Cuccinelli backs potential DeSantis run
Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is heading up a super PAC supporting the potential presidential candidacy of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Cuccinelli, who also served in the Trump administration, joins Jim on The Final 5 to explain why he started “Never Back Down,” and why he thinks DeSantis isn’t just the best bet for the GOP, but for the nation.
Will Jawando announces Senate bid
One day after longtime Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) announced he wouldn’t seek re-election, the first entrant to the 2024 race announced his bid on Tuesday. Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando, a former Obama administration official, attorney, and author, joins Jim on The Final 5 to make his case for the Democratic nomination.
First Republic collapse shakes confidence in banks
First Republic Bank became the second-largest bank in American history to fail on Monday, with J.P. Morgan Chase rescuing the institution in a government-orchestrated deal. But after SVB’s high-profile collapse earlier this year, confidence in America’s banks is shaken. Jim talks with financial expert Ryan Stewman on #TheFinal5 on what you should know.
New polls show stark divide on guns, immigration
The topics of gun laws and immigration have a common thread: they're two of the most divisive issues of our time. New research from Ipsos Public Affairs shows how American attitudes have shifted over the last few decades. Cliff Young joins Jim on #TheFinal5 to look at the numbers.
Spanberger on debt limit & stock trading ban
U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) joins Jim on #TheFinal5 to take a look at this week’s vote on a GOP-backed push to raise the debt ceiling but call for spending cuts. Plus, revelations that several House members from both parties traded bank stocks before the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank have her renewing a call to bar Congress members from trading stocks. But will it make a difference?
#TheFinal5: High FICO scores could cost some borrowers under new plan
A push to increase accessibility to affordable housing takes effect May 1st, but the plan could cost potential borrowers with higher credit scores even more. The push by Freddie Mae and Fannie Mac increases certain fees based on credit scores, with those on the lower end of the spectrum seeing a discount. Roger Valdez from the Center for Housing Opportunity joins Jim on "The Final 5" to offer some alternatives.
#TheFinal5: Delegate Joe Vogel on the MD Assembly session
It’s curtains for another session of the Maryland General Assembly with lawmakers pushing ahead on changes to gun laws, legal cannabis, and a host of other issues. Del. Joe Vogel (D-Montgomery County) takes a look at his first session with Jim on "The Final 5."
#TheFinal5: KCRW’s “Left, Right & Center” in DC
One of the nation’s most popular political podcasts is coming to D.C. for a live show at Georgetown University on Thursday, April 27 at 8 p.m. “Left, Right & Center,” a production of KCRW Los Angeles, is hosted by David Greene and features panelists Mo Elleithee and Sarah Isgur. They join Jim on "The Final 5" to talk about the challenges and advantages of being civil in uncivil times. (FOR FREE TICKETS: https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/special-programming/kcrw-left-right-center-live-georgetown/)
#TheFinal5: Affirmative action in college admissions
The Supreme Court is soon to rule on a controversial case involving the role of affirmative action in college admissions. Young Voices contributor Neetu Arnold says she believes the time has come for colleges to move away from the process. She joins Jim on The Final 5 with more.
#TheFinal5: Stand Your Ground laws in focus after Yarl shooting
"Stand Your Ground" laws are meant to protect homeowners from intruders, but the shooting of teenager Ralph Yarl in Kansas City are putting many of those laws under scrutiny. Trial Attorney Donte Mills joins Jim on The Final 5 to explain where they work, and when they haven't.
#TheFinal5: State of the legal cannabis business
The proverbial 4/20 holiday comes at a time when legal cannabis sales have become a multi-billion dollar industry, and more significantly, recreational marijuana enjoys a much higher level of social acceptance. Karan Wadhera of Casa Verde Capital joins Jim on "The Final 5" to talk about the industry, where it’s headed on a federal level, and how he got into business with Snoop Dogg.
#TheFinal5: McCarthy, GOP prepare for debt limit battle
Congress is back in session, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy continues his demand for spending cuts in exchange for raising the debt limit before a potential default. But he’ll have to sway some members of his own party, too. Jack Kalavritinos joins Jim on "The Final 5" to talk about what McCarthy is facing, and whether he’ll get it done, plus shares his thoughts on the growing 2024 Republican presidential field.
#TheFinal5: Will DeSantis say yes, or pass on 2024?
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was seen as a likely candidate for the GOP nomination for the White House in 2024, but a surging Donald Trump may put a crimp in those plans. Washington Monthly political editor Bill Scher argues now may not be the time for the 44-year-old. He joins Jim on The Final 5 to explain why.
#TheFinal5: Is the Dan Snyder era actually over?
The reported sale of the Washington Commanders hasn’t yet been announced, but fans are already heralding a new era for the long-beleaguered franchise. Tom Manatos, founder of FireDanSnyder.org, joins Jim on "The Final 5."
#TheFinal5: ‘Tennessee Three’ member vows to keep gun reform fight going
One of the Tennessee state lawmakers at the center of controversy amid calls for new gun laws says she has no plans to give up her fight, even if it nearly cost her a seat in the state House. Democrat Gloria Johnson, who represents a Knoxville-area district, narrowly avoided expulsion by the Republican majority after she took part in a protest on the House floor after the shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville on March 27, in which six people died, including three children. She joins Jim on "The Final 5" to discuss whether she thinks the partisan wrangling between the so-called “Tennessee Three” and state Republicans has overshadowed the lives lost in the shooting at Covenant.
#TheFinal5: TikTok ban looms, but how to do it remains controversial
The effort to ban TikTok is still working its way through Congress, but one of the avenues, the so-called “Restrict Act,” is drawing criticism. Young Voices Contributor Samuel Mangold-Lenett joined Jim on "The Final 5" to explain.
#TheFinal5: Iran's most prominent voices being silenced
Iranian author, actress, and activist Nazanin Nour joins Shirin Rajaee on "The Final 5" to discuss the latest unrest in Iran and the continued fight for freedom by the Iranian people.
#TheFinal5: Bragg goes on offensive against GOP detractors
A week after a Manhattan grand jury indicted former President Donald Trump, the man charged with prosecuting the case is filing suit against House Republicans seeking to derail the case. District Attorney Alvin Bragg filed suit in federal court, seeking to stop efforts by House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan to subpoena a former top assistant, as well as documents related to the Trump case. Punchbowl News congressional correspondent Max Cohen joins Jim on "The Final 5" to explain what’s at stake.
#TheFinal5: Pentagon leak roils allies
Dozens of confidential Pentagon documents have made their way to the online platform Discord, with secret information about the Ukraine war and other international allies leaked to the world. What’s the fallout? Jim talks with Jamil Jaffer from the National Security Institute about what it all means, and what the fallout may be for the U.S. and those behind the leak.
#TheFinal5: Virginia GOP gears up in off-cycle election year
While the rest of the country will be spared an onslaught of ads from congressional candidates in an off-year, Virginia voters will head to the polls to determine control of the state House and Senate, with a series of key issues in the balance. House Majority Leader Terry Kilgore ( R ) joins Jim on "The Final 5" to talk about what’s on the agenda if the Republicans hold control of the House, and potentially flip the Senate.