#TheFinal5: Who is Liz Truss?
The UK has a new prime minister. Liz Truss officially replaced Boris Johnson on Tuesday. The longtime public servant takes over at a time when the nation faces an inflation crisis, but her path to 10 Downing Street is marked by a political change of heart, including once supporting abolishing the monarchy. Young Voices UK commentator Albie Amankona joins Jim on "The Final 5" from across the pond to explain what the transfer of power means for the U.S./U.K. relationship.
#TheFinal5: Sutherland Springs families wait for justice
Nearly five years after the deadliest church shooting in American history, families, and survivors are left waiting for the outcome of the government's appeal of a $230 million verdict against the Air Force. At the heart is what the Air Force failed to report about the gunman, paving the way for him to buy the murder weapon. Attorney Jamal Alsaffar is Jim's guest.
#TheFinal5: Dems try to hold momentum through midterms
History doesn’t favor the incumbent POTUS and his party during midterms. While polls show Republicans still have the upper hand in taking control of the House, a string of key policy wins by the White House is changing the calculus. Democratic strategist Kevin Walling joins Jim to talk about the remaining weeks of the midterm campaign, and what he’d like to see President Biden discuss in his nationwide primetime speech on Thursday.
#TheFinal5: Women running for governor in record numbers
In 2022, 69 women ran in major party primaries for governor in their respective states – and 23 were successful in winning their party nominations. It could mean a record number of women eventually running their respective states by the beginning of 2023. Amanda Hunter from the Barbara Lee Family Foundation joins Jim to look at new research when it comes to gender on the ballot.
#TheFinal5: GOP sees opportunities in state races
While most attention has been on the battle for control of Congress, the midterms also present major opportunities for both parties to pick up seats in state legislatures, judicial races, and statewide offices. Andrew Romeo from the Republican State Leadership Committee joins Jim on "The Final 5" to talk about November, what issues are driving GOP voters, and how it plans to address candidates who focus more on relitigating the 2020 election than hot-button topics.
#TheFinal5: Biden forgives some student debt
It’s a conversation playing out around America today: President Biden’s long-awaited decision to forgive some student loan debt. It’s been greeted with celebrations by some, derision by others, and some on the left saying it doesn’t go far enough. Jim discusses the move with political commentator Troy Prestwood and Brad Polumbo of the Foundation for Economic Education on #TheFinal5.
#TheFinal5: Rep. Don Beyer goes to Taiwan
After tensions between the U.S. and China flared following a trip to Taiwan by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Virginia Congressman Don Beyer (D) followed suit with a group of bipartisan lawmakers. He joins Jim on "The Final 5" to explain why he traveled overseas, what he hopes the trip will accomplish in the long-term, and what the other priorities are for House Democrats heading into the midterms.
#TheFinal5: Conservatives and climate change
It’s been a week since President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes nearly $400 billion in spending to mitigate climate change and increase green energy production. For conservatives who’ve been vocal on the need to fight climate change, including former GOP Rep. Bob Inglis, it comes with mixed feelings on the process and the outcome. Now as the head of RepublicEN, he joins Jim to explain where he think the bill hit the mark, fell short, and what could happen to climate priorities if Republicans retake Congress in the fall.
#TheFinal5: What's a "typical" American town?
When politicians talk about "Main Street America," what are they talking about? Stephen Kent from Echelon Insights joins Jim on The Final 5 to look at new research from the Middle America Project that looks at the common denominators that bring us together.
#TheFinal5: Cheney’s loss, IRA’s passage sets up midterm battles
A day after Liz Cheney’s loss in her GOP primary, the party’s direction is clear ahead of the midterms in a year where they are expected to make gains in the House and Senate. But how will the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act change the course for Democrats? Brian Tyler Cohen (“No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen”) is Jim’s guest on The Final 5.
#TheFinal5: Aging Senate misses American priorities
Are we living in a gerontocracy? Andrew Donaldson argues that the recent “vote-a-rama” over the Inflation Reduction Act underscores the need for new blood in American politics, as octogenarians set the policy for future generations. He joins Jim on The Final 5 to explain why he thinks it’s time for a change.
#TheFinal5: Teaching kids about communism
Two young people, who grew up in communist nations, are now making it their mission to share their stories with American students. Daniel DiMartino and Grace Jo, both of the Dissident Project, join Jim on "The Final 5" to explain why it’s personal.
#TheFinal5: Trump and the Fifth Amendment
Former President Donald Trump appeared before the New York Attorney General, pleading the Fifth Amendment in her investigation into his business practices. It comes as Republicans rally around Trump, with some speculating the FBI could fabricate evidence. Rina Shah of the Renew Democracy Initiative weighs in on "The Final 5."
#TheFinal5: Sen. Van Hollen on Inflation Reduction Act
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) joins Jim on "The Final 5" with more on the last-minute maneuvering that led up to Saturday’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.
#TheFinal5: Adam Conover’s “The G Word”
Comedian Adam Conover is in town to perform at the Arlington Drafthouse, but not before joining Jim on "The Final 5" to take a look at his new Netflix show, “The G Word.” The six-part series delves into the inner workings of government, and is executive produced, in part, by former President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama.
#TheFinal5: Trump ally pulls off victory in Arizona
After a contentious campaign for Arizona governor, Trump-endorsed ex-local news anchor Kari Lake was declared the victor in the Republican primary. Lake, who contended that Joe Biden’s late surge during the protracted vote count was a sign of voter fraud, was the beneficiary of several ballot “dumps” that pushed her to victory over Mike Pence-backed Karrin Taylor Robson. Cameron Arcand, RedState contributor, joined Jim on "The Final 5" to take a look at the race.
#TheFinal5: Zawahiri strike and the PACT Act
Between the drone strike that took out al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, and the drama over the eventual passage of the PACT Act, it has been an especially consequential week for those who fought in the global War on Terror. That includes Adam Weinstein, a research fellow at the Quincy Institute and a Marine Corps vet, who joined Jim on “The Final 5” to discuss the major developments.
#TheFinal5: Some Republicans call to re-write Constitutiion
After major wins from the Supreme Court, some influential conservatives are turning their eyes to a bigger prize: re-writing the U.S. Constitution. There are active efforts to call for a Constitutional Convention, which could oversee a major overhaul of the Constitution. So what’s behind the push? Insider senior politics reporter Grace Panetta joins Jim on "The Final 5" to explain why.
#TheFinal5: Armed civilians taking an active role in preventing mass shootings
FOX 5's Shirin Rajaee sits down with "Young Voices" contributor Benjamin Ayanian to talk about recent mass shootings and what steps can be taken to prevent them from happening in the future.
#TheFinal5: Is the Federal Reserve losing credibility with its inflation tactics?
As the Federal Reserve hikes interest rates to curb inflation, some say the United States central banking system is losing its credibility. "Young Voices" contributor Alexander Salter is among those who believe the Fed has already lost some credibility. He joins Shirin on "The Final 5" to discuss his concerns.