Episodes

  • Does This Make Me Look Weak?

    Does This Make Me Look Weak?
    May 10 2024
    The Society for the Rule of Law's Gregg Nunziata joins to discuss the NY and other cases against Trump; Biden's pivot on weapons to Israel, and RFK, Jr's brain worm.

    highlights / lowlights:

    Mona: In Letter, 540 Jewish Columbia Students Defend Zionism, Condemn Protests

    Gregg: Highlight: This Is Peak College Admissions Insanity by Daniel Currell, Lowlight: Speaker Mike Johnson and Trump allies who tried to overturn the 2020 election roll out voting 'integrity' bill

    Linda: The New Propaganda War by Anne Applebaum

    Bill: Liberland: Populism, Peronism, and Madness in Argentina by David Rieff

    Damon: The curse of presentism by Brink Lindsey
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • The Revolution Will Not Be Catered

    The Revolution Will Not Be Catered
    May 3 2024
    FT's Ed Luce joins the group to discuss campus protests and whether Biden is losing.

    highlights / lowlights:

    Mona: Country Music, a film by Ken Burns

    Ed: The Colombia student asking that the protestors be brought food in their encampment.

    Linda: MTG's bizarre defense of her anti-Semitism vote.

    Bill: Netanyahu: Israel will invade Rafah — regardless of hostage deal

    Damon: The new Steve Martin documentary.
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    55 mins
  • "Ukraine is anti-Christian" and other Russian Lies

    "Ukraine is anti-Christian" and other Russian Lies
    Apr 26 2024
    Anne Applebaum joins the panel (with Philip Bump) to discuss Ukraine's war effort, Russian disinformation, campus protests, and a change of pace for final segment.

    What would you have put on the Voyager Spacecraft?

    Mona:     Images of human love: parents interacting with babies (joy), a dog reacting to being reunited, humans taking care of other humans with a handicap (compassion).

    Damon:     Holy texts of major religions, Plato's Republic, Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, and the Beatles.

    Philip:     The vessel itself is a message, and a Haiku by Issa.

    Linda:    , a reproduction of Aphrodite of Knidos Sculpture by Praxiteles, Michelangelo's David, Gorecki and Beethoven.
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Will Dysfunctional House GOP Do the Right Thing?

    Will Dysfunctional House GOP Do the Right Thing?
    Apr 19 2024
    Lawfare's Ben Wittes joins the group to discuss Iran's attack on Israel, Congress's action on Ukraine, Trump's NY trial, and the Supreme Court.

    highlights / lowlights

    Mona:     The Great Hypocrisy of the Pro-Life Movement (David French, NYT)

    Bill: Efforts to reform the insurrection act.

    Linda:     Restoring Civics in Higher Education (Wilfred McClay, AEI)

    Ben:     Mona is given an award, but Chatham House Rules.

    Damon:     The Retconning of January 6 by people who knew better
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • The Tabloidization of America

    The Tabloidization of America
    Apr 12 2024
    Patterico joins the panel to analyze Bragg's case against Trump. The panel also looks at the Arizona Supreme Court decision, and the GOP's clownish attempt to find something on which to impeach Biden.

    highlights and lowlights

    Damon: Anxious Parents Are the Ones Who Need Help (NYT)

    Patrick: Famed photographer quits Ford board over Liz Cheney snub (Politico)

    Linda: A Region Reordered by Autocracy and Democracy (Freedom House)

    Mona: Cass review: Health secretary criticises gender care 'culture of secrecy' (BBC)

    Bill: High interest rates, rising inflation: The economy still isn’t normal (WaPo)
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Will Double Haters Park Their Votes on RFK, Jr?

    Will Double Haters Park Their Votes on RFK, Jr?
    Apr 5 2024
    Matt Bennett of Third Way joins to discuss the end of No Labels, RFK, Jr., and other third parties as well as Florida's new abortion law.

    highlights / lowlights

    Mona:     Karl Rove admonishing Trump's embrace of January 6 criminals (audio)

    Damon:     Why We Can’t Stop Arguing About Whether Trump Is a Fascist (Andrew Marantz, New Yorker)

    Matt:     How the No Labels 2024 Presidential Campaign Failed to Launch (WSJ)

    Bill:     Build Back Faster (Sean Kennedy, City Journal)

    show notes

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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Sacrilege for Sale

    Sacrilege for Sale
    Mar 29 2024
    The Atlantic's Peter Wehner joins the panel to discuss Trump hawking a "patriotic" Bible, accusations of lawfare regarding Trump's trials, and Putin's war on truth.

    Highlights / Lowlights:

    Mona— What Would You Have Israel Do to Defend Itself? (David Brooks, NYT)

    Damon— Tucker Carlson's hilariously wrong prediction that Sam Bankman-Fried would avoid justice because he was a megadonor.

    Peter— Lowlight: Jesus's Crucifixion. Highlight: Easter, of course.

    Linda— Bridge collapse brings stark reminder of immigrant workers’ vulnerabilities (WaPo)

    Bill— Democrat who ran heavily on abortion rights, IVF wins Alabama special election (WaPo)
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Trump is Hard Up for Cash

    Trump is Hard Up for Cash
    Mar 22 2024
    Nicholas Grossman joins the panel to discuss Trump's money troubles as a national security threat and political challenge, the "bloodbath" brouhaha, and Schumer's speech about Netanyahu.

    highlights / lowlights

    Damon: Miranda's Last Gift by David Frum.

    Mona: The U.S. is no longer one of the 20 happiest countries. If you're young, you probably know why.

    Bill: Graham calls for interest-free loans to Ukraine: ‘New way of doing business’ (The Hill)

    Nick: Once More With Feeling: Banning TikTok Is Unconstitutional & Won’t Do Shit To Deal With Any Actual Threats by Mike Masnick (TechDirt)

    LINDA: 12,000 More Visas for Afghans Who Helped US Military Included in New Funding Deal (Military.com).

    Appeals court raises doubts of legality of new Texas deportation law, SB4, pointing to past rulings (Houston Chronicle)
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    1 hr and 17 mins