#TheFinal5: Delegate Joe Vogel and the fight against hate crimes
After a rash of antisemitism across Montgomery County, newly-elected Delegate Joe Vogel (D) is calling for a statewide commission to investigate hate crimes. He joins Jim on "The Final 5" to explain what it could mean, plus what it’s been like serving as one of Maryland’s first Gen-Z lawmakers.
#TheFinal5: Ukraine, One Year Later
What have we learned from a year of conflict in Eastern Europe, and will be U.S. eventually be dragged into the battle? Jim takes a look at the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine with George Beebe, former chief of CIA Russia Analysis and Director of Grand Strategy at the Quincy Institute.
#TheFinal5: DeSantis, Youngkin take on College Board
A new advanced-placement course on African American history is drawing the ire of the likes of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who has ordered a review of the College Board’s new offering. Political strategist Calvin Dark joins Jim to weigh in on the contentious matter, and what constitutes “woke” in today’s environment.
#TheFinal5: POTUS and Putin deliver dueling speeches on Ukraine
President Biden continued his surprise European visit on Tuesday, delivering a pointed speech directed toward Vladimir Putin as the anniversary of the Russian invasion nears. But Putin made headlines of his own, pulling out of a key anti-nuclear treaty with the U.S. Global affairs analyst and former CIA ops official Laura Ballman joined Jim on "The Final 5."
#TheFinal5: Understanding the pros and cons of D.C.’s Height Act
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser says the key to expanding housing opportunities is by lifting regulations governing how high developers can build. But changing the Height Act requires the approval of D.C. Council, and at least one member says no. Jim takes a walk through D.C. with Deputy Mayor John Falcicchio in this Final 5 Focus.
#TheFinal5: Who is Steve Laffey?
He’s the former mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island, but Steve Laffey says he has the qualifications to be president. The 2024 Republican presidential candidate joins Jim on "The Final 5" to explain who he is and why he thinks he deserves a spot alongside Trump, Haley, and the rest of the shaping field.
#TheFinal5: Nikki Haley makes it official
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley announced her bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, beginning what will likely be a cavalcade of likely challengers to President Biden. Jack Kalavritinos joins Jim to break down the field, the Trump factor, and where the race goes from here.
#TheFinal5: Who should get school choice?
The debate over school choice has raged on for decades, including in Virginia, Republicans have been pushing their own proposal over the objections of Democrats. While opponents have argued it drains resources for public institutions, backers say it's about putting kids on an even footing, whether it's at a public, private, or parochial school. Young Voices contributor Elizabeth Grace Matthew is Jim's guest on #TheFinal5.
#TheFinal5: What's with the flying objects?
The U.S. has now downed four suspicious objects over North American airspace in the last week. What's going on? Jim attempts to make sense of it all with Jamil Jaffer of the National Security Institute at George Mason on "The Final 5."
#TheFinal5: GOP reps, Biden campaign targeted by cybercriminals
An investigation uncovered hundreds of thousands of dollars siphoned from the campaign accounts of at least two Republican members of Congress, and even from President Biden’s 2020 accounts. Why were they targeted? Raw Story editor-in-chief Dave Levinthal is Jim’s guest on "The Final 5."
#TheFinal5: Lisa Guerrero is a “Warrior”
Lisa Guerrero’s career has taken her from NFL cheerleader, to actress, to NFL reporter, and heralded investigative reporter. But in her new book, “Warrior: My Path to Being Brave,” she recounts some of the moments that have tested her most. She joins Jim on “The Final 5” to explain what she means by “being brave,” the moments that shaped her, and why she shared some of the most intimate details with the world. (BUY THE BOOK: https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/lisa-guerrero/warrior/9780306829499/)
The Taliban is Bored?
It's been a year and a half since the US left Afghanistan and apparently the Taliban is "bored." Jim explains.
#TheFinal5 SOTU Panel
Jim gets reaction from President Biden’s State of the Union address from Tracy Pearson and Barak Lurie on a special edition of “The Final 5.”
#TheFinal5: What to expect from Biden's SOTU?
President Joe Biden is set to deliver his second State of the Union address on Tuesday evening. Paul Glastris, a former speechwriter for President Bill Clinton, and editor in chief of Washington Monthly, joins Jim for some insight on what goes into putting together the address.
#TheFinal5: Spanberger gets Intel committee slot.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) scored a key committee assignment this week as a member of the House Intelligence Committee. She joins Jim to talk about her qualifications for the job, and what she expects to accomplish.
#TheFinal5: Biden’s SOTU & Nikki Haley 2024
When President Biden delivers his State of the Union next week, expect a rosy perspective of his handling of the economy. But Based Politics podcast co-host Brad Polumbo says it’ll be hard to spin the numbers to satisfy Americans affected by inflation. He joins Jim to look at what to expect, plus offers insight on the 2024 field, including the pending entry of Nikki Haley into the GOP race.
#TheFinal5: Biden preps for State of the Union
President Biden is set to deliver his second State of the Union next week, and while the address normally gives the commander-in-chief a chance to run down his accomplishments and his agenda moving forward, he’ll be doing it in front of a divided Congress for the first time. Rhett Buttle of Public Private Strategies is Jim’s guest.
#TheFinal5: George Santos and the power of local journalism
The controversies swirling around Rep. George Santos (R-NY) came to light in no small part due to local reporters who tracked down many of the allegations against the freshman lawmaker. Jacqueline Sweet, who filed many of those reports, joins Jim on "The Final 5" to explain why she thinks the story took hold, what it took to get readers interested in the process, and why it’s key for local journalists to pay attention to stories that may otherwise fall through the cracks.
#TheFinal5: America’s changing shift on severe weather, climate change
New research shows a shift in how much Americans are concerned with the threat of extreme weather events, and what they believe should be the course of action for the future. Cliff Young of Ipsos Public Affairs joins Jim to take a look at the data.
#TheFinal5: Will document controversies matter?
The classified document controversies involving President Biden, former President Donald Trump, and former Vice President Mike Pence may all present different circumstances, but do voters care? Andrew Donaldson of Young Voices joins Jim to discuss, plus how will Meta's decision to reinstate Trump affect the political discourse?