Luskin Center for History and Policy
@historypolicy.bsky.social
UCLA Luskin Center for History & Policy is the first center on the West Coast that generates historical analysis designed to inform and shape policy.
Website: https://luskincenter.history.ucla.edu/
then & now: https://luskinhistory.buzzsprout.com
Website: https://luskincenter.history.ucla.edu/
then & now: https://luskinhistory.buzzsprout.com
On this day in history in 1898, the Wilmington Massacre unfolded in North Carolina, when white supremacists violently overthrew a multiracial local government, marking the only successful coup d’état in U.S. history.
November 10, 2025 at 10:52 PM
On this day in history in 1898, the Wilmington Massacre unfolded in North Carolina, when white supremacists violently overthrew a multiracial local government, marking the only successful coup d’état in U.S. history.
What makes Los Angeles a unique urban experiment and what can it teach us about U.S. cities today?
This week on then & now, hear the Urban History Association plenary featuring Becky Nicolaides, Gustavo Arellano, Brenda Levin & Raphael Sonenshein.
#LosAngeles #UrbanHistory #UCLA #dodgersstadium
This week on then & now, hear the Urban History Association plenary featuring Becky Nicolaides, Gustavo Arellano, Brenda Levin & Raphael Sonenshein.
#LosAngeles #UrbanHistory #UCLA #dodgersstadium
November 6, 2025 at 2:57 AM
What makes Los Angeles a unique urban experiment and what can it teach us about U.S. cities today?
This week on then & now, hear the Urban History Association plenary featuring Becky Nicolaides, Gustavo Arellano, Brenda Levin & Raphael Sonenshein.
#LosAngeles #UrbanHistory #UCLA #dodgersstadium
This week on then & now, hear the Urban History Association plenary featuring Becky Nicolaides, Gustavo Arellano, Brenda Levin & Raphael Sonenshein.
#LosAngeles #UrbanHistory #UCLA #dodgersstadium
On this day in history in 1964, Washington, D.C. residents participated in their first presidential election thanks to the 23rd Amendment, marking a milestone for voter rights and representation.
November 3, 2025 at 8:46 PM
On this day in history in 1964, Washington, D.C. residents participated in their first presidential election thanks to the 23rd Amendment, marking a milestone for voter rights and representation.
This year, three research grantee fellows were selected to explore critical issues, using historical insights to inform today’s policy decisions. One of these projects will examine how foreign education shaped China’s scientific development. Here’s more about their work!
October 31, 2025 at 8:11 PM
This year, three research grantee fellows were selected to explore critical issues, using historical insights to inform today’s policy decisions. One of these projects will examine how foreign education shaped China’s scientific development. Here’s more about their work!
As Sora 2 blurs the line between real & fake videos and President Trump's AI clips spark debate, questions about the ethics of AI take center stage. John Villasenor traces AI's evolution from Turing to today's deepfake era. Can we regulate AI? Should we? #ucla #ai #Trump #TrumpAI #sora2 #regulateAI
October 30, 2025 at 1:25 AM
On this day in history in 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis reached its peak as the U.S. and Soviet Union stood on the brink of nuclear war. The world held its breath as diplomacy, rather than destruction, prevailed.
October 27, 2025 at 8:57 PM
On this day in history in 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis reached its peak as the U.S. and Soviet Union stood on the brink of nuclear war. The world held its breath as diplomacy, rather than destruction, prevailed.
Guest host Ben Zdencanovic speaks with Dr. Stephen Wertheim to unpack the broader implications of U.S. foreign policy under Trump, now more relevant than ever with Trump administration's covert CIA involvement in Venezuela. #Trump #Venezuela #CIA #UCLA #ForeignPolicy #usforeignpolicy #lchp
October 22, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Guest host Ben Zdencanovic speaks with Dr. Stephen Wertheim to unpack the broader implications of U.S. foreign policy under Trump, now more relevant than ever with Trump administration's covert CIA involvement in Venezuela. #Trump #Venezuela #CIA #UCLA #ForeignPolicy #usforeignpolicy #lchp
On this day in history in 1973, the “Saturday Night Massacre” shook the nation as President Nixon ordered that the special prosecutor investigating the Watergate scandal be fired.
October 21, 2025 at 12:35 AM
On this day in history in 1973, the “Saturday Night Massacre” shook the nation as President Nixon ordered that the special prosecutor investigating the Watergate scandal be fired.
As federal force deployments escalate in U.S. cities, we revisit our 2020 episode on Trump-era authoritarianism. How does this discussion from Trump’s first presidency reveal about threats to democracy now? #ucla #protests #protectdemocracy #trump #democracyunderthreat #portland #chicago
October 15, 2025 at 8:30 PM
As federal force deployments escalate in U.S. cities, we revisit our 2020 episode on Trump-era authoritarianism. How does this discussion from Trump’s first presidency reveal about threats to democracy now? #ucla #protests #protectdemocracy #trump #democracyunderthreat #portland #chicago
On this day in history, Americans have historically commemorated the 1492 arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas. For Indigenous people, however, this date marks the beginning of centuries of colonization, displacement, violence, and cultural erasure.
October 13, 2025 at 11:19 PM
On this day in history, Americans have historically commemorated the 1492 arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas. For Indigenous people, however, this date marks the beginning of centuries of colonization, displacement, violence, and cultural erasure.
Trump’s deployment of national troops to cities like Chicago have parallels in authoritarian government worldwide. This episode of then & now considers Brazil's military regime and its aftermath, and explores the long-term effects on Brazilian and global politics. #history #Trump #Chicago #portland
October 8, 2025 at 7:32 PM
While Then & Now is on hiatus as we redesign our podcast for Season 6, we’ll be revisiting older episodes that still have relevance today. This week's revisited: Aaron David Miller explores U.S. diplomacy’s role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
🎙️ tinyurl.com/yceajf4n
🎙️ tinyurl.com/yceajf4n
October 1, 2025 at 6:42 PM
While Then & Now is on hiatus as we redesign our podcast for Season 6, we’ll be revisiting older episodes that still have relevance today. This week's revisited: Aaron David Miller explores U.S. diplomacy’s role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
🎙️ tinyurl.com/yceajf4n
🎙️ tinyurl.com/yceajf4n
As culture war politics intensify, conservatives frame “traditional” family values as vital to national survival. This week, @neiljyoung.bsky.social traces how religious narratives persist in U.S. politics and underpin the Trump-evangelical alliance.
🎙️: tinyurl.com/2w7sjpm6
🎙️: tinyurl.com/2w7sjpm6
September 18, 2025 at 3:44 AM
As culture war politics intensify, conservatives frame “traditional” family values as vital to national survival. This week, @neiljyoung.bsky.social traces how religious narratives persist in U.S. politics and underpin the Trump-evangelical alliance.
🎙️: tinyurl.com/2w7sjpm6
🎙️: tinyurl.com/2w7sjpm6
This week, Jennifer Klein joins us to explore #CancerAlley —the 100-mile stretch of the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Jennifer examines how industrialization and environmental racism have shaped the lived experiences of residents in this corridor.
🎙️ tinyurl.com/4w8vurmj
🎙️ tinyurl.com/4w8vurmj
September 6, 2025 at 12:53 AM
This week, Jennifer Klein joins us to explore #CancerAlley —the 100-mile stretch of the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Jennifer examines how industrialization and environmental racism have shaped the lived experiences of residents in this corridor.
🎙️ tinyurl.com/4w8vurmj
🎙️ tinyurl.com/4w8vurmj
This week's revisited episode of then & now analyzes historic crises at UCLA in the context of current federal scrutiny.
Listen here: tinyurl.com/yryc3apu
Be sure to read our new report, The Challenge to University Autonomy in an Illiberal Era, here: luskincenter.history.ucla.edu/lchp-reports/
Listen here: tinyurl.com/yryc3apu
Be sure to read our new report, The Challenge to University Autonomy in an Illiberal Era, here: luskincenter.history.ucla.edu/lchp-reports/
August 28, 2025 at 4:14 AM
This week's revisited episode of then & now analyzes historic crises at UCLA in the context of current federal scrutiny.
Listen here: tinyurl.com/yryc3apu
Be sure to read our new report, The Challenge to University Autonomy in an Illiberal Era, here: luskincenter.history.ucla.edu/lchp-reports/
Listen here: tinyurl.com/yryc3apu
Be sure to read our new report, The Challenge to University Autonomy in an Illiberal Era, here: luskincenter.history.ucla.edu/lchp-reports/
This week, Ben Zdencanovic joins David N. Myers to discuss their collaborative work on a new LCHP report, The Challenge to University Autonomy in an Illiberal Age: Historical and Comparative Perspectives.
Listen here! tinyurl.com/3cudxd5w
Read the full report here: tinyurl.com/mvxzj8tz
Listen here! tinyurl.com/3cudxd5w
Read the full report here: tinyurl.com/mvxzj8tz
August 20, 2025 at 11:38 PM
This week, Ben Zdencanovic joins David N. Myers to discuss their collaborative work on a new LCHP report, The Challenge to University Autonomy in an Illiberal Age: Historical and Comparative Perspectives.
Listen here! tinyurl.com/3cudxd5w
Read the full report here: tinyurl.com/mvxzj8tz
Listen here! tinyurl.com/3cudxd5w
Read the full report here: tinyurl.com/mvxzj8tz
This week, we are joined by Dr. @neiljyoung.bsky.social to investigate how #conservative Christian family values were cemented within American conservative activism and became integral to the rhetoric of the #Trump presidency.
Listen here! tinyurl.com/2w7sjpm6
Listen here! tinyurl.com/2w7sjpm6
August 7, 2025 at 3:32 AM
This week, we are joined by Dr. @neiljyoung.bsky.social to investigate how #conservative Christian family values were cemented within American conservative activism and became integral to the rhetoric of the #Trump presidency.
Listen here! tinyurl.com/2w7sjpm6
Listen here! tinyurl.com/2w7sjpm6
This week, Dr. Noelle Turtur examines the enduring legacy of #fascism in Italian politics, its continued influence on Italy’s democracy, and broader implications for #authoritarianism and far-right movements beyond Italy’s borders.
Listen here: tinyurl.com/3kf3km8x
Listen here: tinyurl.com/3kf3km8x
July 31, 2025 at 3:45 AM
This week, Dr. Noelle Turtur examines the enduring legacy of #fascism in Italian politics, its continued influence on Italy’s democracy, and broader implications for #authoritarianism and far-right movements beyond Italy’s borders.
Listen here: tinyurl.com/3kf3km8x
Listen here: tinyurl.com/3kf3km8x
In the wake of massive federal funding cuts to #publicbroadcasting by the #Trump administration, guest host Dr. Ben Zdencanovic is joined by Professor Josh Shepperd in this episode of then & now to discuss the complex historical development of #NPR and #PBS.
Listen here! tinyurl.com/4j6jt9cn
Listen here! tinyurl.com/4j6jt9cn
July 24, 2025 at 3:10 AM
In the wake of massive federal funding cuts to #publicbroadcasting by the #Trump administration, guest host Dr. Ben Zdencanovic is joined by Professor Josh Shepperd in this episode of then & now to discuss the complex historical development of #NPR and #PBS.
Listen here! tinyurl.com/4j6jt9cn
Listen here! tinyurl.com/4j6jt9cn
In this week’s revisited episode of then & now, Professor Aziz Rana examines how narratives of a postwar “liberal order” frequently overlook the United States’ longstanding practices of #expansion and settler #colonialism.
🎙️ Listen here: tinyurl.com/37bk8zy3
🎙️ Listen here: tinyurl.com/37bk8zy3
July 17, 2025 at 3:50 AM
In this week’s revisited episode of then & now, Professor Aziz Rana examines how narratives of a postwar “liberal order” frequently overlook the United States’ longstanding practices of #expansion and settler #colonialism.
🎙️ Listen here: tinyurl.com/37bk8zy3
🎙️ Listen here: tinyurl.com/37bk8zy3
In this episode of then & now, Professor Benjamin Nathans discusses his recent book, "To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause," recipient of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction and the Pushkin House Book Prize.
Listen here: tinyurl.com/496tmnrd
Listen here: tinyurl.com/496tmnrd
July 10, 2025 at 5:08 PM
In this episode of then & now, Professor Benjamin Nathans discusses his recent book, "To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause," recipient of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction and the Pushkin House Book Prize.
Listen here: tinyurl.com/496tmnrd
Listen here: tinyurl.com/496tmnrd
In this week's revisited episode, Dr. Kelly Lytle Hernández joins us to trace the deep roots and urgent realities of mass incarceration and mass deportation in the United States.
Full episode here: tinyurl.com/2reethsa
Full episode here: tinyurl.com/2reethsa
July 3, 2025 at 3:28 AM
In this week's revisited episode, Dr. Kelly Lytle Hernández joins us to trace the deep roots and urgent realities of mass incarceration and mass deportation in the United States.
Full episode here: tinyurl.com/2reethsa
Full episode here: tinyurl.com/2reethsa
On this day in history in 1956, President Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act, launching the interstate system – now central to debates on infrastructure renewal and climate-resilient transit.
#Eisenhower #FederalAidHighwayAct #UrbanSprawl #PublicTransit #ClimatePolicy
#Eisenhower #FederalAidHighwayAct #UrbanSprawl #PublicTransit #ClimatePolicy
June 30, 2025 at 10:26 PM
On this day in history in 1956, President Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act, launching the interstate system – now central to debates on infrastructure renewal and climate-resilient transit.
#Eisenhower #FederalAidHighwayAct #UrbanSprawl #PublicTransit #ClimatePolicy
#Eisenhower #FederalAidHighwayAct #UrbanSprawl #PublicTransit #ClimatePolicy
This week, Dr. Jamaal Muwwakkil joins us to discuss the rollback of #affirmativeaction and #DEI initiatives in U.S. universities. He emphasizes the significance of these shifts for Black and Latinx students as they navigate the landscape of higher ed.
Full episode here: tinyurl.com/yv7v57e3
Full episode here: tinyurl.com/yv7v57e3
June 25, 2025 at 9:23 PM
This week, Dr. Jamaal Muwwakkil joins us to discuss the rollback of #affirmativeaction and #DEI initiatives in U.S. universities. He emphasizes the significance of these shifts for Black and Latinx students as they navigate the landscape of higher ed.
Full episode here: tinyurl.com/yv7v57e3
Full episode here: tinyurl.com/yv7v57e3
This week’s revisited episode considers LA's long history of uprisings and clashes between protestors and law enforcement. We explore parallels between #protests past and present, and the ongoing struggle against #policeviolence and #racialprofiling.
Listen here: tinyurl.com/1992LA
Listen here: tinyurl.com/1992LA
June 18, 2025 at 10:44 PM
This week’s revisited episode considers LA's long history of uprisings and clashes between protestors and law enforcement. We explore parallels between #protests past and present, and the ongoing struggle against #policeviolence and #racialprofiling.
Listen here: tinyurl.com/1992LA
Listen here: tinyurl.com/1992LA