Beyond Politics

Recently, it's been clear that we’ve entered a new phase of the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s just not clear exactly what this phase is, or where we’re going from here. Are we in even worse shape than we thought on Covid, or for the next pandemic that is inevitably coming? Whenever we wonder about questions like this, we think of Donald G. McNeil, Jr. Throughout much of the pandemic, for millions of readers and podcast listeners in the US and around the world, he has been one of the most trusted, thoughtful, and clear explainers on the science of the coronavirus. He was the lead reporter on the Covid-19 pandemic for the New York Times. Today, we welcome him back to discuss his new article: "Better Luck Next Pandemic: Will we do better next time? Not from what I can see now."

Also, even more texts to Mark Meadows come out...how many people were texting this guy about the insurrection?!? The end of mask mandates, but forever? And why are Republicans holding off on Senator Maggie Hassan?

With so much legal news, we're thrilled to finally bring you one of the really bright minds in legal and political commentary, Kimberly Atkins Stohr.  She's a senior opinion writer and columnist for the Boston Globe, an MSNBC contributor, and co-host of the podcast #SistersInLaw (with our previous guest Joyce Vance). We tackle the true impact of Kentanji Brown Jackson, insurrection texts, seditious conspiracy, Merrick Garland, pulling out all the available legal tools on guns, the CROWN Act, and whether the Supreme Court needs to be reined in. 

It's time for one of the most fun, refreshing, and mind-bending recurring segments on this show, where Matt talks with the SKYGUY, John S. Gianforte, an astronomer and Director of the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Observatory.  In this episode, we cover the furthest (and oldest) galaxy ever seen which is right at the very edge of the observable universe, the oldest known star, the thousands of new planets that we have discovered, and much more. 

Michaeleen Crowell was Chief of Staff to US Senator Bernard Sanders, Legislative Director for civil rights icon John Lewis (GA-5) for 8 years and is now Principal at S-3 Group, a bipartisan consulting and communications firm in DC.  We dive in to whether Dems are getting a lot more done than people realize, what the family of Martin Luther King wants people to understand about the civil rights leader, and what the prospects are for voting protection, a BBB successor bill, and getting anything else at all done this year.  Featuring an appearance from "Bernie Sanders" himself!

Yes!  This idea seemed a little...out there...when I saw the headline for an article on The Editorial Board. Then I read it, and I was halfway convinced.  So I had writer Noah Berlatsky on the show today to explain, and he got me fully convinced.  Listen to the episode, and let me know what you think at @MattLRobison on Twitter. 

In the past two weeks, we've learned a lot more about the role of Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, behind the scenes in the runup to the January 6 insurrection.  Matt joins West Virginia broadcasting legend Howard Monroe to talk about just how deep this goes. Also, Howard and Matt discuss a congressional ethics scandal and where to draw the line on how members of congress use their staff and their campaign funds. 

Neil Levesque oversees the Saint Anselm College Survey Center poll, one of the most respected polls in any swing state in the country.  Their newest survey shows an uptick in voter mood over the past two months, creating some hopeful signs for Democratic incumbents facing re-election, including in the most-watched Senate race in the country. So what's going on here, how much further do Dems need to go to pull things out in 2022, and what issues are driving the discussion heading into the summer? Neil and Matt break it all down. 

According to Jason Sattler, better known to his army of Twitter followers as @LOLGOP and a former columnist and member of the USA TODAY Board of Contributors, "Marjorie Taylor Greene could marry Hunter Biden, put her pronouns on her Twitter bio and give herself a real-time abortion on Tucker Carlson’s desk while wearing a rainbow-colored N95 mask – she’d still win." So why are Dems giving her opponent so much darn money?  This question, which he posed in a great article on The Editorial Board, provoked my own upcoming article on that site (subscribe free here) and today's conversation, which covers why Dems pick the wrong targets, what the role of social media is, whether Republicans have an in-built advantage, and what Democrats can do to win more and protect democracy better.  You can follow me on Twitter at @MattLRobison.

Matt catches up with Chris Hill, host of Motley Fool Money, and what's going on in business: an unsettled market that might be finding its footing, what the CODA Oscar win means for the big streamers, the future of Uber, and the wild story of what Fred Smith did for the shipping business.