Beyond Politics

Latest Episodes:

Cease Fire Good News and a Damning Report on Trump Jan 17, 2025

Show notes

Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement--a rare case of productive teamwork between Donald Trump and Joe Biden in brokering the deal? The Jack Smith report detailing Trump's alleged crimes related to January 6th and classified documents. Pete Hegseth's controversial confirmation hearing for Secretary of Defense. And finally Alicia Preston's birthday so who's the second greatest person born on her birthday? 00:28 Ceasefire Agreement Between Israel and Hamas 02:12 Trump and Biden's Roles in the Ceasefire 09:25 Jack Smith Report on Donald Trump 20:53 Pete Hegseth's Embarrassing Confirmation Hearing 26:41 Elon Musk vs. Steve Bannon 35:28 Middle Class Struggles and Political Neglect 37:53 Birthday Game: Famous People Born Today

The Trump Fallacy, AI, and Banning Fraternities Jan 14, 2025

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Matt Robison and radio legend Howard Monroe separate the real, subtle threats posed by artificial intelligence from the kinds of things we stress about in movies. Then: why Democrats need to avoid falling into the "Trump fallacy." And finally, an audio adaptation of Matt's most recent Newsweek column on why Congress needs to step in and ban fraternities and sororities on college campuses. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 03:00 Howard Monroe Radio Show: Health and Humor 06:43 The Real Danger of AI: Distorting Reality 13:16 Trump's Press Conference: World Domination or Bluster? 15:15 Navigating Trump's Statements: Picking Battles 29:12 Fraternities and Sororities: Time for a Ban

The Weird End of the Trump Legal Saga Jan 10, 2025

Show notes

Matt, Paul, and Alicia hit the biggest stories unfolding this week, starting with the Los Angeles wildfires and the way in which the politics of global warming have already entered the picture, even as people are still at risk. Also, Joe Biden's assertion that if he had stayed in the race, he would have won; the end of all of the Donald Trump legal cases and the confusing muddled pile up it's turned into and what it ultimately means; the question of how Republicans are going to try to pass the Trump agenda; Facebook waving the white flag on fact checking; and finally, the case that Donald Trump is actually right about taking possession of Greenland.

00:00 Introduction and Overview 01:11 Los Angeles Wildfires and Climate Politics 03:17 Debating Energy Policies and Insurance Issues 07:58 Biden's Interview and Political Reflections 10:22 Trump's Legal Troubles and Sentencing 16:04 Jack Smith Report and Transparency Issues 19:00 The Importance of Truth in Politics 20:42 Debating Trump's Legislative Strategy 27:53 Mark Zuckerberg and Content Moderation 33:44 Trump's Greenland Ambitions 38:36 Final Thoughts and Farewell

The Truth About President Jimmy Carter Jan 07, 2025

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Was Jimmy Carter really a failed President? Ahead of his funeral at Washington National Cathedral on Thursday, Matt Robison and historian Dr. Erik Loomis take a clear-eyed, unvarnished look at a presidency and historic legacy that are more complicated, and at times more successful, than we remember.

00:00 Introduction: Reflecting on Jimmy Carter's Legacy 02:17 Jimmy Carter's Early Life and Political Rise 04:33 Carter's Relationship with Racism and Segregation 07:42 Media Perception and Public Image 12:51 Presidential Challenges and Failures 29:44 Carter's Post-Presidency Achievements 35:54 Final Thoughts and Legacy

The Five Most Amazing Moments in Space from 2024 that Will Blow Your Mind Jan 03, 2025

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A Stellar Year: Space Discoveries and Cosmic Wonders of 2024 Matt Robison is joined by astronomy professor John Gianforte from the University of New Hampshire, also known as 'the Sky Guy'. They delve into the most fascinating space-related events of 2024, including the Great North American Eclipse, new moons around Uranus and Neptune, significant finds from the James Webb Space Telescope, and intriguing developments in early universe theories. They also look ahead to future missions like the Europa Clipper and the use of AI in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, highlighting how science fiction is becoming reality. (New Englanders: if you want to see some of these amazing sky sights, come to the UNH Observatory--more information here) 00:00 Introduction to Beyond Politics 02:04 A Big Year for the Sun 02:14 The Great North American Eclipse 05:39 Solar Maximum and Aurora Borealis 13:39 The Parker Solar Probe 16:22 Exploring the Solar System 16:49 The Comet 18:54 The Mysterious Oort Cloud 24:04 The Debate Over Pluto and Planet Nine 29:15 The Mystery of Planet Nine 29:35 New Moons Discovered in Our Solar System 32:35 James Webb Space Telescope's Latest Discoveries 33:48 Formation of Stars and Planets 36:34 Theories on Solar System Formation 39:40 Earliest Galaxies and Black Hole Mergers 47:28 The Ultimate Fate of the Universe 56:11 Science Fiction Becoming Reality

Part Two: The Greatest Annual Awards Show is BACK! Dec 31, 2024

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PART TWO of the "Boppies": our annual award show of the highlights and lowlights in news, politics, and current events for 2024. We dive into the most intriguing public opinion and demographic data of 2024, biggest science story, the year's defining moment, and the "Winner" of the year. 02:07 Public Opinion Fact of the Year 11:54 Best First of 2024 20:49 Breakthroughs in Science: Top Stories of the Year 33:14 Defining Moments of 2024 36:48 Who Won the Year?

The Greatest Annual Awards Show is BACK! Part One Dec 27, 2024

Show notes

It's the "Boppies": our annual award show of the highlights and lowlights in news, politics, and current events for 2024. In Part One we cover categories such as Most Valuable Player (MVP) on both the Democratic and Republican sides, 'Perp of the Year,' and the most significant news stories of 2024. 00:00 Opening Remarks and Fashion Highlights 03:10 Introducing the Gala and Categories 03:37 Democratic MVP Nominees 08:36 Republican MVP Nominees 13:44 Perp of the Year: Political Scandals 20:32 Best Achievement in Legislation 24:04 News Story of the Year

How Trump Brought Chaos Back Before Even Taking Office Dec 20, 2024

Show notes

How did Elon Musk corner Donald Trump into a fit of chaos that could shutter the entire US government? Matt, Paul, and guest panelist Republican political consultant Matt Wylie discuss how the rapid meltdown could be a preview of the next four years of Trump giving Republicans fits. We also analyze Trump's lawsuits against media figures and the chilling effect on journalism, and a close look at the big Daylight Savings Time fight. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Host Announcement 01:34 House Speaker Mike Johnson's Challenges 02:12 Government Shutdown and Debt Ceiling Crisis 06:02 Elon Musk's Influence on Politics 09:46 Republican Party's Internal Struggles 12:12 Trump's Governance by Chaos 15:36 Future Political Strategies and Predictions 23:43 Midterm Election Prospects and Historical Patterns 28:13 Trump's Legal Battles and Media Accountability 34:01 The Future of Free Press and Media Ownership 42:23 Debate on Daylight Savings Time

How American Jews Messed up Hanukkah Dec 18, 2024

Show notes

Did American Jews Mess Up Hanukkah and How Can It Be Fixed? Matt Robison explores how American Jews altered Hanukkah in an attempt to align it with the new "American Christmas," of the 19th century, and why the initiative never really worked. 00:00 Introduction and Article Overview 02:09 The Cultural Confluence of Hanukkah and Christmas 02:31 The Historical Context of Hanukkah 03:42 The Commercialization of Christmas and Its Impact on Hanukkah 05:41 The Failure of the Hanukkah Makeover 08:08 Proposed Changes to Hanukkah Traditions 12:17 Conclusion and Upcoming Content

Are We Living in a Trump Warp? Dec 13, 2024

Show notes

Matt, Paul and Alicia started off with President Biden's record-setting number of clemency petitions and that led right into the question of whether we're living in a Trump warp where everything that we do is being bent around Trump or our fears of what he might do in the future. We also talked about the bizarre, cruel online reaction to alleged murderer Luigi Mangione and what it says about where we are culturally. And finally we had to hit two late breaking stories. Donald Trump being named Time's Person of the Year and a plague of drones attacking New Jersey. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:57 Biden's Record Clemency Announcement 03:47 The Trump Warp Theory 13:22 The Luigi Mangione Case 30:13 Trump Named Time's Person of the Year 32:15 Mysterious Drones Over New Jersey

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