The Axe Files with David Axelrod
Latest Episodes
Ep. 596 — Secretary Janet Yellen
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has been thinking about the economy since she was a young girl in the working-class neighborhood of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, keenly attuned to how broader economic trends impacted the employment of her neighbors. Once she took
Ep. 595 — Kasie Hunt
As a child, journalist Kasie Hunt eagerly awaited the arrival of Time magazine each week. She loved current events, which eventually piqued her interest in national security and journalism. She joined David to talk about growing up in a post-war period
Ep. 594 — Amb. Roger Carstens
At 11 years old, Roger Carstens, already an avid news consumer, was struck by stories of genocide in Cambodia. He resolved that when he grew up, he would work to alleviate human suffering. That mission took him to the Army and jobs in the non-profit secto
Ep. 593 — DeMar DeRozan
DeMar DeRozan is a six-time NBA All Star and an Olympic gold medalist. But perhaps the defining legacy of his career will be his decision to speak out about his struggles with depression and mental health. He joined David to talk about growing up in Compt
The Axe Files presents The Assignment with Audie Cornish
Kamala Harris has Freedom. Donald Trump has God Bless the USA (and a lot of cease-and-desist letters). What makes for a good campaign song? And why do we respond so viscerally to the ones that work? Audie talks with DJ Cassidy, who DJ'd the DNC Roll C
Ep. 592 — Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi has joined David on The Axe Files many times to talk about her life, policy, and politics. With the recent release of her book, The Art of Power, the two again met to talk at the University Club of Chicago during the Democra
Best of The Axe Files: Vice President Kamala Harris
As Vice President Kamala Harris prepares to take the stage for the final night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention as the Democratic presidential nominee, we are re-airing a conversation David had with Harris back in 2017. At the time, she was the
Ep. 591 — Ezra Klein
Journalist Ezra Klein has been covering politics for two decades, first as a blogger from his undergrad dorm room and now as an Opinion columnist for The New York Times. He joined David to talk about the current political moment, the role of policy in ele
Ep. 590 — Don Rose
Much has been said about perceived parallels between this years Democratic National Convention in Chicago and the 1968 convention, hallmarked by a violent response to anti-Vietnam War protestors and an incumbent who announced he would not seek reelection
Ep. 589 — Audie Cornish
As a longtime reporter and observer of American politics and culture, Audie Cornish spends her days chronicling and analyzing history as its happening. This week, Audie joined David to talk about her own history: growing up in the messy follow-up of int