We start by paying homage to the late, great Catherine O'Hara before moving on to celebrities in office, Jon Stewart taking his hat out of the ring, Minnesota's apple cider attack and Don Lemon getting the headlines he's always wanted.

Episode 60 covers the political and media reaction to the killing of Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, growing scrutiny of overcrowded and understaffed ICE detention centers, as well as leadership changes and backlash as protests intensify and lawmakers push for accountability.

Episode 59 explores how nuance has disappeared from modern discourse, the dangerous consequences of echo chambers, and Paris Hilton speaking out about the trauma of AI-driven sexploitation. A conversation about lost context, amplified harm, and the cost of living in a world that refuses complexity.

Episode 58 covers the World Economic Summit and its replacement-theory optics, the danger of activist groups putting people in harm’s way, Don Lemon being insufferable, and the U.S. floating a Greenland takeover with zero negotiation.

Episode 57 of Ben Kissel Politics welcomes 2026 with new laws across the country as well as delving into the sticky world of regime change and the outright jacking of international resources.

In the final episode of 2025, RFK Jr. sells the public on the emotional and physical power of “god-given breastmilk,” Trump falsely claims Rob Reiner died of Trump Derangement Syndrome, and Nicolás Maduro sings “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” as his country’s assets are seized: it's giving Jonestown vibes.

In episode 55, Ben Kissel Politics covers a scam of epic proportions-- the Dollar General mislabeling prices in an effort to squeeze the most financially vulnerable among us, Donal Trump's wax statue in Texas had to be taken down after residents could not stop attacking it, and Australia implements it's first youth social media ban.

Trump wins the first FIFA Peace Prize and says America should rename football, Kristi Noem releases a self-deportation hype video set to “Celebrate,” and data centers keep pulling in hundreds of billions in taxpayer funding despite voters rejecting them.

Trump warns Venezuela and Nigeria that war is coming if they don’t comply, Pete Hegseth and Admiral Bradley admit they ordered second strikes to kill narco-terrorist targets overseas, and we run through the rest of the week’s most unsettling headlines.

Trump praises Browns QB Sanders’ “good genes,” the ShamWow guy runs for office in Texas, a Boston suburb cuts trash pickup to twice a month to save the planet, and a Campbell’s executive confesses their food is for poor people and the meat is 3D-printed.