Beyond Politics

Latest Episodes:

Emergency Pod: The Supreme Court Massively Shifts the 2024 Election Feb 29, 2024

Show notes

The Supreme Court's decision to consider Donald Trump's claim of absolute immunity could massively change the course and the outcome of the presidential election. With this decision, the Court seems to be taking away the biggest driver of voters turning away from Trump. Guest Andy Kroll of ProPublica helps examine why the Court did this, what the political implications are, and what might eventually unfold. ***Please rate&Review on Apple Podcast App!***

02:04 The Supreme Court's Decision: A Detailed Breakdown

05:31 The Legal and Political Implications of the Decision

13:27 The Impact on the Presidential Election

16:05 The Future of the Legal Cases Against Trump

23:05 The Potential Outcomes and Their Implications

Revisiting the Reporter Who Discovered Clarence Thomas' Dirty Secrets Feb 28, 2024

Show notes

Today, we revisit an interview with Justin Elliot from ProPublica on his groundbreaking investigation into corruption allegations against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. We cover the financial ties between Thomas, his wife, and right-wing billionaire Harlan Crow, which included expensive vacations and significant contributions to private school tuition. And we go inside the world of investigative reporting to understand what it takes to break a story like this.

00:00 Introduction and Context

00:01 The Clarence Thomas Corruption Story

00:26 The Impact of Corruption on the Supreme Court

01:39 The Role of Journalism in Uncovering Corruption

02:33 Interview with Justin Elliot

02:39 The Importance of Investigative Journalism

07:08 The Challenges of Reporting on the Supreme Court

08:25 The Unusual Financial Ties Between Crow and Thomas

12:48 The Power of Public Records in Journalism

18:47 The Influence of Money in Politics

24:55 The Need for Transparency in the Supreme Court

36:39 The Role of the Senate in Investigating Corruption

39:38 Conclusion and Call to Action

A Staggering Disaster For 20 Million in America Feb 26, 2024

Show notes

There's a shadow healthcare crisis looming for 20 million, and you probably haven't heard about it. That's because it largely affects a group of people who have been swept up in the politics of immigration and border policy -- even though the vast majority of them are naturalized citizens, documented permanent residents, or Americans born in this country. Adriana Cadena, Director of the Protecting Immigrant Families Campaign, and Leo Cuello, a research professor at the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy, explain why this is happening, why it's so important, and what can be done about it.

00:00 Introduction to the Looming Healthcare Crisis

01:05 Understanding the Scale of the Problem

04:32 The Human Impact of Losing Healthcare Coverage

06:09 Exploring the Reasons Behind the Crisis

11:19 The Role of Immigration Status in Healthcare Access

13:07 The Politics of Healthcare and Immigration

22:55 Potential Solutions to the Healthcare Crisis

27:48 The Future of Healthcare for Immigrant Families

31:58 Closing Thoughts on the Importance of Policy Experts

Russia-Republicans Swindle America AGAIN Feb 23, 2024

Show notes

Tell me if you heard this before--the whole impeachment case against President Biden was based on a Russian disinformation operation. AGAIN. Also, what is the impact of an Alabama State Supreme Court ruling regarding in-vitro fertilization?

00:00 Introduction: The Russian Disinformation Operation

01:12 The FBI's Role and Suspicion

01:59 The Hillary Clinton Investigation and Russian Intelligence

08:00 The Alabama State Supreme Court Ruling on Embryos

19:24 The Ezra Klein Controversy: Should Biden Step Down?

They Publicly Protested the President. He's Their Boss. Feb 21, 2024

Show notes

***Please share our show with a friend!*** What do you do if you disagree with your boss, when your boss is one of the most powerful people in the world? Recently, 17 Biden campaign staffers publicly wrote a letter to the president disagreeing with his position on the war in Gaza, which followed a letter anonymously sent by over 500 staffers back in November. Our guest Jim Papa is a former White House and Congressional staffer and host of the podcast "Staffer," and he says that this kind of protest can cause serious damage. But what about the case of Trump White House staffers who quietly worked against Trump ideas that they thought were dangerous or outright insane. Where do you draw the line

00:59 The Dilemma of Disagreeing with Your Boss

02:51 The Balance Between Personal Conscience and Professional Duty

10:42 The Consequences of Publicly Disagreeing with Your Boss

13:14 The Ethical Dilemma of Working for a Controversial Administration

21:51 The Role of Staffers in Shaping Information

How Republicans Disatrously Broke Congress Feb 19, 2024

Show notes

Republicans have officially broken the US Congress to the most dysfunctional, dangerous, and even absurd degree in American history. Congressional expert Laura Rodriguez of the Center for American Politics Action Fund joins to Matt Robison to run down just how severe the madness has gotten, and why people should care about how much damage they are doing. ***Please leave us a great review in Apple Podcasts App!!***

01:44 The Impact of Trump on American Politics

03:03 The New York Special Election: A Turning Point?

07:37 The MAGA Mind Virus: Is It Real?

11:30 The Impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas

16:02 The Consequences of Congressional Dysfunction

30:15 The Future of the Republican Party

A Prosecutor + Her Boyfriend = Get Out of Jail Free for Trump? Feb 16, 2024

Show notes

Could Fani Willis' relationship kill the Georgia Trump case? Also, Trump's total meltdown on NATO and Putin, MAGA Republicans try to kill Ukraine aid, gun violence in Kansas City, and an easy solution for the patriarchy. ***Don't forget to rate and review us!!*** Check out another great podcast at ⁠⁠Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other⁠ ***

02:03 Introducing 'Rent-a-Dude': A Solution to Gender Bias

04:07 The Fani Willis Hearing

07:15 Trump Legal Watch: A Look at Ongoing Cases

10:36 The Foreign Aid Bill: A Political Standoff

13:40 Lindsey Graham's Political Shift

14:38 Sheldon Whitehouse's Twitter Rant

17:19 Donald Trump's Controversial Statements

22:56 Debate on Gun Violence and Media Coverage

$17 Billion in Political Ads. Does It Even Work? Feb 14, 2024

Show notes

US political campaigns are expected to spent $17 billion on ads in 2024. But there's little evidence about how much of it works, if any does at all. John Halpin, Executive Editor of The Liberal Patriot, explains what we know and what we don't know about political advertising, and why the best solution for winning campaigns in 2024 might be a back-to-the-future approach.

***Don't forget to rate and review us!!***

***Check out another great podcast at ⁠⁠Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other⁠ ***

00:31 The Question of Political Ad Effectiveness

03:24 The Trust Gap in Political Advertising

05:09 The Influence of Political Ads: A Data Perspective

08:18 The Impact of Negative Political Ads

10:18 The Role of Money in Political Campaigns

17:10 The Need for a Rethink in Political Campaign Strategies

26:52 The Power of Person-to-Person Contact in Politics

30:18 Conclusion: The Future of Political Advertising

"Disenfranchisement and Chaos": Inside the Supreme Court's Biggest Case Feb 12, 2024

Show notes

ProPublica's star investigative reporter Andy Kroll takes us behind the scenes, inside the issues and internal debates within the Supreme Court as it hears the 14th Amendment case against former President Donald Trump.

***Don't forget to rate and review us!!***

***Check out another great podcast at ⁠⁠Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other⁠ ***

01:17 Case Overview: Donald J. Trump vs Norma Anderson

05:54 The Debate on the 14th Amendment

11:40 The Tension Between Strict Constructionism and Legal Interpretation

20:19 The Three Core Questions for the Court

25:28 Understanding the Concept of Insurrection

26:55 The Role of States in Enforcing the 14th Amendment

36:13 The Role of the Supreme Court in Political Decisions

41:38 The Potential for Future Political Crises

46:42 The Importance of a Functional Congress

A Disaster Day for Democrats: Sunday Roundtable Edition Feb 11, 2024

Show notes

A Bad Day for Democrats, the 14th Amendment, and Questions about Joe Biden's Fitness for Office. A special Sunday bonus roundtable discussion with Matt, Paul, and Alicia on how the Supreme Court is crushing Democrats dreams of getting saved from Trump, while the Special Counsel crushed Biden's age and memory in a way that could have lasting echoes throughout the Presidential race.

***Don't forget to rate and review us!!***

***Check out another great podcast at ⁠⁠⁠Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other⁠⁠ ***

00:40 The Impact of Special Counsel's Investigation on Joe Biden

09:15 The Political Impact of the Special Counsel's Report

14:42 The Age Factor in Politics: Biden vs Trump

18:19 The Supreme Court and the 14th Amendment

22:16 The Immunity Question: Trump's Legal Challenges

24:30 The House of Representatives: A Study in Dysfunction

30:14 The Swift Bowl