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
Jonah brings 2022 to a close in typically freewheeling fashion on today’s Ruminant, which aims to provide a minimal amount of crushing morosity. He kicks things off by exploring the Southwest Airlines meltdown and why airline disasters are uniquely infuriating, before turning to the inefficiency of big government, how pandemics and other crises can affect economies, and what can go wrong when we mix up our gemeinschafts. Plus, stick around for a discussion of how fusion power could solve our environmental problems, some obligatory Marx bashing, and a few words about the state of The Dispatch. Happy New Year!
Show Notes:
– Ezekiel Emanuel: “Covid Isn’t the Only Reason Children’s Vaccination Rates Are Falling”
– The Remnant with Scott Lincicome
– The Economist: “The great inflation of the 1500s is echoing eerily today”
– Jerry Muller’s The Mind and the Market
About Jonah Goldberg
As 2022 winds down, Kevin Williamson returns to the Remnant for some wide-ranging sociopolitical nerdery. He and Jonah explore what characterizes effective social policy, why it pays to be skeptical of new ideas, and what makes no sense about the American tax system. They also provide a modicum of more lighthearted punditry on the George Santos debacle and indulge in a lengthy discussion of the gun debate. Tune in for explanation, but stick around for obfuscation.
Show Notes:
– Kevin’s page at The Dispatch
About Jonah Goldberg
Inflation has driven the cost of living to a record high and most recent reports are giving mixed signals about what to expect. Declan is joined by Desmond Lachman, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, to talk about interest-rate hikes and Lachman’s critiques of the Fed in what he calls “monetary policy overkill.”
Show Notes:
–Desmond Lachman: “The Fed is playing with fire with its continued interest-rate hikes”
–CPI Index released on Dec. 13th
About Declan Garvey
It’s Christmas Eve, and what’s more germane to the holiday season than some lengthy rambling about authoritarianism? Of course, today’s Ruminant is a little more nuanced than that. It also digs into how political states emerge in the first place, why Russia is becoming a “really crappy” country, and how to distinguish between valid criticism of American foreign policy toward Ukraine and toadying to Vladimir Putin. On the lighter side, Jonah also answers a few questions that arose after the week’s earlier episode with the Fair Jessica. We wish you all a wonderful holiday!
Show Notes:
– The Fair Jessica’s Remnant return
– Zelensky’s speech to Congress
– Julia Davis’ Russian Media Monitor
– Jonah: “Authoritarianism’s Bad Year”
– Francis Fukuyama’s The Origins of Political Order
– How Putin’s war became a catastrophe for Russia
About Jonah Goldberg
Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and David (who heroically dragged himself from bed at the crack of the Tennessee dawn) discuss some of the best and worst stories of 2022. What will make the list? The Russian invasion? The Artemis launch? Asteroid nudging? The Ye-Fuentes summit? The resurgence of COVID in China? The unveiling of Donald Trump’s NFT? Come for the review of a wild year, stay for the wild(?) predictions for 2023.
Plus: a gut-check update on the Sarah-Steve bet.
Show Notes:
–The Morning Dispatch on Zelensky’s speech
–Jonah’s rant on the crazy and insane attempt to retire bad words
About Jonah Goldberg
About David French
About Sarah Isgur
“Title 42,” the pandemic-era immigration restriction, was slated to expire December 21, until the Supreme Court stepped in. Now, the Biden administration and conservatives are in loggerheads on what to do next. Esther sits down with Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, the Policy Director at American Immigration Council to discuss the historical context behind Title 42, its impact on border crossings, and what we might expect if it goes away.
Show Notes:
–Aaron Reichlin-Melnick’s American Immigration Council (AIC) profile
–AIC’s Guide to Expulsions at the Border
–Docket filings related to the Application for Emergency Stay
About Esther Eaton
Vaccine mandates! Title 42 and border policy! Twitter Files updates! Electoral Count Act! “The Imperial Supreme Court”! FedSoc/Sate showdown! Sarah and David are marathoning through topics in the hope of placating the wrathful law gods and preempting a Christmas-time emergency pod. (Knock on wood).
Show Notes:
–Adam Liptak’s New York Times piece on the supremacy of the judicial branch
About Sarah Isgur
About David French
On today’s Remnant, Jonah’s esteemed wife and bear skeptic, Jessica Gavora (aka the Fair Jessica), makes her highly anticipated return. The two JGs explore some more nerdish topics than last time, including what it takes to be a successful ghostwriter, how the right changed during the Trump years, and what it’s like writing speeches for prominent politicians. They also touch on a few personal subjects, including memories of Jonah’s mom, the recent trip to Istanbul, and Jessica’s current book project (she needs your help!). Plus, stick around until the end to hear Jessica make her best case against human-bear interaction.
Show Notes:
– The Fair Jessica’s first Remnant appearance
– Betsy DeVos’ Hostages No More
– Hugh Hewitt: “The ‘Agnew Option’ could be a way out for Trump — and America”
– The Fair Jessica’s Tilting the Playing Field: Schools, Sports, Sex and Title IX
About Jonah Goldberg
During his wild European vacation last week, Jonah didn’t follow the news too closely. To catch himself up, he invites The Dispatch’s own Andrew Egger back to the Remnant for some intensely rank punditry. Together, they explore the biggest and strangest stories currently unfolding in politics, including Kevin McCarthy’s bid for House speaker, Ron DeSantis’ attack on vaccines, and Donald Trump’s criminal referral. Plus, they offer some musings on the 2024 election and the horrors of Trump trading cards.
Show Notes:
– Andrew: “Trump 2024’s Terrible Start”
– Andrew: “Ron DeSantis Gambles on Vaccine Grievance”
– The Morning Dispatch: “The January 6th Committee’s Last Hurrah”
About Jonah Goldberg
Sarah and David look at the latest Twitter Files revelations, and consider whether they point to First Amendment concerns. They also look at the first case about transgender athletes making its way to the Supreme Court. Sarah then breaks down the grammatical debate happening in the comments section with a closing statement on why she was right, although rather unintentionally.
Show Notes:
About Sarah Isgur
About David French
What does it look like to have Christian hope in this chaotic world?
As believers, we live in the “already but not yet,” which means that we are currently in the kingdom of God, though the kingdom has not reached its full expression. In other words, we are “already” in the kingdom of God, but we do “not yet” experience its full glory.
In this Advent episode, David and Curtis look back at the challenging year and look for signs of the “coming Kingdom” so that listeners can “read the signs of the times”– in a way that is both Biblical and hopeful – and live in the anticipation of God’s justice, restoration, and glory.
Show Notes:
-YouTube: God Bless You’: Residents Welcome Ukrainian Troops As They Advance Toward Kherson
-YouTube: Ukrainian woman plays violin from apartment basement in Kharkiv
-World Health Organization: COVAX delivers its 1 billionth COVID-19 vaccine dose
-The Perception Gap: Americans tend to have a distorted understanding of people on the other side of the aisle.
About David French
