Columnist Noah Smith joins Justin and John to discuss major issues in the global economy. They address the current challenges in the technology sector, which Noah characterizes as a popping bubble. Noah also advocates for a strong distrust of China in a new phase of U.S. strategic competition.Read Noah's work at noahpinion.substack.com.

Elie Honig joins Justin and John to discuss developments in criminal probes of Donald Trump, as well as his new book Untouchable: How Powerful People Get Away with It. Elie draws on two decades of experience as a prosecutor, offering personal insight into prominent culprits and their approach to the legal system.In the discussion, Elie details how mafia bosses, Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein, Donald Trump, and others benefit from expensive lawyers, careful treatment, and the privileges of a public profile.Buy the book here: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/untouchable-elie-honig?variant=40440859557922

Justin and John sit down with Michael R. Strain, director of Economic Policy Studies and the Arthur F. Burns Scholar in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute. Michael assesses the COVID stimulus packages and their impact on inflation, addressing the direct cash payments and criticizing the popular concept of UBI. He explains why the national debt matters for U.S. interests and describes the likely consequences of a U.S. debt default.Read more from Michael here: https://www.aei.org/profile/michael-r-strain/

Justin and John sit down to discuss the week's headlines. Topics include the string of high-profile shootings in the United States and Germany's move to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine. The hosts also take time to discuss the Academy Award nominations, drawing on John's professional and academic connections to the entertainment industry.Subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoyed the conversation.

Justin and John sit down with conservative columnist Matt K. Lewis of The Daily Beast. Matt shares stories of his encounters with right-wing media figures over the years, from Ben Shapiro to Tucker Carlson to Alex Jones. The group discuss the impact those personalities have on the Republican Party, and whether the American right can be fairly described as "conservative" anymore.Read Matt's column: https://www.thedailybeast.com/author/matt-lewisListen to Matt's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/matt-lewis-and-the-news/id429212951Buy Matt's book: https://www.amazon.com/Too-Dumb-Fail-Party-Reagan/dp/0316383929

Politico aviation reporter Oriana Pawlyk joins Justin and John to discuss recent disruptions for U.S. airlines, including mass flight cancellations and an emergency grounding by the FAA. What are the major challenges facing airlines and travellers, and has Secretary Pete Buttigieg adequately responded to transportation crisis?Read more from Oriana here: https://www.politico.com/staff/oriana-pawlyk

Justin and John are joined by William Neuman, the former Andes Region Bureau Chief for The New York Times. Reporting for years from Caracas, William witnessed Venezuela descend from an economic powerhouse into one of the world's poorest countries. He explains the causes of this crisis and the opportunity to change course, as the U.S. considers ending its punitive sanctions.William Neuman is the author of Things Are Never So Bad That They Can't Get Worse. Buy it here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250266163/thingsareneversobadthattheycantgetworse

With a chaotic leadership fight finally concluded, Justin and John sit down with reporter Emily Brooks to discuss the Congressional term ahead. Will Kevin McCarthy and the Republicans force a U.S. default over the debt ceiling? Will they focus on investigations, or are there areas for new bipartisan legislation? Listen to find out.Read Emily's work here: https://thehill.com/author/emily-brooks/

Justin and John discuss the congressional standoff over Kevin McCarthy's bid to become House Speaker. They assess the motives and tactics of key members, drawing on Justin's experience working for a right-wing Republican congressman.Subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoyed the conversation.

Justin and John discuss the political fight in the Republican House Conference as members attempt to select the next House Speaker. Drawing on Justin's experiences working for a right-wing congressman, they assess the current state of the GOP caucus and its characters, including Kevin McCarthy, Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Steve Scalise.Subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoyed the conversation.