The gang breaks down America’s escalating involvement in the Middle East, as Trump demands Iran’s unconditional surrender following Israel’s devastating strikes. With the threat of a broader conflict looming, they debate what role the U.S. should play and whether military action is inevitable. They also explore new research linking trust to happiness, asking how much trusting others — from family to institutions — shapes our well-being in a time of deep social division.

Chapters

00:00:00 - Intro

00:11:36 - Iran

01:02:10 - Trust

01:19:15 - Emails

01:47:15 - Wrap-up

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The gang dives into the unrest in Los Angeles following aggressive ICE raids and Trump’s decision to deploy thousands of National Guard troops and Marines without state approval. With tensions escalating between local officials and the federal government, they debate the constitutional lines around immigration enforcement, protest rights, and the use of military force on American streets. Then, they tackle how generative AI is gutting internet traffic for news publishers, as AI-generated answers from companies like Google and OpenAI displace traditional search. As usual, it's raising questions about the future of journalism in a post-search world.

Chapters

00:00:00 - Intro

00:14:44 - LA Protests and Riots

00:52:24 - AI and the Publishing Industry

01:03:14 - Emails

01:22:44 - Wrap-up

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The gang digs into Elon Musk’s public denunciation of the GOP’s sprawling domestic policy bill, which he called a “disgusting abomination,” prompting pushback from Republican leadership and delight from Democrats. Then they take on the ethics of gene-editing mosquitoes out of existence to fight deadly diseases like malaria. Is it worth tampering with nature to save lives, or are we playing God with an ecosystem we barely understand?

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Intro

00:02:34 - January 6th Pipe Bombs

00:24:10 - Elon Musk and the Big Beautiful Bill

00:58:01 - Mosquitos

01:16:35 - Emails

01:37:08 - Wrap-up

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.