Acton Unwind

This week, Eric, Anthony, and Dan discuss the Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit against Apple for alleged monopolistic practices in the smartphone market. They then turn their attention to a strange essay in National Affairs on the “Soft Tyranny of Smartphones” and explore whether a desire to use a smartphone less requires government action. And finally, should we be concerned about Elon Musk's brain-chip company, Neuralink, or should we celebrate such a technological advancement? Subscribe to our podcasts   U.S. accuses Apple of illegally maintaining monopoly in broad lawsuit | Axios The Apple Antitrust Case and the ‘Stigma' of the Green Bubble | Wired Brandon Sanderson Says Deal with Audible Is in the Works | Publishers Weekly The Soft Tyranny of Smartphones | National Affairs Patient of Elon Musk's Neuralink Shows Off New Life With Implant | Wall Street Journal

This week, Eric, Noah, and Emily discuss the legislation moving through Congress that would force the sale of TikTok from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or ban the app's availability in the United States. Are the national security issues serious enough to trump all other concerns about setting such a precedent? Then the panel turns its attention to Ben Shapiro's comments about work and retirement. How should we think about work and its role in our lives—now and when we're older? Subscribe to our podcasts   House passes bill that could lead to TikTok ban | Axios Acton Institute on TikTok TikTok Suspends a Film on Jimmy Lai | Wall Street Journal Ben Shapiro on work and retirement | X Closing the Gap Between Work and Life | David Bahnsen, Acton Line

This week Eric, Dan, and Emily discuss President Joe Biden's State of the Union address and give their own takes on the state of the union, the recent ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court that implicates IVF treatment, and the recent remarks by Pope Francis calling for Ukraine to have the “courage of the White Flag” in bringing about an end to the war in Ukraine. Subscribe to our podcasts   Remarks by President Biden in State of the Union Address | The White House Put the State of the Union address out of its misery | Eric Kohn, Religion & Liberty Online Alabama Supreme Court Sparks IVF Debate | The Morning Dispatch It's time for hard conversations about frozen embryos | Emily Zanotti, Deseret News Alabama Against IVF | Advisory Opinions podcast Pope Says Ukraine Should Have the ‘Courage of the White Flag' | New York Times Kremlin says appeal by Pope Francis for Ukraine talks is quite understandable | Reuters

On this special bonus episode of Acton Unwind, Eric, Dan, Dylan, and Daniel discuss Dune: Part Two, the second entry in director Denis Villeneuve's trilogy adapting the Frank Herbert novels. The panel discusses the technical filmmaking, how this film compares to the 1984 David Lynch adaptation of Dune, how it compares to the original books, what was left out, and more. Warning: Spoilers! Subscribe to our podcasts   Dune: Part Two trailer Dune: Part Two and the Death of Freedom | Joseph Holmes, Religion & Liberty Online Discovering human dignity in Villeneuve's Dune | Dylan Pahman, Religion & Liberty Online

This week, Eric, Anthony, and Dylan discuss the self-immolation of Aaron Bushnell and the ethics of using his suicide to advance the Palestinian cause, the online free-speech cases that SCOTUS heard last week, and the story that the fast-food chain Wendy's was planning to roll out surge pricing in the spirit of Uber and Lyft. Wendy's isn't doing that—but should it? Subscribe to our podcasts   Man Dies After Setting Himself on Fire Outside Israeli Embassy in Washington, Air Force Says | New York Times Cornel West tweet about Aaron Bushnell The History of Self-Immolation as Political Protest | TIME Magazine US Supreme Court weighs landmark online free speech case | BBC ‘Mainstream Media' Doesn't Have a Liberal Bias | Dylan Pahman, The Federalist Supreme Court justices raise First Amendment concerns in NetChoice oral argument | FIRE Wendy's says ‘dynamic pricing' is different from ‘surge pricing,' but whatever it's called may still alienate customers | Fortune Consumerism, Service, and Religion | Dylan Pahman, Religion & Liberty Online

This week on Acton Unwind, guest host Dan Hugger is joined by Dylan Pahman and Noah Gould. They begin the podcast by discussing two recent essays that call into question Hillsdale College's “Christian College” bona fides. What makes a college Christian, and does Hillsdale fit the bill? Next, Google's Gemini generative AI chatbot's political biases are explored. What does AI bias look like? Why is it important, and what can be done to mitigate it? Is it inadvertent performance art?  Finally, the group unpacks the recent scandal that has engulfed science fiction and fantasy's most prestigious award, the Hugo. Is it prudent to host such awards in China? Is the Hugo scandal an indictment of democracy? How does this scandal effect the award's credibility going forward? Subscribe to our podcasts  Selling “Christian” Hillsdale | Current  Some additional thoughts about Hillsdale | Current On Hillsdale College and Christianity by Dan Hugger | Reign of Conscience On Constitutions, Confessionalization, and Gandhi | Reign of Conscience (Substack) More human than human: measuring ChatGPT political bias | Public Choice Hugo Awards 2024: What Really Happened at the Sci-Fi Awards in China? | Esquire Authors ‘excluded from Hugo awards over China concerns' | The Guardian Your New Aesthetic | YouTube

This week guest host Dan Hugger is joined by Dan Churchwell and Emily Zanotti. The panel begins by discussing the recent death of Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny in prison. How should the international community respond? Will this tragedy cause Americans on the extreme left and right develop a more critical attitude toward Vladimir Putin? Next, recent discoveries of rare-earth minerals in Wyoming promise to give the U.S. a geopolitical and economic edge, but what tradeoffs are involved in the extraction of natural resources? Then—what does OpenAI's plans for investment in chip production mean for our world and our home?  Finally, the gang reflects on the penitential season of Lent. What's behind its increasingly ecumenical appeal? It's cultural, political, and theological dimensions are explored before the panelists share their spiritual practices for the season. Subscribe to our podcasts Putin critic Alexei Navalny dies in Arctic Circle jail, says Russia (bbc.com) Russian Exceptionalism | New York Review of Books Wyoming Hits the Rare-Earth Mother Lode | WSJ Rare Earths Discovery Near Wheatland So Big It Could Be World Leader | Your Wyoming News Source (cowboystatedaily.com) Sam Altman Seeks Trillions of Dollars to Reshape Business of Chips and AI | WSJ ‘The astonishing Jensen Huang of Nvidia talks about the future of AI. Sovereign AI is the future and more valuable than oil or gold'| Twitter (X)  More Work For Mother: The Ironies of Household Technology from the Open Hearth to the Microwave  The Harried Leisure Class | Marginal Revolution  2024 Lent Project | Biola University Center for Christianity, Culture and the Arts Tuna Fish and Tollhouse Cookies | Emily Zanotti (substack.com) Catechism of the Catholic Church 

This week, Eric talks with Mustafa Akyol about his essay in the Winter issue of RELIGION & LIBERTY, a book review of “Wahhābism: The History of a Militant Islamic Movement.” Where did Wahhabist Islam come from and how much sway does it hold in the Muslim world today? Then Eric is joined by Anthony Bradley and Noah Gould as they discuss the He Gets Us ads from the Super Bowl, Tucker Carlson's interview of Vladimir Putin, and how old is too old to be president of the United States. Subscribe to our podcasts Subscribe to Religion & Liberty The Rebirth of a Heretical Islam | Mustafa Akyol, Religion & Liberty Foot Washing | He Gets Us Who is My Neighbor? | He Gets Us Vladimir Putin tells Tucker Carlson that Russia is 'willing to negotiate' with Ukraine | USA Today Overwhelming majority think Biden is too old to serve following Hur report: Poll | The Hill Ad-Copy Gospel and the Christian Marketing Dilemma | Isaac Willour, Religion & Liberty Online

This week, Eric, Anthony, and Dylan are joined by John G. Grove, managing editor of Law & Liberty, to discuss his essay in the Winter edition of Religion & Liberty, “The Gods of the City.” Is Christian nationalism a real thing? What is the proper interplay between faith and government? Then Emily joins the show to discuss the way-too-online theory that the Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce relationship, and even possibly the Super Bowl, is actually a psyop or deep-state conspiracy. But setting aside that silliness, shouldn't conservatives be holding up Swift and Kelce as an example of a courtship done right? And finally, social media CEOs were on Capitol Hill for their annual congressional hearing/public beating. Is there a role for the government in helping parents handle kids and social media? Or do we just need better parenting? Subscribe to our podcasts Subscribe to Religion & Liberty The Gods of the City | John G. Grove, Religion & Liberty The Existential Threat of Anti-Christian Nationalism | D.G. Hart, Religion & Liberty This Lawmaker Wants to Jail People for Watching Porn | Rolling Stone The ‘Taylor Swift Psyop' Freaks Need to Go Outside | National Review Hawley presses Zuckerberg to compensate online harm victims | Axios

This week, Eric, Dan, and Emily discuss the Supreme Court's ruling lifting an injunction that prevented the federal government from removing razor wire installed by the state of Texas at the southern border. What did SCOTUS actually do here? What are we supposed to do in this bizarre situation where the federal government will not enforce federal law but doesn't want states to enforce it either? Will political incentives prevent any definitive action? Next, Alabama executed a death row inmate using nitrogen hypoxia, after previous attempts using more common methods had failed. How should people of faith think about the death penalty? Are our attempts to avoid supposedly cruel and usual methods like firing squads and the electric chair leading to less certain and possibly more inhumane methods? And finally, what does the Ayodhya Ram temple's inauguration by Indian prime minister Modi tell us about the place of religion in Indian public life? Subscribe to our podcasts Divided SCOTUS grants Biden administration request to cut Texas' razor wire | Axios Letter from Texas Governor Greg Abbott What Part of Legal Immigration Don't You Understand? | Reason The U.S. had its first execution by nitrogen gas. Here's what to know. | Washington Post Why India's New Ram Temple Is So Important | New York Times

This week, Eric, Dan, and Noah discuss Javier Milei's speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos. Did the Davos set know what they were getting into when they invited him? How important and refreshing was it to hear a voice opposed to the elite consensus at Davos? Will anyone listen to him? Next, Donald Trump claims that a president can't be the president without also being guaranteed full and complete immunity from prosecution. Is there any legal basis for this? What will be the consequences of the continual degradation of norms in our society? And finally, South Africa brings a case against Israel for genocide at the International Court of Justice at The Hague. Does the case have any merit? And does international law even really exist?  Subscribe to our podcasts  Davos 2024: Special address by Javier Milei, President of Argentina | World Economic Forum Javier Milei Speech at the World Economic Forum | Video Argentinian prez Javier Milei kills 'em with common sense as he scolds Davos elites | Douglas Murray, New York Post The Intellectuals and Socialism | F.A. Hayek Trump, awaiting ruling, says presidents must have ‘complete and total' immunity | NBC News Trump invokes ‘rogue cops' and ‘bad apples' to explain why he needs total immunity | The Independent Israel rejects genocide charges, tells World Court it must defend itself | Reuters Mere Natural Law with Hadley Arkes | Acton Line

This week, to start the show, Eric is joined by Fr. Robert Sirico, Acton's co-founder and president emeritus, who just returned from a quasi-secret trip to Hong Kong, where he attended a day of Jimmy Lai's National Security Law trial. What did he see in Hong Kong and at the trial? How has the “feel” of Hong Kong changed since he last visited? Then Eric is joined by Dan Hugger and Dylan Pahman for a discussion of how universities are reappraising standardized tests like the SAT and ACT. What have we learned since some schools dropped these tests as admissions criteria during COVID and after years of a campaign to reduce their use because of their “inherent bias”? Next, SCOTUS will decide the constitutionality of the right of cities to ban homeless encampments. Aside from the legal questions, is allowing homeless camps advisable in regard to public health and safety? How should we approach the issue of homelessness? And finally, President Joe Biden spoke in the pulpit of South Carolina's Mother Emanuel AME Church in what was widely regarded as a campaign speech. How should we think about politics from the pulpit? Subscribe to our podcasts  The Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai's Extraordinary Struggle for Freedom The Misleading SAT Debate | David Leonhardt, New York Times Supreme Court to Decide If Homeless-Camping Bans Violate Constitution | National Review NYC HS principal lashes out at parents who bashed decision to force students to go remote as migrants sheltered at school | New York Post The Great Unlearning | Acton Line Biden condemns white supremacy in a campaign speech at a church where Black people were killed | Associated Press

This week, Eric, Anthony Bradley (making his maiden voyage on the podcast), and Emily discuss the resignation of Harvard University president Claudine Gay. How significant a story is this? Does it matter only for elites, or do the downstream effects impact more of America? Does it matter that the people who uncovered her plagiarism had their own political motivations? Did race play any role in this story, with Gay having been the first black woman president of Harvard? Next, the panel reflects on the passing of Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O'Connor in early December. Beyond being the first woman on the Court, what will she be remembered for? And finally, what are Eric, Anthony, and Emily hopeful for in 2024? Harvard President Resigns After Mounting Plagiarism Accusations | New York Times Claudine Gay: What Just Happened at Harvard Is Bigger Than Me | New York Times Harvard President Claudine Gay Hit with Six New Charges of Plagiarism | Washington Free Beacon How We Squeezed Harvard to Push Claudine Gay Out | Christopher F. Rufo, Wall Street Journal Sandra Day O'Connor, First Woman on the Supreme Court, Is Dead at 93 | New York Times

This week, Eric is joined first by Mark Clifford, the president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong, as they discuss the National Security Law trial of Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong. After numerous delays, the trial has finally started. What charges is Jimmy facing, of which he will certainly be convicted? What comes after those convictions, both in regard to the cause of freeing Jimmy Lai and the cause of freedom in Hong Kong? What significance do the calls from the U.K. and American governments for Lai to be released hold? Then Eric is joined by Noah Gould and Emily Zanotti to discuss the Satanic Temple's statue of the pagan idol Baphomet in the Iowa State House. Should such displays be prohibited? If so, on what grounds? What does the legal jurisprudence say on matters like this? Does the First Amendment require indulging efforts to troll people of faith? And finally, Sam Bankman-Fried was indicted and convicted on multiple federal charges related to fraud perpetrated at his cryptocurrency exchange FTX. His adopted philosophy of effective altruism has also come in for criticism in the wake of the conviction. The group discusses Noah's piece in Fusion magazine on the topic. The Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai's Extraordinary Struggle for Freedom | Full Film The Trial of Jimmy Lai | Isaac Willour, Acton Institute Jimmy Lai: Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon's trial begins | BBC Britain calls for Jimmy Lai's release as Hong Kong trial begins | Reuters Trial of Jimmy Lai Under the Hong Kong National Security Law | US State Department Satanic Temple says part of display in Iowa Capitol ‘destroyed beyond repair' | Des Moines Register Effective Altruism's Reign Should End with Sam Bankman-Fried's | Noah Gould, Fusion Poverty, Inc.

This week, Eric, Dan, and Dylan discuss the passing of Henry Kissinger at the age of 100. How should Kissinger be remembered? Is there any merit to the claims he was a war criminal? What will be his enduring legacy? Next, Venezuela might be preparing to annex some of the territory of neighboring Guyana after the discovery of large oil reserves in that nation. How concerned should we be? How much does this underscore the disaster that the socialist governments of Chávez and Maduro have been for Venezuela? And finally, the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and Penn appeared before Congress to testify on anti-Semitism on their campuses—and it didn't go very well. How should we think about free speech on college campuses?  Pax Kissinger | The Morning Dispatch The Meaning of History: Dr. Henry Kissinger's Undergraduate Thesis | Johns Hopkins University Guyana agreed to talks with Venezuela over territorial dispute under pressure from Brazil, others | Associated Press Venezuela's autocrat, Nicolás Maduro, threatens to annex Guyana | The Economist Antisemitism Beleaguers the Ivies | The Dispatch

Today, Eric and Dan talk with Acton's Michael Matheson Miller about his essay “The Poverty Pyramid Scheme,” and AIER's Samuel Gregg about his review “Mistaken About Poverty,” both of which appear in the Fall 2023 issue of our magazine RELIGION & LIBERTY, which is focused on the issue of poverty. How should we think about poverty in the developing world and in places like the United States? What conditions are necessary for people to rise out of poverty? What do social engineers get wrong about how we should address issues that contribute to poverty? And what is Acton's new Center for Social Flourishing doing to advance the discussion on poverty? Subscribe to RELIGION & LIBERTY The Prosperity Pyramid Scheme | Michael Matheson Miller Mistaken About Poverty | Samuel Gregg Poverty, Inc. Reason, Faith, and the Struggle for Western Civilization | Samuel Gregg Afghanistan I fought for lacks foundation for freedom | Stephen Barrows

This week, Eric, Dylan, and Noah are joined by Acton Managing Director, International, Alex Chaufen to discuss Argentinian president-elect Javier Milei. Who is Milei? Is there anything to the comparisons American media are making to Donald Trump? Can he pull off changing Argentinian currency from the peso to the dollar? They also dive in to the temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the deal made to release hostages from the terrorist organization in exchange for Palestinian prisoners currently held in Israel. Will this be good for the war, and will this incentivize more hostage taking in the future? And finally, Senator Elizabeth Warren is warning us about a “sandwich shop monopoly” emerging from a deal that would unite Subway under the same ownership with Jimmy Johns and McAlisters. Because, you know, those are the only three options you have for lunch. Javier Milei will be Argentina's first libertarian president | The Economist Israel, Hamas Reach Deal to Release 50 Hostages | Wall Street Journal Israel-Hamas War: Sides Near Hostage Release, Truce Extension | Wall Street Journal The FTC puts your lunch on its plate | Politico

This week, Eric and Dan are joined by Philip Booth, professor of finance, public policy, and ethics at St. Mary's University, Twickenham, England, to discuss his essay in the Fall 2023 issue of RELIGION & LIBERTY, "Creating an Economy of Inclusion.”  Catholic Social Teaching has, for decades, provided both guidelines and cautions for market economies that exclude marginalized populations. The question is, however, are those populations excluded by markets or from markets? Eric and Dan then discuss the alleged surge in popularity for Osama bin Laden's “Letter to America” on TikTok. Is this justification for the 9/11 attacks really as pronounced of a phenomenon as it was made out to be? Or were the people expressing horror and outrage about the trend helping to boost it into a bigger problem than it originally was?Is there a case to be made to ban the TikTok app? And finally, a number of American CEOs gathered in San Francisco to celebrate Chinese president Xi Jinping. How should we think about the interplay — and the apparent inextricable link — between the American and Chinese economies? Creating an Economy of Inclusion | Philip Booth, RELIGION & LIBERTY Subscribe to RELIGION & LIBERTY Videos About Bin Laden's Criticism of U.S. Surge in Popularity on TikTok | New York Times How Osama bin Laden's ‘Letter to America' reached millions online | Washington Post When Product Markets Become Collective Traps: The Case of Social Media | University of Chicago Dinner with Xi in San Francisco: A Who's Who of America's Beijing-Friendly Elite | Jimmy Quinn, National Review

This week, Eric, Dan, and Noah discuss the philanthropic efforts of MrBeast, the YouTube star with more than 200 million followers, in building wells in Kenya, which has come in for some criticism. Are MrBeast's efforts making a positive impact, or are they worthy of the criticism they're receiving? Or both? And what could he and other people with high profiles who seek to do good do differently? Next, the panel discusses the report from the pro-Israel outfit Honest Reporting about freelance photojournalists working for the Associated Press, Reuters, the New York Times, and others being embedded with Hamas on October 7. What questions about ethics in journalism does this raise? And finally, the University of Austin is open for business. But how successful will it be at attracting students and building a different way of providing higher education? MrBeast builds 100 wells in Africa, attracting praise – and some criticism | CNN Broken Borders: AP & Reuters Pictures of Hamas Atrocities Raise Ethical Questions | Honest Reporting Israel Accuses Freelance Photographers of Advance Knowledge of Oct. 7 Attack | New York Times Media watchdog says it was just ‘raising questions' with insinuations about photographers and Hamas | Associated Press Watchdog accepts news orgs weren't tipped off about Oct. 7: We just ‘raised questions' | Times of Israel Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board gives first go-ahead to new University of Austin | Austin American-Statesman University of Austin Board of Advisors

This week, Eric, Dylan, and Emily work over the news that WeWork, a company that provides flexible office workspace, will file for bankruptcy this week. Was it a victim of the pandemic? A creature of a low-interest-rate economy and a venture-capital mentality that said they'd figure out how to be profitable at some point that never arrived? Both? Next, legendary and controversial college basketball coach Bobby Knight passed away last week at the age of 83. What does Knight's ends-justify-the-means success tell us about civic, economic, and church life? And finally, nearly 3,000 former Morehouse College students had their student debt erased without any government action. Is it true that debt relief is yours if you want it, whether or not Washington intervenes? Subscribe to our podcasts WeWork plans to file for bankruptcy as early as next week, source says | Reuters Monetary Policy Is Working | Dominic Pino, National Review Legendary basketball coach Bob Knight dies at 83 | ESPN The Bobby Knight Problem | “The Rise & Fall of Mars Hill,” Christianity Today The Last Days of Knight | ESPN 30 for 30 These former HBCU students owed their college nearly $10 million. The debt was just erased | USA Today Student Loans and the Sin of Usury | James Caton & Dylan Pahman, Acton Institute

This week, Eric, Dan, and Emily discuss the decision to melt down the statue of Robert E. Lee that was at the center of the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Is removing statues of Confederate generals erasing history? What is the proper way to memorialize the Confederacy, if there is one? And how should we think about and remember Robert E. Lee? Then the panel turns its attention to engagement farming on X (formerly known as Twitter) and Elon Musk's announcement that posts with community notes correcting factual inaccuracies would no longer be eligible for the platform's ad-revenue-sharing program. Is this a good way to fight misinformation online? Or will it just be gamed the same way ad revenue sharing is? And finally, was the Catholic Church's Synod on Synodality really, after all, just the friends we made along the way? How are we to interpret the 21,000-word report from the Synod? And what are we to make of its release coinciding with the news that a (briefly) excommunicated Jesuit priest accused of abuse has been returned to ministry? Charlottesville's Lee statue meets its end, in a 2,250-degree furnace | Washington Post Removing statues won't erase the past, could mar the future | Dan Hugger, Acton Institute Elon Musk on monetization on X | X (formerly known as Twitter) The Internet of Beefs | Venkatesh Rao, Ribbonfarm Synod report proposes ways to foster synodal Church | The Pillar Pope orders Vatican to reopen case of priest accused of adult abuse but allowed to keep ministering | Associated Press

This week, Eric, Dan, and Dylan discuss the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or more specifically, the lack of one. What does this situation say about how well-functioning, or not, our system of government is right now? What does it say about a possible decline in civic virtue in the United States? Then the guys turn their attention to the Israel-Hamas war and the Israeli airstrike on a hospital in Gaza that killed 500 people that turned out to not be an Israeli airstrike, that didn't hit a hospital but its parking lot, and that didn't kill hundreds of people. What does the way this story evolved reveal about modern media—and the prominence of social media in the news-gathering ecosystem? And finally, Ozempic is a drug that was developed for treating diabetes but is frequently used off-label for weight loss. Is it a miracle? Or should we be more skeptical about something that delivers incredible results without much work on the part of the person taking it? House GOP speaker race balloons to nine candidates | Axios NYT admits error in Gaza hospital report | Politico It's easy to screw up on breaking news. But you have to admit when you do. | Nate Silver The Dream of Scalable Democracy | Dylan Pahman, Law & Liberty What Is Ozempic and Why Is It Getting So Much Attention? | New York Times Desperate Indians want Ozempic on prescription. Huge shift from traditional drugs, say doctors | The Print How Weight Loss Drugs Stopped a Danish Recession | Apricitas Economics

This week, Eric, Dylan, and Emily examine the purportedly pro-Palestinian rallies and campus protests that took place in the wake of the slaughter of Israeli Jews by Hamas terrorists. How surprised should we be by people chanting “gas the Jews” in Sydney, Australia, or by members of student organizations at Harvard University claiming that “the Israeli regime is entirely responsible for all unfolding violence”? What should be the consequences, if any, for people who have openly supported or defended the murder of Israelis by Hamas? Should universities and corporations end the practice of publishing a statement on every major issue? Then the panel reviews the awarding of the Nobel Prize in economics to Claudia Goldin for her work contributing to a better understanding of women's participation in the labor force. And finally, is Bigfoot real, and did a couple vacationing in Colorado capture it on video? Probably not. But it's fun to imagine. A Weekend on the Brink | The Morning DispatchAustralian pro-Palestinian protesters chant ‘gas the Jews' as police warn Jewish people to stay away from area | Fox NewsCollege campus protests erupt across US ahead of anticipated Israel operation in Gaza | Fox NewsNYU law student group moves to oust president who cheered Hamas attack | New York PostAOC knocks ‘bigotry and callousness' of Times Square rally for Palestinians | PoliticoA Stanford University instructor has been removed from the classroom amid reports they called Jewish students colonizers and downplayed the Holocaust | CNNStar of David is graffitied on Jewish homes in Berlin after Hamas attacks on Israel — in chilling echo of anti-Semitic persecution of the Jews under the Nazis | Daily MailWhy do some people hate the Jews? | Acton Line PodcastCollege Free Speech Rankings | Foundation for Individual Rights and ExpressionClaudia Goldin Is the Ideal Academic Researcher | Victor V. Claar & Angela K. Dills, Acton Institute‘Feels like a hoax': Purported Bigfoot video from Colorado attracts skeptics, believers | USA Today

This week, Eric, Dan, and Dylan are joined by Rachel Ferguson—director of the Center for Free Enterprise and assistant dean and professor of business ethics at Concordia University Chicago and an affiliate scholar at the Acton Institute—to discuss her essay in the most recent issue of RELIGION & LIBERTY, “Saving St. Louis One Block at a Time.” How did St. Louis end up in the state it's in? How does neighborhood stabilization work? How is investing in single city blocks more effective than a panoply of government-initiated anti-poverty programs? How important is trust between citizens and law enforcement to these ends? Then the guys discuss the terrorist attacks by Hamas in Israel over the weekend. What will come next? What does this mean for efforts at peace accords between Israel and countries like Saudi Arabia? What should we make of the people pouring into the streets of American cities in support of the Palestinian cause, if not the actions of Hamas? Subscribe to RELIGION & LIBERTY Saving St. Louis One Block at a Time | Rachel Ferguson, RELIGION & LIBERTY A ‘Black Day' in Israel | The Morning Dispatch Today Is Israel's 9/11 | Noah Pollack, The Free Press Iran Helped Plot Attack on Israel Over Several Weeks | WSJ

This week, Eric, Emily, and Dylan tackle the Catholic Church Synod on Synodality taking place starting this week at the Vatican. What is the Synod on Synodality all about? What issues facing the Church—the ordination of women, the blessing of same-sex couples, married priests, and more—are on the table? What power does the Synod actually have? And could this Synod have just been an email? Next, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, is up for renewal, and there are some conservative lawmakers who don't want to renew it because of concerns over potential funding of abortion. Are those concerns valid? And if so, are they valid enough to scuttle what is largely agreed to be one of the most successfully public health programs in recent memory? And finally, California has raised the minimum wage for fast food workers to $20 an hour. What could go wrong? Quite a few things, actually. Say hello to your friendly new robot burger chef!   Vatican Assembly Puts the Church's Most Sensitive Issues on the Table | New York Times A Public Health Setback | New York Times Poverty, Inc. PovertyCure How to Have a Great and Holy Council | Dylan Pahman, Religion & Liberty Online New California law raises minimum wage for fast food workers to $20 per hour, among nation's highest | Associated Press The social responsibility of Chick-fil-A is to make delicious sandwiches | Dylan Pahman, Religion & Liberty Online  

Marvin Olasky joins Eric and Noah this week to discuss his feature essay in the new Fall 2023 issue of RELIGION & LIBERTY, entitled “The Thrill and Chill of Compassionate Conservatism,” in which Marvin revisits two of his books: The Tragedy of American Compassion (1990) and Compassionate Conservatism (1999). What has transpired in terms of poverty intervention and amelioration on the federal, state, and local levels since their publication and the welfare reforms of the 1990s? Where are we doing now to address effectively issues of poverty in America? How has conservatism itself, and its expression through the Republican Party, changed since the compassionate conservatism days of George W. Bush's first term? Next, the guys examine Sen. Josh Hawley's proposal to cap credit card interest rates at 18%. How many unintended consequences would this produce if it were enacted? And finally, the headlines about a Canadian study on cash transfers claim it “debunks stereotypes of homeless people's spending habits” and that cash transfers “reduce homelessness” and will supposedly enable them to save money. Are they sure about that? Subscribe to our podcasts The Thrill and Chill of Compassionate Conservatism | Marvin Olasky, Religion & Liberty Subscribe to Religion & Liberty and get 4 issues for $29.99/year The Law of Conservation of Welfare—And What Energy Source Can Transform It | Marvin Olasky @ Acton University 2023‘ Americans are being crushed': Sen. Josh Hawley wants to cap credit card APR at 18%—here's his plan to help ‘working people' | Yahoo Finance Unconditional cash transfers reduce homelessness | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Payday Loans and Predatory Politicians | Eric Kohn, Foundation for Economic Education

This week, Eric, Dan, and Dylan discuss the United Auto Workers strike. Are the demands from the UAW reasonable? How should we think about trade unionization in America today? Are there any risks to the new strategy that the UAW is engaging in? Next, the guys evaluate the FDA's decision to make Narcan, the treatment for opioid overdoses, available over the counter. Is this a good thing? What are the potential downsides, if any? And how do we need to look at ways to treat the underlying disease of the soul that's driving addiction problems like the opioid epidemic? And finally, the truth is out there about “Mexican aliens.” The UFO kind, that is. Mexico's Congress heard testimony as to their “authenticity.” The truth, however, is that it was all a sham. So why the big show? Subscribe to our podcasts What are the UAW strike demands? Here are the issues amid negotiations | Washington Post The UAW Labor-Strike Debacle | National Review How UAW Tossed Its Old Playbook and Pursued a Surprise-Attack Strike Strategy | Wall Street Journal More Michigan pharmacies will carry over-the-counter Narcan | ABC 12 News Michigan State Police trooper uses Narcan to save man from heroin overdose | MLive Mummies From Outer Space? Mexico's Congress Gets a Firsthand Look. | New York Times

This week, Eric, Dylan, and Emily parse former vice president Mike Pence's speech in New Hampshire, which was aimed at drawing distinctions between his definition of conservatism and the populism of the New Right and Donald Trump. Does Pence's definition of the two in opposition to each other make sense? Or has populism always existed in American conservatism and on the left? Next, the panel looks at the implications for the Church of Scientology of the conviction and sentencing of former THAT '70s SHOW co-star Danny Masterson to 30 years to life for rape. There are many people who would like to see Scientology lose its tax-exempt status and other constitutional protections, but what concerns should we have about the implications of those kinds of calls for other religions? And finally, the group reflects on the 22nd anniversary of September 11 and the passing of Jimmy Buffett. Pence Calls Trump's Populism a ‘Road to Ruin' for the G.O.P. | New York Times Conservatism vs. Populism Speech | Mike Pence for President The Dream of Scalable Democracy | Dylan Pahman, Law & Liberty Danny Masterson Sentenced to 30 Years to Life in Prison in Rape Retrial | TMZ Leah Remini Rips “Criminal” Scientology in Aftermath of Danny Masterson Prison Sentencing | Deadline A New York firefighter tells his story of 9/11 | Acton Line Bombs, guns, and drones cannot win a spiritual war (UPDATED) | Dylan Pahman, Religion & Liberty Online Jimmy Buffett, Roguish Bard of Island Escapism, Is Dead at 76 | New York Times

This week, guest host Dan Hugger is joined by Dylan Pahman and Emily Zanotti to discuss the Georgia election racketeering prosecution of former President Donald Trump. What is this case actually about, and how does it differ from the other Trump indictments? Are mug shots exploitative? Why did President Trump choose this moment to break his long Twitter silence? Then the panel examines last week's Republican presidential debate. Have we leaned anything new about the candidates? How do we best think about the place of debates in our national life? Is Twitter/X the future of presidential politics? Subscribe to our podcasts Donald Trump says Georgia arrest and mugshot are a ‘travesty of justice' | Telegraph.co.uk Georgia election racketeering prosecution | Wikipedia First Republican Presidential Debate Draws 12.8 Million Viewers | New York Times Trump's Interview with Tucker Carlson Has More Than 150 Million ‘Views' on X—Here's Why That's Misleading | Forbes.com Trump support grows among college-educated as primary foes fail to lock up group | Washington Examiner Nikki Haley turned Republican rumble into campaign momentum: Polls | Washington Examiner Image by Freepik photo credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office via AP

This week, Eric and Dan are joined by Sarah Isgur, senior editor of The Dispatch, to examine whether there's a crisis in masculinity. With the successes of feminism and the shift in gender roles and expectations, how do men grapple with society's needing less of what they traditionally have provided? How is the internet and social media influencing this supposed crisis? Is it helping in any way, making things worse, or is it a mixed bag? Then the gang closes on two quickly minted internet celebrities: Oliver Anthony of “Rich Men North of Richmond” fame, and the “crazy plane lady” who appears to be rebranding herself after her “not real” meltdown. How to Bury a Billionaire | The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg Rethinking Sex: A Provocation | Christine Emba The Man in Me: Versions of the Male Experience | Ross Firestone The Internet of Beefs | Venkatesh Rao The Legal Academy, Episode 5: Eric Posner The Changing Face of Social Breakdown | Acton Line

This week, Eric, Dan, and Dylan are joined by James M. Patterson, associate professor of politics and chair of the politics department at Ave Maria University, to discuss his essay from the Summer 2023 issue of RELIGION & LIBERTY, “Is the New Right Fascist?” What is fascism, beyond the most common Orwellian definition “that which is not desirable”? How much of the radicalism of the New Right is driven by a lot of young members who are “very online”? How seriously should we take the arguments of these people, and how much should we engage with them? Subscribe to our podcasts  Is the New Right Fascist? | James M. Patterson, Religion & Liberty Patrick Deneen's Otherworldly Regime | Jonah Goldberg, Religion & Liberty The man vs. the myth: who was John Foster Dulles? | Acton Line Ron DeSantis fires staffer who shared video with fascist imagery | David Weigel & Shelby Talcott, Semafor Why Integralism Is an Ideology of Despair | James M. Patterson, Law & Liberty After Republican Virtue | James M. Patterson, Law & Liberty Fascist Economics | Wilhelm Röpke  Ur-Fascism | Umberto Eco, The New York Review of Books What if We're the Bad Guys Here? | David Brooks, New York Times

This week, Eric is joined by Daniel Baas and Titus Techera, Acton's premier movie reviewer, to discuss all things cinema, including: the success of Oppenheimer (which Titus liked), the success of Barbie (which Titus did not like), and what it is that's bringing people back to theaters. Also, is it really a big deal that Dune 2 will bump The Marvels out of IMAX theaters, since The Marvels wasn't made for that format anyway? Is it all right that some movies hit you over the head with a message sledgehammer-like? And finally, what explains the surprise success of Sound of Freedom? Subscribe to our podcasts Barbie Is a Movie for Our Time. This Is a Bad Thing. | Titus Techera, Acton Institute Oppenheimer and the Last Great America | Titus Techera, Acton Institute Sound of Freedom Is a Clarion Call for More Christians in the Arts | Titus Techera, Acton Institute Overload: Will any shows from the Golden Age of TV endure? | Sonny Bunch, The Weekly Standard

This week, Eric, Noah, and Emily are joined by Christine Rosen, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and author of the cover story in the Summer 2023 issue of RELIGION & LIBERTY entitled “The Death of Conservatism Is Greatly Exaggerated.” Why have there been so many attempts to declare American conservatism dead? Why do so many of them, and in particular a recent piece from Jon Askonas in Compact magazine, ignore the fact that so many of the criticisms the current “New Right” levels at conservatism and American life are not all that new? How should we grapple with the effects of technology on American life? And what is our politics supposed to be for, as opposed to what we're using it for now? Next, they discuss an open letter primarily written by Harvard Law School professor Mark Tushnet calling for President Joe Biden to ignore Supreme Court rulings he doesn't like. Does the left have a comprehensible legal philosophy? How much was the rise of the New Right derailed by the success of the Federalist Society and the Dobbs decision? And is this just a mirror version of what Harvard Law professor Adrian Vermeule is calling for? And finally, three members of our four-person panel have seen Oppenheimer. Was dropping the bomb on Japan the right decision? Subscribe to our podcasts The Death of Conservatism Is Greatly Exaggerated | Christine Rosen, RELIGION & LIBERTY Subscribe to RELIGION & LIBERTY Harvard's Mark Tushnet Wants Joe Biden to Become a Dictator | Charles C.W. Cooke, National Review Oppenheimer and the Last Great America | Titus Techera, Acton Institute

This week, Eric, Dan, and Emily discuss the recent decision in the 303 Creative from the Supreme Court. Is bad journalism the major culprit in people misunderstanding both the holding in the case, as well as the very facts of it? How much does it matter that it's a First Amendment speech case and not a First Amendment religious case? Next, they tackle the newly announced plan from the Biden administration to cancel a load of student loan debt and ask the question, this again? Then, they examine the story of Hunter Biden's daughter who has not been accepted or acknowledge by President Biden. Is it fair to hold this against him when making a political analysis of his fitness for the office? And finally, they look at two stories – the elevation of Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernández, who authored a book 30 years ago titled “Heal Me with Your Mouth. The Art of Kissing,” to the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, and the statements by Bishop Américo Aguiar about not seeking to convert people at World Youth Day – and ask the question: what's up with the Catholic Church? 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis | SCOTUS Blog Biden Thumps Nose At Supreme Court, Still Plans to Forgive Student Debt— In a Big Way | The Root Hunter Biden's Daughter and a Tale of Two Families | New York Times ‘Heal Me with Your Mouth. The Art of Kissing.' An old book sparks a new controversy in the Vatican | Associated Press World Youth Day and Converting Everyone to Christ | Bishop Robert Barron, Word on Fire Bishop Robert Barron: The Philosophical Roots of Wokeism | Acton Line

This week, Eric, Dan, and Noah Gould, Acton's Alumni and Student Programs manager, are joined by Jane Clark Scharl. Jane is the author of the essay “Blood of a Thousand Christs: The Violent Faith of Cormac McCarthy,” which appears in the Summer 2023 issue of RELIGION & LIBERTY. What are we to make of McCarthy's style and the prevalence of violence in his works? Where is God in McCarthy's work? How much is obscured by McCarthy's unique and stripped down style? Then, Eric, Dan, and Noah discuss two of the recent big rulings by the Supreme Court: overturning affirmative action policies at elite universities and tossing out President Joe Biden's student debt relief program. Subscribe to our podcasts About Jane Clark ScharlBlood of a Thousand Christs: The Violent Faith of Cormac McCarthy | J.C. Scharl, Religion & LibertyStudent Debt Cancellation, Canceled | The Morning DispatchSupreme Court Guts Affirmative Action | The Morning Dispatchphoto credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric, Dan, and Dylan discuss the coup attempt in Russia over the weekend, as the Wagner Group paramilitary organization marched from its position in Ukraine toward Moscow before suddenly calling off the revolt. What does this mean for Russian president Vladimir Putin and his war in Ukraine? Do we have reason to believe this was an actual revolt or coup attempt—or something orchestrated by Putin for his own purposes? Then the guys recap the tragic story of the OceanGate Titan submarine, which imploded while on a trip taking people to view the wreck of the Titanic. Is this, like the story of the Titanic itself, the high cost of hubris? Why do so many people so quickly retreat into making jokes about an awful tragedy?Subscribe to our podcasts Taking Putin Down a Peg | The Morning DispatchDoes Britain Have High or Low State Capacity? | Alex Tabarrok, Marginal RevolutionReal estate is China's economic Achilles heel | Noah Smith, NoahpinionOn Differences Between Urban & Rural China | Dan WangThe Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai's Extraordinary Struggle for FreedomTitan sub implosion: What we know about catastrophic event | BBC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Jonah Goldberg joins Eric, Dan, and Dylan to discuss his newly released review of Patrick Deneen's book, "Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future.” Following on the success, or at least the popularity, of his last book, “Why Liberalism Failed,” does Deneen have solutions to the problems he sees in modern society? Does his scholarship hold up under scrutiny? And is that the odor of Marxism exuding from the book—or is it just the choice to name the final chapter after the famous speech by Lenin? Is there more to it than that? (Narrator: “There's more to it than that.”) To close out, the guys comment on the passing of the novelist Cormac McCarthy and how his books understood and demonstrated the grotesque violence of man in a state of nature.Subscribe to our podcasts Patrick Deneen's Otherworldly Regime | Jonah Goldberg, Acton Institute Liberalism Isn't Rule by Elites | Stephanie Slade, Reason Magazine ‘I Don't Want to Violently Overthrow the Government. I Want Something Far More Revolutionary.' | Politico Magazine Episode 150: Define Your Terms | The Editors Podcast, National Review Suicide of the West: How the Rebirth of Tribalism, Populism, Nationalism, and Identity Politics Is Destroying American Democracy | Jonah Goldberg Liberal Practice v. Liberal Theory | Daniel E. Burns, National AffairsFrom Peak Oil to Peak Liberalism | D.G. Hart, Journal of Markets & Morality What I Saw at the National Conservatism Conference | Dan Hugger, Acton Institute National Conservatism One Year Later | Dan Hugger, Acton Institute Cormac McCarthy, Novelist of a Darker America, Is Dead at 89 | New York Times Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric and Dan are joined by Emily Zanotti, a new contributing editor at the Acton Institute, as they tackle the latest indictment of former president Donald Trump. Again we ask: Does the act of indicting a former president and current candidate for president alone render America a banana republic? What's the difference between this case and cases of other prominent politicians—such as Joe Biden, Mike Pence, and Hillary Clinton—mishandling classified information? If there is a double standard at play, how do we rectify that situation to make it a single standard going forward? Next, the group examines comments by Bishop Athanasius Schneider that Catholics can't suffer from depression. How should we think about the power of faith in the context of mental illness? How much of this is an overreaction to the seeming obsession with mental health problems in the modern world? And finally, we take a look at the lives of two very different people who passed away this week: Christian TV broadcaster and founder of Regent University Pat Robertson and the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski.Subscribe to our podcasts Indictment of former president Donald Trump Trump Indicted Over Documents | The Morning Dispatch Catholics cannot be depressed | Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Twitter Died: Pat Robertson, Broadcast Pioneer Who Brought Christian TV to the Mainstream | Kate Shellnutt, Christianity Today Ted Kaczynski, ‘Unabomber' Who Attacked Modern Life, Dies at 81 | New York Times Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric, Dan, and Dylan talk conservative boycott culture: Bud Light, Target, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and more. If the social responsibility of business is to increase profits, as Milton Friedman said, is there a way we can return to that understanding? Or are we going to be stuck in a political tug-of-war where people on the left and the right want the oars of every institution pulling in the same direction—their direction? Next, they examine the newly passed debt ceiling deal. Will we ever find a way out of government-by-crisis so we can have a real conversation about the utterly irresponsible debt load the country is carrying? And finally, have you heard of the Marvin Heemeyer “Killdozer” story from 2004? If anyone tries to tell you he's some kind of a hero, just a regular guy pushed to the limit by a capricious city government, don't believe it. Eric lays out the real facts.Subscribe to our podcastsThe Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits | Milton Friedman, New York Times MagazineThe social responsibility of Chick-fil-A is to make delicious sandwiches | Dylan Pahman, Acton InstituteThe Good That Business Does | Robert G. KennedyTo boycott or not to boycott Disney, that is the question | Dan Hugger, Acton InstituteThe Rise and Fall of the Spokestroll | Abe Greenwald, CommentaryWhat's in the US debt ceiling deal and who won? | BBCMarvin Heemeyer & The Killdozer | WikipediaTread (2019) Documentary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric, Dan, and Dylan rummage around a grab bag of topics for this potpourri episode of the podcast. First up: The expiration of Title 42, the pandemic-era border-security measure. Will its going away create new problems at the border? Almost certainly. But the policy can't stay if the pandemic is, according to the federal government, over. If Congress could find a way to do its job, it could reinstitute a similar policy. Next, a communist coffee shop in Toronto closes. Might it have been a good idea to be open before 9 a.m., when most people want coffee? The laws of economics and the marketplace will get you every time. Then, is it appropriate for women to wear yoga pants in public? Is it even appropriate to wear yoga pants for yoga? Penultimately, the guys marvel at the tale of La Sombrita, a piece of metal that's supposed to provide light and shade at bus stops in Los Angeles that does neither and came at the low, low cost of $200,000 and three years in development. And finally, Pastor Tim Keller is remembered a few days after he passed away at the age of 72.Subscribe to our podcastsWhat Is Title 42? What Its End Means for Immigration and U.S.-Mexico Border | Wall Street JournalWhat Part of Legal Immigration Don't You Understand? | ReasonThe Anarchist: Toronto's anti-capitalist cafe is permanently closing | Daily HiveDieWorkwear Twitter Thread on Yoga Pats and MenswearLa Sombrita, or, How to Fail at Infrastructure | Cato InstituteEngaging the Culture for Christ | Stephen O. Presley, Acton InstituteDied: Tim Keller, New York City Pastor Who Modeled Winsome Witness | Christianity TodayPhoto Credit: @LADOTofficial Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Acton Unwind, special guest panelist Farah Adeed along with Dan and Dylan discuss two major stories in the majority-Muslim world: the arrest and subsequent release of Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan and Sunday's election in Turkey. Farah is an incoming Ph.D. student in the Department of Political Science at Boston University and studies the role of religion in the nation-building process and democratization in Muslim-majority countries. He is also a former Emerging Leader at Acton. The panel begins with an examination of Imran Khan's place in Pakistani public life, then move on to the larger political landscape of Pakistan, the place of the military establishment, and the role of Islam in public life. Next the panel turns to Sunday's election in Turkey: What is the state of Turkish politics today in the wake of the election? Why was it both so close and so contentious? And what does the election suggest about the state of Turkey's democratic institutions? Lastly, the panel examines how Islam can play a constructive role in the development of free and democratic institutions in the Muslim-majority world and what historical resources can inspire such reform and renewal.Arrest of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan was illegal, top court rules | CNNFormer Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan released on bail | CNNTurkey's Election Scenarios: The Good, the Bad, and the Scary | National ReviewTurkey's Erdogan faces second round in fevered race for presidency | BBCIs Indonesia's “Civil Islam” a model for the Muslim world? | Religion & Liberty OnlineAbolishing blasphemy laws in Pakistan will lead to more violence | Religion & Liberty Online Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric, Dan, and Dylan discuss the suspension of the Acton Institute's TikTok account after it shared promotional content for our award-winning documentary feature film, The Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai's Extraordinary Struggle for Freedom. Is it just a weird coincidence that these kinds of suspensions keep happening to accounts that share content that the Chinese Communist Party would disapprove of? How should we think about attempts by Congress to address the risks presented by the TikTok app, which funnels a ton of personal information back to its parent company, ByteDance, in China? Would banning the app even be effective at reducing such a threat to privacy? Next, the guys turn their attention to CPAC Hungary, the Conservative Political Action Conference's latest international summit. What are the lessons we're supposed to learn from Hungary that could actually apply to the United States, which is a vastly different country in almost every conceivable way?Subscribe to our podcasts TikTok Suspends a Film on Jimmy Lai | Wall Street Journal Banned by TikTok: The CCP Doesn't Want You to See The Hong Konger | Isaac Willour, Acton Institute TikTok Claims ‘Technical Error' Led to Suspension of Think Tank that Posted about Hong Kong | National Review Acton Institute on TikTok Stream The Hong Konger On Demand CPAC Hungary Speakers List The GOP-Hungary connection shaping the '24 campaign | Axios I Was Banned From Entering CPAC Hungary's ‘Woke Free Zone' | Politico The Words TikTok Parent ByteDance May Be Watching You Say | ForbesPhoto Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Dan, Dylan, and Stephen discuss recent housing policy proposals in Texas. What market-based reforms could lower housing costs? What should policymakers keep in mind when seeking to lower housing costs? What are the biggest political obstacles they face and how might moral arguments help in overcoming them? The panel's ears then turn to the AI song stylings of “Fake Drake.” Is the music industry poised to be disrupted by AI? What sort of property rights are likely to emerge in the wake of AI disruption? Is all music just copying already? Are music and Muzak that different? Finally, our panel turns to a discussion of “Everything-Bagel Liberalism.” Why do progressives feel the need to satisfy all constituencies in every policy all at once? How can economics help translate policies from mere good intentions into real-world change?Subscribe to our podcastsApply Now for Acton University 2023Texas Looks To The Free Market To Tackle Housing Costs | ForbesAn A.I. Hit of Fake ‘Drake' and ‘The Weeknd' Rattles the Music World | NY TimesI Cloned Myself With AI. She Fooled My Bank and My Family. | Wall Street JournalDid Ed Sheeran ACTUALLY Plagiarize Marvin Gaye? | Adam NeelyThe Grotesque Legacy of Music as Property | Adam NeelyThe Problem With Everything-Bagel Liberalism | NY TimesEvery policy objective, all the time, all at once | Slow Boring Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric, Dan, and Dylan discuss Dan's essay in the Spring 2023 issue of RELIGION & LIBERTY magazine, “National Conservatism One Year Later,” revisiting the National Conservatism movement one year after his essay on his visit to the NatCon2 conference. What, if anything, do we now understand better about the NatCon movement? Does it stand apart from traditional American conservatism, or is it slowly being subsumed by the mainstream right? And where do the post-liberals and Catholic integralists figure into this movement, if at all? Then the guys turn their attention to the expulsion of two Democratic lawmakers in Tennessee from the State House. Was this move by Tennessee Republicans wise, prudent, or even necessary? Is it in keeping with a very NatCon mentality to turn all political fights up to 11? And finally, they take a look at the ProPublica story about the hospitality benefits billionaire Harlan Crow has provided over the years to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Is there any there-there to this story? Or is the simple appearance of impropriety bad enough to warrant concern?National Conservatism One Year Later | Dan Hugger, Religion & LibertyWhat I Saw at the National Conservatism Conference | Dan Hugger, Religion & LibertySubscribe to Religion & LibertyThe hundred-year war for American conservatism | Acton LineTennessee House Ousts 2 Democratic Lawmakers: What You Need to Know | New York TimesClarence Thomas and the Billionaire | ProPublicaLawmakers Revive SCOTUS Ethics Debate | The DispatchPhoto Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric, Dan, and Dylan discuss what we know (and there's still much we don't know) about the indictment of former President Donald Trump by New York City District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Was it a wise move to indict Trump? Does indicting a former president for the first time in American history presage the “end of the republic”? Next, the guys discuss the horrible school shooting in Nashville and the quick descent into collectivist thinking on the part of both the political left and the political right. And finally, Dylan shares a horrifying AI-created video of Will Smith eating spaghetti that highlights just how far some AI technology has to go, while Eric uses it to make a point about what AI creators won't allow to be created, like political satire of China's president, Xi Jinping.Subscribe to our podcastsApply Now for Acton University 2023What We Know About the Indictment and Surrender of Donald Trump | New York Times6 Killed in Nashville School Shooting, Including 3 Children | New York TimesThe Lonely Man with a Gun | Russ RobertsAI-Generated Video of Will Smith Eating SpaghettiMidjourney CEO Says ‘Political Satire in China Is Pretty Not Okay,' but Apparently Silencing Satire About Xi Jinping Is Pretty Okay | Techdirt Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric, Dan, and Dylan discuss the new legislation in Utah restricting social media access for minors. Will it work? Is it a good idea? Will it even have a chance to take effect, as social media companies are certain to sue over it? Then, continuing on the same theme, the guys take a look at last week's congressional hearings on TikTok. Did anyone come out of this looking good? Is a ban on TikTok inevitable now? Does Congress's reason for banning TikTok even matter? And finally, Xi and Putin meet for a summit. What does that mean for the future of the war in Ukraine and for U.S.-China relations?Subscribe to our podcastsApply Now for Acton University 2023 Kids in Utah will need parents' OK to access social media | Associated Press Brad Wilcox on Twitter Utah's Governor Should Veto “Social Media Regulations” Bill S.B. 152 | Electronic Frontier Foundation Social Media Data from Jonathan Haidt Lawmakers' Drive to Rein In TikTok Intensifies After CEO's Testimony | Wall Street Journal Xi and Putin's Burgeoning Bromance | The Morning DispatchRepublican or Not? | Saturday Night LivePhoto Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric, Dan, and Dylan discuss the protests in France over the move by French president Emmanuel Macron to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. How does France, and other countries facing the realities of math when it comes to their pension programs, navigate the reality that these kinds of reforms are simultaneously necessary and very unpopular? Next, the guys consider the alleged difficulty people are having defining “wokeness” in the wake of author Bethany Mandel's going blank when asked to define the term on The Hill's morning show, “Rising.” Is this just a rhetorical game? And finally, in the wake of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, the usual suspects have been calling for new financial regulations to address the allegedly risky behavior of SBV. But would any of these proposals have done anything to prevent the kind of incident that just occurred?Subscribe to our podcastsApply Now for Acton University 2023 (Early Bird Pricing)French Protests, Turning Violent, Aim to Override Macron's Pension Overhaul | Wall Street JournalBethany Mandel on “Rising”Bethany Mandel defines “wokeness”Of Course You Know What "Woke” Means | Freddie deBoerPC Art Class | The Kids in the HallSVB Is DOA | Acton Unwind Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric, Dan, and Dylan discuss the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and the actions of the federal government in response. How concerned should we be by the moral hazard problem of bailing out the depositors of the bank beyond the $250K that is insured by the FDIC? Does this expose how the Federal Reserve's efforts to stifle inflation are riskier than many think? Next, they examine the report from the Department of Energy attributing, with “low confidence,” the outbreak of COVID-19 to a lab leak. What lessons should we take away from this about the perils of trying to determine in real time what is and is not misinformation, as the lab leak theory was labeled early on. And finally, Rod Dreher's blog at The American Conservative is no more. Did Rod remain too long in an old world of blogging that no longer exists, to his detriment? Should businesses allow their employees to work remotely? Almost all employers and employees have wrestled with this question. More and more job-seekers are expecting remote-work flexibility, and COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns greatly accelerated this trend. But are employees really as productive working from home? Does remote work hurt company culture? Or could hybrid or remote options make businesses more successful? David Bahnsen, Founder of the Bahnsen Group, argues that remote work should be minimized. Dr. Raj Choudhury, remote work expert at Harvard Business School, argues that businesses should embrace hybrid and remote options. This debate took place as a part of the 2023 Business Matters conference.Subscribe to our podcastsApply Now for Acton University 2023 (Early Bird Pricing through March 15)The Second-Largest Bank Failure in U.S. History | The Morning Dispatch 'It's a Wonderful Life' Bank Run Lab Leak Most Likely Origin of Covid-19 Pandemic, Energy Department Now Says | Wall Street Journal How Rod Dreher's Blog Got a Little “Too Weird” for The American Conservative | Vanity Fair Gary Shteyngart's ‘Gentile Region' | Rod Dreher, The American Conservative How Rod Dreher Caused an International Scandal in Eastern Europe | The Bulwark The Internet of Beefs | Venkatesh Rao, Ribbonfarm Which political tweets do best? | Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Dan Hugger, Dan Churchwell, and Dylan Pahman discuss the question of artificial intelligence, particularly the software behind a series of AI chatbots that have become publicly available in the past year. What are the possible uses and abuses, especially when incorporated into search engines like Microsoft's Bing? And what happens when they stop being polite and start acting as if they were alive?Then the panel discusses a paper presented last week by Dylan Pahman at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute's American Politics and Government Summit. The paper, titled “A Brief, Christian Prehistory of American Liberalism,” addresses an ongoing and often contentious debate within the American conservative movement on the place of the liberal tradition within conservatism.Subscribe to our podcastsRegister Now for Business Matters 2023Apply Now for Acton University 2023 (Early Bird Pricing)A science fiction magazine closed submissions after being bombarded with stories written by ChatGPT | Fast CompanyA Concerning Trend | Neil ClarkeBing Chat is blatantly, aggressively misaligned | Less Wrong Is Bing too belligerent? Microsoft looks to tame AI chatbot | AP NewsAmerican Politics And Government Summit | ISIPhoto Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric, Dan, and Dylan start with a discussion of President's Day, a holiday where we've collectivized all the Presidents of the United States of America – good, and, and indifferent – into one day of celebration. That means it's an opportunity for Eric to once again highlight how awful Woodrow Wilson really was. Then, they move on to the horrific shooting at Michigan State University. Why is it a new trend for advocates of a particular set of political beliefs to respond to these incidents with “f*** your thoughts and prayers?” And, if we spent some time thinking and praying about our legal system and the way it works, what could we imagine doing differently that could help prevent incidents like this from happening again? Finally, they examine the new editing of certain works by Roald Dahl to remove potentially offensive words, phrases, and ideas. Thomas Bowdler, please call your office.Subscribe to our podcastsRegister Now for Business Matters 2023Apply Now for Acton University 2023 (Early Bird Pricing)Timeline of events in Michigan State University shooting | Associated PressStatement from Michigan State Rep. Ranjeev Puri | TwitterThe Michigan State University killer was previously charged with a felony but was still able to buy guns. Here's why | CNNCritics reject changes to Roald Dahl books as censorship | Associated PressSen. Josh Hawley wants to create a legal age to be allowed on social media | NBC NewsBut What If We're Wrong?: Thinking About the Present As If It Were the Past | Chuck Klosterman'Fahrenheit 451' Was Once Sanitized for Public Schools | ReasonPhoto Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Eric, Dan, and Dylan are joined by Terry Mattingly of GetReligion.org to discuss his essay in the Winter 2022 edition of Religion & Liberty, "The Evolving Religion of Journalism.” How has journalism—and its audience—changed, and why? Has the internet transformed broadcasting into narrowcasting? How has a transition from the old bias of liberalism to illiberalism, even “Jacobinism,” remade what journalists produce and we consume? Then the guys look at the Super Bowl ads and explore why they seem to be less entertaining and mostly just celebrities in different unfunny situations. And was the Super Bowl ad that drew the most attention an ad for Jesus?Subscribe to our podcastsRegister Now for Business Matters 2023Apply Now for Acton University 2023 (Early Bird Pricing)The Evolving Religion of Journalism | Terry Mattingly, Religion & Liberty Subscribe to Religion & Liberty GetReligion.org Overload: Will any shows from the Golden Age of TV endure? | Sonny Bunch, The Washington Examiner Put the State of the Union address out of its misery | Eric Kohn, Acton Institute Super Bowl commercials, from Adam Driver(s) to M&M candies; the hits and the misses | NPR Plug-In: Around 100 million Super Bowl viewers saw new commercials — about Jesus? | Get Religion Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.