Since Democrats decided to shut down the government over Affordable Care Act subsidies, now's a good time for a deep dive into what they're even talking about. John Hopkins professor Dr. Ge Bai walks us through the ACA subsidies, the hidden mechanics behind the Affordable Care Act, and its illusion of "affordability." Dr. Bai shows us how regulations and subsidies have quietly reshaped the healthcare market - and how the free market can make it work for patients again.

Ge Bai, PhD, CPA is a Professor of Accounting at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and Professor of Health Policy & Management (joint) at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. An expert on health care accounting, finance, and policy, Dr. Bai has testified before the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate HELP Committee, written for the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, and published her studies in leading academic journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and Health Affairs.

Find her on X at @GeBaiDC and read her recent WSJ oped here: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/let-the-obamacare-enhanced-premium-subsidies-expire-16ef7e1b

What really happens to your plastic after it leaves the recycling bin? There's a massive industry trying to turn that trash into something useful in the cleanest, most efficient way possible – and it's one of the toughest economic puzzles of our time. Recycling expert Ross Eisenberg joins us to unpack the strange economics, the breakthrough chemistry, and the big misconceptions behind plastic waste and production.

Ross Eisenberg is the President of America's Plastic Makers at the American Chemistry Council. Find him on X at @eisenberg_ross.

Cato Institute's Travis Fisher joins Rep. Crenshaw to cover the current state of climate science vs climate alarmism. They unpack the new Department of Energy climate report that surveys the latest climate models, the impact of CO₂, ocean acidification, and hurricane trends. They look at the impact of a 2009 EPA regulation called the "Endangerment Finding," which has had a massively negative impact on American innovation and prosperity. They also discuss the path forward towards energy realism: reliable, affordable, and secure energy paired with innovation-driven, commonsense environmental progress.

Travis Fisher is the director of energy and environmental policy studies at the Cato Institute. He has nearly 20 years of experience in energy policy, including leadership roles at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Institute for Energy Research, and the Department of Energy during the first Trump administration. He most recently served again on a detail to the Department of Energy under Secretary Chris Wright, where he managed the development of the new climate report. Find him on X at @ts_fisher and read his research at Cato Institute.

Rick Walker is an investor, author, and scholar of history and philosophy. He also happens to be Rep. Crenshaw's one-time opponent in his very first primary campaign – but no hard feelings about that. Get ready for a wide-ranging conversation about everything from Alexander the Great's quest for the Fountain of Youth to birthday shopping with Dennis Rodman to life lessons learned on the campaign trail. Within all of it, Rick finds the universal truths that can lead everyone to a life of meaning.

Rick Walker is the author of "9 Steps to Build a Life of Meaning: How to Unlock Your Mind, Happiness, Power, and Your Enemy's Demise." Find him on X at @RickWalkerTX and listen to The Rick Walker Podcast.

The Situation Report for September 19, 2025. Rep. Crenshaw shares his thoughts on Charlie Kirk and the divisive, partisan reaction to his assassination. He analyzes what we know about the TikTok deal that could finally remove China's control over America's most popular social media app. And he covers the promising results of President Trump's historic second visit to the UK, the surprising reason Ilhan Omar's censure vote failed, and much more.

Some thoughts on Charlie Kirk and the future of Turning Point

Optimism on the Trump Administration's TikTok deal

Venezuelan narco boats get the "steel on target" treatment

President Trump goes to Windsor Castle

Media Bias Alert: MSNBC whitewashes the Charlie Kirk assassination

Israel launches major offensive on Gaza

The charges against Luigi Mangioni

Fed cuts interest rates

So long, Kimmell

US House fails to censure Ilhan Omar

The latest effort by Sec. RFK to fix the U.S. organ transplant system

Read of the week: WSJ's "Tyler Robinson and America's Lost Boys"

Episode Note: This week's SITREP was recorded a few hours before the tragic death of Charlie Kirk. At the end of the episode, we've included the initial thoughts Rep. Crenshaw shared in a video posted on social media after news broke of the assassination. The Situation Report for September 11, 2025. Rep. Crenshaw covers Poland's historic attack on Russian drones, President Trump's latest bold policy moves in the wars against cartels and violent crime, and more major developing headlines across America and the world. Russian drones downed over Poland Operation Midway Blitz – President Trump's latest crackdown on violent crime and illegal immigration Cartels, meet the F-35 Israel strikes Hamas leaders in Qatar Chaos in Nepal Bias Alert: The media's pathological compassion toward violent criminals Power struggle at News Corp. House of Cards – French Edition The Supreme Court takes on President Trump's tariff policy Troubling trends in education Cracker Barrel admits their rebrand was a bad idea Never forget the heroes of 9-11-2001 Prayers for Charlie Kirk and his family

After President Trump's federalization of DC law enforcement, attention is turning to the root causes of violent crime and the policies needed to restore safety in America's cities. Manhattan Institute's Charles Fain Lehman joins Rep. Crenshaw to break down the data, the myths, and the realities behind the crime waves in DC and other urban areas – from bail reform and policing shortages to homelessness, public disorder, and the social contagion of mass shootings. A hard look at what's working, what isn't, and what it will take to make our communities safe again.

Charles Fain Lehman is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute and senior editor of City Journal. He focuses primarily on the public policy of antisocial behavior, including issues of crime, drugs, and public disorder. Find him on X at @CharlesFLehman and read his research at Manhattan Institute.

The Situation Report for September 4, 2025. Rep. Crenshaw returns from August recess to cover major developments in the war against the cartels, the redistricting battle that is transforming the battleground makeup for the 2026 midterms, and President Trump's sweeping crackdown on crime in our nation's capitol. All this and much more in just 16 minutes.

The Minneapolis school shooting - Democrats once again exploit a tragedy for political gain

Mid-decade redistricting – Republicans start to even the score against wide-spread Democrat gerrymandering

Plea deals and precision strikes - A very bad month for the cartels

The legal precedent for President Trump's crackdown on DC crime

Good news for American energy dominance

"Rocket City" - Why Huntsville, Alabama is the perfect spot for U.S. Space Command

MEDIA BIAS ALERT: The legacy media is ignoring paid leftist influencer campaigns

If You Read Nothing Else: "The U.S. Is Not Prepared for a Drone Strike"

On the morning of November 4, 2019, a random act of cartel violence in Mexico sent shockwaves across the world. A convoy of Americans, in a chance encounter with the Juarez Cartel, were shot, burned alive, and left for dead in the road near their community. Nine American citizens died, and five of them were relatives of Adriana Jones: her sister Rhonita and four of her young nieces and nephews. Adriana joined Rep. Crenshaw to recount the sheer, inhumane brutality of that day, the aftermath, and the systemic failures within Mexico's police and government which allow tragedies like this to occur.

Adriana Jones is the President of American Families Against Cartel Terrorism, an organization dedicated to advocating for justice and support for the victims of cartel violence and organized crime.

Jonathan Levin is the co-founder and CEO of Chainanalysis, a crypto investigations company that analyzes blockchain data to track down cartels, terror financiers, and cybercriminals. He joined Rep. Crenshaw to talk about how criminal networks and hostile regimes use crypto to finance operations, move drugs, and evade sanctions. They cover the crypto legislation which passed in Congress last week. And Jonathan gives a high-level overview of how blockchains and stablecoins work. A comprehensive episode for anyone interested in the promises and perils of digital assets like Bitcoin.

Prior to starting Chainanaylsis, Jonathan was the CEO of Coinometrics, a company focused on blockchain intelligence. He also worked as a postgraduate economist researching cryptocurrencies at the University of Oxford. Find Jonathan on X at @jony_levin.