We're Not Wrong

The 2026 midterms spark a lively debate over Democratic gains, Republican losses, Trump backlash, affordability, immigration, tariffs, and the party’s future. The discussion also covers Haley Stevens’ failed party switch, Democratic leadership, foreign policy, Social Security reform, live fact-checking, and the possibility of an AI-powered Mitch McConnell.

France’s riots reveal a deeper clash over schools, public services, living costs, generational inequality, and the limits of generous welfare systems. The discussion also tackles Social Security’s looming trade-offs, Mitch McConnell’s warning on Trump and Putin, and questions about who is really directing an incapacitated senator. Listener mail brings debates on empathy, Elon Musk, Portland, and a bizarre prostitution sting.

A lively debate asks whether empathy improves society or clouds judgment, from politics and immigration to medical decision-making. The conversation then turns to 49ers owner Jed York’s prostitution-related suspension, weighing proportionality and the NFL’s uneven standards. Listener discussions range from political friendships and military recruitment to livestreamed executions, BattleBots law, and how close we are to Terminator-style robots.

A proposed livestreamed execution sparks a fierce debate over deterrence, human rights, propaganda, and whether justice becomes spectacle. Then the discussion turns to California’s attempt to stop a human-versus-robot fight club, raising questions about consent, weapons, athletic regulations, and robot personhood. Along the way: campus safety, fraternity drinking, peer intervention, and phone-free concerts.

A sprawling debate examines the murky Cornell Seven allegations, New York’s consent laws, blackout drinking, fraternity culture, and the limits of legal reform. The conversation then turns to phone-free concerts, social-media performance, and better ways to preserve live music memories. Listener mail brings detours into statins, Iran coverage, propaganda, and political advertising.

A debate over nearly $1.5 million in taxpayer-funded ads praising Trump, and whether they cross the line into campaigning. The conversation turns to Iran’s regional power, shifting Middle Eastern alliances, and the fallout of war. They also examine what school smartphone bans can realistically achieve, then tackle media consolidation, political purity tests, celebrity politics, and the perils of ideological gatekeeping.

A lively debate over Macklemore’s pro-Palestinian performances, Ed Sheeran’s responsibility as a tour headliner, and the limits of celebrity activism. The conversation then examines the Paramount–Warner Bros. merger, media consolidation, political influence, and whether regulators traded antitrust power for corporate promises. Listener mail expands into AI risks, nuclear treaties, Canada’s politics, and trade.

A whistleblower’s warning reignites the debate over slowing AI, from independent audits and regulatory checkpoints to kill switches, private infrastructure, and the fear of an AI safety cartel. The discussion also explores Canada’s push toward Europe, the limits of escaping American economic gravity, and renewed cooperation among Scottish, Welsh, and Irish nationalists. Listener mail tackles immigration, political violence, and online tribalism.

Germany’s AfD surges to a startling election result, prompting a debate over immigration, nationalism, regional resentment, and the EU’s future. The conversation then turns to “Kirkaversary,” online jokes about Charlie Kirk’s assassination, and the line between dark humor, cruelty, and celebrating political violence. Listener mail covers Venezuela, oil prices, Canada, Indigenous names, and the value of college.

A sprawling debate over Trump’s century-long Venezuelan oil agreement and the line between investment and coercion. The conversation then turns to Syracuse University’s financial troubles and the broader higher-education crisis, including prestige, practical value, and AI-era teaching. Other detours cover digital detox, Christopher Nolan, Portland’s weirdness, mail-in voting, and affordable youth sports.