Half the Answer

Caitlin M. Green and Trent R. Nelson interview experts who weigh in on current debates. In the process they seek not only to uncover answers to the questions of the day, but to explore why they are being asked in the first place. To understand the questions we ask, they believe, is half the answer.

Half the Answer is a news podcast hosted by Liberal Currents, with 104 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Liberal Currents hosts Half the Answer, a news show with 104 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #106

  Everything's 'National Security' in Trump's Washington (with Stephanie Mencimer)

  Oct 2, 202646 minS2

  Donald Trump is changing the landscape of Washington—literally. From East Potomac Park to the Kennedy Center to the 'Arc de Trump,' everything he touches turns to plaster and adhesive gold-colored filigree. And all the while, D.C. is still under occupation by National Guard out-of-towners. Stephanie Mencimer, a senior reporter with Mother Jones and resident of the city under siege, joins us. Resources https://bsky.app/profile/smencimer.bsky.social https://www.motherjones.com/topics/reveal-podcast/ https://www.youtube.com/@MotherJones https://www.tiktok.com/@motherjonesmag https://www.motherjones.com/author/Stephanie-mencimer/ https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/08/fore-trumps-dc-golf-course-is-already-in-the-rough/ https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/05/the-kennedy-center-was-part-of-dc-life-trump-destroyed-it/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/09/30/trumps-upscale-golf-plan-would-destroy-dc-haven-cyclists-runners/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/09/29/trumps-arch-not-expected-feature-drones-snipers-officials-say/ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/NZIUqUdoz2I https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/08/23/secret-white-house-bunker-undercuts-trumps-ballroom-lawsuit-ex-officials-say/ https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/us/politics/trump-ballroom-construction.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2026/09/30/kennedy-center-was-solvent-when-trump-took-over-then-its-finances-collapsed/ https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/29/politics/mike-lee-kennedy-center-bill https://apnews.com/article/trump-rose-garden-historical-statues-founders-sculptures-0fe922ef11337b4937adf3ac505e9b5b https://www.turtlediaries.net/p/update-from-the-great-american-state https://people.com/trump-rose-garden-renovations-complete-photo-timeline-11985903 https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/08/a-year-of-troops-in-washington/688317/ https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-put-thousands-soldiers-washingtons-streets-they-seldom-stop-crime-2026-08-19/ https://www.pbs.org/newshour/classroom/daily-news-lessons/2025/10/east-wing-of-white-house-torn-down-as-trump-clears-space-for-his-ballroom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNpIOlDhigw

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  Episode #105

  Orange Man Deteriorating: What It Means for 2026 and 2028 (with Ryan Cooper)

  Sep 24, 20261h 23mS2

  Donald Trump appears to be deteriorating…in every way possible. Physically, mentally, internationally, grammatically—somehow, orange man worsening, while word salads, IVs, and naps are great again. Ryan Cooper of the American Prospect helps us think through what it means for 2026, 2028, and beyond. Resources https://prospect.org https://www.leftanchor.com https://wlos.com/news/local/joke-trump-fema-funding-president-donald-trump-north-carolina-western-helene-reaction-whatley-cooper-election-candidates-politics-gov-josh-stein-community https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mvoaqk2q2523 https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-the-chance-for-peace-delivered-before-the-american-society-newspaper-editors https://www.liberalcurrents.com/how-the-homeless-continue-to-be-forgotten-in-the-midst-of-the-covid-19-pandemic/ "Donald Trump" by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

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  Episode #104

  European Election Results, Racist Militias, and Jared Kushner (with Hunter CG)

  Sep 20, 20261h 40mS2

  Our European correspondent Hunter CG, often known as RoteRoteMedia, clues us into the latest Old World happenings, with special attention to the ongoing adventures of Donald Trump's middle-aged son-in-law and "special envoy for peace" Jared Kushner. https://www.LiberalCurrents.com/drive/ https://www.democratsabroad.org/about_us https://www.thedemcon.org https://www.tiktok.com/@roterotemedia https://www.instagram.com/roterotemedia/ https://www.youtube.com/@roterotemedia/shorts https://bsky.app/profile/roterote.bsky.social https://apnews.com/video/protest-against-kushner-linked-coastal-development-held-near-albanias-parliament-f09c4305bc7548f3a37a5aa1d5463826 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c986w38r4j5o https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/who-rupert-lowe-restore-britain-5HjdTPC_2/ https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8znyzgkjjo https://apnews.com/article/wales-scotland-northern-ireland-independence-uk-devolution-4242b7fd6987520211562a2250f093a1 https://www.reuters.com/world/italys-meloni-says-albania-migrant-camp-scheme-will-continue-2025-11-13/ https://apnews.com/article/sweden-election-opposition-wins-andersson-bf88ef9771cdd4f435a1568b98a11790 https://www.propublica.org/article/donald-trump-jr-wedding-bankrolled-russian-oligarch-umar-kremlev-putin https://www.britannica.com/event/2025-Nepalese-Gen-Z-Protests https://apnews.com/article/madagascar-protests-gen-z-rajoelina-e39ef11bd1f4a92f1f4b353900348219 https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclusive/how-serbian-students-created-the-largest-protest-movement-in-decades/

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  Episode #103

  How the Tech Bros of Silicon Valley Would Govern Us (with Adrian Daub)

  Sep 16, 20261h 15mS2

  When those at the very top echelon of influence in Silicon Valley think about, talk about, and interact with government, what does that look like? Can we come up with a legible, understandable picture of the tech elites' idea of what governing is and how they relate to it? Adrian Daub says yes, and he says it in his new book "What Tech Calls Governing." Resources "What Tech Calls Governing": https://bookshop.org/a/115699/9781503648333 "The Cancel Culture Panic: How an American Obsession Went Global": https://bookshop.org/a/115699/9781503640849 screengrab of Elizabeth Holmes from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGJSRFWALTI Elon Musk photo by Gage Skidmore https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/54349592271/in/album-72177720324044219 Mark Zuckerberg with Trump https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI-ULy4akl0 Peter Thiel photo by Gage Skidmore https://flic.kr/p/2n3bPZt Tim Cook in Oval Office from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSAGUjY2HIs

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  Episode #102

  Trump, Israel, the Iran War, and the Death of the Two-State Solution (with Y. L. Al-Sheikh)

  Sep 9, 20261h 14mS2

  What is the current state of affairs in Israel, Palestine, and the surrounding nations? We ask Y. L. Al-Sheikh for her help summarizing and contextualizing recent developments. Resources ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/diplomatofnight.com⁠ ⁠https://www.liberalcurrents.com/author/ylalsheikh/⁠ ⁠https://foreignpolicy.com/author/yaseen-al-sheikh/⁠ ⁠https://internationalpolicy.org/resource-author/y-l-al-sheikh/⁠ ⁠https://foreignpolicy.com/author/yaseen-al-sheikh/⁠ ⁠https://www.newyorker.com/news/a-reporter-at-large/new-maps-show-how-israel-has-thwarted-hopes-for-a-palestinian-state⁠ ⁠https://truthout.org/articles/air-force-is-reviewing-case-of-iran-war-gold-star-widow-being-denied-benefits/⁠ "The One State Reality: What Is Israel/Palestine?": ⁠https://bookshop.org/a/115699/9781501768408

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