Some good news -- finally! Judge Merchan refuses to overturn Donald Trump's criminal conviction. ABC News's capitulaiton is chilling. SLAPP defamation lawsuits are a pernicious threat to free speech. Donald makes good on threat to sue the Des Moines Register. AOC loses her bid to be ranking member of the Oversight Committee. RFK Jr ally wants to ban the polio vaccine. Donald's team floats eliminating the FDIC. Alexander Smirnov pleads guilty to lying about the Bidens. The school shooting in Madison. With Cliff Schecter, music by The Wildwoods, Wallis, and more!

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Another fun and freewheeling Thursday episode. The conga-line of capitulation. Zuckerberg gives $1 million to Donald's inauguration fund. How Christopher Wray may have stopped Kash Patel from taking over on day one. The Supreme Court conservatives aren't fans of recess appointments. Elon Musk stops by the studio. Heroes of Democracy: Sarah Longwell, Karen Cahall, and the Australian Labor Party. You Were Warned: Donald backpedals on whether he can bring prices down, and can't guarantee tariffs won't raise prices. World premiere song from Astral Summer. With Jody Hamilton, David Ferguson, music by The Bitter Elegance, Lizanne Knott, and more!

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Media historian Donna Halper is back. You might know her from her many visits to our Wednesday podcasts, as well as from her blog -- dhalperblog.blogspot.com. She's one of my dearest friends and an expert when it comes to the inner workings of the American news media. She's also the former radio deejay who introduced my favorite band Rush to American audiences. Today we talked about her analysis of the news media's inability to cover Donald Trump, and how the left can build its own news media infrastructure. Meantime, make sure to support this podcast by subscribing at patreon.com/bobcescashow. Music by Freekbass.

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We discuss the perils of institutionalism and the "steady as she goes" tradition in Democratic politics. Bringing a banana to a knife fight. We need to stop worrying about how Donald and the Republicans will react. Sam Alito tells Donald "no" when it comes to lifting the gag order. Lame Duck Donald? Will they try to monkey with Social Security? Matt Gaetz gets hired by OAN, which still exists somewhere. Rupert Murdoch's plan to keep Fox News as a far-right outlet hits a setback. With Cliff Schecter from the Cliff's Edge YouTube channel, music by Seth Adam, Michael McDermott, and more!

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The assassination of the United Healthcare CEO. Blue Cross places limits on anesthesia. The public option. Joe and Mika apologize for "flippant" remarks by David Frum. What's happening to MSNBC? Should President Biden issue preemptive pardons for officials on Kash Patel's enemies list? Donald faces pushback from Senate Republicans, indicating he doesn't have a lot of political capital. Rand Paul and Mike Rounds oppose Donald on deportations and Ukraine. Joe Rogan and Steve Schmidt live in a different reality. With Jody Hamilton, David Ferguson, music by Freekbass, Everyday Dolores, and more!

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After six years, Driftglass and Blue Gal from the Professional Left podcast return to the show! We covered just about everything from the campaign season and the election to the news media coverage to the both-siderism to “no fair remembering stuff” and the forthcoming fascist idiocracy. Support the Professional Left podcast on Patreon – patreon.com/proleftpod. Meantime, make sure to support this podcast by subscribing at patreon.com/bobcescashow. Music by Powder Pink and Sweet.

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We're back from the Thanksgiving break! The 90s shows start this Friday! President Biden pardoned Hunter Biden. Walking on eggshells around Donald Trump. He's planning to do terrible things anyway. All presidents issue controversial pardons, including for family members. Kash Patel for FBI director? Really? Will Patel even get confirmed by the Senate? Kash Patel's enemies list. Pete Hegseth is a trainwreck. The email from his Mom. A legal defense fund for dissidents. With Cliff Schecter, music by Hunger Anthem, Dave Molter, and more!

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We've taking a break from politics to talk about "Cosmologica," one of the greatest prog rock albums ever made, with musicians Circe Link and Christian Nesmith, the incredible recording duo responsible for it. Cosmologica is a spectacular volume of music whether you're a prog rock fan or not. It was recorded during the COVID quarantine and released back in the Fall of 2021. This episode of the podcast is a deep dive into the album, track by track with insights from Christian and Circe. Download the album on your favorite digital music player or via Bandcamp and Apple Music, and follow their work at circelink.com.

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The great Charlie Pierce from Esquire.com and the Stephanie Miller Show joins me to discuss the assassination of John F. Kennedy, 60 years on. Our theories, our red flags, the conspiracy theories we reject, and why the murder of the president was such a history-changing event. We also get into the Warren Report, the House Select Committee investigation, and new revelations from a former Secret Service agent on duty in Dallas that day. And we also recapped the big election this week. Music by Rene Trossman.

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Grab your tricorders and set your phasers to fun, it's another nerdy episode of the interview show. This time, Bob talks with the funny and talented Seán Ferrick, host of TrekCulture's Ups and Downs, a must-watch YouTube show in which Seán reviews episodes of Star Trek, both new and old. Seán is immensely entertaining and positive -- a total blast, even if you're only a casual Trek fan. Today we talked about the culture and politics of Star Trek, plus a little bit about pop culture criticism, online fandom, how Sean produces episodes of Ups and Downs, and a lot more. Follow Seán on Twitter and Instagram. Meantime, make sure to support this podcast by subscribing at patreon.com/bobcescashow. Music by Circe Link, Christian Nesmith, and Paul Melançon.

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