The TPM Social Club

Josh and Joe are joined by Dr. Alex Washburne, a mathematical biologist who studies and writes about many things, most notably how pathogens can be manipulated and spread. We discuss reports of a possible plague outbreak in Siberia, the theory of COVID's origins lying in a lab leak, how easy it is to make mice glow green, and more.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Josh is out on vacation, and producer Jackie is subbing in! This week the Social Club talks the 'House of Mouse', and we promise it's not as weird as you think. Are Joe and Jackie Disney Adults? Was Toy Story 5 any good? Why are the Bobs arguing? All that and more as we chat all things Disney. (We promise it's not that cringe)

The Disney adult is a made-up problem

Bob Chapek says he discovered Josh D’Amaro, who also supported controversial theme park reservation system

Bob vs. Bob: In a New Memoir, Bob Chapek Details His Short Time Leading Disney—and Why He Believes Bob Iger “Undermined” Him

Disney CEO Admits ‘Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu’ and ‘Moana’ Underperformed at Box Office but ‘Fueled Other Parts of Our Company’

Disney Needs Its Next Hit Franchise. Can Pixar’s Reluctant Leader Deliver?

The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel

Tom Hanks Says Disney Could Use AI to Recreate Woody’s Voice for ‘Toy Story 6’ and Beyond if He Doesn’t Return: ‘It’s a Scary Thought’

Comments, suggestions, ideas for future episodes? Email us here

To watch this episode on video, go to our YouTube page.

We also have newsletters: subscribe here!

Follow us on:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tpmsocialclub.bsky.social

Facebook: https://facebook.com/talkingpointsmemo

Twitter: https://x.com/tpmsocialclub

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tpmsocialclub/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Josh and Joe are joined by fellow TPMer Kate Riga who explains how the Supreme Court really works and why it can be so difficult for non-experts to follow cases as they wind through the court system. We also talk a bit about various reform proposals and their respective challenges.

Comments, suggestions, ideas for future episodes? Email us here

To watch this episode on video, go to our YouTube page.

We also have newsletters: subscribe here!

Follow us on:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tpmsocialclub.bsky.social

Facebook: https://facebook.com/talkingpointsmemo

Twitter: https://x.com/tpmsocialclub

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tpmsocialclub/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Josh and Joe are joined by Dr. Massimo Pigliucci, philosopher, evolutionary biologist, and the K. D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York, to discuss the most fundamental of all questions: How to live a happy life? They discuss his latest book How to be a (Happy) Skeptic, and use ancient philosophy to analyze contemporary problems. We also spend a good deal of time talking about why stoicism is so popular now and the distorted forms it takes. Also: Rome.

Comments, suggestions, ideas for future episodes? Email us here

To watch this episode on video, go to our YouTube page.

We also have newsletters: subscribe here!

Follow us on:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tpmsocialclub.bsky.social

Facebook: https://facebook.com/talkingpointsmemo

Twitter: https://x.com/tpmsocialclub

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tpmsocialclub/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Josh and Joe have been doing the show for about a year now. In this episode they chat about a number of things that were on their mind. Why does the Trump admin want to sell off protected land? Why do New Yorkers seem to hate people from Ohio? What's going to happen in the midterms? and more.

Comments, suggestions, ideas for future episodes? Email us here

To watch this episode on video, go to our YouTube page.

We also have newsletters: subscribe here!

Follow us on:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tpmsocialclub.bsky.social

Facebook: https://facebook.com/talkingpointsmemo

Twitter: https://x.com/tpmsocialclub

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tpmsocialclub/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Josh and Joe are joined by Massimo Faggioli, a professor of historical theology at Villanova and author of Leo XIV and the Global Church. They discuss the Catholic Church in the U.S., how its split politically, what made it that way, and ancient and modern Rome.

Comments, suggestions, ideas for future episodes? Email us here

To watch this episode on video, go to our YouTube page.

We also have newsletters: subscribe here!

Follow us on:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tpmsocialclub.bsky.social

Facebook: https://facebook.com/talkingpointsmemo

Twitter: https://x.com/tpmsocialclub

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tpmsocialclub/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Josh and Joe are joined by Dr. David Kyle Johnson, philosopher at King's College in Pennsylvania to discuss the role of a philosopher in contemporary society. We live in a time where philosophical subjects like what is a person? What is consciousness? and others are front and center in political discourse. But where are the philosophers themselves? We also talk about Artificial intelligence, and a lot of Star Trek.

Comments, suggestions, ideas for future episodes? Email us here

To watch this episode on video, go to our YouTube page.

We also have newsletters: subscribe here!

Follow us on:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tpmsocialclub.bsky.social

Facebook: https://facebook.com/talkingpointsmemo

Twitter: https://x.com/tpmsocialclub

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tpmsocialclub/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Josh and Joe are joined by Liberal Currents' executive editor Samantha Hancox-Li to discuss Hanxcox-Li's analysis of the 2025 Prairieland ICE detention center protest and aftermath. We also talk about Liberal Currents' mission and wrap up with a discussion of speculative fiction. We cover a lot of ground in the Social Club.

Comments, suggestions, ideas for future episodes? Email us here

To watch this episode on video, go to our YouTube page.

We also have newsletters: subscribe here!

Follow us on:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tpmsocialclub.bsky.social

Facebook: https://facebook.com/talkingpointsmemo

Twitter: https://x.com/tpmsocialclub

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tpmsocialclub/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Joe is joined by special guest host Derick Dirmaier to talk about the state of sports in America. They talk about the experience of being a sports fan, the state of youth sports, and the effect of money and private equity.

To watch this episode on video, go to our YouTube page.

We also have newsletters: subscribe here!

Follow us on:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tpmsocialclub.bsky.social

Facebook: https://facebook.com/talkingpointsmemo

Twitter: https://x.com/tpmsocialclub

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tpmsocialclub/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Josh and Joe are joined by Jake Bittle, a reporter covering climate change at Grist to discuss the state of the Colorado River Basin. Seven states depend on this water system, but between overuse and aridification, its sustainability is in question. We discuss this and then touch on some other climate-related issues, such as the relationship between data centers and coal. It was an amazing episode and if you don't listen idk what's wrong with you tbh.

To watch this episode on video, go to our YouTube page.

We also have newsletters: subscribe here!

Follow us on:

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tpmsocialclub.bsky.social

Facebook: https://facebook.com/talkingpointsmemo

Twitter: https://x.com/tpmsocialclub

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tpmsocialclub/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.