PODCAST · news
US of Ed
by 2SER 107.3FM
Ed Blakely has served in different capacities under a succession of presidential administrations, has guided government policy on urban planning and is a widely cited academic. My name is Sean Britten, and each week, Ed and I have a chat about what's the latest news out of the United States, talking everything politics, planning and policy from sea to shining sea.US of Ed typically talks issues on a week by week basis, but check out some of our more timeless specials:SPECIAL: MLK's legacy and the issues of Black America: https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=184046US of Ed on Guns in America: Part One: https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=285335US of Ed on Guns in America: Part Two: https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=285341SPECIAL: South of the Border: https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=372708SPECIAL: Crafting Innovative Places: https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=386032SPECIAL: Who Killed the American Dream?: https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=386003SPE
Episodes
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Vale Ed Blakely
Sadly, it's my duty to inform you that my longtime friend and collaborator Ed Blakely passed away after a short battle with pancreatic cancer on Sunday, September 7th, at the age of 87 years old. I'd just like to use this platform one last time to share my thoughts on his life and his passing…
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Thank You For Listening
"This is my hobby, my heart... I love the United States of America." This will unfortunately be the last chat that Ed and I have under this banner. For the past couple of months, Ed has been suffering with deteriorating health due to pancreatic cancer. It has been his desire to continue on as...
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Power is Not a Means, It is an End
"This is a wakeup call for many Americans who thought, it doesn't make any difference." The Trump regime is attempting to secure itself more power this week, with fresh attacks on top officials at the Federal Reserve and the CDC. Meanwhile, Trump continues to push for crackdowns by military…
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Bread and Circuses and Still No End to War in Ukraine
"These are just the bread and circus acts, but I'm glad to see the American people are resistant... I don't think this charade can go on much longer." Meetings with Vladmir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy have again come to nothing as Trump, who once promised an end to the Ukraine conflict within…
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Jackboots on the Streets of Washington DC
"He has a sore head so God only knows what will happen." Trump has instigated a military and federal takeover of the city of Washington DC with a crackdown based on fictional crime figures, and threatened to do the same to other Democrat-led cities. A distraction from Epstein or a sign of things…
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Trump Finds It's Easier to Destroy Than Build
"You don't cover up this much not to have a cover-up." The Epstein saga continues as Ghislaine Maxwell is transferred to a minimum security prison following her apparent cooperation with the Trump administration and the Clintons are subpoenaed for a congressional probe. Meanwhile, Trump launches...
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The Art of the Deal (with Sex Traffickers)
"She should name Democrats and Republicans, and let's have a fresh take at this democracy." The Trump administration is attempting to take the wind out of the Epstein controversy, meeting with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell and raising the possibility of a presidential pardon....
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Pay No Attention to That Man Behind the Curtain
"They're there to protect him. Not the nation, not the truth, not what's good, not what's sacred, but just him." Barack Obama, MLK Jr., the Washington Commanders / Redskins, even Hillary Clinton's emails, all things that Donald Trump would rather discuss than Jeffrey Epstein. But the Epstein…
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Weaklings and Bad, Stupid People
"He knew his pictures were in there, he knew his name was in the log... this is one that really baffles me." Trump is scrambling to find a way to get his supporters to forget previous promises in regards to the Epstein Files and his own involvement with the alleged sex trafficker. But while...
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Up to the Neck and Rising
"Representatives used to represent their constituents. Now they represent pools of money." Over a hundred dead and many more missing due to flooding in Texas, with part of the blame being directed at the lack of warning due to Trump's cuts to the NWS. But Trump is riding on a high this week…
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Celebrating 4th of July by Re-Electing a King
"Every single family in America is affected." The Senate has passed Trump's Big, Beautiful Bill, sending it back to the House for final approval in spite of stated reservation, eschewing all responsibility for its effects on the American people. Meanwhile, Trump is looking to expand his targeting...
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Fear of an American Planet
"Trump is one thing, the US government is another and the US people are another. Each of these groups is fractured, including Trump." A decisive bombing of three nuclear sites and a shaky ceasefire in the Iran / Israel / US conflict this week with allies lining up to praise Trump's actions. But…
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No Kings
"Intimidation, intimidation, intimidation... Sooner or later, people crack. Let's not crack." Donald Trump's military parade through Washington DC has gone off with a whimper rather than a bang, largely drowned out by the colour and defiance of the 'No Kings' protests scheduled in cities across…
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Load Up With Rubber Bullets
"You'd almost wish he was a better dictator, there'd at least be a gameplan there but there's nothing." Wild scenes in Los Angeles as confrontations with ICE agents rounding up immigrants in parts of the city has escalated to full scale warfare, with journalists targeted by LAPD and President…
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Update: Wrongfully Deported Man Kilmar Abrego García Returned to the US and Charged with Human Smuggling
In spite of claims from Trump Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that there was no scenario in which wrongfully deported man Kilmar Abrego García would be returned to the United States, in breaking news this morning that is exactly what has happened. Facing charges of human smuggling over a...
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Sins of the Father
"They're not guilty of anything. They may be here illegally, sure, deport them, but treat them humanely." A terrorist attack in Colorado has led to the arrest of not just the perpetrator but his wife and five children as well, living illegally in the United States, with attempts to streamline...
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Robbing the Poor to Give to the Rich
"You're asking the House to give up its power, you're asking the Senate to give up its power, and you're asking to dethrone the judiciary. What mad person would vote for that?" In the wee hours of the morning, House Republicans convened to pass Trump's Big Beautiful Bill through to the Senate.…
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Set Adrift
"Trump is under siege, he's underwater, and let's hope he'll be under the table soon." News this week that former president Joe Biden is suffering from an aggressive form of cancer raises the question of how the diagnosis was missed while he was still in the White House. Trump is set to be flying...
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The Wings Are Falling Off
"I fear that this is going to be the largest constitutional crisis ever." The first American pope, Pope Leo XIV, has ascended to the head of the Catholic Church in Rome and Ed just so happens to be in Italy to catch the historic moment! Meanwhile, back on American shores, accusations of open...
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Escape From Trumpatraz
"Trump is very large on the global stage. The good thing about that is it's making people wake up, the United States can no longer rule the world." Coming off the back of a similar result in Canada, does a thumping win for the Australia Labor Party and rejection of 'Temu Trump' Opposition Leader...
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The Most Corrupt Presidency in American History
"If he can make a shilling, a buck, a penny out of this, he will, and the American people have to say, he must go." Trump has been accused of doing "the most corrupt thing any president has ever done" after creating a buying blitz for his $Trump meme coin this week but for most Americans it…
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Help Wanted
"It's more bumbling, more chaotic, and more time between actions." The Trump administration may soon have a job opening with news of a second Signal group chat putting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on thin ice. Meanwhile, China is not backing down in the trade war with Trump as the US and global...
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China Winning the Trade War
"If Trump is the winner here, it'll be at the expense of the US's future." With some Chinese imports facing tariffs of 245% it remains to be seen just how sustainable Trump's trade war really is, as businesses big and small bear the brunt. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is openly defying the...
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US Going for a Steal
"Clearly there's fraud, chicanery, and all that, but the biggest issue here is stupidity." Trump has enacted a 90 day pause on tariffs after a barrage of opposition but appears less interested in what his trade war is doing to the economy and more on helping the rich get richer. Meanwhile, the...
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Looted, Pillaged, and Plundered
"The small guy will be poor, the rich guy will be richer, and the American budget will still be in the toilet." Donald Trump has announced a blanket 10% tariff on all goods being imported into the United States as well as targeting specific nations with further measures in the latest escalation…
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We Should Check Our Group Chat Requests
"This is a breach of the law and if nothing's done about it, it says a whole lot about the United States." In the latest stunning show of incompetence, a journalist for The Atlantic has come forward this week to reveal he was accidentally added to a Trump administration group chat discussing top...
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For Good Men to Do Nothing
"[Trump] would have used this crisis to declare martial law or something." Leader of the Senate Democrats Chuck Schumer has handed Trump an easy victory on government spending with zero concessions leading to widespread condemnation, but was he so wrong? Meanwhile, Trump is testing his power by...
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Turning and Turning in the Widening Gyre
"This is a doomed policy, as the markets are showing." Trump's trade war engulfs markets this week, as tariffs on Canada and Mexico as well as steel and aluminium imports, and the communication surrounding them, create absolute chaos for investors. Meanwhile, the bloodbath for federal workers...
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With Allies Like These...
"Donald Trump is a Russian agent." Trump has addressed Congress for the first time in his second presidency, fresh off a week targeting the likes of Ukraine and Canada as well as dismantling federal agencies. Europe and other nations continue to come to grips with a world in which the US is not a...
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Fed to the Wolves
"This is beginning to hit the very people who voted for Trump." House Republicans have passed Trump's big bill which aims to cut $4.5 trillion in taxes and reduce spending by $2 trillion, a task that will in part fall to Elon Musk's DOGE. Meanwhile, the United States is siding with Russia over…
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The Return of the King
"What's happening is a pure takedown of democracy." Donald Trump has made moves to further consolidate his power this week with executive orders claiming ownership over the law and independent agencies. With the law powerless, federal agencies hollowed out by freezes and firings, opposition…
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Above the Law
"Clearly, if we had a congress, he'd be out. That's what impeachment is about." Team Trump continues to test the limits of their power, this week defying a court order and arguing that a president's executive order overrules the power of the courts. Hamas have suspended hostage releases as they...
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The Sky is Falling. No, Really.
"An inability to have thoughtful people running the show is going to lead to even more disasters." 67 people have died in an aircraft collision over Washington D.C. and another seven dead in a crash in Philadelphia as questions arise as to just how much Trump's crusade against the FAA and other...
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Chaos is a Ladder
"This chaos, some of it is on purpose, a lot of it accidental, and all of it has to line Trump's pockets." Trump has sown chaos in the economy, federal agencies, international relationships, and the lives of the American people in his first ten days in office, some through carelessness, some it...
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Heil to the Chief
"This is the beginning of a total authoritarian government." Donald Trump has hit the ground running, as expected, with day one executive orders targeting immigration, climate action, federal workers, trans individuals, and much more. Elon Musk is drawing fire away from the commander-in-chief,...
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Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss
"The United States is a fragile, big, important entity." Ed and Sean are back for 2025 ahead of the inauguration which will see Donald Trump installed as President of the United States for a second term. We discuss some of the things we've missed over the new year break, such as Trump's new...
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At the Twilight's Last Gleaming, 2024 in Retrospect
"This is pre-Civil War-like, I think the nation is changed forever." As 2024 draws to a close, we stand at the precipice of what could prove to be one of the most consequential periods in human history. On the hunt to make some sense out of it all, Ed and Sean have a final word on the election...
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Update: Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire
"[Trump] wants to go to war with Iran, they don't want to give him that opportunity." Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah have acceded to a 60-day ceasefire agreement backed by the United States, with the Lebanese military to act as a mediator in the coming days. But with Hezbollah...
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Elect a Clown, Get a Circus
"It is so scary, and so unAmerican." Trump's dream team continues to take shape, but dogged by accusations of sexual misconduct and unfitness for their roles it remains to be seen if the Republican-led Senate will take a stand on appointments or simply let Trump have his way. Meanwhile, ominous...
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Picking Up the Pieces
"A lot of good, strong, smart people will be leaving the United States." A week on from the shock re-election of former president Donald Trump and a great deal of people and institutions are still reeling as plans are cemented for his second term. Unable to stay away, Ed and Sean look at where it...
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It’s All Over but the Crying
"We lost the election but we are not defeated." Defying a late surge in the polls for Harris, American voters have returned Donald Trump to the White House with a historical win that has made him only the second president to be voted to two non-consecutive terms and the first Republican to win…
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Closing Arguments
"We're voting for Kamala to keep the democracy." In the final days of the election campaign, polls continue to run on a razor's edge and the United States appears more divided than the days of the Civil War when the two sides were literally shooting at one another. Are there any closing arguments...
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Too Close to Call
"I think you ought to get your divining stick out." The November election is only a couple of weeks away and polls continue to show a result too close to call with nothing having a real impact on the Trump campaign in spite of his many, many, many scandals, slips, and absences. Meanwhile, Russia...
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Dancing with the Devil
"They thought they could take her down but she stood up and fired right back." Kamala Harris steams ahead with interviews and new policies this week while Donald Trump dances and amps up his fascist rhetoric, so how the hell does this election still look so close? Meanwhile, the US is getting...
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Storm Warning
"Florida is no longer habitable." At time of recording, Hurricane Milton is closing in on Florida shores with devastating winds and storm surges predicted. How did it go so wrong so fast, and how has partisan politics derailed the response? Kamala Harris has been on a media blitz this week,...
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Battle of the Running Mates
"If delivery counts, Vance wins. If honesty counts, Walz wins." The VP presidential debate this week appeared more substantive, and certainly more civil, than anything we've seen lately, but does it really matter? And do new polls reflect the performances. Meanwhile, Hurricane Helene has carved a...
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I Grew Up in a Middle Class Family
"We're not going to spread it around with handouts, we're going to spread it around with opportunity." Kamala Harris has laid out her economic plans on the campaign trail this week, looking toward investment and manufacturing, as Donald Trump lurches from crisis to crisis. But first, the leaders…
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Fake News, Real Consequences
"What do they say in the Bible? You reap as you sow?" A second alleged assassination attempt on Donald Trump barely raises eyebrows this week but not everything surrounding Trump is so harmless. Residents of Springfield, Ohio, have found themselves under siege by bomb threats and neo-Nazis...
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A New Hope
"She acted more like a president than anyone I've seen since Obama." Baby executions, pets being eaten, a failing nation, Donald Trump's vision of America contrasted sharply with Kamala Harris' sense of optimism and forethought in this week's presidential debate. Ed and Sean break down some of…
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Balancing New and Exciting with Tried and Tested
"She's like the little bird flying under mother's wing, and she's just outside mother's wing, she's flying on her own, and gaining wind." The Harris campaign has swung into policy announcement mode, with a sweep of new measures for encouraging small business. But with suggestions Harris needs to…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Ed Blakely has served in different capacities under a succession of presidential administrations, has guided government policy on urban planning and is a widely cited academic. My name is Sean Britten, and each week, Ed and I have a chat about what's the latest news out of the United States, talking everything politics, planning and policy from sea to shining sea.US of Ed typically talks issues on a week by week basis, but check out some of our more timeless specials:SPECIAL: MLK's legacy and the issues of Black America: https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=184046US of Ed on Guns in America: Part One: https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=285335US of Ed on Guns in America: Part Two: https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=285341SPECIAL: South of the Border: https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=372708SPECIAL: Crafting Innovative Places: https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=386032SPECIAL: Who Killed the American Dream?: https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=386003SPE
HOSTED BY
2SER 107.3FM
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does US of Ed have?
US of Ed currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is US of Ed about?
Ed Blakely has served in different capacities under a succession of presidential administrations, has guided government policy on urban planning and is a widely cited academic. My name is Sean Britten, and each week, Ed and I have a chat about what's the latest news out of the United States,...
How often does US of Ed release new episodes?
US of Ed has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to US of Ed?
You can listen to US of Ed on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts US of Ed?
US of Ed is created and hosted by 2SER 107.3FM.
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