Left, Right & Center

• From Question Everything: The Epstein Files

  This week we bring you an episode from Question Everything, another KCRW podcast. Host Brian Reed brings together the reporters who know the Jeffrey Epstein case best – along with one of their Trump-supporting producers – for drinks and a candid, no-holds-barred conversation. They compare notes, challenge each other’s assumptions, and reveal what it really takes to separate fact from rumor in a story that has tested the limits of journalism.It’s one of the most provocative and confronting discussions Brian’s ever hosted about power, accountability and what’s at stake when the media goes up against billionaires and their networks.Check out the Question Everything Substack, by the way, where we get into juicy behind the scenes details and other good stuff from our episodes. “Question Everything” is a production of KCRW and Placement Theory.Drinking and fact-checking don’t always go hand in hand, so clarifying and correcting a few statements from the conversation here – which honestly in themselves give a sense of just how many crannies of global power the tendrils of the Epstein story reach into. We reached out to Anouska De Georgiou to see if she wanted to comment, but we didn’t hear back. Leslie Wexner is not the founder of Victoria’s Secret – he bought the company in 1982, and he said Jeffrey Epstein had stolen $46 million from him, not $60 million. Meanwhile investor Leon Black paid Epstein $170 million for supposed tax advice – not $160 million. Virginia Giuffre sued Prince Andrew as an individual, not the Crown itself. Tara Palmeri’s reporting that Elon Musk dm’d Virgina Giuffre saying Trump would release the files is based on Virginia telling her this – Tara didn’t see the DM. At one point, Eric says that in 2015, Roger Stone called Epstein’s island a “democrat orgy island.” Really, Stone wrote a book excoriating the Clintons called The Clinton’s War on Women, and there’s a chapter in there called Orgy Island, which highlights Bill Clinton’s friendship with Epstein. So Roger Stone didn’t call Epstein’s island a democrat orgy island. Just “orgy island.” And last, but not least: the pope who was in a picture with Jeffrey Epstein, which was displayed on Epstein’s credenza, was John Paul II.

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• Trump faces one crisis after another

  President Trump signed a bill ordering the Department of Justice to release all unclassified material related to Jeffrey Epstein. The bill - signed on November 19th - calls on the DoJ to deliver the files within 30 days. The president initially resisted Congressional efforts to sign the bill before reversing course ahead of a House vote. Democrats rallied around the push to get the files out, but are they picking the wrong fight? The affordability issue was a boon for Democrats in their sweeping victories in the 2025 elections. It could be the defining issue of the midterms. In the face of a cost of living crisis, the president rescinded a number of tariffs on vital goods last week. Will it be enough to win back the political ground he’s lost? Plus, the redistricting effort in Texas faces a loss in federal court. Could that impact the effort to create more seats in California and other blue states that looked to counter Texas Republicans?As we look ahead to the Thanksgiving holiday, the panel shares what they're thankful for (with help from a few friends). Plus, KCRW remembers broadcasting pioneer Susan Stamberg.

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• The shutdown is over - but the fighting isn’t

  President Trump put his signature on a bill that will fund the government through the end of January. The bill brought an end to a 43-day shutdown of the federal government. A group of eight Democratic senators negotiated with Senate Majority leader John Thune to get concessions for furloughed and laid off government workers, and the funding of several federal agencies. The deal did not include the extensions for healthcare subsidies that had become a key messaging point for Democrats throughout the shutdown. Will working out a deal without a big win hurt the political leverage the party seemed to be building? What will it mean for the position of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer?Next, Congress turns back to the Epstein files, with new emails emerging that appeared damning for President Trump. The president signed off on several pardons this week. Among those receiving the pardons were Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows and other members of the president’s inner circle who faced scrutiny for their roles in undermining the 2020 election. None of the 70 individuals pardoned were facing federal charges. So what was the point? Does the pardon process need a facelift? The Supreme Court rejected the appeal of a Kentucky county clerk who wanted them to reconsider the landmark same-sex marriage case Obergefell v. Hodges. Concerns on the left about the case’s standing were high after the court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. KCRW discusses why Obergefell may not be overturned anytime soon, and answers a question from a listener looking for insight from last week’s election margins.

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• Did anyone learn anything from the 2025 elections?

  Democrats are celebrating a collection of election wins across the country this week. Messaging around affordability and the cost of living scored big wins for the party in the Virginia and New Jersey governor’s races, as well as mayoral races in several major cities. Will a successful off year help the party smooth over its internal disagreements heading into next year’s midterms?California passed Proposition 50, a proverbial counter punch to redistricting efforts in Texas and other red states. The state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, says the legislation is a temporary fix to the campaign by President Donald Trump to create more congressional seats for conservatives. Democrats promise to be the “adults in the room,” but can they deliver?Can voters really exert their power if the two major parties control the candidates they have to choose from? KCRW discusses one potential solution to the political Coke vs. Pepsi problem.

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• Could the SNAP deadline get Congress to end the shutdown?

  The federal shutdown is set to extend past the one month mark. The longer the shutdown goes, the more Americans could feel its impact. The Department of Agriculture announced that it would not use emergency funding to keep supplying the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) - also known as food stamps - after November 1st. Halting SNAP payments would affect more than 40 million Americans. Many federal workers, including air traffic controllers, are working without pay while the shutdown battle continues. With the holiday season approaching, airline travel could take a major hit. Will these economic pressure points jolt Congress into action? Construction on a new grand ballroom at the White House has begun. Renovations at the ‘People’s House’ are nothing new. So why has the demolition and remodel of the East Wing drawn so much attention? One factor could be the stream of private donations funding the project. KCRW discusses how those payments and the access that comes with them puts one of Washington's biggest problems on display.New York City’s mayoral race hits the ballot next week, along with a number of elections across the country. We’ll discuss what to watch for as a precursor to next year’s midterms, and answer one listener’s question about the future of the Voting Rights Act.

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