Podcast / Start Making Sense / Aug 26, 2026

he Supremes, Trump, and Voting—Plus Colson Whitehead’s Harlem

David Cole explains the latest court rulings on Trump’s efforts to undermine Democratic voting, and John Powers comments on the new novel Cool Machine.

The Supremes, Trump, and Voting—Plus Colson Whitehead’s Harlem

David Cole explains the latest court rulings on Trump’s efforts to undermine Democratic voting, and John Powers comments on the new novel “Cool Machine.”

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

The Supremes, Trump, and Voting, plus Colson Whitehead’s Harlem / Start Making Sense
byThe Nation Magazine

The Supreme Court is not a Trump court – at least not on several issues – but where do they stand on voting rights? And what exactly did the court say on Monday about the postal service cooperating with Trump in his effort to restrict voting by mail? David Cole explains – he’s the former National Legal Director of the ACLU, and The Nation's legal affairs correspondent.

Also: Colson Whitehead won two Pulitzer prizes for his novels, and then wrote three crime stories about Harlem – the latest is Cool Machine. John Powers comments–he’s critic at large for NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

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An official mail ballot drop box during a 2026 primary election in New York.

(Michael Nagle / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The Supreme Court is not a Trump court—at least not on several issues—but where does it stand on voting rights? And what exactly did the court say on Monday about the postal service cooperating with Trump in his effort to restrict voting by mail? David Cole explains—he’s the former national legal director of the ACLU, and The Nation’s legal affairs correspondent.

Also: Colson Whitehead won two Pulitzer Prizes for his novels, and then wrote three crime stories about Harlem—the latest is Cool Machine. John Powers comments—he’s critic at large for NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/subscribe.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

The Supremes, Trump, and Voting, plus Colson Whitehead’s Harlem / Start Making Sense
byThe Nation Magazine

The Supreme Court is not a Trump court – at least not on several issues – but where do they stand on voting rights? And what exactly did the court say on Monday about the postal service cooperating with Trump in his effort to restrict voting by mail? David Cole explains – he’s the former National Legal Director of the ACLU, and The Nation's legal affairs correspondent.

Also: Colson Whitehead won two Pulitzer prizes for his novels, and then wrote three crime stories about Harlem – the latest is Cool Machine. John Powers comments–he’s critic at large for NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Subscribe to The Nation to Support all of our podcasts

Jon Wiener

Jon Wiener is a contributing editor of The Nation and co-author (with Mike Davis) of Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties.

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