Fireside Breakdowns

This, friends, is a From The Headlines episode. And what headline are we breaking down for you this time? “Perp walk Trump: Arrest and indictment by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg awaits ex-president” (NY Daily News).  Well, not exactly that one. More like this one, from the Washington Post: “Donald Trump Braces for Potential Charges in N.Y. Hush-Money Case, Calls for Protests. Former president urges supporters to ‘TAKE OUR NATION BACK!'” But, no matter which headline you go with, we're talking about the Stormy Daniels hush-money case, the potential crimes committed, and whether or not we'll get to see a perp walk after all.  This week's Patron-only bonus content: Our reactions to some of the WILD social media content out there on this topic. This week's Groovy Dance Jam: Blow Out My Candle, Betty Who If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get access to early episode drops, bonus content, priority topic requests, quarterly happy hours, and more!  

“It can't be that easy to misplace classified documents, can it?!” In August 2022, a search turned up some 300 classified documents stored in former President Trump's home Mar a Lago.  In January 2023, outlets began reporting that classified documents had been found at the Penn Biden Center, presumably from Biden's time as Vice President. Then, just as the proverbial world was debating the differences between the two situations, reports surfaced that classified documents had also been found at Mike Pence's home in Indiana… So this week, we're here to break down the situation a little bit more and discuss how this might have happened, the differences between these situations, and how we can know who might have committed an actual crime.    If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get access to early episode drops, bonus content, priority topic requests, quarterly happy hours, and more!  

This week, we're diving into the complexities of the world's most recognized symbol of existential threat: the doomsday clock. That's right, the metaphorical clock that slowly marks our advancement toward certain doom due to humanity's constant thirst for better and more efficient methods to completely wipe ourselves out.  Okay, that may be a little melodramatic. But it is true! Learn along with us on *probably* not the last podcast episode you'll ever listen to.  If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get access to early episode drops, bonus content, priority topic requests, quarterly happy hours, and more!    

Join us this week as we venture into the (un)known with a quick (for us, anyway) discussion about the backstory of the Dungeons and Dragons Open Game License, how OGL 1.1 is splitting the party, and whether or not Wizards of the Coast is the BBEG in this campaign. And, because we are who we are, we also delve into the fallacy of false choice and explain that this (and so many other situations) really isn't an Us vs Them encounter. If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get access to early episode drops, bonus content, priority topic requests, quarterly happy hours, and more!

We're trying something new! Or at least a new version of something old! This is Headlines Potpourri, in which we discuss timely headline news and try to add important context or helpful talking points. This week's headlines: “McCarthy Loses 10th Speaker Vote” (15 by the time of recording…) “George Santos arrived in D.C. this week. No one is more riled than N.Y.'s other gay congressman.” “Biden toughens border, offers legal path for 30,000 a month” “Layoffs are sweeping Corporate America to kick off 2023” “Weekly jobless claims fall to lowest level since September” “Bolsonaro supporters storm Brazil's presidential palace, Congress and Supreme Court” Good News: “FDA approves drug for Alzheimer's treatment” And, the patron-only bonus headline… “This Futuristic Toilet Sensor Wants to Track Your Health With Pee” If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get access to early episode drops, bonus content, priority topic requests, quarterly happy hours, and more!

It's the first episode of 2023, and that means it's time to take a look back at the episodes, what-ifs, and general pandemonium that was 2022. Plus, we made some predictions about… The pandemic to endemic shift Turmoil for social media platforms Changes in how and where we work The growing irrelevance of Donald Trump If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get access to early episode drops, bonus content, priority topic requests, quarterly happy hours, and more!

We bounced around a variety of topics for this week's episode, from Donald Trump's assertion that we should chuck out the Constitution to The Twitter Files (dun dun dunnn). But right at the last minute, something caught our attention that could spell the END OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY. (Are you paying attention yet?) If you're a political/legal/electoral nerd like we are, you've probably hear about Moore v. Harper. This Supreme Court case is likely to determine the validity of a concept called “the independent state legislature theory,” which has plagued political conversations since the 2020 election. As always, media folks and the like are particularly bad at explaining exactly what… it means. So, we're going to break that down. And we'll talk a bit about why we think this decision could be a really big deal.  If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get access to early episode drops, bonus content, priority topic requests, quarterly happy hours, and more!

The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 has been marked by controversy. From corruption in the bidding process to human rights violations against migrant workers, the event is wrought with issues. And, it's causing an ethical dilemma for many of the world's soccer teams and fans.  In this episode we're taking a closer look at the allegations against FIFA and Qatar, and asking what kind of social responsibility the organization, the teams, and the fans have when ethical situations like this arise. Oh! And in this week's Patron only bonus content, we're talking about beer.    If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get access to early episode drops, bonus content, priority topic requests, quarterly happy hours, and more!  

Q: In this episode of the popular Fireside Breakdowns podcast, hosts Robin and Jon tackle some uncommon current events knowledge, Trebek style. A: What is Fireside Jeopardy? Our plan for this episode was to do a little discussion on a few concepts and terms we've seen in the news this week that don't get explained very often. They're kind of just thrown around, and everyone listening or reading is expected to know what they mean or put it together using context. So, we wanted to explain what each one means and give some reference points about why it's important to current events.  But then we got to thinking… what was the best way to learn new concepts and test your knowledge in school?  With a rousing game of Jeopardy, of course! Listen in as we tackle topics like the Lame Duck session, the Debt Ceiling, and the Speaker of the House. If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get access to early episode drops, bonus content, priority topic requests, quarterly happy hours, and more!

To introduce this week's topic, I'd like to read you all a quote I think sums up where we're headed in this episode: “Since Elon Musk took over Twitter, it's been nothing but a volatile rollercoaster of decline and implosion—and it hasn't even been a month.” (Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo) Honestly, with all the stress and tension of the midterms and economy talk… we're overdue for some comic relief. So we're going to take a moment to revel in the deconstruction of the Twitterverse at the hands of Mr. Musk. Other Episodes Referenced: S3|SS12: Democracy vs Your Wallet S2|SS29: The Section 230 Experience S2|SS22: Ghislaine Maxwell, Filter Bubbles, + The Media S1|SS26: The Paradox of Tolerance S1|SS8: Debate Takes and Boogaloo Bois If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get access to early episode drops, bonus content, priority topic requests, quarterly happy hours, and more!

This week, we're going unscripted with a potpourri of election-adjacent topics centered around one theme: What's really on the line this Election Day? We're talking about: How political messaging is making Americans feel like they have to choose between putting food on the table and saving democracy. The difference in the pre-election narratives we're seeing from the Republicans and the Democrats. The differences in red and blue economic policies. The rise of stochastic terrorism after the 2020 election, especially against political figures. The number of election deniers on midterm ballots, and how that might undermine the integrity of elections in the future. If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get access to early episode drops, bonus content, priority topic requests, quarterly happy hours, and more!

It's our 100th episode, y'all! Join us as we reminisce about the old days when our episodes were 300% longer, interview each other about the best and hardest parts of this podcast gig, share our favorite bloopers, and more. If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get access to early episode drops, bonus content, priority topic requests, quarterly happy hours, and more!  

If America is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, why are 38 million of us food insecure? On August 29, President Biden announced the official date of his planned Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to kick off an initiative that would end food insecurity and hunger in the United States by 2030. While on the surface that sounds like a simple concept, execution of that plan may end up being pretty complicated. This isn't the first time we've tried to solve this problem. Today, we want to take a look at how many Americans are going without the food they need, what it really means to end food insecurity in the U.S., what kinds of programs might have a shot at it, and how a plan like this could work better than the ones we came up with 50 years ago.  If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get access to early episode drops, bonus content, priority topic requests, quarterly happy hours, and more!

Did Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation really crash a whole generation of laptop computers? Is paddling the future of school discipline? Synthetic mouse embryos, rabies ravioli... We're talking about the weirdest things we learned this week in this episode of Fireside Unscripted. If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get access to early episode drops, bonus content, priority topic requests, quarterly happy hours, and more!

It's been a little while since we did a true From The Headlines episode, and this one is gonna be a doozy. This week, we're looking at the Espionage Act up-close and personal. We'll talk about the history of the law, and why it was created in the first place. We'll highlight some landmark cases. And then we'll talk about how it might apply to former President Trump.  Bonus content this week is a real hoot, too, as we look at some of the absurd reactions that Trumpist politicians and pundits are having to this investigation.    If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get access to early episode drops, bonus content, priority topic requests, quarterly happy hours, and more!

The Fireside team tackles our first ever book report! We read Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men, and in this episode we're going to share what we learned about how women (and data about women) is ignored or excluded in areas of life we interact with every day. We'll talk about what surprised us, what didn't, what made us angry, and how we can all work to recognize this kind of data bias in the world around us. If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get access to early episode drops, bonus content, priority topic requests, quarterly happy hours, and more!

In many places, fall primary elections have ended and the final slate of candidates for your November ballot is set. In just a couple of months, you'll (hopefully) be headed to your local polling place - or filling out an absentee or mail-in ballot - to choose the folks who will represent you for the next several years. You don't want to wing it.  BUT, trying to research even one candidate can be time consuming and intimidating - and you're facing a whole ballot of them, some with obscure responsibilities! So, how can you vet these candidates to be sure they really represent your positions on important issues, and that they'll stay true to their word once they're in office? Here's our practical guide.  If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get access to early episode drops, bonus content, priority topic requests, quarterly happy hours, and more!  

In this Fireside Unscripted, we (Jon, Robin, and Savannah) talk through three articles with clickbait headlines that reeled us in recently... and one that really confused Savannah for a minute.  We take some time to talk about the headline and first impressions, and then explain why these particular articles caught our attention and why exactly they count as clickbait.  We discuss the articles in order of angry-making-magnitude, and have some good rants about scope creep and the nature of clickbait. Articles discussed: Robin's: https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/03/us/farmington-hills-police-department-black-target/index.html  Savannah's: https://www.foxnews.com/media/twitter-disgusted-new-york-times-piece-suggesting-theres-time-place-cannibalism  Jon's: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2022/july-web-only/russell-moore-steve-bannon-atlantic-jan-6-america-avatars.html  The Special Bonus Fiber Article: https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/why-fiber-is-the-key-to-getting-faster-5g-everywhere/  If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get access to early episode drops, bonus content, priority topic requests, quarterly happy hours, and more!  

There has been a long-standing effort to create a conservative majority Supreme Court that is willing to reconsider substantive due process rights, reduce the authority of the Federal government, and return the U.S. to an “originalist” state. The final episode in our series, “The Road We're On,” examines the ideological imbalance on the current Court, discusses the long-term coordinated effort to install conservative justices, examines why “originalism” is so valuable to Conservatives, and asks what can be done to stop the momentum.  Bonus discussion, Samuel Alito: Poster Boy for Originalism + Fireside Unscripted: The Problem With Clickbait, are live on Patreon NOW! What's in this episode? The ideological imbalance on the current Supreme Court, and why it's dangerous Why Conservatives started their 50 year campaign for The Court How they've managed to pull that campaign off (spoiler: The Federalist Society) Balls, strikes, Kavanaugh, Coney-Barrett, Brown-Jackson, and Roberts What “originalism” is and why Conservatives dig it so much Judicial restraint, judicial review, and judicial activism How to stop a moving train - not really. But how to change this judicial course Good News: Bipartisan…? Legislation to protect marriage, contraception, and abortion care. If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get access to early episode drops, bonus content, priority topic requests, quarterly happy hours, and more!

In Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization, the U.S. Supreme Court released a decision penned by Justice Samuel Alito which held that the right to an abortion outlined in Roe v Wade under the Due Process clause of the 14th amendment was errantly determined. In the decision, Alito wrote, “the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment… has been held to guarantee some rights that are not mentioned in the Constitution, but any such right must be “deeply rooted in this Nation's history and tradition” and “implicit in the concept of ordered liberty.” Many legal scholars believe that this sets a dangerous precedent for the many rights afforded to Americans under the 14th amendment, and undermines many of the liberties that Americans - conservative and liberal - have come to rely on. Could this be two steps backward on the path to equal treatment and equal protection for all Americans? Bonus discussion, Let's Talk About States' Rights + Episode 3 of this series, Runaway Train, are live on Patreon NOW! What's in this episode? Due process, substantive due process, and unenumerated rights. Penumbras, "The Shadows of the Constitution" from Throughline The “deeply rooted” methodology (Washington v Glucksberg + Dobbs v Jackson) + the danger of said methodology. States make terrible decisions, like forced sterilization (Buck v Bell). Clarence Thomas says all substantive due process decisions are demonstrably erroneous (yikes). Good News: The Yellow Bus Project visits Ted Cruz. If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get access to early episode drops, bonus content, priority topic requests, quarterly happy hours, and more!

Welcome to Fireside Breakdowns season 3! We're wasting no time this season - we're jumping straight into the deep end with a series about how the Supreme Court decisions that were handed down this Summer could potentially affect life for ALL Americans. We feel like we saw the beginnings of a well-lined path being laid out for the U.S. - some might even say a train track - and we're concerned about where it will lead us if we don't pay attention. That's why we're going to start by taking a closer look at some of the decisions released by the Supreme Court in May and June 2022. Many of these cases were widely publicized. Some were published without much fanfare. But each of them could have significant impacts on the way we live our lives from this point on. Bonus discussion of Shinn v Ramirez + Episode 2 of the series - 1 Step Forward, 2 Steps Back - are available NOW on Patreon. Cases discussed: Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization, West Virginia v EPA, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc v. Bruen, Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta, and Vega v. Tekoh. What's in this episode? Discussion of each of the above cases, and their potential impact on the future We get very salty about Brett Kavanaugh Good News: DHHS guidelines on emergency abortions If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get access to early episode drops, bonus content, priority topic requests, quarterly happy hours, and more!

NOTE: This episode was recorded on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 - previous to the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v Wade. This conversation seems much more significant now that broader reproductive rights - and LGBTQ+ rights - are at such incredible risk. While the focus of the episode was not specifically abortion access, we felt this episode art was most reflective of what many people with uteruses are experiencing today. Join us for a special Fireside Unscripted where Robin and Savannah share their unfiltered (and sometimes unsophisticated) thoughts on navigating hot topic issues that involve people with uteruses, womanhood, women's rights, and women's bodies.  What's in this episode? We discuss the question of womanhood We ponder, “who is making decisions for us?” We get in the weeds talking about abortion and trans athletes If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

Why do some people view life with a win or lose perspective? Is it possible to find solutions where everyone benefits when we're talking about taxes, immigration, or workforce equity? Is it true that someone always gets the short end of the stick? In this episode, we're talking about another one of the foundational struggles that (the collective) we face when we're trying to have conversations about difficult topics. We've already done episodes on bias, conspiracy thinking, good and bad faith arguments, and now we're going to round things out by talking about zero sum thinking. What's in this episode? What is Zero Sum thinking? Why is Zero Sum thinking an obstacle to meaningful progress? Examples of Zero Sum thinking related to SCOTUS and the war in Ukraine If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

Today, we're talking about arguing. Specifically, arguing in bad faith. We've done it; you've done it; and politicians, pundits, and public figures do it all the time. Accusations fly, especially during times of crisis (like after gun massacres) or in election years. But no one ever takes the time to explain what they mean when they accuse someone of arguing in bad faith.  I mean, how are you supposed to recognize these outrageous fallacies if no one will tell you how they work?!  Knowledge is power, people. And we're here to make you really damn powerful.  In this episode, we're going to talk about what, exactly, good faith and bad faith arguments are and why debating in bad faith is so harmful to actual progress. Then, we'll work through some examples of the bad faith arguments that make the rounds after every new spate of mass shootings. We'll talk about why they fit the category, and even outline some good faith talking points on both sides that you can use to have these hard conversations with those who might disagree with you.  What's in this episode? Good Faith vs Bad Faith Arguments. Why debating in bad faith is harmful to actual progress Examples of bad faith arguments about gun safety/violence/control/laws If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

For this week's unscripted episode, we thought it would be fun to take stock of where we stand on some current cultural and political hot topics. You see, we've all seen our opinions on topics like this change over the last several years and we wanted a way to document where we are now so we can compare in a year, or even two. Oh! And we wanted to give you the same chance as well. You can fill out the survey we talked through (completely anonymous, if you wish) and even grab a screenshot if you want. Then, you can do your own check-in later down the road. Take the survey: https://forms.gle/HxiW7awAQ43sDir48  What's in this episode? Our thoughts and feelings about topics from gun safety to dark money in politics. So. Many. Inappropriate. Jokes. We all get the giggles. Not our fault, it was really late. If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

Imagine my surprise when I read the headline: “South Carolina marks Confederate Memorial Day on Tuesday.” I thought to myself surely this had to be some sort of clickbait situation, and that I was going to get to the end of that article and be embarrassed that I fell for their tricks. But it wasn't. So here we are to talk about Confederate Memorial Day! Like almost everything else we talk about here, we quickly learned that there was more to this day than meets the headline - including a connection to the Ladies Memorial Associations of the Reconstruction South and the Lost Cause narrative that has influenced how the entire nation talks about the Civil War. We also want to take some time to talk about how the perpetuation of holidays like this makes it much more complicated for us, as a nation, to work toward our racial justice goals. What's in this episode? A brief history of regular Memorial Day The origins of Confederate Memorial Day How Ladies Memorial Associations gained political influence The United Daughters of the Confederacy and Lost Cause propaganda States honor Confederate holidays but won't recognize Juneteenth If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

This one's unscripted, folks, and we're confessing a few cringeworthy things we can't believe we used to think. What's in this episode: Jon was really bad at sports physiology Savannah didn't know something she said was racist Robin used to be kind of an elitist And, Jon got drugged If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

Note: Sorry, Jon accidentally uploaded the wrong audio file the first time. This is the actual episode! Apologies for the delay. Hey folks, thanks for tuning into the last episode in our series “An Unholy Convergence”, where we're trying to answer a listener's question about how so many Evangelical Christians became enamored and entangled with Donald Trump, and how that connection might have noticeably changed their attitudes and behaviors on other current events issues, like social justice, immigration, and COVID.   This week, we're going to look at how the Trump administration continued the work his campaign began, creating loyalty with Evangelical voters by implementing white and Christian nationalist policies. Then, we'll finish with a quick examination of whether Evangelicals' positions on some key social issues changed during the Trump administration, or if the social climate during the 4 years Trump was President brought long held beliefs to the forefront. Special features: Terrible things Matt Gaetz said, brief mention of replacement theory, Bill Barr thinks only Christians deserve free government, copy+paste legislation. What's in this episode: Examples of white and Christian nationalist policy and rhetoric from the Trump administration Evangelicals have a strange affinity for “law and order”, and law enforcement, but haven't changed their positions on racial justice since Rodney King Evangelicals used to advocate for immigrants, now they advocate for walls Evangelicals' bad behavior during COVID was more about rebellion than religion Good News: The FIRST AAPI Heritage Parade in NYC! If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

In the grand Fireside tradition of biting off more than we can chew (and not realizing it until we've already got a mouthful), we're back this week with part FOUR of our three part series on White Nationalism, Evangelical Christianity, and Donald Trump. This week, we're going to try to answer the million dollar question: How on earth did a man like Donald Trump win and keep the vote of the deeply religious Evangelical population. What did Evangelical leaders at the time have to say about him, and how did his religious supporters justify his bawdy behavior?  What were the narratives circling in the conservative Christian community about Trump and the Republican party? And did - as our listener implied - that campaign season mark a change in the perspective and every day behavior of Evangelicals? What's in this episode: A note on covering the Roe v Wade question A reminder that we're not attacking anyone personally. Just in case you were wondering The importance of a religious candidate for Evangelical voters Why Cruz lost the nomination to Trump (spoilers: Nationalism > Moral Alignment) The divide among Evangelical leaders over Trump Why Trump was considered the “lesser evil” In their own words: How Evangelicals justified voting for Trump Good News: Karine Jean-Pierre and Katherine Tai If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

This is episode 3 in our series An Unholy Convergence, where we're trying to untangle how White Nationalism, Evangelical Christianity, and Trumpism became so enmeshed. The goal of this episode is to paint a picture of what the Trump voter base looked like, and to talk through the constellation of concerns that led them to believe that he was their best advocate. We hope to get to the end of this episode with a clear understanding of why the evangelical voting bloc turned out so hard for Donald Trump in 2016 and in 2020, and set the stage for next week's conversation about how he won and held their vote. What's in this episode: Research-based breakdown of Evangelical and Trump voter base demographics (2016) Discussion of what “representative data” is and does Talk about the specific concerns that Trump voters seemed to be facing in 2016 Connection of the concepts of Christian nationalism and the factors that motivated Trump voters. Good News: TikTok's celebration of Asian + Pacific Islander Heritage Month If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

This is another Fireside Unscripted episode, where Jon, Robin, and Savannah wax poetic on a topic with no research, script, or even show notes. This week we're discussing student loans - forgiveness, cancellation, and all of our feelings. Listen in as we discuss, and then share your experiences with us! If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can (usually) find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

This week, we're going to start doing the hard work of untangling the messy intersection between White Nationalism, Evangelical Christianity, and Trumpism. Last week, we shared the listener question that inspired this series and some basic definitions that we're going to use as we move through the series. From there, we think the most logical place to start building this picture is to begin looking at how Christianity (and eventually Evangelicalism) and nationalism became so intertwined. It feels like a story as old as America itself, so we're going to tell it using primary sources that illustrate the mindsets that contributed to this process.  What's in this episode: Discussion of what makes a nation Comparison/contrast of nationalism and patriotism Examination of how the earliest definitions of “American” came to include both Christian and White Brief history of the issue that catalyzed Evangelical involvement in politics (spoiler: it was Civil Rights) Good News: A new treatment that uses progenitor cells to restore hearing If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!  

This week's topic was brought up by a friend and listener, who said: "I would love to hear you do an episode on Trumpism/White Nationalism in the church. I feel like the church who I used to love has gone to hell. And that makes me very sad and angry. It just seems like the church's views and stances on topics have really changed since Trump was elected… Like they are brainwashed. And so deep into these right wing conspiracies and Trump worship that they can't even see right from wrong anymore… This really struck a chord with each of us, so we decided to investigate. Why have these three perspectives converged in such an impactful way? Clearly, there's a lot to figure out here. More than we could accomplish in a single episode. So, we're going to turn this into a series. And, to get things started, we want to make sure everyone is on the same page with the terminology and concepts we'll be using a lot in the next few episodes. What's in this episode: Discussion of why this topic is meaningful to each of us Which part of “the church” are we talking about (spoiler: Evangelicals) A basic definition of White Nationalism A basic definition of Christian Nationalism A super brief explanation of Trumpism Where this series is headed Good News: A bi-national park between the U.S. and Mexico If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more! Link to H.R.1931 - Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2019 and the more recent H.R.350 - Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2021

Content Warning - Discussion of explicit content of children with regard to sentencing and criminal justice: 31:00 - 56:10. If you're anything like us, the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson - and the follow up conversations - were of keen interest as we look ahead to the 2022 midterm elections. Both the theatrics staged by the senators on the committee, and the legitimate questions that managed to sneak out in between, raised some points that we wanted to learn more about. And of course, we had plenty of opinions about what we saw. What's in this episode? Hot Takes - Was this a foreshadow of the midterms? Should senators be allowed to give speeches? Should the hearings even be televised? How does Judge Jackson's sentencing record line up with common practice? Why might the federal guidelines need adjusting? What is a judicial philosophy, and what is Judge Jackson's? Good News: Gov. Spencer Cox stands up for trans kids in Utah. If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

We're back with another Fireside Unscripted episode, where Jon, Robin, and Savannah wax poetic on a topic with no research, script, or even show notes. This week we're discussing toxic masculinity: What it means, how it's experienced in different cultures or regions, and most importantly how it impacts both men and women. Listen in as we discuss, and then share your experiences with us! If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

Biden says it's Putin's fault; Fox News says it's Biden's fault; but the one thing most Americans know is that shit has gotten real expensive. Inflation is high, gas prices are high, and confidence in the health of the US economy is really, really low.  So, we want to take some time to talk about what the hell is going on.  No, you're not experiencing deja vu right now. We've covered these topics before - recently, actually,  but a lot has changed since we talked about inflation around Christmastime. And even more since we looked at gas prices in September. This episode will include a significant amount of recap information from previous episodes, so if you listened to those you might hear some content that sounds familiar. If you didn't, don't worry; we'll give you enough background to make sure you can follow along.   Then, there's plenty of new information to cover including whether the conflict in Ukraine is contributing to rising inflation, whether or not we can blame Joe Biden for how much it cost to fill our gas tanks this week, and yeah, we're going to talk about that Ben Shapiro video (even though it hurts). If you'd like to get in touch with us… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

On the day this episode airs, March 14, 2022, it has been 18 days since Vladimir Putin directed the Russian army to invade Ukraine. This invasion has had devastating consequences for the people of Ukraine, which you can read about or watch or listen to on pretty much any media channel that exists right now. It's necessary for the world to see, but it can also be really overwhelming for those of us who don't need another picture of just how ugly humanity can be.  Which is why we're trying to contribute to the coverage by adding context to the headlines.  This invasion has also all but collapsed the Russian economy and sent shockwaves through other economies world wide, in no small part because of sanctions that have been levied against Russia by many other countries and organizations across the globe. In many cases, imposing sanctions seems to be the first response when one world government makes decisions that are not supported by other world governments. Because they've been such a key response during this conflict, we wanted to make sure that we - and by extension you - have a foundational understanding of what they really are, how they impact the countries that are sanctioned AND the countries that impose them, and whether or not they produce the desired results.  If you'd like to get in touch with us… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

Heads up: Because we're talking about the current (2022) Russia/Ukraine Conflict, this episode is highly likely to fall into the category of “pretty heavy stuff” we mention in the intro.  Honestly, we had something completely different planned for this week but it feels really important to be a part of the conversation that's happening right now. We also wanted to make sure that we came to the conversation authentically, in a way that represents what we do on this podcast:  creating a foundational understanding of complicated topics so that the proverbial we can come together to work through them.  We won't be talking about the ins and outs of the immediate situation, sharing a play by play of movements, or even diving too deeply into the human interest side of things - not this week, or in any other episodes we do during this crisis.  Instead, we're going to do our best to add context to the conversation by explaining important background information or diving into how a policy works.  We want to help you understand what's going on on a deeper level.  Today, we're going to try to fill in a gap we've noticed in the coverage of this situation: Why is everyone talking, but also NOT talking, about NATO? You'll also notice that the outro song is different than our usual. It's the Ukrainian National Anthem, performed by Mykhailo Khoma and the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine under the direction of conductor Oksana Lyniv. Here are the links to the various charities we discussed in this episode: International Committee of the Red Cross: https://www.icrc.org/en/where-we-work/europe-central-asia/ukraine United Help Ukraine: http://unitedhelpukraine.org/ Razom for Ukraine: https://razomforukraine.org/?fbclid=IwAR0PVdQLNM6kv2UGZTo6SUOPoQRycncVrjbBdzTsExQR3AvbVNNB2-0PVMw The Voices of Children Foundation: https://voices.org.ua/en/ Army SOS: https://armysos.com.ua/en/ If you'd like to get in touch with us… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

We're coming to you with a new format this week: welcome to Fireside Unscripted. On the last Monday of every month, we'll be sitting down as a team - sometimes with a good drink on hand - to talk through some of the more practical or timely topics we get asked about. This week we're discussing how to disagree respectfully. Listen in and hear how we approach these hard conversations, and then let us know what works for you! If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

Can you imagine working at the White House? Or on Capitol Hill?  Well, thanks to an Instagram account called @Dear_White_Staffers - and the voices of many congressional staffers who are taking the opportunity to share their own stories - many of us can now get an idea of what it might be like. And the picture isn't pretty.  In fact, it's bad enough that they've announced their intentions to form a Congressional Workers Union. So, this week we're taking some time to break down what's happening on The Hill, and explore what unions have mean for workers in America.  In this episode, Savannah mentioned a book called Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men, by Caroline Criado Perez. As always, if you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

Okay okay, we're jumping on the bandwagon here. You might have guessed from the clever episode title that we're gonna talk about Joe Rogan here. But we solemnly swear that it won't just be about Rogan - we're only using him as an example of the mess that surrounds Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.   Turns out we have some opinions about Rogan's show, so we start the episode with a discussion on where we think the ethical and social responsibility for podcast content should fall. Then, we talk about Section 230 itself - what it means for Spotify to be a “platform” not a “publisher” and how they're trying to have the best of both worlds here. And then we close out with some bipartisan proposed changes to Section 230 that would amend or even repeal the legislation.  As always, if you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

This week we're going to talk about the travesty of stopping for ice cream on a Tuesday, cussin' out reporters, and Supreme Court nominations. Even though Congress can't get its act together enough to pass some critical legislation to fulfill more of Biden's campaign promises, the ceaseless judgment of the media seems to be laser-focused solely on whatever Biden is (or isn't) doing at any given time. Fortunately for us, that provides a lot of headlines to highlight points of nuance and, you guessed it, the b-word. No! Not that one… bias.  The meat of this episode is Biden's promise to nominate a Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court, why folks like Ted Cruz are offended, and why this isn't exactly Affirmative Action. Spoiler: We have opinions. Also included in this episode: Violette N. Anderson, the first Black woman admitted to the Supreme Court Bar. Happy Black History Month! As always, if you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

We're back after two expected weeks off, and one unexpected week of illness! This week, we're breaking down something commonly referred to as “the death of expertise” - open antagonism toward established knowledge. How did we get to the point where people who have literal and actual college degrees in complicated fields are placed on the same level of authority as opinionated politicians or folks who are moderately competent Google searchers?  That's an excellent question. We would love to tell you. (Unashamed reference to Elyse Myers, who Robin thinks is very funny.) Also included in this episode: the Dunning-Kruger effect, vaccine hesitancy, and Cliff Claven. In this episode we mention a great series on vaccines, and the anti-vaccine movement, from a podcast called Endless Thread. The series is long, so we're only linking to episode 3 (which is most relevant to this conversation) here, but we highly recommend the whole thing. https://open.spotify.com/episode/1pHujj1pFYQgPoZb1LGo15?si=7bbfe109cbd542cc We also mentioned Dr. Noc, who we follow on Instagram for his stellar science communication. https://www.instagram.com/dr.noc/ As always, if you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

Hello and welcome to the “all diversions, all the time” episode! This week, we're taking a look back on 2021. We've got updates on a couple of episodes, a few “called it” moments, and plenty of bunny trails. We also took some time to talk through the issues we're watching for 2022, like: voting legislation, redistricting, social media legislation, and - of course - this pandemic situation. As always, if you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

Well we're back here on this old saw: inflation. If you've paid any attention to the news for the past… oh, forever, but mainly the last several months, you've probably heard nearly unending, daily talk about the inflation rate. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 6.8 percent from November 2020 to November 2021. No, we're STILL not in danger of becoming the next Venezuela. But we do think it's time to take another look at what exactly inflation is, how it's affecting our economy, and why the experience of inflation isn't the same for everyone.   As always, if you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

In November 2020, a poll by Monmouth University revealed that 32% of Americans polled believed that Joe Biden was president SOLELY because of voter fraud. That same poll, repeated in January and March, showed that the numbers held strong. Nearly one third of Americans believe that widespread fraud, rather than the will of the people, determined the outcome of our election. Election results in all 50 states - even the most contentious - were certified, official electoral votes were cast and accepted.  The Department of Homeland Security called this the most secure election ever. So what is it that makes so many people believe that the election was a fraud? And is there any indication - after a year of looking now - that fraud was a factor? Let's chat about why we DON'T believe the 2020 Presidential election was stolen.   As always, if you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

Well there's no two ways about this one, folks. Vaccines are currently radioactive. Not… Not literally. Figuratively, metaphorically, and all that jazz. This week we're going to put on our hazmat suits and wade into the… inexplicably contentious world of vaccines to discuss one very, very small aspect of them: Mandates.  This fight against COVID vaccine policy is just the latest in a long line of similar reactions as America has faced new diseases and the science of vaccination has progressed. So, we'll talk about what the current “mandates” mean, and what's happening with them. Then, since we're essentially becoming a history podcast now we'll rewind through some of the controversy around vaccine policy in our past - starting with some vaccine motivated terrorism, and including proof that maybe vaccine mandates are one of the most patriotic policy decisions we can make… As always, if you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

Thanks for joining us for another From The Headlines episode! Just as a reminder about how these episodes work: Every other week, we take a break from our in-depth research to focus on a topic that's currently making headlines. This week, we want to talk about the Ghislaine Maxwell trial. But we know that you can get the ins and outs of the case, and what's happening each day in the trial, from pretty much any news source.  Instead, we want to focus on how we believe this case is being used to politicize the victimization of women and children through what social science researchers call a filter bubble. We also bring up our old friends bias and conspiracy theories along the way. Because of the sensitive nature of this topic, we definitely understand if you need to skip through the episode to avoid discussion of suicide, abuse, and trafficking.  We did our level best to treat the topic with respect - no graphic explanations here. But, we know that these subjects can be hard to process, so we give a clear cue when we're headed into the section that mentions those things. As always, if you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

We've spent several episodes now focused on the struggle and the hardship that Native Americans have faced because of European Colonialism and its consequences, but we definitely don't want to close out this series without celebrating some of the outstanding accomplishments that have been made by Native American people. We really want to end this series on a high note. So today, we're going to tell you about two Native American people whose stories and accomplishments we think you should know.  If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!

Every November, teachers break out vocabulary sheets to teach us all about words like “cornucopia” and “harvest” and “pilgrim” while children cut out black, construction paper hats and attach construction paper buckles to construction paper shoes. Refrigerators across the United States find themselves festooned by flocks of mutant, five-finger turkeys. But what if we told you that the holiday we all celebrate as "Thanksgiving" is more the outcome of a game of historical telephone than it is a representation of any actual event?  This week, we're trying to figure out just where we get our annual excuse to wear sweatpants to a family event. And, we're talking about why it's so harmful to First Nations people for us to keep perpetuating the myth we call The First Thanksgiving. ™ © ®    If you'd like to get in touch… You can leave us a review at: https://ratethispodcast.com/fireside Or you can drop us a note from our Contact page! You can find all of our sources in our Show Notes. And, if you'd like to help us reach our goal of hiring a professional editor, you can check out our Patreon Page! Patrons get priority topic requests, behind the scenes content, and more!