Axios co-founder and CEO Jim VandeHei joins the show to talk through how AI is changing the media industry, why he rejects the simple solutions floated by today’s politicians and how he’d handle saving legacy media institutions.

He then shares his philosophy on how to manage one’s time and business effectively as articulated in his new book book Simplify: Do 50 Percent More with 50 Percent Less co-written with his Axios co-founders, Mike Allen & Roy Schwartz

00:00 An Era As Significant As The Great Depression
2:46 Trust Loss In Institutions 
6:09 The Challenge Of Breaking News In An AI World 
11:42 How To Fix  Business Leaders Selling Out 
16:57 How Algorithms Shape Our Thinking
19:22 The Competing Incentives Between LLMs & Algorithms 
22:00 Can We Shut Down AI Even If We Wanted To
25:06 How Axios Rejects The AI Binary
35:05 The Future Of Work 
39:32 Working With OpenAi & Local News 
43:36 Legacy Media vs. Digital Journalists
48:42 You Don't Have To Do It - An Operating Manual For Life 
55:35 Our Brains & Businesses Need To Adapt To Technology’s Influence 
1:01:16 How To Be An Effective Manager & Employee in 2026
1:04:39 The One Trick To Being An Effective Communicator 
1:09:27 How to Fix CNN & Cable News

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Bestselling author Michael Lewis (Moneyball, The Big Short, The Blind Side) joins the show to talk about his new book, Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State, and what he found reporting on the Trump administration's war against federal civil servants.

Lewis often writes about overlooked people inside massive, misunderstood systems, from Wall Street to baseball to government scientists.  In his newest work, he explains how Elon Musk's DOGE actually operated inside agencies like the IRS and NIH, why career civil servants became targets, and what happens when the trust in our government finally collapses.

Lewis's new book Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State is out now.

00:00 Opening
00:25 Talking To Bannon, Kirk And Understanding Your Enemies
7:24 Which Of Michael Lewis’s Subjects Was Most Pissed At Him
10:35 How Michael Lewis Decides On His Subjects 
18:07 Who Can Tell The Story of Trump’s Second Term  
24:42 The Big Question Lewis Asked Himself Before Writing Blockers
30:03 Elon Musk, DOGE &  The Origin Of The Term “Blockers” 
36:23 What The Hell is The US Institute of Peace?
43:22 Government Is Moneyball All Over The Place
47:45 How Trump Tries To Weaponize Data Against Undocumented Workers
54:33 Better Information Leads To Societal Progress 
1:00:06 The Immigrant Who Changed How We Fight Fires vs. The Trump Chaos Machine
1:17:46 Trump vs. The NIH: Who Killed The Scientist Curing Our Diseases? 
1:25:09 How People Really Deal With RFK Jr. 
1:29:31 The Backdoor That DOGE Used to Fire Millions
1:34: 36 Trump is A Trust Destroying Machine & Where Trump Goes Next
1:38:16 How Permanent Is Trump’s Harm To Government? 
1:45:58 How Reagan Ruined America’s Covid Response & Helped Trump Weaponize Grievance 
1:51:15 A Sign Of Hope From A Former DOGE Employee 

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Governor Newsom begins by sharing how his visit with Bryan Stevenson, civil rights attorney, & founder of the Equal Justice Initiative inspired recent legislation.

Live from the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery Alabama, Stevenson joins the podcast to discuss the politics of fear and anger and why America never reckoned with the narrative that justified slavery. 

He shares how the Supreme Court might decide Brown v. Board of Education today, what the gutting of the Voting Rights Act means for Black political power, and why DEI efforts fell apart.

They then cover reparations, censorship,  mass incarceration and America’s legacy when it comes to the death penalty before finally ending with  a message of hope for anyone exhausted by this political moment.

00:00 A Conversation That Inspired A Bill Signing
1:10 The Politics Of Fear And Anger
4:03 Slavery's Real Evil Was the Narrative
6:26 How Narratives Change
8:20 Struggling With American Identity
13:20 Why Build a National Memory & Legacy Museum
17:35 Why The Shelby County Decision Changed Everything
25:28 Why We've Gone Backwards
31:08 How DEI Caused Resentment
37:10 What Reparations Really Means
46:30 Why Am I Responsible For Previous Generations’ Suffering?
51:01 Rewriting History & The Montgomery Bus Boycott
59:23 Could Brown v. Board Be Won Today?
1:04:45 Rev. James Lawson: Do Hard Things
1:12:17 Counter Narratives & Censorship
1:17:54 Mass Incarceration and the Death Penalty
1:35:30 Should California Commute Its Death Row?
1:39:50 What Do You Say to Victims' Families?
1:45:38 Is There Any Reason For Hope?

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Newsmax founder and CEO Chris Ruddy joins the show to discuss how he built a conservative media empire, including the story of how he first met Donald Trump.  He then gets into his relationship with the Clintons, California political history, education reform, and conservative talk radio's influence on the country.

00:00 Intro

00:45 The Legacy of California Governors 

4:44 Reagan, Republicans & Immigration

7:00 The Crazy Way Ruddy Met Trump

10:30 Liberal Origins Before Building A Conservative Media Empire 

18:04 How To Improve Public Education

26:30 Conservative Radio’s Influence On This President

30:18 The Evolution of Ruddy & The Clintons

33:47 Media Consolidation & The Fight Against Brendan Carr & The FCC 

45:00 Tech Mergers, Paramount & The Hollywood System

48:35 Newsmax vs. Fox News 

51:10 The 2020 Election

54:40 Political Polarization & The 2024 Election

59:22 How Democrats React If They Win Back The House 

1:04:57 The Future of Cable & Artificial Intelligence

1:10:02 Should Democrats Appear On Conservative Media

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A few months ago, we sat down with two of the leading voices warning about the risks of runaway AI Tristan Harris & Aza Raskin.

We're re-airing that conversation now because we are at a critical moment in how we deal with AI. 

Researchers are quitting. CEOs are begging to be regulated. Yet there's still no comprehensive federal law requiring AI companies to report dangerous incidents when they happen. 

So we're taking action.

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We're live on the road in Montgomery, Alabama! 

Governor Newsom is joined by Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed for a conversation on the economy, protecting our civil rights, and Alabama’s living history. Plus, BBQ vs. Tacos and how to find hope even as our democracy remains under attack.

00:00 Why Montgomery Matters

4:37  Protecting Our Democracy & Rebuilding Our Economy 

13:41 How To Find Courage Amongst The Sellouts

21:23 Montgomery’s Living History As A Lesson For The Country

24:45 Writing A Memoir And The Search for Authenticity 

29:35 How To Survive Difficult Moments 

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Crypto skeptic, filmmaker, and  author Ben McKenzie joins the show for a deep dive into the world of cryptocurrency. From Bitcoin and Sam Bankman-Fried to Donald Trump’s recent embrace of crypto for his corruption efforts, Ben Mckenzie explains why he is and remains skeptical of cryptocurrency. He then considers whether there’s any hope for crypto regulation and whether this Congress is capable of doing it.

Ben’s documentary “Everyone is Lying to You for Money” is available to stream now through a collaboration with Eventive, a ticketing and streaming platform with a mission to make film festivals and independent film accessible. 

00:00 Intro
00:17 A Big Day For Bitcoin
3:28 Why Ben Doesn’t Buy Crypto
8:00 The Question Sam Bankman-Fried Wouldn’t Answer
12:08 Trust The Dollar Or Trust The Code
14:20 Crypto 101
18:00 The Epstein Connection
22:10 El Salvador’s Crypto Experiment
27:02 Why Everyone Is Now Into Crypto
32:30 The Men Who Can’t Stop Losing With Crypto
41:34 How Should We Be Regulating Crypto?
47:45 Wall Street’s  Embrace Of Crypto
50:10 Trump’s Crypto Conversion, World Liberty Financial & Criminal Activity
58:55 Regulation Instead of Elimination
1:02:10 Will Studios Support An Anti-Crypto Film? 

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It's our first on the ground episode live from East Lansing, MI with Governor Gretchen Whitmer!

What can Democrats can learn from the recent results in Michigan? 

There may be no one better to weigh in on the future of the Democratic Party and what they're seeing on the ground than Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The termed out Governor is not only contemplating her own future, but the future of her party and the country.

That's why, in the middle of campaigning for Democrats up and down the ballot, Governor Newsom sat down in East Lansing to compare notes on winning a state that voted for Donald Trump, the rise of the DSA, leading their respective states, and the road to 2028.

00:00 Live From Michigan!  
1:02 Fix The Damn Roads (With Marijuana) 
7:44 “My State Voted For Donald Trump Again” 
13:24 Two Termed Out Governors Grading Their Terms
25:18: What's It Like Being Vetted for Vice President...
33:20 ...And What's Next For Big Gretch
37:17 Democrats Don’t Have Time To Take A Beat
42:24 Split Legislature to Lasting Legacy
43:51 The Advice You’d Give To The Next Governor
51:14 So…Are You Running? (Actually) 
56:09 What Principles Do You Live By?
57:45 Predictions
1:02:30 BTS 

Recorded on location at Crunchy's Bar in East Lansing, MI.

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Former D.C. police officer and January 6 survivor Michael Fanone joins the show to talk about Todd Blanche’s confirmation, the J6 Weaponization fund and why MAGA is so determined to let Trump keep embarrassing them. Plus, Fanone recounts the day he nearly died defending the Capitol, its politicization as well as his reaction to Trump’s pardons of January 6 defendants. 

00:00 Re-Introducing Michael Fanone 
1:06 Datacenters Are A Plague 
4:24 “I thought I was going to die a cop” - Understanding Fanone’s Journey  
8:26 My disdain for politics and politicians started at an early age
15:39 I Voted For Donald Trump In 2016
17:23 Fanone’s Story of January 6th 2021
37:23 The J6 Riots & Trump’s Weaponization Fund
41:47 How Fanone Reacted To Trump’s Pardons 
46:52 Taxing The Weaponization Fund
49:20 MAGA’s Continued Willingness To Let Trump Humiliate Them
56:38 The Tate Brothers, Joe Rogan & MAGA’s Love of Toxic Men
1:05:20 Facing The Most Significant Election Of Our Republic
1:08:08 Predicting Trump’s Future Pardons & The One Job Fanone Wants 
1:13:36 Nobody Would Hire Me So I Have To Do This

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David Pakman joins the show to discuss how YouTube, social media algorithms, and artificial intelligence are reshaping politics, public opinion, and our democracy. They discuss why conservative voices often outperform liberals online, the Democratic Party's messaging challenges, and what we can learn about how populist messages spread online. 

00:00 Intro

00:33 World Cup Aftermath & The Trump Impact

3:43 The DSA As The Liberal Tea Party

7:15 Does Pakman's Youtube Channel Make Him A Hypocrite?

10:02 The 2028 Election Will Be Determined By Artificial Intelligence & Algorithm Manipulation 

12:51 Social Media Platforms Don't Reward Truth

18:04 How to Fight Back Against Algorithmic Manipulation

23:57 How YouTube Has Changed Our Politicians & Killed Authenticity 

27:30 Can Nuanced Conversations Ever Travel Online? 

30:07 Why The Right Is So Much More Successful Online

32:55 Populism & Independence: Why Bernie & Tucker Break Through & Fox News Is Still Figuring It Out

39:55 We Are Not Prepared For AI To Take Over Our Social Media Feeds 

47:17 Loneliness, The Manosphere, and Why The Left Still Fails When it Comes To Toxic Masculinity

50:15 Is Government Moving Too Slowly & What Trump Gets Right

54:01 Pakman's Media Strategy For The Democratic Party & How To Talk About The Economy

1:01:52 The DSA Should Be A Red Alert For The Democratic Party

1:08:53 Biden's Populist Streak & Communication Problems

1:12:38 Is There Any Hope For Democracy In This Media Environment?

Pre-order David's new book Pay Attention: How the Algorithms and Media Wars Are Suppressing Truth and Rewiring Your Brain

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/pay-attention-david-pakman?variant=44812531105826

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Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie joins the show to talk about the Todd Blanche confirmation hearings, Trump’s corrupt presidency and why the Jeffrey Epstein scandal always felt different. Drawing on his firsthand experience inside Trump's inner circle, Christie shares his account of how things really worked in the White House, his relationship with the Kushners, and the moment he broke with the former president. They also examine the future of both parties, who the DSA is helping and how Democrats should be speaking about Trump.


00:00 Todd Blanche’s Confirmation Hearing, Reactions, & How To Fix The Justice Department
16:55 The Epstein Files & How Pam Bondi Lost Trump’s Trust
26:17 The Link Between Epstein & The Access Hollywood Tape
29:20 Kushner(s) & Tom Brady 
38:50 How Christie Became The Chair of Trump’s Transition Team Over Jared’s Objection
43:21 How Steve Bannon & Jared Kushner Handled Personnel Changes In The White House
47:44 How One Conversation With Christie Shaped Trump’s Covid Response 
54:53 When Christie Realized Trump Wasn’t For Him 
57:39 Does Trump Actually Believe He Won in 2020?
1:00:30 Trump’s Primetime Address & His Election Denialism 
1:03:03 Why Democrats Shouldn’t Focus On Trump’s in 2028
1:07:50 How To Discuss Trump’s Corruption & His Attack on Democracy
1:12:26 Christie’s Current 2026 Predictions: House & Senate & The Possibility of Impeachment
1:15:33 The Rise of The DSA: Mamdani, AOC & Who Bernie Sanders Is Actually Helping
1:20:11 How Trump Intends to Shape 2028 & The One Republican Who Push Back

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