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The Latest Breaking News from Political Theater

Sean Astin on being a leader during a time of upheaval

Jason Dick talks with film legend Sean Astin, the president of SAG-AFTRA, about his deep connections to Washington, D.C., public service, the issues he is advocating on Capitol Hill and meeting the moment at a pivotal time in human history. Show Notes:

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DC/DOX Film Festival: A kaleidoscope of America and beyond

Jason Dick talks with Sky Sitney about this year’s DC/DOX documentary film festival, which brings to Washington a slate of more than 100 nonfiction movies about Billie Jean King, Earth Wind and Fire, AI, a Washington Commanders superfan, Sea Monkeys and even Yugoslavian leader Josip Tito’s parrot. Show Notes:

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Claustrophobic paranoid thriller? Count us in, ‘PH-1’

Jason Dick talks with Mark Kassen, the director, writer and star of the new movie “PH-1,” a contemporary political drama whose mix of mystery, social media and taut pacing make it a pretty good encapsulation of our fraught time. Show Notes:

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Political Theater’s conversations with filmmakers and other people who dig movies - Roll Call

We like to put the theater in Political Theater every so often. George Orwell, Ukrainian artists, the Christmas Adventurers Club. Movies don’t have to be overtly political to say something about politics. Sometimes just documenting what life is like can become inherently political. What the best films do — be…

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Can Congress save itself? - Roll Call

Despite its propensity for making itself look bad, some of the inner workings on Capitol Hill reveal lawmakers who are finding ways to work together. Can they cut through the noise and solve some real problems? Jason Dick and Justin Papp discuss the changing Congress and the people who make…

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The re-re-redistricting chronicles - Roll Call

Jason Dick and Nathan Gonzales talk about how multiple rounds of redistricting congressional boundaries and the lawsuits surrounding them are making a weird year and weird election cycle even weirder. Show Notes:

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There is no such things as an off-year in politics - Roll Call

Jason Dick talks with Daniela Altimari and Mary Ellen McIntire about the new Roll Call Most Vulnerable Incumbent list, Tuesday night’s election results and the latest rounds of redistricting. Show Notes:

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Taking the ‘Vineland’ express to ‘One Battle After Another’ - Roll Call

Jason Dick and Sean Carswell discuss Thomas Pynchon’s novel “Vineland,” how it leads to Paul Thomas Anderson’s movie “One Battle After Another,” the conversation those two works have about American culture and politics, as well as the 1960s left, the Nixonian right, Reaganism, the drug war, Trumpism and, for good…

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Let’s get existential - Roll Call

Jason Dick and Molly Reynolds talk about the most significant things Congress has done this year and what kind of ripple effects could follow, as well as how lawmakers disenfranchise themselves when it comes to putting in the work. Show Notes:

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Revisiting friendly advice for the House, Senate - Roll Call

Back in December, before the current Congress convened, Jason Dick and Molly E. Reynolds discussed simple fixes the House and Senate could implement to make Congress work better for the public, the government and the institution. As they prepare for next week’s podcast to take stock of how things have…

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How Democrats hope to flip the script on energy as a campaign issue - Roll Call

This episode of Political Theater delves into how energy affordability could become a sleeper issue in next year's midterm elections.

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A short history of hoping people will change their minds - Roll Call

Jason Dick and Jessica Wehrman talk about how unpopular the “One Big Beautiful Bill” is, why Republicans will likely pass it anyway and the short history of how, regardless of how hard politicians try, sometimes the public won’t go along with their public relations efforts. Show Notes:

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The ‘predicament and necessity’ of documentary movies - Roll Call

Jason Dick talks to Sky Sitney, co-founder of DC/DOX, about this year’s documentary festival, as well as how grants being canceled and studios pulling back on the genre are playing out as both challenge and opportunity. Show Notes:

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Taking the grand tour of Washington - Roll Call

This episode of Political Theater discusses the value of just talking to people and how the years change your perspective on Washington.

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That’s a lot of Supreme Court there - Roll Call

Jason Dick and Todd Ruger discuss their (and some public officials’) race times at the ACLI Capital Challenge, then delve into the Supreme Court’s internal dynamics, how its workload has evolved, what big decisions are expected before the end of the term and a little about David Souter. They cap…

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Call it the Most Not Invulnerable List - Roll Call

Jason Dick and Nathan L. Gonzales discuss House and Senate races that could be competitive, but aren’t quite yet. Basically, what would it take for someone like Brian Fitzpatrick or Raul Ruiz to be in tough races. They also riff on how “Andor” and “Return of the Jedi” fit into this…

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Still vulnerable, even while batting .400 - Roll Call

Jason Dick, Daniela Altimari and Mary Ellen McIntire discuss the first Roll Call Most Vulnerable Incumbents list of the 2026 cycle, why House freshman frequently have the blues and how even gobs and gobs of money can’t always buy you an election. Show Notes:

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Much ado about special elections - Roll Call

Jason Dick, Mary Ellen McIntire and Andrew Menezes discuss the election results this week in Florida and Wisconsin.

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The Thai popcorn does not detract - Roll Call

Sports is leading the way on diversity, equity and inclusion, but don't expect to hear those words at the game.

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At the Gridiron, laughter in the dark - Roll Call

Dressing up as a donkey for a skit lampooning politicians at a white tie dinner in Washington is silly. But during difficult times, when the most powerful people in the world are challenging the boundaries of constitutional democracy, it is important to hang on to your sense of humor, as…

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Democrats at (in?) retreat - Roll Call

House Democrats are gathering for their annual policy retreat this week and face a series of questions as they navigate the 119th Congress.

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‘Yeah, I don’t love that,’ or how the House learned to start jamming the Senate - Roll Call

Usually, when Congress gets down to the wire on a legislative deadline, the Senate tells the House what is possible and the House more or less goes along with what the Senate can pass, given its procedural limitations such as the filibuster. But the budget process, or what passes for…

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‘If I can get you to feel’ — politics, wrestling and connecting with people - Roll Call

For someone who has dominated politics for going on a decade, Donald Trump still controls the narrative in a way that leaves his opponents flat-footed. Trump’s connection to professional wrestling offers lessons on how he is able to do this and how to connect in the political arena. Roll Call contributor…

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‘Beauty never gets old’ — Slava Leontyev in the ‘Porcelain War’ - Roll Call

Is it possible to find beauty amid the horror of the Ukraine-Russia war? The Academy Award-nominated documentary “Porcelain War” argues that it is not only possible but also essential. Co-director Slava Leontyev discusses how ordinary people keep their culture, art and themselves alive, and how even in a time of fear,…

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Having a plan beats not having a plan - Roll Call

The early days of the 119th Congress and the second Trump administration have been a whirlwind, but here is one observation for those looking to make sense of things: Having a plan beats not having a plan. Show Notes:

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