REFERENCES

It’s when the vase of flowers is suddenly on the left-hand side of the screen:

Film Draft. “What is Continuity in Film? Definitions, Types, and Examples.” August 26, 2025. https://filmdaft.com/what-is-continuity-in-film-definition-types-examples/

It really became a serious concern with the advent of the threat of nuclear war:

Tegmark, Max. “Here’s How Bad a Nuclear War Would Actually Be.” June 29, 2023. Time. https://time.com/6290977/nuclear-war-impact-essay/

During the Cold War:

Britannica Editors. “Cold War.” Updated February 18, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Cold-War

Including Washington, D.C.:

https://washington.org/

Sate, local, tribal, territorial:

FEMA. “Guide to Continuity of Government [PDF].” July 2021. https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_sltt-cog-guidance_070921.pdf

For Texas, it’s not a joke that we kind of rely on HEB:

HEB Newsroom. “HEB Disaster Relief.” https://newsroom.heb.com/disaster-relief/

Ye olde Continental Congress:

Britannica Editors. “Continental Congress.” Updated October 11, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Continental-Congress

We may have to leave Philadelphia and go to Baltimore because the British are coming:

United States House of Representatives. “Meeting Places for the Continental and Confederation Congresses.” https://history.house.gov/People/Continental-Congress/Meeting-Places/

Anne was just trying to be funny. It’s quite nice:

https://baltimore.org/

Basically, it’s an emergency plan. You could also call it a contingency plan:

This vs. That. “The Contingency Plan vs. The Emergency Plan: What’s the Difference?” https://thisvsthat.io/the-contingency-plan-vs-the-emergency-plan

In the previous episode:

https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-n7xcc-1ad17a2

We talked about the Twenty-Fifth Amendment:

Constitution Annotated. “Twenty-Fifth Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-25/

The presidential succession:

USA.gov. “Order of Presidential Succession.” https://www.usa.gov/presidential-succession

Think about royal houses of Europe:

Veldman, Sarah. “A Comprehensive Guide to the Royal Families of Europe.” Updated September 20, 2025. The List. https://www.thelist.com/1524478/royal-families-of-europe-guide/

That was “Designated Survivor,” the series:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5296406/

Mack is right. They did start doing it when Reagan was president:

Su, Amelia. “The Designated Survivor Explained—Why One Leader Stays Hidden.” February 24, 2026. Los Angeles Magazine. https://lamag.com/news-and-politics/the-designated-survivor-explained-why-one-leader-stays-hidden/

At the State of the Union Address, you have the president, vice president, speaker of the house, but you also have all of Congress, most of the Cabinet, and some of the Supreme Court justices, joint chiefs:

Mullery, Way and Chol, Annette. “Who Sits Where at Trump’s State of the Union Address: A Visual Guide.” February 23, 2026. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/23/politics/seating-chart-state-of-the-union-vis

There have been threats (note that this list is a brief summary from 2024 so it is not comprehensive and does not include the attacks on President Trump):

Congress.gov. “U.S. Secret Service: Threats to and Assaults on Sitting Presidents and Vice Presidents [PDF].” Updated October 23, 2024. https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/IF/PDF/IF11732/IF11732.4.pdf

Mack is again correct. It was for Obama’s inauguration:

Reuters. “U.S. Probes Potential Obama Inauguration Threat.” January 20, 2009. https://www.reuters.com/article/world/us-politics/us-probes-potential-obama-inauguration-threat-idUSTRE50J4RT/

The documentary about the presidents’ chiefs of staff is called The Presidents’ Gatekeepers:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2331119/

The line from Mars Attacks!:

https://youtu.be/HfcMl1OKJGw?si=IZwz2CgMPjVoqQ1X

Like the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia:

Matchar, Emily. “The Town That Kept Its Nuclear Bunker a Secret for Three Decades.” April 9, 2024. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-town-that-kept-its-nuclear-bunker-a-secret-for-three-decades-180984107/

Overnight, they lower them into a bomb shelter:

Kratz, Jessie. “Protecting the Bill of Rights: the Mosler Vault.” December 17, 2015. National Archives. https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2015/12/17/protecting-the-bill-of-rights-the-mosler-vault/

Soviets got the atomic bomb sooner than people thought:

Atomic Heritage Foundation. “Soviet Atomic Program—1946.” https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/history/soviet-atomic-program-1946/

And then the hydrogen bomb:

Britannica Editors. “Thermonuclear Bomb.” Updated February 6, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/technology/thermonuclear-bomb

Eisenhower was really down and depressed about the threat of nuclear war:

Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum, and Boyhood Home. “Atoms for Peace.” https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/research/online-documents/atoms-peace

The concept of ballistic missiles:

Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance. “Ballistic Missile Basics.” https://www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org/missile-threat-and-proliferation/missile-basics/ballistic-missile-basics/

Because the Nazis built the V-2:

Britannica Editors. “V-2 Rocket.” Updated April 24, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/technology/V-2-rocket

Sooner or later, we’re going to have intercontinental ballistic missiles:

Britannica Editors. “ICBM.” Updated April 29, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/technology/ICBM

They’re carrying gravity bombs:

International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. “What Are Gravity Bombs and Why is the U.S. Building the New B61-13 Nuclear Weapon?” https://www.icanw.org/faq_what_are_gravity_bombs_b6113

It’s not what was in “The Day After”:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085404/

The black-and-white movies:

https://youtu.be/P73Gz0TaJgE?si=tvYvoQQXg3KwHCZM

Our people knew about Bletchley Park:

Lewis, Robert. “Bletchley Park.” Updated April 6, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Bletchley-Park

And where Churchill ran the war from:

Imperial War Museums. “Cabinet War Rooms.” https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/churchill-war-rooms/cabinet-war-rooms

They also looked at what the Germans had:

Fraga, Kaleena. “Inside the Führerbunker, The Nazi Hideout Where Adolf Hitler Lived, Got Married, and Died in the Waning Days of World War II.” Updated April 3, 2024. All That’s Interesting. https://allthatsinteresting.com/fuhrerbunker

The Maginot Line:

Britannica Editors. “Maginot Line.” Updated March 6, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Maginot-Line

Turning into badgers:

Texas Parks and Wildlife. “American Badger.” https://tpwd.texas.gov/education/resources/texas-junior-naturalists/watching-wildlife/american-badger

Anne says mole people:

https://youtu.be/y-dAgOWtBwM?si=0qzvJ-7dfu33JjNX

We were building some fighter planes that were actually dedicated interceptor aircraft:

Britannica Editors. “Fighter Aircraft.” Updated October 16, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/technology/fighter-aircraft

Testing that was being done out in Nevada:

Kautz, Justin. “Nevada Test Site.” Updated March 10, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Nevada-Test-Site/additional-info#history

Like if you can jump in a fridge and protect yourself:

https://youtu.be/jn4Vhkmb4Lw?si=9OteiSYh4lEBMnPU

The headquarters for the Strategic Air Command was at Offutt Airforce Base in Nebraska:

https://www.offutt.af.mil/

When they built NORAD into Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado:

North American Aerospace Defense Command. “Cheyenne Mountain Complex.” April 26, 2013. https://www.norad.mil/Newsroom/Fact-Sheets/Article-View/Article/578775/cheyenne-mountain-complex/

Raven Rock, also known as Site R:

Suciu, Peter. “What to Know About ‘Raven Rock,’ the U.S. Government’s Doomsday Bunker.” November 11, 2025. The National Interest. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/what-to-know-about-raven-rock-us-governments-doomsday-bunker-ps-111125

They also built the facility at Mount Weather:

Hughes, Trevor. “The U.S. Government is Upgrading a Secretive FEMA Bunker. Why? That’s Classified.” Updated May 1, 2025. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/04/30/federal-government-is-upgrading-a-secret-bunker-why-its-classified/83370527007/

Nope, it’s the Appalachian Mountains.

Camp David:

National Museum of American Diplomacy. “Camp David: Presidential Retreat and International Meeting Site.” July 12, 2021. https://diplomacy.state.gov/camp-david-presidential-retreat-and-international-meeting-site/

In a novel from the 1930s called Lost Horizon:

James Hilton. Lost Horizon. 1933. Macmillan.

FDR loved the movie:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029162/

The Dolittle Raid in April of ’42:

Britannica Editors. “Doolittle Raid.” Updated April 11, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Doolittle-Raid

There was an Essex-class aircraft carrier built in World War II called the USS Shangri-la:

Carlin, Maya. “Shangri-la: The Essex-Class Aircraft Carrier No Nation Wanted to ‘Test’” September 23, 2024. The National Interest. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/shangri-la-essex-class-aircraft-carrier-no-nation-wanted-test-209173

Where SAC was:

Britannica Editors. “Strategic Air Command.” Updated March 20, 2023. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Strategic-Air-Command-United-States-Air-Force

On September 11:

Bergen, Peter L. “September 11 Attacks.” Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/September-11-attacks/The-attacks

Where Airforce One went to after Florida:

The White House Historical Association. “President Bush Arrives at Offutt Air Force Base on September 11, 2001.” https://www.whitehousehistory.org/photos/fotoware?id=6052da61-c33a-4d96-8209-cb3bb90b7669

WarGames-type places:

https://youtu.be/s93KC4AGKnY?si=YTdCW6gQ1Y8Cqe88

A Soviet Tu-95:

Gitzgerald, Clare. “Tupolev Tu-95: The Soviet-Era Bomber That Could See Nearly 100 Years of Active Service.” January 15, 2024. War History Online. https://www.warhistoryonline.com/aircraft/tupelov-tu-95.html

They’re on springs:

Grundhauser, Eric. “Cheyenne Mountain Complex.” September 17, 2014. Atlas Obscura. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/cheyenne-mountain-nuclear-bunker

Like the E-4B, it’s also known as Nightwatch:

Air Force. “E-4B.” June 2024. https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/article/104503/e-4b/

Then Air Force One:

Britannica Editors. “Air Force One.” Updated July 31, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Air-Force-One

So like, from Independence Day:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116629/

It was a pivotal scene:

https://youtu.be/yZk9abWlK5c?si=hjdW-qhe8bhAu4xx

Mack is correct. Independence Day was released in 1996.

The guy from “Taxi”:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002139/

Where Data worked at Area 51:

https://youtu.be/fantzIbRyaE?si=9T2I4utdA2mjbtmW

When Lyndon Johnson flew on the presidential Lockheed JetStar:

National Museum of the United States Air Force. “Lockheed VC-140B JetStar.” https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/195808/lockheed-vc-140b-jetstar/

Marine One:

Tikkanen, Amy. “Marine One.” Updated March 9, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Marine-One

Remember when President George W. Bush landed on the Abraham Lincoln:

History.com. “George W. Bush Declares Mission Accomplished [Video].” https://www.history.com/speeches/george-w-bush-declares-mission-accomplished

Mack was close. He was flying aboard an S-3B Viking:

National Naval Aviation Museum. “S-3B Viking ‘Navy One’.” https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nnam/explore/collections/aircraft/s/s-3b-viking--navy-one-.html

There have been presidents that have had presidential yachts:

Knutson, Lawrence L. “The Floating White House.” May 21, 2015. The White House Historical Association. https://www.whitehousehistory.org/the-floating-white-house

January 6th:

Duignan, Brian. “January 6 U.S. Capitol Attack. Updated January 5, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack

When the plane hit the Pentagon:

PBS. “Attack on Pentagon [Video].” https://watch.whyy.org/show/911-inside-pentagon/video/911-inside-pentagon-attack-pentagon/?tab=extra

Rumsfeld:

U.S. Department of War. “Donald H. Rumsfeld.” https://www.war.gov/About/Biographies/Biography/Article/602800/donald-h-rumsfeld/

Mall of America:

https://www.mallofamerica.com/

Golden Gate Bridge:

https://www.goldengate.org/

National laboratories:

U.S. Department of Energy. “National Laboratories.” https://www.energy.gov/national-laboratories

There was a book published in the early 2000s called Doomsday Scenario:

2002. Douglas Keeney. The Doomsday Scenario. Zenith. 2002.

Is the phrase “continuity of government” used somewhere:

White House Info. “Continuity of Government.” https://whitehouse.gov1.info/continuity-plan/

Most of that is administered by FEMA, actually:

https://www.fema.gov/

FEMA was sort of the progeny of a couple of other agencies:

FEMA. “History of FEMA.” https://www.fema.gov/about/history

But for, “We’ve been nuked”:

FEMA. “Nuclear Detonation Response Guidance [PDF].” March 2023. https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_oet-72-hour-nuclear-detonation-response-guidance.pdf

Plans that would effectively suspend the Constitution:

Burr, William (Ed.). “The Presidential Nuclear ‘Football’ From Eisenhower to George W. Bush.” July 18, 2023. https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/nuclear-vault/2023-07-18/presidential-nuclear-football-eisenhower-george-w-bush

Like the War Production Board:

Purcell, Aaron D. “War Production Board.” 2021. EBSCO. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/military-history-and-science/war-production-board#full-article

The USDA:

https://www.usda.gov/

Steve was close. It’s the National Resource Conservation Service:

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/

They have a web soil map program:

https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/soil/web-soil-survey-links

Let’s take COVID for an example:

CDC. “CDC Museum COVID-19 Timeline.” https://www.cdc.gov/museum/timeline/covid19.html

Most emergency management stuff is really run at the county level:

Bexar County. “Bexar County Office of Emergency Management.” https://www.bexar.org/672/Emergency-Management

Our first cocktail was Corpse Reviver (this isn’t the recipe we used, but it’s close):

https://www.liquor.com/recipes/corpse-reviver-no-1/

The 12 Bottle Bar Book:

David Solmonson and Lesley Jacobs Solmonson. The 12 Bottle Bar: Make Hundreds of Cocktails With Just 12 Bottles. 2014. Workman Publishing Company.

The next one was Atomic cocktail:

https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/115/atomic-cocktail

The Savoy Cocktail Book:

Harry Craddock. The Savoy Cocktail Book. 1930. Constable & Company, Ltd.

Absinthe and Champagne is called Death in the Afternoon:

https://www.liquor.com/recipes/death-in-the-afternoon/

Jonestown in the afternoon:

Eldridge, Alison. “Jonestown.” Updated April 16, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Jonestown

We at Civics on the Rocks (mostly Anne) would like to apologize for making jokes in poor taste about suicide and cults. We (again, it was pretty much Anne) meant no offense.

The Texas Water Conference:

https://www.txwater.org/

Treated biosolids from sewer plants:

EPA. “Biosolids.” https://www.epa.gov/biosolids

This isn’t from the conference Steve went to, but you know you want to see competitive hydrant assemblies:

https://youtu.be/JxDhqdD8aE4?si=7uwUPx72DbfSxhKv

The Edwards is not the only source of water for San Antonio:

San Antonio Water System. “Water Supplies.” https://www.saws.org/your-water/management-sources/#section-1

Primarily, it was always the Edwards Aquifer:

San Antonio Water System. “Edwards Aquifer.” https://www.saws.org/your-water/management-sources/edwards-aquifer/

Ground water not under the influence (yeah, no, that’s a term):

West Virginia Department of Health. “Groundwater Under Direct Influence of Surface Water (GWUDI).” https://oehs.wvdhhr.org/eed/source-water-assessment-wellhead-protection/groundwater-under-direct-influence-of-surface-water-gwudi/

It is very very hard here:

Hearst Newspaper Blogger Network. “How to Deal With San Antonio Hard Water in Your New Home.” March 2, 2023. https://www.mysanantonio.com/lifestyle/san-antonio-life/home/article/how-to-deal-with-san-antonio-hard-water-17816666.php

San Antonio Water System:

https://www.saws.org/

Softeners, which swap out the calcium and magnesium, but mostly calcium, for sodium:

Swistock, Bryan. “Water Softening.” https://extension.psu.edu/water-softening

One of the first, if not the first, direct potable reuse systems:

El Paso Water. “Pure Water Center.” https://www.epwater.org/our-water/water-resources/pure-water-center

We couldn’t find the study about the Rhine that Steve was talking about, but we believe it after learning a little bit about the river:

International River Foundation. “River Rhine.” https://www.riverfoundation.org.au/prizes/river-rhine/

Corpse Reviver #2:

https://www.liquor.com/recipes/corpse-reviver-no-2/

After Snowmageddon:

The Texas A&M University System. “Winter Storm Uri.” https://tdem.texas.gov/disasters/winter-storm-uri

Anne got a little prepper:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prepper

The Sierra Club has an excellent list of things to go in a go bag:

Sierra Club. “Ready to Pack an Emergency Go Bag?” https://www.sierraclub.org/emergency-go-bag

There is still a website called Ready.gov:

https://www.ready.gov/

And the Stargate is a stable wormhole device placed on the Earth in ancient times by aliens posing as gods. But you already knew that.

REFERENCES

The great Constitutional scholars on the interwebs are talking about the Twenty-Fifth Amendment:

Constitution Annotated. “Twenty-Fifth Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-25/

The idea of, “Oh, we’ll use the Twenty-Fifth Amendment to get rid of Trump”:

Common Cause. “Common Cause Calls on the Cabinet to Invoke the 25th Amendment.” https://www.commoncause.org/work/trump-is-unfit-to-serve/

Impeachment and expulsion:

History, Art, & Archives. “Impeachment.” https://history.house.gov/Institution/Origins-Development/Impeachment/

Which has failed twice:

Mascaro, Lisa; Jalonick, Mary Clare; Lemire, Jonathan; and Fram, Alan. “Donald Trump Becomes the First U.S. President to be Impeached Twice.”  January 13, 2021. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/majority-of-house-members-vote-for-2nd-impeachment-of-trump

It’s in Article II, Section 1, Clause 6:

Constitution Annotated. “Article II.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-2/section-1/clause-6/

The delegates of the Constitutional Convention:

National Archives. “Meet the Framers of the Constitution.” https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/founding-fathers

Since the Cold War began:

Britannica Editors. “Cold War.” Revised February 18, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Cold-War

The advent of nuclear…:

Office for Disarmament Affairs. “Nuclear Weapons.” United Nations. https://disarmament.unoda.org/index.php/en/our-work/weapons-mass-destruction/nuclear-weapons

…and ballistic weapons:

Britannica Editors. “Ballistic Missile.” Updated October 24, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/technology/ballistic-missile

The Civics on the Rocks Team would like to acknowledge that in this episode we use various colloquialisms to describe mental illness that some may find problematic. No offense was intended and we apologize if any was taken.

King George III went a little nutso:

Watson, John Steven. “George III.” Updated April 17, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-III

There are a lot of really good theories as to why that happened and how that happened:

Putnam, Polly. “The King’s ‘Malady’: George III’s Mental Illness Explored.” March 22, 2024. Historic Royal Palaces. https://www.hrp.org.uk/blog/the-kings-malady-george-iiis-mental-illness-explored/

Did people in the colonies know? Well, King Geoge III’s illness became public around 1788, and the final draft of the Constitution was signed in 1787, so it probably was not an influence on Article II.

In the Declaration, the grievances are against the King:

Zagarri, Rosemarie. “The Declaration’s Grievances Against the King.” National Constitution Center. https://constitutioncenter.org/essays/the-declarations-grievances-against-the-king

They pinned everything on Parliament and wrote nice letters and missives to the King:

American Battlefield Trust. “Petitioning the King and Parliament.” Updated July 23, 2025. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/petitioning-king-and-parliament

The first Continental Congress and the Declaration of Rights and Grievances:

Horan, Katherine and Horecny, Zoie. “First Continental Congress.” Updated May 30, 2025. George Washington’s Mount Vernon. https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/first-continental-congress

The presidency was a wholly new creation:

Marion, David. “The Creation of the American Presidency.” Bill of Rights Institute. https://billofrightsinstitute.org/essays/the-creation-of-the-american-presidency/

Were there examples of governors removed in case of inability? We didn’t do a big deep dive on this, but Virginia has an excellent archive documenting its colonial governors, so there was…

…Sir John Harvey, who was removed as royal governor of Virginia for alleged treason:

Tarter, Brent. “Sir John Harvey.” Updated December 22, 2021. Encyclopedia Virginia. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/harvey-sir-john-ca-1581-or-1582-by-1650/

…Francis Nicholson, who was removed as royal governor of Virgina for being uncouth and a jackass toward one particular woman (as well as political reasons):

Zacek, Natalie. “Francis Nicholson.” Updated December 22, 2021. Encyclopedia Virginia. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/nicholson-francis-1655-1728/

…and Lieutenant Governor Robert Hunter who never served in Virginia because he was kidnapped by the French whilst in transit (Don’t worry. They were nice to him and he later got to be governor of another colony.):

Find a Grave. “Lieutenant Governor Robert Hunter.” https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/124558546/robert-hunter

So we’ll go with, yeah, there was some precedent.

When Woodrow Wilson had a stroke:

Woodrow Willson Presidential Library and Museum. “Thomas Woodrow Wilson.” https://www.woodrowwilson.org/about-woodrow-wilson-1

His vice president was Thomas R. Marshall:

Britannica Editors. “Thomas R. Marshall.” Updated May 28, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-R-Marshall

But, also, Mrs. Wilson:

Markel, Howard. “When A Secret President Ran the Country.” October 2, 2015. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/woodrow-wilson-stroke

The impetus for the Twenty-Fifth Amendment was Eisenhower:

Weiss, Marcia J. “Constitution Provides for the Incapacity of the President.” 2023. EBSCO. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/constitution-provides-incapacity-president

He had a history of heart attacks while in office:

Merschel, Michael. “The Presidential Heart Attack That Changed America.” February 15, 2024. American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/news/2024/02/15/the-presidential-heart-attack-that-changed-america

Kennebunkport(?):

The White House Historical Association. “Presidential Vacations & Retreats: President & Mrs. Bush in Maine.” https://www.whitehousehistory.org/photos/presidential-vacations-retreats-president-mrs-bush-in-maine

Bethesda (so close!):

Military.com. “National Naval Medical Center.” https://www.military.com/base-guide/national-naval-medical-center

Wilford Hall(?):

Military.com. “Lackland Air Force Base Wilford Hall Medical Facility.” https://www.military.com/base-guide/lackland-air-force-base/contact/wilford-hall-medical-facility/2397

Johns Hopkins(?):

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/

Kennedy’s assassination:

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. “November 22, 1963: Death of the President.” https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/november-22-1963-death-of-the-president

With Lyndon Johnson specifically:

Britannica Editors. “Lyndon B. Johnson.” Updated March 2, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lyndon-B-Johnson

He’d always been concerned about his health:

Nichter, Luke A. “Who Really Was Lyndon B. Johnson?” November 4, 2024. Yale Books. https://yalebooks.yale.edu/2024/11/04/who-really-was-lyndon-b-johnson/

He was majority leader in the Senate:

United States Senate. “Lyndon B. Johnson: Master of the Senate.” https://www.senate.gov/about/parties-leadership/johnson-b-lyndon.htm

Two years after the Cuban Missile Crisis:

Britannica Editors. “Cuban Missile Crisis.” Updated April 8, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Cuban-missile-crisis

Intercontinental ballistic missiles have a flight time of about 30 minutes, at the longest:

The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. “Fact Sheet: Ballistic vs. Cruise Missiles [PDF].” https://armscontrolcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Ballistic-vs.-Cruise-Missiles-Fact-Sheet.pdf

Didn’t Harrison die very slowly:

Bomboy, Scott. “What Really Killed the First President to Die in Office?” April 4, 2018. National Constitution Center. https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/what-really-killed-the-first-president-to-die-in-office

McKinley lingered for several days:

History.com Editors. “President McKinley Dies of Infection From Gunshot Wounds.” Updated May 28, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/september-14/mckinley-dies-of-infection-from-gunshot-wounds

Garfield did as well:

Markel, Howard. “The Dirty, Painful Death of President James A. Garfield.” September 16, 2016. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/dirty-painful-death-president-james-garfield

Mack is incorrect. Harrison was only president for 32 days:

Roos, Dave. “7 U.S. Presidents With the Shortest Stints in the Oval Office.” Updated May 28, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/us-presidents-shortest-terms-oval-office

Zachary Taylor drank the milk:

History.com Editors. “President Zachary Taylor Dies Unexpectedly.” Updated July 21, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-9/president-zachary-taylor-dies-unexpectedly

President Harrison is known for giving an exceptionally long inaugural address outside in the cold, but if you check the previous reference, most historians don’t believe that’s the only thing that contributed to his demise.

The were actually two years that the United States had three presidents. There is 1841 as Mack describes, and 1881:

Periodic Presidents. “Three Presidents, One Year.” https://periodicpresidents.com/2022/09/22/three-presidents-one-year/

President John Tyler succeeded President Harrison (and later died a Confederate traitor):

History.com. “President John Tyler Dies.” Updated May 28, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/january-18/john-tyler-dies

President Taylor both drank the milk and ate bad cherries, see previous reference.

WALTER REED(!):

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. “Our Rich History.” https://walterreed.tricare.mil/About-Us/Facilities/Our-Rich-History

Yes, it was ratified during Johnson’s presidency. We ramble a bit on this point, so here’s a nice summation of how the Twenty-Fifth Amendment came to be:

History.com “25th Amendment.” Updated May 21, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/25th-amendment

i.e., impeachment:

USA.gov. “How Federal Impeachment Works.” Updated November 13, 2025. https://www.usa.gov/impeachment

We’re not the only ones who find parts of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment murky. Despite Anne’s objections, most Constitutional scholars agree with Mack. The President would have to sign the review board into being:

Shanton, Karen L. “The Twenty-Fifth Amendment: Sections 3 and 4—Presidential Disability.” Congress.gov. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF11756

This is why Anne and some others think it is currently happening today:

Siette, Joyce and Strutt, Paul. “We Can’t Know if Donald Trump Has Dementia. Even if He Did, It Wouldn’t Excuse His Actions.” April 22, 2026. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/we-cant-know-if-donald-trump-has-dementia-even-if-he-did-it-wouldnt-excuse-his-actions-281131

Alas, there were quite a lot of people who voted for him:

Lindsay, James M. “The 2024 Election by the Numbers.” December 18, 2024. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/articles/2024-election-numbers

There are some Democrats who are proposing legislation to establish the very board that is called for in the Twenty-Fifth Amendment:

Stein, Chris. “House Democrats Call for Commission Led by J.D. Vance to Oust Trump.” April 14, 2026. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/14/congress-25th-amendment-commission-trump-jd-vance

He’s wildly unpopular in the polls right now:

Hartig, Hannah and Kiley, Jocelyn. “Confidence in Trump Dips, and Fewer Now Say They Support His Policies and Plans.” January 29, 2026. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2026/01/29/confidence-in-trump-dips-and-fewer-now-say-they-support-his-policies-and-plans/

His hardcore supporters are turning coat and going online and saying, “Oh, I was wrong to vote for him…”:

Nteta, Tatishe; Eichen, Adam; and Rhodes, Jesse. “Why A Growing Number of Trump Supporters are Experiencing Voter’s Remorse.” May 14, 2026. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/why-a-growing-number-of-trump-supporters-are-experiencing-voters-remorse-282230

J.D. Vance will be whoever his top dollar needs him to be:

Wendling, Mike. “J.D. Vance: The ‘Hillbilly’ MAGA Loyalist Who Became Vice President.” March 4, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn07dv4mrg2o

You let the wrong document out of the Epstein files:

Fowler, Stephon. “Justice Department Withheld and Removed Some Epstein Files Related to Trump.” Updated February 24, 2026. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2026/02/24/nx-s1-5723968/epstein-files-trump-accusation-maxwell

You don’t have to do it on the graft:

Waldman, Michael. “Epic Corruption in Plain Sight.” May 19, 2026. Brennan Center for Justice. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/epic-corruption-plain-sight

You don’t have to do it on the shambles that is his job as an executive:

Corbin, Steve. “Trump’s Troubled Appointees Face Scandals, Backlash, and Low Support [Opinion].” March 25, 2026. The Fulcrum. https://thefulcrum.us/ethics-leadership/trump-administration-scandals-2026

While Mack is correct that several million pages of the Epstein files are already out there, many contend that there are more that should be released under the auspices of the Epstein Files Transparency Act:

Matza, Max. “U.S. Government Watchdog to Investigate Epstein Files Release.” April 23, 2026. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg0rkvjlvvo

Unfortunately, Mack is right that the Epstein files are not a dealbreaker for some people:

Blake, Aaron. “How Polls Show Republicans Shifted Away From Caring So Much About Jeffrey Epstein.” February 10, 2026. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/10/politics/republicans-epstein-shift-polls

But for others, it very much is:

Iqbal, Nomia and Pigliucci, Cai. “Why This Disillusioned Trump Voter Spends Hours Searching Epstein Files.” April 11, 2026. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx237vmr2lyo

Not quite our first cocktail, the Metropolitan:

https://www.thespruceeats.com/metropolitan-cocktail-recipe-759325

Our second actual cocktail cocktail, the Pegu Club:

https://www.liquor.com/recipes/pegu-club-2/

Mack is reading “Paul Revere’s Ride” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:

Wadsworth Longfellow, Henry. “Paul Revere’s Ride.” Poets.org. https://poets.org/poem/paul-reveres-ride

Poetry is poetry because it’s in meter:

Poets.org. “Meter.” https://poets.org/glossary/meter

Unless it’s in free verse:

The Oregon State Guide to Poetry. “‘What is Free Verse?’: A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers [Video].” https://youtu.be/13cW2vXOMxU?si=OojoLq3mpQTqKZDH

Several of his poems were written in dactylic hexameter:

Poetry Foundation. “Hexameter.” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/education/glossary/hexameter

An anapest:

Poetry Foundation. “Anapest.” https://www.poetryfoundation.org/education/glossary/anapest

A poem by Lord Byron, “The Destruction of Sennacherib”:

Lord Byron. “Destruction of Sennacherib.” Poetry Foundation. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43827/the-destruction-of-sennacherib

The song by Eminem that Mack references is “The Way I Am” (This one is interesting because most of the song is in anapestic tetrameter but the chorus is not. Can you hear the difference?):

https://youtu.be/82lB-gI-uuQ?si=dA4GbXXTcJGev9GG

“‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” was anapestic:

Clarke Moore, Clement. “A Visit From St. Nicholas.” Poetry Foundation. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43171/a-visit-from-st-nicholas

“Song of Hiawatha”:

Wadsworth Longfellow, Henry. “The Song of Hiawatha.” Gutenberg.org. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/19/19-h/19-h.htm

“Evangeline”:

Wadsworth Longfellow, Henry. “Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie.” https://poets.org/poem/evangeline-tale-acadie

The Artemis II mission:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/

Outlook didn’t work:

White, Jeremy. “Even Artemis II Astronauts Have Microsoft Outlook Problems.” April 2, 2026. Wired. https://www.wired.com/story/artemis-ii-microsoft-outlook-problems/

There was a toilet problem:

Goodwin, Grace Eliza. “Artemis II Astronauts Have Toilet Trouble on Their Way Towards the Moon.” April 5, 2026. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c87wy05wr4no

When they finally splashed down:

https://www.youtube.com/live/6No6LCFa-C8?si=TPjhKINQlttJSpUF

With such a diverse crew:

NASA. “Our Artemis Crew.” https://www.nasa.gov/feature/our-artemis-crew/

The farthest anybody has ever been from the Earth ever:

Taveau, Jessica. “NASA’s Artemis II Crew Eclipses Record for Farthest Human Spaceflight.” April 6, 2026. NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasas-artemis-ii-crew-eclipses-record-for-farthest-human-spaceflight/

Especially when they were on the far side of the Moon:

Los Angeles Times. “Photos From the Dark Side of the Moon by Artemis II.” April 7, 2026. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-04-07/photos-from-dark-side-of-moon-by-artemis-ii

There’s a bright spot on the moon and we would like to name it Carroll:

Treisman, Rachel. “Astronauts Suggest Naming a Moon Crater ‘Carroll’ After Their Commander’s Late Wife.” April 8, 2026. Houston PBS. https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/local/2026/04/08/548460/artemis-moon-crater-carroll-wiseman/

The one of Christina Koch sitting on the helicopter:

White, Matt. “How a Navy Photographer Snapped an Iconic Artemis II Astronaut Photo.” April 15, 2026. Task and Purpose. https://taskandpurpose.com/news/august-clawson-artemis-ii-photos/

She’s just giving it a big hug:

https://www.nasa.gov/image-detail/artemis-ii-recovery-61/

What did the administration or Republicans say about this:

Riddle, Katia. “What’s Behind Trump’s Seemingly Lackluster Response to Artemis II’s Lunar Mission [Audio and transcript].” April 9, 2026. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2026/04/09/nx-s1-5777551/whats-behind-trumps-seemingly-lackluster-response-to-artemis-iis-lunar-mission

The frickin’ service module was from the ESA:

European Space Agency. “Artemis II.” https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Orion/Artemis_II

The amount of group hugs:

https://www.nasa.gov/image-detail/amf-art002e013367/

The name of the capsule is Integrity but it is the Orion capsule:

Kraft, Rachel H. “Artemis II Crew Members Name Their Orion Spacecraft.” September 24, 2025. NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/missions/2025/09/24/artemis-ii-crew-members-name-their-orion-spacecraft/

The Artemis II escape capsule:

Lockheed Martin. “When Milliseconds Matter: How Orion’s Launch Abort System Protects Astronauts.” September 25, 2025. https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/news/features/2025/how-orion-s-launch-abort-system-protects-astronauts.html

It is Apollo, but also not:

NASA. “Apollo to Artemis.” February 27, 2024. https://www.nasa.gov/reference/apollo-to-artemis/

They’ve apparently learned a little more mythology since the ‘60s:

Britannica Editors. “Artemis.” Updated May 4, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Artemis-Greek-goddess

Draw the parallel with Appollo 8:

PBS. “The Event That Saved 1968.”  https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/moon-event-saved-1968/

‘Til Artemis IV:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-iv/

Here is the recipe for a Negroni, though Steve and Anne recommend making it with Peychaud’s Aperitivo rather than Campari:

https://www.liquor.com/recipes/negroni/

Science claims that denatonium is the bitterest substance on Earth, but Anne thinks that’s just because they haven’t tried Campari:

Science Direct. “Denatonium.” https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/denatonium

Within 5 years of it getting ratified, Nixon used it to replace Spiro Agnew:

History.com Editors. “Vice President Agnew Resigns.” Updated May 27, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/october-10/vice-president-agnew-resigns

The second time it got used was by Gerald Ford:

Bomboy, Scott. “Gerald Ford’s Unique Role in American History.” July 14, 2024. National Constitution Center. https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/gerald-fords-unique-role-in-american-history

This book was called The Night of Camp David:

Fletcher Knebel. Night of Camp David. 1965. Harper & Row.

Follows the law more often:

Lawfare. “Trump Administration Litigation Tracker.” Updated May 11, 2026. https://www.lawfaremedia.org/projects-series/trials-of-the-trump-administration/tracking-trump-administration-litigation

The midterms are coming up, real fast:

https://www.usvotefoundation.org/when-are-2026-midterm-elections-and-what-their-purpose

Doing a little research and voting:

https://www.vote411.org/

Making sure you’re registered to vote:

https://www.bexar.org/1701/Voter-Registration

It’s a food bank:

https://safoodbank.org/

It’s a diaper bank:

https://www.texasdiaperbank.org/

And several space captains from science fiction have been played by Canadian actors. But you already knew that.

REFERENCES

So, by warrant here, we’re talking about honest-to-gosh legal warrants:

Legal Information Institute. “Warrant.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/warrant

We need to make a distinction because there are administrative warrants:

Legal Information Institute. “Administrative Warrant.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/administrative_warrant

So, the executive branch:

Legal Information Institute. “Executive Branch.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/executive_branch

You need to have probable cause:

Legal Information Institute. “Probable Cause.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/probable_cause

Article III judge:

Constitution Annotated. “Article III.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-3/

For search and seizure:

Legal Information Institute. “Search and Seizure.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/search_and_seizure

In the Fourth Amendment:

Constitution Annotated. “Fourth Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-4/

A lot of times, it is for a civil thing:

Legal Aid Society of Northeaster New York. “The Differences Between Criminal Court and Civil Court.” Updated August 4, 2022. LawHelp.org. https://www.lawhelp.org/resource/the-differences-between-criminal-court-and-ci

ICE, the organization:

https://www.ice.gov/

They’ve got to be out in a public place, and then they’re authorized by their own agency to detain them:

Diaz, Jaclyn. “What ICE Agents Can and Cannot Legally Do During Arrests.” Updated September 19, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/09/05/nx-s1-5517998/ice-arrest-rules-explained

It’s not just search everything:

United States Courts. “What Does the Fourth Amendment Mean?” https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/about-educational-outreach/activity-resources/what-does-fourth-amendment-mean

Writs of assistance:

Britannica Editors. “Writ of Assistance.” Updated 2020. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/writ-of-assistance

The in-between time between the Seven Years War (the French and Indian War)…:

Britannica Editors. “Seven Years’ War.” Updated March 23, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Seven-Years-War

…and the run-up to the Revolution:

Wallace, Willard M. “American Revolution.” Updated March 20, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/American-Revolution

So famous Supreme Court case, Mapp vs. Ohio, 1961:

Oyez. “Mapp v. Ohio.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1960/236

When did administrative warrants come into play:

Arthur, Andrew R. “Going Back to the Past to Explain ‘Administrative Warrants,’ Immigration Enforcement.” February 5, 2026. Center for Immigration Studies. https://cis.org/Arthur/Going-Back-Past-Explain-Administrative-Warrants-Immigration-Enforcement

I kind of wonder how the Revenue Cutter Service operated:

Vergun, David. “Coast Guard Celebrates 235 Years Protecting Nation’s Waterways.” August 1, 2025. Joint Base San Antonio. https://www.jbsa.mil/News/News/Article/4261826/coast-guard-celebrates-235-years-protecting-nations-waterways/

Like an early DOGE or something:

Fields, Gary. “A Year After Trump’s DOGE Cuts, Workers Whose Lives Were Upended Ask What Was Saved.” March 27, 2026. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/a-year-after-trumps-doge-cuts-workers-whose-lives-were-upended-ask-what-was-saved

While Civics on the Rocks didn't actually find an answer to this question, we’re sure they had something that gave them paper authorization, because otherwise they’re kind of pirate-y. Feel free to look for it for yourselves:

National Archives. “Records of the United States Revenue Cutter Service (USRCS).” Reviewed January 11, 2023. https://www.archives.gov/research/military/coast-guard/revenue-cutter-service

And it’s not a letter of marque or reprisal:

Mulligan, Steve P. “Letters of Marque and Reprisal (Part 1): Introduction and Historical Context.” February 26, 2025. Congress.gov. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/LSB11272

And those are called origin statutes, by the way, or organic statutes:

Ballotpedia. “Organic Statute.” https://ballotpedia.org/Organic_statute

Some of it is, also, due process rights:

Constitution Annotated. “Amdt14.S1.3 Due Process Generally.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/amdt14-S1-3/ALDE_00013743/

We couldn’t find a comprehensive list of agencies that use administrative warrants, but multiple ones are authorized to do so, including the Environmental Protective Agency (EPA).

Let’s do the EPA, that’s a fun one:

https://www.epa.gov/

Oh, postal inspectors(!):

United States Postal Inspection Service. “Security: It Comes With the Stamp.” https://www.uspis.gov/

The EPA has people who enforce EPA regulations:

EPA. “Criminal Enforcement: Special Agents.” https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/criminal-enforcement-special-agents

Some of what they do, like postal inspectors, it could be a civil thing, it could also be a criminal thing:

Office of Inspector General. “Office of Investigations.” https://www.uspsoig.gov/about-us/office-investigations

Things like wire tapping:

Legal Information Institute. “Wiretapping.” Reviewed July 2024. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/wiretapping

Damn spot:

Shakespeare. “The Tragedy of Macbeth: Act 5, Scene 1.” https://shakespeare.mit.edu/macbeth/macbeth.5.1.html

You’re on oath or affirmation:

Legal Information Institute. “22 CFR § 92.18 - Oaths and affirmations defined.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/92.18

Now, we’re playing Clue:

The Strong National Museum of Play. “Clue.” https://www.museumofplay.org/toys/clue/

Yes, Anne can go into Steve’s house to arrest him with her warrant:

Wallentine, Ken. “Whose House Is This? I Think I Know.” 2023. Lexipol. https://www.lexipol.com/resources/blog/whose-house-is-this-i-think-i-know/

And then somebody pulls over Steve, and runs his license and registration through SCMODS:

https://youtu.be/pwqwSukyBvg?si=Kz9XB3WL4-k0vU9S

Yes, in most cases, Anne would need a separate warrant to take Steve’s DNA:

National Institute of Justice. “DNA–A Prosecutor’s Practice Notebook Inventory.” https://nij.ojp.gov/nij-hosted-online-training-courses/dna-prosecutors-practice-notebook-inventory/preparing-cases-involving-dna/admissibility/court-order-or-search-warrant

So, the phone question is a little more complicated. As one legal source noted, phone technology evolves faster than the law does. If a legal authority figure uses your face to open your phone without your permission, you have a case to bring an unlawful search complaint against them. However, most legal sources we found recommend you use a strong password:

Old, Jake. “Privacy Implications of Biometric Phone Encryption in Police Investigations.” Tennessee Bar Association. https://www.tba.org/?pg=crimjustice

It’s not civil because it’s a misdemeanor:

Legal Information Institute. “Misdemeanor.” Reviewed August 2021. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/misdemeanor

So, the two Supreme Court cases that Mack describes did occur, but they happened two years apart.

The phone search was unlawful:

Oyez. “Riley v. California.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/2013/13-132

But the full body cavity search, because it was motivated by the fact that the police are responsible for the safety of all persons onsite, that search was permissible:

Oyez. “Florence v. Board of Chosen Freeholders of the County of Burlington. https://www.oyez.org/cases/2011/10-945

Welcome to being a woman in America:

Center for Reproductive Rights. “Bodily Autonomy Fact Sheet Series: Abortion, Gender-Affirming Care, and the Fourteenth Amendment.” July 22, 2025. https://reproductiverights.org/resources/bodily-autonomy-fourteenth-amendment-fact-sheet/

Hot pursuit—it was a term that was made a thing by the Supreme Court…:

Justia. “United States v. Santana, 427 U.S. 38 (1976).” https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/427/38/

…not Roscoe P. Coltrane:

https://youtu.be/mPHnfcg6sPA?si=X4Tul9x0QxMHJHnN

In case you were wondering, hot pursuit comes from maritime law, where a nation’s ships are justified to pursue invaders into international waters, and its first known use was in 1743:

Merriam-Webster. “Hot Pursuit: Word History.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20pursuit#word-history

So, about the rocket propelled grenade launcher—it’s kind of a good news, bad news thing. So, Texas has declared private ownership of such weapons to be illegal…:

Texas Constitution and Statutes. “Sec. 46.05. Prohibited Weapons.” https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/?tab=1&code=PE&chapter=PE.46&artSec=46.05

…unless they are registered under the National Firearms Act:

 ATF. “National Firearms Act.” https://www.atf.gov/rules-and-regulations/laws-alcohol-tobacco-firearms-and-explosives/national-firearms-act

It depends on what you want to do with the fact pattern of the story:

Stockwell Law Firm. “How to Write an Effective Legal Fact Pattern: A Step-by-Step Guide.” https://www.stockwelllawfirm.com/single-post/how-to-write-an-effective-legal-fact-pattern-a-step-by-step-guide

The term for that is exigent circumstances:

Legal Information Institute. “Exigent Circumstances.” Reviewed December 2022. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/exigent_circumstances

ICE, who many people in this country feel are acting illegally and outside of the bounds for which they were created:

Epstein, Kayla. “What is ICE and What Powers Do Its Agents Have to Use Force?” February 4, 2026. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp80ljjd5rwo

And many of those people are federal judges:

Cheney, Kyle. “Our Running List of Judges Who Rule on ICE’s Mass Detention Policy.” Updated April 3, 2026. Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/18/trump-judges-immigration-detention-00784614?_sp_pass_consent=true

They have internal legal advice that tells them their administrative warrants are perfectly fine for entering people’s homes:

James, Hannah. “DHS Warrantless Home Entry Memo’s Fourth Amendment Problem.” Updated February 4, 2026. Brennan Center for Justice. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/dhs-warrantless-home-entry-memos-fourth-amendment-problem

Including knocking down doors and using explosives to breach them to do so:

Brook, Jack. “A U.S. Citizen Says ICE Forced Open the Door to His Minnesota Home and Removed Him in His Underwear After a Warrantless Search.” January 20, 2026. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/a-u-s-citizen-says-ice-forced-open-the-door-to-his-minnesota-home-and-removed-him-in-his-underwear-after-a-warrantless-search

We just generally said ICE, but sometimes it’s Border Patrol:

Mehta, Sarah. “Border Patrol Agents Replace Top Leadership at ICE Offices Despite Human Rights Violations.” November 6, 2025. ACLU. https://www.aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/border-patrol-agents-replace-top-leadership-at-ice-offices-despite-human-rights-violations

The incredible lack of training:

Bennett, Geoff and Anderson, Jonah. “Whistleblower Warns ICE Has Slashed Training for Recruits [Video and transcript].” PBS News Hour. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/whistleblower-warns-ice-has-slashed-training-for-recruits

Which is why some of the guys have shot themselves:

Rahman, Billal and Gooding, Dan. “ICE Agents Keep Accidentally Shooting Themselves.” Updated February 20, 2026. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/ice-agents-keep-accidentally-shooting-themselves-11540132

In some of these encounters, like Renee Good…:

Schuppe, Jon and Smith, Patrick. “Minneapolis Police, Fire Department Reports Reveal Chaotic Moments After ICE Officer Fatally Shot Renee Good.” Updated January 16, 2026. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/minneapolis-police-fire-department-reports-reveal-chaotic-moments-ice-rcna254362

…and others:

McSwane, J. David. “Two CBP Agents Identified in Alex Pretti Shooting.” February 1, 2026. ProPublica. https://www.propublica.org/article/alex-pretti-shooting-cbp-agents-identified-jesus-ochoa-raymundo-gutierrez

Learn what you can do, what you can’t do, and what you shouldn’t do:

Yoon, Byul. “Your Questions Answered: Filming ICE Interactions Safely.” March 3, 2026. ACLU. https://www.aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/your-questions-answered-filming-ice-interactions-safely

They are murdering people:

Bennet, Geoff and Norris, Courtney. “‘He Took My Son’s Life for Nothing,’ Says Mother of Man Killed by Immigration Agent [Video and transcript].” March 19, 2026. PBS News Hour.” https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/he-took-my-sons-life-for-nothing-says-mother-of-man-killed-by-immigration-agent

They have a habit of leaving:

Fanelli, Gino. “ICE Agents in the Park Ave Neighborhood Spark Large-Scale Protest.” September 9, 2025. WXXI News. https://www.wxxinews.org/local-news/2025-09-09/ice-agents-in-the-park-ave-neighborhood-spark-large-scale-protest

Specifically, ACLU:

ACLU. “Know Your Rights.” https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights

The marches, almost all of them, have been peaceful:

Reid, Tim and Brooks, Brad. “Anti-Trump Rallies Hit Thousands of U.S. Cities for ‘No Kings’ Protest.” Updated March 30, 2026. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/rallies-planned-thousands-us-cities-no-kings-protest-against-trump-2026-03-28/

Regular citizens in Minnesota:

Janssen, Emma. “When ICE Blows Through Rural America.” March 30, 2026. The American Prospect. https://prospect.org/2026/03/30/apr-2026-magazine-when-ice-blows-through-rural-america-minnesota/

The guy who was the head of the Border Patrol operation in Minnesota was removed from that:

Raza, Sarah and Fingerhut, Hannah. “Minnesota Launches Probe That Could Bring Charges Against Federal Immigration Officers.” March 3, 2026. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/minnesota-launches-probe-that-could-bring-charges-against-federal-immigration-officers

Including law enforcement of the state and local variety:

Yang, Hannah; Sepic, Matt; and Schaper, David. “St. Peter Police Chief Intervened and Got Federal Agents to Release Resident, Sources Say.” Updated January 31, 2026. MPR News. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/30/st-peter-police-chief-intervenes-prevents-federal-agents-from-arresting-resident

Our first cocktail was a Scofflaw:

https://www.liquor.com/recipes/scofflaw/

It is kumquats where you eat the peel of the citrus:

Fox 13 Tampa Bay. “How to Eat a Kumquat [Video].” https://youtu.be/OmiUgaic2nE?si=2DSoq-gt1zDlv-f0

Second cocktail was the Algonquin:

https://www.liquor.com/algonquin-cocktail-recipe-8383879

Which was named for the hotel in New York City:

https://www.algonquinhotel.com/

Sake is not a wine, it is its own thing:

Wine and Spirit Education Trust. “5 Sake Facts Every Drinks Professional Needs to Know.” May 2024. https://www.wsetglobal.com/knowledge-centre/blog/2024/march/05/5-sake-facts-every-drinks-professional-needs-to-know/

27 CFR, Section 5.143 defines whiskey:

Code of Federal Regulations. “27 CFR 5.143.” https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-27/section-5.143

You can find whiskeys made from quinoa, for example:

Peters, Josh. “Corsair Quinoa Whiskey Review.” February 10, 2016. The Whiskey Jug. https://thewhiskeyjug.com/american-whiskey/corsair-quinoa-whiskey-review/

In the interest of full disclosure, since recording this podcast, Civics on the Rocks has discovered that someone has indeed made a rice whisky:

Burke, Eric. “J. T. Meleck American Rice Whiskey.” November 30, 2022. Bourbon Guy. https://www.bourbonguy.com/blog/2022/11/30/jt-meleck-american-rice-whiskey

No, because there is no honey:

Hive Mind Mead. “The History of Mead.” https://hivemindmead.com/pages/mead-101-everything-about-mead

The law has, indeed, changed and it is now totally fine to have a home distillery in Texas:

Capriglione, Giovanni. “HB 2278.” Texas Policy Research. https://www.texaspolicyresearch.com/bills/89th-legislature-hb-2278/

As of this podcast, World Market no longer sells a home brew sake kit. However, several other companies do online, in case you wanted to find something like that. (Anne's out. This is on you.)

I don’t know if you ever saw the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi:

https://youtu.be/0VB_DrsHDQ0?si=8YjFvlhvUCGrX4a5

It’s like family delineated:

Japan. “Exploring the Soul of Japanese Sake Breweries Across the Tohoku Region.” January 2022. https://www.japan.travel/en/japan-magazine/2201_exploring-soul-japanese-sake-breweries-across-tohoku-region/

It’s not tequila:

Forget, A. J. “The Difference Between Agave Spirits and Tequila.” May 14, 2025. The Takeout. https://www.thetakeout.com/1854905/agave-spirits-vs-tequila-difference/

A growing whiskey history in Japan:

Japan. “Japanese Whisky.” https://www.japan.travel/en/guide/japanese-whisky/

That’s how you go blind:

Claw Hammer Supply. “Can Making Alcohol at Home Make You Go Blind [Video]?” https://youtube.com/shorts/5VAogia7Oow?si=Zv9RFa0kI0Svhyb9

A packed column…:

Chemical Packings. “Essential Guide to Packed Bed Column Design.” November 24, 2024. https://www.chemicalpackings.com/article/packed-column.html

…not a tray column:

Chemical Packings. “Distillation Column Trays and Packing: A Comprehensive Overview.” February 1, 2025. https://www.chemicalpackings.com/article/distillation-column-tray.html

We’re going to need black suits, black hats, sunglasses, black ties:

https://youtu.be/WZ3zZ-aWi6U?si=y9W6WUMxjdJg6qmi

Or NATO straps:

Horus Watch Straps. “What is a NATO Watch Strap?” https://www.horusstraps.com/blogs/news/what-is-a-nato-watch-strap?srsltid=AfmBOor5YD3GFgPYbTCgfbQm0h7uHsSAUlMhsjd2IsocQvX5lWQnp-1B

Original Bond or vintage Bond, Bond 2021, and modern Bond:

Esprit Nato. “NATO Strap and James Bond.” https://www.esprit-nato.com/en/content/10-nato-watch-strap-band-and-james-bond-007

Goldfinger, in the beginning of the movie:

https://youtu.be/NVg23yjKl1g?si=TisLfRcSQ8sjQHke

No Time to Die actually starred Daniel Craig:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2382320/

Quantum of Solace:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0830515/

You wanna fun fact? Sean Connery’s wetsuit is not an authentic wetsuit or dry suit. Here’s someone with a much more thorough explanation than Anne’s:

Spaiser, Matt. “The Black Diving Suit in Goldfinger.” November 4, 2024. Bond Suits. https://www.bondsuits.com/the-black-diving-suit-in-goldfinger/

So, there’s wetsuits and dry suits:

Mustang Survival. “The Difference Between Wetsuits and Dry Suits.” May 21, 2025. https://mustangsurvival.com/blogs/resources/the-difference-between-wetsuits-and-dry-suits

So, for our last cocktail, we went back to a Saratoga:

https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/2196/saratoga-cocktail

ICE is still in Minnesota:

Collins, Jon and Martin, Kate. “Half of Those Arrested by Federal Agents in Minnesota This Winter Have Already Been Deported.” April 3, 2026. MPR News. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/04/03/half-of-those-arrested-by-federal-agents-in-minnesota-this-winter-have-already-been-deported

And cars:

NBC10 Philadelphia. “ICE Agents Smash Car Window During Arrest of Man in Cumberland County [Video].” March 28, 2026. https://youtu.be/zN2MWICVb24?si=hsTequ2py3HGhrop

And sending people, including little kids, to concentration camps:

Martínez-Beltrán, Sergio. “ICE Detention Deaths Are on a Record Pace. One Texas Facility Bears the Brunt.” April 3, 2026. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2026/04/03/nx-s1-5754749/ice-detention-deaths-are-on-a-record-pace-one-texas-facility-bears-the-brunt

And they literally have:

Goodman, Joshua and Sullivan, Tim. “They Thought They Were in Court for a Routine Immigration Hearing, But Walked Into a Deportation Trap.” November 19, 2025. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/they-thought-they-were-in-court-for-a-routine-immigration-hearing-but-walked-into-a-deportation-trap

Minnesota Public Radio:

https://www.mpr.org/

The national news is a business, it’s an entertainment industry:

Seth, Shobhit; Brock, Thomas; and Velasquez, Vikki. “The World’s Top 10 News Media Companies.” January 15, 2026. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/021815/worlds-top-ten-news-companies-nws-gci-trco-nyt.aspx

Texas Public Radio:

https://www.tpr.org/

The Texas Tribune:

https://www.texastribune.org/

A Texas journalist named Olivia Messer:

https://thebarbedwire.com/author/olivia/

The Barbed Wire:

https://thebarbedwire.com/

A story they did in the aftermath of the July 4th floods:

Rangel, Leslie and Messer, Olivia. “‘It’s a Waking Nightmare’: Camp Mystic Alum Recalls Flood That Hit the Same Cabins in 1987.’” The Barbed Wire. July 8, 2025. https://thebarbedwire.com/2025/07/08/camp-mystic-alum-remembers-past-flood/

ProPublica:

https://www.propublica.org/

And “dun-dun” is a reference to the television show Law and Order. But you already knew that.

References

March 3 are the primaries in Texas:

Texas Secretary of State. “March 3, 2026 Primary Election Law Calendar and May 26, 2026 Primary Runoff Election Law Calendar.” https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/laws/advisory2025-17-mar-3-2026-primary-elec-law-cal-and-may-26-2026-primary-runoff-elec-law-cal.shtml

We had a whole episode on primaries:

https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-2szpe-1544115

It’s an election among the Republican candidates for office to decide who is going to be the Republican candidate in the general election, and then you have the Democratic candidates for office—same deal:

Drusch, Andrea. “How Does the Primary Election Work in Texas?” February 16, 2026. San Antonio Report. https://sanantonioreport.org/how-does-the-primary-election-work-in-texas/

Except Iowa:

Hull, Christopher C. “Iowa caucuses.” Updated February 1, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Iowa-caucuses

There are open primaries, blanket primaries, closed primaries:

USA.gov. “Presidential Primaries and Caucuses.” February 25, 2026. https://www.usa.gov/primaries-caucuses

Texas has been characterized as a modified open or a modified closed:

Ballotpedia. “Primary Elections in Texas.” https://ballotpedia.org/Primary_elections_in_Texas

New York has a closed primary:

Ballotpedia. “Primary Elections in New York.” https://ballotpedia.org/Primary_elections_in_New_York

Whereas in Minnesota, they have same day voter registration:

Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. “Register on Election Day.” https://www.sos.mn.gov/elections-voting/register-to-vote/register-on-election-day/

In Texas, you have to have registered in advance:

VoteTexas.gov. “Texas Voter Registration Information.” https://www.votetexas.gov/register-to-vote/

Fact check—For the general election, you can vote for any party regardless of how you voted in the primary. However, you have to vote the same party in primary run-offs as you did in the primary. You do NOT have to vote in the primary in order to vote in a primary run-off:

Ingram, Keith. “Election Advisory N. 2020-05.” February 11, 2020. Texas Secretary of State. https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/laws/advisory2020-05.shtml

Since Mack mentioned voter ID cards, we’d like to provide some additional information we have learned about since recording this podcast. Due to redistricting, several voter ID cards have not been issued in time for the primary election. This does not affect you if you are registered. You can still vote even without a voter ID card:

Pope, Pachatta. “Voter Registration Cards Delayed by Redistricting, But Not Needed to Vote.” February 15, 2026. KSAT. https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2026/02/16/voter-registration-cards-delayed-by-redistricting-but-not-needed-to-vote/

Things like equal protection…:

Constitution Annotated. “Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection and Other Rights.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/amendment-14/

…and due process still apply:

Constitution Annotated. “Amdt14.S1.3 Due Process Generally.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/amdt14-S1-3/ALDE_00013743/

In Texas, there was the White primaries case:

Oyez. “Smith v. Allwright.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/321us649

They have changed the rules about postmarks on the mail-in ballots:

Contreras, Natalia. “Postal Service Changes Mean Texas Voters Shouldn’t Wait to Mail Voter Registrations and Ballots.” January 21, 2026. VoteBeat.org. https://www.votebeat.org/texas/2026/01/21/usps-postal-service-postmark-mail-ballot-voter-registration-deadline/

If you are eligible to do a mail-in ballot in Texas:

VoteTexas.gov. “Voting by Mail Eligibility Requirements.” https://www.votetexas.gov/voting-by-mail/eligibility-requirements.html

There is a way to check if your ballot was received:

VoteTexas.gov. “Track My Ballot and Correct ID Information.” https://www.votetexas.gov/voting-by-mail/track-my-ballot.html

The Bexar County Elections Department has been very good about putting out information about the new rules:

https://www.bexar.org/1568/Elections-Department

We voted this in, that we will require certain forms of voter ID to prove that you’re a U.S. citizen:

Contreras, Natalia. “Bill Requiring Voters to Show Proof of Citizenship Clears Texas Senate.” April 1, 2025. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/01/texas-proof-of-citizenship-voting-senate-bill-16/

We’re not the only ones that did stuff like that (to clarify, not Florida in this case, Anne just has a low opinion of their elected officials):

Ballotpedia. “Proof of Citizenship Requirements for Voter Registration by State.” https://ballotpedia.org/Proof_of_citizenship_requirements_for_voter_registration_by_state

There are still several different forms of valid ID:

VoteTexas.gov. “Identification Requirements for Voting.” http://votetexas.gov/voting/need-id.html

There’s been a lot of news about the SAVE act:

Sweren-Becker, Eliza and Bacskai, Owen. “New SAVE Act Bills Would Still Block Millions of Americans From Voting.” Updated February 9, 2026. Brennan Center for Justice. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/new-save-act-bills-would-still-block-millions-americans-voting

Conservative opinion leaders that have talked about repealing the Nineteenth Amendment, or saying things on Fox News like a wife should just vote the way her husband tells her to:

Padilla, Mariel; Panetta, Grace; and Barclay, Mel Leonor. “Who’s Questioning Women’s Right to Vote?” August 12, 2025. 19thNews.org. https://19thnews.org/2025/08/pete-hegseth-doug-wilson-women-voting/

Where are the cases of any kind of voter fraud:

Brennan Center for Justice. “Project: The Myth of Voter Fraud.” https://www.brennancenter.org/topics/voting-elections/vote-suppression/myth-voter-fraud

Double-check that you’re registered:

Texas.gov. “Texas Voter Registration.” https://www.texas.gov/living-in-texas/texas-voter-registration/

You can order one. (Note, this reference is for Texas. To obtain a birth certificate, you must order from the state you were born in.):

Texas Health and Human Services. “Order A Birth Certificate.” https://ovra.txapps.texas.gov/ovra/order-birth-certificate

That’s because of them fully implementing the Real ID Act:

Texas Department of Public Safety. “Federal Real ID Act.” https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/driver-license/federal-real-id-act

They don’t have badges:

Cameron, Dell and Haskins, Caroline. “FBI Warns of Criminals Posing as ICE, Urges Agents to ID Themselves.” November 4, 2025. Wired. https://www.wired.com/story/fbi-warns-of-criminals-posing-as-ice-urges-agents-to-id-themselves/

If you happen to live in a town where ICE is buying warehouses:

Sterling, Phil. “Massive San Antonio Warehouse to be Turned Into 1,500-bed ICE Processing Center.” February 13, 2026. News4SA. https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/new-details-on-wearhouse-to-be-turned-into-ice-processing-center-texas-mexico-immigration-detention-department-of-homeland-security

Basically, every major office in Texas is up for vote right now:

Astudillo, Carla and Méndez, María. “Here’s Your Texas 2026 March Primary Ballot.” January 6, 2026. The Texas Tribune. https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-march-2026-primary-ballot/

Alas, Ted Cruz is not up:

Ballotpedia. “Ted Cruz.” https://ballotpedia.org/Ted_Cruz

Texas changed their districts, recently, through some partisan gerrymandering to try to pick-up five more seats:

Lo Wang, Hansi. “Supreme Court Lets Texas Use Gerrymandered Map That Could Give GOP 5 More House Seats.” December 4, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/12/04/nx-s1-5619692/supreme-court-texas-redistricting-map

When the national polling has shifted dramatically toward Democrats:

Morris, G. Elliott. “Seven Data-Driven Lessons From the 2025 Elections.” November 5, 2025. Strength in Numbers. https://www.gelliottmorris.com/p/seven-data-driven-takeaways-from

Buy our merch:

https://www.redbubble.com/people/CivcsRocks/shop?asc=u

Look at Fort Worth:

Hanna, John. “Texas Democrat Taylor Rehmet Flips Republican State Senate Seat Trump Won by 17 Points.” February 2, 2026. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/texas-democrat-taylor-rehmet-flips-republican-state-senate-seat-trump-won-by-17-points

But it was really cold that weekend:

Davis, Sarah. “Texas House Republican Blames Special Election Stunner on Winter Storm.” February 2, 2026. The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5718666-pete-sessions-texas-election-weather/

The fact that Democrats have, in I don’t know how long, put up candidates in every race:

Guo, Kayla. “Texas Democrats Fill Every State and Federal Race on 2026 Ballot, a First for Either Party.” December 7, 2025. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/12/17/texas-democrats-down-ballot-2026/

They got the toe in the little pool of self-destruction:

Bowman, Bridget. “Viral Dispute Over ‘Mediocre’ Comment Exposes Racial Divides in Democrats’ Texas Senate Primary.” February 5, 2026. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/viral-dispute-mediocre-comment-exposes-racial-divides-democrats-texas-rcna257284

Desperation in the Republican ads:

Crampton, Liz; Carney, Jordain; Benson, Samuel; Gangitano, Alex; and Wren, Adam. “Republicans are Freaking Out Over Texas Senate Race.” February 26, 2026. Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/26/republicans-alarm-grows-about-holding-texas-senate-seat-00799856

Some of their advertising is just disgusting:

Birenbaum, Gabby. “Anti-Islam Rhetoric Takes Center Stage in Texas Republican Primary.” January 26, 2026. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2026/01/26/texas-republicans-sharia-law-anti-muslim-rhetoric/

In pretty blue San Antonio:

Drusch, Andrea. “5 Takeaways From San Antonio’s 2025 City Election.” June 12, 2025. San Antonio Report. https://sanantonioreport.org/5-takeaways-from-san-antonios-2025-city-election/

They only have, like, 219 in the House:

U.S. House of Representatives Press Gallery. “Party Breakdown.” https://pressgallery.house.gov/member-data/party-breakdown

The Republican party has been in control of the state for about a quarter century:

Ballotpedia. “Party Control of Texas State Government.” https://ballotpedia.org/Party_control_of_Texas_state_government

Where Steve found the recipe for our Irish coffees, and one of his favorite authors:

Larry Niven. Playgrounds of the Mind. 1991. Tor Books.

Here’s all the board games we mentioned in a short amount of time.

Darwin’s Journey:

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/322289/darwins-journey

Botany: A Victorian Expedition:

https://duxsomnium.com/pages/botany

Twilight Struggle:

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/12333/twilight-struggle

Pan Am:

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/303057/pan-am

Mapmaker: The Gerrymandering Game:

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/252997/mapmaker-the-gerrymandering-game

1960: The Making of the President:

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/27708/1960-the-making-of-the-president

About a month ago, lasers in El Paso:

Lubold, Gordon; Kube, Courtney; De Luce, Dan. And Gains, Mosheh. “CBP Shot Down Party Balloons With Anti-Drone Tech Before FAA Closed El Paso Airspace, Sources Say.” February 12, 2026. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/cbp-shot-party-balloons-anti-drone-tech-faa-closed-el-paso-airspace-so-rcna258731

More recently, lasers in El Paso:

Gains, Mosheh; Helsel, Phil; and The Associated Press. “U.S. Military Reportedly Used a Laser to Shoot Down Customs and Border Protection Drone, Sparking New Air Closure.” February 26, 2026. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/military/us-military-used-laser-take-border-protection-drone-lawmakers-say-rcna260887

A very large military base, Fort Bliss:

Military.com. “Fort Bliss Army Base Guide.” https://www.military.com/base-guide/fort-bliss

It’s essentially a city of a million people with a country line between it:

Communications and Publishing. “El Paso – Juarez [Satellite image].” USGS. https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/el-paso-juarez

 Through the lens of a September 11:

Bergen, Peter L. “September 11 Attacks.” Updated December 9, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/September-11-attacks

NORTHCOM:

https://www.northcom.mil/HomelandDefense/

This isn’t a pointer laser, which should never be used around an airport:

Public Affairs Officer. “The FBI Reminds the Public About the Severity of Laser Strikes Toward Aircraft.” February 25, 2026. FBI. https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/cleveland/news/the-fbi-reminds-the-public-about-the-severity-of-laser-strikes-toward-aircraft

This is one of these tactical high-powered lasers:

Demarest, Colin. “Laser Weapon That Shut Down El Paso’s Skies Was LOCUST System.” February 12, 2026. Axios. https://www.axios.com/2026/02/12/el-paso-laser-weapon-locust-drone

This is not just something you can pull out of your backpack:

Defense Updates. “What Can AeroVironment LOCUST Laser Weapon System Do for U.S. Military [YouTube video]?” https://youtu.be/huTcf6aoKMM?si=aXi_qCbyG3yFd76D

The mayor found out from the morning news:

Kim, Seung Min; Finley, Ben; Jalonick, Mary Clare; Lee, Morgan; and Boak, Josh. “Pentagon-FAA Dispute Over Lasers to Thwart Cartel Drones Led to Airspace Closure, AP Sources Say.” February 11, 2026. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/pentagon-faa-dispute-over-lasers-to-thwart-cartel-drones-led-to-airspace-closure-ap-sources-say

The Malaysian Airlines flight over Ukraine:

United Nations. “UN Aviation Council Finds Russia Responsible for Downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight.” May 13, 2025. https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/05/1163161

There was a midair collision between a U.S. Army helicopter and a passenger plane:

Skores, Alexandra. “Chain of Errors Led to Deadly Midair Collision Near Washington, DC, Investigators Conclude.” Updated February 27, 2026. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/17/us/washington-dc-plane-crash-cause

They slashed the budgets and fired people:

Copp, Tara. “Some of the 400 Jobs That Were Cut at the FAA Helped Support Air Safety, a Union Says.” Updated February 19, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/faa-firings-trump-doge-safety-airlines-27390c6a7aac58063652302df5a243d3

There are, apparently, nine Manhattans:

GeoTargit.com “How Many Places are Named Manhattan?” https://geotargit.com/called.php?qcity=Manhattan

Anne was incorrect, there was never a tribe that called themselves Manhattan. Colonizers assigned the name Manhattan to any native peoples they encountered on the island:

Schenawolf, Harry. “How Manhattan Island of New York was Named.” March 28, 2015. Revolutionary War Journal. https://revolutionarywarjournal.com/manhattan-name-sources/

Mack’s being a bit pedantic. The Army Corps of Engineers officially created the Manhattan Engineer District but, even at the time, it was commonly referred to as the Manhattan Project:

Atomic Heritage Foundation. “The Manhattan Project.” May 12, 2017. https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/history/manhattan-project/

In case, like Steve, you get your types of luminescence confused too:

Physical Chemistry. “Types of Luminescence [YouTube video].” https://youtu.be/B1Z7iD2FlJA?si=rT5dC0DDKff5Nsvi

They have to drink the radioactive stuff for the scans:

Cleveland. “PET Scan.” Updated October 29, 2022. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/10123-pet-scan

The FBI raided Fulton County in Georgia:

Levine, Sam and Chidi, George. “Debunked Claims From Election Deniers Influenced FBI Raid in Georgia, Affidavit Reveals.” February 10, 2026. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/10/fbi-raid-fulton-county-voting-office-search-affidavit

Including Mike “Fucking” Johnson is up for election:

Hilburn, Greg. “Speaker Mike Johnson Qualifies for Re-election, Predicts GOP Will Defy History in Midterms.” February 11, 2026. Shreveport Times. https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/2026/02/11/house-speaker-mike-johnson-qualifies-for-re-election-predicts-gop-gains/88613862007/

Like Epstein file votes:

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Did Congress Vote to Release the Epstein Files?” Updated February 27, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/question/Did-Congress-vote-to-release-the-Epstein-files

The tariff thing:

McCarthy, Mia and Desrochers, Daniel. “GOP Revolt Sinks Effort to Block Votes on Trump’s Tariffs.” February 10, 2026. Politico. https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/02/10/congress/gop-revolt-sinks-effort-to-block-votes-on-trumps-tariffs-00775107

The Republicans made that a thing:

Chidi, George. “From Praise to Rage: Conservative Response to Epstein Release is Mixed.” December 20, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/20/conservative-response-epstein-release

He’s the most mentioned person in the Epstein files:

Herb, Jeremy and Cohen, Marshall. “What 3 Million New Documents Tell Us About Trump’s Ties to Jeffrey Epstein.” Updated January 31, 2026. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/31/politics/new-documents-trump-epstein

What are other countries’ governments doing about it:

CBS Mornings. “Epstein Files Fallout Prompts Investigations in At Least 10 Countries [YouTube video].” February 16, 2026. https://youtu.be/0fTIZaVJ1z0?si=ZzVxeI8vNdt9U89-

Or Pam Bondi:

Greene, Connor. “Pam Bondi Declines to Directly Apologize to Epstein Victims During Capitol Hill Testimony.” February 11, 2026. Time. https://time.com/7377755/bondi-epstein-victims-files-house-hearing/

There’s a lot of Republicans in Texas, right now, sweating:

McCaskill, Nolan D. “As Trump Allies Battle in Texas, A Safe Republican Senate Seat Suddenly Looks Fragile.” February 27, 2026. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-allies-battle-texas-safe-republican-senate-seat-suddenly-looks-fragile-2026-02-27/

Look at the grand juries over the last year:

Lee, Ella. “Grand Juries Take on Growing Importance Amid Trump’s Legal Retribution Campaign.” February 15, 2026. The Hill. https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5738221-grand-juries-trump-interference/

Or the streets of Minneapolis:

NPR. “Special Series: Minneapolis Shootings and Protests.” https://www.npr.org/series/g-s1-107333/minneapolis-shootings-protests

The Texas Tribune, who have been doing an excellent job providing voter information in the State of Texas:

The Texas Tribune. “Texas Votes 2026.” https://www.texastribune.org/2026-vote/

Our podcast favorite, Vote411.org by the League of Women Voters:

https://www.vote411.org/

And “jazz hands” is a dance move that involves holding your hands up, palms out, and shaking them. But you already knew that.

REFERENCES

The executive power shall be vested in a President:

Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S1.C1.1 Overview of Executive Vesting Clause.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S1-C1-1/ALDE_00013790/

President shall also be Commander in Chief of the armed forces:

Legal Information Institute. “Commander in Chief Powers.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/commander_in_chief_powers

Article I, Section 8, Clause 11, like we all know:

Constitution Annotated. “Clause 11 War Powers.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-1/section-8/clause-11/

There’s this other part that says the President shall make sure that the laws be faithfully executed:

Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S3.3.1 Overview of Take Care Clause.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S3-3-1/ALDE_00001160/

Other than, what is war:

Merriam-Webster. “War.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/war

Going back to the Barbary pirates:

Office of the Historian. “Barbary Wars, 1801–1805 and 1815–1816.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1801-1829/barbary-wars

In the Navy Act:

Bisno, Adam. “President Washington Signs the Naval Act of 1794.” March 20, 2019. Naval History and Heritage Command. https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/heritage/origins-of-the-navy/washington-naval-act-1794.html

The famous six frigates:

Naval History and Heritage Command. “U.S. Navy’s Six Original Frigates.” https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/ships/original-frigates.html

Or an amendment later:

U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. “An Act for the Protection of Commerce of the U.S. in the Mediterranean, Passed by the Senate February 1, 1802.” https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/artifact/act-protection-commerce-us-mediterranean-passed-senate-february-1-1802

The Law of the Sea:

National Ocean Service. “What is the Law of the Sea?” https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/lawofsea.html

The U.N. Charter has a “you can act in self-defense”:

Codification Division Publications. “Chapter VII—Action With Respect to Threats to the Peach, Breaches of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression.” United Nations. https://legal.un.org/repertory/art51.shtml

Armed conflict versus war:

Save the Children. “What is Conflict and War?” https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/what-we-do/conflict-war

When did we declare war on Vietnam:

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Was the Vietnam War Technically a War?” https://www.britannica.com/question/Was-the-Vietnam-War-technically-a-war

Was there a formal declaration of war:

United States Senate. “About Declarations of War by Congress.” https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/declarations-of-war.htm

George H. W. Bush said he did not believe he needed that authorization from Congress to proceed because it was a United Nations action:

Keller, Kate. “An Unlikely Hardliner, George H. W. Bush Was Ready to Push Presidential Powers.” May 14, 2018. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/unlikely-hardliner-george-h-w-bush-was-ready-push-presidential-powers-180969017/

Did Congress ever make a ruling on it:

United States House of Representatives. “House Passage of the 1991 Resolution Authorizing the Use of Force Against Iraq." https://history.house.gov/HistoricalHighlight/Detail?id=35252

The Vietnam war doesn’t happen without Congress at some point voting for the money for it to happen:

Hughes, Ken. “The Myth That Congress Cut Off Funding for South Vietnam.” April 28, 2010. History News Network. https://www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/the-myth-that-congress-cut-off-funding-for-south-v

A coalition of allies:

CNN Editorial Research. “Gulf War Fast Facts.” Updated July 24, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/world/middleeast/gulf-war-fast-facts

You had the Quasi-War with France, which was kind of weird:

Office of the Historian. “The XYZ Affair and the Quasi-War with France, 1798–1800.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1784-1800/xyz

They’re landlocked:

National Geographic Kids. “Switzerland.” https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/countries/article/switzerland

They have the funds:

Taylor, Chloe. “The ‘Strongest Currency on Earth’ Just Hit an 11-Year High—and It’s Stirring Up Trouble in Switzerland.” Updated January 28, 2026. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/28/swiss-franc-us-dollar-price-fx-exchange-rate-trump-switzerland-snb-currency.html

That’s called portage, by the way:

Merriam-Webster. “Portage.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portage

Steve is correct, Switzerland is not in the showcase of nations at EPCOT:

Magic Guides. “What Are the Countries in EPCOT?” https://magicguides.com/countries-in-epcot-world-showcase/

Mack was closest. The executive branch of Switzerland is a Federal Council:

Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft. “Political System.” https://www.aboutswitzerland.eda.admin.ch/en/political-system

They’re going to invade our ears with their jamming music:

https://youtu.be/oqVy6eRXc7Q?si=wu03olgks0y9i0-B

What is imminent?

Merriam-Webster. “Imminent.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imminent

What is threat?

Merriam-Webster. “Threat.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threat

Unless you’re a state, actually. Article I, Section 10, Clause 3:

Constitution Annotated. “Clause 3 Acts Requiring Consent of Congress.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-1/section-10/clause-3/

I bring up Pearl Harbor:

Citino, Rob and Zemurray Stone, Samuel. “Pearl Harbor Attack, December 7, 1941.” National WWII Museum. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/pearl-harbor-december-7-1941

Again, Mack knew what he was talking about. Here are the specifics of the Japanese fleet that attacked Pearl Harbor:

Pearl Harbor. “This of the Japanese Striking Force.” June 3, 2017. https://pearlharbor.org/blog/ships-japanese-striking-force/

Did they just turn around and go back to Japan? Where did they go afterward:

Pearl Harbor. “Japan’s Plans After Pearl Harbor.” https://pearlharbor.org/blog/japans-plans-pearl-harbor/

In case you, also, were not alive for this event:

Hartig, Hannah and Doherty, Carroll. “Two Decades Later, the Enduring Legacy of 9/11.” September 2, 2021. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/09/02/two-decades-later-the-enduring-legacy-of-9-11/

He gave the speech, “…the day that will live in infamy…”:

Library of Congress. “Speech by Franklin D. Roosevelt, New York (Transcript).” https://www.loc.gov/resource/afc1986022.afc1986022_ms2201/?st=text&r=-0.101,-0.296,1.111,1.327,0

Even during the Great Depression:

Richardson, Gary. “The Great Depression.” November 22, 2013. Federal Reserve History. https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/great-depression

Or are you Theodore Roosevelt and even if one American gets killed, we’re going to war:

National Park Service. “The Bull Moose in Winter: Theodore Roosevelt and World War I.” Updated March 7, 2025. https://www.nps.gov/articles/the-bull-moose-in-winter-theodore-roosevelt-and-world-war-i.htm

The War Powers Act was passed by Congress in 1973:

Britannica Editors. “War Powers Act.” January 22, 2026. https://www.britannica.com/topic/War-Powers-Act

Nixon vetoes it, expressing his belief that it is unconstitutional:

Nixon, Richard. “Veto of the War Powers Resolution.” October 24, 1973. The American Presidency Project. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/veto-the-war-powers-resolution

Congress overrides the veto:

Congress. “War Powers Resolution. Expedited Procedures in the House and Senate.” https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47603

Oh, like NATO:

https://www.nato.int/en

Barrack Obama and Libya:

Britannica Editors. “Libya Revolt of 2011.” June 15, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Libya-Revolt-of-2011

The Obama administration issues a statement:

BBC. “White House: U.S. ‘Can Act in Libya Without Congress’.” June 15, 2011. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-13785073

Ordering the military to seize oil tankers:

Upadhyay, Brajesh and Sherman, Natalie. “U.S. Forces Seize a Sixth Venezuela-Linked Oil Tanker in Caribbean Sea.” January 15, 2026. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4qdnj5vl9o

Let’s do the lead up:

Finley, Ben; Toropin, Konstantin; and Garcia Cano, Regina. “A Timeline of U.S. Military Escalation Against Venezuela Leading to Maduro’s Capture.” January 3, 2025. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/a-timeline-of-u-s-military-escalation-against-venezuela-leading-to-maduros-capture

We started by bombing boats:

Associated Press. “U.S. Forces Carry Out First Known Strike on Alleged Drug Boat Since Maduro’s Capture.” January 23, 2026. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-forces-carry-out-first-known-strike-on-alleged-drug-boat-since-maduros-capture

We’ve been intercepting boats into our country running drugs for years:

Laliberte, Daniel A. “Enforcing the Law at Sea—The Rise of Drug Smugglers [Commentary].” March 28, 2025. United States Coast Guard. https://www.mycg.uscg.mil/News/Article/4138215/enforcing-the-law-at-sea-the-rise-of-drug-smugglers/

This is an administration that has not had a real good track record with the idea of truth/evidence:

Desjardins, Lisa and Loffman, Matt. “Why Politifact Has Labeled 2025 the ‘Year of the Lies’ [Video and transcript].” December 31, 2025. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/why-politifact-has-labeled-2025-the-year-of-the-lies

Experts in the field, who know both about drug running, the country of Venezuela, and war tactics in international waters:

Singer, Jeffery A. “Trump’s Venezuela Gambit: An Incoherent Encore in a Failed Drug War.” December 3, 2025. CATO Institute. https://www.cato.org/blog/trumps-venezuela-gambit-incoherent-encore-failed-drug-war

Morgan, Annie W. and Halsell, James. “Drug Boats: Where Questions of Lethality and Legality Meet.” September 2025. U.S. Naval Institute. https://www.usni.org/lethality_and_legality

Venezuela does not border the eastern Pacific:

McCoy, Jennifer L. “Venezuela.” Updated January 4, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Venezuela

Unless you go through the Panama Canal:

Gordon, Burton L. “Panama Canal.” Updated December 8, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Panama-Canal

Venezuela is known for cocaine:

Ramirez Uribe, Maria. “Was Nicolas Maduro ‘Flooding’ the U.S. With Fentanyl, as White House Claims?” January 15, 2026. Aljazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/1/15/was-nicolas-maduro-flooding-the-us-with-fentanyl-as-white-house-claims

They killed a lot of people:

Finley, Ben and Toropin, Konstantin. “Death Toll From U.S. Strikes on Alleged Drug Boats Reaches 126 People.” January 26, 2026. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-military-death-toll-venezuela-20cef307b035c386f390df846b6056b7

Before the war crime incident:

Finley, Ben and Toropin, Konstantin. “Experts Explain What the Law Says About Killing Survivors of a Boat Strike.” December 1, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642

They released a video of the initial strike on the boat, and then refused to release the second strike on the boat:

Stein, Chris. “Pentagon Won’t Release Full Video of Caribbean Strike That Killed Two People, Hegseth Says.” December 16, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/16/pentagon-wont-release-full-video-caribbean-attack

The powers that be right now, in the United States, ordered that to happen:

Pigliucci, Cai; FitzGerald, James; and Drenon, Brandon. “Admiral Testified Hegseth Did Not Give ‘Kill them all’ order, U.S. lawmakers say.” December 4, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyxjd6pxzro

It is in two different manuals:

Finley, Ben and Toropin, Konstantin. “Experts Explain What the Law Says About Killing Survivors of a Boat Strike.” December 1, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642

A more thorough explanation of what happened during the attack of Venezuela than we give in the podcast:

Nicholas, Peter; Tsirkin, Julie; Dixon, Matt; Alba, Monica; and Kube, Courtney. “A CIA Team, Steel Doors, and a Fateful Phone Call: How the U.S. Captured Maduro in Venezuela.” January 3, 2026. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/us-venezuela-strike-nicolas-maduro-captured-how-timeline-trump-rcna252041

Was arraigned a few days ago:

Intarasuwan, Kiki; Czachor, Emily May; Walsh, Joe; and Quinn, Mellisa. “Ousted Venezuelan President Maduro Arraigned in U.S. Court; Trump Threatens Other Nations.” Updated January 6, 2026. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-trump-maduro-charges/

Maduro was an asshole:

McCoy, Jennifer L. “The Presidency of Nicolás Maduro.” Updated January 4, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Venezuela/The-presidency-of-Nicolas-Maduro

Did not recognize him as the current head of state:

Harrison, Chase; Gerbaud, Gladys; and Robertson, Khalea. “How Have International Leaders Responded to Venezuela’s 2024 Election?” August 19, 2024. Americas Society/Council of the Americas. https://www.as-coa.org/articles/how-have-international-leaders-responded-venezuelas-2024-election

What is he being charged with:

Slack, Donavan; Goodwin, Grace Eliza; and Epstein, Kayla. “What is Maduro Charged With and What is the Evidence?” January 5, 2026. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyndnqqey5o

In 1989, Manuel Noriega:

Britannica Editors. “Manuel Noriega.” Updated November 6, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Manuel-Noriega

The canal zone is still controlled by the United States:

Roy, Diana. “Who Controls the Panama Canal?” Updated January 29, 2025. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/articles/who-controls-panama-canal

There was a U.S. marine killed. Panama had declared war on the U.S.:

History.com Editors. “The U.S. Invades Panama.” Updated December 3, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/december-20/the-u-s-invades-panama

It’s not like it’s settled law that that was fine:

Scheffer, David J. “Maduro’s Capture and International Law: The Noriega Precedent.” January 6, 2026. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/articles/maduros-capture-and-international-law-noriega-precedent

The President, immediately, told the American public, we’re going to go into Venezuela and run it:

Jacobson, Louis and Ramirez Uribe, Maria. “Fact-Checking Trump’s Claims After U.S. Strike on Venezuela and Capture of Maduro.” January 4, 2026. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-trumps-claims-after-u-s-strike-on-venezuela-and-capture-of-maduro

Thank God, it’s Marco Rubio:

U.S. Department of State. “Marco Rubio.” https://www.state.gov/biographies/marco-rubio/

We’re fine with the Vice President as long as they do what we say:

Adams, Paul. “Analysis: Why Trump Chose Maduro’s VP Over Nobel Winner.” January 7, 2026. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c77krp7m362o

Venezuela came in at some point and nationalized/took it all from them:

Gore, D’Angelo. “Explaining Trump’s Claim That Venezuela ‘Stole’ U.S. Oil.” January 14, 2026. https://www.factcheck.org/2026/01/explaining-trumps-claim-that-venezuela-stole-u-s-oil/

People are trying to discern what the strategic objective of the administration was:

Jeyaretnam, Miranda and de Guzman, Chad. “What’s Happening With the U.S. and Venezuela Explained.” January 12, 2026. Time. https://time.com/7344628/us-venezuela-trump-maduro-oil-drugs-war-explainer-questions-answered/

We might not actually see money from the oil:

Atwood, Kylie. “Before Capturing Maduro, Trump Admin Sought Lessons From Iraq War to Get Venezuela’s Oil Flowing.” January 29, 2026. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/29/politics/maduro-venezuela-oil-iraq-war-trump

They offered him to go into exile in comfort in Turkey:

Turkish Minute. “U.S. Senator Backs Reports Maduro was Offered Exile in Turkey Before Raid.” January 5, 2026. https://www.turkishminute.com/2026/01/05/us-senator-backs-reports-maduro-was-offered-exile-in-turkey-before-raid/

You just pardoned the President of Honduras for cocaine charges:

Yousif, Nadine. “What Was Honduras Ex-president Convicted of and Why has Trump Pardoned Him?” December 2, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9qewln7912o

He was asked that at a press conference:

https://youtu.be/bI2hzRw73Bw?si=WcBre0QmGHVm8nCH

Marco Rubio, who was asked about that later:

https://youtu.be/tLGHbe4qgys?si=kILnMisDVeuVcTLE

Why do certain personalities subscribe to conspiracy theories:

Moul, Russell. “A Conspiracy Theory Mindset Can be Predicted by These Two Psychological Traits.” January 6, 2026. IFLScience. https://www.iflscience.com/a-conspiracy-theory-mindset-can-be-predicted-by-these-two-psychological-traits-82128

This is the Keystone cops:

https://youtu.be/GwUUUqgfu-E?si=4qhuKvTuT61sl5Hi

Soyer Au Champagne, from an Atlas Obscure article:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/soyer-au-champagne-cocktail

Saratoga:

https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/2196/saratoga-cocktail

Steve’s 12 Bottle Bar book:

Dave Solmonson. The 12 Bottle Bar: Make Hundreds of Cocktails With Just 12 Bottles. 2014. Workman Publishing Company.

The first of two Bobby Burns:

https://www.liquor.com/recipes/bobby-burns/

Burns Night in Scotland:

Scotland.org. “Burns Night.” https://www.scotland.org/events/burns-night

A variation on a Bobby Burns:

https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/2313/bobby-burns-crocketts-recipe

Craddock…:

Sutcliffe, Theodore. “Harry Craddock.” Difford’s Guide. https://www.diffordsguide.com/encyclopedia/2345/people/harry-craddock

…versus Crockett:

Cameron, Ian. “Albert Stevens Crockett.” Difford’s Guide. https://www.diffordsguide.com/encyclopedia/2864/people/albert-stevens-crockett

Fibonacci numbers:

Math is Fun. “Fibonacci Sequence.” https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/fibonacci-sequence.html

What’s called the golden spiral or the golden rectangle or golden ratio:

Mathnasium. “Nine Examples of the Golden Ratio in Nature, From Pinecones to the Human Body.” July 25, 2024. https://www.mathnasium.com/blog/golden-ratio-in-nature

Disney World:

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/

It’s a World’s Fair:

Findling, John. “World’s Fair.” Updated December 10, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/worlds-fair

It’s a Small World:

Walt Disney World. “It’s a Small World.” https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/magic-kingdom/its-a-small-world/

Mack is correct, her name was Mary Blair:

Canemaker, John. “About Mary Blair.” The Magic of Mary Blair. https://magicofmaryblair.com/about-mary/

We are the ultimate check—the primaries in Texas are on March 3:

https://www.vote411.org/texas

And “global thermonuclear war” is a reference to the movie WarGames. But you already knew that.

REFERENCES

People have desecrated corpses throughout history:

Breed, Allen G. “Desecration of the Dead is as Old as War Itself.” January 13, 2012. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/nation-world/2012/01/14/desecration-dead-old-war-itself/15184013007/

Like a flag of truce:

Little, Becky. “How Did the White Flag Become a Symbol of Surrender?” Updated May 27, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/when-did-the-white-flag-become-associated-with-surrender

Don’t kill the messenger:

Frank, David. “Chapter 19 – The Classical Origins and Modern Expressions of ‘Don’t Shoot the Messenger’.” September 4, 2025. Cambridge University Press. https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/dont-shoot-the-journalists/classical-origins-and-modern-expressions-of-dont-shoot-the-messenger/97A99431730AA8701715ECB376467643

The Defenestration of Prague:

Britannica Editors. “Defenestration of Prague.” May 16, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/event/Defenestration-of-Prague-1618

One of the things that began the Thirty Years’ War in Europe:

Britannica Editors. “Thirty Years’ War.” Updated January 6, 2026. https://www.britannica.com/event/Thirty-Years-War

It ends with the treaty called the Peace of Westphalia:

Gesley, Jenny. “The Peach of Westphalia.” October 24, 2017. Library of Congress. https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2017/10/the-peace-of-westphalia/

The world today is composed of nation states:

Comstock, Nancy. W. “Nation State.” 2024. EBSCO. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/politics-and-government/nation-state

Basically, at some point Europe colonized almost the entirety of the world:

Becker, Bastian. “European Overseas Colonies and Their Colonizers Over Time [Interactive map].” September 18, 2023. Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/european-overseas-colonies-and-their-colonizers?time=earliest

This is probably not the video Steve was referencing, but it illustrates the point that everyone goes to war:

ABC News (Australia). “Dozens Killed in Tribal Fighting in Papua New Guinea [Video].” August 23, 2023. https://youtu.be/EhVpKBJESB8?si=3pIXT2kaNlcmKxQp

The most famous being the Hauge conventions:

HCCH. “Conventions and Other Instruments.” https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions

Most of the modern war crimes were as a result of World War II:

Penrose, Mary Margaret. “Post-World War II Developments: Genevea Conventions.” December 10, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/war-crime/Post-World-War-II-developments

The Napoleonic Wars gave rise to some:

Britannic Editors. “Napoleonic Wars.” November 24, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Napoleonic-Wars

The Geneva Convention in 1864:

International Committee of the Red Cross. “Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field. Geneva, 22 August 1864.” https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/gc-1864

A list of war crimes, right now:

BBC. “War Crimes.” https://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/war/overview/crimes_1.shtml

How to treat prisoners of war:

United Nations. “Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War.” August 12, 1949. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/geneva-convention-relative-treatment-prisoners-war

Respecting flags of truce:

Arnold, Roberta. “Flags of Truce.” May 2006. Oxford Public International Law. https://opil.ouplaw.com/display/10.1093/law:epil/9780199231690/law-9780199231690-e297

In ’49, Geneva conventions:

International Committee of the Red Cross. “Geneva Conventions of 1949, Additional Protocols and Their Commentaries.” https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/geneva-conventions-1949additional-protocols-and-their-commentaries

A lot of rules about treatment of noncombatants:

United Nations. “Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.” August 12, 1949. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/geneva-convention-relative-protection-civilian-persons-time-war

The idea of total war:

Britannica Editors. “Total War.” December 5, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/topic/total-war

Dresden:

Dawsey, Jason. “Apocalypse in Dresden, February 1945.” February 13, 2020. The National WWII Museum. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/apocalypse-dresden-february-1945

Fire bombing of Tokyo:

History.com Editors. “Firebombing of Tokyo.” Updated January 31, 2025. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/march-9/firebombing-of-tokyo

Hamburg:

Curatola, John. “Operation Gomorrah: The First of the Firestorms.” July 10, 2023. The National WWII Museum. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/operation-gomorrah-first-firestorms

The Blitz:

Curatola, John. “The Blitz of 1940.” August 27, 2025. The National WWII Museum. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/blitz-1940

Not attacking hospitals:

International Committee of the Red Cross. “The Protection of Hospitals During Armed Conflicts: What the Law Says.” June 11, 2023. https://www.icrc.org/en/document/protection-hospitals-during-armed-conflicts-what-law-says

It’s a horrible thing that Israelis bombed a hospital in the Gaza strip:

United Nations. “Pattern of Israeli Attacks on Gaza Hospitals Raises Grave Concerns – Report.” December 31, 2024. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/12/pattern-israeli-attacks-gaza-hospitals-raises-grave-concerns-report

Who wrote them:

Shaw, Malcolm. “Geneva Conventions.” December 3, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Geneva-Conventions

The Kellog-Briand pact:

Office of the Historian. “The Kellogg-Briand Pact, 1928.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1921-1936/kellogg

The Weimar Republic:

Britannica Editors. “Weimar Republic.” December 19, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/place/Weimar-Republic

You had, clearly, violation of international law when Iraq goes into Kuwait:

Hensel, Howard M. “Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait.” 2023. EBSCO. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/military-history-and-science/iraqi-invasion-kuwait

What George H. Bush’s administration did:

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. “Address to the Nation Announcing Operation Desert Storm, 1991.” https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/address-nation-announcing-operation-desert-storm-1991

Whereas the second Gulf War was sort of a counterpoint:

Doherty, Carroll and Kiley, Jocelyn. “A Look Back at How Fear and False Beliefs Bolstered U.S. Public Support for War in Iraq.” March 14, 2023. Pew Research. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/03/14/a-look-back-at-how-fear-and-false-beliefs-bolstered-u-s-public-support-for-war-in-iraq/

There’s also crimes against humanity:

Legal Information Institute. “Crime Against Humanity.” Reviewed August 2022. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/crime_against_humanity

The history of Gaza being a protectorate of Israel:

United Nations. “The Question of Palestine.” https://www.un.org/unispal/history/

Like in Africa:

United Nations. “Rwanda: A Brief History of the Country.” https://www.un.org/en/preventgenocide/rwanda/historical-background.shtml

If one of the nations is run by a terrorist organization:

Robinson, Kali and Merrow, Will. “What is Hamas?” Updated October 6, 2025. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-hamas

In Article I, Section 8, Clause 10:

Constitution Annotated. “ArtI.S8.C10.1 Historical Background on Maritime Crimes.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-C10-1/ALDE_00001070/

And the next clause:

Constitution Annotated. “ArtI.S8.C11.1.1 Overview of Congressional War Powers.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-C11-1-1/ALDE_00013587/

Like Sarajevo:

Lampe, John R. “Bosnian War: War Crimes and Trials.” Reviewed January 5, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Bosnian-War/War-crimes-and-trials

The International Criminal Court:

https://www.icc-cpi.int/

Why aren’t we a party to it (article from the time):

Bradley, Curtis A. “U.S. Announces Intent Not to Ratify International Criminal Court Treaty.” May 11, 2002. American Society of International Law. https://www.asil.org/insights/volume/7/issue/7/us-announces-intent-not-ratify-international-criminal-court-treaty

Why aren’t we a party to it (more recently):

Hansler, Jennifer. “Trump Administration Sanctions Two More International Criminal Court Judges for Investigating Israel.” December 18, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/18/politics/trump-international-criminal-court-sanctions

Much like the landmine treaty:

United Nations. “Anti-Personnel Landmines Convention.” https://disarmament.unoda.org/en/our-work/conventional-arms/anti-personnel-landmines-convention

Or the Law of the Sea:

International Maritime Organization. “United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.” https://www.imo.org/en/ourwork/legal/pages/unitednationsconventiononthelawofthesea.aspx

We could not find a source to support Anne’s claim that the U.S. is the most prolific user of landmines in the world. Here is a more accurate description of the country’s usage:

Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor. “Mine Ban Policy—United States.” https://the-monitor.org/country-profile/united-states/mine-ban-policy?year=2023

There are massive landmine fields between North and South Korea:

Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor. “Mine Ban Policy—Korea, South.” https://www.the-monitor.org/country-profile/korea-south/mine-ban-policy?year=2023

In the past few years, no people have been maimed in Vietnam from U.S. landmines, largely due to organizations like the following that teach children how to avoid them:

PeaceTrees. “Humanitarian Mine Action.” https://www.peacetreesvietnam.org/what-we-do/mine/explosive-ordnance-risk-education.html

It’s like mustard gas:

CDC. “Mustard Gas.” September 6, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/chemical-emergencies/chemical-fact-sheets/mustard-gas.html

Princess Diana—that was a major cause of hers:

Burke, Myles. “Princess Diana’s 1997 Landmine Walk: ‘I come with my heart’.” January 15, 2024. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20240112-princess-dianas-1997-landmine-walk-i-come-with-my-heart

At least we’re not the ones that make cool little fluttery landmines that are brightly colored like children’s toys:

Hsu, Jeremy. “Drones Used to Find Toylike ‘Butterfly’ Land Mines.” December 28, 2018. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/drones-used-to-find-toylike-butterfly-land-mines/

They train rats to sniff out the landmines:

APOPO. “A Typical Morning for a Mine Sniffing Rat [Video].” https://youtu.be/BX7LnsZU8Nw

They were awarded medals and stuff:

BBC. “Magawa, the Landmine-Sniffing Hero Rat, Dies Aged Eight.” January 11, 2022. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-59951255

Our complex relationship with cluster munitions:

Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor. “Cluster Munition Ban Policy—United States.” https://the-monitor.org/country-profile/united-states/cluster-munition-ban-policy?year=2023

We did, in fact, give some to the Ukraine:

Cancian, Mark F. “Cluster Munitions: What Are They, and Why is the United States Sending Them to Ukraine?” Center for Strategic & International Studies. https://www.csis.org/analysis/cluster-munitions-what-are-they-and-why-united-states-sending-them-ukraine

It’s also a World War I problem:

Coe, Joshua. “‘Iron Harvest’: A Belgian Team Unearths Unexploded Ammunition From WWI.” August 4, 2023. https://theworld.org/stories/2023/08/04/iron-harvest-belgian-team-unearths-unexploded-ammunition-wwi

Ukraine fighting back against Russia:

The Guardian. “Ukraine War Briefing: Kremlin Denounces European Troops Plan as Kyiv Warns of ‘Massive Russian Attack’. January 8, 2026. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/09/ukraine-war-briefing-kremlin-denounces-european-troops-plan-as-kyiv-warns-of-massive-russian-attack

Have you read George Orwell’s essay on pacificism:

Orwell, George. “Pacifism and the War.” Originally published 1942. https://www.orwell.ru/library/articles/pacifism/english/e_patw

We tried to stop that with the U.N.:

https://www.un.org/en/

The idea for the League of Nations:

Britannica Editors. “League of Nations.” December 29, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/topic/League-of-Nations

Wilson may have been foolish:

Cooper, John Milton. “Woodrow Wilson.” Review December 24, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Woodrow-Wilson

The building still exists (alas, it is not a bar and grill):

Genève Internationale. “Chapter 2: Palais Wilson, The Memory and Hostage of Geneva.” https://www.geneve-int.ch/chapter-2-palais-wilson-memory-and-hostage-geneva

Sort of like the Articles of Confederation:

National Archives. “Articles of Confederation (1777).” https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/articles-of-confederation

Who’s on the permanent Security Council:

United Nations. “Security Council.” https://main.un.org/securitycouncil/en/content/current-members

The Abu Ghraib prison scandal:

Shamim, Sarah. “What Happened in Abu Ghraib and Why Did a Court Award Damages?” November 14, 2024. Aljazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/11/14/what-happened-in-abu-ghraib-and-why-did-a-us-court-award-damages

Uniform Code of Military Justice:

Absher, Jim. “The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).” March 25, 2022. https://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/the-uniform-code-of-military-justice-ucmj.html

We could not find a source for Steve’s statement that the last person prosecuted for war crimes, per se, was during the Civil War. Though, someone was certainly prosecuted for their crimes at Andersonville:

 National Park Service. “History of the Andersonville Prison.” https://www.nps.gov/ande/learn/historyculture/camp_sumter_history.htm

Here’s a recent story about U.S. soldiers and war crimes:

Shane III, Leo; Myers, Meghann; and Prine, Carl. “Trump Grants Clemency to Troops in Three Controversial War Crimes Cases.” Military Times. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2019/11/16/trump-grants-clemency-to-troops-in-three-controversial-war-crimes-cases/

Calley:

Linder, Douglas O. “Charges Against Lt. William Calley.” UMKC School of Law. https://www.famous-trials.com/mylaicourts/1627-myl-ctchar

There was a canine handler at Abu Ghraib:

The Associated Press. “Abu Ghraib Dog Handler Sentenced to 6 Months.” March 21, 2006. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna11943182

ICJ:

https://www.icj-cij.org/home

It was court-martial:

Legal Information Institute. “Court-Martial.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/court-martial

The whole lawful/unlawful order thing:

Pereira, Ivan. “What the Military Oath of Enlistment Says About Legal and Illegal Orders.” November 20, 2025. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/military-oath-enlistment-legal-illegal-orders/story?id=127725085

The My Lai massacre, the short version:

American Experience. “The My Lai Massacre.” PBS. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/vietnam-my-lai-massacre/

Seymour Hersh, who broke the story:

Brooks, Xan. “‘He’s a son of a bitch–but he’s usually right’: Why Did Seymour Hersh Quit the Film About His Earth-Shattering Exposés?” December 8, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/08/seymour-hersh-earth-shattering-exposes-my-lai-abu-ghraib-cover-up

The fishing boats:

Angell, Katie. “2025 U.S. Strikes on Venezuelan Vessels: When Washington’s War on Drugs Reaches Venezuela’s Shores.” January 1, 2026. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/2025-US-Strikes-on-Venezuelan-Vessels

We also just seized an oil tanker:

Reuters. “U.S. Seizes Olina Tanker in Caribbean, Fifth Vessel Taken in Venezuela Blockade.” January 9, 2026. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-process-seizing-olina-tanker-caribbean-us-official-says-2026-01-09/

We have a previously good Coast Guard that does this all the time:

Breen, Kerry. “Coast Guard Offloads 27,000 Pounds of Cocaine as it Uses ‘Disabling Fire’ to Stop Some Alleged Drug Boats.” Updated December 16, 2025. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coast-guard-cocaine-seizure-eastern-pacific-ocean-disabling-fire/

They have clear rules of engagement:

Britannica Editors. “Rules of Engagement.” January 2, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/topic/rules-of-engagement-military-directives

They were in international waters:

United Nations. “International Waters.” https://archive.unescwa.org/international-waters

An example in a guide for the military of an unlawful order is bombing people who have been shipwrecked due to an attack:

Finley, Ben and Toropin, Konstantin. “Experts Explain What the Law Says About Killing Survivors of a Boat Strike.” December 1, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-survivors-hegseth-72b0a498ca08615b2589c772a1d9e642

Horrific chapter in our history:

Office of the Historian. “Indian Treaties and the Removal Act of 1830.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1830-1860/indian-treaties

Like in Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy:

Tom Clancy. Clear and Present Danger. Berkley. July 1, 1990.

That’s how it ends:

https://youtu.be/sWwN-yDCjOM?si=QNzS-e2CdSodY8XU

So, I’m going to mention Pearl Harbor:

Scanlon, Sean. “U.S. Intelligence Failures at Pearl Harbor.” September 18, 2025. The National WWII Museum. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/us-intelligence-failures-pearl-harbor

There was a war warning issued by General Marshall:

Brewer, Delaney. “The Attack on Pearl Harbor.” National Museum of the United States Army. https://www.thenmusa.org/articles/attack-on-pearl-harbor/

Kimmel got relieved:

History.com Editors. “Commander at Pearl Harbor Relieved of His Duties.” Updated January 31, 2025. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/december-17/commander-at-pearl-harbor-canned

We let an awful lot of drugs into our country:

U.S. Government Accountability Office. “Fentanyl Continues to Be the Leading Cause of Overdose Deaths. What’s Being Done to Combat Trafficking into the United States?” September 4, 2025. https://www.gao.gov/blog/fentanyl-continues-be-leading-cause-overdose-deaths.-whats-being-done-combat-trafficking-united-states

Doctors prescribe an awful lot of drugs in this country that kill people all the time:

National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics. “Prescription Drug Abuse Statistics.” https://drugabusestatistics.org/prescription-drug-abuse-statistics/

They ordered the survivors to be bombed:

Pigliucci, Cai; FitzGerald, James; and Drenon, Brandon. “Admiral Testified Hegseth Did Not Give ‘Kill them all’ order, U.S. lawmakers say.” December 4, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyxjd6pxzro

Including several Republicans:

Blake, Aaron. “Republicans Are Covering Their Backsides on the Double-tap Strike.” December 2, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/02/politics/republicans-double-tap-strike-trump

As far as drugs go, they aren’t the biggest importer:

Singer, Jeffrey A. “Trump’s Venezuela Gambit: An Incoherent Encore in a Failed Drug War.” December 3, 2025. CATO Institute. https://www.cato.org/blog/trumps-venezuela-gambit-incoherent-encore-failed-drug-war

A lot of people in the past few years have been coming from Venezuela:

United Nations Refugee Agency. “Venezuela Situation.” https://www.unhcr.org/us/emergencies/venezuela-situation

Ooh, evil socialist, we can combat him:

Jeyaretnam, Miranda and de Guzman, Chad. “What’s Happening With the U.S. and Venezuela, Explained.” January 8, 2026. Time. https://time.com/7344628/us-venezuela-trump-maduro-oil-drugs-war-explainer-questions-answered/

There’s also the oil angle:

Roy, Diana and Cheatham. “Venezuela: The Rise and Fall of a Petrostate.” Updated July 31, 2024. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/venezuela-crisis

We’re a net exporter of oil:

U.S. Energy Information Administration. “Oil and Petroleum Products Explained.” Updated January 19, 2024. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/imports-and-exports.php

They could just seize Citgo stations:

Weber, Natalie. “Judge Approves Sale of Houston-Based Citgo to Amber Energy.” December 3, 2025. Houston PBS. https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/business/2025/12/02/537526/judge-approves-sale-of-citgo-to-amber-energy

The Trump administration have identified an enemy, Tren de Aragua:

Roston, Aram. “Maduro Indictment Attempts to Link Venezuelan Leader to Tren de Aragua.” January 4, 2026. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/04/maduro-indictment-trump-tren-de-aragua

A lot of things are happening right now in African countries:

Le Poidevin, Olivia. “Women Bearing the Brunt of Sudan’s Acute Hunger Crisis, UN Says.” January 9, 2026. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/women-bearing-brunt-sudans-acute-hunger-crisis-un-says-2026-01-09/

Anne was incorrect. The Trump administration does seem to care about some things happening in African countries:

Okafor, Makuochi and Otalor, Jean. “Trump Warns of More Nigeria Strikes if Christians ‘Continue to be killed’.” January 9, 2026. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly3vl3yp2do

They keep talking about rare earth minerals:

American Geosciences Institute. “What are Rare Earth Elements, and Why are They Important?” https://profession.americangeosciences.org/society/intersections/faq/what-are-rare-earth-elements-and-why-are-they-important/

Monroe Doctrine:

National Archives. “Monroe Doctrine (1823).” https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/monroe-doctrine

Also, incidentally, sort of welcomed Russia:

Boersner-Herrera, Adriana. “What the Capture of Nicolás Maduro Means for Russia’s Influence in Latin America.” January 8, 2026. London School of Economics. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2026/01/08/russia-influence-latin-america-venezuela-maduro-capture/

Rusty Nails:

https://www.liquor.com/recipes/rusty-nail/

Red Cross, Red Crescent, Red Crystal:

Canadian Red Cross. “The Red Crystal.” https://www.redcross.ca/about-us/about-the-canadian-red-cross/red-cross-emblem/the-red-crystal

The one that Thanos talked to Red Skull about:

https://youtu.be/I0r9s8mfeWc?si=4gvlFqzrSFSP6G9L

Red star—one group ruined it for everybody:

Political Symbols.net. “Red Star.” https://politicalsymbols.net/red-star.html

Oh, Japan:

The Government of Japan. “National Flag and Anthem.” https://www.japan.go.jp/japan/flagandanthem/index.html

Not a rhomboid:

SplashLearn. “Rhomboid Shape: Definition, Formulas, Properties Examples, Facts.” https://www.splashlearn.com/math-vocabulary/rhomboid

What Mack is reading:

John U. Bacon. The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Schuler Books. 2026.

In fact, it’s really popular:

Rosenberg, Allegra. “Why is TikTok Obsessed With a 50-Year-Old Shipwreck.” November 7, 2025. Atlas Obscura. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/edmund-fitzgerald-tiktok-trend

If you don’t know about the Great Lakes:

Great Lakes Commission. “About the Lakes.” https://www.glc.org/lakes/

There’s a term for this—it’s like water sloshing around in a bathtub:

National Ocean Service. “What is a Seiche?” https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/seiche.html

Through the Soo Locks:

Visit Sault Ste. Marie. “Soo Locks.” https://saultstemarie.com/attractions/soo-locks/

Zug Island, River Rouge:

Detroit Historical Society. “Zug Island.” https://www.detroithistorical.org/learn/online-research/encyclopedia-of-detroit/zug-island

Including Ford:

Detroit Historical Society. “Ford Motor Company.” https://www.detroithistorical.org/learn/online-research/encyclopedia-of-detroit/ford-motor-company

It’s called taconite:

Department of Natural Resources. “Taconite.” https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/education/geology/digging/taconite.html

Great Lake freighters:

Great Lakes Now. “Freighters on the Move [Video].” Detroit PBS. https://youtu.be/q8qUcW8iY2E?si=zVV6kW801T33KKWl

Just like Panama Canal:

Bureau of Transportation Statistics. “Vessel Draft Restrictions on the Panama Canal by Locks: February 2022–August 2024.” https://www.bts.gov/browse-statistical-products-and-data/info-gallery/vessel-draft-restrictions-panama-canal-locks

The U.S. could practice naval maneuvers in the Great Lakes:

Chicago Navy Memorial. “Navy Training Vessels of WWII.” https://chicagonavymemorial.org/chicagos-role-in-navy-history/training-ships-aircraft-carriers-lake-michigan

Captain McSorley:

Marrin, Doug. “Ernest McSorley: The Last Captain of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” September 30, 2025. The Sun Times News. https://thesuntimesnews.com/edmund-fitzgerald-50th-anniversary-john-bacon/

The 29:

S. S. Edmund Fitzgerald Online. “The Crew.” https://ssedmundfitzgerald.org/crewtribute

Listen to the song if you haven’t heard it:

https://youtu.be/FuzTkGyxkYI?si=8ZORl77irRERpP0w

They rang it 30 times:

Detroit Free Press. “Mariners’ Church of Detroit Honors Gordon Lightfoot With Tuesday Ringing of Bells [Video].” https://youtu.be/PIq1ELxH2do?si=64c3Ce8l3znglwgS

The Sea Legs was the only good way to drink Laphroaig in a cocktail:

https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/34393/sea-legs

The whiskey we drank:

https://www.bahnbrecker.com/hefeweizen-whiskey

We did that to the Japanese:

Scott, James M. “America’s Undersea War on Shipping.” December 2014. U.S. Naval Institute. https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2014/december/americas-undersea-war-shipping

What has been called the Liberal World Order:

Council on Foreign Relations. “What is the Liberal World Order? [Video].” https://education.cfr.org/learn/video/what-liberal-world-order

Pax Americana:

Smith, Danielle T. “Inflection Points: Pax Americana at a Crossroad.” June 30, 2024. Georgetown Journal of International Affairs. https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2024/06/30/inflection-points-pax-americana-at-a-crossroad/

During that period, there were a lot of people lifted out of poverty throughout the world:

Yonzan, Nishant; Friedman, Jed; Hill, Ruth; Jolliffe, Dean Mitchell; Lakner, Christoph; and Gerszon Mahler, Daniel. “Estimates of Global Poverty From WWII to the Fall of the Berlin Wall.” November 23, 2022. World Bank Blogs. https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/opendata/estimates-global-poverty-wwii-fall-berlin-wall

Democracy spread widely:

Shapiro, Ian. “The Spread of Democracy  in the 20th Century.” December 29, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy/The-spread-of-democracy-in-the-20th-century

And the Borg were a cybernetic race from Star Trek. But you already knew that.

REFERENCES

What about Washington, D.C.?

Duignan, Brian. “What State Is Washington, D.C. In?” June 13, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/story/what-state-is-washington-dc-in

Federalism is…

Legal Information Institute. “Federalism.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/federalism

We should start with the Tenth Amendment:

Constitution Annotated. “Tenth Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-10/

When James Madison and the first Congress under the Constitution were drafting a Bill of Rights:

NCC Staff. “On This Day: James Madison Introduces the Bill of Rights.” June 8, 2023. National Constitution Center. https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/on-this-day-james-madison-introduces-the-bill-of-rights

There were 12 proposed amendments:

National Archives. “Bill of Rights.” Reviewed August 13, 2020. https://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/bor

Mel Brooks and History of the World:

https://youtu.be/I48hr8HhDv0?si=i9tGvexOWMqa99Km

So, in Article 1, Section 8, are the powers of Congress:

Constitution Annotated. “Article I Legislative Branch: Section 8 Enumerated Powers.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-1/section-8/

Article 1, Section 9, are powers denied to Congress:

Constitution Annotated. “Article I Legislative Branch: Section 9 Powers Denied Congress.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-1/section-9/

Article 1, Section 10, are powers denied to the states:

Constitution Annotated. “Article I Legislative Branch: Section 10 Powers Denied States.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-1/section-10/

During the revolution, we were basically a confederation:

National Archives. “Articles of Confederation (1777).” https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/articles-of-confederation

The states always had power, and originally it was royal charters:

Yale Law School. “Colonial Charters, Grants, and Related Documents.” https://avalon.law.yale.edu/subject_menus/statech.asp

They were all British, the original 13:

Ray, Michael. “In What Order Were the 13 American Colonies Established?” July 2, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/In-What-Order-Were-the-13-American-Colonies-Established

Maryland—go Catholics:

 History.com Editors. “The Settlement of Maryland.” Updated May 28, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/march-25/the-settlement-of-maryland

The acts of Parliament that got everybody head up:

American Battlefield Trust. “The Acts That Fueled Rebellion.” January 1, 2024. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/acts-fueled-rebellion

Parliament declares Massachusetts to be in rebellion:

The Falmouth Historical Society. “250 Years Ago: Parliament Declares Massachusetts to be in a State of Rebellion!” https://www.thefhs.org/250-Rebellion

Part of that was going through the shared experience of the French and Indian War:

 Office of the Historian. “French and Indian War/Seven Years’ War, 1754–63.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775/french-indian-war

The Empire is the part you’re living in:

Britannica Editors. “British Empire.” December 1, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/place/British-Empire

Like Jonathan Edwards:

Schafer, Thomas A. “Jonathan Edwards.” October 1, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jonathan-Edwards

They were real assholes:

Mayer, Alicia. “Dominating the Unsaved: The Different Other and Cultural Imperialism in the New England Puritan Way.” April 9, 2024. Center for the Study of World Religions. https://cswr.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/04/10/dominating-unsaved-different-other-and-cultural-imperialism-new-england-puritan-way

There were Tories:

Britannica Editors. “Loyalist.” January 31, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/loyalist

Not even the Epstein files:

Quinnipiac University. “63% Of Voters Disapprove of the Trump Administration's Handling of the Jeffrey Epstein Files, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Nearly Half of Voters Would Consider Joining A Third Party, Just Not One Created by Elon Musk.” July 16, 2025. https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3928

Or the fact that the Earth is round:

Foster, Craig A. and Branch, Glenn. “Do People Really Think Earth Might Be Flat?” August 21, 2018. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/observations/do-people-really-think-earth-might-be-flat/

Or Nazis:

Roston, Aram and Urquhart, Jim. “American Nazis: The Aryan Freedom Network is Riding High in Trump Era.” Updated August 10, 2025. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/investigations/american-nazis-aryan-freedom-network-is-riding-high-trump-era-2025-08-08/

 Or that contrails are just contrails:

Asmelash, Leah. “The Truth Behind Those White Streaks Trailing Behind Jets in the Sky.”  March 12, 2024. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/us/chemtrails-conspiracy-theory-explained-cec

That chocolate milk comes from brown cows:

Coleman, Nancy. “Chocolate Milk Definitely Doesn’t Come From Brown Cows—But Some Adults Think Otherwise.” June 16, 2017. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2017/06/16/us/chocolate-milk-help-trnd

They had a lot of complaints with Parliament:

Library of Congress. “Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention.”  https://www.loc.gov/collections/continental-congress-and-constitutional-convention-from-1774-to-1789/articles-and-essays/timeline/1764-to-1765/

No, I’m sending Hessians after you:

Head, David. “Hessians.” Mount Vernon. https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/hessians

Which, by the way, is not a single document:

The Constitution Society. “The UK Constitution.” https://consoc.org.uk/the-constitution-explained/the-uk-constitution/

At Annapolis:

Lluberes, Cornelia. “Annapolis Convention.” Updated May 30, 2025. Mount Vernon. https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/annapolis-convention

Did you want to skip them:

United States House of Representatives. “Continental and Confederation Congresses.” https://history.house.gov/People/Continental-Congress/Continental-Confederation-Congresses/

It was explicitly to amend the Articles of Confederation, and they went a little above and beyond that:

National Archives. “The Constitution: How Did it Happen?” https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution/how-did-it-happen

In the debates over ratification:

Glover, Lorri. “Nothing Inevitable: The Struggle for Ratification.” Organization of American Historians. https://www.oah.org/tah/the-american-republic/nothing-inevitable-the-struggle-for-ratification/

Including the Federalist Papers:

Library of Congress. “Full Text of The Federalist Papers.” https://guides.loc.gov/federalist-papers/full-text

Oh, and Patrick Henry, who comes out opposed to the Constitution:

Red Hill. “We the People? Or We the States?” https://www.redhill.org/speeches-writings/we-the-people-or-we-the-states/?srsltid=AfmBOorTAXTXp9hDfmHo-EbbyHOJtG7-XJPpVlAmAU3aliOJnyqrTRHV

Speaking of themes in American politics:

Hira, Elizabeth. “The Government Has a Long History of Controlling Women—One That Never Ended.” November 9, 2021. Brennan Center for Justice. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/government-has-long-history-controlling-women-one-never-ended

Federalists, meaning people who were in support of the Constitution:

Britannica Editors. “Federalist Party.” September 25, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Federalist-Party

In the Virginia plan:

National Archives. “Virginia Plan (1787).” https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/virginia-plan

They had guys who had studied this:

National Archives. “Constitution of the United States—A History.” https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/more-perfect-union

Especially John Adams:

National Constitution Center. “John Adams.” https://constitutioncenter.org/signers/john-adams

Just to clarify, neither Adams nor Jefferson were at the Constitutional Convention:

Center for the Study of the American Constitution. “Adams and Jefferson: ‘The North and South Poles of the American Revolution.’” June 18, 2025. https://csac.history.wisc.edu/2025/06/18/adams-and-jefferson-the-north-and-south-poles-of-the-american-revolution/

The phrase imperium in imperio:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imperium%20in%20imperio

You have the Ninth Amendment in there:

Constitution Annotated. “Ninth Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-9/

Expansive commerce much:

Barnett, Randy E. and Koppelman, Andrew. “The Commerce Clause.” Constitution Center. https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/articles/article-i/clauses/752

What you call natural law jurisprudence:

Himma, Kenneth Einar. “Natural Law.” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. https://iep.utm.edu/natlaw/

Everybody should read Griswold v. Connecticut:

Oyez. “Griswold v. Connecticut.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1964/496

The Dobbs case…

Oyez. “Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/2021/19-1392

 …which overturned Roe:

Oyez. “Roe v. Wade.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1971/70-18

That’s where you’ve got the penumbra of whatever:

Legal Information Institute. “Penumbra.” Reviewed August 2024. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/penumbra

So they said Fourth Amendment—privacy:

Constitution Annotated. “Fourth Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-4/

Fourteenth, that’s what we’re getting to:

Constitution Annotated. “Fourteenth Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-14/

Barron v. Baltimore:

Oyez. “Barron ex rel. Tiernan v. Mayor of Baltimore.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1789-1850/32us243

Those are referred to as reserved powers:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reserved%20power

In the Thirteenth…:

Constitution Annotated. “Thirteenth Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-13/

…and Fifteenth Amendments:

Constitution Annotated. “Fifteenth Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-15/

Outside of imprisonment:

Mast, Nina. “Forced Prison Labor in the ‘Land of the Free’.” January 16, 2025. Economic Policy Institute. https://www.epi.org/publication/rooted-racism-prison-labor/

Take freedom of speech:

Constitution Annotated. “First Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-1/

If enough of the states say “Yeah, we agree,”:

National Archives. “Constitutional Amendment Process.” https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/constitution

If you read the Congressional record:

Library of Congress. “14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Primary Documents in American History.” https://guides.loc.gov/14th-amendment/digital-collections

The Supreme Court starts doing the whole narrow interpretation:

Law.com “Strict Construction.” https://dictionary.law.com/default.aspx?selected=2028

Including Plessy v. Ferguson:

Oyez. “Plessy v. Ferguson.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/163us537

Like the right to marry whoever you want:

Head, Tom. “Timeline and History of Marriage Rights.” Updated May 13, 2025. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/marriage-rights-history-721314

It’s called selective incorporation:

Supreme Court Historical Society. “Selective Incorporation.” https://civics.supremecourthistory.org/article/selective-incorporation/

That goes to Article III:

Constitution Annotated. “Article III.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-3/

Which is also why the Second Amendment doesn’t get incorporated until 2000-whatever:

Constitution Annotated. “Second Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-2/

NCC staff. “On This Day, A Divided Supreme Court Rules on the Second Amendment.” June 28, 2023. National Constitution Center. https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/on-this-day-a-divided-supreme-court-rules-on-the-second-amendment

Now, Seventh Amendment:

Constitution Annotated. “Seventh Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-7/

Which is why the Nazis got to march in Skokie, Illinois:

Oyez. “National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/1976/76-1786

Like, legalizing marijuana:

DISA. “Marijuana Legality Map.” Updated December 1, 2025. https://disa.com/marijuana-legality-by-state/

Battle of the Waldorfs (both recommended):

Waldorf 1: 2 oz orange liquor, 1 oz sweet vermouth, 1/2 teaspoon grenadine

Waldorf 2: 1½ oz rye whiskey, 1 oz sweet vermouth, splash of absinthe, dashes of Angostura orange bitters

Special radishes:

Specialty Produce. “French Breakfast Radish.” https://specialtyproduce.com/produce/French_Breakfast_Radish_417.php

Mack’s face:

https://youtu.be/0BoALUr8UoQ?si=NZ5ZTNyUVa7nJJB_

Eldridge Highball (NOT recommended):

https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/37447/eldridge-highball

What Steve is watching:

Firefly. 2002. Fox.

What Mack is reading:

Bram Stoker. Dracula. Archibald Constable and Company. 1897.

It’s an epistolary novel:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epistolary

A new Dracula movie by Luc Besson:

https://youtu.be/mDfdNTf4FA0?si=-iphMcXmTp2A-YTX

The original Hollywood Dracula, Bela Lugosi:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021814/

The Coppola:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103874/

An Anne-hattan:

Make a Manhattan with as little bitters as possible. In fact, none is fine.

Article IV stuff:

Constitution Annotated. “Article IV.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-4/

There was recently a blue wave:

Ax, Josheph; Tsvetkova, Maria; and Reid, Tim. “Democrats Sweep First Major Elections of Second Trump Term.” November 5, 2025. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/elections-new-york-new-jersey-virginia-offer-early-test-trumps-agenda-2025-11-04/

And Buffy was a cheerleader turned vampire hunter. She saved the world a lot. But you already knew that.

REFERENCES

Oligarchy:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oligarchy

Many of them had a council of elders:

Hodkinson, Stephen. “Gerousia.” December 22, 2015. Oxford Classical Dictionary. https://oxfordre.com/classics/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-2832

For Aristotle in his Politics:

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “Aristotle: Politics.” https://iep.utm.edu/aristotle-politics/

Aristocracy:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aristocracy

The Soviet Union after Stalin:

Little, Becky. “Soviet Union Leaders: A Timeline.” History.com https://www.history.com/articles/soviet-union-leaders-order

Totalitarian:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/totalitarian

You had the Politburo:

Editors of Encyclopedia Brittanica. “Politburo.” March 8, 2023. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Politburo

Khrushchev:

Gibney, Frank B. “Nikita Krushchev.” Updated October 27, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nikita-Sergeyevich-Khrushchev

The Cuban Missile Crisis:

Office of the Historian. “The Cuban Missile Crisis, October 1962.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1961-1968/cuban-missile-crisis

Gerontocracy:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gerontocracy

In Ancient Rome, the Senate is derived from senex which means “old man”:

Merriam-Webster. “Senate: Word History.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/senate#word-history

The song that Anne was attempting to sing:

https://youtu.be/ZKCiC-H2Xbg?si=bUP1DxKiJ4C0bIFv

We do have a bunch of old senators:

DeSilver, Drew. “Age and Generation in the 119th Congress: Somewhat Younger, With Fewer Boomers and more Gen Xers.” January 16, 2025. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/01/16/age-and-generation-in-the-119th-congress-somewhat-younger-with-fewer-boomers-and-more-gen-xers/

Senators were originally appointed by the state legislatures:

National Archives. “17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Direct Election of U.S. Senators (1913).” Reviewed February 8, 2022. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/17th-amendment

Project 2025, they are substantially entrenched in the White House right now:

Wardwell, Faith. “The Key Project 2025 Authors Now Staffing the Trump Administration.” March 12, 2025. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/key-project-2025-authors-now-staffing-trump-administration-rcna195107

Sending troops into cities:

Reuters. “Trump Tells U.S. Troops He is Ready to Send ‘More Than the National Guard’ Into Cities.” October 28, 2025. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-tells-us-troops-he-is-ready-send-more-than-national-guard-into-cities-2025-10-28/

Sparta was an example of an oligarchy because the ephors were the ones that really had the power:

Editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica. “Ephor.” December 18, 2011. https://www.britannica.com/topic/ephor

Anarchy:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anarchy

Monarchy:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monarchy

What Plato described in the Republic as a philosopher king:

Lane, Melissa. “Philosopher King.” February 5, 2024. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/philosopher-king

Tyrant:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tyrant

Franklin Roosevelt:

The White House. “Franklin D. Roosevelt.” https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/franklin-d-roosevelt/

With almost 25% unemployment:

Romer, Christina D. and Pells, Richard H. “Great Depression.” Updated October 26, 2025. Brittanica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Great-Depression

And the Dust Bowl:

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Dust Bowl.” Updated October 2, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Dust-Bowl

The first 100 days where a lot of legislation gets passed:

Freidel, Frank. “The First Term of Franklin D. Roosevelt.” Updated October 31, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Franklin-D-Roosevelt/The-first-term

Lincoln:

The White House. “Abraham Lincoln.” https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/abraham-lincoln/

But Lincoln had a nation-wide insurrection going on:

Weber, Jennifer L. and Hassler, Warren W. “American Civil War.” Updated October 12, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/American-Civil-War

Populist:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/populist

Tariffs are not helping the economy:

Clarke, Jennifer. “What Tariffs has Trump Announced and Why?” October 30, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn93e12rypgo

Autocracy:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autocracy

Even in Britain…:

Kellner, Peter and Harford Thomas, William. “England: Government and Society.” Updated November 1, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/England/Government-and-society

Republic:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/republic

Since the Magna Carta days:

Stenton, Doris Mary. “Magna Carta.” Updated October 2, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Magna-Carta

Well, there’s reasons why the civil wars happened:

Ohlmeyer, Jane H. “English Civil Wars.” Updated September 30, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/English-Civil-Wars

If you look at the South, antebellum, the planter class:

National Geographic. “The Plantation System.” Updated January 22, 2025. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/plantation-system/

Plutocracy:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plutocracy

Disney hounds:

Disneyclips. “The Definitive Disney Dogs List.” Updated May 1, 2024. https://www.disneyclips.com/funstuff/disney-dog-names.html

The Underworld:

Van de Kerkhof, Maup. “Pluto: The Roman God of the Underworld.” March 24, 2025. History Cooperative. https://historycooperative.org/pluto-god/

The etymology of plutocracy:

Merriam-Webster. “Plutocracy: Word History.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plutocracy#word-history

Some of the attendees at the swearing in ceremony:

Swenson, Ali. “Trump, A Populist President, is Flanked by Tech Billionaires at His Inauguration.” January 20, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/trump-inauguration-tech-billionaires-zuckerberg-musk-wealth-0896bfc3f50d941d62cebc3074267ecd

Elon Musk didn’t last even a year:

Gold, Hadas. “The Trump-Musk Breakup Appears to be Complete.” July 7, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/07/tech/elon-musk-donald-trump-breakup

Minimum wage:

Economic Policy Institute. “Minimum Wage Tracker.” Updated October 1, 2025. https://www.epi.org/minimum-wage-tracker/

CEO pay in the meantime:

Sainato, Michael. “CEO-to-Worker Pay Gap Surges to 632 to 1 at U.S.’s Lowest-Paying Large Firms, Study Shows.” August 21, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/21/ceo-worker-salaries

The gap:

Sherman, Arloc; Trisi, Danilo; and Cureton, Josephine. “A Guide to Statistics on Historical Trends in Income Inequality.” December 11, 2024. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. https://www.cbpp.org/research/poverty-and-inequality/a-guide-to-statistics-on-historical-trends-in-income-inequality

Since the Gilded Age:

Klein, Christopher. “How the Gilded Age’s Top 1 Percent Thrived on Corruption.” Updated June 30, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/gilded-age-corruption-corporate-wealth

Kakistocracy:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kakistocracy

Kleptocracy:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kleptocracy

Our word idiot comes from Ancient Greek idios:

Merriam-Webster. “Idiot: Word History.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idiot#word-history

Citizens who did not participate in government were the idios:

Jaqua, Kirsten. “The Idiot and the Community.” August 20, 2020. Interdisciplinary Humanities Center. https://www.ihc.ucsb.edu/the-idiot-and-the-community/

It was a movie:

https://youtu.be/6lai9QhBibk?si=Zucn9XLG4vm4m6ya

Why is Bad Bunny not welcome at the Super Bowl:

Wingard, Jason. “Inside Roger Goodell’s Bad Bunny Super Bowl Halftime Dilemma.” Updated October 31, 2025. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonwingard/2025/10/30/bad-bunny-the-nfl-and-goodells-impossible-halftime-dilemma/

Marjorie Taylor Green isn’t the brightest bulb in the closet:

Dunbar, Marina. “Marjorie Taylor Greene Condemned Over Helene Weather Conspiracy Theory.” October 7, 2024. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/07/marjorie-taylor-greene-hurricane-helene

There have been some very interesting critiques of Trump’s speaking patterns and his competency mental-wise:

Gabbatt, Adam. “‘He Has Trouble Completing a Thought’: Bizarre Public Appearances Again Cast Doubt on Trump’s Mental Acuity” [Analysis]. August 3, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/03/donald-trump-mental-fitness

Cacophony:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cacophony

Stalin:

Hingley, Ronald Francis. “Joseph Stalin.” Updated October 27, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Stalin

Hitler:

Bullock, Alan; Bullock, Baron; and Knapp, Wilfrid F. “Adolph Hitler.” Updated November 1, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Adolf-Hitler

Tom Holman:

Lynch, Sarah N. “Trump Aide Homan Accepted $50,000 in Bribery Sting Operation, Sources Say.” Updated September 22, 2025. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-aide-homan-accepted-50000-bribery-sting-operation-sources-say-2025-09-21/

Trump’s crypto:

Gauthier-Villars, David; Bergin, Tom; Conlin, Michelle; Delevingne, Lawrence; and Wilson, Tom. “Inside the Trump Family’s Global Crypto Cash Machine.” Updated October 28, 2025. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/investigations/inside-trump-familys-global-crypto-cash-machine-2025-10-28/

The plane:

Debusmann, Jr., Bernd. “U.S. Begins Preparing Qatari Jet to be Used as Air Force One.” July 28, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy5lp4v594o

“Donations” to his presidential library:

May, Madeleine; Ingram, Julia; and Marr, Hannah. “Critics of Trump’s Presidential Library Fundraising Say ‘There Are No Rules’.” Updated July 16, 2025. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-presidential-library-fundraising/

John Oliver’s episode about that:

https://youtu.be/dB1-lg-xZWc?si=0KnZcS9P1JuIO5_k

Make the Secret Service pay for the hotel room:

Chidi, George. “Trump Overcharged Secret Service by 300% for Accommodations at His Hotels.” October 18, 2024. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/18/trump-overcharge-secret-service-hotel

Or the Trump International Hotel:

Altman, Alex. “Donald Trump’s Suite of Power.” Time. https://time.com/donald-trumps-suite-of-power/

Democracy:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/democracy

Representative democracy:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/representative%20democracy

Authoritarianism:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authoritarianism

Totalitarianism:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/totalitarianism

North Korea, one of the most extreme forms of totalitarianism:

Albert, Eleanor. “North Korea’s Power Structure.” Updated June 17, 2020. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/north-koreas-power-structure

The Christian Nationalists:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Christian%20nationalism

Theocracy:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theocracy

Go back to Project 2025, because that’s where their version of this goes:

Leingang, Rachel and Herman, Alice. “‘Testing Ground for Project 2025’: Behind Oklahoma’s Rightwing Push to Erode the Line Between Church and State.’ February 27, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/feb/27/oklahoma-project-2025-education

Nationalism:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nationalism

And, of course, the Nazis:

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Nazism.” Updated October 23, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Nazism

Nationalism versus patriotism:

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Nationalism vs. Patriotism: What’s the Difference.” Updated October 29, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nationalism-vs-Patriotism-Whats-the-Difference

Socialism:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/socialism

Communism:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communism

Devotees of Ayn Rand:

https://aynrand.org/

Stalinism:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Stalinism

The government now owns stake of how many companies:

Harrell, Peter E. “The Legal Bases for Government Stakes in Private Firms.” August 28, 2025. Lawfare. https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-legal-bases-for-government-stakes-in-private-firms

Remember when the Tea Party was ascendent and Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House, and everybody was talking about Ayn Rand:

Luzer, Daniel. “Taking Tea With Ayn Rand.” March 29, 2012. Columbia Journalism Review. https://www.cjr.org/critical_eye/taking_tea_with_ayn_rand.php

For example, for a long time in Britain, if you were a doctor or nurse, you worked for the government:

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “National Health Service.” Updated October 28, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Health-Service

Tennessee Valley Authority:

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Tennessee Valley Authority.” Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/money/Tennessee-Valley-Authority

BAE Systems:

Amir, Amir R. and Weiss, Stanley I. “BAE Systems.” Updated February 12, 2023. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/money/BAE-Systems

Nvidia:

Associated Press. “Under New, Unusual Agreement, U.S. Will Get a 15% Cut of Nvidia and AMD Chip Sales to China.” August 11, 2025. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/under-new-unusual-agreement-u-s-will-get-a-15-cut-of-nvidia-and-amd-chip-sales-to-china

Command economy:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/command%20economy

Mao Zedong:

Reynolds Schram, Stuart. “Mao Zedong.” Updated October 18, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mao-Zedong

Ukraine in the 1930s, the forced famine:

Applebaum, Anne. “Holodomor.” Updated September 29, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Holodomor

Postal Service:

Sawicky, Max B. “The U.S. Postal Service Is a National Asset: Don’t Trash It.” September 29, 2020. Center for Economic and Policy Research. https://cepr.net/publications/the-us-postal-service-is-a-national-asset-dont-trash-it/

Fascism:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fascism

A talk show host with one of the most popular evening talk shows:

Wood, Becca. “Why Was ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Canceled?” August 12, 2025. Today. https://www.today.com/popculture/tv/why-was-the-late-show-stephen-colbert-canceled-rcna224144

Jimmy Kimmel:

Goldman, David. “Jimmy Kimmel Explains How He Learned He Was Being Yanked Off the Air – and Thought He’d Never Return.” Updated October 1, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/01/media/jimmy-kimmel-stephen-colbert

Walter Cronkite:

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Walter Cronkite.” Updated October 31, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Walter-Cronkite

Edward R. Murrow:

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Edward R. Murrow.”  June 11, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edward-R-Murrow

The producer of “60 Minutes” retired:

Reilly, Liam. “‘60 Minutes’ Executive Producer Resigns, Citing a Loss of Independence in the Wake of Trump Lawsuit.” Updated April 22, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/22/media/60-minutes-executive-producer-resigns-independence

There has been a gradual takeover of major forms of media:

Helmore, Edward. “How the U.S. Right Wing is Taking Over News Media and Choking Press Freedom” [Analysis]. September 12, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/14/rightwing-news-media-journalism

Napolean’s puppies from Animal Farm:

Villain’s Wiki. “Dogs (Animal Farm).” https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Dogs_(Animal_Farm)

Benito Mussolini:

Hilbert, Christopher and Foot, John. “Benito Mussolini.” Updated October 11, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Benito-Mussolini

In Ancient Rome, the fasces:

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Fasces.” March 12, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/fasces

You can see them on the wall of the House of Representatives:

History, Art, & Archives. “House Rostrum.” United States House of Representatives. https://history.house.gov/Education/Fact-Sheets/Rostrum-Fact-Sheet2/

Trump’s acceptance at the convention in 2016:

C-SPAN. “Donald Trump 2016 Acceptance Speech” [Video]. July 21, 2016. https://www.c-span.org/program/campaign-2016/donald-trump-2016-acceptance-speech/449706

The Brown Shirts:

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “SA.” August 27, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/SA-Nazi-organization

Working toward the Führer:

University of Oregon. “Working Toward the Führer.” https://pages.uoregon.edu/dluebke/NaziGermany443/410WorkingTowardstheFuehrer.html

Like, Patriot Front:

George Washington University. “Patriot Front.” https://extremism.gwu.edu/patriot-front

Or, perhaps, ICE:

BBC Verify. “Masked Agents, Tear Gas, and Raids: The Tactics Used in Trump’s Deportation Drive” [Video]. https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c6299nrj76yo

And the Proud Boys:

George Washington University. “Proud Boys.” https://extremism.gwu.edu/proud-boys

The SS:

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. “The SS.” https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/ss

Three Percenters:

Southern Poverty Law Center. “Three Percenters.” https://www.splcenter.org/resources/extremist-files/three-percenters/

Look what they did on January 6:

Duignan, Brian. “January 6 U.S. Capitol Attack.” Updated October 30, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/event/January-6-U-S-Capitol-attack

Not just from the $50,000 signing bonus:

Debusmann Jr., Bernd. “U.S. Offers Up to $50K Bonus for Would-Be ICE Deportation Officers.” August 1, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqle5newg0no

Getting toward a Gestapo:

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. “The Gestapo: Overview.” https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/gestapo

Guys wearing masks and not following laws:

Das, Alina. “The Law and Lawlessness of U.S. Immigration Detention.” March 2025. Harvard Law Review. https://harvardlawreview.org/print/vol-138/the-law-and-lawlessness-of-u-s-immigration-detention/

Stephen Miller:

Roth, Andrew. “How Stephen Miller is Turning the U.S. State Department Into an ‘Anti-Immigration Machine’.” October 31, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/31/stephen-miller-immigration-trump

Kristi Noem:

Hawkinson, Katie. “Kristi Noem Mulls Using ‘Private Bounty Hunters’ to Track Down Immigrants, Report Says.” November 1, 2025. The Independent. https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/kristi-noem-ice-bounty-hunters-report-b2856825.html

Antifa:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antifa

Which, apparently, is a terrorist group:

Lucas, Ryan. “As Trump Talks of Designating Antifa a Foreign Terrorist Group, Experts See Danger.” October 28, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/10/28/nx-s1-5587726/trump-antifa-terrorist-group

They made it into the news during the Black Lives Matter protest:

Georgacopoulos, Christina and Poche, Trey. “Fake News, Disinformation, and the George Floyd Protests: ANTIFA Conspiracy.” LSU. https://faculty.lsu.edu/fakenews/about/protestfakenews.php

Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact:

Editors of Encyclopedia. “German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact.” Updated October 11, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/German-Soviet-Nonaggression-Pact

Making Portland “war-ravaged”:

The Oregonian. “Portland Awaits National Guard Ruling, A Look at ICE Protest Arrests, Soggy Halloween Protests: Get Caught Up.” November 1, 2025. https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2025/11/portland-awaits-national-guard-ruling-a-look-ice-protest-arrests-soggy-halloween-protests-get-caught-up.html

Doesn’t it have to start as a wine:

Bass and Flinders Distillery. “How is Brandy Made? Get to Know Your Brandy.” https://www.bassandflindersdistillery.com/blogs/news/how-is-brandy-made-get-to-know-your-brandy?srsltid=AfmBOopMAtGfuHYor0zle6bw6e8io35GhxZgdlvOOiMfjb2FoDObrl4X

At the Texas Folklife Festival:

https://texasfolklife.org/

You can now:

Distillery Trail. “Texas Files Bill to Make Home Distilling Legal – No License or Permit Required.” February 9, 2025. https://www.distillerytrail.com/blog/texas-files-bill-to-make-home-distilling-legal-no-license-or-permit-required/

The difference between a rye and a bourbon:

Skiver Barton, Susannah. “Rye Whiskey Vs. Bourbon: The Main Differences.”  August 31, 2022. Liquor.com. https://www.liquor.com/bourbon-vs-rye-whiskey-6541248

What Mack is reading:

William Manchester. The Glory and the Dream: A History of America, 1932-1972. (1974, Little, Brown, and Company).

FDR’s New Deal:

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “New Deal.” Updated October 27, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/New-Deal

Hoover is still President:

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Herbert Hoover.” Updated October 16, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Herbert-Hoover

Bank failures are the real problem:

McGee, Suzanne. “How Bank Failures Contributed to the Great Depression.” Updated May 28, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/bank-failures-great-depression-1929-crash

Deflation:

Corporate Finance Institute. “Deflation.” https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/economics/deflation/

The Bonus Army:

National Park Service. “The 1932 Bonus Army.” https://www.nps.gov/articles/the-1932-bonus-army.htm

Douglas MacArthur:

James, D. Clayton. “Douglas MacArthur.” Updated October 1, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Douglas-MacArthur

Not the exact same recipe, but what Steve is baking:

The Modern Nonna. “Banitsa.” Updated July 27, 2024. https://themodernnonna.com/banitsa/

Jane Goodall purposely recorded a video to be aired once she died:

https://youtu.be/lfLKHY52ERc?si=KMS30sIfWxDpVu92

Catastrophe:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catastrophe

And K9 is a delightfully comic robot dog from the Doctor Who universe. But you already knew that.

REFERENCES

Congress is defined in Article I of the Constitution:

Constitution Annotated. “Article I.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-1/

They didn’t want a king:

Pereira, Ivan. “Nation’s Founders Pushed Against ‘Elected King’ When Framing Presidential Powers.” July 2, 2024. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/nations-founders-pushed-elected-king-framing-presidential-powers/story?id=111621798

You know how Aristotle called for “balanced government”:

Smith, Steven. “9. The Mixed Regime and the Rule of Law: Aristotle’s Politics, VII” [YouTube video]. Yale Courses. https://youtu.be/mKLkb4LDi5M?si=NLTY5uPD9omUdXGZ

The Senate, originally, chosen by the state legislatures:

United States Senate. “Landmark Legislation: The Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution.” https://www.senate.gov/about/origins-foundations/senate-and-constitution/seventeenth-amendment.htm

The Seventeenth Amendment:

Constitution Annotated. “Seventeenth Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-17/

Part of the Progressive Era:

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “The Progressive Era Key Facts.” September 28, 2020. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/summary/The-Progressive-Era-Key-Facts

“No appropriations shall be made but by law”:

Constitution Annotated. “ArtI.S9.C7.1 Overview of Appropriations Clause.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S9-C7-1/ALDE_00001095/

There’s Project 2025, too:

Wendling, Mike. “Project 2025: The Right-Wing Wish List for Trump’s Second Term.” February 13, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c977njnvq2do

During Nixon’s administration, Nixon tried what is called “impoundment”:

Kogan, Richard, “FAQs on Impoundment: Presidential Actions Are Constrained by Long-Standing Constitutional Restrictions.” November 21, 2024. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/faqs-on-impoundment-presidential-actions-are-constrained-by-long-standing

The Supreme Court ruled that unconstitutional:

Justia. “Train v. City of New York, 420 U.S. 35 (1975).” https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/420/35/

It could be a veto override:

United States House of Representatives. “Presidential Vetoes.” Updated January 23, 2025. https://history.house.gov/Institution/Presidential-Vetoes/Presidential-Vetoes/

USAID:

Faguy, Ana. “USAID Officially Closes, Attracting Condemnation From Obama and Bush.” July 2, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c307zq8ppj6o

That was part of the DOGE-ness:

Clarke, Jennifer. “What is DOGE and Why Has Musk Left?” May 20, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c23vkd57471o

Project 2025 had it:

Mathiasen, Karen. “Project 2025 and Development Policy: I Read It So You Don’t Have To.” July 20, 2024. https://www.cgdev.org/blog/project-2025-and-development-policy-i-read-it-so-you-dont-have

Some people have not liked USAID for years:

Kakissis, Joanna; Bartlett, Kate; Peralta, Eyder; and Hadid, Diaa. “How the Gutting of USAID is Reverberating Around the World: Worry, Despair, Praise.” February 11, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/02/11/g-s1-47661/trump-musk-usaid-ukraine-south-africa-mexico-colombia-india-afghanistan-hiv

Aid has stopped going to these places:

Mednick, Sam; McMakin, Wilson; and Pronczuk, Monika. “USAID Cuts are Already Hitting Countries Around the World: Here are 20 Projects That Have Closed.” AP News. https://apnews.com/article/usaid-cuts-hunger-sickness-288b1d3f80d85ad749a6d758a778a5b2

Food has spoiled:

Hartner, Fred. “‘The Impact has Been Devastating’: How USAID Freez Sent Shockwaves Through Ethiopia." February 21, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/ng-interactive/2025/feb/21/the-impact-has-been-devastating-how-usaid-freeze-sent-shockwaves-through-ethiopia

Supplies have been destroyed:

Kent, Lauren. “US to Burn $9.7 Million Worth of USAID-Purchased Contraceptives Rather Than Deliver Them to Women Overseas.” July 29, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/29/europe/usaid-contraceptives-burn-belgium-france-intl

Furloughed the people:

Tanis, Fatma. “USAID Terminates Nearly All Its Remaining Employees.” March 28, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/03/28/g-s1-56968/usaid-terminates-nearly-all-its-remaining-employees

People were going to the courts to say, “Hey, this is illegal.”:

Wagner, Erich. “Judge Certifies Class in Lawsuit on Behalf of Ex-USAID Workers, Contractors." August 19, 2025. Government Executive. https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2025/08/judge-certifies-class-lawsuit-behalf-ex-usaid-workers-contractors/407551/

Being wined and dined by monarchy:

Reals, Tucker; Ott, Haley; and Watson, Kathryn. “Trump Attends Banquet Dinner With King Charles During Second State Visit to U.K.” Updated September 17, 2025. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/trump-uk-state-visit-epstein-protests-king-charles-windsor-castle/

There is an allocation to the White House for travel and other expenses:

U.S. Government Accountability Office. “White House Spending.” September 14, 2023. https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-106450

From the General Service Administration:

https://www.gsa.gov/

Oversight:

Gongress.gov “Congressional Oversight and Investigations.” https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF10015

Separation of powers:

Constitution Annotated. “Intro.7.2 Separation of Powers Under the Constitution.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/intro.7-2/ALDE_00000031/

You can be held in contempt of Congress:

Legal Information Institute. “Contempt of Congress.” Reviewed July 2022. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/contempt_of_congress

They’d have to send their Sargent at Arms:

United States House of Representatives. “Sergeant at Arms.” https://www.house.gov/the-house-explained/officers-and-organizations/sergeant-at-arms

(Who currently does not appear to be 60- nor 70-years-old):

United States Senate. “Sergeant at Arms Jennifer A. Hemingway.” https://www.senate.gov/about/officers-staff/sergeant-at-arms/hemingway-jennifer.htm

The power of the purse:

United States House of Representatives. “Power of the Purse.” https://history.house.gov/Institution/Origins-Development/Power-of-the-Purse/

Say the FBI Director was testifying in front of Congress:

Debusmann, Jr., Bernd. “Kash Patel’s Combative Senate Hearing: Key Takeaways.” September 16, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9dxq8dn4xdo

They pass a budget, which they haven’t ever done in 20 years:

Desilver, Drew. “Congress Has Long Struggled to Pass Spending Bills on Time.” October 1, 2025. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/10/01/congress-has-long-struggled-to-pass-spending-bills-on-time/

When we say “shut down the government,” like, how literal is that:

Committee for A Responsible Federal Budget. “Government Shutdowns Q&A: Everything You Should Know.” September 16, 2025. https://www.crfb.org/papers/government-shutdowns-qa-everything-you-should-know

Since the 90s, all of the federal employees who were not getting paychecks, got back pay:

Partnership for Public Service. “How the Federal Workforce is Impacted During a Government Shutdown." https://ourpublicservice.org/fed-figures/the-federal-workforce-during-a-government-shutdown/

It’s not just Federal programs (one example):

League of Minnesota Cities. “Federal Government Shutdown: What It Means for Cities.” October 1, 2025. https://www.lmc.org/news-publications/news/all/federal-government-shutdown-what-it-means-for-cities/

The defining moment of McCarthyism:

American Experience. “‘Have You No Decency?’: McCarthy” [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/svUyYzzv6VI?si=k5O3t6ZQQ-CUkZDI

Dean and Watergate:

Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. “Howard Baker and John Dean ‘What Did the President Know and When did He Know It’” [Video]. https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/media/video/howard-baker-and-john-dean-what-did-president-know-and-when-did-he-know-it

Some of that came into play with Vietnam:

Spector, Ronald H. “The Fall of South Vietnam.” Updated September 18, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Vietnam-War/The-fall-of-South-Vietnam

The third way they can do something is impeachment:

USA.gov. “How Federal Impeachment Works.” Updated April 14, 2025. https://www.usa.gov/impeachment

There are also regular hearings that are set:

Congress.gov “Types of Committee Hearings.” https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/98-317

A problematic policy like, say, destroying vaccines:

Noguchi, Yuki. “Senators From Both Parties Grilled RFK, Jr. on Vaccines and More.” September 4, 2025. https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/09/04/nx-s1-5528966/rfk-kennedy-hearing-covid-vaccines-cdc

These people went to school together:

Schaeffer, Katherine. “Nearly All Members of the 118th Congress Have a Bachelor’s Degree–and Most Have a Graduate Degree, Too.” February 2, 2023. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/02/02/nearly-all-members-of-the-118th-congress-have-a-bachelors-degree-and-most-have-a-graduate-degree-too/

Take the example of Nixon’s resignation:

Elving, Ron. “Half a Century Ago, Nixon Became the Only President to Resign.” August 9, 2024. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2024/08/09/nx-s1-5068704/nixon-resign

You probably wouldn’t find a better horse trader:

Perry, Barbara A. “Joe Biden: Life Before the Presidency.” Miller Center. https://millercenter.org/president/biden/life-before-the-presidency

Noob:

Nelson, Michael. “Barack Obama: Life Before the Presidency.” Miller Center. https://millercenter.org/president/obama/life-before-the-presidency

Think about Johnson and the Civil Rights Act:

Gittinger, Ted and Fisher, Allen. “LBJ Champions the Civil Rights Act of 1964.” Reviewed February 6, 2023. National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2004/summer/civil-rights-act

 Senator Hubert Humphry:

Miller Center. “Hubert H. Humphrey.” https://millercenter.org/president/lbjohnson/essays/humphrey-1963-vicepresident

Al Gore, Sr.:

Creekmore, Betsey B. “Albert Arnold Gore, Sr.” September 25, 2018. Volopedia. https://volopedia.lib.utk.edu/entries/albert-arnold-gore-sr/

Estes Kefauver:

United States Senate. “Estes Kefauver: A Featured Biography.” https://www.senate.gov/senators/FeaturedBios/Featured_Bio_KefauverEstes.htm

Johnson had been majority leader in Senate:

United States Senate. “Senate Leaders.” https://www.senate.gov/about/parties-leadership/johnson-b-lyndon.htm

At the same time, the House Speaker was Sam Rayburn:

Johnson, Lyndon B. and Champagne, Anthony M. “Sam Rayburn.” January 2, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sam-Rayburn

“To get along, go along.”:

RayBurnMrSpeaker.com. “RayBurnisms.” https://www.rayburnmrspeaker.com/rayburnisms

Logrolling:

Political Dictionary. “Logrolling.” https://politicaldictionary.com/words/logrolling/

Rolling logs:

https://youtube.com/shorts/J6Gt1BfzNRA?si=Ms8iPE-sObR_WtJ4

The movie Charlie Wilson’s War:

https://youtu.be/G1mnSjjeC2o?si=et5vV0KngLrdB8Ls

Tom DeLay:

Parrott-Sheffer, Chelsey. “Tom DeLay.” August 3, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tom-DeLay

Gingrich:

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Newt Gingrich.” Updated September 5, 3035. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Newt-Gingrich

Partisan leadership got much more control of funding for Congressman:

Kornberg, Maya and Deng, Sophia. “How Money Shapes Pathways to Power in Congress.” September 10, 2024. Brennan Center for Justice. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/how-money-shapes-pathways-power-congress

When they bring freshman in to orient them together (which they are trying to restore):

Papp, Justin. “Incoming Members of Congress Descend on Capitol Hill for Orientation.” November 12, 2024. Roll Call. https://rollcall.com/2024/11/12/congress-house-new-member-orientation-2024/

You wouldn’t bring your family to D.C.:

Wire, Sarah D. “This is What It’s Like to be a Cross-Country Flight Away From Your Constituents–and Your Family.” April 30, 2018. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-congress-california-fly-home-20180430-story.html

In part, because of the demands of fundraising:

Minkin, Amelia. “The 118th Congress’ Fundraising Treadmill.” February 4, 2025. Issue One. https://issueone.org/articles/the-118th-congress-fundraising-treadmill/

The budget situation has obviously changed since we recorded. Here is updated information at the time of posting:

Hubbard, Kaia and Yilek, Caitlin. “Government Shutdown Live Updates as Funding Impasse Stretches Into Second Day.” October 2, 2025. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/government-shutdown-latest-second-day-trump-johnson/

Like renaming bases:

Guldin, Joanna. “Trump is Renaming 7 Army Installations: Here are the Stories Behind the Names Being Scrubbed.” June 17, 2025. Military.com. https://www.military.com/history/trump-renaming-7-army-installations-here-are-stories-behind-names-being-scrubbed.html

This is also a lot of Project 2025 people:

Wardwell, Faith. “The Key Project 2025 Authors Now Staffing the Trump Administration.” March 12, 2025. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/key-project-2025-authors-now-staffing-trump-administration-rcna195107

For instance, renaming the Defense Department, the War Department:

Debusmann, Jr., Bernd. “Trump Rebrands Department of Defense as Department of War.” September 5, 2025. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgr9r4qr0ppo

Or done it themselves:

Matza, Max. “Proud Boys and Oath Keepers Among Over 1,500 Capitol Right Defendants Pardoned by Trump.” January 20, 2025. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y7l47xrpko

Things that are actually making them upset (one example):

Thorp V, Frank; Kapur, Sahil; and Leach, Brennan. “Some Republicans Object to Trump’s Move to Cancel Spending, Warning of a Shutdown.” September 3, 2025. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/republicans-object-trumps-rescission-cancel-spending-warning-shutdown-rcna228758

The Epstein files:

Ferris, Sarah; Grayer, Annie; Fox, Lauren; and Raju, Manu. “The Epstein Files are Roiling the House GOP, and There’s No End in Sight.” July 24, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/24/politics/house-republicans-epstein-trump

They’re scared of getting shot:

Wong, Scott; Zanona, Melanie; and Stewart, Kyle. “‘People are Scared to Death’: Members of Congress Fear for Their Safety After Charlie Kirk Assassination.” September 11, 2025. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/congress-scared-charlie-kirk-assassination-canceling-events-rcna230632

Violence is increasing in our culture:

Jipson, Art and Becker, Paul J. “Right-Wing Extremist Violence is More Frequent and More Deadly Than Left-Wing Violence: What the Data Shows.” September 17, 2025. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/right-wing-extremist-violence-is-more-frequent-and-more-deadly-than-left-wing-violence-what-the-data-shows-265367

They don’t want to get voted out:

Reynolds, Molly E. “Even the Perceive Threat of a Primary Alters Behavior in Congress.” October 30, 2018. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/even-the-perceived-threat-of-a-primary-alters-behavior-in-congress/

Trump’s approval rating has been the lowest it’s ever been:

McHardy, Martha. “Donald Trump’s Approval Rating Hits Record Low for Second Term.” Updated October 2, 2025. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trumps-approval-rating-hits-record-low-for-second-term-10815700

People, like farmers, are being impacted financially:

Starr, Stephen. “Farmers in U.S. Midwest Squeezed by Trump Tariffs and Climate Crisis.” August 16, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/16/farmers-trump-tariffs-climate-change

According to what they voted on, which is the economy:

Boak, Josh and Thomson-Deveaux, Amelia. “Voters Who Focused on the Economy Broke Hard for Trump.” November 8, 2024. AP News. https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2024/ap-votecast-voters-who-focused-on-the-economy-broke-hard-for-trump/

Mack may be overestimating how many Americans can withstand the strain of higher prices:

Cerullo, Megan. “Most Americans Don’t Earn Enough to Afford Basic Costs of Living, Analysis Finds.” Updated May 16, 2025. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cost-of-living-income-quality-of-life/

Including Trump said we may have to go through hard times:

Allen, Jonathan. “Trump Rejects Concerns About Prices and Economic Uncertainty as He Defends His Agenda.” May 4, 2025. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trump-rejects-concerns-prices-economic-uncertainty-defends-agenda-rcna203512

Even in the poverty stricken places of the United States:

National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities. “Poverty: Map.” https://hdpulse.nimhd.nih.gov/data-portal/social/map?age=001&age_options=ageall_1&demo=00007&demo_options=poverty_3&race=00&race_options=race_7&sex=0&sex_options=sexboth_1&socialtopic=080&socialtopic_options=social_6&statefips=00&statefips_options=area_states

Culture war stuff:

European Center for Populism Studies. “Culture War.” https://www.populismstudies.org/Vocabulary/culture-war/

The immigration stuff:

Oliphant, J. Baxter; Kiley, Jocelyn; Van Green, Ted; Gracia, Shanay; and Copeland, Joseph. “Views of the Trump Administrations Immigration Policies.” June 17, 2025. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2025/06/17/views-of-the-trump-administrations-immigration-policies/

“It’s really the fault of the Democratic party”:

Slack, Donovan. “Trump Wields Axe Over ‘Democrat Agencies’ as Shutdown Blame Game Rages.” October 3, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg201rnw2zo

Everybody’s going to jealously guard their institution’s power:

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Checks and Balances.” Updated August 22, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/checks-and-balances

Then you have J.D. Vance:

Wedling, Mike. “J.D. Vance: The ‘hillbilly’ MAGA Loyalist Who Became Vice President.” March 4, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn07dv4mrg2o

Hits on Fox News, in the past:

Panetta, Grace. “Hope Hicks is Returning to the White House—Here Are 21 People Who Have Gone Through the Revolving Door Between Fox and the Trump Administration.” February 13, 2020. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/19-people-who-have-worked-at-fox-news-trump-administration-2019-5

Hits on Fox News, more recently:

Golkenflik, David. “Trump Taps 19 Fox Pundits, Personalities, and Producers for Second Term.” January 20, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/01/20/nx-s1-5268791/fox-news-trump-inauguration

To what degree is gerrymandering a two-way street:

Blake, Aaron. “Four Possible Outcomes of a Gerrymandering Battle Royale.” August 8, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/08/politics/gerrymandering-texas-house-outcomes

What the Republicans were able to do in ’94:

Kennedy, Lesley. “The 1994 Midterms: When Newt Gingrich Helped Republicans Win Big.” Updated March 2, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/midterm-elections-1994-republican-revolution-gingrich-contract-with-america

Suppressing the vote is a bad thing:

League of Women Voters. “Fighting Voter Suppression.” https://www.lwv.org/voting-rights/fighting-voter-suppression

The difference in the majority in the house, you can count on one hand:

U.S. House of Representatives Press Gallery. “Party Breakdown.” https://pressgallery.house.gov/member-data/party-breakdown

It’s been this way now for a while:

Schaeffer, Katherine. “Slim Majorities Have Become More Common in the U.S. House and Senate.” December 17, 2024. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/12/17/slim-majorities-have-become-more-common-in-the-us-house-and-senate/

Things we drank:

Martinis, Serbian brandies, Holy Moles

Yes, Steve, there are 12 fruits:

VegEase. “How Many Fruits Are There in the World?” https://vegease.in/blog/how-many-fruits-are-there-in-the-world/?srsltid=AfmBOop5WF6lXjysK8FgUU4KkaKOyWZyGYLYItNHo90-F9mQwhfrlb36

Oh, an apéritif:

Graham, Colleen. “What Is an Apéritif?” September 6, 2022. The Spruce Eats. https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-an-aperitif-759924

A golden mescal as opposed to a silvery:

Rogers, Felisa. “Blanco, Plato, Silver, Joven.” October 11, 2024. Mezcalistas. https://www.mezcalistas.com/what-is-blanco-or-joven-mezcal/

The overthrow of the dictator Ceauşescu:

Editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica. “Nicolae Ceauşescu.” Updated September 12, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nicolae-Ceausescu

A flag from that day where they cut out the middle part:

General Knowledge “Romania’s Flag Explained: Colors and Historical Meaning” [Video]. YouTube. September 2, 2018. https://youtu.be/LnM6dSaVXXU?si=r55bVGroLESyi6f5

When the Berlin wall fell:

Pleitgen, Fred. “See the Berlin Wall Fall 30 Years Ago” [Video]. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2019/11/07/berlin-30th-anniversary-since-wall-came-down-lc-lon-orig.cnn

After their Afghan war:

Editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica. “Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan.” Updated August 29, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Soviet-invasion-of-Afghanistan

Which Germany:

Roos, Dave. “How Germany Was Divided After World War II.” Updated May 28, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/germany-divided-world-war-ii

Things were relaxed in Hungary first:

Office of the Historian. “Fall of Communism in Eastern Europe, 1989.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1989-1992/fall-of-communism

Gorbachev:

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Mikhail Gorbachev.” September 20, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mikhail-Gorbachev

Puppet states:

Vocabulary.com. “Puppet State.” https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/puppet%20state

Glasnost:

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Glasnost.” April 30, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/glasnost

Perestroika:

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Perestoika.” July 18, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/perestroika-Soviet-government-policy

How they divided things:

The Map as History. “The Construction of the Berlin Wall.” https://www.the-map-as-history.com/Cold-War-western-eastern-bloc/the-construction-of-the-berlin-wall

Yes, the wall went up in 1961:

Stiftung Berliner Mauer. “The Berlin Wall.” https://www.stiftung-berliner-mauer.de/en/topics/berlin-wall

The reunification of Germany:

Ashby Turner, Henry and Leyser, K. J. “The Reunification of Germany.” October 3, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany/The-reunification-of-Germany

The George H. W. Bush Presidential Library at A&M:

https://www.bush41.org/

The approval rating of congress as a whole is lower than any president:

Gallup. “Congress and the Public.” https://news.gallup.com/poll/1600/congress-public.aspx

But the incumbency rate is often over 90%:

Open Secrets. “Reelection Rates Over the Years.” https://www.opensecrets.org/elections-overview/reelection-rates

Anne was paraphrasing George Carlin, and if you didn’t know that, watch this video:

Carlin, Stuff. “George Carlin Talks About ‘Stuff’” [Video]. May 1, 2007. YouTube. https://youtu.be/MvgN5gCuLac?si=pLXyW2nAE1_YrrtQ

Inflation Reduction Act:

Congress.gov. “H.R.5376 – Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.” https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5376/text

If you have aged a lot too, here's how much longer we have to go with Trump:

https://www.tickcounter.com/countdown/6119379/end-of-trumps-presidency

Infrastructure Improvement Act:

Congress.gov. “H.R.3684 – Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.” https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684

Affordable Care Act:

Congress.gov. “H.R.3590 – Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.” https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/house-bill/3590

At one point, they passed net neutrality:

Congress.gov. “H.R.8573 – Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act of 2022.” https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8573

Before they fucked it up:

Bowman, Emma. “Net Neutrality is Struck, Ending a Long Battle to Regulate ISPs Like Public Utilities.” January 3, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/01/03/nx-s1-5247840/net-neutrality-fcc-struck

The Civil Rights Act:

National Archives. “Civil Rights Act (1964).” https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/civil-rights-act

Twenty-First Amendment:

Constitution Annotated. “Twenty-First Amendment.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-21/

American’s With Disabilities Act:

https://www.ada.gov/

Or IDEA:

U.S. Department of Education. “Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).” https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/individuals-disabilities/idea

Like, curb cuts:

99% Invisible. “Episode 308: Curb Cuts” [Podcast]. https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/curb-cuts/

Clean Air Act:

Congress.gov. “Clean Air Act: A Summary of the Act and Its Major Requirements.” https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/RL30853

There was less divisiveness than there is now when we have online socializing:

Syrjämäki, Aleski H.; Ilves, Mirja; Olsson, Thomas; Kiskola, Joel; Isokoski, Poika; Rantasila, Anna; Bente, Gary; and Surakka, Veikko. (2024). “Online Disinhibition Mediates the Relationship Between Emotion Regulation Difficulties and Uncivil Communication.” Nature.com. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-81086-7

TLDR:

Above the Noise. “Does the Internet Make You Meaner?” [Video]. July 31, 2019. YouTube. https://youtu.be/0fx8hN5JyZM?si=iakialnQ0w88n_HG

When there was a shooter at the Congressional baseball game:

History.com Editors. “Gunman Shoots Four People, Including GOP Congressman, at Baseball Practice.” Updated May 27, 2025. History.com. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/june-14/james-hodgkinson-shooting-republicans-baseball-game

And 42 is the ultimate answer to life, the universe, and everything. But you already knew that.

References

What is independent?

Merriam-Webster. “Independent.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/independent

What is justice?

https://youtu.be/wEBlaMOmKV4?si=difVAzt3cTdBuLvG

So, we have three branches:

USA.gov. “Branches of the U.S. Government.” https://www.usa.gov/branches-of-government

The power of the executive is vested in one person:

Legal Information Institute. “Executive Power.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/executive_power

At the Constitutional Convention:

Office of the Historian. “Constitutional Convention and Ratification, 1787–1789.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1784-1800/convention-and-ratification

William Paterson’s New Jersey plan:

Metych, Michele. “New Jersey Plan.” December 21, 2024. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/New-Jersey-Plan

The Garden State:

NJ.gov. “Nickname.” https://www.nj.gov/nj/about/facts/nickname.shtml

Under the Virginia plan:

Metych, Michele. “Virginia Plan.” March 7, 2023. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Virginia-plan

They weren’t there:

Kratz, Jessie. “‘Rogue Island’: The last state to ratify the Constitution.” May 18, 2015. National Archives. https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2015/05/18/rogue-island-the-last-state-to-ratify-the-constitution/

A plural executive:

Center for the Study of the American Constitution. “The Debate Over the President and the Executive Branch.” University of Wisconsin-Madison. https://csac.history.wisc.edu/document-collections/constitutional-debates/executive-branch/

The Romans had two consuls:

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Consul.” April 30, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/topic/consul-ancient-Roman-official

Which version of the Roman again:

National Geographic Society. “Rome’s Transition From Republic to Empire.” October 18, 2024. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/romes-transition-republic-empire/

Texas has a plural executive:

Regalado, Daniel M. “The Texas Plural Executive and Bureaucracy in Texas.” https://oercommons.org/courseware/lesson/108182/student/?section=13

In case you didn’t get why we all laughed at the Attorney General of Texas:

Scherer, Jasper. “Ken Paxton Agrees to Community Service, Paying Restitution to Avoid Trial in Securities Fraud Case.” March 26, 2024. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/25/ken-paxton-plea-deal-securities-fraud-felony/

The Agricultural Commissioner, you know, Sid Miller:

Texas Department of Agriculture. “Commissioner Sid Miller.” https://texasagriculture.gov/About/Commissioner-Miller

Nixon was not above the idea of having the IRS go after enemies:

Thorndike, Joseph J. “Tax History: Nixon Aide Tried to Weaponize the IRS by Pressuring the Commissioner.” March 13, 2023. Tax Notes. https://www.taxnotes.com/tax-history-project/tax-history-nixon-aide-tried-weaponize-irs-pressuring-commissioner/2023/03/10/7g45r

There’s also the issue of J. Edgar Hoover:

Talbot, Margaret. “J. Edgar Hoover, Public Enemy No. 1.” November 14, 2022. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/11/21/j-edgar-hoover-public-enemy-no-1

Kissinger—copresident may be too strong a term, but it’s not far off:

Skidmore, David. “Henry Kissinger and the Seductions of Power” [Commentary]. December 2, 2023. Iowa Capital Dispatch. https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/12/02/henry-kissinger-and-the-seductions-of-power/

In the organic statute:

Ballotpedia. “Organic Statute.” https://ballotpedia.org/Organic_statute

Congress passed a law saying an FBI Director will be nominated for one 10-year term:

FBI. “Directors, Then and Now.” https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors

Which is where the word comes from:

Merriam-Webster. “Dictator: Etymology.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dictator#word-history

The President’s emergency powers:

Brennan Center for Justice. “A Guide to Emergency Powers and Their Use.” Updated July 1, 2025. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/guide-emergency-powers-and-their-use

Trump fired Jim Comey:

BBC News. “FBI Chief James Comey Fired by Trump.” May 10, 2017. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39866170

Christopher Wray turned out to not be the FBI Director Trump thought he was going to be:

Yousif, Nadine. “FBI Director Christopher Wray to Resign Before Trump Takes Office.” December 11, 2024. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce902z8lp81o

There are more government agencies that are more independent than that:

Lehigh University. “U.S. Government Information: Independent Agencies.” Updated July 15, 2025. https://libraryguides.lehigh.edu/c.php?g=369881&p=2499296

Members of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve serve 14-year terms. A term begins every 2 years on February 1 of even numbered years:

Federal Reserve. “Board Members.” https://www.federalreserve.gov/aboutthefed/bios/board/default.htm

How do you select the head of NASA:

Frudenrich, Craig and Kiger, Patrick J. “Who Decides What NASA Does?” How Stuff Works. https://science.howstuffworks.com/nasa1.htm

If they’re a government official, they can be impeached and expelled:

USA.gov. “How Federal Impeachment Works.” Updated April 14, 2025. https://www.usa.gov/impeachment

Congress could, theoretically, abolish that group and has before:

Hogue, Henry B. “Abolishing a Federal Agency: The Interstate Commerce Commission.” January 10, 2024. Congress.gov. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47897

There is a theory that the President can remove anybody regardless of laws passed by Congress:

Katz, Eric. “Trump Admin. Tells Judge It Can Fire at Least Some Career Feds at Any Time for Any Reason.” July 17, 2025. Government Executive. https://www.govexec.com/management/2025/07/trump-admin-tells-judge-it-can-fire-least-some-career-feds-any-time-any-reason/406797/

All of the civil service protections:

Congress.gov. “S.2640 - Civil Service Reform Act of 1978.” https://www.congress.gov/bill/95th-congress/senate-bill/2640

What’s the GAO:

U.S. Government Accountability Office. https://www.gao.gov/

Trump firing the Librarian of Congress:

Peet, Lisa. “Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden Is Fired.” May 12, 2025. Library Journal. https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/librarian-of-congress-carla-hayden-fired

Why Anne thinks Mack might be underestimating the control of the news cycle:

Mitrovica, Andrew. “How Trump Makes Us Miss the Real Story” [Opinion]. June 6, 2025. Aljazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/6/6/how-trump-makes-us-miss-the-real-story

The spoils system:

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Spoils System.” March 28, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/topic/spoils-system

Article I, Section 8, Clause 9:

Constitution Annotated. “Article I, Section 8.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-1/section-8/

Article III:

Constitution Annotated. “Article III.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-3/

Article I, Section 8, Clause 18:

Constitution Annotated. “ArtI.S8.C18.1 Overview of Necessary and Proper Clause.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-C18-1/ALDE_00001242/

An opinion from the Justice Department from the early 1970s:

Wex Definitions Team. “Indictment of Presidents.” March 2023. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/indictment_of_presidents

Is that in that ruling:

Garvey, Todd. “Presidential Immunity From Criminal Prosecution in Trump v. United States.” Congress.gov. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/LSB11194

Regarding the clause about appointing ministers and consuls:

Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S2.C2.3.1 Overview of Appointments Clause.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S2-C2-3-1/ALDE_00013092/

You would violate separation of powers:

Constitution Annotated. “Intro.7.2 Separation of Powers Under the Constitution.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/intro.7-2/ALDE_00000031/

The Solicitor General:

Department of Justice. “Office of the Solicitor General.” https://www.justice.gov/osg

Force and effect of law:

Merriam-Webster. “Force and Effect.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/legal/force%20and%20effect

There was a state judge that was arrested:

Bauer, Scott. “Wisconsin Judge Accused of Helping Man Evade ICE Arrest Loses a Bid to Drop Charges.” August 26, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-judge-arrested-trump-immigration-hannah-dugan-c2371efe54f289c4a0ea8558dd6a7001

There is a concern that we are creeping in (jackbooting?) toward fascism:

Feldman, Matthew. “Scholars, Fascists Agree: Trump’s Not a Fascist, but an Opportunity.” November 5, 2024. Fair Observer. https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/scholars-fascists-agree-trumps-not-a-fascist-but-an-opportunity/

Trump has impliedly threatened:

Adeosun, Adeola. “Trump Admin Says ‘Definitely on the Table’ to Arrest Democrats Over Protest.” Updated May 11, 2025. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/trump-administration-threatens-democratic-lawmakers-ice-protests-2070578

A “truth” now:

The Associated Press. “What We Know About Truth Social, Donald Trump’s Social Media Platform.” March 27, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/truth-social-donald-trump-djt-ipo-digital-world-7437d5dcc491a1459a078195ae547987

He kind of broke up with his X:

Duffy, Clare and O’Kruk, Amy. “Here’s How the Feud Between Elon Musk and Donald Trump Has Unfolded.” July 3, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/business/timeline-elon-musk-trump-x-dg

Members of Congress are privileged from arrest while Congress is in session:

Constitution Annotated. “ArtI.S6.C1.2 Privilege from Arrest.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S6-C1-2/ALDE_00013354/

There have been members of Congress who have accepted gold bars:

Debusmann, Jr., Bernd and Yousif, Nadine. “Senator Bob Menendez Found Guilty in Bribery Scheme.” July 16, 2024. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqe6m14drgjo

ICE isn’t part of the Justice Department:

U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. “Who We Are.” https://www.ice.gov/about-ice

Homeland Security:

Department of Homeland Security. “History.” https://www.dhs.gov/history

Federal prosecutors:

Department of Justice. “Offices of the United States Attorneys.” https://www.justice.gov/usao

Assigned to every federal judicial court:

Department of Justice. “Introduction To The Federal Court System.” https://www.justice.gov/usao/justice-101/federal-courts

There were concerns about whether or not the FBI was doing everything they should during the Watergate investigation:

McDermott, Annette. “How ‘Deep Throat’ Took Down Nixon From Inside the FBI.” History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/watergate-deep-throat-fbi-informant-nixon

Article II, Section 1:

Constitution Annotated. “Article II, Section 1, Clause 1.” https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-2/section-1/

The CIA is independent:

Central Intelligence Agency. “About CIA—Organization.” https://www.cia.gov/about/organization/

Mack isn’t quite right on this one. The Director of the CIA reports to the Director of National Intelligence who reports to the President:

Central Intelligence Agency. “About CIA—Director of the CIA.” https://www.cia.gov/about/director-of-cia/

There’s another class of odd, quasi-governmental agencies that are even more independent. Two examples are Fannie Mae:

Federal Housing Finance Agency. “About Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.” https://www.fhfa.gov/about/fannie-mae-freddie-mac

…and the Smithsonian:

Smithsonian. “Legal Nature of the Smithsonian.” https://www.si.edu/ogc/legalhistory

The National Gallery of Art is a corporation chartered by Congress:

National Gallery of Art. “Our History.” https://www.nga.gov/about-us/our-history

The first bank of the United States was charted by Congress:

National Park Service. “First Bank of the United States.” https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/historyculture/places-firstbank.htm

How you can amend the Constitution:

National Archives. “Constitutional Amendment Process.” Reviewed August 15, 2016. https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/constitution

Every time but once:

NCC Staff. “Five Interesting Facts About Prohibition’s End in 1933.” December 6, 2022. National Constitution Center. https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/five-interesting-facts-about-prohibitions-end-in-1933

Like Jeff Sessions:

BBC News. “Trump Fires Attorney General Jeff Sessions.” November 8, 2018. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46132348

Compare him to Pam Bondi:

Frommer, Fred. “Pam Bondi.” Updated August 23, 2025. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pam-Bondi

In statistics there are things called outliers:

Cuemath. “Outlier.” https://www.cuemath.com/data/outlier/

Sea Legs cocktail:

https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/34393/sea-legs

Holy Mole cocktail:

1 part chocolate liquor 5 parts mezcal Generous dash of cayenne

Not J. Allen Hynek:

Shortell, David. “Henry Heimlich, 96, Uses His Maneuver to Save Woman.” Updated May 27, 2016. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/27/us/heimlich-inventor-uses-maneuver

Not Henry Heimlich:

Ott, Tim. “J. Allen Hynek.” January 22, 2020. Biography.com. https://www.biography.com/scientists/j-allen-hynek

Project Blue Book:

National Archives. “Project BLUE BOOK – Unidentified Flying Objects.” Reviewed June 25, 2024. https://www.archives.gov/research/military/air-force/ufos

Alien sighting bingo:

https://youtu.be/wqlFiTOi6QQ?si=wNkjA2hiGZ1PnMCJ

The Betty and Barny Hill case:

Dickey, Colin. “They Knew What They Had Seen.” September 11, 2023. Slate. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/09/ufo-uap-encounters-betty-barney-hill.html

The Socorro, New Mexico case:

City of Socorro, New Mexico. “Socorro Landing: A UFO Story.” https://socorronm.org/location-activity/socorro-landing-a-ufo-story/

The Kelly–Hopkinsville case:

Carter, Maria. “The Eerie Story Behind the Small Town Everyone Is Flocking to for the Eclipse This Summer.” July 21, 2017. Country Living. https://www.countryliving.com/life/a44064/eclipseville-hopkinsville-ky-history/

All of the UFO classifications mentioned in this segment:

The Universal Compendium. “Classification of UFO Sightings.” https://www.universalcompendium.com/tables/phil/ufos.htm

The nocturnal lights that seemed to be in formation over Lubbock, Texas:

Addison, Brandi D. “What are the Lubbock Lights? Multiple UFO Sightings Reported in Texas Nearly 73 Years Ago.” August 23, 2024. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/state/2024/08/23/lubbock-lights-ufo-sightings-2024-73rd-anniversary-august-september-texas-tech/74902209007/

Radar intercepts in Washington, D.C.:

Dalphonse, Sherri. “D.C. Had Multiple UFO Sightings 71 Years Ago.” February 13, 2023. Washingtonian. https://www.washingtonian.com/2023/02/13/dc-had-multiple-ufo-sightings-71-years-ago/

The ad for Close Encounters of the Third Kind:

https://youtu.be/Fxp32VHaYdE?si=n6L6AjeDOHQa2puK

J. Allen Hynak has a cameo in the movie (be aware there are spoilers):

https://youtu.be/jRRtu_63a-M?si=TagNA03hELEw6R7w

Franҫois Truffaut, famous French actor and director:

IMDB. “Franҫois Truffaut (1932–1984).” https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000076/

Jacques Valée, also French:

https://www.jacquesvallee.net/

There’s one by him called Night Siege:

J. Allen Hynek, Philip J. Imbrogno, and Bob Pratt. Night Siege: The Hudson Valley UFO Sightings. (Ballantine Books, 1987).

The Hynek UFO Report:

J. Allen Hynek. The Hynek UFO Report. (Barnes & Noble Books, 1997).

Decide for yourself if Roswell and Stanton Friedman are bullshit:

Gibson, Lydialyle. “Science? Fiction?” September–October 2011. The University of Chicago Magazine. https://mag.uchicago.edu/science-medicine/science-fiction

Steve is playing Kerbal Space Program:

https://www.kerbalspaceprogram.com/

The Space Shuttle computers:

IBM. “The Space Shuttle Program.” https://www.ibm.com/history/space-shuttle

Sorry, Steve, we could not find confirmation that NASA ever used pi to two decimal places. Instead, we found where this Chief Engineer says they currently use pi to the 15th decimal:

Rayman, Mark. “How Many Decimals of Pi Do We Really Need?” October 24, 2022. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/news/how-many-decimals-of-pi-do-we-really-need/

That’s part of being tied back to Mission Control:

PBS. “The Trench: The People at Mission Control.” https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/moon-trench-people-behind-mission-control/

Slide rules, man:

Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Slide Rule.” December 27, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/science/slide-rule

If you didn’t get the worm joke:

Pellish, Aaron. “RFK Jr. Details Medical Abnormality That He Says Was a Parasitic Worm in His Brain.” May 9, 2024. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/09/politics/rfk-jr-parastic-worm-brain

If you somehow missed hearing about the Epstein files:

Geoghegan, Tom and FitzGerald, James. “What Do We Know About the Epstein Files?” August 19, 2025. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20r07dg6kro

How some Trump supporters are reacting:

Wendling, Mike. “How Epstein Case is Tearing Apart Maga’s Online Conspiracy Wing.” July 25, 2025. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdx5xzy8kn1o

Data Rescue Project:

https://www.datarescueproject.org/

Save Our Signs:

https://umn.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4VKNSNsfJuIVOIu

And the Picard maneuver is a reference to Star Trek: The Next Generation. But you already knew that.

REFERENCES

Who does have the power? The President:

Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S2.C1.3.1 Overview of Pardon Power.” Congress.gov. https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S2-C1-3-1/ALDE_00013316/

It depends on each state and each state constitution, but each state governor has it:

ACLU. “What’s at Stake.” https://www.aclu.org/issues/smart-justice/parole-and-release/clemency-and-pardons

A commutation:

Legal Information Institute. “Commutation.” Reviewed January 2025. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/commutation

A reprieve:

Legal Information Institute. “Reprieve.” Reviewed August 2021. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/reprieve

A pardon:

Editors of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Pardon.” Updated May 29, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/pardon

Carter’s pardon of draft dodgers:

Hernandez, Joe. “Seeking to Heal the Country, Jimmy Carter Pardoned Men Who Evaded the Vietnam War Draft.” January 4, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/01/04/1158874141/jimmy-carter-vietnam-draft-evaders-pardon

What is the sentence for dodging the draft:

Selective Service System. “Penalties for Failing to Register.” https://www.sss.gov/register/benefits-and-penalties/

Is there a governmental system where no pardon power is available? The short answer is no, but other countries regulate the power differently than the United States does:

Mellen, Ruby. “Pardon Power Is Common Around the World. Few Leaders Use It Like Trump Has.” Updated February 18, 2021. The Seattle Times. https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/pardon-power-is-common-around-the-world-few-leaders-use-it-like-trump-has/

So, in Texas, the governor has the power to pardon, but only if it is recommended by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles:

Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.  “Clemency.” Updated January 2, 2019. https://www.tdcj.texas.gov/bpp/exec_clem/exec_clem.html

Crimes, not civil judgements:

LawHelp.org. “The Differences Between Criminal Court and Civil Court.” https://www.lawhelp.org/resource/the-differences-between-criminal-court-and-ci

It was legal under state law but the Feds picked him up:

Glaister, Dan. “California: Marijuana Law Goes Up in Smoke as Federal Agencies Raid Dispensaries.” August 10, 2008. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/aug/11/drugstrade.internationalcrime

If you want to learn more about the changing legality of marijuana:

Bryan, Kate. “Cannabis Overview.” June 20, 2024. National Conference of State Legislatures. https://www.ncsl.org/civil-and-criminal-justice/cannabis-overview

The president cannot pardon people convicted of state crimes:

Office of the Pardon Attorney. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Updated June 16, 2025. Department of Justice. https://www.justice.gov/pardon/frequently-asked-questions

Can a president pardon himself (asking for a friend):

Watson, Kathryn. “Can a President Pardon Himself?” Updated May 30, 2024. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/can-a-president-pardon-himself/

If you don’t understand what Mack meant by “a common law principle,” here’s a nice primer:

UC Berkeley School of Law. “The Common Law and Civil Law Traditions [PDF].” https://www.law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/CommonLawCivilLawTraditions.pdf

You cannot indict a sitting president:

Legal Information Institute. “Indictment of Presidents.” Reviewed March 2023. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/indictment_of_presidents

Can a president pardon someone for future charges? The short answer is yes:

Office of the Pardon Attorney. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Updated June 16, 2025. Department of Justice. https://www.justice.gov/pardon/frequently-asked-questions

Ford pardoned Nixon in advance of any charges being brought:

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum. “Nixon Pardon.” https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/digital-research-room/library-collections/topic-guides/nixon-pardon

What the pardon clause says:

Article II, Section 2, Clause 1:

“…he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.”

By the delegates who wrote the Constitution:

National Archives. “Meet the Framers of the Constitution.” https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/founding-fathers

Here are some of John Adams’ thoughts on government (you can imagine what he would do to your face):

Adams, John. “III. Thoughts on Government.” April 1776. National Archives. https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-04-02-0026-0004

Sovereign immunity’s a thing:

Legal Information Institute. “Sovereign Immunity.” Reviewed April 2025. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/sovereign_immunity

Trump v. United States:

Oyez. “Trump v. United States.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/2023/23-939

Some of the implications of the Supreme Court ruling:

Cole, David and Kaufman, Brett Max. “Supreme Court Grants Trump, Future Presidents a Blank Check to Break the Law [Commentary.]” July 3, 2024. https://www.aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/supreme-court-grants-trump-future-presidents-a-blank-check-to-break-the-law

How does one impeach a president (asking for a friend):

USA.gov. “How Federal Impeachment Works.” Updated April 14, 2025. https://www.usa.gov/impeachment

It doesn’t have to be a federal law for them to be impeached:

Constitution Annotated. “ArtII.S4.4.2 Historical Background on Impeachable Offenses.” Congress.gov. https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S4-4-2/ALDE_00000699/

We’re going with criming now:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criming

THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS ARE IN TWO YEARS:

U.S. Vote Foundation. “What are Midterm General Elections?” https://www.usvotefoundation.org/what-are-midterm-elections

In stereo:

https://youtu.be/Jne9t8sHpUc?si=XfiD4n308rcLfDlw

Usually, if the FBI is doing an investigation, it’s not public knowledge:

FBI. “Can I Obtain Detailed Information About a Current FBI Investigation That I See in the News?” https://www.fbi.gov/about/faqs/can-i-obtain-detailed-information-about-a-current-fbi-investigation-that-i-see-in-the-news

If you didn’t get the Signal joke:

Palmer, Kathryn. “Mike Waltz and the Signal Chat Fiasco: A Recap of His Involvement.” May 1, 2025. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/01/mike-waltz-signal-group-chat/83386583007/

See Mueller Report:

Department of Justice. “Report On the Investigation Into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election [PDF with redactions].” https://www.justice.gov/archives/sco/file/1373816/dl?inline=

When Bill Barr, rather duplicitously and cowardly, tried to characterize it as even Mueller had cleared him:

American Bar Association. “Mueller Finds No Collusion with Russia, Leaves Obstruction Question Open.” March 25, 2019. https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2019/03/mueller-concludes-investigation/

And Mueller issued a statement basically saying, “That’s not what I said.”:

Breslow, Jason. “READ: Mueller's Letter Expressing Concern About Barr's Summary of His Report.” May 1, 2019. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2019/05/01/719004457/read-muellers-letter-expressing-concern-about-barr-s-summary-of-his-report

While we highly encourage Mack to write a book someday, the title Profiles in Cowardice has been taken:

Kenneth Foard McCallion. Profiles in Cowardice in the Trump Era. (Bryant Park Press, Inc., 2021).

Previous presidents have granted pardons that look awful dodgy:

Zeitz, Joshua. “4 Presidential Pardons From History That Were Way More Controversial Than Biden’s.” December 4, 2024. Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/12/04/biden-presidential-pardon-controversy-00192404

Pardoning a bunch of people who have committed violence on your behalf:

Reilly, Ryan J. “Trump Pardons Roughly 1,500 Criminal Defendants Charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol Attack.” January 20, 2025. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/trump-set-pardon-defendants-stormed-capitol-jan-6-2021-rcna187735

When the news cycle is going against you, issue a bunch of pardons:

Flowers, Viola. “Here Are All of the Celebrities Trump has Pardoned so Far.” May 29, 2025. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/are-celebrities-trump-pardoned-far-rcna209736

At the time of our recording, this is what they were trying to shove through Congress:

Hubbard, Kaia and Yilek, Caitlin. “Here’s What’s in Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Passed by Congress.” July 4, 2025. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/whats-in-trump-big-beautiful-bill-senate-version/

If you would like to see all of the people pardoned by the current president, including fun facts like which of them were supposed to serve life sentences and what crimes they had been convicted of by the United States Department of Justice:

Offices of the Pardon Attorney. “Clemency Grants by President Donald J. Trump (2025-Present).” Updated May 30, 2025. Department of Justice. https://www.justice.gov/pardon/clemency-grants-president-donald-j-trump-2025-present

If you don’t remember that scene from Jurassic Park:

https://youtu.be/nnun8y7r8_U?si=ncqAAUrTakvfewXW

A pardon is for a specific one-time event:

Dreisbach, Tom. “Criminal Records of Jan. 6 Rioters Pardoned by Trump Include Rape, Domestic Violence.” January 30, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/01/30/nx-s1-5276336/donald-trump-jan-6-rape-assault-pardons-rioters

Didn’t Biden pardon Liz Cheney:

Aljazeera. “Biden Hands Preemptive Pardons to Family, Allies Citing Trump Retaliation.” January 21, 2025. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/21/biden-hands-preemptive-pardons-to-family-allies-citing-trump-retaliation

For anybody at home who doesn’t know who Timothy McVeigh is:

FBI. “Oklahoma City Bombing.” https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/oklahoma-city-bombing

In case you were wondering what Trump was doing during that time:

Geewax, Marilyn. “Trump’s Financial Movies in the ‘90s: ‘Genius’ or ‘Colossal Failure’?” October 3, 2016. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2016/10/03/496314538/trumps-financial-moves-in-the-90s-genius-or-colossal-failure

There was a Supreme Court case on this:

De Vogue, Ariane and Cole, Devan. “Supreme Court Says Person Can be Charged and Tried in State and Federal Court for Same Conduct.” June 17, 2019. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/17/politics/supreme-court-double-jeopardy-clause-case

We must have gotten our true crime stories confused, y’all. Apologies. Ángel Maturino Reséndiz, the Railroad Killer, was only tried for murder in the state of Texas, though he was convicted of other violent crimes in other states previously:

Palmer, Emily. “He Rode the Rails Killing People: How Authorities Tracked Down a Serial Killer.” May 12, 2024. People. https://people.com/people-magazine-investigates-angel-maturino-resendiz-railroad-killer-8646357

Clinton pardoning Marc Rich (that’s a classic):

Time. “Notorious Presidential Pardons: Marc Rich, 2001.” https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1862257_1862325_1862324,00.html

Biden pardoning his son:

Ferreira Santos, Sofia. “Biden Gives Son Hunter ‘Unconditional’ Pardon.” December 2, 2024. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjwl3venz39o

Ford did make a point that we all knew what he did:

“Shortly after 8:00 o’clock the next morning James St. Clair came to my office. Although he did not spell out in detail the new evidence, there was no question in my mind that he considered these revelations to be so damaging that impeachment in the House was a certainty and conviction in the Senate a high probability.”

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. “President Ford’s Statement on Pardoning Richard Nixon, 1974.” https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/president-fords-statement-pardoning-richard-nixon-1974

Even somebody like Nixon could feel a certain amount of shame for some things:

CBS News. “Richard Nixon’s Resignation Speech [Archive video.]” August 8, 1974. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_DrUaJEBtE

Singapore Sling:

https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/1825/singapore-sling-raffles-formula

If you want to get into the nuance of cherry liquor vs. cherry brandy:

Dingwall, Kate. “Cherry Heering vs. Cherry Liqueur: What’s the Difference?” June 6, 2024. Food and Wine. https://www.foodandwine.com/cherry-heering-vs-cherry-liqueur-8659440

Apparently, it did originate in the bar of the Raffles Hotel:

Raffles. “Where the Singapore Sling was Born.” https://www.raffles.com/singapore/dining/long-bar/

Diluted:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diluted

Not deluded:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deluded

Gin and Bitters:

https://www.thespruceeats.com/pink-gin-classic-cocktail-759332

Manhattan:

https://www.liquor.com/recipes/manhattan-2/

Dark and Stormy:

https://www.liquor.com/recipes/dark-n-stormy/

Steve watched Andor:

https://ondisneyplus.disney.com/show/andor

Anne watched Daredevil: Born Again:

https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-85e7a914-c8e6-41db-95df-c740dc2cf1b7

We all watched Rogue One:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3748528/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Remember? The Alamo:

https://www.thealamo.org/

If you would like a nice summary of the Alamo history we discuss:

SanAntonio.gov. “Mission San Antonio de Valero (The Alamo).” https://www.sanantonio.gov/Mission-Trails/Mission-Trails-Historic-Sites/Detail-Page/ArtMID/16185/ArticleID/4459/Mission-San-Antonio-de-Valero-The-Alamo

As convincing as Steve sounded, we could not verify that they didn’t finish the bell towers because of taxation.

Here’s a map of the Alamo so you can follow along with Mack’s and Steve’s descriptions:

The Alamo. “Map of the Grounds.” https://www.thealamo.org/map

Learn more about the Alamo restoration that Mack visited:

The Alamo. “Alamo Plan.” https://www.thealamo.org/support/alamo-plan

Not familiar with the history of the Woolworth’s lunch counter in San Antonio? Learn about it from someone who was there:

Biediger, Shari. “San Antonio Woman Recalls Her Role in 1960 Woolworth Sit-in to Desegregate Lunch Counters.” February 6, 2023. https://sanantonioreport.org/san-antonio-1960-woolworth-sit-in-segregation/

The Ralston Family Collections Center:

The Alamo. “Alamo Exhibit.” https://www.thealamo.org/support/alamo-plan/alamo-collections-center

Yep, that Phil Collins:

Cobler, Nicole. “Phil Collins’ Star Rises Over the Alamo.” Updated March 11, 2015. San Antonio Express-News. https://www.expressnews.com/news/politics/texas_legislature/article/Phil-Collins-star-rises-over-the-Alamo-6128672.php

Daughters of the Republic of Texas:

https://www.drtinfo.org/Members/Members/About-Us/Who-We-Are.aspx?hkey=10153a9c-2543-4967-b2da-838d568e767a

Chacho’s no longer lists a Screwrita on their menu, but maybe if you ask nicely…:

https://chachos.com/

He’s pardoning people to enable them to support him illegally and violently:

Benen, Steve. “Jan. 6 Rioter Who Encouraged Violence Against Police Hired to Work in Trump’s DOJ [Opinion].” July 2, 2025. MSNBC. https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/jan-6-rioter-encouraged-violence-police-hired-work-trumps-doj-rcna216452

Mack and Steve are right, there are a lot of various reasons why people support Trump. These are just a few issues that some have cited:

Doherty, Carrol; Kiley, Jocelyn; and Deane, Claudia. “What Trump Supporters Believe and Expect.” November 12, 2024. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/11/13/what-trump-supporters-believe-and-expect/

The perceived idea of culture:

Alfonseca, Kiara. “Culture wars: How identity became the center of politics in America.” July 7, 2023. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/US/culture-wars-identity-center-politics-america/story?id=100768380

And finding a fly in your chardonnay (or anything else mentioned in the Alanis Morrissett song) is not ironic. But you already knew that because every time that song is played or gets mentioned, someone you know points it out, including Mack and Steve while we were recording but Anne cut that part out because, ohemgee, can’t we as a collective civilization move on already?

REFERENCES

There’s three coequal branches:

The White House. “Our Government.” https://www.whitehouse.gov/government/

Take France:

Georgetown Law Library. “The Structure of the French Legal System.” https://guides.ll.georgetown.edu/francelegalresearch/legalsystem

Or Britain:

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. “Overview of the Judiciary.” https://www.judiciary.uk/about-the-judiciary/history-of-the-judiciary-in-england-and-wales/history-of-the-judiciary/

What you would call a civil law system:

Legal Information Institute. “Civil Law.” Reviewed October 2022. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/civil_law

Stemming from Roman law code, which was codified under Justinian:

Jolowicz, Herbert Felix, and Kiralfy, Alber Roland. “The Law of Justinian.” Reviewed March 26, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Roman-law/The-law-of-Justinian

Later you had the Napoleonic code:

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Napoleonic Code.” Updated April 30, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Napoleonic-Code

We were part of the common law tradition that comes from England:

Legal Information Institute. “Common Law.” Reviewed May 2020. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/common_law

Even in states where judges are elected:

Ballotpedia. “Judicial Election Methods by State.” https://ballotpedia.org/Judicial_election_methods_by_state

What a negative election is:

National Conference of State Legislatures. “Recall of State Officials.” https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/recall-of-state-officials

Georgia does it that way:

Ballotpedia. “Laws Governing Recall in Georgia.” https://ballotpedia.org/Laws_governing_recall_in_Georgia

The ground zero of law:

National Archives. “The Constitution of the Unites States: A Transcription.” https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript

Three-fourths of the state ratifying conventions voted to ratify, and eventually all of them did:

NCC Staff. “The Day the Constitution Was Ratified.” June 21, 2024. National Constitution Center. https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-day-the-constitution-was-ratified

The entire“supreme law of the land” quote:

“This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.”

Constitution Annotated. “Article VI.” https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-6/

A little about how it got ratified:

Glover, Lorri. “Nothing Inevitable: The Struggle for Ratification.” Organization of American Historians. https://www.oah.org/tah/the-american-republic/nothing-inevitable-the-struggle-for-ratification/

In case you are unfamiliar with this thing called precedent:

Legal Information Institute. “Precedent.” Reviewed March 2024. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/precedent

They ruled that somebody shouldn’t be deported from the country:

Martínez-Beltrán, Sergio. “Supreme Court Extends Pause on Deportations Under Alien Enemies Act in Texas.” May 16, 2025. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/05/16/g-s1-67244/supreme-court-texas-alien-enemies-act

That’s what you usually think about when you think about judges, the ones under Article III:

United States Courts. “Types of Federal Judges.” https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/types-federal-judges

You have to be appointed by the president and confirmed by the senate:

Offices of the United States Attorneys. “Introduction to the Federal Court System.” https://www.justice.gov/usao/justice-101/federal-courts

But then you serve for life:

Lee, Hyungi. “Lifetime Appointments of Federal Judges: A Double-Edged Sword.” November 22, 2024. The Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics. https://www.law.georgetown.edu/legal-ethics-journal/blog/lifetime-appointments-of-federal-judges-a-double-edged-sword/

That’s happened, like, a handful of times in our history that federal judges have been impeached and expelled by the senate:

Federal Judicial Center. “Impeachments of Federal Judges.” https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/impeachments-federal-judges

There’s also a provision that says congress can’t mess with your salary:

Legal Information Institute. “28 U.S. Code § 371 - Retirement on salary; retirement in senior status.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/371

It’s the federal district courts:

Federal Bar Association. “About U.S. Federal Courts.” https://www.fedbar.org/for-the-public/about-u-s-federal-courts/

This is also where interest groups play a role. For a lot of Republican presidents, the Federalist Society:

Haq, Zoya. “How the Federalist Society Shaped America’s Judiciary.” November 4, 2024. Yale News. https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2024/11/04/how-the-federalist-society-shaped-americas-judiciary/

There are interest groups that are relevant to what Democrats want (but they aren’t generally considered as influential):

Mandery, Evan. “Why There’s No Liberal Federalist Society.” January 23, 2019. Politico. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/01/23/why-theres-no-liberal-federalist-society-224033/

There’s also the American Bar Association:

American Bar Association. “About the Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary.” https://www.americanbar.org/groups/committees/federal_judiciary/about_us/

A federal magistrate judge, which is a different thing:

Federal Judicial Center. “Magistrate Judgeships.” https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/magistrate-judgeships

The senate judiciary committee:

U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/about/committee

Whoever the majority leader is, who has a fair amount of power for what happens in the senate:

Wallner, James. “What Makes Senate Leaders So Powerful?” August 1, 2018. LegBranch.org. https://www.legbranch.org/2018-8-1-what-makes-senate-leaders-so-powerful/

Despite Mack’s misgivings, here’s a nice checks and balances diagram:

Ben’s Guide. “Branches of Government [Infographic].” https://bensguide.gpo.gov/images/Branches-of-Government.jpg

If you are not as old as Steve and didn’t get the three ring circus reference:

Schoolhouse Rock. “America – Three Ring Government [Nostalgic cartoon].” YouTube. https://youtu.be/pKSGyiT-o3o?si=SnwUUn9adsc0fYA7

Parliament appointed judges in England:

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. “Judicial Appointments.” https://www.judiciary.uk/about-the-judiciary/our-justice-system/jud-acc-ind/jud-appts/

Learn a little about infographics (and why they’re very simplified versions of the complete story):

University of Hull. “What is an Infographic?” April 2, 2025. https://libguides.hull.ac.uk/infographics/Introduction

Every Federalist paper is addressed to the people of the state of New York:

Library of Congress. “Full Text of the Federalist Papers.” https://guides.loc.gov/federalist-papers/full-text

Federalist 78, Hamilton makes the argument that having an independent judiciary, it’s not just a choice, it’s essential when you have a constitutional system:

Hamilton, Alexander. “Federalist No. 78.” Library of Congress. https://guides.loc.gov/federalist-papers/text-71-80#s-lg-box-wrapper-25493470

The idea of judicial review:

Tate, C. Neal. “Judicial Review.” Updated May 8, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/judicial-review

In Marbury v. Madison:

Urofsky, Melvin I. “Marbury v. Madison.” Updated May 12, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Marbury-v-Madison

You have this keystone:

Chicago Architecture Center. “Keystone.” https://www.architecture.org/online-resources/architecture-encyclopedia/keystone

If you didn’t get the Pennsylvania joke:

Bonatesta, Lara. “Why is Pennsylvania Called the Keystone State?” Updated September 27, 2023. ABC27 News. https://www.abc27.com/digital-originals/why-is-pennsylvania-called-the-keystone-state/

That’s more of a column (architectural metaphors are hard):

Chicago Architecture Center. “Column.” https://www.architecture.org/online-resources/architecture-encyclopedia/column

What if the president doesn’t do what the supreme court says? That’s happened before:

Federal Judicial Center. “Executive Enforcement of Judicial Orders.” https://www.fjc.gov/history/administration/executive-enforcement-judicial-orders

A brief history of Andrew Jackson violating the treaties with the Cherokee nation:

Office of the Historian. “Indian Treaties and the Removal Act of 1830.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1830-1860/indian-treaties

There are a bunch of people right now in an El Salvadorean prison that don’t deserve what they got:

Vega, Cecilia. “U.S. Sent 238 Migrants to Salvadoran Mega-prison; Documents Indicate Most Have No Apparent Criminal Records [Video and transcript].” April 6, 2025. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-records-show-about-migrants-sent-to-salvadoran-prison-60-minutes-transcript/

The entire quote from Abraham Lincoln:

“If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.”

Address by Abraham Lincoln before the Young Men's Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois as it appeared in the Sangamo Journal, February 3, 1838. Reprinted from Roy P. Basler, ed., The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, 8 vols. (New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1953), 1:108–115. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jala/2629860.0006.103/--perpetuation-of-our-political-institutions-address?rgn=main;view=fulltext

I was busy over here trying to become the pope:

Tanno, Sophie; Lamb, Christopher; Mortensen, Antonia. “Trump Posts AI Image of Himself as Pope, Leaving Catholics Offended and Unamused as Conclave Nears.” May 4, 2025. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/04/world/trump-ai-image-pope-intl-hnk

One example of a district court ruling going against the administration:

Faguy, Ana. “Trump’s Mass Firings to Remain on Hold, Appeals Court Rules.” May 31, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c071xj4m5gyo

If you want a refresher on due process:

The Editors of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Due Process.” Updated May 31, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/due-process

A little about Mack’s reference to use of person versus American:

Legal Information Institute. “Amdt5.4.3 Persons.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution-conan/amendment-5/persons

There have been some polls in the aftermath of this:

Marquette University. “New Marquette Law School Poll National Survey Finds Strong Support for Authority of Courts in Cases Involving President.” May 22, 2025. https://www.marquette.edu/news-center/2025/law-poll-finds-strong-support-for-authority-of-courts-in-cases-involving-president.php

The one that came out at 1:30 in the morning on a Saturday:

Howe, Amy. “Justices Temporarily Bar Government from Removing Venezuelan Men Under Alien Enemies Act.” April 19, 2025. SCOTUS Blog. https://www.scotusblog.com/2025/04/justices-temporarily-bar-government-from-removing-venezuelan-men-under-alien-enemies-act/

We are seeing that judges aren’t trusting the government anymore:

Tucker, Eric, and Durkin Richer, Alanna. “Justice Department Lawyers Struggle to Win Over Judges in Legal Challenges to Trump’s Agenda.” May 1, 2025. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/justice-department-lawyers-struggle-to-win-over-judges-in-legal-challenges-to-trumps-agenda

Like, say, the FBI:

Faguy, Ana. “Who is Kash Patel? Trump’s New FBI Director Vows to Shake Up the Agency.” February 20, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0rqpp52j5vo

Including the librarian of the Library of Congress:

Italie, Hillel. “Firing, Hiring and a Mystery: The 225-Year-Old Library of Congress has Never Had a Moment Like This.” May 15, 2025. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/library-of-congress-card-history-librarian-firings-83d9e862a68832d8076773a7eb16114f

One version of the Kill Devil cocktail:

https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/15608/kill-devil

Mack was paraphrasing William Shakespeare. Here’s the entire quote:

“Hell is empty and all the devils are here.”

Not Trader Joe’s:

https://tradervics.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqCNokq1fsmEggRdLHcpEbE2zyynhFOyVA8w2kwR_f8WvB6rFkb

Not Trader Vic’s:

https://www.traderjoes.com/home

I saw a werewolf drinking a piña colada at Trader Vic’s. (His hair was perfect.):

https://youtu.be/qae25976UgA?si=dKekT62IL8m6fqa7

Pat O’Brian’s in the French Quarter (known for their Hurricanes):

https://patobriens.com/

Café Du Mond in the French Quarter (not known for tea and donut holes):

https://shop.cafedumonde.com/

One version of the Jack Rose cocktail:

https://www.liquor.com/recipes/jack-rose/

If you want to be that guy:

https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-make-your-own-grenadine-76029

If you would like to purchase the online game, “Survive the Tyrant”, that Steve is playing:

https://legacy.drivethrurpg.com/product/507744

The underground:

Bisson, T. N., and Blondel, F. P. “The Resistance of France.” Updated May 31, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/France/The-Resistance

The deep state:

Merriam-Webster. “Deep state.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deep%20state

Remember the popularity of the CIA saboteur handbook:

Central Intelligence Agency. “The Art of Simple Sabotage.” April 1, 2019. https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/the-art-of-simple-sabotage/

Teamster:

Teamsters. “Teamsters and Civil Rights.” https://teamster.org/about/teamster-history/teamsters-and-civil-rights/

When Dobbs was overturned:

Oyez. “Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.” https://www.oyez.org/cases/2021/19-1392

Posts on social media about camping in another state:

Sung, Morgan, and Goggin, Ben. “Post-Roe, ‘Camping’ Has Become Code for Abortions. Activists Say it May Put People at Risk.” June 30, 2022. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/camping-meme-roe-v-wade-abortion-ban-rcna35765

If you would like more information on how you can facilitate camping:

https://abortionfunds.org/

Government cheese caves in Missouri:

The Farmlink Project. “Cheese Caves and Food Surpluses: Why the U.S. Government Currently Stores 1.4 Billion lbs of Cheese.” https://www.farmlinkproject.org/stories-and-features/cheese-caves-and-food-surpluses-why-the-u-s-government-currently-stores-1-4-billion-lbs-of-cheese

When they actually invented fondue:

Zaino, Caitlan. “Tracing Fondue’s Mysterious Origins.” February 12, 2013. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20130212-tracing-fondues-mysterious-origins

In Italy you can go to the parmesan cave:

Japhe, Brad. “Every Cheese Lover Should Visit the Parmesan Cheese Trail in Italy — Here’s How to Do It Right.” Updated May 18, 2023. Travel and Leisure. https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/italy-parmesan-cheese-trail-guide

The mozzarella region of Italy is Campania:

Eataly. “The World of Mozzarella.” https://www.eataly.ca/news/mozzarella-varieties/

Rest easy, dear listeners, the government cheese was eventually made into American cheese and distributed to the public:

Roderique-Jones, Anne. “We May Have Solved the Missouri Cheese Cave Mystery.” August 17, 2024. Food and Wine. https://www.foodandwine.com/missouri-cheese-caves-8631084

Kind of like a National Strategic Petroleum Reserve:

U.S. Department of Energy. “SPR Quick Facts.” https://www.energy.gov/ceser/spr-quick-facts

Steve’s right. That’s really cold for a cave. They probably refrigerated the cheese cave:

National Cave and Karst Research Institute. “Cave Environment.” https://nckri.org/caves/cave-environment/

He’s a lovely human being:

https://www.cartercenter.org/about/experts/jimmy_carter.html

The Navy nuclear program when it was run by Rickover:

Atomic Heritage Foundation. “Hyman G. Rickover.” https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/profile/hyman-g-rickover/

Maybe underhanded stuff that the Regan administration did about the hostages in Iran:

Yang, John. “Expert Analyzes New Account of GOP Deal That Used Iran Hostage Crisis for Gain [Video and transcript].” March 19, 2023.

The hub-and-spoke versus the hierarchy thing:

Liddell, Christopher.  “Design a Coherent White House Structure.” 2024. The Miller Center. https://millercenter.org/year-zero-five-year-presidency/design-coherent-white-house-structure

You need the chief of staff as a gate keeper, among other things:

Tsuji, Chinatsu. “White House Chief of Staff.” Reviewed March 12, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/White-House-Chief-of-Staff

Congratulations to Shannon and Brian!

Thanks for sponsoring the scotch!

It’s like Napolean crowning himself:

History.com Editors. “Napoleon Crowned Emperor.” March 4, 2010. History.com. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/december-2/napoleon-crowned-emperor

VOTE IN LOCAL ELECTIONS! June 7, there’s a mayor runoff in San Antonio:

City of San Antonio. “Mayor and City Council Runoff Election Slated for June 7.” https://www.sa.gov/Directory/News-Releases/Mayor-and-City-Council-Runoff-Election-Slated-for-June-7

Republicans refuse to have town halls with their own constituents:

Sainato, Michael. “Angry Florida Voters Hold ‘Empty Chair’ Town Halls for Absent Republicans.” April 29, 2025. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/29/empty-chair-town-hall-republicans-florida

How to write a physical letter to congress:

Boston Children’s Museum. “How to Write a Letter to Your Congressperson [Video].” October 20, 2020. YouTube. https://youtu.be/XKiLLQTkHZY?si=kS2LoAWB0Etb-8-P

Steve was paraphrasing Margaret Mead. Here’s the entire quote:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

And NPC means “nonplayer character.” But you already knew that.

REFERENCES

A bunch of farmers that run home to get their guns to come to the common defense against the Redcoats:

American Battlefield Trust. “Lexington and Concord.” https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/lexington-and-concord

Even though we have selective service:

Selective Service System. “About Selective Service.” https://www.sss.gov/about/

We haven’t had the draft be active for a while:

Selective Service System. “Return to the Draft.” https://www.sss.gov/about/return-to-draft/

As refenced in the Second Amendment:

Constitution Annotated. “Second Amendment.” Congress.gov. https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-2/

Appropriations are a bit of a bureaucratic rabbit hole, but the following gives a nice overview. In it, they use the specific examples of the Army being a multi-year appropriation (specifically, 2 years) and the Navy being a no-year appropriation:

Aherne, Drew C. “Appropriations Duration of Availability: One-Year, Multi-Year, and No-Year Funds.” June 7, 2024. Congress.gov. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48087

It’s totally legit:

America’s Navy. “Riverine Command Boat.” Updated October 14, 2021. https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2171638/riverine-command-boat/

We’re talking about the Barbary pirates:

Office of the Historian. “Barbary Wars, 1801–1805 and 1815–1816.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1801-1829/barbary-wars

The Panama Canal, when Roosevelt sent warships (not armies):

Office of the Historian. “Building the Panama Canal, 1903–1914.” https://history.state.gov/milestones/1899-1913/panama-canal

Since Mack has let us down, here is a discussion about why the founding fathers didn’t want a standing army:

Mulligan, Steve P. “The Army Clause, Part 1: Overview and Historical Background” July 22, 2024. Congress.gov. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/LSB11204

The subjugation of Ukraine is a long, sad history. Steve has a point that Stalin rather effectively oppressed the populace by land-based means:

Kiger, Patrick J. “How Joseph Stalin Starved Millions in the Ukrainian Famine.” Updated April 15, 2025. History.com https://www.history.com/articles/ukrainian-famine-stalin

But Anne and Mack have a point that you really can’t discount the role of the Black Sea in the situation:

Satanovskii, Sergei. “Why the Black Sea is so important to Russia and Ukraine.” March 28, 2025. DW. https://www.dw.com/en/why-the-black-sea-is-so-important-to-russia-and-ukraine/a-72048886

When the Marines were created:

Marines. “Brief History of the Corp.” https://www.usmcu.edu/Research/Marine-Corps-History-Division/Brief-Histories/

The first documented use of armed forces was in 1572 (calm down, Steve):

Merriam-Webster.com. “Word History.” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/armed%20forces#word-history

Again, appropriations are complicated, y’all. The short answer is no, the Air Force and the Space Force appropriations are not necessarily limited by 2 years. The Army is the only military branch that has a specific time limit because it is the only one where that time limit is established in the Constitution. For all other military matters (including some having to do with the Navy), Congress has the ability to establish whatever time limits they want when they create the appropriation. If you want to learn more about this topic, please see the previously referenced article and/or visit the office of the Comptroller. Here's an interesting history about the Comptroller:

Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller). “A Brief History of the Comptroller's Office [PDF].” https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/OUSDC_History/OUSDC_History.pdf?ver=-6sQPmgwiezg_pYKtL44tw%3d%3d

Not only do all the states have a National Guard, the U.S. Territories have them as well:

https://www.nationalguard.mil/

There are separate State Guards for some states:

Haskell, Bob. “State Guards.” June 2022. National Guard Magazine. https://www.ngaus.org/magazine/state-guards

Congress has the power…:

Constitution Annotated. “ArtI.S8.C15.1 Congress's Power to Call Militias.” Congress.gov. https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-C15-1/ALDE_00001077/

Sorry Mack, “The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States”:

Constitution Annotated. “Article II Executive Branch.” Congress.gov. https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-2/section-2/

The president can call them up and federalize them:

Siripurapu, Anshu and Berman, Noah. “What does the U.S. National Guard Do?” Updated April 3, 2024. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-does-us-national-guard-do

We have Texas National Guard units at our border because the governor has declared an emergency:

Garcia, Uriel J. “Texas to build 80-acre base in Eagle Pass for National Guard troops.” February 16, 2024. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/16/texas-border-national-guard-base-eagle-pass/

If you want to get into the whole spate of federal emergencies, they are all documented by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the United States House of Representatives:

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:50%20section:1621%20edition:prelim)

The immigration executive order:

The White House. “Protecting The American People Against Invasion.” January 20, 2025. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-the-american-people-against-invasion/

The executive order that reinterpreted part of the Fourteenth Amendment:

The White House. “Protecting The Meaning And Value Of American Citizenship.” January 20, 2025. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-the-meaning-and-value-of-american-citizenship/

The Insurrection Act of 1807:

Faguy, Ana. “Could Trump Invoke Another Rarely-Used Law at the Border?” April 21, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9qwez9zz7jo

One article about the rumors of the Insurrection Act being used on January 6, 2021, from the time:

Dupuy, Beatrice. “Trump Has Not Invoked the Insurrection Act of 1807.” January 13, 2021. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/fact-checking-9881219261

Military officers are obligated to not follow unlawful orders:

Toropin, Konstantin. “What Happens if the President Issues a Potentially Illegal Order to the Military?” July 12, 2024. Military.com. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/07/12/what-happens-if-president-issues-potentially-illegal-order-military.html

In combat, they could get shot:

Sullivan, Dwight. “The Military's Death Penalty System.” Excerpt from 1998. Death Penalty Information Center. https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/state-and-federal-info/military/the-militarys-death-penalty-system

Presser v. Illinois (1886):

Legal Information Institute. “Presser v. State of Illinois.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/116/252

According to Google Translate, the German word for hooliganism is rowdytum.

The Chicago Police Department was founded on August 15, 1835:

https://www.chicagopolice.org/about/history/

Operation Lone Star has been hitting the National Guard pretty hard:

Solorio, Gabriella Alcorta. “At least 17 Texas National Guardsman have died patrolling the southern border, including several suicides.” December 9, 2024. Texas Standard. https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/texas-national-guard-operation-lone-star-soldier-deaths-suicides/

If you are unfamiliar with the Border Patrol presence in Texas:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “Sectors and Stations.” https://www.cbp.gov/border-security/along-us-borders/border-patrol-sectors

Is this an effective thing:

Serrano, Alejandro. “Migrant apprehensions are down at the Texas border. Have state policies had an impact?” April 22, 2024. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/22/texas-border-migrant-apprehensions-abbott-operation-lone-star/

How is the reserve different than the National Guard:

The Council of State Governments. “Military 101: Understanding the Differences between Active Duty, National Guard and Reserves.” December 19, 2023. https://csg.org/2023/12/19/military-101-understanding-the-differences-between-active-duty-national-guard-and-reserves/

For those of you who are unfamiliar, here’s a brief history of San Antonio’s Fiesta and the Battle of Flowers parade:

Fiesta San Antonio. “History of Fiesta.” https://fiestasanantonio.org/history-of-fiesta/

San Jacinto Day:

San Jacinto Battlefield and Museum. “San Jacinto Day Celebration.” https://www.sanjacinto-museum.org/Visit/Calendar/San_Jacinto_Day_Celebration/

Mack is correct that the parade was once attended by President McKinley. Several presidents have visited, but the first president at the first Fiesta was President Harrison:

Fanning, Timothy. “132 years ago, San Antonio's first presidential visit came during the first Fiesta.” April 19, 2023. San Antonio Express-News. https://www.expressnews.com/news/article/fiesta-san-antonio-first-president-visit-17905885.php

If you are unfamiliar with the mole being referenced in our new cocktail, Holy Mole:

America’s Test Kitchen. “Mole Sauce: What It Is, Where It Comes From, and How to Make It.” September 15, 2021. https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/1057-all-about-mole-what-it-is-where-it-comes-from-and-how-to-make-it

According to Google translate 43 in Spanish is cuarenta y tres.

Catorce tres means 14-3.

A reserved, factual take on the Philadelphia Experiment (you’re on your own for the other versions):

Naval History and Heritage Command. “Philadelphia Experiment.” November 20, 2017. https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/p/philadelphia-experiment.html

The guy Tesla:

Whitaker Hunt, Inez. “Nikola Tesla.” Updated April 24, 2025. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nikola-Tesla

There were a lot of old warships from World War II that we gave to friendly navies. This is a practice we still do:

Conference of Maritime Economists and Industrial Engineers. “The Legacy of Former U.S. Navy Ships Transferred Overseas.” https://www.coltoncompany.com/index/shipbldg/transfer.htm/

What’s degaussing:

Torpedo Bay Navy Museum. “Degaussing.” https://navymuseum.co.nz/explore/by-themes/technology-and-weapons/degaussing-2/

The official Stephenville, Texas website:

https://www.stephenvilletx.gov/

Y’all, the name of the cow on the pole is Moo-La! (Don’t worry, we got pictures):

Whitis, Joyce. “Moo-la.” The Chamber. https://www.stephenvilletexas.org/moo-la

The Wikipedia entry for Stephenville, Texas at the time of this episode isn’t as exciting as it once was:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephenville,_Texas

The airship in Aurora, Texas:

AuroraTexas.gov. “History.” https://www.auroratexas.gov/community/history/

Zeppelins were invented in 1900:

National Inventors Hall of Fame. “Ferdinand von Zeppelin.” https://www.invent.org/inductees/ferdinand-von-zeppelin

If you aren’t familiar with Abrego Garcia’s case:

Sardarizadeh, Shayan; Thomas, Merlyn; Horton, Jake; and Wendling, Mike. “What we know about Kilmar Abrego Garcia and MS-13 allegations.” April 30, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1k4072e3nno

The Alien Enemies Act:

Yon Ebright, Katherine. “The Alien Enemies Act, Explained.” Updated May 1, 2025. Brennan Center For Justice. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/alien-enemies-act-explained

During this podcast, we used certain terms like “illegal alien.” There have been several discussions over the past few years on how best to refer to the legal status of immigrants to the United States. The following article discusses the topic, and we apologize if we offended anyone with our choice of words:

Bryant, Erica. “No Person is Illegal: The Language We use for Immigration Matters.” April 4, 2023. Vera. https://www.vera.org/news/no-person-is-illegal-the-language-we-use-for-immigration-matters

You get due process of law:

Legal Information Institute. “Due Process.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/due_process

What was brought to the Supreme Court:

Supreme Court of the Unites States. “Kristi Noem, Secretary, Department of Homeland Security, et al., Applicants v. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, et al.” April 7, 2025. https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/24a949.html

Administrative Procedure Act:

Legal Information Institute. “Administrative Procedure Act.” Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/administrative_procedure_act

Habeas corpus:

Doyle, Charles. “Federal Habeas Corpus: A Legal Overview.” October 1, 2024. Congress.gov. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/RL33391

They’re not sending them back to the countries they came from:

Vega, Cecilia. “U.S. Sent 238 Migrants to Salvadoran Mega-prison; Documents Indicate Most Have No Apparent Criminal Records [Video and transcript].” April 6, 2025. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-records-show-about-migrants-sent-to-salvadoran-prison-60-minutes-transcript/

A prison known for abuse and torture:

Goebertus, Juanita. “Human Rights Watch declaration on prison conditions in El Salvador for the J.G.G. v. Trump case.” March 19, 2025. Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/03/20/human-rights-watch-declaration-prison-conditions-el-salvador-jgg-v-trump-case

After this recording, people who were born here, whose parents were not legal residents, were indeed deported to a place that was not their home country:

Halpert, Madaline. “Three U.S. Citizen Children, One With Cancer, Deported to Honduras, Lawyers Say.” April 28, 2025. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g8yj2n33yo

Not a line that’s never been crossed before:

Federal Judicial Center. “Executive Enforcement of Judicial Orders.” https://www.fjc.gov/history/administration/executive-enforcement-judicial-orders