Beyond Politics

California Senator Dianne Feinstein, a trailblazing icon, has died. In this emergency podcast, writer and political analyst Jason Sattler joins to discuss the remarkable legacy of Senator Feinstein, and also the burning question that will have far-reaching consequences for America: will Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans take advantage of her death to block all Biden judicial appointments for the rest of the President's term?

The government shut down is upon us. There will be serious effects on people's lives. And of course, the question that everyone inevitably asks is: who will get the political blame? Traditionally, the conventional wisdom is that shutdowns hurt Republicans more. But was that really true and in the past, and is it still the case this time around. Bryan Bennett and Ian Smith of Navigator Research join to explain what the numbers and their focus group work with voters actually tells us.

Republicans angling to shut down the US Government and preparing to take the debate stage tonight for the Republican Presidential nomination have one thing in common: they can't say what it is they are trying to achieve, what they believe in, or how they would help do anything positive for America. They've made a backward mess of immigration (11:01) and they're afraid to attack Donald Trump (14:31) even though they secretly know he's a plague. And yet, recent polling (21:10) has some ominous signs for America and shows that voters may be tuning out their shenanigans. At least the writer's strike is over! (29:15)

Part two of our interview with Dr. Daniel Cox. American's attitudes on LGBT issues have shifted significantly, with far more people -- including Democrats -- saying that we have "gone too far." Why is this happening, and what does it really mean? Also, have Americans lost something fundamental that holds us together, and if so, is there anything we can do to revive it? (14:12)

Dr. Daniel Cox is Director of the Center on American Life at the American Enterprise Institute and his work is frequently featured in the Atlantic, CNN, and the Washington Post. His outstanding Substack is at: ⁠

Ah, estate planning. Such a fun exercise. No one wants to think about the end, but we will all smile, so we might as well plan for it. In this week's podcast, join Mike Morton and I as we explore the importance of planning for your golden years, the ones filled with activity, those that slow down, and even the ones where you may need extra care.

If Republicans are so nutty, then why are Republicans and Democrats tied in popularity (2:05)? Also, why is Ron DeSantis SO darn unpopular? (There's actually a pretty straightforward reason for that) (7:48). And why is Donald Trump maybe a lot weaker than it appears? (14:55).

Dr. Daniel Cox is Director of the Center on American Life at the American Enterprise Institute and his work is frequently featured in the Atlantic, CNN, and the Washington Post. His outstanding Substack is at:

ver the past 20 years, the U. S. Navy has built a vessel that they've nicknamed the "little crappy ship." It barely works and it's costing us taxpayers about 100 billion or about what we'd spend on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in 20 years, the agency that regulates nuclear materials in 100 years or the Peace Corps over the course of 200 years.

How did this happen? And what does it say about the entire way we arm our nation through the defense industrial complex? We're joined by the outstanding investigative journalist who broke this entire story about the literal combat ship, Joaquin Sapien, who was one of the first reporters hired at our friends at ProPublica.

We've had other reporters from ProPublica with us before. You all just do outstanding work and I would be remiss if I didn't mention that one of your recent stories a few years ago won a Deadline Club award and a Katherine Schneider Journalism Award for excellence in reporting on disability.

It was too tempting to avoid talking about the strange Lauren Boebert incident over the weekend...so we did. But more seriously, retiring Senator Mitt Romney has leveled some serious accusations at his own party about what Republicans have become, and what it means for America. Also, will Ukraine actually get more US support despite Republican opposition? What to make of the Iran prisoner swap? And how do we feel about Donald Trump's criticism of American Jews?

This week, Matt Robison and I discuss the concept of being aggressive in your investment strategy, especially when you have time on your side. 

Part two of our interview with Rex Huppke, in which we hit what is driving Kevin McCarthy (0:54), what do we know from polling (5:50), are we falling into the Fox News Fallacy (8:30), and can anyone realistically beat Donald Trump for the Republican nomination? (14:10)