This week, Eric Kohn, Dan Hugger, and Dylan Pahman are joined by special guest Rabbi Jonathan Greenberg to discuss the recent New York Times article on New York City’s Orthodox yeshivas. Is the Times piece fair? What interest does the state have in the kind of education the children in Hasidic enclaves in New York City are receiving? And is America becoming increasingly inhospitable to Jews? Then the guys discuss the move by some state governors to send migrants who arrive at the southern border to so-called sanctuary cities. Is this a defensible policy, with the supposed ends justifying using fellow humans as the means of making a political point?Subscribe to our podcasts In Hasidic Enclaves, Failing Private Schools Flush with Public Money | New York Times The Jews of the Jews | Moshe Krakowski, Commentary The Plot Against Jewish Education | Liel Leibovitz, Tablet Magazine New York State vs. the Yeshivas | Eli Spitzer, Mosaic Magazine Religious Liberty in the States | Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Dan Hugger, and Dylan Pahman discuss the legacies of two world leaders who have recently passed: Queen Elizabeth II of England and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. How should these two very different figures be remembered, and what will be their enduring legacies? How should we think about the legacy of the British Empire, which was dissolved under Queen Elizabeth’s reign with the end of British rule in Hong Kong? And how much credit should Gorbachev get for the dissolution of the Soviet Union under his watch when this was never his intention? And finally, the guys discuss the ongoing National Conservatism 3 conference and the status of that movement.Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (1926–2022) | Richard Turnbull, Acton InstituteWould Kuyper go to Mars? | Dylan Pahman, Acton InstituteGorbachev Pizza Hut commercialWhat I Saw at the National Conservatism Conference | Dan Hugger, Acton InstituteNational Conservatism and Its Enemies | Religion & Liberty Winter-Spring 2022National Conservatism and Its Enemies | Religion & Liberty Winter-Spring 2022 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, John Pinheiro, and Dylan Pahman discuss every angle of the executive order from President Joe Biden granting up to $20,000 of student-loan-debt forgiveness to qualifying individuals. Is there a solid legal case for doing this? Can one argue persuasively that transferring debts from those who incurred them to those who did not—namely, the American taxpayers—is in any way just? Does it make sense to take this action without addressing the deeper problems in the student loan and higher education system, which debt-relief advocates themselves portray as predatory? How do we address the cultural problems that exist in the system—namely, the increased expectation that everyone should go to college?Student Loan Debt Statistics: 2022 | NerdWalletUntangling the college loan crisis | Anne Rathbone Bradley, Religion & LibertyIs There a Christian Case for Biden’s Debt Relief Plan? | David French, The DispatchBlue Collar Intellectuals: When the Enlightened and the Everyman Elevated America | Daniel J. FlynnMillennials and Marriage | Rachel Lu, Public Discourse Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Dan Hugger, and Dylan Pahman reflect on what has transpired in Afghanistan in the year since the withdrawal of American forces from the country. Could the inevitable withdrawal have been better planned to prevent the debacle that ensued? What is the current state of the country’s economy, and of the rights of women and children? Could things be worse? Then the guys turn their attention to a possible earthquake in the American public school system, as major cities see declining enrollments while states like Arizona make large expansions to school-choice programs. What happens when these unstoppable forces meet the immovable object of teachers unions? Subscribe to our podcastsThe Taliban retake Afghanistan | Acton UnwindHave the Taliban changed? | Acton UnwindAfghanistan, One Year Later | The Morning DispatchLawmakers Still Wrestle With Biden’s Chaotic Afghanistan Withdrawal | The DispatchAfghanistan's Economic Collapse | The Morning DispatchAfter just 68 days of summer, Chicago Public Schools’ new year starts Monday. Here’s what you need to know. | Chicago TribuneOne-third of Chicago Public Schools are half full | Illinois Policy InstituteUniversal school vouchers: What you should know about the bill that Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed into law | Fox 10 PhoenixInside the Massive Effort to Change the Way Kids Are Taught to Read | Yahoo News Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Dan Hugger, and Dylan Pahman explore some of the big picture questions raised in the wake of the FBI's executing a search warrant for Trump’s Florida digs, Mar-a-Lago. How should we balance practical political concerns with questions of the rule of law? Would more transparency help? Or would breaking the Department of Justice’s protocol, as former FBI director Jim Comey did about the Hillary Clinton private-server investigation, cause more harm than good? And are we capable of viewing a former president as just another American citizen once he’s left office? Then the guys reflect on the reaction to the violent attack on novelist Salman Rushdie last week. While news outlets claim we’re still searching for a motive for the attack, Iran affirmed the fatwa and bounty on Rushdie’s life, so what’s the mystery? And finally, a piece in The Atlantic accuses rad-trad Catholics of “weaponizing” the rosary. While the original incendiary title has since been edited, wouldn’t it save a lot of embarrassment to have at least one person of faith around to avoid making basic mistakes?Subscribe to our podcastsThe FBI’s Mar-a-Lago ‘Raid’: It’s about the Capitol Riot, Not the Mishandling of Classified Information | Andrew C. McCarthy, National ReviewDo We Believe Our Own Dogma? | Kevin Williamson, National ReviewWhat Comes Next After Mar-a-Lago Search | Morning Dispatch, The DispatchThinking Through the Trump Search | David French, The DispatchSalman Rushdie recovering from 'life changing' injuries after he was stabbed on stage. Here's what we know | CNNAbolishing blasphemy laws in Pakistan will lead to more violence | Farah Adeed, Acton InstituteHow Extremist Gun Culture Is Trying to Co-Opt the Rosary | The AtlanticOriginal headline and image for Atlantic articleGetReligion Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, guest host Dan Hugger, Sarah Negri, and Dylan Pahman discuss the diplomatic crisis unfolding in the wake of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. How should the United States respond to an increasingly aggressive Communist China? From there the discussion turns to the recent defeat of the proposed Value Them Both Amendment to the Kansas Constitution. What can we learn about the future of the abortion debate in America from this result? Then we discuss the recent Republican primary election in Michigan’s 3rd congressional district between John Gibbs and Congressman Peter Meijer. What does this close race tell us about the state of the Republican Party and the near-future prospects for American politics at large? Subscribe to our podcasts Pelosi has landed in Taiwan. Here's why that's a big deal | NPR Nancy Pelosi: Why I’m leading a congressional delegation to Taiwan | The Washington Post Furious China fires missiles near Taiwan in drills after Pelosi visit | Reuters Right to abortion protected by Kansas Constitution, state Supreme Court rules | The Wichita Eagle 'No' prevails: Kansas votes to protect abortion rights in state constitution | The Kansas City Star The end of Roe is the beginning of new life for citizens and their duties | Acton Institute How Meijer's Trump impeachment vote sealed his fate in west Michigan | Detroit News Gibbs, Scholten seek to win over supporters of defeated Congressman Peter Meijer | MLive Defeated GOP lawmaker sees ‘dark and cynical’ streak prevailing in politics - POLITICO Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David L. Bahnsen joins Eric Kohn, Dan Hugger, and Dylan Pahman on the show this week to discuss all things economics. Just what is a recession? How do we know? What should we do if we’re actually in one? What is the future of inflation? If inflation comes down, is it a good sign or would it be indicative of different problems in the economy? Are we at risk of investing too much in the power of government and politicians to both break and fix the economy? And are oil companies making record profits? Subscribe to our podcasts U.S. GDP Fell at 0.9% Annual Rate in Second Quarter; Recession Fears Loom Over Economy | Wall Street Journal Fed hikes interest rates by 0.75 percentage point for second consecutive time to fight inflation | CNBC The Inflation Reduction Act Won’t Reduce Inflation | Wall Street Journal The Dividend Cafe | David L. Bahnsen There’s No Free Lunch: 250 Economic Truths | David L. Bahnsen Foundations of a Free & Virtuous Society | Dylan Pahman Crisis of Responsibility: Our Cultural Addiction to Blame and How You Can Cure It | David L. Bahnsen Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Dan Hugger, and Dylan Pahman discuss the rising concern about political violence in the wake of the attack in New York on Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin. How do we stem this tide, and what role do politicians and rhetoric play in inciting such violence? From there the discussion turns to the elimination of cash bail in New York. Then, given President Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia, how should we approach dealing with nations that violate human rights and, specific to Saudi Arabia, murder journalists, especially when there are geopolitical security concerns in the region? Finally, two St. Louis Cardinals superstars can’t travel to Canada to play the Blue Jays because they aren’t vaccinated. Do travel restrictions like this make sense anymore? Subscribe to our podcasts Suspected attacker of GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin arrested on federal assault charge | CNN Survey Looks at Acceptance of Political Violence in U.S. | New York Times Roberts rebukes Schumer for saying justices will ‘pay the price’ for a vote against abortion rights | Washington Post Biden Says He Told Saudi Prince He Blames Him for Khashoggi Murder | New York Times Here's what the 'glowing orb' Trump touched in Saudi Arabia actually was | Insider ‘The Dissident’ Dictatorships & Double Standards | Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, Commentary Magazine Kansas City Royals, with 10 unvaccinated players absent, beat Toronto Blue Jays | ESPN Cardinals’ unvaccinated stars explain decision; Miles Mikolas regrets getting vaccine | The Comeback Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a very special bonus episode of Acton Unwind, Eric Kohn is joined by Dylan Pahman and Daniel Baas to discuss the fourth season of the hit Netflix series “Stranger Things.” They explore the show’s depiction of communism, the satanic panic of the 1980s, concepts of good and evil, and tease out some possible religious allegories.Supernatural thriller Stranger Things shows the all-too-human evil of communism | Dylan PahmanCronyism vs. free markets in ‘Stranger Things’ | Dylan Pahman Stranger Things on America: ‘It’s not rigged!’ | Jordan BallorStranger Things’ Impressive Run | Bradley Birzer, National ReviewStranger Things 4 | Eddie Munson's Upside Down Guitar Scene | Netflix Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Dan Hugger, and Dylan Pahman ponder the nexus of age, experience, and leadership. Is it possible to be too old to have a job with as many high-pressure responsibilities as come with being president of the United States? If so, what is the wisest way to implement an age limitation? Should we just leave it up to voters to decide based on the individual candidates available? Then the guys discuss whether changing our language has the ability to change what it is we’re talking about. Does insisting people use words like “Latinx” have any meaningful impact on concepts of gender? Or does it just annoy a lot of people? Finally, Dylan details the argument made in his and Texas Tech University economics professor Alexander Salter’s recent Wall Street Journal essay on lessons from the Bible on money and inflation. Jill Biden’s ‘LatinX IncluXion Luncheon’ FiaXco | Charles Cooke, National ReviewIn God—and Sound Money—We Trust | Dylan Pahman & Alexander Salter, Wall Street JournalFor the Least of These: Against Inflation Economics | Dylan Pahman & Alexander Salter, Public Discourse Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.