Sign up for Liberal Currents.

The Case for Public Electricity (Neon Liberalism #64, with Ryan Smith)

Samantha Hancox-Li and guest Ryan C. Smith, author and economic historian, discuss the possibility of publicly-owned electric utilities in America. Smith argues that there is a strong case for public power. Electricity distribution is a "natural monopoly," and existing private companies—like Pacific Gas and Electric—are often

The Last Idiot Who Earnestly Believes in the American Experiment

Still left out of the joke, even now.

CBP and ICE Report: New Orleans, Minneapolis, Greg Bovino & Apple Pie (Half the Answer #66, with Amanda Moore)

Caitlin and Trent talk with journalist Amanda Moore about her work tracking the DHS "surges" all over the United States, her efforts to get close to former commander at large Gregory Bovino, and her experience trying to form conclusions about the broader patterns of immigration forces' violence

We Need to Talk About the Right’s New Voter Suppression Target: Women

The SAVE Act would make it harder for married women in particular to vote, and that is just one part of the MAGA right's misogynist project.

Killing for Content

The Trump administration cares more about clicks and content than human life.

Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show, Warehouse Prisons & the El Paso Laser Fiasco (Half the Answer #65, with Jonathan Katz)

Trent and Caitlin boogie with a friend of the program, journalist Jonathan M. Katz of The Racket. They talk Super Bowl, Bad Bunny, the TPUSA halftime safe space show, and immigration detention. Half the Answer can be heard on Spotify, on Apple, on YouTube, on Amazon, and elsewhere via its

America, If You’re Listening: Denmark’s Example for Fixing Liberal Democracy

Talking to Michael Bang Peterson on Denmark's recurring process of self-examination.

The Pain Is the Plan

MAGA is actively seeking to immiserate the country in order to cement their power over the rest of us.

Minnesota's False Spring

Even with troop withdrawals, Minnesotans aren’t packing up snow shovels, nor ICE whistles.

A Blaring Warning for the Democratic Party From Across the Pond

Popularism has been tried in the UK, and it has failed.

Editor's Notes: Gaming Out Antidemocratic Tactics

How worried should we be about election interference in 2026, exactly?

Canada Fights Back (Neon Liberalism #63, with John Banks)

Samantha and essayist John Banks discuss what steps Canada is taking to fight back against Trump's aggression. Mark Carney's "variable geometry" Davos speech, the dilemmas facing middle powers, and the future of liberal internationalism are covered. In Banks' view, the Republican Party has