Charles Lane, host of the American Purpose podcast "Times Like These with Charles Lane," is a Washington Post editorial writer and a weekly columnist. Previously, Lane served as the paper's Supreme Court reporter. He was editor and a senior editor of The New Republic from 1993 to 1999 and a foreign correspondent for Newsweek from 1987 to 1993. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and author of three books on U.S. history and constitutional law.
Janno Lieber on Transforming NYC Transit
Less traffic. Cleaner air. Safer streets. Better transit. That’s the personal motto of Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber of the Metropolitan Transit Authority. And it’s certainly a good one aspirationally. The challenge is putting it into practice. Lieber joins host Charles Lane to discuss the triumphs and pitfalls
Gov. John Bel Edwards on Being a Deep South Democrat
Louisiana is a unique state and Charles Lane knows its history; his 2008 book, The Day Freedom Died, told the story of the Colfax Massacre of 1873, in which dozens of Black men were slain. And the state has a unique governor, John Bel Edwards, who has been elected to
Josh Kraushaar on Antisemitism and Politics in America
Political extremism and antisemitism have a habit of going hand in hand throughout history. Josh Kraushaar, veteran political analyst and editor-in-chief of Jewish Insider, joins host Charles Lane to talk about the rise of antisemitism in America, partisan sentiment and the U.S.-Israel relationship, and political trends more broadly.
Colbert I. King on D.C., Journalism, and Black History
Colbert “Colby” I. King has served the nation in a myriad of roles, including as “the unofficial journalistic voice of the city for more than three decades.” He sat down with host Charles Lane to share his thoughts on the District’s political limbo, the state of journalism today, and
Natasha Crampton on Building Responsible AI
Artificial Intelligence has played a game-changing role across many industries, from banking and health care to retail and manufacturing. But as AI impacts our lives in increasingly direct ways, are companies harnessing its technological power safely and responsibly? Microsoft’s Chief Responsible AI Officer Natasha Crampton joined Charles Lane to
Anna Lembke on Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence
Is pain necessary to appreciate the good in life? Has unfettered access to pleasurable stimuli–from drugs and alcohol to internet and streaming TV–dulled our ability to experience true pleasure? Dr. Anna Lembke uses neuroscience and narrative to explore these questions and more in her book Dopamine Nation: Finding
Jorge Castañeda on the Challenges Facing Latin America’s Young Democracies
Do democracies offer progress or only the promise of progress? NYU professor and former foreign minister of Mexico Jorge Castañeda breaks down some of the challenges currently facing the western hemisphere’s youngest democracies, those of Latin America. From Mexico to Peru and Brazil, a centrist vacuum in the region
Jon Grinspan on American Political Wildness
Americans have a penchant for telling themselves the darkest version of their history. But John Grinspan looks to the wild campaigns of the 1800's to show how the lived drama of the American political experience offers lessons of hope for political participation and civility.
