David and Sarah discuss two Florida free speech cases and a very strange North Carolina one too about whether a court can strike down legislation if some of the legislators were elected from gerrymandered districts. And there’s a very special guest at the end with a song to share.
About Sarah Isgur
About David French
Entering the final week of his sojourn in Maine, Jonah begins today’s Ruminant with an account of a drive he recently took to Chautauqua, New York and a reflection on the joys of travel. He also offers a few thoughts on free speech and the stabbing of Salman Rushdie, as well as the nature of patriotism and the importance of gratitude for the things we’ve inherited. The episode concludes with some especially ranty punditry on Liz Cheney’s defeat and ludicrous explanations for why Trump took classified documents to Mar-a-Lago. Plus, there’s an appeal for you, our listeners, to suggest future guests for the program, provided they meet certain strange criteria.
Show Notes:
– The Remnant with Russ Roberts
– Yuval Levin: “Conservatism is Gratitude”
– Jonah on “fundamentally transforming” America
– Duke’s bipartisanship leaderboard
– The Remnant with Carlos Lozada
– The Dispatch Podcast on Liz Cheney’s defeat
– Jonah: “The Only Adult in the Room”
About Jonah Goldberg
This week David and Curtis are joined by Karen Swallow Prior, writer, thinker, and research professor of English and Christianity and culture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Karen talks to us about the current state of affairs in social media, particularly Twitter, and compares its impact on culture and the church to another critical technology, the printing press. She discusses how these modern technologies are impacting our brains, and how we can push back against this through the simple act of reading, especially the (necessarily slow and contemplative) reading of literature.
Show Notes:
–National Endowment of the Arts – “Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America”
–Caleb Crain (The New Yorker) – “Why We Don’t Read, Revisited”
-Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter
-Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org
About David French
Rep. Liz Cheney lost her re-election bid to her Trump-backed primary challenger in the Wyoming Republican primary on Tuesday. Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and David discuss the result, and share their thoughts as the primary season wraps up. Plus: What’s the latest from Ukraine? Our hosts discuss the state of the conflict.
Show Notes:
–The Dispatch: Liz Cheney: ‘There Is Actually Precedent for … Vice Presidents to Testify’
About Sarah Isgur
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. Scott Lincicome, director of general economics at the Cato Institute, joins Declan to help us better understand the legislation. What’s actually in the law? How questionable is the budget math?
Show Notes:
–Uphill: Breaking Down the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022
About Declan Garvey
Bret Devereaux is an ancient and military historian at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is here to discuss military tactics of some of fiction’s biggest battles from The Lord of the Rings to Game of Thrones. Can David contain his excitement? Does Sarah understand anything being said?
Show Notes:
About David French
About Sarah Isgur
What constitutes a life well lived, and what does it mean to truly flourish? Noted economist Russ Roberts provides answers to these pressing questions on today’s Remnant, which concerns his new book, Wild Problems: A Guide to the Decisions That Define Us. In life, we’re faced with many big decisions that can’t be solved by calculation, like when to marry, what career to choose, and whether to have children. Russ is here to explain how we should approach these problems, and to reassure us that it’s okay to make mistakes. Plus, he explores how it feels to be a “recovering economist.”
Show Notes:
– Russ’ new book, Wild Problems
– Russ: “How to Make a Decision When There’s No ‘Right’ One”
About Jonah Goldberg
Ed O’Callaghan, partner at WilmerHale and former principal associate deputy attorney general, joins David and Sarah to discuss the news that the FBI’s search of former President Donald Trump’s home is part of an investigation into possible violations of the Espionage Act. What does that mean? How does this all work?
Show Notes:
–French Press: Apply the Hillary Clinton Rule to Donald Trump
About David French
About Sarah Isgur
It’s been an eventful week, and for many a deeply troubling one. But of course, no matter what end of the political spectrum you come from, weeks like this seem increasingly common. The hits just keep on coming, as do the feelings of loss and fear. So how are we as Christians to navigate such deeply troubled times? This week, David and Curtis dive into this question with some interesting thoughts from Rudyard Kipling, and some even more important (and eternal) wisdom from the Psalms.
Show Notes:
-Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter
-Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org
About David French
Jonah continues to swelter in Maine on today’s Ruminant, as he examines the aftermath of the FBI’s raid on Mar-a-Lago and how we should interpret Merrick Garland’s response. There’s also an extended discussion of Trump’s psychology, the allure of conspiracy theories, and the nature of American exceptionalism, as Jonah explains how he made peace with being part of the Remnant.
Show Notes:
– Jonah: “Did the GOP Peak Too Soon?”
– Wednesday’s bananified G-File
– The Remnant with Kevin Williamson
– First Things: “Abortion and a Nation at War”
– Andrew McCarthy: “Thoughts on AG Garland’s Remarks”
– Kevin Williamson: “Big Lies Matter”
– Advisory Opinions on the Mar-a-Lago raid
About Jonah Goldberg
It was a busy week for the former president, the FBI searched his home at Mar-a-Lago, he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in a New York deposition, and Attorney General Merrick Garland moved to make public the legal authorization for the FBI’s search. Sarah, Jonah, and David are here to discuss the fallout. Plus: Our hosts have new inflation numbers, and primary results to chew on.
Show Notes:
–TMD: The FBI Raids Trump’s Home
–French Press: Thinking Through the Trump Search
–G-File: Yearning for a Banana Republic
–Stirewaltisms: Of Presidents and Precedents
–The Dispatch: A Tale of Two GOP Responses to the Trump Search
–TMD: A Hint of Inflation Relief
–The Dispatch: Trump-Endorsed Tim Michels Prevails in Wisconsin Gubernatorial Primary
About Sarah Isgur
Kevin Stroud, creator and voice of the History of English podcast, joins David and Sarah for an exciting deep dive into the history of the English language and the roots of legalese. Stroud traces the complex history of Old English, Old Norse, French, and Latin words within the American legal system, and details the story behind the first written Old English code of law. Plus: What roles do poetry and alliteration play in the court? And why does language evolve so much over time?
Show Notes:
About David French
About Sarah Isgur
With his faithful canine in tow, Kevin Williamson saddles up for another Remnant escapade. This time, he and Jonah explore the Mar-a-Lago raid, the problem with new ideas in politics, and the Texas midterm elections. Plus, there’s plenty of dingo discussion mixed in for your edification. Is the president above the law? Should dog shows be banned? And can Kevin’s neighbors convince him to vote for Beto O’Rourke?
Show Notes:
– Kevin’s page at National Review
– Jonah: “Westminster Eugenics Show”
– Kevin: “Do We Believe Our Own Dogma?”
– An emergency Advisory Opinions on the Mar-a-Lago raid
– Mike Huckabee’s crazy argument
– Jonah: “Bonfire of the Asininities”
– Kevin: “Thanks For the ‘Memory’”
– Jonah: “All Quiet on the Black-Ops Front”
About Jonah Goldberg
Jonah’s aversion to preparation catches up with him on today’s sweaty Remnant. Stuck without a guest, he’s forced to spend an hour answering listener questions selected by Guy, his AEI research assistant. The result is an eclectic throwback to the Remnant AMAs of old, which covers everything from the disappearance of “The Couch” in the G-File to the prospect of a Ron DeSantis presidential bid. How do Liberal Fascism and The Tyranny of Cliches hold up? Did Jonah enjoy his time at Goucher College? And can Jonah and Guy discuss episode 11 without turning to ash?
Show Notes:
– Guy and Jonah’s first encounter
About Jonah Goldberg
Sarah and David get together for this special Advisory Opinions crossover episode to discuss the FBI’s search of former President Donald Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago on Monday. What does it all mean? How does a federal investigation of a senior official work, and what happens next? Plus: some possible theories and explanations that might shed some light on the events of yesterday.
Show Notes:
–TMD: The FBI Raids Trump’s Home
–Andy McCarthy in National Review: The FBI’s Mar-a-Lago ‘Raid’: It’s about the Capitol Riot, Not the Mishandling of Classified Information
About Sarah Isgur
About David French
Sarah and David get together for an emergency episode to discuss the FBI’s search of former President Donald Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago on Monday. What does it all mean? How does a federal investigation of a senior official work, and what happens next? Plus: some possible theories and explanations that might shed some light on the events of yesterday.
Show Notes:
–TMD: The FBI Raids Trump’s Home
–Andy McCarthy in National Review: The FBI’s Mar-a-Lago ‘Raid’: It’s about the Capitol Riot, Not the Mishandling of Classified Information
About David French
About Sarah Isgur