Letters from an American
Hosted by Heather Cox Richardson · 59 decoded episodes · newest Oct 7, 2026
Heather Cox Richardson's narrated newsletter about the history behind today's politics. <br/><br/><a href="https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">heathercoxrichardson.substack.com</a>
Episodes 59
- Oct 7, 2026 · 15 minTrump shifts blame as gasoline prices riseThe episode connects volatile energy politics around the Strait of Hormuz to escalating rhetoric and questions about presidential judgment.
- Oct 6, 2026 · 13 minBoat strikes test the rules governing U.S. powerThe episode connects an opaque military campaign in the Caribbean to a wider erosion of sovereignty, human rights, and democratic accountability.
- Oct 5, 2026 · 13 minTrump frames Medicare checks as voter-facing politicsThe proposed payments sit at the intersection of Medicare costs, taxpayer funding, and concerns about political messaging before elections.
- Oct 4, 2026 · 5 minTom Morello turns a music festival into a civic call to actionThe episode examines how music and public participation can help Americans reclaim agency in democratic life.
- Oct 3, 2026 · 12 minTrump’s rally crowds test the durability of MAGAThe episode examines whether the anger and economic promises that powered Trump’s rise still command the same political force.
- Oct 3, 2026 · 13 minTrump administration redirects Ukraine aid to Latin American governmentsThe proposed transfer tests whether the executive branch can redirect money Congress appropriated for a specific foreign-policy purpose.
- Oct 1, 2026 · 10 minIraq’s withdrawal exposes the costs of interventionThe episode weighs the human and financial toll of the Iraq War against the regional power shifts and interventionist risks it left behind.
- Sep 30, 2026 · 14 minJack Smith defends election case as Trump allies attack rule of lawThe hearing shows how evidence, presidential immunity, and Trump’s reelection reshaped accountability for efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
- Sep 29, 2026 · 14 minTrump’s grievance politics create new risks for RepublicansThe episode connects Trump’s escalating attacks and “final battle” imagery to the political liabilities Republican lawmakers may face before the midterm elections.
- Sep 26, 2026 · 5 minMaine lobster reveals New England’s deeper historyThe episode shows how fishing, Indigenous dispossession, disease, and access to Atlantic waters shaped settlement and revolutionary-era New England.
- Sep 25, 2026 · 12 minJudge restores White House press access amid media restrictionsThe episode frames press access, immigration enforcement, public spending, and election claims as tests of executive accountability.
- Sep 24, 2026 · 11 minThe UN Charter turned postwar ideals into a peace projectThe episode revisits the 1945 charter as an effort to make peace, human dignity, and equality foundations of international cooperation.