Hey everyone, this is David Green. I am the co-founder of Fearless Media and I am your host.

Your new permanent host here on Left Right and Center and I could not be more honored to be here.

You know, KCRW has always made me feel like part of the family. As many of the staff here know,

KCRW hoodies, they're kind of like my daily uniform. I hosted morning edition,

wearing them on many early mornings, most early mornings, I would say.

It's just great to be officially part of this family now.

And this show, I mean, what can we say? It has such a rich tradition.

It holds this important place in our politics. It's this safe place to just work stuff out, right?

To get out of our bubbles, to listen, to learn, yeah, to spar passionately, also respectfully.

And I mean, come on, don't we need this kind of space more than ever?

So I am here to promise you that I'm going to honor the tradition of this show and I mean,

actually really double down on it to say all together that this venue is rare right now.

Let this be a place where we are not afraid to be honest, to think out loud,

and to see disagreements truly as opportunities for progress.

I mean, probably many of you feel scared to delve into political conversations these days at dinner,

on vacation, at work. Well, welcome to the show where we're going to take on all of those tough

divisive issues that you're afraid to talk about with anyone, even your own family.

So let's get to it. This is the last week of July.

And lawmakers in Washington are trying to overcome this poisonous political climate to actually get some stuff done

before the August recess. And yes, in some ways, we are bringing you another installment of Joe Manchin actually runs our country.

Just when it was looking bleak for the Democratic Party's agenda and well, for the future of our planet,

Manchin has come around on climate change and he's now backing a $369 billion climate and tax package

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