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The State of It: USA: Daily Summaries Delivered
by The Times
Katy Balls and Gerard Baker bring you the REAL truth about US politics and power. No fake news, no flag waving and no Trump Derangement Syndrome. Just honest, in-depth discussion of what’s really being said inside the White House. Join the conversation between two people who know everyone in the USA who matters. Beaming in from NYC, Gerard brings almost 30 years’ experience reporting on America while Katy is the new kid on the block, spending her days chasing news and her nights on the Washington cocktail circuit. This series launches on 28 January 2026.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 4 days ago29 min
Trump's three gifts to the Democrats
Why is Donald Trump so relaxed about AI regulation? After the Anthropic boss Dario Amodei called for AI regulation to save the human race, Trump said that his own IQ was the only guardrail needed to prevent an AI Apocalypse. Not everyone has been reassured by that. And President Trump's breezy attitude to AI may end up costing the Republicans votes.How are rising gas prices impacting the 2026 US midterms? All the warning signs on the US economy are flashing red, especially after Houthis in Yemen took over key Red Sea shipping routes. Are there any levers left to pull? The problem is all the options are bad.Why did a Russian oligarch pay for Donald Trump Jr's wedding?Umar Kremlev, who's a friend of President Putin, paid for wedding celebration for Donald Trump Jr. We look at how the White House is reacting, why Senate Democrats like Jon Ossoff are seizing on the story, and the dismay that Republicans are expressing behind closed doors.Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday TimesGerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street JournalProducer: Harry KitsonExecutive producer: Molly GuinnessPicture: Getty ImagesAudio: All In, ReutersThis podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 1 weeks ago19 min
It's a cult! Trump goes to Dallas
Katy Balls reports from the Republican midterm convention in Dallas where President Trump made a pledge that every adult will get a $5,000 dividend if the Republicans win the House and the Senate. That adds up to about $1.2 trillion.Golden balloons were dropped and the crowd joined the president in repeating a vow to vote for "the greatest president in the history of the United States that loves us so much he can't even breathe". JD Vance's speech was received well and the audience chanted "48", suggesting they'd like the vice-president to become the 48th president of the United States. Is he pulling ahead of Marco Rubio as the bookies' favourite to be the Republican candidate for 2028? Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday TimesGerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street JournalProducer: Harry KitsonExecutive producer: Molly GuinnessPicture: Getty ImagesAudio: ReutersThis podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 1 weeks ago31 min
Trumpapalooza: the risky Republican midterm strategy
We're in Dallas for the Republican National Convention. It's been nicknamed Trumpapalooza. But some Republicans are uneasy about putting the president front and centre of their midterms campaign when his approval ratings are so low. Is it a wise move?The UK has imposed sanctions on Israel and accused Binyamin Netanyahu's government of supporting ethnic cleansing. How much of an issue is this for the US administration?And 25 years on from 9/11, we reflect on how America was changed by the attacks on the Twin Towers.Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday TimesGerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street JournalProducer: Harry KitsonExecutive producer: Molly GuinnessPicture: Getty ImagesAudio: ReutersThis podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 2 weeks ago11 min
Trump, Iran and why he’s glad Harry left America - Washington Insider
President Trump’s Iran war was supposed to be over in weeks. Instead, tensions are escalating again, with Iran threatening cyberattacks on US infrastructure and the Strait of Hormuz still at the centre of the crisis. Does Trump really want to rename the Strait of Hormuz Trump Strait?Katy Balls joins Carole Walker to assess whether Trump is losing control of the conflict — and why he’s saying he’s glad Prince Harry and Meghan have left America.Produced in partnership with Times RadioKaty Balls, Washington editor and columnist, The Times and Sunday TimesCarole Walker, presenter, Times RadioProducer: Angus MitchellPicture: Getty ImagesAudio: ReutersThis podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- 3 weeks ago0
Read this! Watch this! Culture to understand America
What can culture tell us about the US that news can’t? Gerry and Katy pick books, films, TV and songs that have shaped the way they see America. Is Modern Family an underappreciated bit of social realism? Why does Katy think a 2004 Disney movie strikes at an essential component of American patriotism? And what film is the most viewed on Air Force One?Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday TimesGerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street JournalProducers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry KitsonPicture: Modern FamilyMusic credit: Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts, Bob Dylan from the album Blood on the Tracks (1975), ColumbiaThis podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Aug 19, 202620 min
Killer rabbits, violent protest and an awful lot of golf: American summer
Who was attacked by a rabbit on his summer holiday?How many days a year does Donald Trump play golf?And why was George W Bush so keen on cutting brush?In this summer special episode, Katy and Gerry explore the political and cultural significance of the American summer.Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday TimesGerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street JournalProducers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry KitsonPicture: Getty ImagesThis podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Aug 12, 202625 min
The socialists take a beating and the tyranny of "woke 1"
Francesca Hong suffered a shock defeat in the Wisconsin primary, losing out to the Democrats’ more centrist candidate David Crowley despite holding a 10-15 point lead in the polls. Is this a sign that the Democratic establishment is finally pushing back against the party’s socialist insurgency? And, as AOC distances herself from the “woke 1” politics of yesteryear, is she quietly positioning herself for a 2028 leadership bid?And why did Donald Trump hide from an Iranian assassination threat in a catering truck? Spare a thought for poor Marco Rubio, who was effectively used as a decoy.And the backlash against America’s sprawling data-centre boom is becoming a genuinely bipartisan issue. From Democratic socialists to Republican governors, politicians are waking up to growing public anger over the energy demands and sheer scale of AI infrastructure. Is this the beginning of a wider revolt against Big Tech?Katy Balls, Washington editor and columnist at The Times and The Sunday TimesGerard Baker, columnist at The Times and editor at large at The Wall Street JournalProducers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry KitsonExecutive producer: Molly GuinnessPicture: Getty ImagesAudio: ReutersThis podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Aug 11, 20268 min
How did Trump mitigate an Iranian assassination attempt? – Washington Insider
What's the best way of avoiding an Iranian assassination attempt? Turns out it's hiding out in a catering truck and using Air Force One as a decoy. Katy Balls takes us inside the clandestine operation.Produced in partnership with Times RadioKaty Balls, Washington editor and columnist, The Times and Sunday TimesEd Vaizey, presenter, Times RadioProducers: Amelia MelvinPicture: Getty ImagesThis podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
About The State of It: USA
Katy Balls and Gerard Baker bring you the REAL truth about US politics and power. No fake news, no flag waving and no Trump Derangement Syndrome. Just honest, in-depth discussion of what’s really being said inside the White House. Join the conversation between two people who know everyone in the USA who matters. Beaming in from NYC, Gerard brings almost 30 years’ experience reporting on America while Katy is the new kid on the block, spending her days chasing news and her nights on the Washington cocktail circuit. This series launches on 28 January 2026.
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