Mark Riley: The Intersection of Politics Culture

In this episode, we ask the one question no one seems to ask about Donald Trump and the 78 charges he faces, so far. Why do his defenders employ whataboutism as a default defense? Is the Hunter Biden probe worth the time for those who want to tie his wrongdoing to his father? Saudi Arabia extends its cut to oil production by a month. Does that mean US gas prices will go up? And just what is the Republican strategy on climate?

New charges against Donald Trump while he threatens Republicans who fail to do his bidding. Vladimir Putin cosies up to Africa, Mitch McConnell freezes during a press conference. Will Joe Biden end up being collateral damage? And the truth about wellness. Or at least some wellness.

Donald Trump and his minions have big plans should he win the election next year. Trust me, you don't want to know them. At the same time, his documents trial has been set for May next year. That's before the presidential election. Republicans in Congress shame themselves yet again with their attack on LGBTQ Americans. The White House pressures AI firms to implement guardrails and new tools to police itself. And why were Delta Airlines passengers left on a non-air-conditioned flight for three hours in the searing heat?

Inflation has cooled down sharply in the US, will it help President Biden in his quest for re-election? The Supreme Court stopped the Biden Administration from cancelling student debt. The Education Department just did an end around. Wait, what? Why is the far right trying to defund support for Ukraine? With 40% of the world enveloped in a searing heat wave, can the world really be relaxed about climate change? And there's a rebellion afoot, and the target? AI, what else?

How is that counteroffensive in Ukraine going? Why is the US ready to supply the government with cluster bombs and why is the rest of the West so nervous? Not to keep harping on climate change, but yes, I'll keep harping on it as the South and Southwest are baking more than usual. There's a new challenge to Twitter in social media, and Elon Musk isn't happy about it. Lots of other people are, though. The right-wing Supreme Court says it's okay to be a homophobe. Can approval of other evils be far behind?

Republicans in Congress honor the January 6th insurrectionists.

At least 37 people, mostly students have been killed after suspected militants raided a school in western Uganda. When will people stop targeting the young?

Southern Baptists move to oust women from the leadership of the nation's largest Protestant denomination. What's next, taking away the right to vote?

An attorney for the Oath Keepers has been deemed not mentally fit to stand trial in a case stemming from the January 6th insurrection.

And former president Barack Obama speaks out on black Republicans who say race doesn't matter anymore.

Donald Trump is indicted, what, again? The wages of climate change envelopes the East Coast in a shroud of smoke. It may be back to normal now, but is it really? The House is paralyzed by the far-right members of the Freedom Caucus. The Supreme Court in a surprise move, voids gerrymandered voting districts that would have diluted black voters' power, while at the same time, Clarence Thomas has delayed filing required financial disclosure forms in the wake of reports he received gifts and luxury travel from a billionaire GOP donor

Donald Trump. He's asking for the judge in his Stormy Daniels case to be replaced. On another front, there appears to be a recording where he acknowledges he couldn't declassify documents after he left office. Gee, didn't he say he could? Do you know about the Brics countries? They've got a huge swath of the world's population, and they want to change the balance of power on the planet away from the West. What's really behind the rash of anti LGBTQ laws sweeping through state legislatures, and that's not even taking into account anti-trans hate.

Do Republicans eat themselves? When it's Texas, and the person in question is Attorney General Ken Paxton. There's a deal in the debt ceiling debacle. Is it time to put the whole thing out to pasture? There's the story of the lawyer who used ChatGPT in court. Suffice to say it did not go well. Why are judges rebuking Social Security for massive errors on disability claims? And finally, Geena Davis has been compiling data on inclusion in Hollywood. A New York Times article about what she found may open some eyes

Exploring Political Deception: Why Politicians Lie and Voter Reaction - Democratic Party's Immigration Divide - Post-Title 42 Border Challenges under Biden - Debt Ceiling Crisis: Possible Solutions and Impact - The Jordan Neely Case: A Closer Look