Playbook Deep Dive

While President Trump is ruffling feathers of world leaders in Europe, Mike Pence is on his own press tour a little closer to home: he's in the Midwest. We get into what he's doing there, and why his message sounds a little different from the president's.... or does it? Then, we talk about the Supreme Court some more. Three weeks in a row isn't too much, in our opinion, but it's a very narrow ruling.

Scott's on vacation, but we're not! Charles Mahtesian, Esq. sits in the host seat this week. Name a better time to go full Supreme Court..... we'll wait. We have two White House reporters bringing us up to speed on what Trump is thinking with his self-imposed announcement deadline rapidly approaching. Then, Josh Gerstein returns to tells us about the 38 cases the Supreme Court has agreed to hear next year.

In a news week that seemed like it would never end, there were two big upsets for the Democrats: First, in New York's 14th congressional district, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez unseated Joe Crowley, an incumbent no one expected to be defeated. Then, Justice Anthony Kennedy, considered a swing vote on the bench, announced that he would retire, opening up an opportunity for Trump and republicans to alter the Supreme Court as we know it.

This week we're talking about the border from two perspectives: The White House and the Hill. Then, we'll explain why democratic congresspeople and democratic candidates have been turning their backs on Nancy Pelosi, and why it seems like she might be okay with it.

The primary outcomes have us wondering: What's the state of the GOP? Politico's Elena Schneider and Alex Isenstadt join us this week to fill us in on what's going on with the republicans. Then, Rachael Bade joins us from the Hill fresh from a presser with Paul Ryan to talk about DACA and immigration.

While we were sleeping, President Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore. They signed a "very comprehensive document," but what was in it? And what does it all mean in the long run? Emily Stephenson hosts, joined by foreign affairs correspondent Halley Toosi and Michael Crowley, national security editor to break down what happened and what the future could hold.

With a giant primary day in the rearview mirror, the Nerdcast team sizes up the race for the House this fall, and we explain what to expect from the Trump-Kim summit in Singapore. Plus: A heartfelt apology to our many listeners in South Dakota.

Just when you thought primary election season couldn't get any better, we get 8 primaries on a single Tuesday! We're calling it a Super Tuesday. Hear about California's top-two primary system (it's wonky!) and then what the White House has up its sleeve for the 2018 Midterms.

You already know what time it is: Primary discussion time! *Insert airhorn sound effect* Daniel Strauss and Steve Shepard are back to talk about the primaries that happened this week. Then, Paul Ryan is a lame duck, and he's gotten himself into a pickle. What happens when your own party doesn't wanna work with you? Rachael Bade breaks it down for us.

If you ain't talking primaries, we don't wanna talk (we'll call you back). Talking primaries again, we know you love it! Hear what democrats are facing, and how women are faring in primary elections this year. Then, get a look inside the Mueller investigation with POLITICO reporter Josh Gerstein.