Mark Riley: The Intersection of Politics Culture

Trump, Trump, and more Trump. The fallout from the raid at Mar-a-Lago isn't over yet. The domestic terrorist that tried to storm an FBI office in Cincinnati was a big contributor to Trump's Truth Social website.

One former cop in Louisville is about to plead guilty to falsifying the warrant that led to the murder of Breonna Taylor.

Arctic warming is happening faster than predicted, which means the planet could be in a world of hurt sooner than we think.

And the Inflation Reduction Act caps a good week for Joe Biden.

Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan, and the Chinese act like it's a declaration of war. Kansas strikes a big blow for reproductive freedom, Alex Jones gets his, and is embarrassed in court in the process. The Senate votes to offer NATO membership to Sweden and Finland. Guess who wants to end Social Security and Medicare?

Quite a bit to unpack in this episode. Joe Manchin agrees to a deal on climate change. Leaked documents show US power companies have spent millions to protect their profits and fight clean energy. Remember this the next time you see some shill in a TV debate arguing against electric cars or renewable energy. African countries are being pushed to take sides in the Ukraine war. Knuckle dragging despot Viktor Orban is set to address the Conservative Political Action Committee conference this week. Did I mention he said something so racist one of his inner circle quit? The US has offered a deal to Russia that would free Britney Griner and another American.

The walls are closing around Donald Trump as his former right-hand man, Steve Bannon, is found guilty of contempt of Congress. The January 6th 'before and after' of Missouri Senator Josh Hawley is appalling. Then there's the issue of missing Secret Service texts from the period around the Capitol insurrection.

Don't want to say I told you so, but Republicans are now going after LGBTQ rights. When will it end?

In this episode we talk about the tragic rape and pregnancy of a 10-year-old in Ohio, refused an abortion. Why did so many right-wing commentators and media refuse to believe her story? We also take an honest look at declining Democratic faith in Joe Biden, especially among the young. The young, btw, are also losing faith in both political parties. Wonder why?

Americans are taking a close look at voting in the wake of Trump's election denial in 2020. There are already a number of systems in place across the country, and almost an equal number that advocates believe could do a better job at truly expressing the will of the people. Aaron Hamlin is Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Center for Election Science. We recently spoke about the different voting systems being used across the country.

A trio of major stories this week, as the Supreme Court destroys Roe v. Wade and ignites a seismic furore across the country.

The January 6th Committee uncovers some surprising revelations and the decision to boycott the committee comes back to bite. The Supreme Court also hands gun owners a big victory, while Congress appears close to passing a new gun bill.

As the war in Ukraine continues, China and India are increasingly seen by the West as Putin's enablers.

Sad to say, Donald Trump and his lying machine sputters on this episode as the January 6th Committee continues its work. Now half of Trump's appointees and inner circle are trying to act like heroes for telling him he lost the election.

Ever wonder who's backing Trump's tall tales with their hard cash? We'll tell you. And he didn't just throw Mike Pence under a bus, he threw him under an express train!

Two dominant stories this week, the January 6th hearings, which are ongoing, and new inflation figures with a potential far reaching impact. Then there's the ongoing feud between the moderate and progressive wings of the Democratic Party. This is evidenced by a recall vote in San Francisco and AOC's endorsements in New York. A fair amount of ground to cover, and we haven't even referenced Ginny Thomas yet.

The mythology surrounding the nation's gun culture will never change. It's deeply embedded in America's psyche and makes the right to own firearms a human right that must remain inviolate at all costs.