Beyond Politics

New House Speaker Mike Johnson literally believes that people rode dinosaurs onto Noah's Ark. Really. But that may not even be the most out-there thing about him. Matt, Paul, and Alicia dive in to the deep right-wing craziness of the man who is second in line to the Presidency. Also, can Republicans pay for Israel support...with a tax CUT? (12:44) Will the investigation into Clarence Thomas go anywhere? (17:06)? Does Dean Phillips run for the Dem nomination matter? (23:49) Will Santos get kicked out of the House, and will Tlaib get censured? (30:48)

Could Donald Trump walk right back into the White House again? It looks like the answer is, yes. No Labels has $70 million, they're on the ballot in key states, and they just shifted to a new plan that could easily spoil the 2024 election by making it impossible for President Joe Biden to win enough states. No Labels thinks it would then be in a position to have more influence over who wins. But the reality could be much worse.

What if I told you that you could be paying thousands of dollars in unnecessary taxes every year on your savings? You might think I have some savvy financial trick up my sleeve to save you from Uncle Sam, but the opposite is actually true. In this episode, it’s all about the basics. Basic account types, that is: The Three Musketeers: Taxable, Tax Deferred, and Tax Free

For months, the eyes of the political and legal world have been on Georgia, ever since Donald Trump and eighteen alleged co-conspirators were indicted in Fulton County under the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). Fulton County prosecutor Fani Willis is aiming to prove that there was collusion to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election. The past week has seen a dramatic turn in the case as three of Trump’s former attorneys have plead guilty in rapid succession. To get a handle on what that might mean, we welcome back one of America’s sharpest legal minds, Barbara McQuade, a professor at Michigan Law, former US attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, well known as legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. She is also part of the Sisters-in-Law podcast featuring Joyce Vance, Jill Wine-Banks, and Kimberly Atkins Stohr.

Matt Robison joins radio host Matt McNeil to talk about his recent Newsweek article laying out the horrible sequence at the New York Times that may have cost the Times credibility, cost Israel support, and cost lives. The Times has now issued a non-apology apology, and the episode raises questions about what is driving mainstream media to behave this way, and what it will mean if they are falling prey to pressures from extreme voices that undermine their function in America.

After a third Trump attorney, Jenna Ellis, pled guilty in the Georgia Trump election interference case, the immediate question became: is the wall around Trump crumbling? And is the entire Republican Party descending into an incoherent melee?

The way we communicate in political campaigns, and American politics overall, has changed radically. New media platforms, a fractured media landscape, and innovative techniques for getting political messages across have created opportunities for mischief, misinformation, and misdirection -- along with genuine ways to politicians to engage with voters. Now, artificial intelligence may scramble things even further. Matthew Krayton joins the show to talk about this new environment. He is an accomplished political operative and campaign consultant who specializes in the brave new world of "digital media."

This week Mike Morton and I put the Traditional 401k and the Roth 401k in a head-to-head battle of the retirement accounts. If you’ve been following this podcast for a while, you are well aware of what a 401k account is a tax-advantaged way to help fund your retirement. Just in case you need a refresher, a 401k, or 401(k), is a retirement savings plan offered by many employers in the United States. It’s a valuable tool that allows you to save for your retirement while enjoying potential tax benefits. There are two types of these accounts, a Traditional and a Roth. Which is right for you? Follow the fight to find out.

He's the man who engineered the right wing takeover of the courts. He's sitting on a $1. 6 billion slush fund, and now he says he's coming for the rest of American politics and culture. You may have heard the name Leonard Leo, but you may not know the full impact of what he's done, or the remarkable backstory of his rise to becoming one of the most powerful people in America. Our guest is Andy Kroll, an investigative reporter for ProPublica, where he covers voting elections, the courts and other democracy issues. He was part of a team that wrote the definitive investigation of Leo, He's also the author of the book, A Death on W Street, the murder of Seth Rich and the age of conspiracy.

How mainstream media rushed into a false narrative about the Gaza hospital explosion. Should Joe Biden have gone to Israel? Will an insurrectionist leader become Speaker of the House? What effect will the Trump gag order have?