Announcing “Please Discuss …,” conversations rooted in research and a search for what’s true

From the Brookings Podcast Network, Please Discuss … is a new show that brings together the sharpest minds at Brookings and their guests to have discussions rooted in facts, research, and a search for what’s true. On each episode, scholars unpack the defining issues of our time.

Stay tuned October 6 for a three-part miniseries focused on the U.S. midterm elections.

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• Learn about other Brookings podcasts from the Brookings Podcast Network.
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DIONNE: We’ve heard it time and again. The next vote could be the defining election of our lifetime. Having seen my fair share of campaign cycles come and go, I’m usually the first to be skeptical. But look closely at this midterm. District lines are moving mid-decade. Voting laws are being rewritten in the courts. And our democratic guardrails are under real strain.

This time, the reality might actually justify the hype.

I’m E.J. Dionne. Welcome to Please Discuss …, a new podcast bringing together the sharpest minds at Brookings. We’re betting on an old idea. The best discussions are rooted in facts, research, and a search for what’s true.

To kick things off, we’re launching a special three-part miniseries about the 2026 midterm elections. Brookings experts and special guests will break down which pressure points are driving key races, how procedural fights are reshaping the electorate, and what the final balance of power will mean for the country, the world, and you. Because right now, there’s a lot we need to discuss.

The first episode of Please Discuss … drops on Tuesday, October 6.

You can listen, watch, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.