Episode 160: The Witch Trials Begin

Special council Robert Mueller sent his first “witch” to trial Tuesday morning in Virginia. Over the next three weeks, Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign manager, will face 18 felony counts of tax fraud and bank fraud. It’s an airtight case likely to land Manafort in jail for life, but it apparently has nothing to do with Trump-Russia collusion. Or does it? In Eli Sanders’s absence, Rich Smith asks Dan Savage and Katie Herzog about what Mueller’s really trying to squeeze out of Manafort. Then, Dan and Katie stick around for a grab-bag second segment. Topics under discussion include: Twitter drama, the media making the same mistakes it made in 2016, and “Quiet Skies,” a secret government operation designed to spy on U.S. citizens in airports. Speaking of secret operations: Sean Nelson, the Stranger’s Editor at Large, joins Dan and Rich in the third segment to talk about Mission: Impossible—FALLOUT, the latest action film in the series starring Tom Cruise. Is it awesome? Is it not awesome? Is Tom Cruise hiding something? Does anybody care? We do.    This episode is brought to you by Quip. Go to GETQUIP.COM/blabbermouth right now and you’ll get your first refill pack FREE with a QUIP electric toothbrush.