November 3, 2021

In a major shift today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would reverse course and include paid family and medical leave in the social spending package. One of the provision’s key backers is New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. She speaks with Michel Martin about how she plans to convince fellow Senator Joe Manchin to get on board.

The first major election since Biden took office has fueled speculation that the Democrats’ razor-slim congressional majorities are in danger, while Biden’s spending bills still hang in the balance. Those bills, says Janet Yellen, are critical for economic growth. The treasury secretary and former chair of the Federal Reserve is attending the climate summit, and joins the show from Glasgow.

Are last night’s election results an early verdict on the Biden presidency? That’s how some are framing it. The president won VA easily last year, but now voters have chosen a Republican governor, while the race in NJ was far closer than expected. To dig into all this, Bianna speaks with former Mitch McConnell advisor Scott Jennings and political analyst Larry Sabato.

Back in Glasgow, youth activists are urgently reminding world leaders of their responsibilities to future generations. Ugandan campaigner Vanessa Nakate has become a superstar for her work in the movement for climate justice, a struggle that she depicts in her new book, "A Bigger Picture: My Fight to Bring a New African Voice to the Climate Crisis." She joins the show from Glasgow.