Claim OwnershipHow to Fix It with John Avlon
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Politicians, pundits, and the media spend a lot of time talking about the problems our country faces but not enough time on how to solve them. Each week, John Avlon and his guests hash out sensible and attainable solutions for some of the most vexing issues confronting our democracy—solutions that will likely emerge from the political center.
72 Episodes
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John Avlon talks with Annabelle Gurwitch about surviving stage-4 lung cancer—and what her experience reveals about America’s broken health system. They discuss the rise of lung cancer among non-smokers, the role of pollution and climate policy, the spread of medical misinformation pushed by figures like RFK Jr. and Dr. Oz, and how insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers can trap patients in bureaucratic nightmares. Gurwitch also explains the targeted therapy that has kept her alive for five years and the class-action lawsuit she’s leading over an insurance practice she says is ripping off cancer patients.Buy Annabelle Gurwitch's book, The End of My Life Is Killing Me: https://www.amazon.com/End-My-Life-Killing-Unexpected/dp/B0FLTSCMHJ
Michigan sheriff and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Swanson joins John Avlon to talk about why Democrats' numbers are stuck in the mid-20s, how the party lost working-class trust, and what it would take to win it back. Swanson makes a law-and-order case for Democrats—arguing you can have a “fist of iron and a hand of velvet”—and lays out his data-driven jail reform plan that he says cut violence 97% and reduced recidivism.Take the guesswork out of getting healthy in 2026. Go to https://Superpower.com and use code FIXIT for $20 off your membership this year.Make the switch to Mint Mobile, with a $15/month plan for the first three months at https://MintMobile.com/FIXIT.
Rahm Emanuel joins John Avlon to argue that Washington needs a full reset—age limits across all three branches, bans on congressional stock trading, strict Supreme Court ethics rules, and an end to “investor days” in the Oval Office.
David Frum joins John Avlon to discuss the unprecedented scale of corruption in the Trump era—from petty self-dealing to billion-dollar enrichment—and what real accountability would look like. They talk about the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling, the risk of elections that are “free but not fair,” and whether the next administration should forgive, prosecute, or fundamentally reform the system.
Last year, Principles First was hit with bomb threats serious enough to bring in law enforcement, simply for standing up on principle. It was a sign of how dangerous American politics has become when dissent is treated as a threat.John Avlon and Heath Mayo of Principles First examine the erosion of democratic norms on the right, from political intimidation and executive overreach to the collapse of congressional courage. They also focus on solutions: protecting elections and judges, restoring checks and balances, and rebuilding a politics rooted in constitutional limits, character, and courage.
John Avlon talks with Michael Waldman of the Brennan Center about the fallout from ICE violence in Minnesota, the administration smearing a victim as a “domestic terrorist,” and why legal accountability may still be possible. They discuss how defamation, civil suits, and court challenges could constrain federal officials acting above the law. They also address Trump’s threats around the Insurrection Act, DOJ pressure on Minnesota for voter data, and a broader pattern of corruption and abuse of power — along with concrete ideas for how institutions, courts, and citizens can still push back.Nine Solutions for Political Corruption | Brennan Center for Justicehttps://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/nine-solutions-political-corruptionThe Damage to America Is Permanent (w/ Michael Luttig & Jeh Johnson) | How to Fix Ithttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQhzznW2KB0
John Avlon welcomes CNN’s Christiane Amanpour for a conversation about Iran’s latest uprising, the regime’s crackdown tactics, and what—if anything—could make this moment different from past protests. They weigh the risks of outside intervention, from military strikes to cyber operations, the shadow of the 1953 Mossadegh coup and the 2009 Green Movement, and the challenges of identifying a credible transition path amid competing opposition figures and regional power plays.Make the switch to Mint Mobile, with a $15/month plan for the first three months at https://MintMobile.com/FIXIT.Take the guesswork out of getting healthy in 2026. Get full body testing that goes 5x deeper than an annual physical and a personalized action plan that tells you exactly what to do next. All for just $199. Go to https://Superpower.com and use code FIXIT for $20 off your membership this year.
Former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan joins John Avlon to explain how leadership, not slogans, helped reverse Detroit’s decline—and why he believes America’s two parties are failing voters as he runs for Michigan governor as an independent.Get $30 off your first order (and free croissants for life) from Wildgrain at https://Wildgrain.com/FIXIT
John Avlon sits down with Oliver Libby to talk about why the American Dream feels out of reach—and what it would actually take to fix it. From healthcare and housing to energy, infrastructure, and the crisis of trust in institutions, they make the case for a “strong floor, no ceiling” approach rooted in practical policy, not rage.
Buy Strong Floor, No Ceiling: Building a New Foundation for the American Dream: https://www.amazon.com/Strong-Floor-No-Ceiling-Foundation/dp/164225701X
Donald Trump did something no other president has ever done: he fired the Archivist of the United States — the nonpartisan official responsible for preserving America’s records and history.
John Avlon talks with former Archivist Colleen Shogan about why that decision matters, how history has become a political weapon, and what it says about power, accountability, and democracy at a moment when America is heading toward its 250th anniversary.
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Senator Mark Kelly sits down with John Avlon to discuss Pentagon intimidation, the rule of law, and his AI for America plan, covering job displacement, data-center energy demands, and what it will take for the U.S. to beat China on AI without chaos.
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John Avlon is joined by Judge Michael Luttig and former DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson, co-chairs of the American Bar Association’s Task Force on American Democracy, a bipartisan group of legal, business, and civic leaders formed to confront the democratic crisis head-on. Their mission: move past outrage and lay out concrete, realistic reforms to stop democratic backsliding before it’s irreversible.
They discuss how unchecked presidential power, mass pardons for January 6 felons, Supreme Court rulings on gerrymandering, and collapsing guardrails are creating a system with zero consequences, and why that creates a dangerous moral hazard for future leaders.
This isn’t partisan spin. It’s a warning, and a roadmap, from people who’ve spent their careers defending the Constitution.
John Avlon talks with former Rep. Steve Israel about his new historical thriller ‘The Einstein Conspiracy’, Israel’s life as a small bookstore owner, the politics of Long Island, rising antisemitism, and the reforms he thinks could fix American democracy.
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Buy The Einstein Conspiracy: https://www.amazon.com/Einstein-Conspiracy-Steve-Israel/dp/B0FVNQ1ZXS
America used to build big things fast, highways, power grids, rail, entire cities. So why does it feel like nothing works anymore? John Avlon sits down with Marc Dunkelman, author of the new book Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress and How to Get It Back, to dig into the real reasons our government can’t get shovels in the ground, and how we fix it.
From EV chargers that take years to install, to high-speed rail blocked by endless lawsuits, to progressive ideals that accidentally created a veto-ridden system where anyone can stop everything. Dunkelman explains how we broke the ability to build, and what it will take to restore it.
John Avlon sits down with Ryan Holiday for a deep dive into virtue, character, and what ancient wisdom can still teach a country drowning in cynicism. They trace the Stoic roots behind Holiday’s bestselling series, unpack the dangers of America’s “wisdom deficit,” and explore how applied history can ground us in a moment when the loudest voices are often the least serious. Holiday opens up about his writing process, the influence of Robert Greene, and the books he returns to when he needs clarity. It’s a conversation about courage, justice, self-discipline, and why these old virtues feel newly urgent.
The Last Lion (William Manchester)
The Old, Weird America (Greil Marcus)
The World of Yesterday (Stefan Zweig)
Montaigne (Stefan Zweig)
The Moviegoer (Walker Percy)
The Nightingale’s Song (Robert Timberg)
Stoicism (Ryan Holiday)
The Obstacle Is the Way (Ryan Holiday)
Ego Is the Enemy (Ryan Holiday)
The Daily Stoic (Ryan Holiday)
Perennial Seller (Ryan Holiday)
The 48 Laws of Power (Robert Greene)
Mastery (Robert Greene)
The Laws of Human Nature (Robert Greene)
Former congressman and January 6 Committee member Adam Kinzinger joins John Avlon to talk about fixing what’s broken, from using Russia’s own frozen cash to rebuild Ukraine, to confronting Trump-era corruption, to why Democrats have to “fight fire with fire” on redistricting. They also dive into the cost of moral courage, what it means to be a “good Republican” in the MAGA age, and how to break Washington’s pay-to-play cycle.
The Last Republican
How to Make Putin Pay: The $2 Billion-a-Day Plan That Could End the War
The Trump–Epstein Relationship: What We Know & Why Republicans Won’t Address It
Ken Burns joins John Avlon for a conversation that feels like a pep talk America desperately needs. From the messy, human story of the Revolution to the warning signs we’re ignoring today, Burns makes the case that our past isn’t a museum piece, it’s a manual for saving the country.
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Investigative journalist Patrick Radden Keefe joins John Avlon to unpack what Northern Ireland’s “Troubles” can teach America about polarization, violence, and the fight for truth. From the lessons of Say Nothing to the perils of propaganda, they trace how societies unravel, and how we can stop it before it’s too late.
Keefe also dives into his craft, fact-checking at The New Yorker, writing like a novelist, and keeping faith in truth amid social media chaos.
The Bench Burner Article: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2001/12/10/the-bench-burner
Books Mentioned:
Say Nothing — by Patrick Radden Keefe
Empire of Pain — by Patrick Radden Keefe
A Secret History — by Donna Tartt
Presumed Innocent — by Scott Turow
Wingnuts — by John Avlon
Harvard law professor and democracy reformer Larry Lessig is taking on the big money machine. In Maine, he’s helping defend a ballot initiative that bans super PACs, backed by a stunning 75% of voters. If he wins, this case could crack Citizens United wide open and bring campaign finance reform to the entire country. This might just be the moment to end dark money’s grip on American politics.
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John Avlon talks with Senator Andy Kim about Trump’s “mob boss” politics, the rise of fear inside the GOP, and Kim’s plan to build an anti-corruption movement that takes on what he calls “the cowards and the crazies.”
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