Podcast / Start Making Sense / Sep 10, 2026

The Supremes and the Ballroom. Plus, the Dems and the Senate.

Robert Weissman analyzes the Supreme Court’s ruling on Trump’s White House ballroom, while John Nichols surveys the battle for control of Congress in the midterms.

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 and the Ballroom, plus the Dems and the Senate / Start Making Sense
byThe Nation Magazine

The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that Trump could proceed with construction of his ballroom—they explicitly did not rule on the merits of the case, but on the issue of standing for the plaintiff. Robert Weismann has our analysis – he’s co-president of Public Citizen.

Also: The Democrats are now favored to win not only the House but also the Senate in November – they need to flip four seats, and their candidates are ahead in five. John Nichols explains.

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President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media near the ballroom construction site at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 19, 2026.

(Samuel Corum / Sipa / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that Trump could proceed with construction of his ballroom—the court explicitly did not rule on the merits of the case, but on the issue of standing for the plaintiff. Robert Weisman, co-president of Public Citizen, has our analysis.

Also: The Democrats are now favored to win not only the House but also the Senate in November—they need to flip four seats, and their candidates are ahead in five. John Nichols explains.

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 Amazing Movement Against Data Centers, plus How to be a Dissident / Start Making Sense
byThe Nation Magazine

Is the resistance to data centers a new kind of mass politics? David Wallace-Wells explains why the answer is “yes.” He’s a writer for The New York Times Opinion pages and author of the unforgettable book “The Uninhabitable Earth.”

Also: How to be a dissident in an age of fear – Ami Fields-Meyer has thought a lot about that. For starters: don’t start from scratch; don’t try to do it alone. Ami is co-author of the new book “On Courage.”

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Between the reemergence of right-wing red-baiting and Donald Trump’s use of the chilling National Security Presidential Memorandum–7 to criminalize left political organizing, we’re seeing McCarthyism reborn before our eyes.

This assault on democracy cannot be ignored or wished away. Resisting it requires bravery in the face of threats and repression, a steadfast commitment to the truth, and the unwavering belief that we can—and will—overcome this darkness.

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Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editor and Publisher, The Nation

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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