The Supreme Court saves the day (or at least, this episode) with a slew of last-minute cert grants. A consolidated immigration case; a legal battle between a 93-year-old woman and the state of Minnesota over a foreclosed condo; a search for the line between free speech and death threats; and, for good measure, David lets out a bee that’s been buzzing in his bonnet since law school over a religious accommodations case. Plus: so long sans serif!
Show Notes:
About Sarah Isgur
About David French
The Remnant gets back to basics today, as A.B. Stoddard returns to the show for some deeply rank punditry on (what else?) the dysfunctional state of our parties and the prospect of a second term for Biden. With insurgents rising among both Republicans and Democrats, how long will it take for the parties to get healthy again? For that matter, how concerned should Democrats be about the loss of black and Hispanic voters? Will the GOP actually raise the debt limit? And is there any way of excusing Biden’s document blunder?
Show Notes:
– A.B.’s page at RealClearPolitics
– A.B.: “Yes, He Will Burn It All Down”
– Jonah: “GOP’s deficit reduction is a cynical performative gesture”
About Jonah Goldberg
As they consider the meaning of Robert Hur’s appointment as Special Counsel, Sarah and David cast a wish to the universe that top officials be held accountable for mishandling classified documents (or that they just stop doing that). They also discuss whether collegiality is declining among Supreme Court justices, take the pulse of religious liberty in the law, briefly discuss Fairfax county’s “war on merit” controversy, and offer a simple-to-follow definition of academic freedom.
–Steven Mazie on SCOTUS collegiality
–The president of Hamline University responds
About Sarah Isgur
About David French
In this podcast, David and Curtis return from trips around the world to give us a philosophical insight on courage. From Churchill to Lord of The Rings, stories of virtue can influence our own actions when tests cross our paths. They talk about the power of narratives and how they can build moral courage and character. Both dig into their past to bring up personal models of strength that have influenced who they are today. They wrap up with a critical look at political institutions under this moral framework.
Show Notes:
-There’s a Question My Confederate Ancestors Taught Me To Ask by David French. In this April 26, 2020 Dispatch article, David writes about the incredibly powerful pull of tribe over truth.
-After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory by Alasdair MacIntyre: Alasdair MacIntyre examines the historical and conceptual roots of the idea of virtue, diagnoses the reasons for its absence in personal and public life, and offers a tentative proposal for its recovery.
-The Literary Churchill: Author, Reader, Actor by Jonathan Rose: Rose examines Churchill’s careers as statesman and author, revealing the profound influence of literature and theater on Churchill’s personal, carefully composed grand story and on the decisions he made throughout his political life.
-Curtis’s account of Churchill’s book “Savrola” is taken from Gideon Haigh’s 2014 Sydney Morning Herald article, “Winston Churchill’s literary and theatrical influences” and his account of Nuremberg can be found at Nuremberg as the “City of Nazi Party Rallies.”
-A Hidden Life: Written and directed by Terrence Malick, this film depicts the true story of an Austrian farmer facing execution for refusing to fight for the Nazis during World War II.
About David French
Today’s Ruminant, a self-described “rambling, weird, incoherent hot mess,” can perhaps be taken as a reflection of Jonah’s addled brain. With his wife and daughter on a road trip, his mind has regressed into bachelor mode, and he’s begun to subsist on chicken eaten over the kitchen sink. Thankfully, he still has opinions on the biggest stories of the day, including the Biden administration’s potential ban of gas stoves, how Biden’s classified document scandal compares with Trump’s, and technological developments that could counteract climate change. Come for the punditry, but stay for the strange digression about the mating habits of deer.
Show Notes:
– The Dispatch breaks down the battle over gas stoves
– NPR: “We need to talk about your gas stove, your health and climate change”
– Jonah: “The Hypocritic Oath”
– The Dispatch Podcast on Biden’s classified document scandal
– Wall Street Journal: “Climate Startup Removes Carbon From Open Air in Industry First”
About Jonah Goldberg
Declan joins Sarah, David and Steve to break down President Biden’s classified documents scandal. The team then discusses McCarthy’s backroom dealing, the proposed SANTOS act, and the riots in Brazil. Plus: An anatomically descriptive Worth Your Time(?) segment that made David deeply uncomfortable.
Show Notes:
The Dispatch: House GOP Moves to Messaging Bills and Investigations
Proposed Bill Text: SANTOS Act
The Atlantic: Prince Harry’s Book Undermines the Very Idea of Monarchy
About Sarah Isgur
About David French
About Declan Garvey
Following Sarah’s personal tribute to the incomparable Will Consovoy, Sarah and David wade through the news about Biden’s mishandling of classified documents and wonder about its implications on the Mar-a-Lago case. Then, David checks in the Georgia grand jury about Trump’s alleged election interference, and a Sarah reviews two SCOTUS arguments, one concerning attorney-client privilege and union strikes. Finally, Sarah and David joyfully examine the true value of noncompete clauses.
Show Notes:
NYT: Biden Lawyers Find Classified Material At His Former Office
The Dispatch: Dueling Documents Case
CNN: Georgia grand jury investigating Trump and 2020 election aftermath completes its work
In re Grand Jury argrument transcripts
Glacier Northwest, Inc. v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters argument transcripts
About Sarah Isgur
About David French
Cass Sunstein, the Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard and Jonah’s fellow disciple of the dingo, makes an overdue return to the Remnant to discuss his recent book, Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment. Noise, the book argues, is a deadly flaw in human judgment that clouds many of our decisions and produces errors in fields such as medicine, law, and public health. Dr. Sunstein and Jonah examine how noise should be defined, what separates it from bias, and what we can do to fight it. They also explore whether the phenomenon varies across the world, and how terrifying changes in AI and algorithms may affect it.
Show Notes:
– Dr. Sunstein’s recent book, Noise
– Dr. Sunstein’s other recent book, Sludge
– Dr. Sunstein: “Governing by Algorithm? No Noise and (Potentially) Less Bias”
About Jonah Goldberg
For no particular reason, the Remnant returns to an in-person format today, as Jonah drops by the AEI offices to chat about what the future holds for humans and technology with James “Jimmy P” Pethokoukis. Together, they explore why we still haven’t achieved some of the major advancements that wonks were predicting in the ‘70s, occasionally stopping to ponder the merits of popular sci-fi television shows. AI, fusion power, and space elevators are all discussed, but by the end of it all, an important question still hasn’t received enough attention: Will highly intelligent, taxi-driving super-apes eventually overthrow mankind?
Show Notes:
– Jim’s Substack, Faster, Please!
– Ezra Klein: “The Dystopia We Fear Is Keeping Us From the Utopia We Deserve”
– Jim: “Who taught us to fear Dystopia? Who taught us we didn’t deserve Utopia?”
– Jonah’s review of The Reactionary Mind
– Alvin Toffler’s Future Shock
– Arthur C. Clarke’s Profiles of the Future
– Scientific American: “Space Elevators Are Less Sci-Fi Than You Think”
About Jonah Goldberg
We got some exquisite First and Second Amendment content for you today. David and Sarah discuss a Fifth Circuit decision to strike down the Trump administration ban on bump stocks. They then discuss whether a teacher has a right to wear a MAGA cap even if it engenders emotional reactions.
Show Notes:
Fifth Circuit Majority Opinion on Bump Stock bans
Summary from 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on MAGA hat and free speech
NYT: A Lecturer Showed a Painting of the Prophet Muhammad. She Lost Her Job.
About David French
About Sarah Isgur
Jonah’s in especially ranty form on today’s Ruminant as he explores the continuing war over the House speakership and where most commentators are going wrong in their analysis of it. He also examines the broader prevalence of annoying misconceptions about Congress, what media bias really looks like, and how conservatism should be measured. Plus, tune in for discussion of a controversial Daily Beast story, the Damar Hamlin incident, and the political proclivities of big corporations.
Show Notes:
– Wednesday’s (members only) “news”letter
– The Daily Beast‘s Matt Schlapp story
– Joshua Green: “Can Ron DeSantis replace Donald Trump as the Face of the GOP?”
– Philip Bump: “Can Ron DeSantis Ride an Anti-Business Message to the White House?”
About Jonah Goldberg
As the House enters a third day of its parade of pettiness, Sarah, Steve, and Jonah discuss Kevin McCarthy’s slow, tortuous slug of concessions towards becoming a speaker in name only. Also on the agenda: Biden’s 2024 vision, Mayor Pete’s carpetbagging, and the online right’s grotesque response to Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest.
Out of context: “That is a trifecta of wrongness.”
Show Notes:
Let the memes continue.
About Sarah Isgur
About Jonah Goldberg
In what is sure to be the first of many appearances in 2023, Chris Stirewalt joins the Remnant to discuss the ongoing debacle that is Kevin McCarthy’s bid for House speaker. He and Jonah explore what McCarthy’s opponents hope to gain, whether it’s true that opposing him makes you more conservative, and why all of this actually may not matter very much. They also touch on whether wokeism has passed its peak, why scripted comedy is in such a strange position, and what’s irritating about generational generalizations. Plus, tune in for a few obligatory shots at the New York Times’ newest columnist.
Show Notes:
– The Remnant with Megan McCardle
– Chris: “The Agonizingly Low Stakes of Today’s Vote for House Speaker”
About Jonah Goldberg
In this first episode of the new year, Sarah and David bring a smorgasbord of topics to the table. They cut through the confusion in the legal battle over Title 42 and the question of lingering pandemic law. Also: Comedian Jeff Ross makes headlines by unwittingly getting involved in a death penalty case, and the 11th circuit court of appeals hears a heated case involving a Florida school’s transgender bathroom ban.
Oh and yes… David makes a bittersweet announcement.
Show Notes:
Supreme Court Ruling over Title 42
Texas death row Supreme Court appeal involves Jeff Ross Comedy Central roast
U.S. appeals court upholds Florida high school’s transgender bathroom ban
About David French
About Sarah Isgur
The Remnant kicks off 2023 in appropriately rank fashion today, as Megan McArdle returns to the program for some eggheady musings on what the new year could bring for our legislative branch, parties, and broader political culture. She and Jonah begin by examining the state of Congress and what we can do to fix it, before turning to some pressing questions. Will cryptocurrency conquer the world? How does transparency harm institutions? And will the Republican Party start inching back toward sanity anytime soon?
Show Notes:
– Megan’s page at the Washington Post
– Jonah: “So Congress is a mess. It’s supposed to be messy”
– The Economist: “How Is Ukraine Using Crypto to Fund the War?”
– Matt Levine: “The Crypto Story”
– The Remnant with Russ Roberts
About Jonah Goldberg
Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse will resign from Congress and take on a new role in February as President of the University of Florida. Sasse, a junior senator from Nebraska and member of the Republican party, has been a vocal critic of Trump’s influence on the right and the GOP.
He joins Steve Hayes to discuss the dangers of infotainment, the increasing tribalism of American politics, the future of academic freedom, and why he believes he can affect more change by leaving Congress.
Show Notes:
–The Dispatch Podcast: Ben Sasse on Afghanistan and Reflections on September 11
