Duane's World

In this special edition of Duane's World, we're taking a break from the news and jumping into some tunes. Lileks and I have been wanting to do this for a while and we're probably going to do it again sometime soon. Enjoy! Watch this episode here.

After a less than a week of trading strikes, Israel has achieved air superiority over the skies of Iran, leaving them practically defenseless. What comes next could spell disaster for the Ayatollah and Iranian state should they fail to negotiate or surrender unconditionally. Watch this episode here.

Watch this episode here.

Anti-ICE riots have erupted across LA as "mostly peaceful" protesters clash with federal officers trying to enforce immigration law, forcing Trump to deploy the National Guard and Marines to restore order. Jim Talent and I discuss.Watch this episode here.

Since leaving DOGE and the Trump administration, Elon has been increasingly vocal about his concerns with the One Big Beautiful Bill. Then came the X wars yesterday.Watch this episode here.

In a stunning turn of events, Russia loses up to 41 aircraft, some nuclear-capable, destroyed in a covert operation which saw dozens of drones smuggled via trucks attack air bases deep in Russian territory. Former Senator Jim Talent joins me to discuss.Watch this episode here.

The U.S. Court of International Trade (which no one heard of until yesterday) struck down a set of President Trump's tariffs only to be reinstated a few hours later by the Appellate Court.Also, James Lileks is here to sift through the dumbest things said this week with me. Don't forget to check out his Substack. Watch this episode here.

Democrats have a branding problem right now. Republicans are capturing voter sentiment on major issues while getting things done at The White House and in Congress. Former Senator Jim Talent and I discuss the wilderness that Democrats have found themselves in and if there is a way out. Also, we review the Golden Dome initiative, its implications for national security, and the reactions from global powers like China and Russia.Watch this episode here.

House Republicans did their job. Bravo, Speaker Johnson. The bill now makes its way to the Senate and hopefully to President Trump's desk by July 4th. And as always, James Lileks joins us to review The 10 Dumbest Things Said This Week. Check out his Substack here.Watch this episode here.

Jim Talent and I review what should be the beginning of the scandal of the century.  Watch this episode here.

Democrats don't know how to handle President Trump's wins. And they keep coming.And as always, Lileks in the house for The 10 Dumbest Things Said This Week. Don't forget to check out his Substack.Watch this episode here.

President Trump began his three-day trip to the Middle East in Riyadh where he secured a massive $600 billion investment deal with Saudi Arabia and other partners in the region. Jim Talent joins me to discuss this and more.Watch this episode here.

Pope Leo XIV is the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church and the first American-born pontiff. More importantly, is he a Cubs fan or a White Sox fan?And Lileks comes along as usual to help me sift through the dumbest things said this week.Watch this episode here.

Two nuclear powers are feuding. Israel plans to occupy Gaza. Houthis continue to fire rockets. Is a U.S.-led deal with Iran even possible? Watch this episode here.

It was a good week for bad takes in the media. Lileks joins us as he does most Fridays to review the dumbest takes of the week.Watch this episode here.

Watch this episode here.

Steve Hilton has announced his bid for the 2026 California Gubernatorial race. To discuss this, I brought on Jon Fleischman of the Flash Report, a site dedicated to California's most significant political news. Hot-Air column here.Watch this episode here.

Lots to talk about this week. My personal poli-sci professor, former Missouri Senator Jim Talent joins me as he does on most Tuesdays to discuss the news. Watch this episode here.

Watch this episode here.

Harvard has stood up to The White House and risks a federal funding freeze. How long could they last? Former Missouri Senator Jim Talent joins me to discuss this, El Salvador, the reconciliation bill, and much more.Watch this episode here.

A stunning amount of tariff experts were minted in the last couple of weeks. Ignore them. Let the President make deals.And Lileks is back for The 10 Dumbest Things Said This Week.  Watch this episode here.

It's been a rough week for the markets after President Trump's new tariff policy went into effect. Is it all an overreaction? Jim Talent joined me to discuss.Watch this episode here.

President Trump introduced a swath of reciprocal tariffs this week. What does it mean for American consumers? Also, the 10 Dumbest Things Said This Week is back as is our good friend Lileks to discuss.Watch this episode here.

Watch this episode here.

The U.S. stages bombers and other assets at Diego Garcia, the Chicago White Sox are terrorists, and Lileks is in the house for The 10 Dumbest Things Said This Week. Watch this episode here.

Watch this episode here.

Watch this episode here.

President Trump ramps up the pressure on Iran and its proxies. The ceasefire in Gaza ends. Ukraine & Russia inch closer to a U.S.-brokered peace deal.Watch this episode here.

The House-passed funding bill faces an uncertain fate in the Senate where a 60-vote threshold must be met to achieve Cloture prior to the final simple majority vote that Republicans would win. Will the Democrats shut the government down? Plus, the 10 Dumbest Things Said This Week with Lileks! Check out his work here.Want to watch this episode? Click here.

The House votes to keep the government open. Ukraine signals an end to the war during peace talks in Riyadh. Canada plays bully on tariffs and blinks. President Trump addresses the trade war with China. Watch this episode here.

Want to watch this episode? Click here.President Trump questions whether NATO allies will pay up. Elon's SpaceX runs into some trouble. James Lileks joins me for the Top 10 Dumbest Things Said This Week.

Want to watch this episode? Click herePresident Trump addresses the joint session of Congress.

Want to watch this episode? Click here.Well, the Epstein files are finally here, kind of. Plus, the 10 Dumbest Things Said This Week with Lileks. 

Want to watch this episode? Click here.House Republicans eked out a 217-216 vote on the budget resolution last night, with Rep. Massie (R-KY) being the lone holdout from the majority. Jim Talent, chairman of Reagan Institute's National Leadership Council, joined me to react to the vote as it happened.

Want to watch this episode? Click here.The hostage situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate. Kash Patel gets confirmed as FBI Director. A crazy chainsaw-wielding government employee visits CPAC. Plus, the Top 10 Dumbest Things Said This Week with Lileks.Thanks as always to our sponsor Best Hot Grills.

Want to watch this episode? Click here.As EU bureaucrats continue to reel from Vice President Vance's speech last week, the adults in the room are brokering a deal to bring the Russia-Ukraine war to an end. President Trump has his envoys laying the groundwork for peace through a series of meetings that are reminiscent of Henry Kissinger's "shuttle diplomacy" in the Middle East during the 1970s. Former Missouri Senator Jim Talent, my regular guest and personal PoliSci professor, joins me to discuss that and much more.Thanks as always to the good folks over at Best Hot Grills for sponsoring this podcast.

Want to watch this episode? Click here.Alexander Hamilton once wrote that energy in the executive was "the leading character in the definition of good government." Well, I don't think anyone can credibly accuse this administration of lacking energy. Thanks as always to our sponsor, Best Hot Grills. 

In a matter of weeks, President Trump has managed to reset the board and project real leadership as the new status quo. The only complaint my good friend and former Missouri Senator Jim Talent has is that perhaps this administration is moving so quickly that regular Americans aren't aware of all the winning.Want to watch this episode for free? Click here.The full VIDEO edition of Duane's World is coming to our website very soon. Our new members area will include an audio and video archive of every episode, ad-free, for those who wish to support the show directly. We're also working on merch! Stay tuned.Thanks as always to our first and best sponsor, the good folks over at Best Hot Grills. No matter the season, they've got your heating needs covered. Check them out and don't forget to tell them I sent ya.

President Trump meets with Bibi Netanyahu in The White House and Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits Latin America.

Tragedy struck in our nation's capital this week when a military helicopter collided with an American Airlines commercial airliner that was making its final approach to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. We pray for all the souls lost in this incident and for the first responders who began the recovery effort yesterday.To lighten things up a bit, I bring in James Lileks to help me work through the Top 10 Dumbest Things Said This Week, a schtick we used to do together in various forms over the years during my Aftershow on the Hughniverse until I shuttered that to setup shop here at Duane's World. Now, he's back and wittier than ever. 

President Trump wasted no time issuing a flurry of EOs during his first 24 hours in office. His Cabinet is rapidly assembling as confirmations work their way from committees to votes and the Resistance Media just doesn't know what to do with themselves. For that, I preview my Top 10 dumbest things said this week.

It's morning in America again, and Donald J. Trump has been sworn in as the 47th President of the United States.

A few days ago we covered Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearing, but he wasn't the only Trump pick going through the gauntlet this week. Pam Bondi, Scott Bessent, Gov. Burgum, and Senator Rubio were in the hot seat taking questions as well.Next week, we officially welcome the return of President Donald J. Trump to The White House. We'll see you then.

All eyes were on Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearing yesterday. Former Senator Jim Talent and I work our way through the tape and provide the analysis you may not have heard in regime media as they would love nothing more than to tank this nomination. 

Dr. David Rice is back to discuss how best to tackle goals in the new year, navigating parenting challenges in a post-COVID world, and the importance of instilling resilience in children. 

The final episode of 2024 is here and we've got former Senator Jim Talent back on the show to discuss the passing of former President Jimmy Carter and to preview what Republicans hope to achieve in 2025.