Roots of Today
With a focus on examining the historical context behind current events, Roots of Today uses a combination of narrative storytelling, expert analysis, and thematic exploration to illuminate the past’s influence on the present. Join us as we uncover how the events of the past have helped create the current world.
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 21 minutes
- Episodes
- 16
- Years Active
- 2025
How Political Assassinations Can Change History: A Look at Two Civil Rights Icons
Conservative icon and activist Charlie Kirk joins a list of civil rights figures and politicians who were killed for speaking what they believe. Thousands have expressed their desire to pick up the b…
The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878: Can Trump Legally Send the Military to Fight Crime?
In early September 2025, President Donald Trump announced that he would deploy federal troops into several major U.S. cities to quell unrest — even if governors objected.
The announcement immediately …
Trump: The Best Defense is a Good Offense
In an NPR report from September 5th, President Trump signed an executive order on Friday to give the Department of Defense a new name: the Department of War. The change returns the department to a na…
Controversy at the CDC: Is the Agency Really Trusted by the People?
At its best, the CDC is a scientific bulwark against disease. At its worst, it becomes an institution caught between science, politics, and profit. The question for us is whether the CDC can navigate…
The War in Ukraine: Vladimir Putin and the Ghosts of World War 2
In 2014, Russia invaded and then annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. It became clear that Russia faced no real consequences for that violation of Ukrainian sovereignty, so in 2022 Vladamir Pu…
The Myth of True History: Why Trump’s War with the Smithsonian is a Fool’s Errand that Promotes Ignorance
On August 12th, 2025, the White House sent a formal letter to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, ordering a comprehensive review of exhibits, educational materials, and even social-media post…
The Fight Over the Census: Can the President Decide Who Gets Counted and Who Gets Left Out?
In the United States, political power has always been counted—literally. From the moment the framers dipped their quills into ink and drafted Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution, they establishe…
The Debate over Hiroshima and Nagasaki: After 80 Years of Hindsight, Was the Bombing Necessary?
Eighty years ago this week, two American bombers lifted off from an airfield on Tinian Island in the Western Pacific and flew into history. Each plane carried a single bomb—one codenamed "Little Boy"…
With the Worst of Intentions: The CIA and Destruction of Chilean President Salvador Allende
In the previous episode, Episode 6 – The Voice of America, we diverted a bit and talked about how the VOA was used parallel to other media broadcasts run by the CIA to affect regime change in Latin A…
The The Voice of America: A Valuable Tool of American Soft Power in the Crosshairs of the Budget Battle
Republican majorities in the House and the Senate passed a rescissions bill that would cancel over 9 billion dollars in previously approved federal spending. Included in the cuts was financing that h…
Journalism and Fake News: The Evolution of the Partisan Press and the Rise of a Propagandist Media
Donald Trump has famously labelled most of the mainstream press as both fake news, and the enemy of the people. For years Republicans had decried the problem of media bias as if it is some new phenom…
Immigration Raids and a Guest Worker Program: We've Seen This Movie Before and it Wasn't That Great the First Time.
Journey through time, uncovering the lessons, parallels, and connections between historical milestones and current events to create a deeper understanding of the compelling stories and issues that sh…
Presidential Authority and the War Powers Act: Can Trump Take the Country to War in Iran?
Hello and welcome to "Roots of Today," the podcast where the past meets the present. With every episode, we journey through time, uncovering the lessons, parallels, and connections between historical…
The US Senate and the 17th Amendment: Why the Direct Election of US Senators is a Bad Thing
Hello and welcome to "Roots of Today," the podcast where the past meets the present. With every episode, we journey through time, uncovering the lessons, parallels, and connections between historical…
Immigration and Birthright Citizenship: Trump's Fight to Upend 150 Years of Historical Precedent
In the wake of immigration enforcement raids by ICE, social and political unrest is gripping Los Angeles and threatening to explode in other major cities across the United States. This enforcement ma…
Introduction
Welcome to the Roots of Today podcast, where we look at the historical context behind current events. This is just the short introduction episode, saying hello and explaining the philosophy behind th…