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This week, we discuss President Biden carrying out the largest single-day act of clemency in American history and the controversial commutations of sentences for corrupt public officials.

Then, we talk about the rash of reported drone sightings in New Jersey and the confirmed UAV sightings around military bases, and how we can sort fact from fiction to make sure we address real security concerns.  

Later, we talk about Mitch McConnell’s call to reject isolationism and the Atlantic’s deep reporting on how our crumbling military manufacturing infrastructure makes us vulnerable in a turbulent world.

Finally, we head to Politicology+ where we discuss CNN admitting that the person they showed being freed from a Syrian prison last week was actually an intelligence officer in the Assad regime and the growth of mediated media. 

Joining host Ron Steslow on this week’s panel: 

Liam Donovan (Principal at Bracewell LLP)

Olivier Knox (Senior National Political Correspondent at U.S. News & World Report)

Segments this week:

(04:31) Biden’s pardons and commutations 

(26:13) Drones

(41:04) The precarious state of our military manufacturing infrastructure 

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Send your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬

Get Olivier’s newsletter “Decision Points”: https://bit.ly/3ZTK8TU

Follow this week’s panel on X (formerly Twitter):

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Related reading:

Segment 1: 

WSJ - Mystery Drones Swarmed a U.S. Military Base for 17 Days. The Pentagon Is Stumped. - WSJ

CNN - Key US Air Force base closes airspace amid drone sightings | CNN

Segment 2: 

AP - Biden commutes roughly 1,500 sentences and pardons 39 people in biggest single-day act of clemency

CNN - Victims ‘shocked’ after Biden grants clemency to ‘kids-for-cash’ judge and $54 million embezzler | CNN Politics

Segment 3: 

Foreign Affairs - Mitch McConnell: The Price of American Retreat

The Atlantic - The Crumbling Foundation of America’s Military - The Atlantic

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Journalist, Public Speaker and Author Celeste Headlee (@CelesteHeadlee) joins host Ron Steslow (@RonSteslow) to reveal the science and history behind human communication, share keys to unlock deeper conversations, and explain how critical empathy is for our ability to listen and connect. For more information, to contact us, or to contribute to Politicology, visit Politicology.com

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This week, we dive into the fandom that’s developed around the assassin who killed United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson

Then, we’ll look at how Donald Trump’s team pulled the Pete Hegseth nomination back from the brink in the Senate. 

Later, we talk about the younger Democrats pushing for generational  change in House committee leadership positions. 

Finally, we head to Politicology+ where we discuss how Citizens United moved the balance of power toward rich donors and pulled the Democratic party to the left. 

Joining guest host Zack Czajkowski on this week’s panel: 

David Weigel (politics reporter at Semafor)  

James Lynch (Communications Strategist)  

Segments this week:

(02:19) Assassin fandom

(31:54) Hegseth Nomination saved in the Senate

(45:48) Generational change in the Democratic Party

Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus.

Send your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬

Get David’s Newsletter “Americana”: https://bit.ly/4iB6HFd

Follow this week’s panel on X (formerly Twitter):

https://x.com/ZackCz

https://x.com/JamesGLynch

https://x.com/daveweigel

Related reading:

Segment 1: 

CNN- 1-star McDonald’s reviews and sympathetic merch: Companies try to stop online support for CEO killer suspect | CNN Business

Wired - The Internet’s Obsession With Luigi Mangione Signals a Major Shift | WIRED

Yahoo News - Black Lives Matter activist calls on ‘black vigilantes’ after Daniel Penny’s acquittal: ‘F—k America’

Segment 2: 

Politico - Ron who? How Trump brought Hegseth back from the brink - POLITICO

NYT - Ernst Suggests She Will Not Oppose Hegseth for Defense Secretary - The New York Times

Segment 3: 

NBC News - 'The end of seniority': Younger Democrats are challenging elders for powerful positions

AP - Rep. Ocasio-Cortez announces bid for top Oversight job as Democrats push for generational change

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For the full and ad-free version of this episode, subscribe to Politicology+ at https://politicology.com/plus

Poler Family Professor and chair of the psychology department at Amherst College Dr. Catherine Sanderson joins Ron Steslow to talk about how giving can make you happier. 

(02:08) What is happiness and how can we measure it?

(08:31) Does giving make you happy or do happy people give more?

(10:20) Types of giving and the impact on happiness

(14:50) The effect of giving on bad moods

(28:58) Gratitude letters

The Positive Shift by Dr. Catherine Sanderson https://benbellabooks.com/shop/the-positive-shift/

Politicology - March 10: Becoming Moral Rebels with Dr. Catherine Sanderson https://politicology.com/episodes/dr-catherine-sanderson-becoming-moral-rebels/

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This week, Ron Steslow calls Hagar Chemali to talk about some of the most important stories going on around the world: 

First, we discuss President Biden pardoning his son, Hunter, and weighing other preemptive pardons 

Then, we talk about what Trump’s defense, intelligence, and national security nominations could mean

Next, we look at South Korea’s president invoking martial law 

After that, we break down the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire deal 

Finally, for our Politicology+ subscribers, we keep going around the world to talk about Iranian assassination plots (including one against a famous Iranian women’s rights activist), the pros and cons of an undisciplined and unpredictable Donald Trump, why Russian propaganda is using AI TV commentators, how the incoming administration might try to end the war in Ukraine, and more.

Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus.

Follow this week’s panel on X (formerly Twitter):

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https://x.com/HagarChemali

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Host Ron Steslow welcomes Alex Gladstein (Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation) to discuss the significant and often misunderstood role of Bitcoin in protecting human rights and fighting against authoritarians around the world.

Segments to look forward to:

(02:07) Alex’s background in human rights work and why he became interested in Bitcoin 

(16:18) Bitcoin vs other cryptocurrencies

(26:04) Financial privilege

(38:35) Bitcoin in action 

(45:50) Bitcoin creating financial independence for women in Afghanistan 

(56:25)How a human rights activist uses Bitcoin to free hostages 

(59:10) Bitcoin as a tool against monetary colonialism in west Africa 

(1:00:10) The importance  of peer-to-peer transactions 

(1:07:50) How Bitcoin mining can bring electricity to remote areas and support sustainable energy projects 

(1:19:40) Why Bitcoin matters for everyone

Follow Ron and Alex on X (formerly Twitter):

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https://twitter.com/gladstein

Email your questions to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬ 

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Lucy Caldwell (Board Advisor to the Renew Democracy Initiative and advisor to the Forward Party), Liam Donovan (Principal at Bracewell LLP), and Ron Steslow respond to your feedback and answer your questions on our latest mailbag episode. 

(02:04) Would compulsory voting be good for the United States?

(14:22) Matt Gaetz withdrawals as A.G. nominee

(26:46) How do you feel about the Trump re-election and fears of retribution?

(39:18) The push against disaffected Republicans within the Democratic coalition 

Have a question for a future Mailbag episode? Send it over to us at [email protected]!

You can also leave us a voice message at ‪(202) 455-4558‬

Follow Ron, Lucy, and Liam on X:

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You may know him from his dazzling dishes showcased on the hit Netflix TV series, “Chef’s Table,” but three-Star Michelin Chef Dan Barber (Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Blue Hill NYC) has a relationship with ingredients far deeper and more complex than pretty plates of food. In this episode, Chef Dan joins Ron Steslow to discuss the politics and future of food and the consequences of how America feeds itself.

To unlock exclusive content, visit: https://politicology.com/plus

(02:32) The current state of American agriculture

(06:15) What is the Third Plate?

(11:44) The connection between flavor and nutrition

(14:24) The importance of crop rotation 

(34:14) Lab grown meat 

Politicology is supported by listeners like you. Can you pitch in right now at https://politicology.com/donate?

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https://www.instagram.com/chefdanbarber/

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Mike Madrid, Liam Donovan, Lucy Caldwell, and Ron Steslow discuss the national security risks that data harvesting presents, the need for stronger protections for privacy, and how privacy is necessary for other rights in the digital age. 

Related reading:

Wired-Anyone Can Buy Data Tracking US Soldiers and Spies to Nuclear Vaults and Brothels in Germany | WIRED

Extreme Privacy by Michael Bazzell - https://inteltechniques.com/book7.html

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This week, we discuss whether Donald Trump and the Republicans have a mandate. 

Next, we discuss whether America has a cohesive “working class.”

Finally, in our separate Politicology+ episode we talk about the national security risks that data harvesting presents—and how we might use it to get better privacy protection for all of us. 

Joining Ron Steslow on this week’s panel: 

Mike Madrid (Lincoln Project cofounder, author of The Latino Century)

Lucy Caldwell (Board Advisor to the Renew Democracy Initiative and advisor to the Forward Party)

Liam Donovan (Principal at Bracewell LLP)

Segments this week:

(02:36) The M Word

(32:16) Working class? 

Follow this week’s panel on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://twitter.com/lucymcaldwell

https://twitter.com/madrid_mike

https://twitter.com/LPDonovan

Related reading:

Segment 1:

Politico - Trump claims ‘unprecedented and powerful mandate’ - POLITICO

NYT- Marie Gluesenkamp Perez Wants Fellow Democrats to Look in the Mirror - The New York Times

NYT - Why Are Latinos Fleeing Democrats? Arizona’s New Senator Offers Answers. - The New York Times

WP - GOP senators say RFK Jr. must ‘explain’ vaccine criticism, other views - The Washington Post

Segment 2:

Noah Smith -America doesn't really have a working class - by Noah Smith

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Over two decades ago, Ruy Teixeira predicted that America was on its way to a bright blue future, thanks to an inevitable demographic shift that would deliver the Party a dominant, durable political coalition.

“Demography is destiny” became the mantra of the Democratic Party—proven out by Obama’s decisive 2008 electoral college win.

But then, in 2016, Trump upended that coalition, and, consequently, anti-Trumpism naturally became a defining feature of the Democratic Party.

But—beyond its opposition to Trump—what does the Democratic Party stand for today?

With the Republican Party infected with extremism and so embarrassingly unable to govern, why aren’t Democrats winning sustainable majorities?

And why is the Democratic party still losing ground with some of the core parts of its base?

In the second part of this two-part conversation, former Center for American Progress senior fellow Ruy Teixeira joins Ron Steslow to discuss his new book Where Have All the Democrats Gone? The Soul of the Party in the Age of Extremes.

In part 2:

(01:06 ) The shift towards identity politics and how it’s changing the party’s approach to race and civil rights

(08:40) Radical approaches to transgender rights

(16:50) The change in environmental policy from responsible stewardship to the more extreme positions of the Green New Deal

(41:14) The rise in independent voters, what it really means, and how it should impact political strategy

(45:45) Whether it’s even possible for structural reforms in our political system to improve the health of our democracy

Read Where Have All the Democrats Gone?: https://bit.ly/3P8hpGm

Check out The Liberal Patriot: https://www.liberalpatriot.com/

Follow Ron on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬.

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