Well, the year is coming to an end, and let’s kick off our year-end fundraising extravaganza! I will be periodically posting some merch and patron links on the screen. I’m going full retard on the PBS ness of it all. 

As you all know, TIR is entirely listener-funded. We don’t take corporate money—yet. But hey, at this point, I am not above accepting some venture capitalist funds. If lizard man Peter Thiel wants to drop some change this way, I WILL TAKE IT! Seriously, though, we’re gearing up to celebrate five incredible years of bringing you top-tier shows spiced with the finest dick jokes in podcasting.

To finish the year strong, we’ve lined up an all-star roster of guest hosts. The Green and Red Podcast will be here to dig into the biggest environmental stories of the year. Champagne Sharks is making a triumphant return, and the Antifada crew will also be in the mix. So if you like your podcasts smart, sharp, and a little chaotic, now’s the time to help us grow—so big that maybe, just maybe, we too can be part of the Vanguard’s podcast drama wars.

In actual news, a suspect is now in custody for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The accused, Luigi Mangione, has become something of an antihero heartthrob online. There are memes, thirst traps, and even some wild right-wing takes—I saw one guy call him “a real-life Batman.” (Spoiler: that guy doesn’t know who Batman is.)

But, following the Robin Hood-like response across the political spectrum for Mangione there has been a backlash. Following the murder, a Florida woman named Brianna Boston used the same chilling words reportedly etched on the shell casings found at the scene of the crime—“Delay, Deny, Depose.” Boston was arrested for making terrorist threats after her claim was denied while she was on the phone with Blue Cross. Boston was just venting after having a claim denied and posed no threat, but will this be the move of these companies moving forward?

One thing this incident has done is reignited public outrage about the deadly inefficiency of the American healthcare system. Michael Moore was inspired to drop *Sicko* on YouTube for free, it feels like we’re in a moment worth examining.

So let’s talk about it. What does Luigi Mangione’s viral antihero status say about the state of the public’s frustration with corporate healthcare? Is this a sign that Americans are reaching a breaking point with the “profits over people” model? Or is this just another fleeting moment in the outrage cycle, destined to fizzle before it can spark meaningful reform?

Meanwhile, local news outlets are amplifying stories about families suffering under Medicaid cuts and unaffordable premiums. But can the spotlight on healthcare—even one as darkly sensational as this—actually push us closer to socialized medicine? And what does it say about the system that it takes extreme events, like the death of a CEO or the arrest of a desperate woman, to bring these issues to the fore?

Let’s dive in. And don’t forget to drop a Super Chat! Help us grow, so one day I can afford the kind of healthcare coverage these CEOs would deny me.