Pushkin. This is talk easy. I'm San Frigoso. Welcome to the show. Today I am joined by reporter and podcast host Astead Herndon.

Since 2018, he's been a national political reporter for the New York Times

where he's a frequent contributor to the hit show The Daily.

He's also a political analyst over at CNN.

When he's not writing for the paper or talking on cable news, he's serving as the host of his own

podcast called the run-up through conversations with Times colleagues, high-ranking

political operatives, and a wide array of voters across the country, Herndon

attempts to make sense of the current political landscape, with the unpacked the reporting he's done through the first half of 2023.

If you're unfamiliar with his work, I'd encourage you to check out the show, because in the

media landscape full of hardened reporters and disingenuous pundits.

Herndon cuts through the sound and fury of the 24-hour news cycle.

He does this with a mix of passion, skepticism, and curiosity resulting in what I think is a clear-eyed

approach to what he calls grassroots reporting.

And so today, on the first half we discuss the recent impactful decisions

issued by the Supreme Court what to expect from the GOP primaries and the

potential of a third party ticket. Then on the back end we examine Herndon's

mission statement as a reporter. What he believes the New York Times has learned

since the 2016 election the role The role of independent journalism and who he ultimately makes his work for.

As I mentioned at the top of this episode, I was a little bit sick at the time of this recording. I am okay now.

I should also mention before we get rolling, as you've probably seen in the news, the Acters Union, SAG Afra, has joined the WGA in a strike.

It is the first time these two unions have actually striked concurrently since 1960. We will be doing an episode on the strike

and what it means for the future of film and television later this summer. I saw some people were wondering if this would

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