What’s Wrong with the Secret Service? | Richard Staropoli | Just Asking Questions, Ep. 42 @ReasonTV

ReasonTV An ex-Secret Service agent explains what he thinks left Donald Trump vulnerable to two close-call assassination attempts within two months.

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Text and links to sources available here: reason.com/podcast/2024/09/26/richard-staropoli-whats-wrong-with-the-secret-service

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.

Sources referenced in the conversation:
–U.S. District Court Report on Pre-Trial Detention of Ryan Routh documentcloud.org/documents/25171975-routh-detention-memo

–Sen. Ted Cruz suggests political agenda in Secret Service failures usatoday.com/videos/news/politics/2024/07/30/sen-ted-cruz-suggests-political-agenda-in-secret-service-failures/74606588007

–The Washington Post: Why Trump's golf course outings were of high concern for Secret Service washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/16/trump-golf-courses-secret-service-protection

–Ryan Routh's criminal record webapps.doc.state.nc.us/opi/viewoffender.do?method=view&offenderID=0787176&searchLastName=routh&searchFirstName=ryan&searchDOBRange=0&listurl=pagelistoffendersearchresults&listpage=1

–AP News: 'Ticking time bomb': Those who raised suspicions about Trump suspect question if enough was done apnews.com/article/trump-routh-assassination-attempt-ukraine-suspicions-florida-530098c668f283d8a38eb5dd5570f1b2

–Edward Snowden: "Congress should get answers," regarding Routh https://x.com/Snowden/status/1835460582855631350

–July 30, 2024 Hearing on the PA assassination attempt youtu.be/_vrfDQKZhVQ

–Palm Beach County Sheriff Holds Press Conference youtube.com/watch?v=o0WGVUoPaWs

–DeSantis opens state-level investigation https://x.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1836063206256566583

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

updated 3 weeks ago

What’s Wrong with the Secret Service? | Richard Staropoli | Just Asking Questions, Ep. 42

ReasonTV 2024-09-26 | An ex-Secret Service agent explains what he thinks left Donald Trump vulnerable to two close-call assassination attempts within two months.

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Text and links to sources available here: reason.com/podcast/2024/09/26/richard-staropoli-whats-wrong-with-the-secret-service

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.

Sources referenced in the conversation:
–U.S. District Court Report on Pre-Trial Detention of Ryan Routh documentcloud.org/documents/25171975-routh-detention-memo

–Sen. Ted Cruz suggests political agenda in Secret Service failures usatoday.com/videos/news/politics/2024/07/30/sen-ted-cruz-suggests-political-agenda-in-secret-service-failures/74606588007

–The Washington Post: Why Trump's golf course outings were of high concern for Secret Service washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/16/trump-golf-courses-secret-service-protection

–Ryan Routh's criminal record webapps.doc.state.nc.us/opi/viewoffender.do?method=view&offenderID=0787176&searchLastName=routh&searchFirstName=ryan&searchDOBRange=0&listurl=pagelistoffendersearchresults&listpage=1

–AP News: 'Ticking time bomb': Those who raised suspicions about Trump suspect question if enough was done apnews.com/article/trump-routh-assassination-attempt-ukraine-suspicions-florida-530098c668f283d8a38eb5dd5570f1b2

–Edward Snowden: "Congress should get answers," regarding Routh https://x.com/Snowden/status/1835460582855631350

–July 30, 2024 Hearing on the PA assassination attempt youtu.be/_vrfDQKZhVQ

–Palm Beach County Sheriff Holds Press Conference youtube.com/watch?v=o0WGVUoPaWs

–DeSantis opens state-level investigation https://x.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1836063206256566583

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

Hurricane responder reacts to government helicopter destroying aid

ReasonTV 2024-10-18 | Watch this full episode of the Just Asking Questions podcast: youtu.be/3vdgwL7Izz8

Show notes: reason.com/podcast/2024/10/17/brian-trascher-has-fema-failed-north-carolina

Subscribe to the Just Asking Questions podcast: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBuns9Evn1w9K02WT8x-gzSI-UdeeXFG9
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Are American living standards in decline?

ReasonTV 2024-10-17 | David Leonhardt of the New York Times and John Early of the Cato Institute debate the resolution, "The stagnation of living standards and soaring economic inequality have become the defining economic trends of American life."

For the affirmative is Leonhardt, a senior writer at The New York Times and the author of Ours Was the Shining Future: The Story of American Dream, which The Atlantic, the Financial Times, and McKinsey & Co. named one of the best books of 2023. He writes The Morning, The Times's flagship newsletter. In 2012 he won a Pulitzer Prize for commentary.

Early is taking the negative. He is an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute and president of the consultancy Vital Few LLC. He is a former assistant commissioner at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and former legislative assistant to Senator George McGovern. His more than 80 publications include The Myth of American Inequality: How Government Biases Policy Debate.

The debate is moderated by Soho Forum director Gene Epstein.

Has FEMA failed North Carolina? | Brian Trascher | Just Asking Questions, Ep. 45

ReasonTV 2024-10-17 | 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: 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.

Sources Referenced:
ABC News: Hurricane Helene updates abcnews.go.com/US/live-updates/hurricane-helene/?id=113931821

Forbes: Nearly 100 Still Missing In North Carolina After Hurricane Helene forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2024/10/15/nearly-100-still-missing-in-north-carolina-after-hurricane-helene

North Carolina Power Outages Map poweroutage.us/area/state/north%20carolina

Fox Weather: Florida's resilience tested as Milton death toll stands at 23 foxweather.com/weather-news/hurricane-milton-power-outages-storm-recovery

Accuweather: Hurricane Milton by the numbers accuweather.com/en/hurricane/deadly-and-destructive-hurricane-milton-by-the-numbers/1702670

FreeThink documentary about the United Cajun Navy youtube.com/watch?v=_0akHhoK5mE

Department of Homeland Security: FEMA's Inadequate Oversight Led to Delays in Closing Out Declared Disasters oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/2024-08/OIG-24-45-Aug24.pdf#:~:text=The%20Federal%20Emergency%20Management%20Agency%20(FEMA)%20did%20not%20ensure%20that

FEMA's September 2024 Disaster Relief Fund Report fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_ocfo-september2024disasterrelieffundreport.pdf

Stars and Stripes: "The National Guard's report of "armed militia" out "hunting FEMA" prompts the relocation of North Carolina hurricane recovery officials." https://x.com/starsandstripes/status/1845615506260365577

United Cajun Navy's response to the article above. https://x.com/Unitedcajunnavy/status/1845654684989538577

North Carolina National Guard helicopter video https://x.com/DefiyantlyFree/status/1843271937348575477

North Carolina National Guard's response to the helicopter video https://x.com/NCNationalGuard/status/1843780451229675632

Photo of electric chainsaws provided by the government https://x.com/M_C_Masters/status/1843657230786408639

Text of the Stafford Act govinfo.gov/content/pkg/COMPS-2977/pdf/COMPS-2977.pdf

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

Kamala Harris PLAGIARISM DOWNPLAYED by CNN, NYT | Free Media

ReasonTV 2024-10-16 | Robby Soave and Amber Duke discuss plagiarism allegations against Vice President Kamala Harris.

Producer: Gabi Schulte
Video Editor: Chris Sowick
Image Credit: Gage Skidmore

Vance, ABC News FACE OFF on Venezuelan gangs stories | Free Media DEBATES

ReasonTV 2024-10-16 | Robby Soave and Amber Duke react to JD Vance's spat with ABC News anchor, Martha Raddatz, and debate the Venezuelan gang controversy.

Producer: Gabi Schulte
Editor: Chris Sowick
Image Credit: ABC News

Hillary Clinton DEMANDS tech censorship, says ‘we lose control’ if speech is FREE | Free Media

ReasonTV 2024-10-16 | Robby Soave and Amber Duke weigh in on Hillary Clinton's controversial comments about free speech and social media censorship, sparking a heated debate on the limits of online expression and the role of tech platforms in shaping public discourse.

Producer: Gabi Schulte
Editor: Chris Sowick
Image Credit: CNN

Kamala CALLED OUT on THE VIEW?! Whoopi MELTS DOWN over Biden age criticism | Free Media

ReasonTV 2024-10-16 | Robby Soave and Amber Duke react to a recent episode of "The View" where hosts argue over Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential candidacy.

Producer: Gabi Schulte
Editor: Chris Sowick
Image Credit: DoD photo by Lisa Ferdinando

Kamala Harris FINALLY agrees to Fox News interview | Free Media

ReasonTV 2024-10-16 | Robby Soave and Amber Duke preview Vice President Kamala Harris' highly anticipated interview with Fox News.

Producer: Gabi Schulte
Editor: Chris Sowick
Image Credit: Fox News

Legacy media is dying before our eyes | Meghan McCain | The Reason Interview

ReasonTV 2024-10-16 | Reason Reporter Billy Binion speaks with political pundit, podcaster, and former co-host of "The View" Meghan McCain.

0:00- Introduction
0:21- Ad: St. John's College
1:36- Libertarians vs. the McCains
3:33- Being a non-MAGA, non-populist conservative
6:56- Obama lecturing black male voters
9:38- Kamala Harris' terrible press strategy
11:07- Meghan McCain does not have TDS
19:14- John McCain also didn't have TDS
25:34- Who wins 2024? Trump or Harris?
27:15- McCain's Republican Party
30:22- Bipartisan Write-A-Check politics
34:10- The gerontocracy & Biden's disastrous debate performance
39:52- The Democratic Party has big problems too
44:14- The CBS Ta-Nehisi Coates/Tony Dokoupil meltdown
51:06- Corporate legacy media is collapsing
55:14- Recovering from The View
1:02:47- Kari Lake traded her principles for failure
1:08:00- Being an early public supporter of gay marriage
1:12:24- 'America, You Sexy Bitch: A Love Letter To Freedom'
1:13:53- 'Nepo babies' contain multitudes!

reason.com/podcast/2024/10/16/meghan-mccain-trump-didnt-break-my-brain-whats-your-excuse

Reason's Billy Binion talks with McCain 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.

#election #politics #podcast #interview

Does the national debt ACTUALLY matter?

ReasonTV 2024-10-15 | The national debt is so big that we spend more on interest than on Medicaid or defense. Even if interest rates stay at 4% for the next few decades, annual interest payments are projected to surpass what we spend on Medicare and Social Security. #nationaldebt #government #spending #economics

Harris and Trumps terrible tax ideas | Reason Roundtable | October 14, 2024

ReasonTV 2024-10-15 | 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.

00:00 - Tax policy proposals

31:44 - Weekly listener question

43:38 - Candidate cringe media hits

54:18 - This week's cultural recommendations

Upcoming Events:

Reason Speakeasy: Musa al-Gharbi, October 24, 2024

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

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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.

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Venezuela’s food program was corrupt

ReasonTV 2024-10-14 | In 2016, Venezuelans were literally starving to death. So socialist leader Nicolás Maduro promised to send food boxes to every family. If the food boxes even arrived, the food was often inedible and potentially dangerous. It turns out the government was funneling money to Maduro's cronies to run the food program. #Venezuela #socialism #government #history #historyfacts

Is the world getting worse?

ReasonTV 2024-10-11 | A lady went viral for asking “Can anyone pinpoint the exact moment when the world started to go to shit?”

A lot of people had very interesting answers. For almost all of human history, your average person was dirt poor and struggling to survive. In the 19th Century things started to change. #history #historyfacts #historytime

Remy: The Grundy County School Board

ReasonTV 2024-10-11 | School choice is going once, going twice…gone.

Parody of John Michael Montgomery's "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)," written and performed by Remy.

Watch all of Remy's Reason TV music videos here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL02D02B9A144182DB

LYRICS:
Well, I went down to the Grundy County School Board
cause I had questions I just had to ask
Our recent graduates we wish they knew more
So I figured I'd ask questions about that

But they said…
Hey little matey, what you think of this sign?
I'd give anything to add some DEI
We got too many Asian kids, can't we send some home?
Well I've never seen anyone looking so white
Man we gotta have a day off for "Diwali"

I'll show you learning's what we here uphold—
Little girl, what is 2 plus 4?
Maybe 8? Maybe 9? Maybe 10?
Oh no…
We got twenty pronouns, half days, no Thais
Well I'm about to bid my chart goodbye…

Well the school board folks were going about a mile a minute
They were brainstorming and yelling things out loud
And though parents there were really getting in it
They just shouted out above the crowd

And they said…
Hey pretty lady can I hide your awards?
Let's stock this book that is technically porn
This board room isn't on our ancestral home
Well I've never seen anyone's pay go so high
Do you want a new name from your parents we'll hide?
I'm switching schools…You can't—with us you're zoned
How many laptops to give 5-year-olds?
Maybe 8? Maybe 9? Maybe 10?
Oh no…
We'll take Marchteenth, Mayteenth, Juneteenth, Eid
Ah, what the heck, bid the month goodbye

Well things got all political
They seem to more these days
Maybe math class should be for math
Your heart is full of hate!

And they said…
Hey, county students can you solve for x…
…istential racism cuz we're having a test
Maybe list more things they should be anxious about!
Sure it's been two hundred years but those poor Comanches
Is this a school or depression factory?
I still can't switch? You can't—with us you're zoned.
How many bathrooms should we build here, Joe?
Maybe 8? No, it's 9. How about 10, bigot!
We got 40 days off, three masks, this guy
I'm about to bid this town goodbye…

Why cant this business protect itself?

ReasonTV 2024-10-10 | This is Hashtag, a recreational 🍃 shop in Washington. They’ve been robbed five times in 13 months. Burglars use stolen cars to drive into the building, usually after hours, and take what product they can.

So Hashtag went to the city and asked to install bollards, similar to their other locations. And the city said no. #smallbusiness #police #government #washington

How will immigrants reshape America? | Michael Brendan Dougherty | Just Asking Questions, Ep. 44

ReasonTV 2024-10-10 | National Review's Michael Brendan Dougherty discusses the differences between conservatives and libertarians on the issue of immigration.

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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

Kamala Harris could lose BIG among black and working-class voters

ReasonTV 2024-10-10 | Ruy Teixiera and Patrick Ruffini talk about how Kamala Harris is struggling with a key voting demographic.

Watch the full episode of The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie featuring Ruy Teixiera and Patrick Ruffini: youtu.be/x9_xwKz5m0w

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Why taxing billionaires won’t work

ReasonTV 2024-10-09 | Seizing every home, yacht, business, and investment from America's 800 billionaires would fund the federal government for just nine months. And then the money would be gone. So would your 401(k), given that most of this wealth would be seized from the stock market, causing the S&P 500 to crater. #economics #taxes #billionaires #tax

Will Trump or Harris win the working-class vote? | Patrick Ruffini and Ruy Teixiera

ReasonTV 2024-10-09 | Patrick Ruffini and Ruy Teixiera talk about how the U.S. electorate has changed in the last four years.

0:00- Ad: St. John’s College
1:17- Introduction
2:05- Can Kamala Harris win back the working class?
8:55- Party identification is tanking
11:25-- Elite progressive fixations are alienating the working class
15:50- Black & Latino voters are more moderate
17:33- Trump & populism have transformed the GOP
25:05- The Green New Deal was terrible politics
26:23- Does anyone care about overspending anymore?
30:56- The future of unionization
35:49- Populism’s appeal to younger voters
39:06- Ad: ZBiotics
40:52- Are we seeing generational realignments?
46:05- Everyone got richer in the last 30 years
47:39- The ‘truly disadvantaged’ has no real advocates
51:28- Why is neither party working to win big?
55:13- Why has immigration become such a flashpoint?
1:02:49- Why do both parties indulge their nutty fringes?
1:08:17- What about libertarians?
1:18:48- Who will win the 2024 elections?
1:22:00- Are protectionism & heavy spending the new way for both parties?
1:24:09- Have people stopped caring about COVID?

reason.com/podcast/2024/10/09/will-trump-or-harris-win-the-working-class-vote

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.

How the feds are botching hurricane relief | Reason Roundtable | October 7, 2024

ReasonTV 2024-10-08 | 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.

00:00 - 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

Upcoming Events:

Reason Speakeasy: Musa al-Gharbi, October 24, 2024

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

The government monopoly on donated organs

ReasonTV 2024-10-04 | Organ donations in the U.S. are controlled by a network of federally sanctioned nonprofits, and many of them are failing. #healthcare #health #organ

Whats the untold story behind Stop the Steal? | Ford Fischer | Just Asking Questions, Ep. 43

ReasonTV 2024-10-03 | Documentarian Ford Fischer discusses his experience covering the "Stop the Steal" movement, January 6, and what it all means for the future of journalism and democracy.

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

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.

Sources Referenced:
—Fight Like Hell (Official Documentary) youtu.be/ZC-Wo9nJ3O4
—Government Accountability Office: Estimated cost and deaths gao.gov/assets/d23106625.pdf
—The New York Times: Pro-Trump Organizer Cooperating in Justice Dept Jan. 6 Inquiry nytimes.com/2022/04/08/us/politics/january-6-investigation-ali-alexander.html
—Reason's Jacob Sullum: Do These Seditious Conspiracy Convictions Prove the Capitol Riot 'Was Not Spontaneous'? reason.com/2023/05/05/do-these-seditious-conspiracy-convictions-prove-the-capitol-riot-was-not-spontaneous
—ABC News: 3 years later, Jan. 6 by the numbers abcnews.go.com/Politics/3-years-jan-6-numbers-1200-charged-460/story?id=106140326
—Rep. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.) questions Attorney General Merrick Garland during a House Judiciary Committee hearing youtu.be/aItGIPk0eKA

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

10-year-old EXPELLED for making a finger gun

ReasonTV 2024-10-03 | A Tennessee 10-year-old was expelled from school for a full year after he pointed his finger in the shape of a gun and made mock "machine gun" noises. #school #kids #education #tennessee

This reporter is exposing police abuse | Billy Binion

ReasonTV 2024-10-02 | 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.

00:00 - Ad: St John’s College
1:17 Introduction
2:24 Priscilla Villarreal documentary
9:55 James O’Keefe
14:56 Qualified immunity & absolute immunity
21:08 Charles Foehner self defense/gun possession case
23:16 LaShawn Craig self defense case
25:20 Dexter Taylor ‘ghost guns’ case
28:38 Civil liberties shouldn’t be granted based on class
33:46 SWAT damage cases
42:38 Is policing getting better or worse?
46:18 Binion’s background
49:48 Are the arts politically homogenous?
53:04 Being disillusioned by Los Angeles
57:08 Leaving California for Texas
1:01:41 Finding libertarianism
1:04:49 The Supreme Court is not ‘radical’
1:09:08 The complicated story is more interesting

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. For more information and to buy tickets, go here. To watch or listen to past Speakeasys, go here.

#podcast #interview #libertarian

Why did the government release radioactive foxes?

ReasonTV 2024-10-02 | In 1943 during World War II, the United States had an idea to destroy Japanese morale. Operation Fantasia would tap into Japanese fears of kitsune, supernatural fox creatures some believe foreshadow doom. So they captured live foxes, covered them in glowing radium-based paint, and released them into the park. But getting them into Japan would be the tricky part. #history #historyfacts #historytime #Japan #kitsune

Eric Adams and New York Citys corruption problem | Reason Roundtable | September 30, 2024

ReasonTV 2024-10-01 | 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.

00:00 - 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

Ex-Agent: The Secret Service is ‘broken’

ReasonTV 2024-09-27 | Ex-Secret Service agent Richard Staropoli and Reason's Zach Weissmueller discuss whether the recent security lapses that allowed for two close-call assassination attempts on Donald Trump's life. They address the question: Is the Secret Service incompetent, malicious, or both?

Watch this full episode of the Just Asking Questions podcast: youtu.be/l2x4QU-oHUY

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

Subscribe to the Just Asking Questions podcast: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBuns9Evn1w9K02WT8x-gzSI-UdeeXFG9
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Jailed for falling asleep on a field trip!?

ReasonTV 2024-09-27 | When a teenager fell asleep during a field trip to a Michigan courtroom, the judge responded by ordering her to be placed in a jumpsuit, handcuffed, and held in a cell for hours—livestreaming what he later called "my own version of Scared Straight" to social media followers. #government #teen #lawsuit

Three Mile Island nearly killed nuclear. Now its coming back.

ReasonTV 2024-09-26 | Microsoft has agreed to purchase Three Mile Island's energy to power its AI data centers for the next 20 years. It's the first time a U.S. nuclear reactor will come out of retirement.

reason.com/video/2024/09/26/three-mile-island-nearly-killed-nuclear-now-its-coming-back
---
Is a nuclear renaissance about to begin on the very site of the public relations catastrophe that practically destroyed the industry 45 years ago?

Constellation Energy recently announced a deal with Microsoft to restore a retired reactor on Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island. Microsoft has agreed to purchase energy from the plant for 20 years to power its AI data centers.

A U.S. nuclear reactor has never before been brought out of retirement.

Nuclear power was once considered the clean energy source of the future, with dozens of new plants coming online in the late '60s and early '70s.

But in March of 1979, a meltdown occurred at Three Mile Island's nuclear plant.

There were no casualties, and there was no lingering environmental damage. But the incident spooked the nation. From a publicity standpoint, the timing was disastrous—Three Mile Island occurred while The China Syndrome, a fictional account of safety cover-ups at a nuclear plant, was still in theaters, featuring Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, and Michael Douglas.

"After Three Mile Island, what was considered to be the best interest of the public was just reducing risk to as low as possible," says Adam Stein, director of the Nuclear Energy Innovation Program at the Breakthrough Institute. "It resulted in a huge volume of regulations that anybody that wanted to build a new reactor had to know. It made the learning curve much steeper to even attempt to innovate in the industry."

It was a public relations disaster for the nuclear industry, and the industry's expansion tapered off, concluding in a 20-year spell in which no new nuclear reactors were built in the U.S.

"My view is that these supposedly environmentalist groups formed in the 1970s that are not primarily pro-environment. They're really primarily anti-nuclear," says Eric Dawson, co-founder of Nuclear New York, a group fighting to protect the industry on the grounds that nuclear is "the most scalable, reliable, efficient, land-conserving, material-sparing, zero-emission source of energy ever created."

He says that Three Mile Island empowered the antinuclear movement.

As politicians have slowly realized that the dangers of nuclear power may have been exaggerated by activists, and the benefits of a reliable emissions-free energy source underappreciated, the regulatory landscape has slowly changed. The first new U.S. reactor built from scratch since 1974 opened in Georgia in 2022—albeit at a very high cost. The federal government issued its first ever approval for a small modular reactor in January 2023.

Constellation estimates that it will spend about $1.6 billion to bring the Three Mile Island reactor online by 2028 and will seek to renew the operating license through 2054. Pennsylvania's governor Josh Shapiro wrote a letter to federal regulators asking that the application be fast-tracked. Microsoft's VP of energy calls the deal "a major milestone" in the company's effort to "decarbonize the grid" while pursuing an AI-driven future that's going to require a lot of energy.

The Microsoft deal is the latest piece of evidence that nuclear energy—after being hampered by decades of hyper-cautious regulation—is poised for a comeback. Three Mile Island could one day become a symbol for nuclear's rebirth.

Video Producer: Zach Weissmueller
Video Editor: Danielle Thompson

Photo Credits: RICHARD B. LEVINE/Newscom; FRANCES M. ROBERTS/Newscom; Paul Souders / DanitaDelimont.com / Danita Delimont Photography/Newscom; LAURENCE KESTERSON/KRT/Newscom; Robert J. Polett/Newscom; Dick Darrell/Toronto Star/ZUMA Press/Newscom; St Petersburg Times/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; Library of Congress/Bernard Gotfryd; Jmnbqb, CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED, via Wikimedia Commons; Meghan McCarthy/ZUMA Press/Newscom; Erik Mcgregor/ZUMA Press/Newscom; Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Joseph Sohm/Universal Images Group/Newscom; Reginald Mathalone/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; Bastiaan Slabbers/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; Anthony Behar/Sipa USA/Newscom; */Kyodo/Newscom; Pacific Press/Sipa USA/Newscom; Paul Hennessy/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group/Newscom; KEVIN DIETSCH/UPI/Newscom; Reginald Mathalone/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; ROGER L. WOLLENBERG/UPI/Newscom/Midjourney

Music Credits: “Bubbles Drop” by Cosmonkey via Artlist; “Paper or Plastic” by Bubblz via Artlist; “Digital Abyss” by Stephen Keech via Artlist; “Expand” by Theatre of Delays via Artlist; “Monomer” by Leroy Wild via Artlist; “Behind the City” by Ziv Moran via Artlist; “Fantasma” by Omri Smadar via Artlist

Can cities ban the homeless?

ReasonTV 2024-09-26 | The Supreme Court recently ruled banning homeless encampments isn’t cruel and unusual punishment. Here's what that means. #homeless #SupremeCourt

Lina Khan doesn’t get why U.S. drugs are so EXPENSIVE

ReasonTV 2024-09-25 | Robby Soave and Amber Duke discuss how Lina Kahn is continually going after big businesses.

Producer: Natalie Dowzicky
Video Editor: Regan McDaniel
Image Credit: CBS

Tom Cotton DEFENDS Trump’s remarks about Jewish voters

ReasonTV 2024-09-25 | Robby Soave and Amber Duke discuss Tom Cotton and Donald Trump feel about their Jewish voters.

Producer: Natalie Dowzicky
Video Editor: Regan McDaniel
Image Credit: CNN

Sen. John Fettermans stance on guns SHOCKS NBC reporter

ReasonTV 2024-09-25 | Robby Soave and Amber Duke return this week to discuss how both John Fetterman and Kamala Harris agree that you have a right to self defense.

Producer: Natalie Dowzicky
Video Editor: Regan McDaniel
Image Credit: CBS

Are Millennials and Gen Z actually worse off than their parents? | Jeremy Horpedahl

ReasonTV 2024-09-25 | Economist Jeremy Horpedahl breaks down the economic outlook for Millennials and Gen Z and assesses how the 2024 presidential candidates' policies stack up against reality.

0:00- Introduction
2:46- Adjusted for inflation’ & ‘per capita’
6:02- Are Millennials & Gen Z really doomed?
12:57- American homeownership rates
15:00- Delayed ‘adulting’
18:59- Housing spending trends
22:08- Why is housing so expensive?
29:32- Ad: Lumen
31:10- Why are Millennials so eager to embrace doomerism?
35:20- How economic growth impact living standards
37:09- U.S. economic freedom, growth & living standards compared to Europe
41:40- Measures of mobility
47:50- How post-COVID inflation skewed our perceptions
53:28- Is inflation our new normal?
55:19- Should we be hoping for divided government?
58:00- Attitudes toward immigration in Arkansas
1:01:19- Benefits of living in ‘flyover country’
1:05:04- George Mason economics
1:06:44- Do libertarians blame government too much?
1:10:05- Is there room for optimism for the future?

reason.com/podcast/2024/09/25/jeremy-horpedahl-are-millennials-and-gen-z-actually-worse-off-than-their-parents
---
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.

#podcast #interview #millennials #economics

Why P Diddy is facing FEDERAL charges

ReasonTV 2024-09-24 | Elizabeth Nolan Brown explains what exactly P Diddy was arrested for.

Watch the full episode: youtu.be/qfrD8241eBc
---
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Image credit: Matthew McDermott/Polaris/Newscom

Is federal sex trafficking enforcement going too far? | Reason Roundtable | September 23, 2024

ReasonTV 2024-09-24 | 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.

00:00 - 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

We asked Donald Trump about the deficit

ReasonTV 2024-09-23 | Reason's Nick Gillespie asked former President Donald Trump about how he plans to bring down the national debt. #Trump #DonaldTrump #debt #deficit #gold

We asked Trump about the $7.8 trillion he added to the debt

ReasonTV 2024-09-23 | Reason Magazine's Nick Gillespie asked former President Donald Trump about how he plans to bring down the national debt.

reason.com/video/2024/09/23/trump-dodged-my-question-about-the-federal-debt
---
The national debt held by the public tops $27 trillion. It's bigger than the entire American economy—and it's on track to grow faster and faster. In just four years, Donald Trump signed legislation that increased future debt by $7.8 trillion, more than George W. Bush and Barack Obama managed in eight years apiece. We're headed for an economic catastrophe.

So when Trump made an appearance late last week at PubKey, a bitcoin-themed bar in New York's Greenwich Village, Reason's Nick Gillespie went down to ask him about it. And he had a snappy comeback.

Less than half of Trump's new debt was related to pandemic spending. And the COVID-19 relief bill establishing the Paycheck Protection Program, which Trump signed in 2020, was so rife with corruption and waste that one federal prosecutor has called it the "biggest fraud in a generation."And get this: His new campaign proposals would add another $5.8 trillion to the debt. Trump has called himself the "king of debt." If he gets a second term, he just might become its emperor.

Video Editor: Cody Huff

Kat Timpf on not being MAGA at Fox News

ReasonTV 2024-09-20 | “I’m an independent. I’m not a member of either major party,” says Kat Timpf, during a live taping of The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie. “But I also work on air at Fox News, so I will get shit from the viewers because I’m not conservative on certain issues.” #podcast #journalist #interview

The truth about school ‘book bans’

ReasonTV 2024-09-20 | When they use the word 'banned,' they're using it in a way that no other person in the history of the universe has ever used it," says Erika Sanzi, 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."

Watch this full episode of the Just Asking Questions podcast: youtube.com/watch?v=vPpR29t6Qyc&list=PLBuns9Evn1w9K02WT8x-gzSI-UdeeXFG9&index=1&t=139s&pp=gAQBiAQB

Show notes: reason.com/podcast/2024/09/19/erika-sanzi-what-are-schools-really-teaching

Subscribe to the Just Asking Questions podcast: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBuns9Evn1w9K02WT8x-gzSI-UdeeXFG9
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Paying people to find fossils backfired

ReasonTV 2024-09-19 | In 1937, finding fossils in Indonesia was hard. The solution? Pay locals for every bone fragment they find. Enterprising locals brought bone fragments that fit together so well, one paleontologist realized they were breaking larger pieces to get a bigger bonus. 💀💰 #history #historyfacts #historytime #Indonesia

What are schools really teaching? | Erika Sanzi | Just Asking Questions, Ep. 41

ReasonTV 2024-09-19 | Director of Outreach for Parents Defending Education, Erika Sanzi, discusses woke indoctrination in education.

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Text and links to sources available here: reason.com/podcast/2024/09/19/erika-sanzi-what-are-schools-really-teaching

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 defendinged.org/map
— New York City Public Schools introduces mandatory Black Studies curriculum for PreK-12th grades exploring oppression and activism - Parents Defending Education defendinged.org/incidents/new-york-city-public-schools-introduces-mandatory-black-studies-curriculum-for-prek-12th-grades-exploring-oppression-and-activism
— Parents Defending Education vs. Wellesly School District defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Complaint-As-Filed.pdf
— Gender Triangle Education Guide | GLSEN used in Jefferson County, Colorado. glsen.org/activity/gender-triangle-education-guide
— Report on Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2023 - Institute of Education Sciences nces.ed.gov/pubs2024/2024145.pdf
— Use of Restorative Justice and Restorative Practices at School: A Systematic Literature Review mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/1/96
— Consultant Report Card - Parents Defending Education defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/PDE-Consultant-Report-Card-2021.pdf
— PEN America: 2023 "Banned" Books Update pen.org/report/banned-in-the-usa-state-laws-supercharge-book-suppression-in-schools
— Just Asking Questions: Ruth Whippman: How Is Masculinity Changing? youtu.be/4aG8K_E4mpM

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?

A Fox News personality defends drag queens

ReasonTV 2024-09-19 | Nick Gillespie and Kat Timpf discuss how drag queens saved her from an abusive relationship.

Watch the full episode of The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie featuring Kat Timpf: youtu.be/CDs7pGgPCe4

Subscribe to The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie
Youtube: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBuns9Evn1w80Ihhdg5zfg657b94x5QUf
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/69l53aQZ3VjbESh7tqHM4j?si=7660e422addc4035
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-reason-interview-with-nick-gillespie/id1485021241

Kat Timpf works at Fox News but shes not MAGA

ReasonTV 2024-09-19 | Kat Timpf discusses what it's like to work as a commentator on Fox News.

Watch the full episode of The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie featuring Kat Timpf: youtu.be/CDs7pGgPCe4

Subscribe to The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie
Youtube: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBuns9Evn1w80Ihhdg5zfg657b94x5QUf
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/69l53aQZ3VjbESh7tqHM4j?si=7660e422addc4035
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-reason-interview-with-nick-gillespie/id1485021241

Why did the feds delete social media comments?

ReasonTV 2024-09-18 | The National Institutes of Health (NIH) violated the First Amendment rights of animal rights activists whose social media comments were deleted by the agency, a federal appeals court ruled. #freespeech #FirstAmendment #socialmedia #animalrights

Anna Navarro says Trump and Vance are to BLAME for political violence

ReasonTV 2024-09-18 | Robby Soave and Amber Duke discuss how CNN is blaming Trump for the rise in political violence across the country.

Producer: Natalie Dowzicky
Video Editor: Chris Sowick
Photo Credit: CNN

Hillary Clinton suggests throwing Americans in jail for ‘MISINFORMATION’

ReasonTV 2024-09-18 | Robby Soave and Amber Duke discuss how Hilary Clinton wants to threaten Americans' free speech rights.

Producer: Natalie Dowzicky
Video Editor: Chris Sowick
Photo Credit: MSNBC

Robby and Amber DEBATE Haitian pet-eating rumors

ReasonTV 2024-09-18 | Robby Soave and Amber Duke debate whether or not JD Vance and Donald Trump are spreading lies about Haitian immigrants in a small town in Ohio.

Producer: Natalie Dowzicky
Video Editor: Chris Sowick

Media BLAMES Trump for assassination attempts

ReasonTV 2024-09-18 | Robby Soave and Amber Duke return this week to discuss how the media reacted to Trump's life being threatened once again.

Producer: Natalie Dowzicky
Video Editor: Chris Sowick