Today's guest is Mike Pesca, who publishes The Gist podcast every weekday. The Gist, which launched in 2014, is a tight 30 minutes of news, interviews, and opinions on the biggest issues of the day. Pesca is a veteran of NPR and Slate—experiences that have made him an outspoken critic of legacy media, especially its willingness to overthrow longstanding commitments to objectivity and fairness in pursuit of progressive versions of "moral clarity."

Reason's Nick Gillespie talks with him about his controversial 2021 separation from Slate after he defended a New York Times reporter's use of a racial slur, why once-vaunted newspapers such as The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times are rightly losing readers and money, and whether the old world of three broadcast TV networks and heavily gate-kept media had any value.

Today's sponsors:

Lumen. Lumen is the world's first handheld metabolic coach. You just breathe into the device and it measures your metabolism through your breath. The phone-based app lets you know if you're burning fat or carbs, and it gives you tailored guidance to improve your nutrition, workouts, sleep, and even stress management. Your metabolism is your body's engine—it's how your body turns the food you eat into fuel that keeps you going. Because your metabolism is at the center of everything your body does, optimal metabolic health translates to a bunch of benefits, including easier weight management, improved energy levels, better fitness results, and better sleep. It can help women track their cycles and the onset of menopause, and adjust recommendations to keep your metabolism healthy through hormonal shifts. Take the next step in improving your health: Go to lumen.me/INTERVIEW to get 15 percent of your purchase.

The Reason Speakeasy: The Reason Speakeasy is a monthly, unscripted conversation in New York City with outspoken defenders of free thinking and heterodoxy that doubles as a live taping of The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie. The next event is scheduled for Wednesday, September 11, and features Fox News' Kat Timpf, whose new book is I Used To Like You Until…(How Binary Thinking Divides Us). Tickets are $15 and include beer, wine, soft drinks, and food.

An Evening with Richard Dawkins, hosted by Nick Gillespie. Nick Gillespie interviews the legendary scientist in Milwaukee on September 20 as part of his "final bow" tour.

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The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie

Mike Pesca: How NPR Lost Its Way

Why is the Brazilian government afraid of X?

Judge Alexandre de Moraes has blocked the site formerly known as Twitter in Brazil, where an estimated 40 million people access the site each month. Circumventing the ban on X with a VPN could get you fined about $9,000 a day, around the average per capita income in Brazil. It happened after Musk reinstated accounts that the Brazilian state had accused of being part of "digital militias" undermining Brazil's democracy.

X's owner Elon Musk has accused the judge of "repeatedly and brazenly" betraying Brazil's constitution, called for his impeachment, and described him as "Brazil's Darth Vader."

The judge has accused Musk of "criminal instrumentalization" of the X platform and frozen the assets of Musk's satellite internet company Starlink in the country.

Joining us today from Brazil to talk about all this, and the intensifying global crackdown on online speech, is Glenn Greenwald. His show System Update airs every weeknight at 7 p.m. ET on Rumble. An archive of all his latest work is available on his Substack. 

Sources referenced in the conversation:
Elon Musk on X casting shame on Judge de Moraes
2022 Brazilian election results - Resultados – TSE
Judge de Moraes' social media order - https://t.co/YjD9gK3ck0
Encryption in France - ATICA European Association of Trade + Investment Controls and Compliance Attorneys
Thierry Breton letter to Elon Musk ahead of of Aug. 2024 X livestream with Trump: https://x.com/ThierryBreton/status/1823033048109367549
"What Really Happened in Venezuela's Election?" Just Asking Questions 
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:50 How Brazil's 2022 election shapes things today
11:48 Does Brazil have any separation of powers?
16:50 Is Glenn Greenwald fleeing Brazil?
19:54 de Moraes is breaking Brazilian law
26:34 Brazil is persecuting Starlink, too
31:09 Brazil's restrictions on VPNs
34:27 Venezuela's Maduro, leftists, and free speech
37:45 How should democracy's handle fraud?
42:45 The EU mimics Brazil's speech restrictions
47:40 France's arrest of Telegram CEO, Pavel Durov
52:26 Defending Section 230 and encryption
1:02:14 What is motivating these global crackdowns?

Glenn Greenwald: Why Did Brazil Ban X?

In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman puzzle over the second assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump, and the recent nonsensical claims that Haitians are eating cats in Ohio.

03:15—Second assassination attempt on Trump

13:30—Claims of Haitians eating cats in Ohio

36:40—Weekly listener question

45:51—Last week's presidential debate between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris

52:15—This week's cultural recommendations

Today's sponsors:

In an election year, getting overwhelmed by the constant buzz of news and opinions is easy. Understanding the true impact of political events can be a challenge. Not Another Politics Podcast, from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, provides clear, research-driven perspectives on the biggest issues. Get the insights you need to truly understand the political landscape—no spin, just facts. Subscribe today at harris.uchicago.edu/napp or look for Not Another Politics Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
ZBiotics. ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol Probiotic Drink is the world's first genetically engineered probiotic. It was invented by Ph.D. scientists to tackle rough mornings after drinking. Make ZBiotics your first drink of the night, drink responsibly, and you'll feel your best tomorrow. Go to zbiotics.com/ROUNDTABLE to get 15 percent off your first order when you use ROUNDTABLE at checkout. ZBiotics is backed with a 100 percent money-back guarantee so if you're unsatisfied for any reason, they'll refund your money, no questions asked.

Audio production by Ian Keyser

Assistant production by Hunt Beaty

Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve

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The Reason Roundtable

Why Do They Keep Shooting at Donald Trump?

Today's guest is Kat Timpf, whose new book is I Used To Like You Until…:(How Binary Thinking Divides Us). In a totally insane election season, this just might be the most important book of the year. A sequel of sorts to 2023's You Can't Joke About That: Why Everything Is Funny, Nothing Is Sacred, and We're All in This Together, it seeks to show how politics overwhelms common decency and basic logic.

Timpf, who co-hosts the super-popular Gutfeld! late-night show, explains to Reason's Nick Gillespie why she tells some people she works in porn instead of at Fox News, what it's like being libertarian at a conservative network, and how she gets people to engage with each other rather than vilify one another. This podcast was taped in front of a live audience in New York City.

Today's sponsors:

ZBiotics. ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol Probiotic Drink is the world's first genetically engineered probiotic. It was invented by Ph.D. scientists to tackle rough mornings after drinking. Make ZBiotics your first drink of the night, drink responsibly, and you'll feel your best tomorrow. Get 15 percent off by going to ZBiotics/TRI and using the code TRI at checkout.
The Reason Roundtable live in New York!, Monday, November 4. Katherine Mangu-Ward, Peter Suderman, Nick Gillespie, and Matt Welch will conduct a live taping of The Reason Roundtable at The Village Underground the night before the election. Tickets are $25, doors open at 6:00 P.M., Ticket includes admission to an afterparty. Details here.

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Kat Timpf: An Unapologetic Libertarian at Fox News

What are the schools really teaching our kids?

It's back-to-school season, which means the curriculum wars are back on the agenda. The right has accused activist infiltrators of "indoctrinating" the next generation with woke struggle sessions, confusing kids about their gender and sexuality, and turning K-12 campuses into war zones by replacing discipline with pseudoscientific therapy. The left has accused the right of authoritarian book bans, whitewashing history, and discriminating against LGBT students and teachers. What's actually happening on campus?

Joining us to talk about it today is Erika Sanzi. She's the Director of Outreach for Parents Defending Education, a nonprofit with a stated mission of fighting "indoctrination in schools" and "promoting the restoration of a healthy, nonpolitical education for our kids." She's also serves on the board of the Boys Initiative and is a mother of three teenage sons.

Parents Defending Education falls clearly on the side of believing that schools are in danger of becoming full-on "indoctrination centers." In fact, their website features an "IndoctriNation Map" which lists examples from around the country. The conversation opens by defining the difference between indoctrination and education.

Sources referenced in the conversation:
IndoctriNation Map - Parents Defending Education
New York City Public Schools introduces mandatory Black Studies curriculum for PreK-12th grades exploring oppression and activism - Parents Defending Education
Parents Defending Education vs. Wellesly School District
Gender Triangle Education Guide | GLSEN used in Jefferson County, Colorado.
Report on Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2023 - Institute of Education Sciences
Use of Restorative Justice and Restorative Practices at School: A Systematic Literature Review (mdpi.com)
Consultant Report Card - Parents Defending Education
 PEN America: 2023 "Banned" Books Update
Just Asking Questions: Ruth Whippman: How Is Masculinity Changing?
Chapters:
00:00 Coming up…
00:20 Introduction
01:52 Indoctrination vs education
04:41 How bad is NYC?
06:40 What is the actual purpose of school?
10:16 NYC mandates "black studies" for K-12
23:46 America's literacy rates are terrible
30:19 Minority families vs. gender curriculum
41:26 What's the deal with these "consultants"?
46:59 Consultants and "social-emotional learning"
51:09 Discussing book "bans"
57:15 These are sexually explicit books
1:05:21 "Bans" skew the debate
1:11:10 Schools are deceiving parents on gender identity
01:20:06 Why are boys failing so badly?

Erika Sanzi: What Are Schools Really Teaching?

Former budget director under Ronald Reagan, David Stockman, and Stephen Moore, Donald Trump's former senior economic advisor, debate the resolution, "In the current presidential election, both Democrats and Republicans consist of a UniParty that will lead us to the bottom of the national 'policy dumpster.'"

Arguing for the affirmative is David Stockman, former budget director under President Reagan. He is the author of six books, the most recent being his 2024 Trump's War on Capitalism. He blogs on his website Contra Corner. The resolution's mention of a "policy dumpster" comes from a three-part blog Stockman authored in August.

Taking the negative is Stephen Moore, Trump's former senior economic advisor and the research director of President Reagan's Privatization Commission. He is now a Senior Visiting Fellow in Economics at The Heritage Foundation. He is also the co-founder of Unleash Prosperity, which aims to educate policy makers in supply-side economics. He's the author of the 2012 book Who's the Fairest of Them All?: The Truth about Opportunity, Taxes, and Wealth in America.

The debate was moderated by Soho Forum director Gene Epstein.

Are the Two Parties Any Different?

In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Nick Gillespie, Peter Suderman, and special guest Elizabeth Nolan Brown unpack the charges and implications of the federal sex trafficking case against Sean "Diddy" Combs.

01:45—Sean "Diddy" Combs faces federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges

17:13—CNN unearths North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson's lurid posts on a porn message board

29:49—Weekly listener question

38:09—Government shutdown looms yet again

41:12—Oprah Winfrey interviews Vice President Kamala Harris

56:12—This week's cultural recommendations

Send your questions to roundtable@reason.com. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.


Today's sponsors:

From Greek philosophers, who are the wellspring of democratic ideals, to America's founding fathers to contemporary critics who question everything: each is welcome at St. John's College—where students encounter Adam Smith and Karl Marx; St. Augustine and Friedrich Nietzsche; James Baldwin and Virginia Woolf. Here, there are no secondary sources, no experts, and no one telling you what to believe. Rather, there are original sources and a community devoted to collaborative inquiry, intellectual humility, and the discomfort that comes from diverse opinions. Explore 3,000 years of human thought on campuses in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Annapolis, Maryland. For Master's degree candidates, we also offer studies in the great texts of the East, in-person or online. Learn more at SJC.edu/reason.




In an election year, getting overwhelmed by the constant buzz of news and opinions is easy. Understanding the true impact of political events can be a challenge. Not Another Politics Podcast, from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, provides clear, research-driven perspectives on the biggest issues. Get the insights you need to truly understand the political landscape—no spin, just facts. Subscribe today at harris.uchicago.edu/napp or look for Not Another Politics Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Audio production by Ian Keyser

Assistant production by Hunt Beaty

Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve

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Get Your Gross Sex Out of My Sick Politics!

You've probably heard some variation of the notion that Millennials and Gen Z are going to be the first generations of Americans to have lower standards of living than their parents. It's too expensive to go to college, to buy a house, to have kids—you name it, goes this line of thinking. Today's guest has good news: Younger Americans are actually doing better than Gen X was at the same stage, and they are in the same ballpark as Baby Boomers when you adjust for inflation and population.

"Millennials and Gen Z have dramatically more wealth than Gen X had at the same age, and it's growing fast!," writes Jeremy Horpedahl, a libertarian economist trained at George Mason University who teaches at the University of Central Arkansas. His work, which draws on the Census, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and other non-controversial sources, shows that young Americans are doing well and that economic mobility is the rule rather than the exception.

Reason's Nick Gillespie talks with Horpedahl about why politicians and media sources get basic economics wrong, why it's vital to always adjust for inflation and population growth, and how growing up in the Dakotas gives him a different, more optimistic perspective on things than many in the academy. Horpedahl also analyzes the economic plans of former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. His answers are provocative, to say the least, just like his research.

Today's sponsors:

St. John's College. Explore 3,000 years of human thought on campuses in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Annapolis, Maryland. From Greek philosophers who are the wellspring of democratic ideals to America's founding fathers to contemporary critics who question everything: Each is welcome at St. John's College. In-person and online Master's degree courses too.
Lumen. Lumen is the world's first handheld metabolic coach. You just breathe into the device and it measures your metabolism through your breath. The phone-based app lets you know if you're burning fat or carbs, and it gives you tailored guidance to improve your nutrition, workouts, sleep, and even stress management. Your metabolism is your body's engine—it's how your body turns the food you eat into fuel that keeps you going. Because your metabolism is at the center of everything your body does, optimal metabolic health translates to a bunch of benefits, including easier weight management, improved energy levels, better fitness results, and better sleep. It can help women track their cycles and the onset of menopause, and adjust recommendations to keep your metabolism healthy through hormonal shifts. Take the next step in improving your health: Go to lumen.me/INTERVIEW to get 15 percent off your purchase.

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Jeremy Horpedahl: Are Millennials and Gen Z Actually Worse Off Than Their Parents?

How well-protected is Donald Trump?

On July 13, Trump became the first U.S. president to be shot in more than 40 years, and the first to be shot during a campaign since 1912. Then, incredibly, the Secret Service stopped a second would-be assassin who was stationed with a rifle on the perimeter of Trump's golf course as the former president was one hole away: two unnervingly close calls in about two months. What's going on? 

Some Republican lawmakers say Trump is under-protected and accuse the Biden administration of politicizing the Secret Service to intentionally put the president in danger. Media reports say that Trump has made the Secret Service's job too difficult by insisting on golfing on short notice at unsecured locations. The Secret Service says it's understaffed.

Today's guest will give us an insider's view of how the Secret Service works and what might have gone wrong. Richard Staropoli served as a special agent in the Secret Service for 25 years, served briefly as the chief information officer for the Department of Homeland Security under the Trump administration, and is now the senior managing director for Rivada, a telecommunications and satellite internet company.

https://reason.com/podcast/2024/09/26/richard-staropoli-whats-wrong-with-the-secret-service/

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:51 A veteran of the Secret Service reacts to the first assassination attempt
06:38 The lack of direct answers
12:35 How politicized is the DHS?
20:33 Why are these lapses happening right now?
25:57 The unique challenges of protecting Trump
29:51 Who decides how to allocate Secret Service resources?
39:17 The Secret Service is a bloated government agency
43:48 Incompetence, malice, or both?
54:07 The second attempt on Trump's life
01:03:07 DeSantis's state-level investigation
01:07:41 Alleged shooter Ryan Routh's background and connections
01:12:08 What are the needed reforms?
01:14:48 Final Question

Richard Staropoli: What’s Wrong With the Secret Service?

In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman gawk at the amusing circumstances surrounding the federal indictment of New York City Mayor Eric Adams, before discussing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's recent in-person visits with both presidential candidates.




02:25—New York City Mayor Eric Adams indicted in a federal corruption investigation

21:58—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump

35:46—Weekly listener question

49:27—This week's cultural recommendations

Send your questions to roundtable@reason.com. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.




Today's sponsors:

Qualia Senolytic: Have you heard about senolytics yet? It's a class of ingredients discovered less than 10 years ago, and it's being called the biggest discovery of our time for promoting healthy aging and enhancing your physical prime. Your goals in your career and beyond require productivity. But let's be honest: The aging process is not our friend when it comes to endless energy and productivity. As we age, everyone accumulates "senescent" cells in their body. Senescent cells cause symptoms of aging, such as aches and discomfort, slow workout recoveries, and sluggish mental and physical energy associated with that "middle age" feeling. Also known as "Zombie Cells," they are old and worn out and not serving a useful function for our health anymore, but they are taking up space and nutrients from our healthy cells. Much like pruning the yellowing and dead leaves off a plant, Qualia Senolytic removes those worn-out senescent cells to allow for the rest of your cells to thrive in the body. Take it just two days a month. The formula is non-GMO, vegan, and gluten-free, and the ingredients are meant to complement one another, factoring in the combined effect of all ingredients together. Resist aging at the cellular level and try Qualia Senolytic. Go to Qualialife.com/ROUNDTABLE for up to 50 percent off and use code ROUNDTABLE at checkout for an additional 15 percent off. For your convenience, Qualia Senolytic is also available at select GNC locations near you.
In an election year, getting overwhelmed by the constant buzz of news and opinions is easy. Understanding the true impact of political events can be a challenge. Not Another Politics Podcast, from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, provides clear, research-driven perspectives on the biggest issues. Get the insights you need to truly understand the political landscape—no spin, just facts. Subscribe today at harris.uchicago.edu/napp or look for Not Another Politics Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Audio production by Ian Keyser

Assistant production by Hunt Beaty

Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve

Subscribe at YouTube: http://youtube.com/reasontv
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reason.Magazine
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/reason
Visit the archive: https://reason.com/tags/reason-podcast

Eric Adams and New York City's Corruption Problem

Who's most to blame for the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021? How much does it matter for the election in November 2024? 

We all remember the events of January 6, which resulted in unforgettable images, an evacuation of the Capitol, several deaths, $2.7 billion in costs, more than 1,200 criminal charges, an impeachment, and decades in prison for many involved.  

Today's guest was there during the lead-up to January 6—not as a participant, but as a chronicler. Ford Fischer is a documentary filmmaker and editor in chief of News2Share, which is on the scene for seemingly every major act of political unrest. Ford was also once upon a time an intern at Reason. Most recently, he was a co-writer and cinematographer on a new documentary about January 6 called Fight Like Hell, directed by Jon Long, which is now available for free on YouTube.

There are several documentaries about this event out there, but this one contains some footage that Fischer captured in the months and days leading up to the capitol riot, helping the viewer better understand the mechanics of the movement. We focus largely on Fischer's firsthand experience of covering months of "Steal the Steal" protests.

Text and links to sources available here: https://reason.com/podcasts/just-asking-questions/

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
02:31 The broad context of the "Stop the Steal" movement
05:08 Who is Ali Alexander?
15:04 Why were some leaders prosecuted and others not?
19:46 Insurrection, riot, or something else?
26:53 How was even more violence avoided?
38:56 Were the police welcoming people inside the Capitol?
41:27 Trump's speech: Incitement?
51:29 January 5th and the turn against police
57:59 Massie: What was the role of federal informants?
1:10:54 Will this sort of thing happen again after this upcoming election?
1:15:15 The media should present more information and less narrative

Ford Fischer: What's the Untold Story Behind 'Stop the Steal'?

Today's guest is Billy Binion, who joined Reason's staff in 2019 after stints at an opera company (!) and as a contractor for NATO (!!). He has written blockbuster stories about the abuse of power by cops and courts, and he just produced an incredible documentary about a citizen journalist in Laredo, Texas, who sued the city after they arrested her for reporting on a couple of controversial local stories. It's a case that could have major First Amendment implications for independent reporters.

Nick Gillespie talks with Binion about what drives his interests in such topics as civil asset forfeiture, SWAT teams run amok, and people who get arrested after using unlicensed guns to ward off would-be killers. They discuss how, contrary to most news accounts, today's Supreme Court is less polarized than the country it serves. And they also talk about how Binion's time living in California and Texas back to back gives him a distinct perspective on blue and red America—and insight into what sort of government governs better, if not quite best.

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Billy Binion: Civil Liberties Don't Just Belong to the Rich

In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman reflect on last year's October 7 terrorist attack in Israel and the destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Helene across the southeastern United States.

02:27—October 7, one year on

20:07—Hurricane Helene aftermath

35:41—Weekly listener question

43:25—Last week's vice presidential debate

53:08—This week's cultural recommendations

Send your questions to roundtable@reason.com. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.

Today's sponsors:

Qualia Senolytic: Have you heard about senolytics yet? It's a class of ingredients discovered less than 10 years ago, and it's being called the biggest discovery of our time for promoting healthy aging and enhancing your physical prime. Your goals in your career and beyond require productivity. But let's be honest: The aging process is not our friend when it comes to endless energy and productivity. As we age, everyone accumulates "senescent" cells in their body. Senescent cells cause symptoms of aging, such as aches and discomfort, slow workout recoveries, and sluggish mental and physical energy associated with that "middle age" feeling. Also known as "Zombie Cells," they are old and worn out and not serving a useful function for our health anymore, but they are taking up space and nutrients from our healthy cells. Much like pruning the yellowing and dead leaves off a plant, Qualia Senolytic removes those worn-out senescent cells to allow for the rest of your cells to thrive in the body. Take it just two days a month. The formula is non-GMO, vegan, and gluten-free, and the ingredients are meant to complement one another, factoring in the combined effect of all ingredients together. Resist aging at the cellular level and try Qualia Senolytic. Go to Qualialife.com/ROUNDTABLE for up to 50 percent off and use code ROUNDTABLE at checkout for an additional 15 percent off. For your convenience, Qualia Senolytic is also available at select GNC locations near you.
In an election year, getting overwhelmed by the constant buzz of news and opinions is easy. Understanding the true impact of political events can be a challenge. Not Another Politics Podcast, from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, provides clear, research-driven perspectives on the biggest issues. Get the insights you need to truly understand the political landscape—no spin, just facts. Subscribe today at harris.uchicago.edu/napp or look for Not Another Politics Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Audio production by Ian Keyser

Assistant production by Hunt Beaty

Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve

Subscribe at YouTube: http://youtube.com/reasontv
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reason.Magazine
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/reason
Visit the archive: https://reason.com/tags/reason-podcast

Why Federal Disaster Relief Is a Disaster

Today's guests are Republican pollster Patrick Ruffini, author of Party of the People: Inside the Multiracial Populist Coalition Remaking the GOP, and American Enterprise Institute fellow Ruy Teixeira, coauthor most recently of Where Have All the Democrats Gone? The Soul of the Party in the Age of Extremes.

Reason's Nick Gillespie talks with them about the presidential election, how the working class has become the most important—yet most neglected—part of the electorate, and whether libertarians have anyone to root for in national politics.

Today's sponsors:

St. John's College. Explore 3,000 years of human thought on campuses in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and in Annapolis, Maryland. From the Greek philosophers who are the wellspring of democratic ideals to America's founding fathers to contemporary critics who question everything: Each is welcome at St. John's College. In-person and online Master's degree courses are offered, too.
ZBiotics. ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol Probiotic Drink is the world's first genetically engineered probiotic. It was invented by Ph.D. scientists to tackle rough mornings after drinking. Make ZBiotics your first drink of the night, drink responsibly, and you'll feel your best tomorrow. Get 15 percent off by going to ZBiotics/TRI and using the code TRI at checkout.
The Reason Speakeasy. The Reason Speakeasy is a monthly unscripted discussion in midtown New York City that doubles as a live taping of The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie. The next one is on Thursday, October 24, and features the Stony Brook sociologist Musa al-Gharbi, whose new book is We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite. Tickets are $15 and include beer, wine, soft drinks, and light food.

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The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie

Will Trump or Harris Win the Working-Class Vote?

How do immigrants change American culture? Just asking questions.

While the economy ranks as voters' top concern as of a Wednesday Gallup poll, immigration remains "extremely" or "very" important to 72 percent of registered U.S. voters. As with most issues, there's a large partisan divide, with 63 percent of Republicans responding that immigration is an "extremely" important election year issue, and only 23 percent of Democrats answering the same. 

Gallup found this summer that more than 55 percent of Americans believed immigration should be decreased, a number higher than it's been for more than 20 years. Although there, too, there's a large partisan divide. In the long view, Gallup finds a fairly stable consensus that immigration is a good thing for the country today, with 68 percent of respondents answering as such in the summer of 2023. This is all in the context of Border Patrol reporting 2.7 million border encounters so far in fiscal year 2024.


So what we see is a picture of an American electorate that likes immigration in theory but is increasingly concerned about it in practice. Today's guest predicted that immigration would become the "defining issue of the 21st century" in an article published in an August 2015 opinion piece for The Week, where he wrote that, "just as the building of trade routes and maintenance of empires defined the mercantile age, then the construction of a political economy (capitalist or socialist) became the major problem of the industrial age, the mass movement of people may be the defining issue of whatever we're calling the information age."

Michael Brendan Dougherty is a senior writer for National Review, the William F. Buckley Senior Scholar at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, and a critic of the kind of libertarian unfettered movement of peaceful people across borders that I favor. We begin by asking why the digital world has brought the issue of immigration to the fore.

Chapters:
00:00 Coming up…
00:32 Introduction
03:06 How the information age makes immigration more a pressing issue
07:19 What's Dougherty's preferred system?
15:56 Immigration's effects on native political power
21:20 The history of American nativism is largely Anti-Catholic
31:59 The doctrine of first effective settlement
39:55 Assimilating into a toxic education environment
47:44 Debating "the new economic case against immigration"
56:31 A low-trust society?
59:31 Immigrants upward mobility
01:12:02 Does immigration create a caste system?
01:19:00 Zach's ideal system
01:27:18 What is a question more people should be asking?

Photo credit: Qian Weizhong/VCG/Newscom

Michael Brendan Dougherty: How Will Immigrants Reshape America?

In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman parse the presidential candidates' latest batch of confounding ideas on tax policy before lamenting their various cringe media appearances over the past week.

05:21—Tax policy proposals

31:44—Weekly listener question

43:38—Candidate cringe media hits

54:18—This week's cultural recommendations

Send your questions to roundtable@reason.com. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.




Today's sponsors:

From Greek philosophers, who are the wellspring of democratic ideals, to America's founding fathers to contemporary critics who question everything: each is welcome at St. John's College—where students encounter Adam Smith and Karl Marx; St. Augustine and Friedrich Nietzsche; James Baldwin and Virginia Woolf. Here, there are no secondary sources, no experts, and no one telling you what to believe. Rather, there are original sources and a community devoted to collaborative inquiry, intellectual humility, and the discomfort that comes from diverse opinions. Explore 3,000 years of human thought on campuses in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Annapolis, Maryland. For Master's degree candidates, we also offer studies in the great texts of the East, in-person or online. Learn more at SJC.edu/reason.
In an election year, getting overwhelmed by the constant buzz of news and opinions is easy. Understanding the true impact of political events can be a challenge. Not Another Politics Podcast, from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, provides clear, research-driven perspectives on the biggest issues. Get the insights you need to truly understand the political landscape—no spin, just facts. Subscribe today at harris.uchicago.edu/napp or look for Not Another Politics Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Audio production by Ian Keyser

Assistant production by Hunt Beaty

Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve

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Harris and Trump’s Terrible Tax Ideas

Today's guest is Meghan McCain, political commentator, former co-host of ABC's The View, and host of the podcast Citizen McCain.

Reason's Billy Binion talks with her about the changing GOP, bias in corporate media, the 2024 election, and what it's like to be a non-MAGA, nonpopulist member of today's Republican Party.

Today's sponsors:

St. John's College. Explore 3,000 years of human thought on campuses in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and in Annapolis, Maryland. From the Greek philosophers who are the wellspring of democratic ideals to America's Founding Fathers to contemporary critics who question everything: Each is welcome at St. John's College. In-person and online master's degree courses are offered, too.
The Reason Speakeasy. The Reason Speakeasy is a monthly unscripted discussion in midtown New York City that doubles as a live taping of The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie. The next one is on Thursday, October 24, and features the Stony Brook sociologist Musa al-Gharbi, whose new book is We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite. Tickets are $15 and include beer, wine, soft drinks, and light food.

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Meghan McCain: 'Trump Didn’t Break My Brain. What’s Your Excuse?'

The Vice President of the United Cajun Navy, Brian Trascher, discusses effective disaster response and the problems with FEMA.

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Text and links to sources available here: https://reason.com/podcasts/just-asking-questions/

What should the federal government do in a disaster?

Two major hurricanes made landfall within two weeks, devastating the southeast. Hurricane Helene has killed more than 200 people, and more than 90 are still missing in North Carolina, where overflowing rivers and tributaries flooded the western part of the state. More than 9,000 remain without power.

Hurricane Milton grew to Category 5 status in the Gulf before hitting Florida's west coast just south of Tampa Bay as a Category 3. It caused at least 23 deaths, and both storms are likely to cause over $100 billion in economic damage.

Today's guest is part of an organization that's been on the ground in both places helping with disaster relief. Brian Trascher is the vice president of the United Cajun Navy, a volunteer organization that started in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina.

Trascher discusses the origins of the Cajun Navy after Hurricane Katrina, conditions on the ground in North Carolina and Florida, the federal government's response, growing distrust of FEMA, and how to better prepare for disaster.

Chapters
00:00 Coming up…
00:10 Introduction
01:28 Documentary clip about the United Cajun Navy
02:25 What's the status of North Carolina?
05:29 United Cajun Navy's origin story
10:36 Comparing Hurricanes Helene and Milton
15:12 How are resources allocated properly?
18:25 When to evacuate and why some people don't
23:08 What's it like to deal with FEMA on the ground?
29:23 Did a national guard helicopter purposefully sabotage volunteer efforts?
38:23 Do government workers get defensive about volunteer help?
43:04 Why do people distrust FEMA?
57:38 FEMA's budgeting problems
1:02:42 The Stafford Act
1:08:26 How should people prepare for disaster?
1:10:24 What question should people be asking?

Photo credit: Travis Long/TNS/Newscom

Brian Trascher: Has FEMA failed North Carolina?

In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman welcome back special guest Stephanie Slade to chat about the latest in polling results and the shape of the electorate two weeks ahead of the presidential election.

02:16—Latest in polling data two weeks out from the presidential election

33:04—Weekly listener question

44:15—Takeaways from Vice President Kamala Harris' interview with Fox News' Bret Baier.

51:23—This week's cultural recommendations

Today's sponsors:

Qualia Senolytic: Have you heard about senolytics yet? It's a class of ingredients discovered less than 10 years ago, and it's being called the biggest discovery of our time for promoting healthy aging and enhancing your physical prime. Your goals in your career and beyond require productivity. But let's be honest: The aging process is not our friend when it comes to endless energy and productivity. As we age, everyone accumulates "senescent" cells in their body. Senescent cells cause symptoms of aging, such as aches and discomfort, slow workout recoveries, and sluggish mental and physical energy associated with that "middle age" feeling. Also known as "Zombie Cells," they are old and worn out and not serving a useful function for our health anymore, but they are taking up space and nutrients from our healthy cells. Much like pruning the yellowing and dead leaves off a plant, Qualia Senolytic removes those worn-out senescent cells to allow for the rest of your cells to thrive in the body. Take it just two days a month. The formula is non-GMO, vegan, and gluten-free, and the ingredients are meant to complement one another, factoring in the combined effect of all ingredients together. Resist aging at the cellular level and try Qualia Senolytic. Go to Qualialife.com/ROUNDTABLE for up to 50 percent off and use code ROUNDTABLE at checkout for an additional 15 percent off. For your convenience, Qualia Senolytic is also available at select GNC locations near you.
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Audio production by Ian Keyser

Assistant production by Hunt Beaty

Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve

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Should We Trust the 2024 Election Polls?

Klaus Schwab's co-author Thierry Malleret discusses stakeholder capitalism, libertarianism, and his new book satirizing the World Economic Forum.

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What's the agenda of the World Economic Forum? And what was The Great Reset? Just asking questions. 

Every year, there's a big gathering of global elites in Davos, Switzerland: world leaders, titans of industry, Hollywood celebrities. It all started in 1971, thanks to Klaus Schwab—a German economist and business professor who launched what was then called the European Economic Forum as a place to discuss best business practices and promote a theory he'd developed called "stakeholder capitalism," the tenets of which Schwab laid out in the original "The Davos Manifesto." It insists that a company's CEO must serve not only shareholders but entire "societies" and "assume the role of a trustee of the material universe for future generations." 

While critics have for years lampooned Davos for its brigade of private jets dropping billionaires in an idyllic Swiss mountain town to lecture us about climate change, the WEF and Schwab himself attracted unprecedented attention amid the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic following the July 2020 publication of his ominously titled book The Great Reset. Countless articles, podcasts, and videos theorizing on the real meaning of the Great Reset followed, including one produced by the co-host of this podcast. But you might notice there's another name underneath Schwab's. Thierry Malleret was his co-author on The Great Reset, and again on the follow-up The Great Narrative, and he joins us on the show today. 

Malleret is an economist who's worked as an adviser for major investment banks and governments. He conceived of—and planned—the program at Davos for several years before parting ways with Klaus Schwab. And he's also an author, most recently of a very interesting book we're going to discuss at length called Deaths at Davos, a dark satire of what's going on within the WEF.

Sources referenced:
Text and links to sources available here: https://reason.com/podcasts/just-asking-questions/
Zach's video on the Great Reset: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd0OeC6Syd4
Just Asking Questions w/ Johan Norberg: https://youtu.be/wC5AG7JDUfY?list=PLBuns9Evn1w9K02WT8x-gzSI-UdeeXFG9 

Chapters:
00:00 "coming up…"
00:58 Introduction
03:27 The point of Deaths at Davos
04:50 What did Klaus Schwab think?
05:40 Others are meant to continue the story
07:46 What's the future of WEF-like organizations?
12:10 Is the WEF vision of the West dying?
13:51 Debating "Stakeholder Capitalism"
30:16 Malleret's critique of libertarianism
45:40 Will stakeholder capitalism lead to corporatism?
51:26 A disagreement about Sweden and COVID
54:16 Reacting to "Great Reset" conspiracies
01:01:26 The final question

Thierry Malleret: Is the Great Reset Underway?

In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman convene one week ahead of the election to highlight a few issues where the major-party presidential candidates have significant differences.

01:53—The presidential candidates on tariffs, debt, foreign policy, and education

35:01—Weekly listener question

43:38—Election integrity ahead of next week's election

52:43—This week's cultural recommendations

Send your questions to roundtable@reason.com. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.

Today's sponsors:

From Greek philosophers, who are the wellspring of democratic ideals, to America's founding fathers to contemporary critics who question everything: each is welcome at St. John's College—where students encounter Adam Smith and Karl Marx; St. Augustine and Friedrich Nietzsche; James Baldwin and Virginia Woolf. Here, there are no secondary sources, no experts, and no one telling you what to believe. Rather, there are original sources and a community devoted to collaborative inquiry, intellectual humility, and the discomfort that comes from diverse opinions. Explore 3,000 years of human thought on campuses in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Annapolis, Maryland. For Master's degree candidates, we also offer studies in the great texts of the East, in-person or online. Learn more at SJC.edu/reason.
In an election year, getting overwhelmed by the constant buzz of news and opinions is easy. Understanding the true impact of political events can be a challenge. Not Another Politics Podcast, from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, provides clear, research-driven perspectives on the biggest issues. Get the insights you need to truly understand the political landscape—no spin, just facts. Subscribe today at harris.uchicago.edu/napp or look for Not Another Politics Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Audio production by Ian Keyser

Assistant production by Hunt Beaty

Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve

How Trump and Harris Meaningfully Differ

Dave Smith is for Trump. Jacob Grier is for Harris. David Stockman says we're screwed either way.

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Text and links to sources available here: https://reason.com/podcast/2024-10/31/dave-smith-david-stockman-and-jacob-grier-who-should-win-the-election

Is this the most important election ever? And who should win? Just asking questions.

Next week, America decides: elect the 78-year-old criminally indicted, twice-impeached ex-president who's pledged to impose a universal tariff of 20 percent and embark on the largest mass deportation in American history; or his opponent, the vice president, swapped in for a malfunctioning Joe Biden, whose first major policy proposal was to cap grocery store prices to fight inflation, and who has trouble explaining how she'd govern any differently than her increasingly unpopular predecessor. It's a close race.

Independents, including libertarians, will likely decide it.

So we've invited three of them on today with three different perspectives to explain their votes. The first is David Stockman. He's the former director of the Office of Budget Management under Ronald Reagan. He served as a U.S. representative, and he says whoever wins we're basically screwed because neither candidate is addressing the most important policy issues facing America today.

Then we'll talk to Dave Smith, a repeat guest on the show, host of the popular Part of the Problem podcast. He says he's reluctantly and probably voting for Trump because of the threat that Kamala Harris—and the political machine that she represents—poses to liberty in America.

And lastly, we'll talk with Jacob Grier, a writer and Reason contributor who says that from a libertarian and small government perspective, the choice is obvious. Donald Trump is an authoritarian threat and Kamala Harris is a far superior choice.

Let's just ask each of them some questions.

Sources Referenced:
David Stockman at The Soho Forum: Are the Two Parties Any Different? https://reason.com/podcast/2024/09/20/are-the-two-parties-any-different/
Dave Smith: I'm Voting For Trump | Part Of The Problem https://youtu.be/yyUsJnbUlxQ
Just Asking Questions with Ford Fischer: What's the Untold Story Behind 'Stop the Steal'? https://youtu.be/ynq-EHI2Nds
Just Asking Questions with Vivek Ramaswamy: Is There a Libertarian-Nationalist Alliance? https://youtu.be/NonvV2Hc7h0
Jacob Grier: To My Fellow Libertarians: It's Time to Embrace the Harris-Walz Ticket https://www.liberalcurrents.com/to-my-fellow-libertarians-its-time-to-embrace-the-harris-walz-ticket/
How Are Reason Staffers Voting in 2024? https://reason.com/2024/10/17/how-are-reason-staffers-voting-in-2024/

Chapters:
00:00 Coming up…
00:39 Introduction
02:50 David Stockman: Harris and Trump are both intolerable
35:15 Dave Smith: Voting against Harris
01:19:28 Jacob Grier: Voting against Trump

Dave Smith, David Stockman, and Jacob Grier: Who Is The Lesser Evil?

Will Election 2024 result in an orderly transfer of power—or will the results unleash controversy and chaos that threatens the foundations of our democracy? Before America goes to the polls on November 5, you're invited to join the four hosts of The Reason Roundtable—Reason Magazine's own Nick Gillespie, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Peter Suderman, and Matt Welch—live from New York City for a no-holds-barred discussion of what this election means for the future of America.

The Reason Roundtable is a rollicking contretemps between these four opinionated journalists as they put their personal "free minds and free markets" filter on the biggest stories of today. During this hour-long live taping of the popular weekly podcast, expect lively roasting and incisive analysis.

This was filmed live in front of a live audience in New York City.

Live On Election Eve With The Reason Roundtable!

Why did Donald Trump win?

Trump is back. Back again. He's secured the Electoral College majority needed to become America's 47th president and looks on track for a popular vote majority—the first Republican to pull that off in more than 20 years. 

A New York Times breakdown shows that across just about every type of county—urban, suburban, older population, younger, white, black, Latino—Trump improved his numbers. 

Surprising to many was Trump's large improvement among Latinos of all kinds, despite—or maybe in some cases because of—his hardline immigration stances and insult comic Tony Hinchcliffe calling Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage" at his Madison Square Garden rally shortly before the election. Yet seven percent more Puerto Rican Americans appear to have voted for Trump this year than in 2020.

One person who is less surprised than many is today's guest, Patrick Ruffini, who wrote a book predicting much of this called Party of the People: Inside the Multiracial Populist Coalition Remaking the GOP. He's a Republican Party strategist, a pollster for Echelon Insights, and writes at The Intersection.

Patrick Ruffini: Why Did Trump Win?

In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman react to last week's presidential election and forecast what might come next.

01:55—"Big picture" election reaction

27:02—"Little picture" election reaction

38:27—Weekly listener question

48:58—Trump's ideas on anti-censorship

52:59—This week's cultural recommendations
Send your questions to roundtable@reason.com. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.

Today's sponsors:

From Greek philosophers, who are the wellspring of democratic ideals, to America's founding fathers to contemporary critics who question everything: each is welcome at St. John's College—where students encounter Adam Smith and Karl Marx; St. Augustine and Friedrich Nietzsche; James Baldwin and Virginia Woolf. Here, there are no secondary sources, no experts, and no one telling you what to believe. Rather, there are original sources and a community devoted to collaborative inquiry, intellectual humility, and the discomfort that comes from diverse opinions. Explore 3,000 years of human thought on campuses in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Annapolis, Maryland. For Master's degree candidates, we also offer studies in the great texts of the East, in-person or online. Learn more at SJC.edu/reason.
In an election year, getting overwhelmed by the constant buzz of news and opinions is easy. Understanding the true impact of political events can be a challenge. Not Another Politics Podcast, from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, provides clear, research-driven perspectives on the biggest issues. Get the insights you need to truly understand the political landscape—no spin, just facts. Subscribe today at harris.uchicago.edu/napp or look for Not Another Politics Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Audio production by Ian Keyser

Assistant production by Hunt Beaty

Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve

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Trump Won. What's Next?

Independent journalist Lee Fang discusses why the Democrats lost so badly and whether or not the party has the ability to course correct anytime soon.

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Text and links to sources available here: https://reason.com/podcasts/just-asking-questions/

Donald Trump won the presidential election decisively, taking every single battleground state, and as we discussed last week with Patrick Ruffini, winning over new voters across all sorts of racial, age, and gender demographics. He's, once again, remade the electoral map, with Republicans capturing the Senate and the House.  

What should Democrats learn from this loss? Lee Fang is an independent journalist and political commentator who runs a Substack at leefang.com. One of his most recent posts comments on the complete lack of self-reflection coming from many of the highly-paid Democratic consultants who seem to have whiffed so badly with the Harris campaign messaging.

Chapters:
00:00 Coming up…
00:27 Intro Theme
00:53 Subscribe to the new channel
02:41 What should Democrats learn from this loss?
03:18 Democratic consultants lash out at voters as racist and sexist
06:34 White progressives vs pretty much everyone else?
10:06 Party insiders are burying their heads in the sand
12:28 Will a reckoning come?
19:36 What issues on the left are most ripe for rethinking?
21:16 Border security
25:40 Bernie Sanders' post-election criticism of the Democrats
30:00 Jared Polis Democrats?
33:28 Elon Musk's Republicanism
36:04 The MeToo Culture and rightwing young men
50:07 Even California is shifting red
01:06:41 Is there any Democrat out there who you're bullish on?
01:09:33 This could all backfire on the GOP
01:13:43 Is censorship behind us?
01:17:19 What's one question that you think more people should be asking?

Lee Fang: Will Democrats Ever Recover From 2024?

In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman assess the current shape of President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet picks and policy priorities.

00:27 - New Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

14:48 - Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz nominated for Trump cabinet positions

31:37 - Weekly listener question

41:46 - Trump's foreign policy cabinet picks

48:22 - This week's cultural recommendations

Send your questions to roundtable@reason.com. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.

Today's sponsors:

In an election year, getting overwhelmed by the constant buzz of news and opinions is easy. Understanding the true impact of political events can be a challenge. Not Another Politics Podcast, from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, provides clear, research-driven perspectives on the biggest issues. Get the insights you need to truly understand the political landscape—no spin, just facts. Subscribe today at harris.uchicago.edu/napp or look for Not Another Politics Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Audio production by Ian Keyser

Assistant production by Hunt Beaty

Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve

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How Elon Musk and DOGE Can Deliver on Smaller Government

Today's guest is Amanda Knox, an activist, writer, and host of the podcast Labyrinths. In 2007, while studying abroad in Italy, Knox was accused of murdering her roommate, Meredith Kercher, in what the lead prosecutor claimed was a bizarre sex game gone wrong. Despite mishandled DNA, a coerced confession, and a lack of credible evidence, Knox was convicted and spent nearly four years in an Italian prison before being exonerated in 2015. Her case was a media spectacle that sensationalized every aspect of her life.

Reason's Billy Binion talks with Knox about her views on true crime after her story became one of the biggest examples of the modern era. They also discuss the psychological impact of being imprisoned for something she didn't do; what Knox thinks the U.S. criminal justice system gets right and wrong; and how she reacts to people who still believe she's lying. What's more, she shares a fascinating tidbit about her relationship with the lead prosecutor on her case—something that will be featured more in her new book Free, which is available for preorder.

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Amanda Knox: 'I Have Felt Utterly Exploited' by True Crime

AEI's Yuval Levin discusses Trump's mandate (or lack thereof), building coalitions, and how the classic divide between Edmund Burke and Thomas Paine remains relevant.

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Text and links to sources available here: https://reason.com/podcasts/just-asking-questions/
__________
Is Trumpism America's new governing ideology? Just asking questions.

Trump won decisively by modern standards, meaning for the first time in several cycles nobody is seriously disputing the results, but did he really win bigly? Does he have a governing mandate?

Today's guest says, not really. Yuval Levin is the director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute and the editor of National Affairs. He co-authored a paper published just before the election called "Politics Without Winners" about the inability of either Democrats or the GOP to build a lasting governing coalition in the 21st century.

He recently published some of his thoughts on the election in The Dispatch under the headline, What Trump's Win Doesn't Mean, writing "The 2024 election was very much of a piece with our 21st-century politics: It was a relatively narrow win owed almost entirely to negative polarization." We dig into that negative polarization, whether Trump was given a "mandate" by voters, and how Edmund Burke vs. Thomas Paine is still a relevant divide in contemporary politics.

Chapters:
00:00 Coming up
00:20 Is Trumpism America's governing ideology?
00:33 Subscribe to the channel!!!
00:54 Introducing Yuval Levin
02:22 What is the significance of Trump winning a fairly slim majority?
04:04 Given the sweep of all swing states, and the wins in the House and Senate, are you SURE this isn't a mandate?
07:25 Do the parties retain any internal coherence?
09:01 Which faction in the GOP is ascendant?
13:14 Why did people who called Trump untrustworthy still vote for him? What does that mean?
16:38 Comparing Trump and Grover Cleveland
24:40 Are we now are we coming out of this electoral results legitimacy crisis?
26:09 The history of populism in the Democratic party
29:53 The Great Debate: Edmund Burke, Thomas Paine, and the Birth of Right and Left
42:51 Is the left going to be insanely statist forever?
48:04 Why does America consistently produce two major parties?
52:16 Is Yuval bullish on Elon and Vivek's D.O.G.E.?
55:39 Would it take for the Democrats to build a lasting coalition?
58:40 The Final Question: What does our political system lack?

Yuval Levin: What is Trump's "Mandate"?

In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman chime in on the latest developments in Donald Trump's cabinet appointments and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

00:28 - Fred Smith tribute

04:58 - Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) takes shape

18:58 - Trump's FCC pick and free speech

31:38 - Weekly listener question

38:54 - Tulsi Gabbard vs. the Deep State

49:31 - This week's cultural recommendations

Send your questions to roundtable@reason.com. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.

Today's sponsors:

ZBiotics. ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol Probiotic Drink is the world's first genetically engineered probiotic. It was invented by Ph.D. scientists to tackle rough mornings after drinking. Make ZBiotics your first drink of the night, drink responsibly, and you'll feel your best tomorrow. Go to zbiotics.com/ROUNDTABLE to get 15 percent off your first order when you use ROUNDTABLE at checkout. ZBiotics is backed with a 100 percent money-back guarantee so if you're unsatisfied for any reason, they'll refund your money, no questions asked.

Audio production by Ian Keyser

Assistant production by Hunt Beaty

Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve

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Visit the archive: https://reason.com/tags/reason-podcast


Trump's Chaos Cabinet

Today's guest is Martin Gurri, a former CIA analyst who is a visiting fellow at the Mercatus Center and a columnist for The Free Press. A decade ago, in the wake of the Arab Spring and various "color" revolutions around the world, Gurri published The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium, which analyzed how social media empowered ordinary people to resist control from above and anticipated the rise of Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Brexit.

Reason's Nick Gillespie spoke with Gurri shortly after the 2024 election at The Reason Speakeasy, a monthly, unscripted conversation in New York City with outspoken defenders of free thinking and heterodoxy in an age of intellectual conformity and groupthink. (Go here for information on Reason events.) They talked about why Gurri voted for Trump and why he's cautiously optimistic about the next four years.

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Reason Versus: "You Don't Have To Pick a Side in Politics": On Wednesday, December 18, you are invited to join Reason and our friends at The Bulwark for this new thought-provoking debate series in Washington D.C. at the Howard Theatre. Whether you've made up your mind about the necessity of choosing sides or are questioning the whole premise, this debate will challenge your assumptions and broaden your perspective.

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Martin Gurri: Political Chaos Brings Colossal Transformation

In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman react to President Joe Biden's blanket pardon of his son Hunter Biden and President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of Kash Patel for the role of FBI Director.

04:47—President Joe Biden pardons Hunter Biden

23:14—Kash Patel nominated to lead the FBI

38:13—Weekly listener question

47:33—This week's cultural recommendations

Send your questions to roundtable@reason.com. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.

Today's sponsors:

In an election year, getting overwhelmed by the constant buzz of news and opinions is easy. Understanding the true impact of political events can be a challenge. Not Another Politics Podcast, from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, provides clear, research-driven perspectives on the biggest issues. Get the insights you need to truly understand the political landscape—no spin, just facts. Subscribe today at harris.uchicago.edu/napp or look for Not Another Politics Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Audio production by Ian Keyser

Assistant production by Hunt Beaty

Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve

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Biden's Final Insult to Our Intelligence

Today's guest is Brendan O'Neill, chief political writer for Spiked and the author of the bracing new book, After the Pogrom: 7 October, Israel and the Crisis of Civilisation.

O'Neill and Reason's Nick Gillespie talk about the response in the United Kingdom and the United States to Hamas' attacks last year, Israel's ongoing military actions, and what's likely to come next in a postwoke world. "On October 7," says O'Neill, "the progressive left went from 'believe women' to 'believe fascists.' They took Hamas at its word over the testimonies of raped women."

They also discuss whether O'Neill's politics have changed over the years. At the start of his career a quarter-century ago, he was an unapologetic man of the left—a self-declared Trotskyist, in fact. But these days he seems to make more common cause with conservatives and libertarians. "My rallying cry remains the same," O'Neill insists. "Increase the power of man over nature and decrease the power of man over man."

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Brendan O'Neill: The West Went Insane After October 7

In this special live episode of The Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman will respond to your burning questions.

Libertarians Answer Your Questions: Webathon 2024!

Crypto podcaster, writer, and infrastructure investor Nic Carter discusses the role digital assets played in Trump's election, the persecution of Polymarket, and the "enormous spiritual chasm between the right and the left."
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Was bitcoin the winner of the 2024 election? Just asking questions. 

Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to protect bitcoin and the entire crypto economy. 

Major endorsements from the industry followed, including from the Winklevoss twins, who each made a $1 million bitcoin donation to a pro-Trump PAC. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong called Trump's win the "dawn of a new crypto era." Bitcoin has hit new all-time highs, since the election.

Today's guest has been writing and speaking on these topics for a long time, and was also celebrating after the election, going so far as to call Trump's win a victory in a "spiritual war."

Nic Carter is a writer and general partner at Castle Island Ventures, which invests in crypto-financial infrastructure.

Let's start with crypto and bitcoin before we zoom all the way out to spiritual warfare. Nick begins by telling us why he's optimistic about Trump's second term in regard to making America a better place for people to buy, sell, and hold bitcoin and other crypto assets.

This conversation was recorded on Nov. 20, 2024. Between now and then, some important and relevant news has come to light, especially regarding debanking. There is a new intro to this episode detailing why this matters.

Sources referenced:
Get all the links here: https://reason.com/podcast/2024/12/05/nic-carter-did-bitcoin-win-the-election

Chapters:
00:00:00 Coming up…
00:00:35 New context regarding Operation Chokepoint 2.0
00:06:10 Did bitcoin win the 2024 election?
00:08:07 Nic is optimistic about Trump 2.0
00:10:26 Why has the GOP embraced crypto?
00:14:19 OCP 2.0 and Silvergate
00:18:44 How do you make normal people care about this?
00:21:45 The role of the FDIC
00:23:36 What will Trump do about all of this?
00:28:10 Central bank digital currencies, and why they matter
00:30:15 What can Nic tell us about his trip to congress?
00:31:08 What are stablecoins and why are they important?
00:37:29 The persecution of Polymarket
00:44:32 The election and spiritual warfare
00:57:30 Nic's wish list for Trump 2.0
01:07:58 Nic's No. 1 question: Where did COVID come from?

Nic Carter: Did Bitcoin Win the Election?

In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman assess the situation in Syria after Bashar al-Assad flees the country and dig into the health care policy debate in the wake of the recent assassination of United Healthcare's CEO, Brian Thompson.

02:58 - Bashsar al-Assad ousted in Syria

15:36 - Murdered United Healthcare CEO's death stirs debate

34:42 - Weekly listener question

48:56 - This week's cultural recommendations

Send your questions to roundtable@reason.com. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.

Today's sponsors:

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Audio production by Ian Keyser
Assistant production by Hunt Beaty
Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve

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Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/reason
Visit the archive: https://reason.com/tags/reason-podcast


Why Socialists Are Cheering the Death of an Insurance CEO

Founded in 1968, Reason is the planet's leading source of news, politics, and culture from a libertarian perspective. Our podcast offerings include:

The Reason Roundtable
Every Monday, the libertarian editors of the magazine of “Free Minds and Free Markets”—Matt Welch, Nick Gillespie, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Peter Suderman—discuss and debate the week’s biggest stories and what fresh hell awaits us all.

The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie
Want to know what comes next in politics, culture, and libertarian ideas? Reason’s Nick Gillespie hosts relentlessly interesting interviews with the activists, artists, authors, entrepreneurs, newsmakers, and politicians who are defining the 21st century.

The Soho Forum Debates
Reason presents a libertarian-themed debate series recorded monthly before a live audience in New York City. Moderated by former Barron's Economics Editor Gene Epstein, the Soho Forum features Nobel prize winners, radical thinkers, and other public intellectuals facing off over the future of bitcoin, veganism, sex work, illegal drugs, electric vehicles, abortion, robotics, government debt, and other controversial topics.

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