Midterm Special: Counting Wins, Drinking Tears, and Going Big
Amanda, Claire, and Doug break down the 2026 midterm news for you:
Who were the most inspiring winners? The most deserving losers?
What were the best memes? The worst takes?
How should Democrats use their stunning new majorities in the House and Senate to deliver the change voters demanded, on immigration and affordability, when Trump wields the veto pen?
There will be arguments! And, live on tape, a very unwelcome surprise!
Learn More
Amanda, Claire, and Doug express their own personal opinions on The Melting Pod. This episode was produced by Michael Palmer (palmer.media). Read more about the topics in this episode:
Bernie Sanders: “Trump is a funny guy”
The Voters Who Flipped Congress
Tiger Beat cover with Ossoff, Talarico, and El-Sayed
Frodo awakens after election night
Pick another protein
Sinners parody
The multi-faith family behind America’s first Muslim senator-elect, Abdul El-Sayed
Xavier Becerra on Why His Upbringing and Career Give Him an Edge Over Other Gubernatorial Candidates
Melat Kiros becomes the first Gen Z woman elected to Congress
Amish Shah Becomes First Indian American Elected to Congress From Arizona
A well-known Sacramento Democrat [Dr. Richard Pan] is taking on this suddenly vulnerable California Republican
Mixed Immigration Status Gave Brothers [Randy and Angel Villegas] ‘Very Different Perspectives’
Pia Dandiya, the Harvard-Educated Daughter of Indian Immigrants, Headed to U.S. Congress
Darializa Avila Chevalier: pro-Palestinian doctoral student steps into politics with ‘faith in the future’
Who is Adam Hamawy, the Gaza volunteer surgeon heading to Congress?
Midterm Election Results in 5 States Provide Way for National Popular Vote to Reach 270 During 2027
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The Diplomat, with Rena Bitter
Every day, all around the world, 13,000 U.S. Foreign Service Officers are responsible for a potentially life-changing decision: Should the person in front of me get a visa to the United States? Rena Bitter oversaw this global operation as Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, the capstone of her 30-year career as a diplomat and ambassador. Now retired, she can speak freely about how the visa process really works, and how Trump 2.0 is dramatically changing who gets to travel and study here, along with the nature of the Foreign Service itself. She also tells us what it took to carry out the largest airlift in American history to rescue our Afghan allies, why she loves international students, and how in government you have to know when the juice is worth the squeeze.
Next EpisodeReal Talk About Latino Voters, with Felicia Escobar Carrillo
If you want to understand why Texas went blue, and what it takes to stay that way, you should listen to Felicia Escobar Carrillo. A native Texan herself, Felicia served in senior roles in the U.S. Senate, was a top immigration policy advisor in the Obama White House, and was chief of staff at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Biden administration. We’ll talk about how Texas Democrats up and down the ballot supported each other in a state the size of a country, why this was harder to pull off in Florida, and what “abolish ICE” means to Latino voters. Felicia’s verdict: Democrats are “on probation” with Latinos. Now the blue wave of governors and legislators needs to deliver relief on affordability and immigration policy, which are deeply connected.