The Press Box

The Ringer

  • 1 hour 27 minutes
    Trump’s Iran Head Fakes, a CBS News Defection, and Tales From the Lakers Locker Room With Howard Beck

    Bryan and David are here to discuss another busy news week. They start with another departure at CBS News, a New York Times piece about Judy Blume (5:56), and Stephen A. Smith on Sean Hannity’s podcast (18:09). They wrap up by discussing Trump’s changing message on the war in Iran (26:01). Then in the Notebook Dump, Bryan is joined by The Ringer’s Howard Beck in another edition of Tales From the Locker Room. Howard tells stories about covering Shaq and Kobe(45:42), getting U2 tickets from Rick Fox (1:19:24), and much more. Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week, and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline!

    Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker
    Guest: Howard Beck
    Producers: Bruce Baldwin and Isaiah Blakely

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    11 March 2026, 2:24 am
  • 59 minutes 54 seconds
    Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Iran, the Epstein Files, His Party’s 2026 Bumper Sticker, and the Best New York Rapper of All Time

    Today on The Press Box, Bryan and Joel are joined by Hakeem Jeffries, the minority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives. First, Bryan and Joel ask him about what the Democrats can do to stop the war in Iran (01:46) before asking what a U.S.-Israel partnership should look like (05:13). Next, they talk about the Epstein files (11:05) and whether the Democrats can do anything to make Americans care more about Trump's ties to Epstein (14:16). After that, Jeffries is asked what form election interference could take in the midterms (25:13), and then he gives his take on whether ICE should be abolished (29:16). The show ends with Joel’s lightning round, where he asks Jeffries what the best Jay-Z album is (44:20), who the best New York rapper of all time is (46:17), and so much more, here on The Press Box.

    Hosts: Bryan Curtis and Joel Anderson

    Guest: Representative Hakeem Jeffries

    Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Bruce Baldwin

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    6 March 2026, 4:29 am
  • 1 hour 1 minute
    Wolf Blitzer on Covering Mideast Wars, Monica Lewinsky, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump

    Bryan went to CNN headquarters in Washington, D.C., to talk to CNN's Wolf Blitzer! Bryan has Wolf take us through his media life through the lens of five big stories. Before that, they talk about Wolf’s upbringing and playing football in the Buffalo, New York, area and what made him decide to become a journalist. Then, the first big story they discuss is covering the Pentagon for CNN during the first Gulf War (16:17). The second is the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky controversy (29:48). Third is what he remembers about covering 9/11 (37:32). And the last two are the election of Barack Obama in 2008 (45:41), and the election of Donald Trump in 2016 (52:23).

    Host: Bryan Curtis
    Guest: Wolf Blitzer
    Producers: Bruce Baldwin and Isaiah Blakely
    Additional Production: Ted Tuel and Dylan Nathan

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    4 March 2026, 11:00 am
  • 1 hour 50 seconds
    Trump’s Iran Media Rollout, the Paramount-CNN Crisis, and a Visit to Capitol Hill with Sen. Tim Kaine

    Today on The Press Box, Bryan and David start the show discussing the war in Iran and where they went to get their news as the situation unfolded this past weekend. Next, the guys talk about Paramount winning the Warner Bros. Discovery sweepstakes, including what it means for the future of CNN (15:45), and what will happen with the TNT Sports catalog (27:44). The show wraps up with some stories from Bryan’s trip to Washington, D.C., before some exclusive audio from his sitdown with the U.S. Senator from Virginia, Tim Kaine (41:01). They discuss how he would explain the U.S.-Cuba situation (43:09), losing the 2016 election (45:03), and why he reads the newspaper (49:05). Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week, and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline!

    Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker

    Guest: Tim Kaine

    Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Bruce Baldwin

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    3 March 2026, 2:35 am
  • 1 hour 21 minutes
    The February Issue: Why the Kennedy Dynasty Will Never End

    Welcome to the February Issue. Bryan is joined by Amanda Dobbins to answer the question: Why is everyone still so interested in the Kennedys? They begin by talking about ‘Love Story,’ the newest series by Ryan Murphy about John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette (8:00). They talk about the Kennedy nostalgia and how they thought the cast performed as the Kennedys. Then they talk about people or events that kept the Kennedy fame going (20:45). They discuss the family's public social life, movies and TV shows about them, George magazine, and more. Later they get into how the Kennedy family story was carried on after JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette died (55:24). They talk about all the secondary accounts that were written about the family, as well as other family members' failed political careers, then wrap up with discussion of current Kennedys in the political sphere, Jack Schlossberg, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

    Host: Bryan Curtis

    Guest: Amanda Dobbins

    Producers: Bruce Baldwin, Isaiah Blakely, and Jacob Cornett

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    26 February 2026, 3:02 pm
  • 1 hour 3 minutes
    The February Editorial Meeting

    Bryan, David, and Joel are back together for February’s editorial meeting! They first discuss how they’re going to watch Trump’s State of the Union (9:03). Then they move on to some news items from the Olympics, starting with Kash Patel partying with the men’s USA hockey team (18:16). They also talk about Mike Tirico’s coverage at the Olympics (28:21). They talk about more bad news at CBS News (34:39), the newest Savannah Guthrie video (41:16), and the infamous photo of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (45:08). They wrap up with a couple of reader questions (50:09), and Joel pays homage to a past coworker (54:38).

    Hosts: Bryan Curtis, David Shoemaker, and Joel Anderson
    Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Bruce Baldwin

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    25 February 2026, 3:21 am
  • 1 hour 9 minutes
    Jesse Jackson’s Legacy, More on Stephen Colbert, and When College Basketball Coaches Attack

    Today, Bryan and Joel come together to discuss the legacy of Reverend Jesse Jackson, who passed away this week at age 84, and Joel's written piece on the reverend (00:54). The guys continue that conversation by telling the story of a reporter revealing something Reverend Jackson said to him on background (16:25) and how that reflects on modern journalism (27:13). Next, Bryan and Joel give an update on The Atlantic’s measles story and how it has been represented (35:36). After that, the guys talk about the latest in the James Talarico–Stephen Colbert censorship story (42:00) before ending the show with a discussion about Mick Cronin’s outburst at a reporter following UCLA’s loss to Michigan State (50:44).

    Hosts: Bryan Curtis and Joel Anderson

    Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Bruce Baldwin

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    20 February 2026, 1:46 am
  • 1 hour 2 minutes
    Barack Obama and Aliens, How to Cover Stephen A’s Quasi-Campaign, and the AI That Ate Cleveland

    Bryan and David are here and they start with a story out of Cleveland about a student turning down a job because of their use of AI. They discuss whether there are acceptable ways to use AI in journalism. After that they talk about Barack Obama's podcast interview where he mentions that aliens exist (14:35). Then they discuss some news from CBS. Anderson Cooper leaving CBS News’ ‘60 minutes’ and Stephen Colbert’s late-night show not being able to air an interview with James Talarico (22:32). They also talk about how to cover Stephen A. Smith’s potential presidential campaign (27:07). Lastly they discuss a creative nonfiction story in The Atlantic (40:43) about measles and the death of Robert Duvall (54:27).

    Also David Shoemaker guesses the Strained Pun Headline of the Week.

    Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker
    Producers: Bruce Baldwin and Isaiah Blakely

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    18 February 2026, 1:35 am
  • 1 hour 34 minutes
    Why the Nancy Guthrie Case Captivates America, Joel’s Winter Olympics Takes, and Tales From an NBA Locker Room With Logan Murdock

    Bryan and Joel are back, and they start by talking about the national story of Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance (1:04). Then we get Joel’s thoughts on the Winter Olympics (13:50). They also give their final Super Bowl thoughts (26:15), and they talk through some ideas for how to fix the NBA (32:55). Then they are joined by Logan Murdock ahead of All-Star Weekend to hear his locker-room stories covering the Golden State Warriors (41:24).

    Hosts: Bryan Curtis and Joel Anderson
    Guest: Logan Murdock
    Producers: Bruce Baldwin, Isaiah Blakely, and Jamie Yukich

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    13 February 2026, 12:37 am
  • 1 hour 27 minutes
    A Super Bowl Review, the Will Lewis Era Ends With a Thud, and the Long, Strange Journey of Tucker Carlson.

    Hello, media consumers! Bryan and David are here and they start by discussing the end of the Will Lewis era at The Washington Post. Then, they recap everything about the Super Bowl (23:08), including if there were any memorable moments in the game, the halftime shows, the commercials, and the commentary. Then, Bryan talks to Jason Zengerle about his new biography about Tucker Carlson (47:23). They talk about Carlson as a magazine writer, how he made the switch to TV, his change of approach during Trump’s second term and much more.

    Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week, and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline!

    Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker
    Guest: Jason Zengerle
    Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Bruce Baldwin

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    11 February 2026, 1:22 am
  • 1 hour 13 minutes
    The Bulwark's Tim Miller on What Can Stop Trump, JD Vance's Superpower, the Epstein Files Fallout, and More

    Hello, media consumers! Bryan is joined by The Bulwark’s Tim Miller to discuss myriad topics across the political landscape. They discuss how Donald Trump’s second term has gone compared to Tim's expectations (12:35), whether there are any candidates for President that have been impressive (34:28), and why Jeff Bezos still owns the Washington Post (53:37). Later on, they talk about what Tim misses about working in politics (1:05:02), which candidate he's worked with that would’ve been the best President (1:08:14), and much more.

    Host: Bryan Curtis
    Guest: Tim Miller
    Producers: Isaiah Blakely, Bruce Baldwin, and Jamie Yukich

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    10 February 2026, 5:50 am
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