenging the wealthy. They also explore the opposition from a handful of wealthy Silicon Valley figures, who have spent more than a hundred million dollars to defeat the measure. California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, and some health-care organizations have expressed concerns that the tax could drive the ultra-wealthy out of the state and would fail to provide a long-term funding solution for public services. Whether the ballot measure fails or passes, does the fight over Proposition 40 signal a broader shift toward more ambitious efforts to tax the wealthy? This week’s reading: * “How Ukraine Brought the War to Russia [https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/how-ukraine-brought-the-war-to-russia],” by Joshua Yaffa * “Inside ICE’s Largest Detention Center, [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/07/20/locked-away]” by Jonathan Blitzer * “Democratic Schadenfreude and the Latino Vote [https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/democratic-schadenfreude-and-the-latino-vote],” by Jack Herrera * “The Remaking of Lindsey Graham [https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-remaking-of-lindsey-graham],” by Ruth Marcus * “An O.M.B. Plan to Defund Science—and Anything Trump Doesn’t Like [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/07/20/an-omb-plan-to-defund-science-and-anything-trump-doesnt-like],” by Elizabeth Kolbert The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

How an Estimated Seven Hundred Thousand People Have Died from DOGE’s U.S.A.I.D. Cuts

The Department of Government Efficiency, better known as DOGE, has officially been terminated. Its July 4th sunset date was part of Donald Trump’s original executive order that created the agency, which Elon Musk ran. During his tenure, Musk oversaw the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D., which used to provide life-saving medical and nutritional programs around the world. Musk, who recently became the world’s first trillionaire, claims that there is no evidence that a single person died after DOGE cancelled more than eighty per cent of U.S.A.I.D.’s programs, cutting basic health-care access to some ninety-five million people. Atul Gawande [https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/atul-gawande] disagrees. He was the assistant administrator for global health at  U.S.A.I.D. until he stepped down, the same week Trump ended U.S. foreign assistance. Gawande says an estimated seven hundred thousand people have already died as a result of the cuts. David Remnick speaks with the longtime New Yorker contributor about the profound effects of ending U.S.A.I.D.’s work abroad, Musk’s involvement in these decisions, and the deaths it all has wrought.    Further reading, viewing, and listening:  * “The Shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Has Already Killed Hundreds of Thousands [https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-documentary/the-shutdown-of-usaid-has-already-killed-hundreds-of-thousands],” film by Thomas Jennings [https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/thomas-jennings] and Annie Wong [https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/annie-wong], text by Atul Gawande [https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/atul-gawande] * “Hundreds of Thousands Will Die [https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/the-new-yorker-radio-hour/atul-gawande-on-elon-musks-surgery-with-a-chainsaw],” an episode of The New Yorker Radio Hour * “Behind the Chaotic Attempt to Freeze Federal Assistance [https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/behind-the-chaotic-attempt-to-freeze-federal-assistance],” by Atul Gawande The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.  Tune in to The Political Scene wherever you get your podcasts [http://swap.fm/l/tny-tps-extref]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

The Platner Implosion, and What It Means for Democrats

The Washington Roundtable digs into the stunning collapse of Graham Platner’s Senate campaign in Maine, and what it means for the Democratic Party’s performance in the upcoming midterms. The hosts are joined by Neera Tanden, the president and C.E.O. of the Center for American Progress and a former adviser to President Joe Biden. The panel grapples with the pressing question of how the Party might resolve some of its ideological divisions and position itself to attract voters looking for an alternative to Donald Trump. Across the board, Americans are seeking a break from the status quo, Tanden argues—regardless of where a given candidate falls on the political spectrum. “People want action,” she says. “It’s not ideological as much as people are hungry for ideas.”  This week’s reading: * “Graham Platner’s Point of No Return [https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/graham-platners-point-of-no-return],” by Jon Allsop * “Michigan Is the Next Big Test for the Democratic Party [https://www.newyorker.com/news/election-2026/michigan-is-the-next-big-test-for-the-democratic-party],” by Jason Zengerle * “Trump and NATO Court Erdoğan, Turkey’s Strongman [https://www.newyorker.com/news/global-notes/trump-and-nato-court-erdogan-turkeys-strongman],” by Ishaan Tharoor * “How Political Is This Supreme Court? [https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/how-political-is-this-supreme-court#intcid=_the-new-yorker-homepage-bkt-a_6da736d0-45af-4fb4-930b-38d9b8d794ce_cygnus-personalized],” by Isaac Chotiner Tune in to The Political Scene wherever you get your podcasts [https://pod.link/268213039]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

How the Supreme Court’s Conservative Supermajority Is Reshaping Executive Power

The New Yorker contributing writer Ruth Marcus joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss the Supreme Court’s now concluded term and what some of the recent decisions indicate about the bench’s willingness to check President Trump’s use of executive power. They talk about the Court’s rulings on immigration, transgender athletes, the President’s authority to fire heads of independent federal agencies, and what various opinions reveal about the Republican-appointed justices’ tendency to side with the Trump Administration. They also explore the Court’s rejection of Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship, and whether the ruling should be seen as a reassuring defense of settled law or a warning that even long-established constitutional protections may be more vulnerable than they once appeared. This week’s reading: * “The Supreme Court Enables Trump’s Cruel Immigration Agenda [https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-supreme-court-enables-trumps-cruel-immigration-agenda],” by Ruth Marcus * “The Supreme Court’s Check on Trump’s Power Was Too Close for Comfort [https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-supreme-courts-check-on-trumps-power-was-too-close-for-comfort],” by Ruth Marcus * “How Political Is This Supreme Court? [https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/how-political-is-this-supreme-court],” by Isaac Chotiner * “Behind the Supreme Court’s Ruling on Transgender Athletes [https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/behind-the-supreme-courts-ruling-on-transgender-athletes],” by Jeannie Suk Gersen * “The Supreme Court Upheld Birthright Citizenship—but the Fight May Not Be Over [https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-supreme-court-upheld-birthright-citizenship-but-the-fight-may-not-be-over],” by Amy Davidson Sorkin Tune in to The Political Scene wherever you get your podcasts [https://pod.link/268213039]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

From Critics at Large: An American Playlist

The Washington Roundtable will return next Friday. To commemorate two hundred and fifty years of the American experiment, the hosts of The New Yorker’s Critics at Large podcast, Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz, present an American playlist. On this special episode, the hosts hear from listeners regarding the songs that best encapsulate their feelings about the U.S. today—and offer some tracks of their own. The resulting compilation reflects the country’s turbulent history, its uncertain present, and, crucially, listeners’ hopes for its future. “What we think of as nation-building—at least if you care about art, that’s not where the real action is,” Cunningham says. “The action is in our creative response to the circumstances that we’re given. And that’s what music is all about.”  Listen to a playlist of songs from this episode here [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Vr218WFdEdHDrhsXLxfta?si=NXF_n8tHRfGLaF5KGXLiBw&nd=1&dlsi=8528c888e518496d]. Featured tracks: “Kids in America,” by Kim Wilde “Miss America,” by David Byrne “All-American Bitch,” by Olivia Rodrigo “Django Jane,” by Janelle Monáe “Help Save the Youth of America,” by Billy Bragg “Almost Cut My Hair,” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young “Free Fallin’,” by Tom Petty “America,” by Simon & Garfunkel “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” covered by Joan Baez “Sleep Now in the Fire,” by Rage Against the Machine “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore,” by John Prine “Compared to What,” by Roberta Flack “Ohio/Machine Gun,” by The Isley Brothers “Bob Dylan's 115th Dream,” by Bob Dylan “Wild Goose Chase,” covered by Nora Brown “That’s Life,” covered by James Brown “Billy The Kid Suite,” by Aaron Copland “A Change Is Gonna Come,” by Sam Cooke New episodes drop every Thursday. Follow Critics at Large wherever you get your podcasts [http://swap.fm/l/tny-cal-extref]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]