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
- Sep 24, 2026 · 16 minFBI probes alleged pay-to-play involving Senator CollinsThe episode uses an alleged corruption investigation to examine whether weakened oversight is enabling conflicts of interest and misuse of public money.
- Sep 22, 2026 · 11 minTrump bars major outlets as media access becomes a legal fightThe episode places the White House’s exclusion of CNN, MS NOW, and Politico within a broader conflict over press freedom and executive power.
- Sep 21, 2026 · 12 minTrump’s Kennedy Center takeover faces legal and public resistanceThe dispute tests whether a president can reshape a national cultural institution—and its identity—without meaningful oversight.
- Sep 20, 2026 · 10 minBacon’s Rebellion helped harden America’s racial orderThe episode traces how Virginia’s ruling class answered cross-racial unrest by granting privileges to white servants and tightening racialized slavery.
- Sep 19, 2026 · 15 minDiesel shock exposes the stakes of Hormuz standoffThe episode links a strategic chokepoint and rising fuel costs to fragile supply chains, consumer prices, and uncertainty over U.S. policy.
- Sep 18, 2026 · 8 minFranklin helps turn a fragile rebellion into a federal governmentThe episode connects the failures of the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution’s design for representative democracy and divided power.
- Sep 17, 2026 · 14 minJudge blocks Trump’s Kennedy Center renaming planThe ruling tests whether a federally chartered cultural institution can be renamed by its board without congressional approval, amid a costly closure.
- Sep 16, 2026 · 6 minRichardson turns political crisis into a civic writing practiceThe episode explains why Heather Cox Richardson resumed writing in 2019 and frames democratic defense as an ongoing civic responsibility.
- Sep 15, 2026 · 13 minRussian money reaches the Trump family’s inner circleThe reported wedding spending raises questions about how foreign wealth, political access, and the Trump family intersect.
- Sep 14, 2026 · 13 minAI’s safety race collides with Washington’s growth agendaThe episode frames AI regulation as a choice between public safeguards and an administration betting on rapid expansion to ease economic pressures.
- Sep 13, 2026 · 11 minLuttig warns Republicans could trigger a constitutional crisisThe episode examines how refusing to seat duly elected Democrats could test the limits of democratic institutions after the 2026 midterms.
- Sep 12, 2026 · 11 minTrump turns midterms into a loyalty testThe episode connects Trump’s personal control of the Republican Party with the political memory and civic courage surrounding 9/11.