140 | Trump and the Shutdown

With the US government still shut, we compare this standoff to shutdowns of the past and try to work out what happens next.  What is Trump's game?  Can the two parties hold together?  And why aren't the workers taking to the streets?  Plus we weigh up where things stand with the Mueller investigation, the race for the democratic nomination and Trump's shifting policy on Syria.  It's all connected!  With Helen Thompson and Gary Gerstle.

40 | Trump vs. Comey

We take stock of the latest developments in Washington as the heat intensifies on Trump and the leaking war continues.  What do the new revelations tell us about Trump's fitness to be president?  What do they tell us about the power struggles inside the administration?  We also take a step back to ask about the risks of any showdown between an elected president and the secret state.  Might Trump's fate set a precedent for any outsider who takes on the political establishment?  Do the Democrats need to be careful what they wish for?  Plus, in the week the UK parties start publishing their election manifestos, we ask: what's a manifesto worth anyway?  With Helen Thompson, Aaron Rapport and Chris Bickerton.