Talking Feds

"Are You F***ing Kidding Me?"

As the killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis roils the country, Harry breaks down the fallout with Susan Glasser. Then, turning to the week's main discussion, three stellar journalists—Susan, Emily Bazelon, and Ruth Marcus—join Harry to break down Trump's assaults on the rule of law that made Pretti's death possible. From the corruption of the FBI and the carnage in Minnesota to Trump's escape from the prosecutions brought by Jack Smith, the trio engage in a wide-ranging discussion anchored in their in-depth reporting. Can the FBI withstand another year of Kash Patel's leadership? Is Jack Smith next on Trump's list of targets for reprisal? Finally, are the tragic events in Minnesota, as Susan says, Trump's most Trumpian accomplishment? Mentioned in this episode:  Harry's Substack on the aftermath of Alex Pretti's death:  https://harrylitman.substack.com/p/congress-must-act-now Susan's piece on Trump's actions in Minnesota: ⁠ https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/the-minnesota-war-zone-is-trumps-most-trumpian-accomplishment Emily's report on the FBI:  https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/01/22/magazine/trump-kash-patel-fbi-agents.html Ruth's piece on Jack Smith: ⁠ https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/jack-smiths-closing-argument Ruth's profile of Pam Bondi: ⁠ https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/08/25/pam-bondi-profile Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AG Keith Ellison on Justice for Renee Good, and Minnesota

Attorney General Keith Ellison of Minnesota speaks to Harry from the frontlines of the state's legal defense against what he calls a "federal invasion." AG Ellison gives a vivid picture of how the administration's mission is causing chaos on the ground and, in his view, aiming to provoke a violence response. Then, the two dive deep into the thorny questions around a state prosecution of Renee Good's killer—all made more complicated by the federal government's intransigence, if not outright interference.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trauma and Terror in Minnesota

In our latest Contrarian episode, Norm Eisen, Katie Phang, and Jen Rubin join Harry for a deep dive on ICE's rampage through Minnesota. The panel reviews the legal and political prospects for stopping what local leaders call a "federal invasion." Can congressional Democrats restrain ICE? What about the broad-gauge lawsuit brought by Minnesota? Then the panel turns to whether the Administration has stepped on the third rail with its investigation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, which Powell denounced as an obvious pretext for Trump's crusade to control interest rates. Mentioned in this episode:  The Contrarian: https://contrarian.substack.com/ Katie's YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@katiephangnews  Jen's piece about Democrats and ICE:  https://contrarian.substack.com/p/democrats-must-seize-the-opportunity  David Frum's piece about J.D. Vance:  https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/01/vance-defends-minneapolis-shooter-ice-maga-symbol/685584/  Katzenbach memo:  https://www.justice.gov/olc/file/477221/dl?inline#page=509 Minnesota's 10th Amendment lawsuit:  https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2026/docs/00190_DHS_Complaint.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Roberts: Umpire or Ultimate Decider?

Chief Justice John Roberts famously told the country that, if confirmed to the Supreme Court, he would act like an umpire—just there to call balls and strikes. To help answer the question of how Umpire Roberts Court has fared, Harry spoke with Lisa Graves about her new book, Without Precedent: How Chief Justice Roberts and His Accomplices Rewrote the Constitution and Dismantled Our Rights, in which Graves makes the case that Roberts has acted less as an umpire than a political loyalist. In the conversation, Harry and Lisa discuss Roberts’s background as a movement conservative at DOJ, his nomination and ascension as Chief Justice, and his tenure now entering its third decade. They also delve into the modern Federalist Society, unpacking how Roberts and his fellow conservative justices align—or don’t—with its ideology. With the Supreme Court wielding unprecedented influence over American policy, this discussion provides a clear look at how we arrived at the Court we have today. Read Lisa's book: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/lisa-graves/without-precedent/9781645030676/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gasoline on the Fire

Guest host Jonathan Alter brings together former Senator Barbara Boxer, Norm Ornstein, and Stuart Stevens to break down the Trump administration's mounting aggression, at home and abroad. The four talk through the shocking killing of Renee Good in Minnesota and the fallout from the toppling of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Then, they dig into a deeper story: how congressional Republicans became the devoted, crucial enablers of Trump's worst impulses. Mentioned in this episode: Jonathan’s Substack:  https://oldgoats.substack.com/ Norm's podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dsrs-words-matter/id1420216970  Stuart's Substack:  https://stuartstevens.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices