Just Asking Questions

How likely is a Kamala Harris presidency? Just asking questions.  Join Zach Weissmueller, Reason senior producer, and Liz Wolfe, Reason associate editor, at 12:30 p.m. ET for a live discussion on their show Just Asking Questions with Nate Silver, statistician and author of the new book On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything. Silver founded the renowned polling aggregator and politics website FiveThirtyEight and now runs his own Substack, Silver Bulletin. They'll discuss Vice President Kamala Harris' rise in the polls, the selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as a vice presidential candidate, the "long, strange political shadow of 2020," and how Silver's experience as a gambler, as documented in his new book, affects his view of the world. Watch the full conversation above or on Reason's YouTube channel. Producer: John OsterhoudtThe post Nate Silver: How Likely Is a Kamala Harris Presidency? appeared first on Reason.com.

Is the future of the GOP more libertarian, nationalist, or, somehow, both? Joining us today is Vivek Ramaswamy, entrepreneur, author, and former presidential candidate. He's been making a hard pitch for what he's called a "libertarian-nationalist alliance" for the past several months. He was at the 2024 Libertarian National Convention where he tried to convince libertarians to vote Republican. Reason's Zach Weissmueller also saw Ramaswamy at the Republican National Convention, where he was trying to convince MAGA supporters to be more libertarian. Reason's Stephanie Slade saw him make his case for "national libertarianism" at the National Conservatism Conference. That event was also attended by vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance, who has a different vision for the conservative movement. Those dueling visions are the subject of today's episode. Note: This episode is plagued by technical issues due to a software malfunction. With the exception of an approximately nine-minute section (which is marked in the episode), the full conversation is intact. Watch the full conversation on Reason's YouTube channel or the Just Asking Questions podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcatcher. Sources referenced in this conversation: Vivek Ramaswamy's full talk at the National Conservatism Conference J.D. Vance's full talk at the National Conservatism Conference "Vivek Ramaswamy Debuts 'National Libertarianism' at NatCon 4," by Stephanie Slade Vivek Ramaswamy: Don't "replace the left-wing nanny state with a right-wing nanny state." "What I Learned From Paleoism," by Llewellyn Rockwell Producer: John OsterhoudtThe post Vivek Ramaswamy: Is There a Libertarian-Nationalist Alliance? appeared first on Reason.com.

The past month has been one of the most tumultuous in modern American political history: a devastating face-plant in a televised presidential debate, an attempted assassination of an ex-president favored in the polls to win reelection, a COVID-19 infection of the sitting president and his subsequent exit from the race, and an endorsement and loads of money pouring into the campaign of a previously unpopular vice president. What was going on behind the scenes that led us to this moment? This week on Just Asking Questions, Liz Wolfe and Zach Weissmueller are joined by Alex Thompson, who writes about Joe Biden's White House for Axios. He's had a number of scoops about the internal goings-on in the Biden White House despite the fact that, according to previous guest Dave Weigel, Thompson has been pushed away for his previous reporting on Biden's declining health. They discuss the internal politics behind Biden's decision to drop out, the prospects for Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement in the 2024 presidential race, the media's insistence that Harris was not the president's "border czar," and the reluctance of former President Barack Obama to endorse Harris. Liz and Zach also react to Biden's exit speech, Harris' recent rally, and musician Charli XCX endorsing Harris as "brat." Sources referenced in this conversation: Biden drops out on X Axios: "Scoop: Biden doubted Harris' election chances" Axios: "Scoop: Biden changes walking routine to Marine One" Axios: "Harris border confusion haunts her new campaign" Charli XCX on X: "kamala IS brat" 18–34s Harris vs. Trump, CNN (July 22–23): "CNN Poll: Harris improves on Biden's performance against Trump in early look at new matchup" 18–34s Quinnipiac (July 19–21) Producer: John OsterhoudtThe post Alex Thompson: Why Did Biden Drop Out? appeared first on Reason.com.

Where does former President Donald Trump want to take this country? As the Republican Party coronates Trump as its presidential nominee at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, there will be a lot of talk about Trump's vice presidential pick, his dominance in the polls, and the decline of President Joe Biden. But what about policy? What is the Trump agenda? Trump's opponents implore us to fear Project 2025, a Heritage Foundation proposal that they characterize as a vengeful, authoritarian power grab. Trump himself waves that away and tends to focus more on his plans to levy tariffs on foreign goods, deport illegal immigrants, and yes, finally build that wall. Neither Trump nor the Democrats seem interested in talking much at all about our soon-to-be $35 trillion national debt, which has eclipsed our total national gross domestic product for the first time since World War II.   To help us anticipate what an increasingly likely second Trump term might look like, and help explain how Trump 2024 is even possible all things considered, we've invited Mary Katharine Ham, a conservative political journalist and commentator at Fox News and on her own podcast Getting Hammered. We wanted to talk with her because she's Trump-critical, but also understands the conservative mind and movement as someone who's been immersed in it for years. Note that this episode was recorded on Friday, July 12, 2024. A new introduction by Zach Weissmueller was recorded on Tuesday, July 16, contextualizing this conversation in light of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. Watch the full conversation on Reason's YouTube channel or the Just Asking Questions podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcatcher. Sourced referenced in this conversation: Project 2025's Official Site Joe Biden's campaign website page on the project Understanding the National Debt | U.S. Treasury Fiscal Data Brookings Institute: Data on how the suburbs voted in 2020 St. Louis Federal Reserve: Gross Federal Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product The U.S. Justice Department Is Not Independent | The Center for Renewing America Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts on the War Room, July 2, 2024 Steve Bannon on Tucker Carlson's podcast, June 11, 2024 Rep. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.) on Just Asking Questions Timestamps: 00:00 Context for this pre-recorded episode 02:11 Setting the Tone for the Episode 03:08 Analyzing Trump's 2024 Agenda 05:41 Key Issues for the Suburban Vote 09:03 Trump's Vice Presidential Pick 14:04 Abortion and the 2024 Election 20:58 Libertarian Appeal and Trump's Strategy 28:58 National Debt Concerns 33:24 Navigating the Political Spectrum 36:29 Project 2025 42:45 Concerns Over Expanding Executive Power 47:26 Vengeance vs. Accountability in Politics 01:01:35 The State of the 2024 Election 01:04:22 Final Thoughts and Reflections Producer: John OsterhoudtThe post Mary Katharine Ham: What's Trump's Agenda? appeared first on Reason.com.

What if President Joe Biden drops out? Just asking questions.  Biden is facing increasing pressure from his own side to drop out of the 2024 race, which nearly every poll taken since his disaster debate performance last week shows him losing. The latest RealClearPolitics average has him down by about 3.5 percentage points nationally. Several Democratic congress members have called for him to step aside. So have Democratic megadonors. Much of the national press, once dismissive of those pointing out Biden's mental deterioration, has turned on him.  So where do we go from here? To help us begin to answer that, Just Asking Questions invited David Weigel, a political reporter for Semafor, and previously for The Washington Post, Bloomberg, Slate, and Reason. Weigel talked with Reason's Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe about the media's slow acknowledgment of Biden's deteriorating condition, Biden's turn against the Democratic "elite," getting "coconut-pilled" on a Vice President Kamala Harris candidacy, and what a contested Democratic primary might look like. Watch the full conversation on Reason's YouTube channel or the Just Asking Questions podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcatcher. Sourced referenced in this conversation: 2024 General Election: Trump vs. Biden Polls | RealClearPolling The Conspiracy of Silence to Protect Joe Biden | New York Magazine Trumpworld Trots Out Another 'Cheap Fake' Video of President Biden | The Daily Beast  Biden described by a special investigator as a "well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory" in February 2024 Replacing Biden: How it would work | Semafor   Timestamps: 0:00 - intro 1:28 - How bad is Biden losing? 4:58 - How long has Biden been cognitively impaired? 6:58 - How much medical info should the White House release? 11:46 - Why didn't the DC media say something sooner? 32:06 - Media gaslighting Biden's decline as "cheap fakes" 39:10 - The media has turned on Biden 48:13 - How does Zach feel about voting for Biden? 50:35 - Biden's pushback to the press and the Democratic "elite" 56:41 - Why Democrats are turning on Joe Biden 1:05:26 - Getting "coconut pilled" on a Kamala Harris candidacy 1:15:00 - How would removing Biden actually work?   Producer: John OsterhoudtThe post Dave Weigel: What If Biden Quits? appeared first on Reason.com.

Are the boys okay? For much of history, parents have preferred boys, perceiving them as the providers, the family legacy, the heirs to the throne. A dark consequence of China's 36-year-long one-child policy was a 120 boy to 100 girl birth ratio. But in 21st-century America, the script seems to have been flipped. The New York Times has run headlines like "Wanting Daughters, Getting Sons" and "It's a Boy, and It's Okay to be Disappointed." Boys are falling behind in school, are more likely to display behavioral problems, and are more likely to be both perpetrators and victims of violence. Shifting gender norms, changing conceptions of masculinity, and the pitched political battles around these questions have made boyhood—and parenthood—that much more complicated. Raising boys these days ain't easy. Today's guest knows this all too well. Ruth Whippman is the author of BoyMom: Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of Impossible Masculinity, and the mother of three young boys. The book is about her experience as a modern "BoyMom" living in the hyper-progressive Bay Area, as well as what she learned from studying the psychological and sociological research on boys and from talking to boys and men across the country and the political spectrum about their experiences and, importantly to the theme of this book, their feelings. Watch the full conversation on Reason's YouTube channel or the Just Asking Questions podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcatcher. Sourced referenced in this conversation: The New York Times: Wanting Daughters, Getting Sons The New York Times: It's a Boy, and It's Okay to Be Disappointed Gender differences in individual variation in academic grades fail to fit expected patterns for STEM Poverty hurts the boys the most: Inequality at the intersection of class and gender Loneliness around the world: Age, gender, and cultural differences in loneliness Provisional Estimates of Suicide by Demographic Characteristics: United States, 2022 Andrew Tate's 10 Rules of Life on Rumble (discussed at 55:28) Timestamps: 00:00 Intro Monologue 01:24 Introducing Ruth Whippman 02:20 Nature vs. Nurture in Boyhood 05:31 Emotional Vulnerability in Boys 06:31 Parenting Strategies for Boys 09:56 Cultural Shifts and Gender Preferences 14:01 Raising Boys in Progressive Areas 27:28 Challenges Boys Face in School 41:34 Traditional Masculinity and Emotional Connection 45:47 The American Psychological Association's Stance on Traditional Masculinity 53:16 The Hero's Journey and Masculine Expectations 55:28 Andrew Tate's Influence on Young Men 01:04:18 High Agency Worldview and Self-Help for Men 01:14:17 Promoting Emotional and Relational Skills in Boys 01:16:19 Final Thoughts and Reflections Producer: John OsterhoudtThe post Ruth Whippman: How Is Masculinity Changing? appeared first on Reason.com.

Can a Catholic be a socialist? Can a libertarian be a Catholic? Just asking questions.  Today's guest, Trent Horn, is an apologist and speaker for Catholic Answers and a defender of capitalism. He hosts The Counsel of Trent podcast and has authored several books on Catholicism, including Can a Catholic Be a Socialist? In this episode, we discuss the themes of that book, respond to some of the anti-capitalist rhetoric that has come from the Vatican over the past decade, analyze the rise of "post-liberal" Catholics on the right, and question whether religion is becoming more palatable to the modern person. Watch the full conversation on Reason's YouTube channel or the Just Asking Questions podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcatcher. Sources referenced in the conversation: Can A Catholic Be a Socialist? The Answer is No—Here's Why Evangelii Gaudium: Apostolic Exhortation on the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today's World (24 November 2013) by Pope Francis Pope Francis' 2017 TED Talk: "Why the Only Future Worth Building Includes Everyone" Against David French-ism by Sohrab Ahmari Motte-and-bailey fallacy Zach and Liz's Interview with Johan Norberg Jordan Peterson on the Power of the Easter Message Timestamps: 00:00 Opening Monologue 01:25 Can a Catholic Defend Capitalism? 03:30 Pope Francis and Capitalism 05:21 Historical Criticisms of Socialism 07:06 The Tension Between Employers and Workers 09:38 Catholic Teachings on Economics 29:35 Libertarianism and Catholicism: A Natural Overlap? 41:50 The Role of Natural Law in Catholic Thought 43:49 Understanding Catholic Definitions of Law 44:06 Natural Law and Moral Commands 45:42 Human Laws and Justice 48:28 Catholicism and Science 50:35 Liberty and the Good Life 52:46 Debating Legalization of Prostitution 54:49 Libertarianism and Consumerism 01:01:39 Catholic Politics and State Intervention 01:13:21 Jordan Peterson on Catholicism 01:19:31 Final Thoughts: Who are you supposed to be? Producer: John OsterhoudtThe post Trent Horn: Can a Catholic be a Socialist? appeared first on Reason.com.

How's it going in Javier Milei's Argentina? Milei, Argentina's self-described libertarian president, notched his first legislative victory last week. Argentina's Senate passed a major omnibus bill, also known as the "Bases Law", that's been debated since February. It would further deregulate the labor market, privatize national industries, cut taxes for foreign companies investing in Argentina, and hand emergency powers to Milei. Because Milei's party controls seven out of 72 Senate seats, the bill only passed with a lot of compromise and a tie-breaking vote by the vice president, and it could get pared down even more by the lower chamber before reaching the president's desk. Nevertheless, the proposed changes were dramatic enough to inspire large, raucous, and destructive protests outside of the National Congress building during the debate. Reason's Zach Weissmueller was in Argentina last week during that debate shooting a forthcoming documentary. While there, he attended a conference jointly hosted by the Cato Institute and Libertad y Progreso, a libertarian think tank. Milei gave a keynote speech there, following a warm-up act by Elon Musk. This week's guest, Ian Vasquez, is vice president of international studies at Cato and an organizer of that conference. Vasquez joined the show to share a thorough update on the political and economic situation in Argentina since Milei's inauguration. Watch the full conversation on Reason's YouTube channel or the Just Asking Questions podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcatcher. Sources referenced in the conversation: Javier Milei's speech at the Cato event, "The Rebirth of Liberty in Argentina and Beyond" Cato's X livestream of the event in Argentina Argentina's inflation rates over time Reuters: "Argentina dollar bonds hit record highs as Milei rally powers on" Reuters: "Argentina posts fourth month of fiscal surplus under Milei, but margin narrows" Argentina and the International Monetary Fund Buenos Aires Times: "Milei polling well, six months after taking office, despite Congress struggles" La Nación: "Milei loses positive image and management approval, although he remains the most valued leader" Buenos Aires Herald: "Javier Milei's omnibus bill 2.0: these are the key points" Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:27 Conference highlights and keynote speeches 02:36 The broader significance of Milei's presidency 05:17 Milei's popularity and economic lessons 11:31 The Peronist legacy and Argentina's economic crisis 20:35 Milei's economic reforms and achievements 24:31 Challenges and future prospects for Argentina 29:19 Dollarization and central bank policies 38:25 Public opinion and Argentine society's radical shift 40:32 Emergency powers and accusations of authoritarianism 43:53 Argentina's illiberal democracy 46:17 The power of unions 51:00 Protests and government response 54:16 The Nayib Bukele model debate 01:01:43 Drug war and economic focus 01:04:35 Cultural change and individual rights 01:09:40 Libertarian perspective on Milei 01:11:30 What should more people be asking? Producer: John OsterhoudtThe post Ian Vasquez: What Has Javier Milei Accomplished in Argentina? appeared first on Reason.com.

Are embryos people? And are there downsides to designer babies? Earlier this year, Alabama's Supreme Court handed down a controversial decision declaring that frozen embryos should be treated as children, and therefore their destruction treated legally as wrongful deaths, leaving in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics with a big problem. Less than a month later, the state's Republican governor, Kay Ivey, signed into law a bill protecting access to IVF treatment in the state. As Reason reported at the time, the court ruling had "caused near-immediate chaos, with three IVF providers in the state shutting down operations." Widespread backlash ensued, including from conservatives like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who told CNN, "We want to make it easier for people to be able to have babies, not…make it harder….And the IVF process is a way of giving life to even more babies." Today's guest is not only pro-IVF as an infertility treatment but also as a way for parents to select desirable genetic traits for their offspring. Diana Fleischman is an evolutionary psychologist, a regular host of The Aporia Podcast, and creator of the Dissentient Substack.   Watch the full conversation on Reason's YouTube channel or the Just Asking Questions podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcatcher. Sources referenced in this conversation: "Alabama Governor Signs Bill Protecting IVF Treatments," by Emma Camp Alabama Supreme Court Ruling Polygenic Embryo Screening: High Approval Despite Substantial Concerns from the U.S. Public, published in medRxiv Boston Globe article on "the manosphere" Gattaca Diana Fleischman: Does Evolutionary Psychology Really Cause Mass Shootings? "Embryo Selection: Toward a healthier society," by Diana Fleischman, Ives Parr, Jonathan Anomaly, and Laurent Tellier Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:59 Are Embryos People? Exploring Sentience and Moral Value 04:40 Sentience and Utilitarianism: A Deep Dive 09:28 The Wisdom of Repugnance and Moral Disgust 14:55 The Alabama Case: Legal and Moral Implications 21:10 Designer Babies and Genetic Screening 23:36 Gattaca and the Ethics of Genetic Engineering 28:08 Public Opinion on Polygenic Embryo Screening 38:22 Catholic Objections 41:21 Ethical Dilemmas in Genetic Selection 45:17 Religious Perspectives on Genetic Engineering 46:58 The Future of Reproduction and Society 52:54 Personal Reflections on Parenthood and Genetics 01:08:12 Defending Evolutionary Psychology 01:12:51 Final Question Producer: John OsterhoudtThe post Diana Fleischman: Are Designer Babies The Future? appeared first on Reason.com.

Can San Francisco be saved? San Francisco, the beautiful city on the bay, has become a national punchline. During his debate with Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom last year, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis displayed a map of citywide poop sightings, which were apparently reported to 311 more than 35,000 times in 2023, according to the San Francisco Department of Public Works. The city's population slumped starting in 2018, but has slowly crawled back. And a 2022 San Francisco Chronicle poll found 65 percent of respondents say life is worse in the city now than when they moved there. Today's guest, Mike Solana, wants to be part of the solution. He's the chief marketing officer at Founders Fund—the Peter Thiel–founded venture capital firm—and editor in chief of Pirate Wires, a new media company covering tech from the Silicon Valley perspective. Watch the full conversation on Reason's YouTube channel or the Just Asking Questions podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcatcher. Sources referenced in this conversation: "This Map Shows San Francisco Is Covered in Human Poop" "Updated! The San Francisco Poop Map By OpenTheBooks In Real Time" San Francisco Chronicle poll: "How fed up are San Franciscans with the city's problems?" San Francisco crime rates and statistics Homelessness per 100,000 residents, 2022 Violent and property crime in San Francisco, 2010–present Report: "San Franciscans Spend More and Get Less From Their Police Department Than Most Major California Cities" New York Times article about Garry Tan Report: What have been the results of Germany's drug reform policies? Time stamps: 00:00 Introduction to Just Asking Questions 01:04 Introducing Mike Solana: A Voice for San Francisco 03:36 San Francisco's Current State: A First-Person Perspective 09:37 Homelessness and Housing Crisis 18:56 Comparing San Francisco to Other Major Cities 23:01 Crime and Policing in San Francisco 38:27 Education and School System Challenges 49:37 Funding and School Choice in San Francisco 52:33 Homelessness and Nonprofit Funding 54:45 Drug Decriminalization and Harm Reduction 58:14 Origins of the Opioid Crisis 01:04:59 Libertarianism and Policy Wins 01:12:36 Immigration and Social Welfare 01:35:24 Who Is Actually in Charge? Producer: John OsterhoudtThe post Mike Solana: Can San Francisco Be Saved? appeared first on Reason.com.