The gang discusses Trump's memorandum of understanding reached with Iran, opening a 60-day window for further negotiations. Is this something meant to stick, or yet another doomed prospect to end this war? Then they turn to SpaceX's record-smashing IPO that has some rushing to invest — and others cautious about the stock. Is this a guarantee on returns, or gambling by another name?

Chapters

00:00:00 - Intro

00:14:55 - Iran Deal

00:50:45 - SpaceX

01:13:59 - Emails

01:42:04 - Wrap-up

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Hot off some controversial new AI ads ahead of the midterms, the gang digs into whether our current class of campaigns are going too far in putting words in the mouths of their opponents. They also look into recent poll results that suggest a coming cultural conservatism wave, and ask if such a thing is real, what might be causing it?

Chapters

00:00:00 - Intro

00:29:06 - AI Political Ads

00:55:32 - Cultural Conservatism Wave

01:12:36 - Emails

01:20:33 - Wrap-up

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The gang looks at the latest scandal out of Graham Platner's Maine senatorial campaign and wonder whether it's enough to sink the ship, or yet another hurdle on the way to Democrats winning back the Senate in November. Then the dig into the ongoing feud between outdoor clothing retailer Patagonia and drag performer Pattie Gonia over trademark infringement, asking who, at the end of the day, is in the right.

Chapters

00:00:00 - Intro

00:20:36 - Graham Platner

00:45:41 - Patagonia vs. Pattie Gonia

01:05:09 - Emails

01:36:27 - Wrap-up

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The gang digs into the quiet retirement of RCP 8.5, the most extreme climate scenario suggested by scientists, after making some genuine progress towards slowing global warming. What does this say about our relationship with science media? Then they turn to recent reports over Tom Steyer's campaign allegedly paying off influencers and creators for promotion and positive press and ask whether we should have stricter guidelines over these sorts of ads.

Chapters

00:00:00 - Intro

00:23:09 - Climate Change

00:46:55 - Paid Social Media Influencers

01:06:51 - Emails

02:04:40 - Wrap-up

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With pro-AI commencement speeches repeatedly getting booed and ongoing hostility over data center expansions, the gang digs into what's causing this growing AI hate wave. They also discuss who owns the "Bernie Sanders heir apparent" lane, as both AOC and Ro Khanna begin staffing up with former Bernie staffers ahead of potential runs in 2028.

Chapters

00:00:00 - Intro

00:13:59 - AI Hate Wave

01:08:13 - Heir to Bernie

01:28:59 - Emails

01:47:58 - Wrap-up

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With hantavirus the talk of the town, the gang examines whether it's actually at risk of becoming a new COVID-like pandemic — spoiler: it's not — as well as the hype cycle around this sort of terrifying news that drives clicks. They also dive into the latest developments in Trump's quest for a White House ballroom, as $1 billion Secret Service funding requests begin to raise eyebrows.

Chapters

00:00:00 - Intro

00:16:08 - New Pandemic?!

00:42:27 - Billion Dollar Ballroom

01:05:32 - Emails

01:27:29 - Wrap-up

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The gang discusses the closure of Spirit Airlines, which shuttered over the weekend following several bankruptcies, a failed merger with JetBlue, spiking oil prices, and a general frustration from flyers for decades. Which one of these factors played the largest role in the death of Spirit? They discuss. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is continuing to shrink its footprint in Europe, with another 5,000 troops set to leave Germany behind. Is it time for Europe's defense to be more Europe-centric, or is this the US once again abandoning allies under Trump?

Chapters

00:00:00 - Intro

00:17:26 - Spirit Airlines

00:47:43 - US-Germany Pullout

01:05:21 - Emails

01:34:54 - Wrap-up

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Hot off a controversial appearance in the New York Times opinion page, the gang discusses the concept of "microlooting." Spurred on by comments made by podcasters Nadja Spiegelman and Jia Tolentino, as well as political streamer Hasan Piker, the crew wonders whether there's any case in which "microlooting" can be justified, or if it's actually just hurting leftist causes. Then they turn to the SPLC's recent indictment over accusations that paying informants within targeted hate groups actually counts as funding these hate groups — and, in doing so, constitutes fraud. Compelling case, or obvious reach?

Chapters

00:00:00 - Intro

00:23:53 - Microlooting

00:48:27 - SPLC Indicted

01:07:32 - Emails

01:12:09 - Wrap-up

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The gang discusses the newly-developed "Monitoring the Situation" livestream, an X-hosted 24/7 live feed designed to serve as an alternative to traditional media. Backed by Andreesen Horowitz, is "Monitoring the Situation" something you need in your life, or just another way to stay glued to your phone. They then discuss the new Michael Jackson biopic, which was forced to undergo a full rework in post-production to avoid discussing the pop star's sexual allegations, and ask whether a movie about MJ should be forced to reckon with that chapter in his life.

Chapters

00:00:00 - Intro and Gerrymandering

00:34:16 - "Monitoring the Situation"

00:59:51 - Michael Jackson

01:12:21 - Emails

01:29:18 - Wrap-up

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The gang reacts to the rapid fall of Eric Swalwell, who went from sitting Congressman and the Democratic (and, therefore, overall leading) frontrunner for governor of California to resigning over multiple sexual misconduct allegations. They then turn their attention to Viktor Orbán, who leaves power after 16 years following his recent loss in Hungary's election.

Chapters

00:00:00 - Intro

00:17:39 - Eric Swalwell

00:48:39 - Viktor Orbán

01:16:29 - Emails

01:31:20 - Wrap-up

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