We can't overlook the wild swings at American norms being taken by the Trump administration over the past week, from firing someone the president cannot fire at the Federal Reserve Board to sending FBI agents to the home and office of a critic to announcing a new kind of federal police force. So we don't overlook them! Give a listen.

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We dive right into the Cracker Barrel rebranding kerfuffle. Is the new logo woke or just pointless? And what's really at stake? And is the FBI's raid of John Bolton's home legitimate or just a taste of Trumpian revenge? Give a listen.

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In one of our chill summer episodes, the COMMENTARY crew offers individual recommendations for the best single book your inbound college freshman should read, and we make our picks of the best board games (and games). Give a listen.

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On another special summer podcast, the crew delves into great works of art that leave us cold or angry or depressed or that we just don't enjoy. Give a listen.

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On a special news-less show, the COMMENTARY crew shares with you some of our favorite and surprising historical sites around the world. Give a listen.

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On this special Summer Recommendations podcast, the crew suggests places to go in America you might not have thought of or even heard of, including a road, a beach, a park, a museum...and some websites. Give a listen.

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On a special news-free podcast, we offer you our list of our favorite Broadway musicals—not necessarily the best, but our faves. Give a listen.

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The DC crime crackdown is driving Trump critics into fits of insanity and weird criminality; why can't they find a way to oppose and confront him soberly? That's the question for today. And the podcast concludes with a disastrous song performance by yours truly. Stay for the horror. Give a listen.

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What do the Kennedy Center Honors and the Smithsonian Institution have in common? They are both expressions of the surprising determination of the Trump administration to challenge liberal orthodoxy on the arts and on the question of American history and who gets to tell the tale. Give a listen.

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How to make sense of the goings-on in Anchorage on Friday between the president and Vladimir Putin? We try. Who knows if we succeed. One thing that does seem to be succeeding is the way Trump is dominating the national conversation with his move to take over public safety in the District of Columbia, and how it connects to general feelings about crime and security among citizens nationwide. Give a listen.

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