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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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