PODCAST · news
Conversations With Jim Zirin
by Jim Zirin
Conversations with Jim Zirin is a talk show designed to analyze national and world events. The series features high-profile guests from the worlds of politics, law, business, foreign relations, national security, counterterrorism, media, lifestyles, literature, the arts, and the military.The series is hosted by Jim Zirin, a leading litigator and contributor to major publications including Forbes, the Daily Beast, the Nation, The Times of London, The Washington Post, The Daily News, and the Los Angeles Times. He is the author of three books: The Mother Court—Tales of Cases That Mattered in America's Greatest Trial Court, Supremely Partisan—How Raw Politics Tips the Scales in the United States Supreme Court, and Plaintiff in Chief—A Portrait of Donald Trump in 3500 Lawsuits. Jim served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York in the Criminal Division under the legendary Robert M. Morgenthau.
Episodes
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Will the Mid-Terms Be a Fair and Free Election? | Anthony Romero
Founded in 1920, the American Civil Liberties Union has been the premier defender of the individual rights that are the underpinnings of democracy. In the second Trump administration the ACLU has brought 268 or more legal actions, as a result of Trump policies abridging press freedoms, invading...
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What Does the Story of Roy Cohn Teach Us about Our History? | Kai Bird
Kai Bird won a Pulitzer Prize for his biography of Robert Oppenheimer. The book, was the inspiration for the 2024 Academy Award winning movie. Sticking with biography as his muse, Kai has written a new book filled with spicy anecdotes entitled "American Scoundrel: Roy Cohn's Dark Journey from Joe...
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Are We Becoming the Longevity Nation? | Michael Clinton
People are living longer than ever before. This year, the average life expectancy for men is 76.5 years. Author Michael Clinton argues that times have changed, and the average American child born this year has a good chance to live to 100 and remain healthy. Living to 100 or beyond, he says, will...
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Can Mamdani Balance the NYC Budget without Raising Taxes? | Andrew Rein
Andrew Rein, president of the Citizens Budget Commission, tells Jim left wing NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani released his "preliminary budget" projecting a deficit of $5.4 billion which he would close by imposing a "tax on the rich." To accomplish this goal, he needs authority from Albany, unlikely in…
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Will the Courts Be the Brakes on Trump's Mass Deportations? | Lee Gelernt
In March 2025, invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, never before used in peacetime, Trump, in violation of a court order, sent hundreds of Venezuelan men, alleged to be gang members, to the infamous CECOT prison in El Salvador. Lee Gelernt of the American Civil Liberties Union tells Jim Zirin…
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How Can We Reform Homeland Security? | Jeh Johnson
Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson takes a critical look at the agency he headed and wonders whether the Trump administration is undermining the DHS core mission to protect Americans from terrorist threats to pursue a program of mass deportation.
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Can Documentary Films Help Achieve Social Justice? | Yoruba Richen
Yoruba Richen is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, the founding director of the documentary film program at the Craig Newmark graduate school of journalism at the City University of New York (CUNY). She tells Jim of her latest project, a blockbuster film called "Free Joan Little," about the...
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Will This Supreme Court Ever Curb Trump's Excesses? | Stephen Vladeck
Since 1803, the Supreme Court has discharged assumed a duty to rein in the excesses of the president. On its "shadow docket," however, the Court has ruled for Trump over 80% of the time. These are interim orders, but will they become final? Constitutional law expert and Supreme Court follower...
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How Has the New York Times Upped Its Game? | Patrick Healy
Patrick Healy heads the New York Times quality control department of standards and trust. He tells Jim how the paper meets its critics from left and right, satisfies itself it has it right, and its coverage fair as it deals with the controversial and searing issues of Trump 2.0 and the Gaza war.
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MoMA's Hidden Masterpieces | Glenn Lowry
Glenn Lowry just stepped down as the sixth Director of New York's iconic Museum of Modern Art after a 30-year run in which he was acknowledged as one of the greatest museum directors in the world. Glenn Lowry led MoMA into the 21st century with a new focus on contemporary art. He oversaw two…
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Are Trump's Tariffs Good for the American Economy? | Michael Froman
Michael Froman served in the Obama cabinet as United States Trade Representative. He is now president of the Council on Foreign Relations. He tells Jim Zirin that some tariffs are necessary for national security or to curb unfair trade practices, but others are needlessly inflationary, disrupting...
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Could the Democrats Have Changed the Outcome of the 2024 Election? | Chris Whipple
Trump ran in 2024 with more negatives than any candidate in American history. Yet, he won the election over Kamala Harris who should have easily beaten him. Where did she go wrong? Could she have won? Best-selling author Chris Whipple with insider access concludes those around Biden ignored his...
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Have Trump's Attacks on Lawyers Undermined the Rule of Law? | Mark Pomerantz
Mark Pomerantz is a premier lawyer with blue ribbon credentials. He was a law clerk to conservative Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart. He served as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York. Later, he became a partner in Paul Weiss. Trump vindictively singled him out for...
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Are We Moving toward an End of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict? | Elliott Abrams
Nothing so far has worked to solve the vexing Israel Palestinian issue. Trump proposes to relocate the two million Palestinians in Gaza and create a "Gaza Riviera." But will it work? Elliott Abrams of the Council on Foreign Relations, an old Mideast hand, weighs the imponderables and tells us how...
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Were the Wertheimer Portraits John Singer Sargent's Greatest Works? | Jean Strouse
Author Jean Strouse tells Jim about the extraordinary relationship between a wealthy British art dealer Asher Wertheimer, his large family, and John Singer Sargent, the iconic portraitist of the 19th and 20th centuries. Her book is entitled Family Romance, and with great skill Jean paints a...
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How did we get here? Reckoning with the 2024 Election Results | Jonathan Alter
Jonathan Alter, best-selling author of four books on American presidents, has interviewed nine of the last 10 presidents. The trial of Donald Trump in Manhattan Supreme Court was undoubtedly the trial of the 21st century with a jury verdict of guilty on 34 crimes, Alter attended every day of the...
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Who Will Be the Next President? | Doug Schoen
The polls say it is too close to call, but Doug Schoen, our resident political analyst, never fears to step up to the plate. Doug reads the tea leaves, and comes up with the answer. He has been right in eight out of the last nine elections.
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How Do We Fix Our Broken Politics? | Bob Bauer
Political lawyer Bob Bauer, who prepared Biden for his debate with Trump, pleads for ethics in a political climate where incivility, lawfare, and outright misrepresentations have become the order of the day.
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Are Happy Days Here Again for the Democrats? | Matt Cooper
Biden cedes the contest against Trump to Vice President Kamala Harris who instantly captured the lead in the polls. Will it last? Veteran Washington journalist Matt Cooper gives Jim Zirin his take on the volcanic changes in the race.
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Will Trump's Felony Conviction Block His Path to the White House? | Nina Burleigh
Courts have found Donald Trump inspired an insurrection, sexually abused a woman in a department store dressing room, engaged in a scheme to defraud for which he was fined $500 million, and was guilty of 34 felony offenses involving a hush money payment to a porn star. Amazingly, he is the GOP...
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What Is Kyung Wha Kang's Vision for the Asia Society? | Dr. Kyung-wha Kang
No stranger to New York, Dr. Kyung Wha Kang, the former foreign minister of Korea, has hit the ground running at the Asia Society. She tells Jim of her goals for the society, and candidly discusses US foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific region.
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Will We See a Cure for Any of the Degenerative Diseases Any Time Soon? | Richard Lifton
Richard Lifton, the 11th president of Rockefeller University, the nation's leading research institution located in New York City, tells Jim about the latest advances in scientific research and the never-ending search for a cure.
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What is the Greatest Global Risk in 2024? | Ian Bremmer
Ian Bremmer, president and founder of the risk consultancy, Eurasia Group, as well as the popular host of GZERO World which people can see on public television, in a thought-provoking interview analyzes for us the top 10 global risks this year. Heading the list is unsurprisingly the presidential...
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Overcoming the Danger of Disinformation in the November Election | Barbara McQuade
Barbara McQuade, former US Attorney for Michigan, is author of a new book, which has swept the nation, this week #3 on the New York Times best seller list. The book is entitled "Attack from Within—How Disinformation is Sabotaging America." In the book, she shows how dictators spew disinformation...
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Why History Matters According to Director of New-York Historical Society | Louise Mirrer
I sit with Louise Mirrer, the guiding spirit of the New-York Historical Society for the past two decades. Under her leadership, the museum has reinvigorated its commitment to greater public understanding of history and its relevance with blockbuster exhibitions about slavery and the Vietnam War.
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Discussing Higher Education, Free Speech, and Reproductive Rights | Donna Shalala
Donna Shalala, for eight years Bill Clinton's Secretary of Health and Human Services, was later elected to Congress from Florida. An staunch advocate for reproductive rights and a fierce opponent of hate speech on campus, she has spent most of the past two decades, in higher education. Now, she...
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Can We Get Russia Right As Long As Vladimir Putin Remains in Power? | Tom Graham
Thomas Graham, a Russia expert and author of the terrific new book, "Getting Russia Right," was one of three former national security officials to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in secret back channel talks last April, possibly paving a way forward to end the war in Ukraine. He...
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How Will Warfare Be Conducted into the Next Century? | Andrew Roberts
Andrew Roberts, one of the greatest biographers of the English language today, has co-authored his 20th book with General David Petraeus, called "Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine." He tells Jim how warfare has developed over the last eight decades, and applies the history…
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Can We Count on More Diversified Programming at Lincoln Center? | Henry Timms
Henry Timms, the tremendously effective CEO at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, tells Jim he will never stop innovating. Since taking over in 2019, he has accomplished the renovation of David Geffen Hall, and expanded programming to include concerts of hip-hop, and even an LGBTQ mariachi...
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Did Andrew Cuomo Get a Raw Deal? | Melissa DeRosa
New Yorkers overwhelmingly elected Andrew Cuomo as their governor. His approval rating soared to 77 percent. The next year, he found himself hounded out of office by political enemies, accusing him of sexual harassment and covering up the number of COVID deaths in nursing homes. Melissa DeRosa…
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Should Trump be disqualified from the Ballot? | Kermit Roosevelt
Constitutional law Professor Kermit Roosevelt has studied the original understanding of the Fourteenth Amendment. He tells Jim Zirin that Donald Trump should be disqualified from seeking the presidency because he engaged in an insurrection on January 6. The matter is before courts in 21 states.…
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The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer | Kai Bird
Kai Bird's biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer inspired the hit movie. He tells Jim how the father of the atomic bomb fell victim to McCarthyism when they revoked his security clearance nine years later after a deeply flawed hearing.
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What Is the Legacy of George P. Shultz? | Philip Taubman
George P. Shultz, our 60th secretary of state, was a consummate diplomat — a solver of seemingly intractable national and global problems. Many credit him, along with Ronald Reagan, with peacefully ending the cold war and for a time the nuclear arms race with the Russians. His biographer, the...
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Is the Oath of the Cabinet to Trump or the Constitution? | Mark Esper
Donald Trump appointed Mark Esper Secretary of Defense. During the stormy 16 months he was in office, Esper often clashed with Trump's directives to use the military in ways Esper thought inappropriate, including using the military to change the election results. Trump fired Esper in November…
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Why Is This Camelot Different from All the Others? | Bart Sher
Superstar director Bart Sher tells Jim Zirin about the fourth revival of Camelot on Broadway with book by Aaron Sorkin. Nominated for a Tony — this one is deep in contemporary significance and is perhaps the most memorable.
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What Are the Obligations of Good Citizens? | Richard Haass
My latest conversation with diplomat Richard Haass, author of the book 'The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens'. We discussed indicting a former president, the state of political discourse, and the obligations all citizens share.
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Is the West Containing China? | Kevin Rudd
Xi Jinping recently secured a precedent-breaking third term as president of China during a session of a rubber stamp parliament. In a blistering speech, he accused the United States of "containment" of China, a term reminiscent of the Cold War. Kevin Rudd, Australian Ambassador to the United...
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What Did Donald Trump Learn from Roy Cohn? | Ken Auletta (2018)
Jim Zirin revisits his 2018 interview with super journalist and gifted writer Ken Auletta, recorded on March 12, 2018. In 1978, Ken profiled for Esquire the pugnacious attorney Roy Cohn whom he called the "personification of evil." Cohn died in 1986 discredited and disbarred. Donald Trump was a...
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Will Trump Go to Jail? | Laurence Tribe (2021)
Jim Zirin revisits his 2021 interview with renowned Harvard constitutional law professor Laurence Tribe, recorded on April 19, 2021. Larry discusses all the civil suits and potential criminal charges targeting Donald Trump. He tells Jim Zirin that Trump has some interesting defenses in the…
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What is the Strongest Case Against Donald Trump? | Martin London (2022)
Jim Zirin revisits his 2022 interview with seasoned lawyer Martin London, recorded on September 26, 2022. Marty reviews the indictable crimes of which Donald Trump may be accused. He tells Jim Zirin which case he thinks is strongest. As a top litigator, Marty addresses the tactics of where DOJ…
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Will Biden Run in 2024? | Chris Whipple
Chris Whipple, author, documentary filmmaker, and TV producer got inside the Oval Office in his latest book, The Fight of his Life. With unprecedented access, he sizes up the Biden presidency in mid-stream and comes to some surprising conclusions. Published earlier this year, the book acquires...
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Who Turned the Lights Out at General Electric? | Bill Cohan
Author Bill Cohan has written a fascinating whodunit about the rise and fall of General Electric. Founded by Thomas Edison in 1892, GE rose to become a corporate behemoth featuring a $600 billion market cap, and a triple-A credit rating. Today, GE has all but disappeared, its market cap down to…
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Will the Metropolitan Opera Survive? | Peter Gelb
Peter Gelb, General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera, has weathered a parade of challenges including stormy union negotiations, serious financial constraints, a two-year covid shutdown, the firing of his star soprano Anna Netrebko because of her support for Putin, and a devastating cyber-attack...
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Must We Blame Israel on the Jews? | Walter Russell Mead
Leading foreign policy thinker Walter Russell Mead, author Of "The Arc of a Covenant--The United States, Israel, and The Fate of the Jewish People," tells Jim that it is not just American Jewry in whom Israel has found strong support, but American Zionists of all stripes who understand that the...
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Can a Lawsuit Become a Trainwreck? | David Dorsen
Top-flight Washington lawyer David Dorsen represented hedge fund operator Michael Lauer for part of Lauer's 14-year struggle to achieve justice from the SEC in a deeply flawed civil fraud action. At the end of the day, a jury cleared Lauer of all criminal charges, but when the dust settled, Lauer...
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Must We Re-Think the Traditional Meaning of Marriage? | Edith Windsor & Robbie Kaplan (2012)
Lawfully married in 2007 to Thea Spyer, her companion of 40 years, Edith Windsor found herself the beneficiary of Ms Spyer's estate but was denied the spousal deduction for federal estate taxes. She sued, claiming that the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional. Edie and her lawyer...
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Who was Harry Guggenheim? | Dirk Smillie
Visionary Harry Guggenheim was a man for all seasons: captain of industry, racehorse breeder, newspaper publisher, diplomat, a pioneer in commercial aviation and rocketry, a lifelong friend of Charles Lindbergh, and a museum builder. His biographer Dirk Smillie unravels the puzzle of this...
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Is There a Thumb on the Scale of Lady Justice? | Dahlia Lithwick
Journalist Dahlia Lithwick writes a best-selling book profiling eight women lawyers who fought for equal rights during the Trump era. Her account begins in 2016 and ends with the Dobbs abortion decision this year. She notes the loss of yardage, but is certain that the struggle for freedom will...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Conversations with Jim Zirin is a talk show designed to analyze national and world events. The series features high-profile guests from the worlds of politics, law, business, foreign relations, national security, counterterrorism, media, lifestyles, literature, the arts, and the military.The series is hosted by Jim Zirin, a leading litigator and contributor to major publications including Forbes, the Daily Beast, the Nation, The Times of London, The Washington Post, The Daily News, and the Los Angeles Times. He is the author of three books: The Mother Court—Tales of Cases That Mattered in America's Greatest Trial Court, Supremely Partisan—How Raw Politics Tips the Scales in the United States Supreme Court, and Plaintiff in Chief—A Portrait of Donald Trump in 3500 Lawsuits. Jim served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York in the Criminal Division under the legendary Robert M. Morgenthau.
HOSTED BY
Jim Zirin
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How many episodes does Conversations With Jim Zirin have?
Conversations With Jim Zirin currently has 49 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Conversations With Jim Zirin about?
Conversations with Jim Zirin is a talk show designed to analyze national and world events. The series features high-profile guests from the worlds of politics, law, business, foreign relations, national security, counterterrorism, media, lifestyles, literature, the arts, and the military.The series...
How often does Conversations With Jim Zirin release new episodes?
Conversations With Jim Zirin has 49 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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Who hosts Conversations With Jim Zirin?
Conversations With Jim Zirin is created and hosted by Jim Zirin.
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