Common Language

Project 2025’s reputation is… complicated, but its performance is impressive. Join us as we touch on the status of completion and dig into how a once-fringe playbook is becoming a real-time political reality.

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works cited:

• The New York Times. “Government Shutdown Means Trump Can Reshape the Federal Workforce — and Workers Feel It.” The New York Times, 15 Oct. 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/us/politics/government-shutdown-trump-layoffs-unions.html. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

• Axios. “Pentagon Limits Press Reporting, New Rules Under Hegseth.” Axios, 16 Oct. 2025, https://www.axios.com/2025/10/16/pentagon-press-reporting-rules-restrictions-hegseth. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

• Newsweek. “Project 2025 Tracker: Trump Has Implemented Half of the Conservative Plan.” Newsweek, 2025, https://www.newsweek.com/project-2025-trump-has-implemented-half-of-conservative-plan-tracker-10874076. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

• The Cut. “Tracking Project 2025: How Far Has the Plan Come?” The Cut, 2025, https://www.thecut.com/article/trump-project-2025-tracker-progress.html. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

• BBC News. “What Is Project 2025? The Conservative Blueprint Gaining Traction.” BBC News, 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c977njnvq2do. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

• Observer. Project 2025 Tracker. Observer, https://www.project2025.observer/. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

• Center for Progressive Reform. Project 2025 Executive Action Tracker. Center for Progressive Reform, https://progressivereform.org/tracking-trump-2/project-2025-executive-action-tracker/. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

It’s book club time! Mak + Case crack open 107 Days by Kamala Harris and dig into what the former VP has to say about her time on the campaign trail and beyond. She's spilling the tea and we're sipping it!

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works cited

Harris, Kamala. 107 Days. New York: Penguin Press, 2025.

The lights are off in Washington — and nobody’s taking the credit. Mak + Case dive into the latest government shutdown, explaining appropriations and just what this all means. Hint- Dems might actually be fighting back...

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Works Cited:

Fox News. “Here’s What Trump Wants to Do to Reshape the Federal Government During the Shutdown.” Fox News, 1 Oct. 2025, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/heres-what-trump-wants-do-reshape-federal-government-during-shutdown. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

NPR. “Shutdown, ACA, Health Care Premium Subsidies.” NPR, 2 Oct. 2025, https://www.npr.org/2025/10/02/nx-s1-5559810/shutdown-aca-health-care-premium-subsidies. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

Axios. “Bad Bunny, MAGA & NFL Super Bowl Halftime Show.” Axios, 29 Sept. 2025, https://www.axios.com/2025/09/29/bad-bunny-maga-nfl-super-bowl-halftime-show. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

NBC News. “Supreme Court Allows Fed Lisa Cook to Stay in Office in Trump Fire Case.” NBC News, 1 Oct. 2025, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-allows-feds-lisa-cook-stay-office-trump-fire-case-rcna232933. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

Jesus take the ballot — we’re talking Christian nationalism, how church and state keep mixing, and why it’s still such a force in U.S. politics. Our country started with white Protestants at the wheel… so is this ever really going away?

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works cited

Pew Research Center. “White Evangelicals Continue to Stand Out in Their Support for Trump.” Pew Research Center – Short Reads, 28 Apr. 2025, https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/04/28/white-evangelicals-continue-to-stand-out-in-their-support-for-trump/. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.

Public Religion Research Institute. “2024 PRRI Census of American Religion.” PRRI Spotlight, 2024, https://prri.org/spotlight/2024-prri-census-of-american-religion/. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.

It’s episode TEN and we’re flipping the script — time to get to know your girls. Mak + Case reintroduce themselves, share why they started CLP, and give a peek at where the pod is headed next. In light of recent events, we’re pressing pause and reevaluating what matters most.

xx

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Bills, bills, bills — we’ve all got them, but do our paychecks keep up? With the federal minimum wage frozen since 2009, states are improvising and workers are caught in the middle. Mak + Case share their own come-up stories and weigh in on the Cutting Room Floor controversy.

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Chatting about Trump, governing styles and how we get back to democracy. Listen along as Mak + Case explain Stacey Abrams 10 Steps to Autocracy and where we go from here.

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Works Cited:

BBC News. “US Fed Governor Lisa Cook Sues Trump over His Attempt to Fire Her.” BBC News, 28 Aug. 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1dxl6ry4y3o. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.

Mosley, Tonya. “Stacey Abrams Warns of Autocracy and Voter Suppression, Doesn't Rule Out Another Run.” NPR, 15 July 2025, https://www.bpr.org/npr-news/2025-07-15/stacey-abrams-warns-of-autocracy-and-voter-suppression-doesnt-rule-out-another-run. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.

Newsweek. “Amy Coney Barrett Breaks with Trump in Deportation Case.” Newsweek, 14 June 2025, https://www.newsweek.com/amy-coney-barrett-supreme-court-scotus-president-donald-trump-deportation-el-salvador-2056746. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.

Liptak, Adam. “Amy Coney Barrett Splits with Trump in Supreme Court Deportation Case.” The New York Times, 15 June 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/15/us/amy-coney-barrett-supreme-court.html. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.

The New York Times. “2025 New York City Mayoral Democratic Primary Results.” The New York Times, 24 June 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/06/24/us/elections/results-new-york-city-mayor-primary.html. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.

One year post inception, MAHA is still here. Mak + Case examine its societal context, the many conflicting perspectives on making America healthy ‘again,’ and the intrigue behind RFK Jr.

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Works Cited

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Make America Healthy Again (MAHA). HHS.gov, https://www.hhs.gov/maha/index.html. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

2. The White House. MAHA Report – Make America Healthy Again. WhiteHouse.gov, https://www.whitehouse.gov/maha/. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

3. “We Got a Draft MAHA Report. It’s Quite Industry-Friendly.” Politico, Weekly Agriculture newsletter, 18 Aug. 2025, https://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-agriculture/2025/08/18/we-got-a-draft-maha-report-its-quite-industry-friendly-00513281. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

4. Klein, Ezra. “Podcast: Rachael Bedard, David Wallace-Wells.” The New York Times, Opinion, 22 Aug. 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-rachael-bedard-david-wallace-wells.html. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

5. Winter, Jessica. “Will the MAHA Moms Turn on Trump?” The New Yorker, The Lede, 21 Aug. 2025, https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/will-the-maha-moms-turn-on-trump. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

6. Yellin, Jessica. “News Not Noise: Note.” News Not Noise (Substack), https://substack.com/@newsnotnoisejessicayellin/note/c-147500340. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

This week we discuss the latest "AI Action Plan" Trump introduced on July 23rd as well as his latest executive orders surrounding AI. Address concerns of Authoritarianism amidst the current Washington DC Trump takeover and our thoughts on the future.

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Works Cited

“Artificial Intelligence for the American People.” AI.gov, White House, www.ai.gov/. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.

District of Columbia v. Trump. “Plaintiff’s Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order.” Case No. 1:25-cv-2678, United States District Court for the District of Columbia, 15 Aug. 2025. CourtListener, storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.283776/gov.uscourts.dcd.283776.2.0.pdf. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.

Fechner, Holly, et al. “Trump Administration Issues AI Action Plan and Series of AI Executive Orders.” Inside Energy & Environment, Covington & Burling LLP, 25 July 2025, www.insideenergyandenvironment.com/2025/07/trump-administration-issues-ai-action-plan-and-series-of-ai-executive-orders/. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.

Fried, Ina. “Axios AI+ Newsletter.” Axios, Axios Media Inc., n.d., www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-ai-plus-62025700-399b-11f0-b37f-b73dfdd12f1d. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.

“How U.S. Adults Are Using AI, According to AP-NORC Poll.” AP News, 29 July 2025, apnews.com/article/ai-artificial-intelligence-poll-229b665d10d057441a69f56648b973e1. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.

Madhani, Aamer. “Vance Rails against ‘Excessive’ AI Regulation at Paris Summit.” AP News, 11 Feb. 2025, apnews.com/article/paris-ai-summit-vance-1d7826affdcdb76c580c0558af8d68d2. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.

NPR. “Trump, Nvidia, H2O Chip Sales China.” NPR, 11 Aug. 2025, www.npr.org/2025/08/11/nx-s1-5498689/trump-nvidia-h20-chip-sales-china. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.

Oishii Farm Founder Talks Benefits of Vertical Farming Using AI. Today.com, n.d., www.today.com/video/oishii-farm-founder-talks-benefits-of-vertical-farming-using-ai-244581957524. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.

Snyder, Brady. “US to Deregulate AI and Incentivize Exports under Trump’s New AI Action Plan.” Android Central, 23 July 2025, www.androidcentral.com/apps-software/ai/us-to-deregulate-ai-and-incentivize-exports-under-trumps-new-ai-action-plan. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.

“The Trump Administration in D.C. Live Updates: Washington-D.C. Police, Trump Lawsuit.” The New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025, www.nytimes.com/live/2025/08/15/us/trump-administration-dc-news#washington-dc-police-trump-lawsuit. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.

Keeping up with campaign promises, Trump's tariff plans are taking shape. Mak + Case chat about what a Tariff actually is, and the debate over who is really paying. One thing is for sure, they are here and they are causing confusion. Let's discuss!

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Sources:

Merriam-Webster. Definition of "tariff" (as in tax). Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster. Web. Accessed 11 Aug. 2025.

“What Is a Tariff and Why Are They Important?” Investopedia. Web. Accessed 11 Aug. 2025.

Budget Lab at Yale. State of U.S. Tariffs: August 7, 2025. Web. Accessed 11 Aug. 2025.

Nam, Rafael, Scott Horsley, and Alina Selyukh. “We Get Asked About Tariffs All the Time. Here's What We Say.” LAist/NPR, 9 Aug. 2025. Web. Accessed 11 Aug. 2025.