On this week’s episode of Washed Up, cohosts Abigail Cavizo and Colin Mullaney discuss the potential impeachment of Secretary Pete Hegseth. Many, including Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), have called for this, because of the ongoing Iran War: a likely violation of the War Powers Resolution and Constitution.

Massie has a political history with Trump, and two things can be true at once: Hegseth has acted irresponsibly in the Iran War, and Massie may be getting his political vengeance while exiting office. Republicans and Democrats alike want the Iran war to be over.

Middle East geopolitics also dominated pop culture last week — with Macklemore kicked off Ed Sheeran's tour. After a speech where Macklemore called to "Free Palestine," the tour's promoters faced pressure by Robert Kraft and others to either exclude Macklemore, or cancel stadium shows. Macklemore was removed, triggering much of the internet to discuss free speech and what our rights are as Americans. Speaking of free speech, Colin’s “soft news” topic this week is that the major media networks banded together to not cover President Trump, because Trump banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from White House access. This is a due process case, but also a first amendment case — which Colin and Abby love to discuss.

This episode was recorded on Sept. 21, 2026. All opinions are our own and do not reflect those of any institution or affiliation.

The 25th Anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, was last Friday. On Washed Up, Colin Mullaney and Abigail Cavizo remember the nearly 3,000 innocent Americans who lost their lives on that fateful day, at the World Trade Centers in NYC, at the Pentagon in DC, and onboard the highjacked and crashed airplanes.

No doubt it was a watershed moment in American history, and one that carries profound weight and emotion for every American old enough to remember it — and those like us, who were not yet born. It also brought sweeping policy changes regarding national security, data collection on citizens and noncitizens alike (the PATRIOT Act), and Middle Eastern Wars like Iraq and Afghanistan, which led to approximately 7,000 U.S. troop deaths.

A memorial service last Friday in New York City brought together Vice President JD Vance, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY), Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Former President George Bush, and former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Families and survivors shared testimonials and read aloud the names of lost loved ones.

The touching commemoration illuminated the importance of reflecting on loss in a public setting and giving voice to collective grief. On this show, we recall the first responders, the pandemonium as the buildings fell, the survivors who later contracted cancer from toxic exposure, the video and media footage of the day's events, those who were forced to ultimately jump from the upper floors out of desperation, and countless others. 9/11 has also been a prime source of conspiracy and remains so. Unanswered questions loom large. Similar to the death of Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated one year ago last Thursday, the shock and uncertainty of highly publicized tragedies often drive helpless members of the public to fill in the missing information with spurious or misguided claims (and blame). We remain committed to investigating and asking questions, but firmly rooted in following the facts. This episode was recorded on Sept. 13, 2026. All opinions are our own and do not reflect those of any institution or affiliation.

This episode was recorded on September 7, 2026. Abby and Colin are back with coast-to-coast coverage from a Gen Z perspective. For hard news this week, Abby covers the Lindsay Clancy case, and what the jury (11-1) decided. It’s a mistrial, meaning the prosecution must decide whether to retry her case. Clancy is guilty of killing her 3 children in 2023, and this case brings to light a conversation that should’ve happened way sooner: the nuances of postpartum psychosis and postpartum depression. Some on social media call her a feminist icon, but we believe this is a terrible tragedy that could’ve been entirely prevented. Since it is September, Colin brings up Suicide Prevention Awareness, a cause he continually fights for. The two co-hosts have open dialogue about mental health, grief, and why it is never the answer to end one’s life.

Mentioned in this episode (in order):

1. Donate to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (Colin’s running for them!):
2. Colin’s 2024 podcast episode, with testimonies from two survivors of a suicide event
3. This Jungian Life

In this episode of Washed Up, Colin Mullaney is joined by Lacey Ordakowski to discuss the approx. $17 billion settlement (paid out over 10 years) reached between Meta and 47 state attorneys general, plus the District of Columbia (shoutout DC). The states suing the company allege that Meta deliberately designed its platforms to be addictive to, in particular, children; Meta denies any such wrongdoing. Rather than continue to defend themselves through lengthy, expensive court proceedings and argue the case why social media is not addictive, or nor should companies be held responsible for the behavior of its users (including children), Meta instead agreed to pay an enormous sum to the coalition of states, who will in turn supposedly use the funds for mental health programs and digital literacy campaigns. We are of the opinion that Gen Z, who grew up on social media, does not need an expert or an official court decision to tell them that social media has addictive qualities and can contribute to harmful social comparison, depression and anxiety, and even death by suicide.Meta is also making several changes to its apps and interface; for users under 18, there will be stricter content moderation that requires parental permission to change, limits on app usage per day, silenced notifications between sleeping hours, no more cosmetic filters to alter facial features, and hiding like counts—among other changes. Of note: some of the above remains contingent upon competitor social media platforms like Tiktok or YouTube also being held to similar account. This episode was recorded on August 31, 2026. All opinions are our own and do not reflect those of any institution or affiliation.

This week in hard news, Colin Mullaney relays the USS Abraham Lincoln's extended deployment to the Middle East, amid the ongoing Iran War. The aircraft carrier — one of 11 belonging to the U.S. — will now be replaced by the USS George Washington; however, the prolonged deployment since Nov. 2025, has taken a heavy toll on the 5,000 sailors and marines onboard. Deteriorating conditions onboard seemingly drove at least one sailor to jump overboard. In soft news, Abigail Cavizo brings up the likely 2027 Grammy Nominees for album of the year, including Olivia Dean's "The Art of Loving," Taylor Swift's "Life of a Showgirl," and Olivia Rodrigo's "you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love." The hosts also discuss how TikTok has harmed songwriting by pigeonholing artists into creating short, raunchy viral hits instead of complex and emotionally resonant records. This episode was recorded on August 21, 2026. All opinions are our own and do not reflect those of any institution or affiliation.

This week, we’re still following up on our new format. It’s Abby’s turn to present our hard news, and we’ve got a lot to say about the future of the Midterm Elections. Recently, Trump proposed the SAVE Act, which would put federal restrictions on different voter ID laws. Democrats believe this is interesting timing, especially when Republicans may not be leading in some states. Interesting states to look out for in the future is Michigan, Ohio, and other swing states. Colin decides to bring in the Washed Up audience on something the co-hosts have done lots of thinking about… an up-and-coming psychology term: limerence. He primarily uses the book “Smitten: Romantic Obsession, the Neuroscience of Limerence, and How to Make Love Last,” by Dr. Tom Bellamy, who is a neuroscientist and university professor. What is limerence? How does it impact Gen Z and their dating habits. How do we deal with such strong emotions?

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KULkVNOanuA

This week on Washed Up, we launch a new format for the show, where one of us presents the "Hard News" and the other presents the "Soft News" of the week. Each topic is followed by a lively conversation so that we cover both the biggest political and the biggest cultural story each week. In "hard news," presented by Colin, Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security on July 29. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) questioned Fauci in an intense hearing, but Fauci refused to answer a single question, instead citing his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. All of this in spite of the fact that Fauci was already pardoned by President Biden in Jan. 2025, for activities dating back to 2014. While some say it's a partisan witch hunt to blame Fauci for the COVID-19 pandemic, the available evidence outlined by Sen. Paul does not reflect well on the U.S. government or Fauci — especially regarding COVID's origins, the possibility that it emerged from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, or that the virus may have been engineered via gain-of-function research funded by government entities. Dr. Fauci's personal diary was also released to the public last week, to his (and America's) great shame. Read Colin's Substack, about attending the hearing. Further, in "soft news" presented by Abby, LeBron James is joining the Philadelphia 76ers, where he will have a 2-year contract worth $8 million. We assess his reasons for choosing Philly and whether this career move is aligned with his fanbase, namely Gen Z people who looks up to LeBron. When do you know when it's time to retIre, or do you keep going for the legacy and the love of the game? This episode was recorded on July 30, 2026. All opinions are our own and do not reflect those of any institution or affiliation.

On this week's episode of Washed Up, we discuss the death of South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who died at 71 years old. His funeral services are being held on July 28 in Washington, D.C., followed by services in South Carolina on July 29. We also discuss his sister, Darline Graham Nordone, replacing him and running in the upcoming special election. What are our thoughts on political succession? Is there a difference between how we remember public figures versus private individuals after they pass away? Tune in to hear our take.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/kQYaoN84rhE

Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Lionel Messi playing perhaps his last world cup match at the age of 39. The game was hosted in New Jersey, and the US, Mexico, and Canada cohosted this year's matches. Why is Argentina so hated when it comes to soccer? Edward Meshell of Probably Soccer Podcast speculates it’s because Argentina is FIFA’s golden child and that it has gotten to that place after some wild ref calls and several star players over the years — going back to Diego Maradona. Now, Spain’s superstar, 19-year old Lamine Yamal is taking the forefront, and some would say it's fate. A remarkable photo emerged of Messi bathing an infant Yamal during a UNICEF photoshoot in the 2000s, which many including Messi noted was "crazy." Earlier in the tournament, the US lost to Belgium in a 4-1 game on the heels of a red card incident with US player Fol Balogun, during a match against Bosnia-Herzegovina. The US won that game, despite playing down a man, but Balogun was suspended for the next match... until he wasn't. FIFA reversed the red card, and Balogun was allowed to play against Belgium after all. Of course the talk was that Trump stepped in and called in a favor — but there's no evidence to that effect. More likely, Trump is trying to claim credit, just like he basked in Spain's glory and refused to get off the stage during the official photo and the final trophy lift. We close by discussing celebrity culture and commercialization during the World Cup: Timothee Chalamet, Rihanna, Beyonce, and others were seen spectating — as well as halftime performers Justin Bieber, Shakira, and BTS. This episode was recorded on July 20, 2026. All opinions are our own and do not reflect those of any institution or affiliation.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KJMvZuL2MV0

America is going through a transitional period, as we celebrate 250 years since Independence. Our aging politicians are — in many cases — ill suited to represent us. Our current leaders lack moral clarity or courage. They want to play King, or cling onto power for life. Though our three-branch government, with checks and balances, is a smart and robust system — cracks are emerging. What answers can our founding documents, revolutionary leaders, and American history provide us in these troubled times? We went to Philadelphia for the Fourth of July to find out, and we were not disappointed. At Independence Hall, we were reminded that our rights are natural and inherent, including our first amendment rights to protest and assemble, speak freely, maintain a free press, and practice religion of our choosing. But we must continue to exercise these rights, lest we lose the memory of what it took to secure them and what it takes to keep our Republic. Although the present is uncertain and our nation is incredibly divided, robust debate has been a fixture of our national identity for two and a half centuries, and fortunately our system was designed to allow for change with the changing times — through Constitutional amendments and elections, for instance. The ability to criticize our government is also something fundamentally American, and something we fought for. So we will continue to hold politicians in Washington accountable and to call out bad behavior on both sides, whether it is Republicans or Democrats gaming the system for their own benefit and personal enrichment. The founding fathers initially worried that the legislative branch would predominate, and that the tyranny of the executive would come at a “remote period.” Now it feels like that period has arrived. But we the people still hold the power. Let us never forget it. This episode was recorded on July 11, 2026. All opinions are our own and do not reflect those of any institution or affiliation.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/eFFfFudtpas