048 'Ok, We Need to Talk About Russia, Worse Than Iraq, Non-troversies' - The Fifth Column

(Recorded April 22nd, 2018)

A conversation with evolutionary biologists Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying.

- On Free Speech, Campus Culture- Identity- Scientific Investigation & Tabboo Topics- The Intellectual Dark Web- Evolution, Culture, Markets, Media, and The Academy

In THE SUMMER OF 2017, Bret Weinstein found himself at the center of an ‘equity and inclusion’ maelstrom at Evergreen State College, where he and his wife Heather Heying were both members of the faculty. The resulting scandal would result in the couple parting ways with the school, but not before attracting the attention of national media. Bret and Heather are currently unaffiliated academics in exile who frequently write and speak about their experience at evergreen, the state of American campuses and a host of increasingly controversial issues related to their principal field of study.The pair dropped by the studio to chop it up with Matt Welch and Kmele Foster.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

(Recorded: April 24, 2018)

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Sorry for the unusually tardy release. This conversation was recorded approximately five days ago (prior to the most recent intervention in Syria), but the release was delayed by matters of great significance and urgency (which I won't bother to outline here). All the same, it's still a very fine vintage.

(Recorded: April 12, 2018)

with: Ben Dreyfuss (Mother Jones) and Kat Timpf (Fox News Channel, National Review)

- Facebook Congressional Hearings

- The (continuing/looming) War in Syria

- Trump May Fire (Muller, Rosenstein, and Anyone Else with the Temerity to “Attack America”)

- The Kevin Williamson Affair (Abortion, The Atlantic, and Capital Punishment -- Oh My)

- Race & IQ

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

(Recorded: March 27, 2018)

A conversation w/ Amy Chua (@amychua), Yale law professor and author of numerous books including: 'Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother', 'The Triple Package', 'World on Fire', and her latest book 'Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations'.

“Today, no group in America feels comfortably dominant. Every group feels attacked, pitted against other groups not just for jobs and spoils but for the right to define the nation’s identity. In these conditions, democracy devolves into zero-sum group competition — pure political tribalism.” - Amy Chua, 'Political Tribes'

- Identity, Ethnicity, and Culture- Super-groups, Market Dominate Minorities- Tribes of America and the State of Her Politics- The Immutability of Tribalism and the Limits of Democracy

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

(Recorded: March 28, 2018)

with

Tom Slater, Deputy Editor @ Spike'd

Tina Nguyen, Politics and Media Reporter @ Vanity Fair

Marching for our Lives, Poisoning Spies, Activist Journalist...

- Moonshine, Poison (Half a Helping of Each)

- Killing Marco Rubio

- Teenage Sainted Activist Student Journalist

- Making America Great Again + Putting Y'all Back in Chains

- Kevin Williamson Moves to The Atlantic (Assorted Persons Freakout)

- Garbology

- How to Be Pro Brexit w/o Going Full White Nationalist

- Slightly Russia Linked

- Never Having to Say You're Fired

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded: March 15, 2018

We've got FiveThirtyEight's Jody Avirgan in the studio. Matt is on assignment someplace.

This Week:

Is there a free speech 'crisis' on campus?

Moynihan and Jody's considerably different approached to sparking media frenzies.

PLUS: Rex, we hardly knew ye (literally). But was he all that stood between us and the CIA's 'enhanced interrogation' dominatrix?

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded: March 9, 2018.

Welch, Moynihan, Fisher and Foster are in attendance.

An increasingly unlikely Presidential visit to North Korea.A seemingly permeable steel and aluminum tariff.A growing interest in POTUS's indiscretions w/ a Porn StarAnd Sam Nunberg's media PsyOp (and/or) breakdown

Pertinent Notes:

- 'A Strange new respect...'- 'A tribute vice pays to virtue...'- 'The Q got that D...'

(and at Moynihan's insistence)

BTC: 1262cXpJkHECVSiLU5iktcqbCW5oz8tJei

ETH: 0xD4BB6B1784541A27FE046AA1963329a9672c3f04

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded: March 1, 2018.

Oscar Talk: Best and Worst, Most Overrated and Ryan Gosling

Stick Talk: AR-15s, Scool Shootings, The National Rifle Association, and Due Process.

featuring

ANDY LEVYSenior Producer of the “S.E. Cup Unfiltered” on HLN

SONNY BUNCHExecutive Editor @ The Washington Free BeaconCo-Host @ The Weekly SubStandard Podcast

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

(Recorded: February 13th 2018)

'Whenever I hear some bigmouth in Washington or the Christian heartland banging on about the evils of sodomy or whatever, I mentally enter his name in my notebook and contentedly set my watch. Sooner rather than later, he will be discovered down on his weary and well-worn old knees in some dreary motel or latrine, with an expired Visa card, having tried to pay well over the odds to be peed upon by some Apache transvestite.' - Hitch

- The Great (XXL) Black Panther Debate

- Richard Spencer & DeRay Mckesson: CODEFENDANTS

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

+ Indispensable Commentary On That [treasonous/heroic/meh] Nunes Memo+ Context, Collusion and Russian Conspiracies+ A Foreign Policy Primer+ Briefest of notes on Trump's first State of the Union

(Recorded February 1st 2018)

Note: This dispatch was recorded the day before the MEMO was released, honestly -- you won't be able to tell the difference.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

w/ Bari Weiss (@bariweiss), Staff editor and writer @ New York Times Opinion (Former Wall Street Journal, Tablet Magazine)

An expansive, high-quality dispatch that was unfortunately marred by technical mishaps. It's not actually Fishers fault (quite the contrary in fact). xpan

Things improve considerably as the release goes on.

- Government Shutdowns- Amnesty Don's Great Big Amnesty Bonanza- Skipping out on the Wall Street Journal, Making Trouble at the New York Times- #MeToo- Trump Wanted to Fire Mueller- Collusion, Obstruction or YAHTZEE!

Recorded: January 25th, 2018

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Moynihan is back, Matt was an illegal immigrant, and Kmele was *front* row for Lebron vs. Steph.

Plus: DACA. FISA. Shit. #MeToo.

Recorded: January 15, 2018

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded: January 5, 2018

- Kmele’s Axioms of Child Rearing- Long on Fury, Short on Fire- Red Flags, Fake News on Facebook- Trump's Tax Cut, Regulation Busting - Heather Mac Donald vs. Everybody

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded: December 21, 2017.

Michael Moynihan (Vice News) in conversation with the incomparable Tina Brown. On the business and practice of journalism, the marvelous island of Manhattan, the authentic bullshit of Donald Trump, and #metoo.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

(Recorded on Thursday December 14th 2017)

with/ Jeffrey Blehar (@EsotericCD) of Decision Desk HQ and The Political Beats podcast.

We talk the recent Alabama Senate election and the FCC's controversial decision to rescind Obama-era net neutrality rules.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

(Recorded, November 2017)

An expansive exchange with renowned social commentator and linguist, John McWhorter. McWhorter is a Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. He's the author of twenty books including 'Words on the Move' (2017), 'Talk Back, Talking Black' (2017), and 'Losing the Race' (2000).

Also Referenced:“Antiracism: Our Flawed New Religion” (2015 - The Daily Beast)“How to Listen to Donald Trump Every Day for Years” (2017 - The New York Times)'Tragically Unfit to Be President' (2017 - The New York Times)

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

- Matt Lauer

- Seducing Kevin Spacey

- James O’keefe

- Fake Headlines, Faker Stats

- Dumbest News Day Ever

- Britain First, Murder Allegations

- Trashing Bob Woodward

- Some Idiot.... ABORTED

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai drops in to explain why he's returning the Internet to the dark ages of... 2015.

PLUS:

- Draymond vs. Mark Cuban

- The AOL-Time Warner instant messaging juggernaut

- Janet Jackson's wardrobe and Stephen Colbert's c***holster

And why won't the FCC just let Slim Shady be?

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded: Thursday, November 8, 2017.

We chat with Rob Mariani, former opinion editor for the Daily Caller, about Milo's first (and last) weekly column -- and how to handle radioactive things without getting burned.

Plus:

questioning Moynihan's sexuality;a very gay historical debate;the intellectual dead end of 'just trolling' politics.

(Columnist Interruptus)

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded on Thursday, November 8th, 2017

Trump takes a long 'grueling' trip to the Far East, maybe tempers the crazy and manages to get cooked in the elections stateside.

PLUS:- Aubrey and Kojo- The Meek Mill Guide to Criminal Justice Reform- 10 Lbs of Gelatin- Moynihan Got it For *Cheap*

CORRECTION: 'Dreams & Nightmares' was definitely a studio album and not a mixtape.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded on Thursday, Novemer 2nd, 2017

With Special Guests:

Josh Zepps - Host, #WeThePeople LIVE (@WTP_Live, @joshzepps)

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded on Thursday, October 26th, 2017

Moynihan and Kmele are on Assignment -- Welch takes the reins.

With Special Guests:

Nancy Rommelmann - Journalist, Author of 'To The Bridge'

Bill Schulz - Host of Compound Media's 'Mornin'!!!! w/ Bill Schulz'

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded on Thursday, October 19th, 2017

'The opposite of a way with words'

- How Chad Saved Moynihan’s Life (and Why We're Huge in Canada)- Former President Bush and John McCain Have Strong Words for Trump - Totalitarianism, Populism and Economic Uncertainty- US Troops in Africa, Calling Up Gold Star Parents- The Opposite of a Way With Words- When 'Everything' is 'Some of the Things'- Morbid Premonitions, A Non-Fatal Stroke- When Louis (Farrakhan) Met Richard (Spencer)

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded on Thursday, October 12th, 2017

The Harvey Weinstein Controversy1) What To Do With “Shitty Media Men?2) Why won't Hillary and Barack say anything?

Tillerson, Corker and World War III1) The Worst of All Possible Worlds2) Death by Non-Proliferation

Trumps Assault on the Media1) 'When the President says it in public...'2) How We Got Lucky With Trump

PLUS:Google, Twitter, and a Tangible ThreatMatt's Mom Bought Him a Mug.Kmele Says Completely Unacceptable Things (almost every dispatch)

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded on Thursday, October 5th, 20171) First Amendment Controversies

2) Meditations on the Las Vegas and the Second Amendment

3) An Homage to Catalonia (particularly on the subject of secession, with additional remarks on Kurdistan)

PLUS:

Kmele Heads to ComicCon, Bumps into TNCMoynihan vs Melba

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Guest: Katherine Mangu-Ward, Editor-in-Chief @ Reason

Recorded: Wednesday, September 27th, 2017.

Another wide-ranging, intellectually-stimulating, and very well-lubricated dispatch.

We begin with an almost respectable (but undeniably illuminating) discussion of Donald Trump's 'Revolutionary Tax Framework' -- (his words). Proceeding from there to the re-re-re-failure of Republican maneuvering to 'Repeal and Replace' Obamacare.

Then we really pour on the gas:

From 'Taking a Knee' to 'Title IV'Banning Uber to prevent rape is ... beyond stupid.Mark Warner's crusade to stop Russia from using Facebook (and hollow out the First Amendment).

PLUS:

Should you ever use 'cyber' as a prefix?What's the origin of 'hang 10'?#firebettsyGender differences.

(Sweep the leg.)

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded on Thursday, September 21, 2017

President Trump's remarks at the UN parley were (hilarious? /meh? /dangerous? ) and unmistakably confused.

We crack open cans of Portland's finest sangria while discussing this and other matters of profound consequence.

Cargo shorts are irredeemably awful, but should a UN human rights commission formally designate them Nazi paraphernalia? Is Mark Zuckerberg's plan to save democracy credible? How hot would your step-granddaughter have to be before you wouldn't, not, totally date her?

Also:

- Meditations on the St. Louis and Police Shootings- Something about the Manafort warrant and wiretaps- and 'some idiot wrote this...' and it's so awful that you should find the time to read it.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded on Thursday September 14, 2017

Guest: David Weigel, political reporter for The Washington Post and author of the prog-rock history 'The Show That Never Ends.'

Matt's recovering from surgery, Moynihan's upright & sober, and Kmele's getting domesticated.

Also:

-Bernie Sanders is pushing a new health care plan (and he's got a dirty little anti-immigration secret).

-Trump's immigration reversal, and his infatuation with those generals.

-The best thing about Hillary's new book.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded 9/8/2017

Moynihan’s back from Russia and has the drinking stories to prove it. Normally reasonable journalos lose their goddamn minds over Betsy DeVos’ intention to bring back due process on college campuses.

Matt Welch on DACA: “Call it amnesty, and do it anyway” (WaPo) https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/09/08/yes-daca-is-amnesty-lets-just-call-it-that-and-then-lets-make-it-happen/?utm_term=.d7cee531cf3a

Kmele takes Anthony Fisher to task for calling President Trump’s brand “cruelty” in a DACA-related article Fisher wrote for The Week. But you gotta hear BOTH SIDES (link: https://theweek.com/articles/722742/trumps-daca-suspension-proves-brand-isnt-winning--cruelty)

Absorbing Ta-Nehisi Coates latest epistle “Donald Trump is the First White President” (The Atlantic) https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/10/the-first-white-president-ta-nehisi-coates/537909/

Matt claps back at 'comic' Andy Kindler.

A rare morning recording. Sober*, salty, caffeinated.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded 8/31/2017

Guest: Ronald Bailey, science correspondent for Reason magazine and Reason.com.

Natural Disasters, political photo-ops, and formulaic media coverage.

The worst thing about Mitt Romney, the fecklessness of Barack Obama, and the dark innovations of Bill Clinton.

SFTW.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded 8/24/2017

This episode: non-existent Nazis, overblown Antifa, and Portuguese vagina-walls.

Jacob Siegel was in Boston and Afghanistan, and now he is in Moynihan's chair. He helps the guys figure out what the hell happened in Boston (and why it's not the same as Charlottesville).

PLUS: Is there a 'libertarian-to-alt-right pipeline'? Should we take 'Internet fascists' seriously? Would going 'soft on white supremacists' actually help Trump?

AND... sunk costs in Afghanistan, fights on Planet Libertarian, and Matt doesn't want to punch any grannies.

Happy birthday, Hollywood (wherever he is).

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The guys take a deep dive into Donald Trump's policy on infrastructure and Nazis.

Matt is back, Moynihan is off drugs and high on life, and Kmele once started a Bible study group.

BONUS: Kmele interviews BLM activist Deray Mckesson, and the conversation gets *dangerous*.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded: 8/9/2017

With Us This Week:

Radley Balko - Washington Post Columnist, Author 'Rise of the Warrior Cop','Dr Death and The Country Dentist' (Coming - Feb 2018)

Thaddeus Russell - Host of the Unregistered podcast, Author 'A Renegade History of the United States'

(Much Topics. Extra Innings)

- Criminal Justice Reform (Obama's Legacy, Trump's Trajectory, Opioids, Ferguson 3yrs On)

- Foreign Policy Miasma (Venezuela, North Korea, Manafort's Home Searched by FBI)

- A Diversity Memo, Super Angry About A Show That May Never Get Made

Pro Tip: Don't Send Send Photos of Your Junk to CoWorkers Without Their Consent. May not end well. Sure, it could, theoretically work out fine... but above average odds that it won't.

Moynihan, Fisher, Foster are in the building. (Welch is... in Europe... Claims to have no internet access)

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

[“And We Back.' -Chance the Rapper]

- Moynihan is MIA

- Welch is trapped in a room with no AC, 75 dead flies, and a busted shoulder -- and loving every minute of it.

- Moscow is beautiful in the summer (if you believe a former RT propagandist)

- Kmele... well, yeah

- And the brilliant, talented Alyona Minkovski is IN THE BUILDING (@AlyonaMink)

PLUS:

- The brief but magical tenure of THE MOOCH.

- The conspicuous absence of President Steve Bannon.

- Net neutrality and banning VPN apps in Russia and China.

- Numerous other things of urgent importance.

- And there may have been a brilliant Affirmative Action *exchange* at the end of this dispatch too, but it’s all a bit of a blur.

[ … The brightest stars have the shortest lives.]

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A dense, tangent-filled, and edifying new dispatch (fueled by cash-filled envelopes, adderall, and a bottle of Bushmills -- thanks, Drew.)

Trump tells-all to the Failing New York Times: 'I should have never hired Sessions!'Welch talks John McCainTrumpCare spontaneously combusted (surprising no one)Next on the “Trump Legislative Agenda of Failure”: screwing up legal immigration, too!Forensic 'Science' is so terrifyingLA 92 ('Certified Fresh!)

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded: July 12th, 2017

Play-by-Play:

· Eli Lake Is a Superlative, Award-Winning Hebrew

· Fab Five Freddy Is a Foreign Policy Genius

· “I’m a White Male…”

· Lies, Damn Lies, and IT’S TREASON!

· Lacrosse Team Away Games

· Eli Slow Claps

· World in Disarray: Mosul/Afghanistan Edition

Eli Lake, columnist @ Bloomberg View, swings by.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.