It’s May 28th. Jody Avirgan, Nicole Hemmer, and special guest Akilah Hughes (What A Day podcast) discuss Sojourner Truth’s famous “Ain’t I a Woman” speech. It tells us a lot about how myths are made, and historical figures are flattened over ti

Coya Come Home (1958)

May 7th, 2020 12m 39s

It’s May 7th. Jody Avirgan, Nicole Hemmer, and special guest Harry Enten of CNN discuss the “Coya Come Home” letter — a public letter written by the husband of MN representative Coya Knutson, demanding that she leave office and return to domest

The Forgotten Crash (1893)

May 5th, 2020 11m 51s

It’s May 5th. Jody Avirgan and Nicole Hemmer discuss the crash of 1893. It was the result of a rapidly changing economy, heavy debt, and slow-footed governmental response. And it ushered in a new era in American politics.This Day In Esoteric

Letter from a Birmingham Jail (1963)

Apr 16th, 2020 10m 11s

It’s April 16th. Jody Avirgan, Nicole Hemmer, and special guest Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times discuss Martin Luther King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail, in which he rejected calls to go slow and appease moderates in his civil rights effo

The Amendment That Changed The Senate (1913)

Apr 9th, 2020 9m 56s

It’s April 9th. Jody Avirgan, Nicole Hemmer, and special guest Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times discuss the passage of the 17th amendment. It changed the way that senators are elected, and the fundamental mechanics of our democracy.This Da

LBJ Isn't Running (1968)

1 1 Mar 31st, 2020 9m 54s

It’s March 31st. Jody Avirgan and Nicole Hemmer discuss President Johnson’s surprise announcement that he isn’t running for re-election, and how politics can be upended in a tumultuous year like 1968.This Day In Esoteric Political History is

The Cleveland BalloonFest Fiasco (1986) w/ Clare Malone

1 Sep 20th, 2022 26m 21s

It’s September 19th. In 1986, the city of Cleveland decided to stage a charity event in which they released millions of balloons into the air. It went very, very poorly.Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by The New Yorker’s Clare Malone, a Cle

VP Gore (1992) w/ John Dickerson

Jul 9th, 2020 17m 15s

It’s July 9th. On this day in 1992, Bill Clinton announced Al Gore as his selection to be his Vice Presidential running mate.Jody Avirgan and Nicole Hemmer are joined by John Dickerson of 60 Minutes to discuss why Clinton went with another yo

Welcome Alaska (1958) w/ John Dickerson

Jul 7th, 2020 13m 9s

It’s July 7th. On this day in 1958, President Eisenhower signed the Alaska Statehood Act, bringing Alaska on as the 49th state.Jody Avirgan and Nicole Hemmer are joined by John Dickerson of 60 Minutes to discuss how states get added, and whet

The Man Who Didn't Sign The Declaration (1776) w/ John Dickerson

1 Jul 2nd, 2020 13m 2s

It’s July 2nd. Today, the story of John Dickinson, who attended the Continental Congress, was witness to the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, but abstained from voting for or signing the document. Jody Avirgan and Nicole Hemmer ar

Newspaper Strike! (1945) w/ Jane Coaston

Jun 30th, 2020 10m 57s

It’s June 30th. Jody Avirgan and Nicole Hemmer are joined by Jane Coaston of Vox to discuss the NYC newspaper strike of 1945. There were eight daily newspapers serving millions and millions each day. When delivery workers went on strike, it rev

The Great Reunion (1913) w/ Jane Coaston

Jun 25th, 2020 11m 47s

It’s June 25th. Jody Avirgan and Nicole Hemmer are joined by Jane Coaston of Vox to discuss “The Great Reunion” of 1913. 50 years after the Battle of Gettysburg, Civil War veterans returned to swap stories and shape the story of how America rem

Resurrection City (1968) w/ Jane Coaston

1 Jun 23rd, 2020 13m 26s

It’s June 23rd. Jody Avirgan and Nicole Hemmer are joined by Jane Coaston of Vox to discuss “Resurrection City,” an encampment that occupied the National Mall in Washington DC for six weeks in the summer of 1968.This Day In Esoteric Political

Juneteenth (1865)

Jun 18th, 2020 11m 9s

It’s June 18th. Jody Avirgan and Nicole Hemmer discuss the history of Juneteenth — which is tomorrow, June 19th! It started as a Texas commemoration of the end of slavery, and has slowly spread throughout the country, and appears to be on its w

Getting The New Deal Done (1933)

Jun 16th, 2020 14m 20s

It’s June 16th. Jody Avirgan and Nicole Hemmer discuss the passage of the first raft of legislation that would come to be known as The New Deal. History remembers the entire era as one of sweeping reform, but there was traditional politics at p

One Of Those Days (1963) w/ Josh Levin

Jun 11th, 2020 16m 56s

It’s June 11th. We’re breaking format a bit today. Jody Avirgan and Nicole Hemmer are joined by Slate’s Josh Levin to talk about a day in 1963 where four massive events all happened together. Alabama Governor George Wallace tried to block two b

David Duke The Democrat (1988)

Jun 9th, 2020 15m 54s

It’s June 9th. Jody Avirgan and Nicole Hemmer are joined by Slate’s Josh Levin to talk about neo-nazi David Duke, who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988, and continued to seek office throughout the 80s and 90s. Duke is the s

Shirley Shows Up (1972)

Jun 4th, 2020 13m 5s

It’s June 4th. Jody Avirgan and Nicole Hemmer discuss the California democratic debate of 1972, which features Shirley Chisholm — the first woman to appear on a presidential debate stage. She was also the first African-American woman elected to

The Steel Strike Showdown (1952)

Jun 2nd, 2020 14m 9s

It’s June 2nd. Before the show, some words about the protests and violence over the weekend. Then, Jody Avirgan and Nicole Hemmer discuss a massive steel strike in 1952, and the way it pitted President Truman, unions, and the Supreme Court agai

Hands Across America (1986)

May 26th, 2020 12m 43s

It’s May 26th. Jody Avirgan, Nicole Hemmer, and special guest Akilah Hughes (What A Day podcast) discuss “Hands Across America,” the charity event that tried to get Americans to line up from coast to coast in order to raise awareness about home

Treason! (1807)

May 21st, 2020 12m 20s

It’s May 21st. Jody Avirgan, Nicole Hemmer, and special guest Joanne Freeman (Backstory Radio) discuss the treason trial of Aaron Burr. It pitted Burr against Thomas Jefferson, for whom he had served as VP, and posed lots of questions about wha

The Caning Of Sumner (1856)

May 19th, 2020 12m 45s

It’s May 19th. Jody Avirgan, Nicole Hemmer, and special guest Joanne Freeman (Backstory) discuss one of the more notorious incidents in U.S. political history — when Senator Charles Sumner was severely beaten with a cane by a political opponent

Ron Paul Bows Out (2012)

May 14th, 2020 13m 25s

It’s May 14th. Jody Avirgan, Nicole Hemmer, and special guest Harry Enten of CNN discuss the career of Ron Paul. He ran in several Republican primaries, capturing a part of the electorate that would come to play a big role in future elections o

The Killer Ds (2003)

May 12th, 2020 13m

It’s May 12th. Jody Avirgan, Nicole Hemmer, and special guest Harry Enten of CNN discuss the incident where over 50 Texas legislators fled across the boarder to Oklahoma, to avoid having to vote on a redistricting proposal.This Day In Esoteri

Bernie Jumps In (2015)

Apr 30th, 2020 12m 1s

It’s April 30th. Jody Avirgan and Nicole Hemmer discuss the moment Bernie Sanders entered the 2016 Democratic primary. He was relatively unknown, but the issues he was championing were already gaining momentum.This Day In Esoteric Political H