This is the hidden story of how Russia invaded America -- not with soldiers, but with a mind-bending web of money. They briefly infiltrated and bent the highest levels of our politics, and then seemingly stopped. Or did they? Dr. Ruth May is a business professor at the University of Dallas, now retired, and an expert on the economies of Russia and Ukraine. She wrote an article for the Dallas Morning News in 2018 called How Putin's Oligarchs Funneled Millions into GOP campaigns, and she joins us ...
Feb 10, 2023•1 hr 1 min
The panel describes what a State of the Union Speech is like behind the scenes, and what do members of Congress and both parties try to achieve on one of the biggest nights in American politics? Also, is the Chinese balloon episode meaningful in some way, or just plain stupid? And Matt admits that he was wrong, and Alicia was right, about one critical issue.
Feb 07, 2023•34 min
The past week brought new revelations about Supreme Court conflicts and millions of dollars flowing through right-wing groups and Russian fronts into our politics. That's why we wanted to bring you this recent interview with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island into what we know -- and dangerously, what we don't know -- about dark money, judicial influence, right-wing activism, and foreign influence including from Russia.
Feb 06, 2023•30 min
New prosecutions on the cusp for Donald Trump, but is this Lucy and the football all over again, and will anything actually bring him down. The answer is...yes, quite possibly, but it won't be a prosecution. Also, will anything change with police killings in the wake of Tyre Nichols' murder?
Feb 02, 2023•42 min
Russia has infiltrated American politics, mostly through the Republican Party, largely through Donald Trump. We know this, and yet we’ve somehow all been gaslighted, exhausted, or tricked into sending it down the memory hole. Today, a reminder of how the KGB begin recruiting Donald Trump in the early 1980s and about how all of his behavior since confirms that, whether he’s aware of it or not, he is very much an asset of Russia and has created a conduit for Russia to manipulate and control senior...
Jan 31, 2023•44 min
Republicans are fighting over what direction they should take, with a big vote coming this week. But the panel discusses how they are blaming all the wrong things for their problems. Also, another drip falls in the Biden classified documents story. And the Republican "debt ceiling" crisis gets re-branded as the Republican "stupidity bomb."
Jan 26, 2023•41 min
The "debt ceiling" is actually a stupidity bomb: a dumb way for politicians to wreck our economy and send us into a recession. Celebrated economist Mark Zandi is often on television and in Congress explaining economics as clearly and directly as he can to decision-makers, and he joins us to explain why the debt ceiling standoff is so perilous, and why the underlying argument is merely a setup for disaster.
Jan 24, 2023•47 min
There are some suspicious ties (see the 60 second YouTube summary here ). Plus, more Biden classified documents emerge, so is there more to this story now? And, Chris Sununu is gearing up for a Presidential run, along with other Republicans. WHY? Is it realistic? Does it matter?
Jan 17, 2023•39 min
Last month, one of America's most celebrated pollsters put together the most comprehensive, detailed explanation of what actually happened in the 2022 elections that anyone had done, and shared it with a group of campaign insiders. We wanted all of our listeners and viewers to get access to the same expert insights, so we were delighted when our old friend Jef Pollock agreed to come onto the show to talk about it. Jef is the founding Partner and President of Global Strategy Group, counting a who...
Jan 16, 2023•51 min
2022 was the year of the crypto crash, when hundreds of billions of dollars in investor savings suddenly evaporated. For years, cryptocurrencies, NFTs and the technology they are built on have been sold by true believers as game-changers that will revolutionize the world and solve everything from banking to health care to law. Those evangelists still believe. But the question many of have been wondering is: is this all bullshit? A few years back, that exact question was on actually on the mind o...
Jan 12, 2023•38 min
Does the Biden classified document revelation matter, or is a nothingburger? Also, why we're in for a world of hurt after the MAGA nutjob deal that Kevin McCarthy struck to get the Speaker job, and how it could fracture DC on defense spending and fracture America's economy altogether. Plus, a special bonus for audio listeners of our Blue Amp channel SDE ad.
Jan 10, 2023•33 min
The ongoing Kevin McCarthy Speaker saga seemed to make a little progress on Friday, as McCarthy lost a 13th round by a little less. But actually, he's walked right into a trap where the far-right band of nihilists in Congress is only gaining power, and McCarthy's future in the Republican Party is getting hazier by the hour. Matt Robison and former Biden admaker Cliff Schecter of the Blue Amp channel run through why things have gotten so dicey not just for McCarthy, but for all of us....
Jan 06, 2023•26 min
Democrat and former Congressional staffer Matt Robison and conservative political consultant Alicia Preston unpack one of the wildest days in Congressional history and what it means. We hit questions like: what’s the scene usually like Congress on swearing in day? What is driving House Republicans' bizarre tantrums? Why the difference between McCarthy and McConnell? Do actually have a Congress right now? What does all this say about the Republican Party?And what’s going to happen next?
Jan 04, 2023•52 min
The Democrat who used to Represent George Santos's district tells the inside story of how a lying con man could fool Democrats, the oblivious media, and even Republicans to win a seat in Congress. Steve Israel wrote an inside account in The Atlantic and he joins the Beyond Politics podcast, also available on video on YouTube .
Dec 30, 2022•44 min
What was the best news story of the year? The biggest innovation? Who was the biggest idiot? And who won the year?
Dec 27, 2022•38 min
Who was the MVP for Republicans...for Democrats? What new bill or law was the biggest deal? What did we learn about ourselves this year? Part One of an action-packed two part year end episode.
Dec 21, 2022•40 min
You're going to hear a lot of Russian disinformation from House Republicans in the next few months. As they gear up to rehash the Hunter Biden laptop story, Republicans are preparing to spread what they know full well to be a noxious mix of salacious personal detail, mixed with invented Russian intelligence material. Veteran reporter Lindsay Beyerstein provides definitive rundown of the distortions, tall tales, and outright lies that are coming, and why legitimate media was right to be so skepti...
Dec 19, 2022•47 min
Chris Hill of Motley Fool Money hits the things going DOWN right now: inflation, the reputation of cryptocurrencies, and Twitter's business model. Also: CEO of the year award, and the government steps in to block Microsoft.
Dec 14, 2022•25 min
No, really, we talked about all of those things. Also, crypto is evil, beating deplorables, and marriage equality.
Dec 13, 2022•44 min
Matt joins legendary West Virginia radio host Howard Monroe to examine why Sinema bolted, why Trump despite being such a disaster is still politically viable, and why Herschel Walker came so darn close in Georgia.
Dec 12, 2022•24 min
Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema's decision to leave the Democratic Party made Kari Lake jump for joy. But is it really huge news for Republicans? Former Biden admaker Cliff Schecter and former Dem congressional staffer Matt Robison run down the biggest questions and threats, and discuss what Dems need to do next on an emergency Beyond Politics mini podcast.
Dec 09, 2022•21 min
Is American tech and innovation something that's not just good for California tech bros? Yes, and former U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp can tell you why. She was the first female Senator elected from North Dakota, served on the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and serves on the Board of the American Edge Project, an advocacy group focused on the role of American technology and innovation. She also shares some favorite insider memories from the Senate, and weighs in on what t...
Dec 09, 2022•41 min
All three have been suggested to be over. Which is actually done? And which should be? Also, right wing nutjob bingo, and Georgia runoff!
Dec 07, 2022•44 min
John Broderick was Chief Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court. When John’s son was just 13, he began suffering from anxiety and depression, conditions that went unrecognized and undiagnosed for years. His family went on a very public and painful journey, luckily, one they all survived and healed from. If you recognize this story, it’s because we told it with John on this show a little over a year ago. And in fact, when we won a New Hampshire Association of Broadcasters Award, that was the ...
Dec 06, 2022•43 min
As we enter a period of lame ducks, high stakes negotiations, and divided government, we wanted to know: how does it all work, and will the next year of American government work at all? So we asked Ryan McConaghy, Senate Majority Leader Schumer's former right hand man on policy, to walk us through what, if anything, we might get out of the next month and the next year. Photo by Norbert Kundrak on Unsplash...
Dec 02, 2022•38 min
Matt Robison and Chris Hill of Motley Fool Money tackle: Black Friday/Cyber Monday – A record $9 billion in sales on Black Friday! It’s encouraging, with one caveat: the percentage of purchases bought with a “buy now, pay later” plan is very much on the rise. China protests – Everyone has something in their home made in China. From manufacturing to U.S. businesses with expanding operations in China ( e.g., McDonald’s, Starbucks, Yum Brands) these protests affect American businesses (and not in a...
Nov 30, 2022•25 min
Is President Biden's move to enforce a rail deal a smart move to save the American economy, or a double cross of his base? Also, is Congress about to drop the ball on its most basic responsibility? Does the Senate actually need to protect interracial marriage? And what do the China protests mean?
Nov 30, 2022•44 min
Democrats have been congratulating themselves for a strong showing in the 2022 midterms. But when it comes to the House, did they actually fumble the ball at the goal line? Our guests are Lauren Harper and Liam Kerr, the co-founders of WelcomePAC, an organization focused on a pragmatic approach to growing a big tent Democratic party and winning more elections. They were featured last week in the New York Times arguing that Democrats made some critical missteps in the runup to the election and th...
Nov 28, 2022•30 min
Republicans coming out of the woodwork to take on Trump, the shrinking political battleground in America, is Alito a leaker, the impeachment train loads up at the station, a real American hero, and a World Cup shocker.
Nov 23, 2022•44 min
How does a narrow majority in the US House of Representatives work, what will Republicans have to do to manage it, and what can Democrats do to overcome it? Our inside expert walks us through it. Jerry Hartz worked in Congress for 28 years, most recently as Senior Adviser and Director of Legislative Floor Operations for Nancy Pelosi. There is no one on Earth who knows more about how to run the House of Representatives, and how things may play out in the coming years.
Nov 21, 2022•40 min
