Political calculus and midterm risks

Hamas hostages, Trump and autocracy, and the strangely quiet shutdown — we tackle all three. Why Trump’s blunt style played in the Middle East, whether “competitive authoritarianism” really fits his second-term instincts and enablers, and who’s taking the fall for Obamacare-premium brinkmanship. Plus: goat-grinders (pointless rebrands at Max and Apple TV, Crowder’s vest-and-glass cosplay, and the humbling age math of Roy Orbison, the Skipper, and the Golden Girls).

Produced by Corey Wara

Production Coordinator Ashley Khan

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