A Gentlemen’s Disagreement

Episode 206 - From pipe dream to possibility: the national popular vote takes a quiet leap forward with Jason Willick

Fri, 08 May 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Amidst all the talk of gerrymandering, a more seismic shift in our democracy looms on a horizon that is growing ever closer. WaPo's Jason Willick helps us unpack where the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact stands and what its passage might portend for the way we elect our president.

Episode 205 - It's a crazy time to be alive

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0400

We recap a big personal week for the gentlemen before diving into some of the topics (Iran, Trump, the Pope, tax day) that have been dominating the news lately.

Episode 204 - Global warming & energy prices & microplastics, oh my! with Shannon Osaka

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0400

WaPo's climate zeitgeist reporter Shannon Osaka takes us behind the stories of an older issue, a constant issue, and a newer issue, all of which seem to be getting worse at once these days.

Episode 203 - Navigating the AI revolution: an approach to the uncertainty with Dave Friedman

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0400

We have questions about where on the timeline we are in this AI revolution, what it means for our economy and our society, and what the future might look like; Dave Friedman of the "Buy the Rumor; Sell the News" substack has answers...or at least a recommended approach.

Episode 202 - Why aren't more conservatives against this war?

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0400

Three weeks into this conflict with Iran, polls show that most liberals and independents are against the conflict yet overwhelming majorities of conservatives are in favor of it. How could this be? Why haven't traditional conservative arguments against this type of war soured this generation of conservatives on it? We try to parse these arguments in a buy-or-sell format.

Episode 201 - Conflicted: working through the complex realities of the U.S. strikes on Iran

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0500

We try to make some sense of the conflicting feelings we have about the latest U.S. strikes. How are we supposed to reconcile not feeling badly about the result but also not feeling good about the process?

Episode 200 - On the ground in Minneapolis with congressional candidate Dalia al-Aqidi

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 05:00:00 -0500

Dalia al-Aqidi, a Republican candidate for Congress for Minneapolis, Minnesota joins us to discuss her views from the ground of the city that has been at the center of so much of U.S. culture and conflict over the past few months and years (3:30-38:00). We then reflect on lessons we've learned, favorite episodes and guests, and what we're grateful for through 200 episodes.

Episode 199 - A draft of the most significant years in U.S. history

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 05:00:00 -0500

In honor of the The United States Semiquincentennial, we select the most significant of the 250 years of the United States in our annual Presidents Day draft.

Episode 198 - The cost of congestion (pricing) with Abdallah Fayyad

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 05:00:00 -0500

A year into Manhattan's first-of-its-kind-in-the-U.S. congestion pricing policy, Boston Globe writer (and New York city resident) Abdallah Fayyad dives into the data to tell us how the program has worked and what other cities in the country can learn from it.

Episode 197 - The case for a new (and recurring) constitutional convention with Tom Teicher

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 05:00:00 -0500

Is the U.S. Constitution working? If so, could we make it work better? If not, can we fix it? Tom Teicher makes the case for a 28th Amendment that would mandate Constitutional Conventions every 40 years.

Episode 196 - A New Gilded Age with Edward O'Donnell

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 05:00:00 -0500

President Trump promised a "new Golden Age" for the U.S., but is his administration just another step further into a second Gilded Age here in the States? Historian, author, and Holy Cross Professor Edward O'Donnell joins us to make the case that we are in, and have been in, a new Gilded Age for years if not decades.

Episode 195 - Government's role in regulating social media & AI with John Wihbey

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 05:00:00 -0500

We discuss the tricky balance between regulation, free speech, innovation, safety and more in the era of social media and artificial intelligence with John P. Wihbey, Director of the AI-Media Strategies Lab at Northeastern University and author of "Governing Babel: The Debate over Social Media Platforms and Free Speech – and What Comes Next."

Episode 194 - Are we sure we're the good guys?

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 05:00:00 -0500

We discuss the stunning--and yet utterly predictable--US invasion of Venezuela and capture of Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

Episode 193 - The many facets of affordability with WaPo's Julie Weil

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 05:00:00 -0500

Affordability has been one of the top stories of the past several years; The Washington Post's Julie Weil analyzes the many factors that contribute to this umbrella term, including inflation, housing costs, interest rates, tariffs, and child and healthcare.

Episode 192 - The top stories of 2025

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 05:00:00 -0500

Our fifth(!) annual rundown of the stories that captured our attention this calendar year--we break down the domestic and global policies, developments, and ideas that we found ourselves reading, thinking, and talking about the most in 2025.

Episode 191 - Venezuela: the latest chapter in American interventionism?

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 05:00:00 -0500

What is going on with Venezuela? We examine the U.S. strikes on the alleged drug boats over the past few months, the buildup of force in the Caribbean, where this might be headed, and what it means in the context of U.S. foreign policy both under this administration and in the history of U.S. interventionism.

Episode 190 - Thanksgiving thoughts: reflections on friendship and the importance of conversation

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 08:10:01 -0500

This is a meandering episode on the importance of conversation, from talks we had on our recent golf trip, to upcoming discussions people often have at Thanksgiving, to recent interactions at the national level involving Tucker, Trump, and Mamdani.

Episode 189 - The return to a Christian nation with Jackson Lahmeyer

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0500

Jackson Lahmeyer, the founder of Pastors for Trump and a member of the White House Faith Council, discusses anti-Christian bias under previous administrations and how President Trump's administration is bringing faith back to the forefront.

Episode 188 - Mamdani mania, Dem dubs, and a deep dive into Boston politics with Larry DiCara

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0500

Live reactions from election night here in the U.S. We talked Zohran Mamdani's remarkable campaign and what we'll be looking for under his administration, what the Democratic victories in New Jersey and Virginia mean, and what the success of the gerrymandering proposition in California portends for our democracy. We then welcomed Boston political legend Larry DiCara on to discuss all things Boston politics (37:55).

Episode 187 - From molehills to mountains: the rise of Christian nationalism with Matthew Boedy

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Professor, scholar, and author Matthew Boedy discusses his new book "The Seven Mountains Mandate," in which he details the decades-long movement to remake the pillars of American society into the pillars of a Christian theocracy and how that movement is currently implementing its goals under the Trump administration.

Episode 186 - The tragedy & horror of Palestine & Israel two years in

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0400

On the two year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, we reflect on all that has transpired since, including the hostages still held by Hamas, the horrific death toll in Gaza, Israel's international standing, the complicity of the U.S. in the destruction of Gaza, and the potential for peace.

Episode 185 - From makers to takers: neofeudalism and the new class struggle with Jodi Dean

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 05:00:00 -0400

We left feudalism, with it's reciprocal obligations, rigid class structures, and lack of social mobility behind hundreds of years ago, right? Jodi Dean, professor of political science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, argues that we might be headed back to the future into a system she terms as "neofeudalism."

Episode 184 - We have to do better: Kirk, Kimmel, and the future

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0400

We reflect on the life, death, and legacy of Charlie Kirk, as well as the reactions to his murder. Where do we go from here?

Episode 183 - Back to school choice with Shaka Mitchell

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Tucked inside the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was a first-of-its-kind provision establishing a federal tax credit scholarship program that has the chance to greatly expand school choice for families across the country. Shaka Mitchell, Senior Fellow for the American Federation for Children, joins us to analyze the implications of this provision and discuss the school choice movement writ large.

Episode 182 - How tariffs are affecting the global economy and geopolitics with Lydia DePillis

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0400

The New York Times's Lydia DePillis discusses how the U.S.-led trade war is playing out across the world from both economic and geopolitical perspectives, why reliable economic data matters, and why, despite the seeming warning sirens, the U.S. economy might not be headed for a come down anytime soon.

Episode 181 - Six in Sixty: creeping authoritarianism

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 05:00:00 -0400

We talk the takeover of DC, the stakes in Intel & Nvidia, the redistricting push, the control of The Kennedy Center, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the meeting with Putin.

Episode 180 - A SCOTUS '24-'25 term review with Professor Jack Beermann

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 05:01:00 -0400

Boston University Law Professor Jack Beermann analyzes the major topics, trends, and decisions that came from the Supreme Court's 2024-2025 term. We talked about the Court's relationship with the other two branches of government, with the Trump Administration, and within itself. We looked at specific cases and the emergence of specific judges from this term as well as what might be ahead in the coming term.

Episode 179 - Not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead with Ansley Skipper

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Ansley Skipper of Protect Democracy discusses what the ouster of the president of her alma mater, UVA, after a pressure campaign from the Trump administration tells us about the state of higher education as we head into a new school year.

Episode 178 - Birthrates are falling and the sky might be too with Marc Novicoff

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Is the falling global birthrate the actual existential crisis of our time? The Atlantic's Marc Novicoff joins us to discuss why it's a crisis, why that crisis is even worse than you might've heard, and why you should care.

Episode 177 - Democracy takes work: media literacy with Nolan Higdon

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Critical media scholar Nolan Higdon discusses why being discerning about the news you're consuming is so necessary for you, as a citizen of a democracy, and for democracy, as a system, to succeed. We talk about the history of fake news, its current incarnation, and tips for becoming a more discerning consumer of news and, therefore, a better member of our democracy.

Episode 176 - Six months in, promises made, promises broken?

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Is the controversy around the Epstein files the straw that broke the back of the MAGA coalition? Or is this just another example in a long line of "this time it's different!" wishful thinking for the anti-Trumpers?

Episode 175 - Beauty is in the eye of the beholder: the OBBB

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 08:23:21 -0400

We analyze the "One Big Beautiful Bill" from all the angles: from the process and potential precedent, to the actual impact the bill will have on people's lives, to the messaging of the bill from both parties. We also try to look at the long term effects of the bill: how did it change how our government will work for the people going forward and what does it mean politically for the midterms and beyond?

Episode 174 - Creating an independent (voter) identity with Lura Forcum

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Lura Forcum of The Independent Center joins us to discuss how we might be able to turn the white whale of many American voters--independent candidates--into a reality.

Episode 173 - Totally obliterated: Iran's nuclear program and any semblance of international law

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0400

We had planned to debate whether the U.S. should or shouldn't get involved in the Israeli-Iranian conflict. Well, President Trump did, so the debate turned into whether it was the right move and how it might play out both internationally and domestically.

Episode 172 - What to make of the Trump-Musk fallout and more

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 09:33:00 -0400

Two of our great friends, Perry Laberis and Ray Mooney, join us to discuss what the breakdown in the Trump-Musk relationship means for the future of both men, the future of this administration, and the future of politics in the U.S. We also hit on some other items in the news towards the end of the conversation.

Episode 171 - The news is making me depressed: tell me it ain't that bad

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 05:00:00 -0400

The constant barrage of news coming from this administration has been weighing heavily on Ricky. Is it at bad as it seems? Can Brendan offer any hope or simply commiserate?

Episode 170 - The price of tariffs with Dr. Şebnem Kalemli-Özcan

Mon, 26 May 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Director of the Global Linkages Lab and Brown University professor Dr. Şebnem Kalemli-Özcan makes the case for why tariffs are not the solution to U.S. trade deficits or U.S. job losses and explains why America First might soon mean America Alone.

Episode 169 - The intersection of AI & climate change with Dr. Joseph B. Keller

Mon, 19 May 2025 05:00:00 -0400

In recent years, there has been a lot of talk about AI. And a lot of talk about climate change. But where and how do these two forces life-changing forces collide? Dr. Joseph B. Keller of the Brookings Institution helps us answer these questions and tells us what policy makers should be thinking about as both forces continue to advance.

Episode 168 - The first 100 days with Matthew Knych

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 10:48:11 -0400

Matthew Knych joins us to reflect on the wild, whirlwind, and incredibly consequential first 100 days of the second Trump Administration.

Episode 167 - The life, legacy, and politics of Pope Francis with Father Oliver Rafferty

Sat, 26 Apr 2025 11:41:31 -0400

Jesuit priest and Boston College Professor of History Oliver Rafferty takes us beneath the surface of the simple narratives surrounding Pope Francis's life and legacy to examine the pope he really was, the church he ran, and the one that he leaves us.

Episode 166 - The making of "The Apprentice" with Benjamin Kramer & Gustavo Nascimento

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Benjamin Kramer and Gustavo Nascimento, two of the Executive Producers behind "The Apprentice," a movie about Donald Trump's rise to prominence as a real estate businessman in New York City that earned multiple Oscar nominations, take us behind the scenes of the fascinating process to make this outstanding and provocative film.

Episode 165 - Stopping the stadium steal with Emily DiVito & Elizabeth Pancotti

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Going to a game used to be affordable for an average family. It's not anymore. We are joined by Groundwork Collaborative's Emily DiVito and Elizabeth Pancotti to discuss why that is and what policy makers could do to fix it.

Episode 164 - AOC, Schumer, and the Democratic split screen

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 05:00:00 -0400

Five months after the election, two months into the Trump Administration, what does The Resistance 2.0 look like? What do the various approaches of the leaders of the Democratic Party tell us about where the Party is now and where it is headed?

Episode 163 - Stock down: Tesla; The First Amendment

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 05:00:00 -0400

We begin by discussing the detention and possible deportation of Mahmoud Khalil before looking at the retreat of the stock market, in general, and of Tesla, in particular.

Episode 162 - 46 days of 45 & 47

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 05:00:00 -0500

We discuss our biggest takeaways from the start of the second Trump administration including DOGE, tariffs, and Ukraine. Then we recap our first book club where we read "Poverty, by America" by Matthew Desmond.

Episode 161 - Global & domestic decolonization with Sam Klug

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0500

Sam Klug, professor of U.S. history at Loyola University Maryland, joins us to discuss his new book, The Internal Colony: Race and the American Politics of Global Decolonization. We talk about the global decolonization movement of the mid-20th century, the ties between that global movement and domestic issues of race and class in the U.S., and how all of those issues continue to reverberate today.

Episode 160 - A draft of the most influential works of U.S. literature

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0500

Our fifth annual Presidents Day Mount Rushmore-style draft, joined, once again, by our friends Dan Gonzalez and Devon Hull, and this year we are drafting the most influential works of literature in U.S. history. A fun episode for any lover of U.S. history and/or literature!

Episode 159 - Cabinets & chaos: making sense of the madness with David A. Graham

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0500

David A. Graham of The Atlantic joins us to discuss President Trump's cabinet nominees, their confirmation process, his appointees, and what his personnel strategy helps to show us about the overall direction of his nascent second administration.

Episode 158 - Nuclear is the only option with Suriya Jayanti

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 05:00:00 -0500

Suriya Jayanti of the Atlantic Council and TIME joins us to talk about this period of energy transition and the necessity of nuclear power to that transition.

Episode 157 - Coronation Day, or A Resurrection Complete

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 05:00:00 -0500

He's baaaaack. We react to the return of President Trump, a man at the apex of his power.

Episode 156 - Biden's legacy with Charles Sykes

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 05:00:00 -0500

Charles Sykes of MSNBC, The Atlantic, and The Bulwark joins us to discuss President Biden's legacy as his four years as president and fifty years in politics comes to a close this week. We discuss that legacy within the context of the life and legacy of President Carter, who is, perhaps, a presidential analogue of Biden's.

Episode 155 - On antitrust & competition with Bob Levy

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 05:00:00 -0500

Robert A. Levy, former chairman of the board of the Cato Institute, joins us to discuss antitrust laws. Do these laws help or hurt competition? When, if ever, should the government step in to protect and promote competition in the marketplace? We delve into these questions and many more in our conversation with Bob.

Episode 154 - The top stories of 2024

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 05:00:00 -0500

Our annual look back at the stories that dominated our discourse this year.

Episode 153 - Self-defense at home and abroad

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 05:00:00 -0500

From a pair of killings in New York City to the actions of Israel and Russia internationally, how we view these incidents often seems to be tied to how we view the concept of self-defense. Is there an innate right to self-defense? If not, who can claim self-defense and against whom? Is the right of self-defense tied to the means? If so, how far does it extend? What does it permit? Can self-defense only be invoked as a reaction to something/someone else? Can it be preemptive? We try to tease out our own thoughts on these questions in this conversation.

Episode 152 - Six in Sixty: Murder, Pardon, Crypto; Syria, South Korea, France

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 05:00:00 -0500

We're back to hit a series of topics that have been in the news over the past couple of weeks both in the U.S.--the murder of the UnitedHealth CEO, President Biden's pardon of his son Hunter, the rise of Bitcoin--and abroad--the overthrow of the Syrian government, the declaration of martial law by the South Korean government, and the collapse of the French government.

Episode 151 - Was Trump right? Am I tired of winning?

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 05:05:00 -0500

Republicans have won the Presidency, the Senate, and the House. Conservative justices dominate the Supreme Court. What was the cost of those victories? Where does the current environment leave people who don't align with this vision for the country? We ruminate on those questions and more in this episode.

Episode 150 - A Court unlike any other with Kevin J. McMahon

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 05:00:00 -0500

With the election behind us, we turn our attention to the Supreme Court, which is sure to have a say in what happens over the next four years. Kevin J, McMahon, Trinity College professor and author of a trilogy of books examining the relationship between democracy and the Court, joins us to put this Court in historical context, analyze what the current composition of the Court says about the state of our democracy, and debate some potential Court reforms.

Episode 149 - Making the case for a national popular vote with Patrick Rosenstiel

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 05:00:00 -0500

In the wake of another U.S. presidential election dominated by discussion of the electoral college, we are joined by Patrick Rosenstiel, senior consultant to the National Popular Vote campaign, who makes the case that the switching from the current electoral college system to a national popular vote would be the single biggest improvement we could make to our democracy--and that this election proves that we are ready for it.

Episode 148 - Reactions to the 2024 election results with Ray Mooney

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 05:00:00 -0500

We try to make sense of the election results, including what it says about our country now and what it means for our country moving forward, before we are joined by our good friend Ray Mooney to provide the Trump-voter perspective.

Episode 147 - It's the economy, stupid with TIME's Alana Semuels

Sat, 02 Nov 2024 04:35:31 -0400

We wanted to fit in one more episode before the election looking at the state of the economy. Alana spent time on the ground of the swing states and told us what the vibes were like heading into election day.

Episode 146 - A psychiatrist's take on psychedelics with Dr. John Fromson

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 05:00:00 -0400

We were joined by Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School psychiatrist Dr. John Fromson to discuss the potential and pitfalls of the legalization of psychedelics. We debated legalization through ballot initiatives versus legislatively, the hopes versus dangers medically, freedom versus safety, and much more.

Episode 145 - Breaking down the Massachusetts ballot questions

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 05:00:00 -0400

We dive into each of the five questions on the Massachusetts ballot, explaining what a "yes" or "no" vote means and exploring the pros and cons of each measure. We also look at ballot questions nationally to identify trends we are seeing across the country and discuss how these questions might impact races up the ballot in the upcoming elections.

Episode 144 - Analyzing the 2024 elections with Steve Kornacki

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Steve Kornacki joined us this week for a deep dive into the upcoming U.S. elections. Steve broke down the battleground states for the presidency, the races that will decide the Senate and the House, and the overall demographic and issues-based trends that will ultimately impact the results in November.

Episode 143 - A conversation with the Libertarian Presidential Ticket: Chase Oliver & Mike ter Maat

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 05:00:00 -0400

We are joined this week by the Libertarian Party's candidate for President, Chase Oliver (4:02-40:38), and Vice President, Mike ter Maat (40:46-1:29:42), for wide-ranging conversations about third-parties, policies an Oliver-ter Maat administration would pursue, what success in November would look like, and much, much more.

Episode 142 - The wild west: the landscape of college athletics with Austin Jackson

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 05:00:00 -0400

We are joined this week by lobbyist Austin Jackson to try to examine the present and future of college athletics in the time of NIL, the transfer portal, and shifting conferences. We analyze the roles that Congress, the NLRB, and the courts will play in defining the future of college sports.

Episode 141 - Reactions to the second first presidential debate

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 00:51:46 -0400

We stayed up past Ricky's bedtime to discuss our immediate reactions to and takeaways from the debate between former President Trump and Vice-President Harris.

Episode 140 - Discontent with democracy with Dr. Rachel Navarre

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 05:00:00 -0400

We are joined by Dr. Rachael Navarre to discuss the findings from her most recent book, including why populism, extremism, and conspiracy theories have taken hold in so many democracies across the world over the past decade.

Episode 139 - The reinvention of Kamala Harris with Jacquetta Van Zandt

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 05:00:00 -0400

We welcome Jacquetta Van Zandt back to the program to get her thoughts on the last two months of Democratic politics. We discuss the abandonment of President Biden, examine how Vice President Harris has captured the imagination of the party, debate whether the country is ready for a Black/Indian/woman president, and offer some advice for the Harris campaign moving forward. Whether you're just tuning in or having been following every detail, you'll enjoy this conversation.

Episode 138 - 1968 & 2024: parallel politics and protests at the DNC with Nick Proctor

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 05:00:00 -0400

We are joined this week by Simpson College Professor of History Nick Proctor to examine the many parallels between 1968 and 2024. The events of 1968 culminated in the infamous Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Will the events of 2024 produce a similar Democratic Convention in Chicago this week?

Episode 137 - What is Harris's platform?

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 05:00:00 -0400

While we are still in the honeymoon phase of the Harris candidacy, we take a look at what candidate Harris stands for policy-wise and how policy under a Harris administration might differ from both the Trump and Biden administrations.

Episode 136 - The Olympic spirit v. the political spirit

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 05:00:00 -0400

We begin this week by talking about the opening week of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, particular stories that have caught our eyes, and the general feeling of togetherness that rooting for Team USA brings and then juxtapose that positivity with the direction our political discourse has taken since the new presidential race has begun in earnest.

Episode 135 - What. A. Week.

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 11:25:17 -0400

We recap one of the wildest weeks in modern U.S. political history, starting with the assassination attempt on President Trump, the ensuing RNC and President Trump's selection of J.D. Vance as his running mate, and ending with President Biden's decision to drop out of the race and to endorse Vice-President Harris as his successor.

Episode 134 - A SCOTUS '23-'24 term review with Professor Renee Landers

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 05:00:00 -0400

We welcome back Suffolk University Law School Professor Renee Landers to analyze the major cases and trends from the Supreme Court's just-concluded term. We discussed the Trump cases, the administrative law cases, including the overturning of the Chevron Doctrine, the abortion cases, and the gun cases.

Episode 133 - Debate reaction & election issues 2024: foreign policy

Sun, 30 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -0400

We begin with an extended reaction to the presidential debate before analyzing what foreign policy might look like under a second term of either President Biden or President Trump.

Episode 132 - Juneteenth reflections: lessons and legends from the Negro Leagues

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -0400

We begin this week by discussing the life and legacy of Willie Mays, and then we dive more fully into what the significance of the Negro Leagues was then and is now and discuss how baseball, in particular, and sports in general, often serve as a microcosm for the country. We wrap up by highlighting two Negro League greats.

Episode 131 - The power of people in the age of AI with Dr. Po-Shen Loh

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -0400

We are joined this week by Dr. Po-Shen Loh, professor of mathematics at Carnegie Mellon University, social entrepreneur, and innovator, to discuss some of the challenges and opportunities the rise of AI will pose to work, education, and democracy. Throughout our conversation, we analyze how humans can--and must--remain supreme in an AI world.

Episode 130 - Haiti: the conversation no one is having, with Brian Concannon

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -0400

We are joined this week by Brian Concannon, the Founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti. We discussed the history of Haiti, the role of the U.S. and France in that history, and how that history has led to the current situation in Haiti. We also talked about what U.S. policy towards Haiti should look like moving forward and how Haiti has been a world leader in the past and can be once again in the future.

Episode 129 - The U.S.-China relationship & rivalry with Dr. Michael Beckley

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 05:00:00 -0400

We are joined this week by Dr. Michael Beckley, professor of political science at Tufts University and Jeane Kirkpatrick Visiting Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, for a discussion on U.S. policy towards China. Dr. Beckley discusses the challenges China currently faces, why those challenges should concern the U.S., and what the U.S. needs to do both economically and militarily to counter China.

Episode 128 - Election Issues 2024: Crime & Guns

Tue, 28 May 2024 05:00:00 -0400

We're back this week with the latest installment in our monthly series of episodes analyzing how individual issues might affect the 2024 election. In this episode, we discuss the feelings people have around crime in the U.S., how those feelings combine with the messaging about crime by the two major parties to give one of those parties a significant advantage, what Presidents Trump and Biden did during their terms in office around crime and guns, and what a second term of either president might look like in dealing with these issues.

Episode 127 - A conversation on the state of journalism with TIME editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs

Mon, 20 May 2024 05:00:00 -0400

We are joined this week by TIME editor-in-chief Sam Jacobs to discuss the challenges and opportunities journalism faces today, how TIME is navigating that landscape, and what his vision is for covering the most controversial stories of the day, including and especially the 2024 election here in the U.S.

Episode 126 - Debating the campus protests

Wed, 08 May 2024 05:00:00 -0400

We discuss and debate every aspect of the campus protests that have proliferated across the country over the past few weeks, including who the protesters are, what they are protesting, what the goals of the protests are, and how these protests compare to historical protest movements.

Episode 125 - Election Issues 2024: Taxing & Spending

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 05:01:00 -0400

The third installment in our monthly series of episodes analyzing how individual issues might affect the 2024 election returns as we take a look at what taxing, spending, the budget, and the national debt would look like with Congress and the Presidency under control of either of the two major parties.

Episode 124 - Mental health & the epidemic of loneliness with Dr. Eugene Beresin

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Ricky reflects on being a father, and then we welcome on Dr. Eugene Beresin, a Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the Executive Director of the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds to talk about mental health and the rise of loneliness in our society. We discuss why people seem to be increasingly lonely and what we can as family members, friends, mentors, and as a society to make things better.

Episode 123 - The importance of ballot access & RFK Jr. with Larry Sharpe

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -0400

We are joined this week by Larry Sharpe, the Director of National Organizing for American Values 2024, a Super PAC supporting Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to talk about the importance of ballot access, generally, and the importance of getting RFK on the ballot, in particular. Larry, himself a former gubernatorial candidate in New York, makes a fascinating and compelling case for not only why people should want RFK to win but also how RFK could actually win the presidency.

Episode 122 - Election Issues 2024: Abortion

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 13:07:07 -0400

Our monthly episode analyzing how individual issues might affect the 2024 election returns as we take a look at the state of the abortion debate from both a long-term, post-Dobbs perspective, and a short-term perspective given recent cases around mifepristone and IVF. It's an issue on which Democrats have an advantage, but will that translate to electoral results in the fall?

Episode 121 - Six in Sixty: SCOTUS, Super, Senate, SOTU, Gaza, Caitlin Clark

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 05:00:00 -0400

Lots to talk about this week, including a great week for former-President Trump: the Supreme Court ruled that states could not disqualify him from their ballots, he romped through Super Tuesday and his last remaining challenger dropped out, and the longtime Republican Senate Leader with whom he has a famously frosty relationship announced he was stepping down. We then shifted to President Biden's State of the Union address and analyzed the political needle he is trying to thread in the Middle East. Finally, we spent some time discussing the supernova that is Caitlin Clark.

Episode 120 - Embrace debate: should we continue to send aid to Ukraine?

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 05:00:00 -0500

This week marked the two-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It also brought news of Alexei Navalny's death and a potential Russian space nuclear weapon. With U.S. aid to Ukraine still stalled in the House, we decided this would be as good a time as ever to engage in a full debate on the issue.

Episode 119 - A draft of the most significant speeches in U.S. history

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 05:00:00 -0500

We are back with our fourth annual Presidents Day Mount Rushmore-style snake draft. We are joined for the draft, once again, by our friends Dan Gonzalez and Joe Webster, and this year we are drafting the most significant speeches in U.S. history. A fun episode for any lover of U.S. history.

Episode 118 - Election issues 2024: Immigration

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 05:00:00 -0500

This week we kick off the first in a series of conversations about the main issues that will define the 2024 elections. Immigration has surged to the top of many people's lists as a central issue that needs to be addressed, and we examined the issue in light of the recent failure to pass the agreement that several senators hammered out. We analyzed why the agreement failed and what that means going forward, including what immigration policy might look like under a second term of President Biden or President Trump.

Episode 117 - A conversation on climate with Dr. Yi Ming

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 05:00:00 -0500

We are joined this week by Dr. Yi Ming, a leading climate science expert and a professor at Boston College's Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society, for a conversation about the current state of climate change. We discussed the increase in natural disasters in recent years, COP28 and Dr. Ming's experience at that conference, previous successes and failures in climate policy, and reasons for hope for the future.

Episode 116 - A conservation success story: the return of the great white shark to the Atlantic with Dr. Greg Skomal

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -0500

We are joined this week by Dr. Greg Skomal, one of the leading great white shark experts in the country, to discuss how great white sharks came back to the Atlantic Ocean over the past decade. Dr. Skomal provided us with the science behind the reemergence of the great white in these waters and detailed the positive and negative effects of its resurgence. We then used the example of the great white to discuss the broader policy implications of conservation, climate, and economic efforts in the U.S. and globally.

Episode 115 - Six in Sixty: MLK, Yemen, Iowa, Primaries, Harvard, Patriots

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -0500

We return to our trusty "Six in Sixty" segment this week to touch on a bunch of topics that have been in the news. We begin by discussing Martin Luther King, Jr. and how his words remain as relevant as ever today (8:41-24:38) and then move into discussing the enfolding conflict between the Houthi forces in Yemen and the U.S. and its allies (24:39-38:18). We next turned to U.S. politics to discuss the results of the Iowa caucuses (38:23-50:13) and the Democratic Primary race (50:14-57:27), before concluding by talking about the resignations of Harvard President Claudine Gay (57:33-1:09:41) and Patriots coach Bill Belichick (1:09:42-1:20:53).

Episode 114 - Does the 14th Amendment bar President Trump from office?

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 05:00:00 -0500

We kick off the year by diving into the text of the 14th Amendment in light of the recent decisions in Colorado and Maine that the Amendment bars former President Donald Trump from holding office. We delve into the history of the 14th Amendment, the text of Section 3, whether we think the text applies to President Trump, and whether we think states should pursue this method of potentially keeping him off the ballot.

Episode 113 - The top stories of 2023

Tue, 26 Dec 2023 05:00:00 -0500

We close out our year by each choosing our top five stories of 2023--with the least overlap we have had during our three years of doing this episode.

Episode 112 - In Memoriam: Henry Kissinger & Sandra Day O’Connor

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 05:00:00 -0500

We spent the episode this week delving into the lives and legacies of two of the most significant Americans of the latter-half of the 20th century. We began by discussing Henry Kissinger, perhaps the most impactful American diplomat of the century (7:01-45:02), before discussing the first female justice of the Supreme Court, Sandra Day O'Connor (45:07-1:07:39).

Episode 111 - Pulling back the curtain on polling with David Paleologos

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 05:00:00 -0500

We are joined this week by David Paleologos, the director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center (SUPRC) and one of the preeminent pollsters in the country (8:19-53:46). David shares how he got into the world of polling, how he turned Suffolk into a polling powerhouse, how polling has changed over the years, lessons from the 2016 polls, and what to watch for with the 2024 polls.

Episode 110 - Six in Sixty: Republican field, Mike Johnson, George Santos, SCOTUS ethics, debt, & Israel-Palestine

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0500

After a run of great guests, we are back just the two of us to discuss some of the topics that have been in the news over the past month. We start with a trio of Republican topics: the current state of the presidential candidate field, the election of a new Speaker of the House, and the latest development in the George Santos saga. We then talked about SCOTUS releasing its first code of ethics, whether the current amount of personal debt in the U.S. presages greater economic concerns, and we finish by checking in on the ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

Episode 109 - Parallel Troubles: Ireland & the Middle East with Professor Larry Donnelly

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0500

We are joined this week by University of Galway Professor Larry Donnelly to discuss the Israel-Palestine conflict from a different angle (4:57-43:50). We began by comparing the reactions to the conflict in Western Europe, Ireland, and the U.S., and then dove into some of the history of the Troubles in Ireland, the eventual peace agreement, and the current state of affairs in Northern Ireland. We then debated whether there were any lessons from that conflict that potentially could be taken into the current conflict in the Middle East.

Episode 108 - A tale of two cities: a conversation with former San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 05:00:00 -0500

We were joined this week by former San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin (3:55-53:40). We discussed how his childhood experiences led him to become a public defender and then to launch a longshot bid to become the District Attorney of San Francisco, his historic election and becoming one of the faces of progressive prosecution in the country, the politics behind his eventual recall from that position, and the current state of progressive prosecution in the U.S.

Episode 107 - Running for local office with Framingham City Council candidate Brandon Ward

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 05:00:00 -0400

We are joined by Framingham, Massachusetts City Council candidate Brandon Ward for a discussion about what it is like to run for local office. Brandon talks about why he wanted to run, what he would bring to the office, and the many things he has learned on the campaign trail.

Episode 106 - A ’23-’24 SCOTUS term overview with Professor Renee Landers

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 05:00:00 -0400

We are joined this week by Suffolk University Law School Professor Renee Landers for a breakdown of the major cases on the Supreme Court docket this term (3:48-1:00:05). We discuss the two First Amendment/social media cases, the Second Amendment case, the racial gerrymandering case, and several cases presenting challenges to administrative agencies. A great listen for lawyers and non-lawyers alike.

Episode 105 - The tragedy & horror of Israel & Palestine

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 05:00:00 -0400

We started this week's episode with a discussion of the Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day debate (0:30-20:10). We then spent the majority of the episode trying to examine the enormously complicated, difficult, and tragic situation currently unfolding in Israel and Palestine (20:18-1:10:40). We concluded with a brief conversation about the historic ouster of Speaker McCarthy (1:10:45-1:13:27).

Episode 104 - On Capitalism

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Ricky wanted to zoom out a little bit for this episode and engage in a discussion on how we currently think about capitalism and how capitalism does--or does not--meet the current moment in our economics and in our politics.

Episode 103 - The immigration crisis with Carine Hajjar

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 05:00:00 -0400

We are joined this week by current Boston Globe and former Wall Street Journal writer and reporter Carine Hajjar to discuss the many angles of the current immigration crisis (4:18-33:04). Carine has been writing about this mounting crisis for years now from Texas, New York City, and now Boston, and she provides us with some excellent knowledge and perspective to ground this tremendously tricky topic.

Episode 102 - Six in Sixty: UAW strike, impeachment, abortion, North Korea, Iran, Morocco & Libya

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 05:00:00 -0400

A big news week, so we return to our model of covering six of the major topics in (about) an hour. We start domestically by discussing the UAW Strike (7:38-21:35), the road to another presidential impeachment (21:36-31:31), and President Trump's recent comments on abortion (31:32-39-24). We then move abroad to break down the implications of the Russia-North Korea meeting (39:28-50:00) and the U.S.-Iran prisoner swap (50:01-59:09), and we conclude by looking at the terrible natural disasters in Morocco and Libya (59:10-1:05:25).

Episode 101 - Equal justice under the law

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 05:00:00 -0400

We are back after a brief hiatus to talk about what the phrase "equal justice under the law" means in our society today. We examine this idea by looking at the impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the four indictments of President Trump, and the legal saga of Hunter Biden.

Episode 100 - Reactions to the first Republican debate

Fri, 25 Aug 2023 05:00:00 -0400

A milestone episode for us, and we spend it diving into the first Republican primary debate. We discussed President Trump's physical absence yet looming presence, the winners and losers of the night, and what the entire debate says about the current state of the Republican Party (11:51-1:01:51). We then spend a little time reflecting on our first one hundred episodes (1:01:57-1:09:57).

Episode 99 - Parental rights, safe schools, & more hot button issues in education with Kiera Butler

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 00:00:00 -0400

We are joined this week by Mother Jones reporter and senior editor Kiera Butler to discuss some of the current major issues in education and politics (4:03-46:58). Kiera talks about her two trips to Moms4Liberty's National Conference and what she learned about the parental rights movement at those conferences. She also explores the politicization of reading instruction, the debates on how to make schools safer, school choice, and a potential future Secretary of Education.

Episode 98 - A legal analysis of SCOTUS’s ’22-’23 term with Professor Barry McDonald

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 05:00:00 -0400

We were joined once again this week by Pepperdine Law professor and constitutional law expert Barry McDonald to break down some of the major cases from the Supreme Court's term (12:08-1:03:03). We dive into the legal reasoning behind the affirmative action, voting rights, independent state legislature, free speech, and student loan forgiveness cases, and then Professor McDonald shares some of his overall thoughts on the current state of the Court and offers some potential reforms of it. Great episode for lawyers, law students, and anyone with an interest in the legal world.

Episode 97 - Debating term & age limits

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 05:49:37 -0400

We touch on the touchy subject of how old is too old, following the recent health episodes of two prominent and long-serving senators, Mitch McConnell and Diane Fienstein (6:58-33:14). We switch gears to another story that's made headline news recently out of North Carolina State House of Representatives. A pro-reproductive rights Democrat shocked her party and crossed the aisle, delivering Republicans super-majorities in both the State House and Senate. She cast a decisive vote, overriding the Governor's veto of a bill limiting access to abortion. We debate the savoriness of her actions and pose the question: Do voters go to the polls to elect people or the ideas those people represent?

Episode 96 - Six in Sixty: NATO, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Greece, & Sudan

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 05:00:00 -0400

We've got an international version of "six in sixty" this week, as we discuss the takeaways from last week's NATO summit (5:15-17:02), the fallout from the Russian coup (17:02-24:14), the Biden Administration's decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine (24:24-35:57), Israel's military operations in the West Bank (36:03-46:34), the migrant boat that sank off the coast of Greece (46:39-56:41), and the conflicts ravaging Sudan (56:42-1:07:33).

Episode 95 - Reflections on the Supreme Court’s ’22-’23 Term

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 05:00:00 -0400

With the Supreme Court's latest term in the books, we spent this week discussing how some of their major decisions will affect American society and politics moving forward. We began by looking at the Court's term from a high level perspective, and then dug into their decision in the Harvard and UNC affirmative action cases (5:52-32:58). We then discussed the fallout from the Court's decision on President Biden's student debt relief plan (33:03-46:54), and concluded by looking at the decisions involving Freedom of Speech and LGBTQ+ rights and voting rights (46:59-1:04:45).

Episode 94 - Opportunity & Agency: a conversation with St. Louis Treasurer Adam Layne

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 05:00:00 -0400

We are joined this week by St. Louis Treasurer Adam Layne for a wide-ranging conversation about his path from growing up in Boston, to going to college in Washington D.C., to teaching and then working in and for the city of St. Louis. We also discuss the sometimes competing ideas of opportunity and agency, particularly in the wake of SCOTUS ending affirmative action in higher education, get Adam's thoughts on equity and equality, and hear what he is doing in his role as Treasurer to create more of both in his city.

Episode 93 - The things we thought we knew: Juneteenth, reparations, & the idea of a meritocracy

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 05:00:00 -0400

This week we use the celebration of Juneteenth to take a hard look at our history. We discuss and debate the merits of reparations, whether the U.S. is a land of opportunity or oppression or both, and why it is so difficult for us to tell the full story of U.S. history. We conclude by highlighting two Black American figures who may have fallen through the cracks of that story.

Episode 92 - LIV-PGA merger, debt ceiling crisis averted, & more

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 05:00:00 -0400

We discussed the two big stories of the week: the stunning LIV-PGA merger and the deal to raise the debt ceiling.

Episode 91 - Academic freedom in higher education with Dr. Bertha Madras

Tue, 30 May 2023 05:00:00 -0400

We are joined this week by Dr. Bertha Madras who is a Professor of Psychobiology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Madras is one of the founders of the new "Council on Academic Freedom" at Harvard University, which is a faculty-led organization that is devoted to free inquiry, intellectual diversity, and civil discourse. Dr. Madras discusses why she felt like this Council was necessary at Harvard, in particular, and why she thinks protecting academic freedom and freedom of expression at institutions of higher education is so critical, in general.

Episode 90 - Social media & mental health with Wendy-Myrbell Napoleon

Tue, 23 May 2023 05:00:00 -0400

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and, in that spirit, we were joined by graduate student Wendy-Myrbell Napoleon who has been researching the intersection of social media and mental health among adolescents and young adults (5:10-43:05). We used her research as a foundation to have a larger conversation about mental health issues in our society, and she provided some policy recommendations our elected officials should consider to address the growing mental health crisis in our particularly vulnerable populations.

Episode 89 - A draft of Republican presidential candidates

Mon, 15 May 2023 05:00:00 -0400

We are joined this week by Nicaela Chinnaswamy and Maureen McInerney for a draft of sixteen potential Republican presidential candidates. We run through the true favorites, the outside contenders, the dark horses and the longshots for the nomination. Fun conversation and a great primer of the 2024 Republican presidential field.

Episode 88 - Six in Sixty: Fox, SCOTUS, Debt Ceiling, First Republic, Biden, & Guns

Wed, 03 May 2023 05:00:00 -0400

We hit six topics (plus a bonus topic!) that have been in the news lately in (roughly) ten minute segments. We begin by talking about all of the goings-on at Fox News (8:05-22:26), the ethics of the Supreme Court (22:30-32:00), JPMorgan buying First Republic Bank (32:04-43:35), the impending debt ceiling (43:39-55:53), President Biden's re-election campaign (55:58-1:03:10), and recent incidents of gun violence (1:03:14-1:13:05), plus a bonus topic for those of you who stick with us.

Episode 87 - Fiscal conservatism and the current Republican Party with Jennifer Nassour

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 05:00:00 -0400

We are joined this week by Jennifer Nassour, former chairperson of the Massachusetts Republican Party, founder of The Pocketbook Project, and host of the Political Contessa podcast (4:16-39:28). We talk to Jenn about her crusades to get more women into politics and to bring fiscal conservatism back to government, as well as the importance of having a legitimate opposition party for the sake of democracy, among many other topics.

Episode 86 - A pulse check on democracy: India, Israel, Tennessee, and Wisconsin

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 05:00:00 -0400

On the heels of President Biden's "Democracy Summit," we discussed the state of democracy globally, specifically in India, Israel, and in the U.S.

Episode 85 - Beyond a reasonable doubt?

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 05:00:00 -0400

Ricky spent the last two weeks serving on a jury for a murder trial. He had a lot of thoughts on the process, so we talked about it. A bit of a different episode, but one we think is both interesting and valuable.

Episode 84 - Reflections on the media, Carter, Trump, and much more with Dan Rea

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 09:37:14 -0400

We are joined this week by legendary tv reporter and radio host Dan Rea (3:00-53:10). We talked to Dan about how media has evolved over the course of his half-century in the business, his reflections on the time he spent with President Carter, his thoughts on President Trump's tenure, his current candidacy, and possible indictment, and many other stories, including an incredible story about Dan fighting for and, ultimately, helping to free a wrongly convicted man.

Episode 83 - 20 year anniversary of Iraq War, Trump arrest, Xi in Russia

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 05:00:00 -0400

A fairly momentous week, as we discussed the 20 year anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq (9:59-44:09), the historic impending arrest of former President Trump (44:17-55:03), and Xi Jinping's visit to Russia (55:04-1:04:00).

Episode 82 - The first domino?

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 05:00:00 -0400

This episode is all about the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank--the second largest bank collapse in U.S. history--and the federal government's response to it. We begin by talking about what we know about the collapse, and then spend much of the episode talking about what we want to know: namely, whether this is an isolated incident brought on by a specific set of circumstances or the sign of something much greater, and much worse, to come.

Episode 81 - The Ukraine war at one year with Dan Fishman

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 05:00:00 -0500

With Russia's invasion of Ukraine reaching the one year mark this week, we decided to take stock of where that conflict stands. We discussed the U.S. involvement thus far, the current domestic and global opinions of that involvement, and how the conflict might conclude. We are joined for that discussion by Dan Fishman, the former executive director of the Libertarian Party, the former executive director of People for Liberty, and currently of Let.Live (5:10-1:10:25).

Episode 80 - A draft of the most significant dates in U.S. history

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 05:00:00 -0500

We are back with our third annual Presidents Day Mount Rushmore-style snake draft. We are joined for the draft, once again, by our friends Dan Gonzalez and Joe Webster, and this year we are drafting the most significant dates in U.S. history. A really fun episode for any lovers of U.S. history.

Episode 79 - It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s...a balloon?

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 05:00:00 -0500

We begin by discussing the big story of the week: the U.S. shooting down the alleged Chinese spy balloon, as well as three other unidentified objects (2:57-25:39). We then share our thoughts on Biden's State of the Union address (25:44-44:11), and reflect on the terribly tragic earthquake in Turkey and Syria (44:19-51:27).

Episode 78 - A conversation with former Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 05:00:00 -0500

We are joined this week by former Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift (3:03-1:22:03) for a wide-ranging conversation about education, her time in the Massachusetts Senate, as Lieutenant Governor, and, ultimately, as an historic Governor, and what she has been up to since leaving office.

Episode 77 - Looking back on January

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 05:00:00 -0500

Ricky is back from India, and we have a lot to talk about. We begin by discussing George Santos (9:40-21:50) and then move into the drama surrounding the election of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House (21:50-34:35). We next talk about the latest in recurring tragedies including gun violence, police brutality, and antisemitism (34:40-51:55) before wrapping up by considering the U.S. reaching its debt ceiling (51:55-59:50) and the U.S. decision to send tanks to Ukraine (59:50-1:08:00).

Episode 76 - The changing of the guard with Jacquetta Van Zandt

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 05:00:00 -0500

We are joined this week by Jacquetta Van Zandt (5:50-55:11) to discuss all things Massachusetts politics. Jacquetta is a veteran of many campaigns at the local, state, and federal levels, and currently comments on Massachusetts politics on both her own podcast and on television. We reflect on the past eight years in Massachusetts under the outgoing Baker administration, preview the next four years under the incoming Healey administration, and analyze Mayor Wu's first year as the mayor of Boston, among other topics.

Episode 75 - A mile wide and a mile deep: analyzing the economy with Matthew Knych

Tue, 03 Jan 2023 08:23:49 -0500

We kick off 2023 by trying to get a handle on the current state of the economy and trying to figure out where it might head this year. We are joined for that discussion by Matthew Knych (3:44-1:00:53) who provides his knowledge of and experience in the business and housing spaces to our analysis.

Episode 74 - The Top Stories of 2022

Mon, 26 Dec 2022 05:00:00 -0500

In our final episode of the year, we each give our top five stories that defined 2022.

Episode 73 - Unions & the labor movement with Rand Wilson

Mon, 19 Dec 2022 05:00:00 -0500

We are joined this week by Rand Wilson, who has spent forty years working in the labor movement. We discuss how unions and the labor movement have evolved during his time in them and what recent developments in those areas mean. We also discuss how the long fall and recent rise in working class power has affected political dynamics in the United States over the past forty years. Finally, we look ahead to see how the domestic labor movement can intersect with global issues like climate change and immigration to affect positive change in each of these areas.

Episode 72 - Six in Sixty: Warnock, Sinema, Primaries, Marriage, Griner, Trump

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 05:00:00 -0500

With so many subjects worth discussing this week, we went back to our six topics in sixty minutes format where we hit each topic in a (roughly) ten minute segment. Those topics were Senator Warnock's victory in the Georgia runoff election (5:30-15:48), Senator Sinema's change in party affiliation (15:53-23:32), the proposed shakeup in the Democratic Presidential Primary calendar (23:37-35:01), Congress passing the historic Respect for Marriage Bill (35:06-45:52), Brittney Griner's return from captivity (45:57-55:10), and President Trump's latest controversy (55:15-1:01:41).

Episode 71 - Protests of and in Qatar, Iran, & China

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 05:00:00 -0500

We begin this week by talking about the World Cup: our favorite storylines of the tournament and the multiple controversies that have surrounded it (5:36-42:26). We then discuss the protests that have roiled Iran (42:33-1:10:25) and China (1:10:34-1:24:50) over the past few weeks and months.

Episode 70 - The rises of antisemitism & political violence with Jeffrey Robbins

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 05:00:00 -0500

We are joined this week by lawyer and Boston Herald columnist Jeffrey Robbins to talk about the dual rises in antisemitism and political violence that we have seen in the United States over the past few years. We begin our conversation with Jeff by talking about the causes and effects of the increasing antisemitism that we've seen (5:06-36:05), then transition into discussing the rise of political violence (36:05-47:30), before briefly getting Jeff's reaction to the midterm elections (47:30-57:30).

Episode 69 - A Red...Wedding?

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 05:00:00 -0500

We're back to analyze the midterms, where the projected red wave failed to materialize. But is it too early to bury Trumpism? We talk overall takeaways (4:36-22:05), individual winners & losers (22:14-59:46), and then engage in some Massachusetts-centric discussion (59:54:1:11:08).

Episode 68 - SCOTUS term overview with Professor Barry McDonald

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 05:00:00 -0400

We are joined this week by Caruso School of Law (Pepperdine) professor and constitutional law expert Barry McDonald to analyze the Supreme Court's fall docket. The Court is poised to hear a series of major cases this term, and Professor McDonald takes us through five of them: a free speech case (303 Creative LLC v. Elenis), a social media case (Gonzalez v. Google/Twitter v. Taamneh), an affirmative action case (Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard), a voting rights case (Moore v. Harper), and the independent state legislature case (Merrill v. Milligan).

Episode 67 - Midterm trends & more with Joan Vennochi

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 05:00:00 -0400

We are joined this week by longtime Globe columnist Joan Vennochi to discuss some of the trends we are seeing heading into the midterms with a focus on where the balance between the key issues of abortion and inflation currently stands. We also get Joan's views on a variety of other subjects, including Ukraine, crime, and the T.

Episode 66 - Analyzing the Massachusetts Ballot with Samantha Gross

Tue, 11 Oct 2022 05:00:00 -0400

We are joined this week by Samantha Gross of the Boston Globe to delve into the Massachusetts ballot. Sam gives us an overview of the statewide races in Massachusetts before giving us great insight into the four consequential ballot questions dealing with a "millionaires' tax", dental insurance, liquor licenses, and drivers' licenses for undocumented immigrants (4:42-34:30). We then discuss our opinions on those questions and explain which way we're currently leaning on each (34:38-1:04:13).

Episode 65 - Previewing the midterms with Steve Kornacki

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 05:00:00 -0400

An episode for political junkies, as we are joined by NBC News political correspondent Steve Kornacki to preview the midterm elections. Steve talks about the larger trends he is seeing, analyzes a number of the Senate races, and even makes a couple of predictions.

Episode 64 - The through lines connecting the crises in Puerto Rico, Jackson, and Martha’s Vineyard

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 05:00:00 -0400

We talked about three crises this week that may seem disparate on the surface but that we actually feel have several themes connecting them. We start by analyzing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's move to transport migrants from Texas to Martha's Vineyard (4:23-24:39). We then break down the water crisis that has devasted Jackson, Mississippi over the past weeks and months (24:47-43:24) before finishing up by discussing the latest natural disaster to befall Puerto Rico (43:32-54:09).

Episode 63 - In Memoriam: Queen Elizabeth II & Mikhail Gorbachev

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 05:00:00 -0400

The world lost two seminal figures in the past two weeks, and so we spent some time discussing the life and legacy of each. We began by discussing Queen Elizabeth II (4:59-28:52) before considering Mikhail Gorbachev (29:00-50:23). We conclude by remembering the heroes and victims of September 11th (50:31-57:55).

Episode 62 - Your Government Has Forgiven (Some of) You

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this week's episode, we talk about President Biden's decision to issue his long-debated executive order to cancel portions of federal student loans (3:33-39:29) before discussing next week's Massachusetts' primaries (39:37-58:19).

Episode 61 - A variety pack: al-Zawahiri, Taiwan, Griner, Trump, Dems, Kansas

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In this week's episode, we run through a bunch of topics that have been in the news recently in ten minute segments. We talk about the U.S. killing of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri (4:56-13:46), Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan (13:55-24:01), the arrest and incarceration of Brittney Griner (24:10-33:32), the FBI's search of former president Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence (33:41-44:29), Democrats boosting far-right MAGA candidates in Republican primaries (44:38-52:52), and Kansas voters rejecting a proposed state constitutional amendment to roll back abortion rights (53:00-1:03:04).

Episode 60 - Dan Fishman on the liberty movement and third parties in a two-party system

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 05:00:00 -0400

We are joined this week by the Executive Director of People for Liberty, Dan Fishman. Dan tells us about his personal journey to libertarianism, his experience as the Executive Director of the Libertarian Party during Jo Jorgenson's presidential campaign, and his current role as a leader of the liberty movement. We discuss the principles of the liberty movement and what role third parties can play in our current two-party system.

Episode 59 - It’s Getting Hot In Here

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Coming off of a heat wave that swept across the northern hemisphere, we decided it would be a good time to talk about climate change. We discussed how the conversation around climate change has evolved over the past two decades, even if action has not followed. We debated whose job it is to take steps to address climate change, considered why it hasn't happened, and analyzed the latest hope for action: the "Inflation Reduction Act."

Episode 58 - Jamie Kirchick on the Hidden History of D.C., the End of Europe and the News Media

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 07:56:28 -0400

We are joined this week by Jamie Kirchick to talk about his latest book, Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington. We also reflect on his first book, The End of Europe, which he wrote in 2017, and much of which he predicted in it, unfortunately, has come to pass in the past five years. We also talk about the state of the media today compared to the past and how media affects a democracy.

Episode 57 - Egregiously Wrong (pt. 2)

Thu, 07 Jul 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In part 2 of our SCOTUS-centric episode, we discuss the legitimacy of the Court given everything that has happened this term and over the past decade (2:15-31:10) before breaking down some of the other opinions the Court released this term (31:20-52:30).

Episode 56 - Egregiously Wrong (pt. 1) with Mikaela Louie & Jessica Vandervort

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 05:00:00 -0400

We're back this week with a mega episode focused solely on SCOTUS's decision in Dobbs to overturn Roe. We begin by giving our own thoughts on the issue (5:20-50:11) before being joined by two law-school trained friends Mikaela Louie (50:13-1:30:53) and Jessica Vandervort (1:32:14-2:06:18).

Episode 55 - On guns (and violence) in the U.S.

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 05:00:00 -0400

Given the events of the past several weeks, Ricky felt it was high time to talk about guns, so we do that for the bulk of this episode (27:43-1:07:02). We bookend that talk with discussions on the House January 6th Committee public hearings (0:30-27:36) and the assassination attempt on Justice Kavanaugh (1:07:11-1:21:33).

Episode 54 - The Rise of Ron with Austin Jackson

Mon, 30 May 2022 07:00:00 -0400

We are joined by Austin Jackson this week to discuss the rise of Ron DeSantis, first as Governor of Florida and then as a national figure. We talk about his legislative record in Florida, how that record has been received both in Florida and nationally, and about the potential for a future run for President.

Episode 53 - Problems That Persist

Wed, 18 May 2022 05:00:00 -0400

In a rather somber episode, we discuss the mass shooting in Buffalo (5:58-42:30), the U.S.'s role in the continuing war in Ukraine (42:39-1:16:25), and the U.S. hitting a grim COVID milestone (1:16:34-1:32:34).

Episode 52 - Elon’s Twitter Takeover; Election Season in the U.S. & Europe

Wed, 11 May 2022 05:00:00 -0400

We're back to talk about Elon taking over Twitter and what it means for the platform, for free speech, and for Elon himself (11:20-34:02). We then spend some time on one of our favorite recurring topics: examining the current state of the Republican party as we head into primary season here in the United States. We pair that discussion with the results of recent elections in Europe, including those in France and Hungary to see if there are any common transatlantic trends we can see (34:10-1:13:11).

Episode 51 - Unionization, Immigration, and Ukraine

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 05:00:00 -0400

We're back to talk about a bunch of things that have been in the news over the past couple of weeks including the first unionization of an Amazon facility (14:12-31:05), immigration being back in the headlines (31:06-52:39), and the latest developments in Ukraine (52:48-1:06:40).

Episode 50 - Sports, Money, & Global Politics

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 08:03:54 -0400

This week we use the Roman Abramovich/Chelsea/Russia/UK saga as a jumping off point to delve a little more deeply into how global politics have increasingly become intertwined with sports in our increasingly interconnected world. How do we, as fans and global citizens, reckon with the influx of money into our teams and leagues from sources who the West generally doesn't think are good? And, do we, as the West, really have the moral authority to judge who is and isn't good? And, even if we do have that authority, how should we want to handle cases in which those sources want to get involved in our sports? It's all very complicated. (0:30-46:58)

We then conclude by talking about Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination and confirmation hearings. (47:07-58:44).

Episode 49 - The Ukraine Is Not Weak

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 05:00:00 -0400

This week we finally discuss the situation in Ukraine. We look at what is currently happening on the ground, wonder about Putin's endgame, and talk about how the situation is playing out here in the United States. In a bit of a role-reversal, Ricky forces us to think about the current prevailing narrative in the United States and how this conflict might be benefitting the Biden Administration, while Brendan defends the prevailing narrative and how the Biden Administration has handled the conflict thus far.

Episode 48 - Let’s Go to Mo

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 05:00:00 -0500

We are joined this week by Maureen "Mo" McInerney from the Women's Public Leadership Network to talk about the work that she does to support women in politics. We talk about Mo's personal journey into politics, why we need more women in all levels of government, unique challenges that women face in the political arena, and much more.

Episode 47 - A Draft of the Most Influential Non-presidential 20th Century Americans

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 05:00:00 -0500

We brought back our friends Dan Gonzalez and Joe Webster for our second annual snake draft. This year, we did a four round draft of the most influential non-presidential 20th century Americans. Chaos and controversy ensued.

Episode 46 - Affirmative Action in the NFL, college admissions, and the Supreme Court

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 05:00:00 -0500

We finally sit down to talk about three somewhat related events of the past few weeks: Brian Flores filing a lawsuit against the NFL alleging discriminatory hiring practices, Justice Breyer's retirement and President Biden's promise to nominate a Black woman to the Court, and the Court deciding to hear the affirmative action cases against Harvard and North Carolina.

Episode 45 - Talking Mandates with Matthew Knych

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 05:00:00 -0500

We are joined by Matthew Knych this week to talk vaccines and vaccine mandates. We discuss the two SCOTUS decisions on the Biden Administration's mandates, as well the philosophy behind the government mandating vaccinations in general, and the new vaccination requirements in Boston (2:55-1:01:49).

Episode 44 - A Year Later

Mon, 10 Jan 2022 05:00:00 -0500

This episode is all about reflecting on the events of January 6, 2021 and everything that has transpired since that day. We begin by talking about President Biden's decision to go after former President Trump in his Capitol Hill speech, and discuss whether former President Trump is the cause or the effect of larger issues in our country (0:35-36:25). We then debate the Democrats' decision to use the anniversary of January 6th to re-energize their push for voting rights legislation (36:48-1:07:51).

Episode 43 - The Top Stories of 2021

Mon, 03 Jan 2022 05:00:00 -0500

We close out 2021 by looking back at some of the stories that defined the year. At the end of the episode, we make the transition into the new year by predicting what stories might define 2022.

Episode 42 - Aerial Wars, Accountability, & Moral Authority

Tue, 28 Dec 2021 05:00:00 -0500

In this episode, we discuss the New York Times report that detailed the human toll of the aerial war the United States has conducted in the Middle East over the past decade (0:30-39:31). We then debate whether everyone's favorite senator signaling the demise of Biden's Build Back Better Bill is an indication of a failing democracy (39:58-1:02:11). Finally, we conclude by touching on inflation, omicron, and the conviction of the police officer who killed Daunte Wright in Minneapolis (1:02:31-1:23:58).

Episode 41 - Global Rivals 1A & 1B

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 05:00:00 -0500

We have some real debate this week about developments in China and Russia and how the United States has responded to each (6:17-58:05). We then return to Massachusetts politics to analyze the effect of Governor Baker not seeking a third term (58:20-1:19:42), before concluding by discussing the tragic school shooting in Michigan and the life and times of Senator Bob Dole (1:19:57-1:35:25).

Episode 40 - American Justice(?)

Mon, 29 Nov 2021 05:00:00 -0500

After a busy week in our court system, we talk the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict, the Ahmaud Arbery verdict, and several other verdicts that came out this week. Ultimately, we discuss how much faith we have in our justice system and whether the verdicts this week strengthened or weakened our faith in that system.

Episode 39 - Red (the off-year election version)

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 05:00:00 -0500

We begin this episode by reflecting on the results from last week's elections and debate whether they were expected or if they are a harbinger of things to come (4:34-49:22). We then talk about the BFD that is BIF (49:37-1:11:46) before concluding with a couple of rememberences.

Episode 38 - A New Day in Boston

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 05:00:00 -0400

On November 2, 2021, Boston will elect its first female mayor. In this episode, we take a closer look at the two candidates, Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George. We discuss the backgrounds of the two candidates, their proposed policies, and what the election of either would tell us about the future of Boston.

Episode 37 - The Forest and the Trees

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 05:00:00 -0400

We begin by discussing the fallout from the leaking of Jon Gruden's emails, and we zoom out to look at what his emails say about structural, systemic issues within the NFL and society at large (0:30-29:27). We then zoom in on a few incidents involving China, Taiwan, and the United States to see if there is potentially something bigger brewing (29:55-51:01).

Episode 36 - Hitting the Ceiling

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 05:00:00 -0400

After a month off, we are back to discuss the debt ceiling and all the machinations surrounding it (0:30-29:51), before touching on the fallouts from the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal and the January 6th House Investigation Committee (30:09-50:48).

Episode 35 - Mandates, Mental Health, and Music with Brian Scully

Fri, 27 Aug 2021 05:00:00 -0400

We, rather reluctantly, wade back into the Covid conversation in this week's episode where we are joined by musician Brian Scully. Scully shares with us how Covid and all of the accompanying restrictions over the past eighteen months have affected his family and his career. We also debate the responses from our leaders at the local, state, and national levels from March of 2020 through today.

Episode 34 - Afghanistan: The Graveyard of Empires with Captain Colin Murphy

Mon, 23 Aug 2021 05:00:00 -0400

20 years, $2 trillion dollars, and countless lives. The toll of America's longest war is difficult to quantify, and perhaps even harder to swallow given its inglorious ending. On this week's episode, we get a Marine's perspective on the war in Afghanistan as Marine Corps veteran Captain Colin Murphy joins us for a discussion on what we gained, what we lost, and, hopefully, what we learned over these past two decades in conflict.

Episode 33 - Ask What Your Government Should Be Doing For You

Wed, 04 Aug 2021 05:00:00 -0400

We begin this week by recapping some of the major storylines from the first week of the Olympics (0:30-25:23) before having a discussion specifically about neoliberalism, more generally about how the economic policy pendulum has swung back and forth in the U.S. over the past century, and more generally, still, about what we think government should be doing for its citizens (25:47-1:09:33).

Episode 32 - Tokyo Risk

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 13:18:53 -0400

With the 2020 Summer Olympics finally starting this week, we spent this episode discussing all things Olympics, including whether the Games should be taking place at all (0:30-22:25), our favorite events, and some U.S. athletes to keep an eye on in these Games (22:41-40:32). We conclude by reminiscing about some of our favorite all-time Olympic memories and debating U.S. participation in the 2022 Beijing Games (40:43-1:01:12).

Episode 31 - Ranked Choice Voting Faces Its Biggest Test

Fri, 09 Jul 2021 09:04:56 -0400

We spend the first segment of this episode diving into the NYC Mayoral Race and discuss everything that was on the ballot in that race, including the candidates themselves, crime and the police, and ranked choice voting (0:30-26:34). We then hit on a variety of different topics including the revival of bipartisanship with the infrastructure agreement, the conclusion of the Supreme Court's term, and the newfound ability for college athletes to get paid (26:50-56:17).

Episode 30 - The Things We Never Learned

Sat, 19 Jun 2021 10:13:49 -0400

This week we discuss Juneteenth (0:30-19:28), the Tulsa Massacre and Critical Race Theory (19:46-44:50), and then we close by profiling two, perhaps lesser known, Black Americans (45:44-1:03-:39).

Episode 29 - Filibustering Bipartisanship

Fri, 11 Jun 2021 05:30:00 -0400

We begin this week's episode by considering some listener feedback we received about last week's Israel-Palestine discussion (0:30-27:12). We then spend some time discussing the state of bipartisanship in D.C. through the lenses of the filibuster, infrastructure, and voting rights (27:30-51:26). We wrap up by analyzing Naomi Osaka's withdrawal from the French Open, what it says about the mental health of athletes, and what it means for their relationship with the media who cover them (51:44-1:07:00).

Episode 28 - What is Jerusalem worth? Nothing. Everything.

Fri, 28 May 2021 11:38:24 -0400

We (try to) tackle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict this week. We begin by discussing the history of the region (0:30-24:02) before analyzing the conflict that has engulfed the region over the past couple of weeks (24:14-49:05). We then spend some time looking at the role the United States plays in the region and the reaction to the current conflict here in the U.S. (49:49-1:21:06), before wrapping up by talking about antisemitism (1:21:23-1:27:26).

Episode 27 - On the Census 2020, the purging of the GOP, and new guidelines from the CDC

Tue, 18 May 2021 15:04:12 -0400

We start this episode by analyzing the initial census data recently released by the government (0:30-34:44), then we spend some time examining Liz Cheney's last stand in the GOP leadership (34:57-53:41), before considering the latest CDC guidelines and reflecting on the NBA's Hall of Fame class that was inducted this past weekend (53:54-1:08:46).

Episode 26 - Policing in the United States with Salome Kassini and Ratko Aleksis

Mon, 03 May 2021 06:00:00 -0400

With policing still making headlines over the past couple of weeks, we spend this episode thinking about policing in the United States from a couple of different perspectives. We are joined first by Salome Kassini (3:11-33:31) and then by Ratko Aleksis (34:05-1:45:03) who give us their unique perspectives on the big picture role of policing in this country and on several particular incidents, including the Derek Chauvin verdict and the killings of Adam Toledo, Daunte Wright, and Ma'Khia Bryant, before we try to weave together all of our different perspectives into some kind of coherent takeaway (1:45:30-1:53:31).

Episode 25 - The Pullout That Was Promised

Sun, 25 Apr 2021 06:00:00 -0400

We start this week's episode by reacting and responding to some listener thoughts on the Georgia election laws before going deep into the U.S. dealings with Afghanistan and Iran. We stay overseas to finish up by discussing the rapid rise and fall of the Super League this week.

0:30-28:43 Georgia Election Law Mailbag

29:09-1:12:51 U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East

1:13:16-1:30:05 European Super League

Episode 24 - The Mayor, the T, and Nicaela Chinnaswamy

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 06:00:00 -0400

In this Boston/Massachusetts-centric episode, we discuss the current and future states of the T and give an overview of Boston's burgeoning mayoral race before talking to the newest elected member of the Republican State Committee, Nicaela Chinnaswamy, about her decision to enter politics and the wild story of her race for the RSC.

0:30-21:55 - The T

22:21-47:02 - Boston Mayoral Race

47:23-1:25:23 - Interview with Nicaela Chinnaswamy

Episode 23 - America's Pastime Confronts America's Present

Sun, 11 Apr 2021 12:10:21 -0400

In this week's episode we try to separate the wheat from the chaff with what's going on in Georgia. We bookend that discussion with a preliminary analysis of the proposed infrastructure bill and a look at where we stand in our collective fight against the coronavirus.

0:30-26:01 - Infrastructure

26:13-1:01:01 - Georgia Voting Law & MLB All Star

1:01:20-1:18:41 - Vaccinations & Variants

Episode 22 - The Best Laid Plans

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 13:06:38 -0400

In a week where President Biden thought he was going to be able to take a victory lap touting the passage of the latest COVID relief bill, he, instead, was confronted with two mass shootings and a rising crisis on our southern border.

3:42-33:05 Immigration

33:20-1:28:32 Gun Control, anti-Asian discrimination, and U.S. exceptionalism

Episode 21 - Think Left & Think Right & Think Low & Think High

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 06:00:00 -0400

Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!

This week we discuss the latest Covid Relief Bill, before we are joined by Jeff Kirchick, friend and author, to discuss his new book, Authentic Selling, and get his thoughts on cancel culture.

0:30-17:34 Covid Relief Bill

17:46-59:17 Interview with Jeff

59:26-1:06:30 Evolution of cancel culture

Episode 20 - Voting Rights & GOP Fights

Mon, 08 Mar 2021 06:00:00 -0500

In this week's episode we dive into the voting rights battles that are being fought in both the national and state legislatures across the country. We are then joined by Vincent Cortellessa to talk about Trump's return to national politics at CPAC and where the future of the Republican Party lies.

0:30-23:10 H.R. 1 & voting rights

23:21-1:06:35 Interview with Vince

1:06:48-1:11:27 Economic populism spectrum

Episode 19 - The Weather Messed with Texas

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 11:34:58 -0500

We're back to current events in this episode, as we touch on our takeaways from the second impeachment trial of President Trump, the behavior of Governor Cuomo and Senator Cruz, and the confirmation hearing of Neera Tanden. We finish the episode by taking a deep dive into the situation in Texas.

0:21-41:56 -- Trump, Cuomo, Cruz, Tanden

42:10-1:16:06 -- Texas Disaster

Episode 18 -- The Presidential Draft

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 13:34:01 -0500

We do something a little different in this episode, as we are joined by two of our best friends to engage in a Presidential "draft" in honor of Presidents Day. In the draft, we each select four Presidents to make up our respective Mount Rushmores.

*This version has Ricky's first overall pick in it, which was accidentally omitted from the previously uploaded version.*

Episode 18 - The Presidential Draft

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 13:54:52 -0500

Episode 17 - A Week of Gambling

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 08:30:00 -0500

This week we saw Republicans gamble on keeping the tent as big as possible and Democrats gamble their version of unity doesn't need Republican support.

0:23-31:33 Marjorie Taylor Greene & Liz Cheney

31:50-48:24 Fox News Defamation Lawsuit

42:42-1:10:40 Covid Relief Package

Episode 16 - The Show Goes On

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 14:31:46 -0500

In this week's episode Brendan goes after the Biden Administration while Ricky goes in on Wall Street. And both of us go in on the media.

0:21-31:31 The first weeks of the Biden Administration

31:53-1:21:57 The Robinhood/Gamestop Fiasco

Episode 15 - A New Day

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 13:35:18 -0500

We kick off Season Two by reflecting upon how the podcast has gone thus far before we welcome our first guest, Oliver Starnes, to the program. We conclude by looking ahead to our hopes for the Biden Administration.

0:51-8:55 State of the podcast

9:11-49:47 Interview with Ollie

50:05-1:06:25 Hopes for the Biden Administration

Episode 14 - American Carnage, Four Years Later

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 10:42:59 -0500

In this time of transition, we do our best to try to gain some perspective on the four years of the Trump Presidency. We discuss our feelings watching his rise in 2016, analyze his successes and failures in the first three years of his term, before grappling with where he has left the country over the course of this last year.

Episode 13 - This is America

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 15:55:19 -0500

In this episode, we recap and react to all of the events that transpired on 1.6.21. This is America, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.

Episode 12 - Not Going Quietly

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 20:15:20 -0500

In our first episode of 2021, we look at the President's whirlwind performance over the past few weeks and discuss where that performance leaves the party of Lincoln moving forward.

Episode 11 - The Biggest Stories of 2020

Tue, 22 Dec 2020 10:03:49 -0500

In our last episode of 2020, we list and delve into the biggest political stories of this wild and crazy year.

Episode 10 - Do We Deserve to Kill?

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 11:32:29 -0500

After a couple of weeks away, we recap some of the developments in the President's challenge to the Election and the President-Elect's Cabinet selections, before diving back into the revived stimulus talks. We conclude by discussing and debating the death penalty in the United States.

Episode 9 - Getting the Band Back Together

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 15:13:20 -0500

This week we wrap up our coronavirus discussion before moving on to the Presidential transition that actually seems to be getting underway, at least in some corners. We finish by taking a look at the team that President-Elect Biden is putting together, which is starting to feel awfully familiar...

Episode 8 - In the Time of Corona

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 20:48:00 -0500

This week we have a sprawling discussion on some of the governmental, societal, and individual factors that have contributed to the United States' response to Covid-19, before checking back in on where we stand with the election results.

Episode 7 - The Aftermath

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 10:05:42 -0500

With the dust yet to (completely) settle, we sat down for a free-flowing hot-take session on everything that election week has brought us.

Episode 6 - The Home Stretch

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 11:35:39 -0500

We share some final thoughts before the election, discuss the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, the history of court packing and a host of other non-controversial topics.

Episode 5 - On the Ballot

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 11:28:39 -0400

This week we're taking a deeper look at some of the questions on the Massachusetts Ballot for the November 2020 election, and what our understanding (or lack thereof) means for not only us, but democracy in general.

0:34-18:10 Question 1 18:25-40:56 Question 2 41:14-54:30 Federal Elections

Trailer - A Gentlemen's Disagreement

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 11:17:56 -0400

How our podcast came to be.

Episode 4 - The "Presidential" "Debate"

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 09:00:13 -0400

This week we do our best to review the first presidential debate, which unfortunately was not really a debate and certainly not presidential.

0:58 -17:43 Debate Tone

18:10-46:32 Debate Substance

46:32-59:24 Where do we go from here

Episode 3 - A Higher Court

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 10:23:27 -0400

This week we delve into Ruth Bader Ginsburg's life and legacy before pivoting to the current conversation around the supreme court vacancy. We round out our discussion by touching on some of the broader issues surrounding the decision not to pursue criminal charges against the officers involved in the killing of Breonna Taylor.

0:33-20:42 RBG life and legacy
21:08-47:42 SC fight to come
48:12-1:01:13 Breonna Taylor
1:01:29-1:04:48 Presidential Race

Episode 2 - Law & Order

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 22:39:36 -0400

Things get a little heated this week as we discuss the case of Kyle Rittenhouse, the politics of self-defense, and the "Law & Order" candidate.

1:03-17:28 (Primary recap/Kennedy v. Markey) 17:48-39:53 (Rittenhouse debate) 40:05-59:23 (Law & Order candidate) 59:40-1:07:28 (September 11th thoughts)

Episode 1 - Reasonable People

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 21:14:24 -0400

In Episode I, we hit on the impetus for our podcast, dip our toes into the presidential and state primaries and wade into the murky waters of the NBA player-led strike. 01:00-10:50: Introduction 11:40-25:10: Presidential Primaries 26:20-35:50: Massachusetts Democratic Primary 36:50-49:50: NBA/sports protests