291 | Young People vs Joe Biden

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This week we talk about race and representation with Cathy Cohen of the GenForward Survey project based in Chicago. What do young Americans want from democratic politics? How do their priorities vary according to race and ethnicity? And can a Biden presidency deliver on the desire for real change? Plus we catch up with Jeevun Sandher and Michael Bankole of the Politics Jam podcast to explore a UK perspective on why young and minority voices find it so hard to be heard.

252 | American Fascism: Then and Now

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David and Helen talk with historian Sarah Churchwell about the origins, uses and abuses of the idea of American fascism.  Where does American fascism come from?  Does it follow a European model or is it something exceptional?  What role do white supremacy and anti-Semitism play in its development?  How close has it got to power?  Plus we ask the big question for now: Does it make sense to call Trump a fascist?

250 | What Just Happened at the New York Times?

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In an extra episode, we're back with last week's guest Jonathan Shainin, Head of Opinion at the Guardian, so he can talk us through the big blow-up at the NYT.  What has it taught us about about the new battlegrounds in newspaper opinion?  Where does power now lie in newspaper offices?  And where does Jonathan draw the line between what can and can't be published?  In our next episode, voices on the ground in the US.

151 | Italy vs France vs Brexit

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We take the wider European view this week, catching up with the latest developments in Italy and France.  A year on from the Italian elections, who is up and who is down in the coalition between the League and Five Star?  What is China up to in Italy?  Has Macron really got his mojo back?  Plus we ask the big question: between chaos at Westminster, riots in Paris and rabble-rousing in Rome, whose democracy is in the biggest trouble?  With Lucia Rubinelli and Chris Bickerton.