Episode description

Friends,

Good morning and welcome back to our Saturday coffee klatch. Please grab a cup, pull up a chair, and join us.

Today, Heather and I examine:

— The House Republicans’ impeachment of Joe Biden despite zero evidence of any wrongdoing. Why did every single Republican House member vote in favor, even those elected from districts that overwhelmingly voted for Biden in 2020?

— Special Counsel Jack Smith went to the Supreme Court, asking it to rule on whether a president is immune from criminal prosecution. Why is Smith doing this? Why isn’t there more pressure on Clarence Thomas to recuse himself?

— Rudy Giuliani found guilty of defaming two election workers and fined $148 million. What’s Giuliani’s next move?

— The Fed kept interest rates where they were, but signaled it would reduce interest rates next year. Is it any wonder Wall Street went bananas? Will the stock market continue to rise?

— Despite the good economy, polls continue to show that Americans favor Trump over Biden. Is this because Trump is riding the wave of anti-establishment forces? Why is Trump able to ride this wave?

— The Texas Supreme Court decided that Texas’s strict abortion law doesn’t allow a woman to have an abortion even if her life is threatened. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court agreed to consider a challenge to the FDA’s approval of an abortion pill. Will all of this galvanize more political action against Republicans?

— Trump and his Republicans’ unwillingness to continue to support Ukraine. Is Putin salivating over the possibility of a Trump presidency, and Trump’s lack of support for Ukraine? Will the Republicans succeed in forcing America to choose between Israel and Ukraine?

— The use of AI in campaigns. Already, a candidate for office has been utilizing AI bots to make calls on her behalf. Will we be seeing more of this?

Please also take this week’s poll: