In this episode of “Across the Aisle,” former Maryland state Sen. Bobby Zirkin explores issues shaping political debates in Maryland and beyond, from juvenile justice and the death penalty to a contentious U.S. Senate race and unrest in France.

In this solo episode nicknamed "The Riff," Zirkin reflects on his trip to Brazil to watch the Ravens play the Dallas Cowboys, reflecting on the atmosphere at the game and the Brazilian fans’ display of national pride. He then turns to Baltimore, questioning whether Maryland’s juvenile justice laws leave the state without adequate ways to hold young offenders accountable or connect them with services after serious incidents.

The conversation shifts to the death penalty after Zirkin discusses a reported proposal to livestream a federal execution. Drawing on his experience in the Maryland Senate, where he voted to repeal the state’s death penalty, Zirkin revisits the difficult questions surrounding capital punishment, including the risk of executing an innocent person and the limits of making executions a public spectacle.

Zirkin also weighs in on the Michigan Senate race, focusing on a debate between Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed.

As part of “The Riff,” Zirkin moves across local, national and international issues, offering his perspective on the debates he believes deserve closer attention.

You can watch the podcast weekly, every Tuesday on YouTube and The Baltimore Sun, and listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon and iHeart.

In this episode of “Across the Aisle,” former Maryland state Sen. Bobby Zirkin speaks with Tali Cohen, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, about rising antisemitism, efforts to combat hate and the challenges facing Jewish students and families in Maryland.

Cohen explains the ADL’s work across Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and North Carolina, including its partnerships with law enforcement, efforts to track threats and antisemitic incidents, advocacy for legislation and educational programs addressing antisemitism, bias and extremism. The conversation also examines the difficulty of distinguishing criticism of Israel from antisemitism and the role that education can play in addressing misinformation and misconceptions about Israel and Zionism.

Much of the discussion focuses on antisemitism in Maryland schools. Cohen describes incidents ranging from harassment and graffiti to Nazi imagery and other forms of targeting Jewish students, while discussing efforts to provide teachers with educational resources and tools to address antisemitism in the classroom. ADL data shows that Maryland recorded 181 antisemitic incidents in 2025, including 61 at K-12 schools.

In this episode of Across the Aisle, Bobby Zirkin goes solo to discuss a few pressing issues on his mind: the ongoing debate surrounding Israel, including accusations of genocide, allegations of war crimes and what he describes as the spread of antisemitism across political and media circles.

Zirkin also discusses the war and international pressure on Iran, questioning just how effective economic sanctions and other measures are.

He then turns to election reform and Redistricting Madness, as the fight over congressional maps becomes increasingly partisan.

On Across the Aisle, host Bobby Zirkin and former Maryland state Sen. James Brochin examine how political polarization has pushed moderates to the margins of both major parties. Brochin criticizes recent Maryland policies involving taxes, immigration and criminal justice, arguing that lawmakers too often ignore the practical consequences of their decisions. Both men say elected officials should be able to challenge their own party without being labeled disloyal.

In this episode of Across the Aisle, former Maryland State Senator Bobby Zirkin speaks with former Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford about political independence, election reform and the growing influence of the two major parties.

Rutherford reflects on his unexpected entry into electoral politics as Larry Hogan’s running mate and their underdog victory in the 2014 governor’s race. He and Zirkin discuss the importance of campaigning beyond party lines, listening to voters with different political views and governing through compromise.

Much of the conversation focuses on Rutherford’s lawsuit challenging Maryland’s closed-primary system, which prevents nearly one-quarter of the state’s registered voters from participating because they are unaffiliated with a political party. Rutherford argues that taxpayers should not finance elections that exclude eligible voters, particularly in districts where the primary effectively determines the winner.

In this episode of Across the Aisle, former Maryland State Senator Bobby Zirkin speaks with Anne Arundel County Executive and Maryland Democratic Party Chair Steuart Pittman about his unconventional path from community organizer and horse trainer to elected office and party leadership.

Pittman explains what he believes the Democratic Party should represent, including justice, the rule of law, affordable health care, education and housing, government efficiency, fiscal discipline and rebuilding the middle class.

Zirkin and Pittman also debate open primaries, ranked-choice voting, partisan redistricting, campaign financing and the influence of wealthy donors. The conversation turns to political extremism and antisemitism as Zirkin questions whether the Democratic Party has done enough to reject candidates whose views conflict with its stated values.

In this episode of Across the Aisle, former Maryland State Senator Bobby Zirkin speaks with U.S. Rep. Johnny Olszewski Jr. about bipartisanship, election reform, political extremism and the rising cost of living.

Olszewski discusses the challenges of working in a deeply divided Congress and his efforts to build relationships between Democratic and Republican lawmakers.

In the debut of “The Riff,” a new solo edition of “Across the Aisle,” former Maryland state Sen. Bobby Zirkin reflects on earlier guests and offers his views on the growing political divide. Zirkin advocates for open primaries and ranked-choice voting, arguing that independent and unaffiliated voters should have a greater voice in elections. He also criticizes mid-decade redistricting as a partisan “race to the bottom” and calls for stronger safeguards against political gerrymandering. Turning to national politics, Zirkin condemns extremism within both parties, questions the candidates being elevated by partisan primaries and criticizes a Senate hearing involving Dr. Anthony Fauci as political theater.

Throughout the episode, Zirkin calls for practical, bipartisan leadership and urges voters to reject the divisive politics dominating Washington and state capitals.