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Ahead of her new book What's So Great About the Great Books? coming out in April, Naomi Kanakia and I talked about literature from Herodotus to Tony Tulathimutte. We touched on Chaucer, Anglo-Saxon poetry, Scott Alexander, Shakespeare, William James, Helen deWitt, Marx and Engels, Walter Scott, Les Miserables, Jhootha Sach, the Mahabharata, and more. Naomi also talked about some of her working habits and the history and future of the Great Books movement. Naomi, of course, writes Woman of Letters here on Substack.TranscriptHenry Oliver: Today, I am talking with Naomi Kanakia. Naomi is a novelist, a literary critic, and most importantly she writes a Substack called Woman of Letters, and she has a new book coming out, What's So Great About the Great Books? Naomi, welcome.Naomi Kanakia: Thanks for having me on.Oliver: How is the internet changing the way that literature gets discussed and criticized, and what is that going to mean for the future of the Great Books?Kanakia: How is the internet changing it? I can really speak to only how it has changed it for me. I started off as a writer of young adult novels and science fiction, and there's these very active online fan cultures for those two things.I was reading the Great Books all through that time. I started in 2010 through today. In the 2010s, it really felt like there was not a lot of online discussion of classic literature. Maybe that was just me and I wasn't finding it, but it didn't necessarily feel like there was that community.I think because there are so many strong, public-facing institutions that discuss classic literature, like the NYRB, London Review of Books, a lot of journals, and universities, too. But now on Substack, there are a number of blogs—yours, mine, a number of other ones—that are devoted to classic literature. All of those have these commenters, a community of commenters. I also follow bloggers who have relatively small followings who are reading Tolstoy, reading Middlemarch, reading even much more esoteric things.I know that for me, becoming involved in this online culture has given me much more of an awareness that there are many people who are reading the classics on their own. I think that was always true, but now it does feel like it's more of a community.Oliver: We are recording this the day after the Washington Post book section has been removed. You don't see some sort of relationship between the way these literary institutions are changing online and the way the Great Books are going to be conceived of in the future? Because the Great Books came out of a an old-fashioned, saving-the-institutions kind of radical approach to university education. We're now moving into a world where all those old things seem to be going.Kanakia: Yes. I agree. The Great Books began in the University of Chicago and Columbia University. If you look into the history of the movement, it really was about university education and the idea that you would have a common core and all undergraduates would read these books. The idea that the Great Books were for the ordinary person was really an afterthought, at least for Mortimer Adler and those original Great Books guys. Now, the Great Books in the university have had a resurgence that we can discuss, but I do think there's a lot more life and vitality in the kind of public-facing humanities than there has been.I talked to Irina Dumitrescu, who writes for TLS (The Times Literary Supplement), LRB (The London Review of Books), a lot of these places, and she also said the same thing—that a lot of these journals are going into podcasts, and they're noticing a huge interest in the humanities and in the classics even at the same time as big institutions are really scaling back on those things. Humanities majors are dropping, classics majors are getting cut, book coverage at major periodicals is going down. It does seem like there are signals that are conflicting. I don't really know totally what to make of it. I do think there is some relation between those two things.Ted Gioia on Substack is always talking about how culture is stagnant, basically, and one of the symptoms of that is that “back list” really outsells “front list” for books. Even in 2010, 50 percent of the books that were sold were front-list titles, books that had been released in the last 18 months. Now it's something like only 35 percent of books or something like that are front-list titles. These could be completely wrong, but there's been a trend.I think the decrease in interest in front-list books is really what drives the loss of these book-review pages because they mostly review front-list books. So, I think that does imply that there's a lot of interest in old books. That's what our stagnant culture means.Oliver: Why do you think your own blog is popular with the rationalists?Kanakia: I don't know for certain. There was a story I wrote that was a joke. There are all these pop nonfiction books that aim to prove something that seems counterintuitive, so I wrote a parody of one of those where I aim to prove that reading is bad for you. This book has many scientific studies that show the more you read, the worse it is because it makes you very rigid.Scott Alexander, who is the archrationalist, really liked that, and he added me to his blog roll. Because of that, I got a thousand rationalist subscribers. I have found that rationalists at least somewhat interested in the classics. I think they are definitely interested in enduring sources of value. I've observed a fair amount of interest.Oliver: How much of a lay reader are you really? Because you read scholarship and critics and you can just quote John Gilroy in the middle of a piece or something.Kanakia: Yeah. That is a good question. I have definitely gotten more interested in secondary literature. In my book, I really talk about being a lay reader and personally having a nonacademic approach to literature. I do think that, over 15 years of being a lay reader, I have developed a lot of knowledge.I've also learned the kind of secondary literature that is really important. I think having historical context adds a lot and is invaluable. Right now I'm rereading Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. When I first read it in 2010, I hardly knew anything about French history. I was even talking online with someone about how most people who read Les Miserables think it's set in the French Revolution. That's basically because Americans don't really know anything about French history.Everything makes just a lot more sense the more you know about the time because it was written for people in it. For people in 1860s France, who knew everything about their own recent history, that really adds a lot to it. I still don't tend to go that much into interpretive literature, literature that tries to do readings of the stories or tell me the meaning of the stories. I feel like I haven't really gotten that much out of that.Oliver: How long have you been learning Anglo-Saxon?Kanakia: I went through a big Anglo-Saxon phase. That was in 2010. It started because I started reading The Canterbury Tales in Middle English. There is a great app online called General Prologue created by one of your countrymen, Terry Richardson [NB it is Terry Jones], who loved Middle English. In this app, he recites the Middle English of the General Prologue. I started listening to this app, and I thought, I just really love the rhythms and the sounds of Middle English. And it's quite easy to learn. So then, I got really into that.And then I thought, but what about Anglo-Saxon? I'm very bad at languages. I studied Latin for seven years in middle school and high school. I never really got very far, but I thought, Anglo-Saxon has to be the easiest foreign language you can learn, right? So, I got into it.I cannot sight read Anglo-Saxon, but I really got into Anglo-Saxon poetry. I really liked the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Most people probably would not like the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle because it's very repetitive, but that makes it great if you're a language learner because every entry is in this very repetitive structure. I just felt such a connection. I get in trouble when I say this kind of stuff, because I'm never quiet sure if it's 100 percent true. But it's certainly one of the oldest vernacular literatures in Europe. It's just so much older than most of the other medieval literature I've read. And it just was such a window into a different part of history I never knew about.Oliver: And you particularly like “The Dream of the Rood”?Kanakia: Yeah, “The Dream of the Rood” is my favorite Anglo-Saxon poem. “The Dream of the Rood” is a poem that is told from the point of view of Christ's cross. A man is having a dream. In this dream he encounters Christ's cross, and Christ's cross starts reciting to him basically the story of the crucifixion. At the end, the cross is buried. I don't know, it was just so haunting and powerful. Yeah, it was one of my favorites.Oliver: Why do you think Byron is a better poet than Alexander Pope?Kanakia: This is an argument I cannot get into. I think this is coming up because T. S. Eliot felt that Alexander Pope was a great poet because he really exemplified the spirit of the age. I don't know. I've tried to read Pope. It just doesn't do it for me. Whereas with Byron, I read Don Juan and found it entertaining. I enjoyed it. Then, his lyric poetry is just more entertaining to read. With Alexander Pope, I'm learning a lot about what kind of poetry people wrote in the 18th century, but the joy is not there.Oliver: Okay. Can we do a quick fire round where I say the name of a book and you just say what you think of it, whatever you think of it?Kanakia: Sure.Oliver: Okay. The Odyssey.Kanakia: The Odyssey. Oh, I love The Odyssey. It has a very strange structure, where it starts with Telemachus and then there's this flashback in the middle of it. It is much more readable than The Iliad; I'll say that.Oliver: Herodotus.Kanakia: Herodotus is wild. Going into Herodotus, I really thought it was about the Persian war, which it is, but it's mostly a general overview of everything that Herodotus knew, about anything. It's been a long time since I read it. I really appreciate the voice of Herodotus, how human it is, and the accumulation of facts. It was great.Oliver: I love the first half actually. The bit about the Persian war I'm less interested in, but the first half I think is fantastic. I particularly love the Egypt book.Kanakia: Oh yeah, the Egypt book is really good.Oliver: All those like giant beetles that are made of fire or whatever; I can't remember the details, but it's completely…Kanakia: The Greeks are also so fascinated by Egypt. They go down there like what is going on out there? Then, most of what we know about Egypt comes from this Hellenistic period, when the Greeks went to Egypt. Our Egyptian kings list comes from the Hellenistic period where some scholar decided to sort out what everybody was up to and put it all into order. That's why we have such an orderly story about Egypt. That's the story that the Greeks tried to tell themselves.Oliver: Marcus Aurelius.Kanakia: Marcus Aurelius. When I first read The Meditations, which I loved, obviously, I thought, “being the Roman emperor cannot be this hard.” It really was a black pill moment because I thought, “if the emperor of Rome is so unhappy, maybe human power really doesn't do it.”Knowing more about Marcus Aurelius, he did have quite a difficult life. He was at war for most of his—just stuck in the region in Germany for ages. He had various troubles, but yeah, it really was very stoic. It was, oh, I just have to do my duty. Very “heavy is the head that wears the crown” kind of stuff. I thought, “okay, I guess being Roman emperor is not so great.”Oliver: Omar Khayyam.Kanakia: Omar Khayyam. Okay, I've only read The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam by Edward Fitzgerald, which I loved, but I cannot formulate a strong opinion right now.Oliver: As You Like It.Kanakia: No opinions.Oliver: Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson.Kanakia: Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson. I do have an opinion about this, which is that they should make a redacted version of Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson. I normally am not a big believer in abridgements because I feel like whatever is there is there. But, Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson, first of all, has a long portion before Boswell even meets Johnson. That portion drags; it's not that great. Then it has all these like letters that Johnson wrote, which also are not that great. What's really good is when Boswell just reports everything Johnson ever said, which is about half the book. You get a sense of Johnson's conversation and his personality, and that is very gripping. I've definitely thought that with a different presentation, this could still be popular. People would still read this.Oliver: The Communist Manifesto.Kanakia: The Communist Manifesto. It's very stirring. I love The Communist Manifesto. It has very haunting, powerful lines. I won't try to quote from it because I'll misquote them.Oliver: But it is remarkably well written.Kanakia: Oh yeah, it is a great work of literature.Oliver: Yeah.Kanakia: I read Capital [Das Kapital], which is not a great work of literature, and I would venture to say that it is not necessarily worth reading. It really feels like Marx's reputation is built on other political writings like The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte and works like that, which really seem to have a lot more meat on the bone than Capital.Oliver: Pragmatism by William James.Kanakia: Pragmatism. I mean, I've mentioned that in my book. I love William James in general. I think William James was writing in this 19th-century environment where it seemed like some form of skepticism was the only rational solution. You couldn't have any source of value, and he really tried to cut through that with Pragmatism and was like, let's just believe the things that are good to believe. It is definitely at least useful to think, although someone else can always argue with you about what is useful to believe. But, as a personal guide for belief, I think it is still useful.Oliver: Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw.Kanakia: No strong opinions. It was a long time ago that I read Major Barbara.Oliver: Tell me what you like about James Fenimore Cooper.Kanakia: James Fenimore Cooper. Oh, this is great. I have basically a list of Great Books that I want to read, but four or five years ago, I thought, “what's in all the other books that I know the names of but that are not reputed, are not the kind of books you still read?”That was when I read Walter Scott, who I really love. And I just started reading all kinds of books that were kind of well known but have kind of fallen into literary disfavor. In almost every case, I felt like I got a lot out of these books. So, nowadays when I approach any realm of literature, I always look for those books.In 19th-century American literature, the biggest no-longer-read book is The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper, which was America's first bestseller. He was the first American novelist that had a high reputation in Europe. The Last of the Mohicans is kind of a historical romance, à la Walter Scott, but much more tightly written and much more tightly plotted.Cooper has written five novels, the Leatherstocking Tales, that are all centered around this very virtuous, rough-hewn frontiersman, Natty Bumppo. He has his best friend, Chingachgook, who is the last of the Mohicans. He's the last of his tribe. And the two of these guys are basically very sad and stoic. Chingachgook is distanced from his tribe. Chingachgook has a tribe of Native Americans that he hates—I want to say it's the Huron. He's always like, “they're the bad ones,” and he's always fighting them. Then, Natty Bumppo doesn't really love settled civilization. He's not precisely at war with it, but he does not like the settlers. They're kind of stuck in the middle. They have various adventures, and I just thought it was so haunting and powerful.I've been reading a lot of other 19th-century American literature, and virtually none of it treats Native Americans with this kind of respect. There's a lot of diversity in the Native American characters; there's really an attempt to show how their society works and the various ways that leadership and chiefship works among them. There's this very haunting moment in The Last of the Mohicans, where this aged chief, Tamenund, comes out and starts speaking. This is a chief who, in American mythology, was famous for being a friend to the white people. But, James Fenimore Cooper writing in the 1820s has Tamenund come out at 80 years old and say, “we have to fight; we have to fight the white people. That's our only option.” It was just such a powerful moment and such a powerful book.I was really, really enthused. I read all of these Leatherstocking Tales. It was also a very strange experience to read these books that are generally supposed to be very turgid and boring, and then I read them and was like, “I understand. I'm so transported.” I understand exactly why readers in the 1820s loved this.Oliver: Which Walter Scott books do you like?Kanakia: I love all the Walter Scott books I've read, but the one I liked best was Kenilworth. Have you ever read Kenilworth?Oliver: I don't know that one.Kanakia: Yeah, it's about Elizabeth I, who had a romantic relationship with one of her courtiers.Oliver: The Earl of Essex?Kanakia: Yeah. She really thought they were going to get married, but then it turned out he was secretly married. Basically, I guess the implication is that he killed his wife in order to marry Queen Elizabeth I. It's a novel all about him and that situation, and it just felt very tightly plotted. I really enjoyed it.Oliver: What did you think of Rejection?Kanakia: Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte? Initially when I read this book, I enjoyed it, but I was like, “life cannot possibly be this sad.” It's five or six stories about these people who just have nothing going on. Their lives are so miserable, they can't find anyone to sleep with, and they're just doomed to be alone forever. I was like, “life can't be this bad.” But now thinking back over it, it is one of the most memorable books I've read in the last year. It really sticks with you. I feel like my opinion of this book has gone up a lot in retrospect.Oliver: How antisemitic is the House of Mirth?Kanakia: That is a hotly debated question, which I mentioned in my book. I think there has been a good case made that Edith Wharton, the author of House of Mirth, who was from an old New York family, was herself fairly antisemitic and did not personally like Jewish people. What she portrays in this book is that this old New York society also was highly suspicious of Jewish people and was organized to keep Jewish people out.In this book there is a rich Jewish man, Simon Rosedale, and there's a poor woman, Lily Bart. Lily Bart's main thing is whether she's going to marry the poor guy, Lawrence Selden, or the rich guy, Percy Gryce. She can't choose. She doesn't want to be poor, but she also is always bored by the rich guys. Meanwhile, through the whole book, there's Simon Rosedale, who's always like, “you should marry me.” He's the rich Jewish guy. He's like, “you should marry me. I will give you lots of money. You can do whatever you want.”Everybody else kind of just sees her as a woman and as a wife; he really sees her as an ally in his social climbing. That's his main motivation. The book is relatively clear that he has a kind of respect for her that nobody else does. Then, over the course of the book, she also gains a lot more respect for him. Basically, late in the book, she decides to marry him, but she has fallen a lot in the world. He's like, “that particular deal is not available anymore,” but he does offer her another deal that—although she finds it not to her taste—is still pretty good.He basically is like, “I'll give you some money, you'll figure out how to rehabilitate your reputation, and later down the line, we can figure something out.” So, I think with a great author like Edith Wharton, there's power in these portrayals. I felt it hard to come away from it feeling like the book is like a really antisemitic book.Oliver: Now, you note that the Great Books movement started out as something quite socially aspirational. Do you think it's still like that?Kanakia: I do think so. Yeah. For me, that's 100 percent what it was because I majored in econ. I always felt kind of inadequate as a writer against people who had majored in English. Then I started off as a science fiction writer, young adult writer, and I was like, “I'm going to read all these Great Books and then I'll have read the books that everybody else has read.” In my mind, that's also what it was—that there was some upper crust or literary society that was reading all these Great Books.That's really what did it. I do think there's still an element of aspiration to it because it's a club that you can join, that anyone can join. It's very straightforward to be a Great Books reader, and so I think there's still something there. I think because the Great Books movement has such a democratic quality to it, it actually doesn't get you to the top socially, which has always been the true, always been the case. But, that's okay. As long as you end up higher than where you started, that's fine.Oliver: What makes a book great?Kanakia: I talk about it this in the book, and I go through many different authors' conceptions of what makes a book great or what constitutes a classic. I don't know that anyone has come up with a really satisfying answer. The Horatian formulation from Horace—that a book is great or an author is great if it has lasted for a hundred years—is the one that seems to be the most accurate. Like, any book that's still being read a hundred years after it was written has a greatness.I do think that T. S. Eliott's formulation—that a civilization at its height produces certain literature and that literature partakes of the greatness of the civilization and summarizes the greatness of the civilization—does seem to have some kind of truth to it.But it's hard, right? Because the greatest French novel is In Search of Lost Time, but I don't know that anyone would say that the France in the 1920s was at its height. It's not a prescriptive thing, but it does seem like the way we read many of these Great Books, like Moby Dick, it feels like you're like communing with the entire society that produced it. So, maybe there's something there.Oliver: Now, you've used a list from Clifton Fadiman.Kanakia: Yes.Oliver: Rather than from Mortimer Adler or Harold Bloom or several others. Why this list?Kanakia: Well, the best reason is that it's actually the list I've just been using for the last 15 years. I went to a science fiction convention in 2009, Readercon, and at this science fiction convention was Michael Dirda, who was a Washington Post book critic. He had recently come out with his book, Classics for Pleasure, which I also bought and liked. But he said that the list he had always used was this Clifton Fadiman book. And so when I decided to start reading the Great Books, I went and got that book. I have perused many other lists over time, but that was always the list that seemed best to me.It seemed to have like the best mix. There's considerable variation amongst these lists, but there's also a lot of overlap. So any of these lists is going to have Dickens on it, and Tolstoy, and stuff like that. So really, you're just thinking about, “aside from Dickens and Tolstoy and George Eliot and Walt Whitman and all these people, who are the other 50 authors that you're going be reading?”The Mortimer Adler list is very heavy on philosophy. It has Plotinus on it. It has all these scientific works. I don't know, it didn't speak to me as much. Whereas, this Clifton Fadiman and John Major list has all these Eastern works on it. It has The Tale of Genji, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Story of the Stone, and that just spoke to me a little bit more.Oliver: What modern books will be on a future Great Books list, whether it's from someone alive or someone since the war.Kanakia: Have you ever heard of Robert Caro?Oliver: Sure.Kanakia: Yeah. I think his Lyndon Johnson books are great books. They have changed the field of biography. They're so complete, they seem to summarize an entire era, epoch. They're highly rated, but I feel like they're underrated as literature.What else? I was actually a little bit surprised in this Clifton Fadiman-John Major book, which came out in 1999, that there are not more African Americans in their list. Like, Invisible Man definitely seemed like a huge missed work. You know, it's hard. You would definitely want a book that has undergone enough critical evaluation that people are pretty certain that it is great. A lot of things that are more recent have not undergone that evaluation yet, but Invisible Man has, as have some works by Martin Luther King.Oliver: What about The Autobiography of Malcolm X?Kanakia: I would have to reread. I feel like it hasn't been evaluated much as a literary document.Oliver: Helen DeWitt?Kanakia: It's hard to say. It's so idiosyncratic, The Last Samurai, but it is certainly one of the best novels of the last 25 years.Oliver: Yeah.Kanakia: It is hard to say, because there's nothing else quite like it. But I would love if The Last Samurai was on a list like this; that would be amazing.Oliver: If someone wants to try the Great Books, but they think that those sort of classic 19th-century novels are too difficult—because they're long and the sentences are weird or whatever—what else should they do? Where else should they start?Kanakia: Well, it depends on what they're into, or it depends on their personality type. I think like there are people who like very, very difficult literature. There are people who are very into James Joyce and Proust. I think for some people the cost-benefit is better. If they're going to be pouring over some book for a long time, they would prefer if it was overtly difficult.If they're not like that, then I would say, there are many Great Books that are more accessible. Hemingway is a good one and Grapes of Wrath is wonderful. The 19th-century American books tend to be written in a very different register than the English books. If you read Moby Dick, it feels like it's written in a completely different language than Charles Dickens, even though they're writing essentially at the same time.Oliver: Is there too much Freud on the list that you've used?Kanakia: Maybe. I know that Interpretation of Dreams is on that list, which I've tried to read and have decided life is too short. I didn't really buy it, but I have read a fair amount of Freud. My impression of Freud was always that I would read Freud and somehow it would just seem completely fanciful or far out, like wouldn't ring true. But then when I started reading Freud, it was more the opposite. I was like, oh yeah, this seems very, very true.Like this battle between like the id and the ego and the super ego, and this feeling that like the psyche is at war with itself. Human beings really desire to be singular and exceptional, but then you're constantly under assault by the reality principle, which is that you're insignificant. That all seemed completely true. But then he tries to cure this somehow, which does not seem a curable problem. And he also situates the problem in some early sexual development, which also did not necessarily ring true. But no, I wouldn't say there's too much. Freud is a lot of fun. People should read Freud.Oliver: Which of the Great Books have you really not liked?Kanakia: I do get asked this quite a bit. I would say the Great Book that I really felt like—at least in translation—was not that rewarding in an unabridged version was Don Quixote. Because at least half the length of Don Quixote is these like interpolated novellas that are really long and tedious. I felt Don Quixote was a big slog. But maybe someday I'll go back and reread it and love it. Who knows?Oliver: Now you wrote that the question of biography is totally divorced from the question of what art is and how it operates. What do you think of George Orwell's supposition that if Shakespeare came back tomorrow, and we found out he used to rape children that we should—we would not say, you know, it's fine to carry on to doing that because he might write another King Lear.Kanakia: Well, if we discovered that Shakespeare was raping children, he should go to prison for that. No. It's totally divorced in both senses. You don't get any credit in the court of law because you are the writer of King Lear. If I murdered someone and then I was hauled in front of a judge and they were like, oh, Naomi's a genius, I wouldn't get off for murder. Nor should I get off for murder.So in terms of like whether we would punish Shakespeare for his crime of raping children, I don't think King Lear should count at all, but it's never used that way. It's never should someone go to prison or not for their crimes, because they're a genius. It's always used the other way, which is should we read King Lear knowing that the author raped children, but I also feel like that is immaterial. If you read King Lear, you're not enabling someone to rape children.Oliver: There's an almost endless amount of discussion these days about the Great Books and education and the value of the humanities, and what's the future of it all. What is your short opinion on that?Kanakia: My short opinion is that the Great Books at least are going to be fine. The Great Books will continue to be read, and they would even survive the university. All these books predate the university and they will survive the university. I feel like the university has stewarded literature in its own way for a while now and has made certain choices in that stewardship. I think if that stewardship was given up to more voluntary associations that had less financial support, then I think the choices would probably be very different. But I still think the greatest works would survive.Oliver: Now this is a quote from the book: “I am glad that reactionaries love the Great Books. They've invited a Trojan horse into their own camp.” Tell us what you mean by that.Kanakia: Let's say you believed in Christian theocracy, that you thought America should be organized on explicitly Christian principles. And because you believe in Christian theocracy, you organize a school that teaches the Great Books. Many of these schools that are Christian schools that have Great Books programs will also teach Nietzsche. They definitely put some kind of spin on Nietzsche. But they will teach anti-Christ, and that is a counterpoint to Christian morality and Christian theology. There are many things that you'll read in the Great Books that are corrosive to various kinds of certainties.If someone who I think is bad starts educating themselves in the Great Books, I don't think that the Great Books are going to make them worse from my perspective. So it's good.Oliver: How did reading the Mahabharata change you?Kanakia: Oh yeah, so the Mahabharata is a Hindu epic from, let's say, the first century AD. I'm Indian and most Indians are familiar with the basic outline of the Mahabharata story because it's told in various retellings, and there's a TV serial that my parents would rent from the Indian store growing up and we would watch it tape by tape. So I'm very familiar with it. Like there's never been a time I have not known this story.But I was also familiar with the idea that there is a written version in Sanskrit that's extremely long. It is 10 times as long as the Iliad and the Odyssey combined. This Mahabharata story is not that long. I've read a version of it that's about 800 pages long. So how could something that's 10 times this long be the same? A new unabridged translation came out 10 years ago. So I started reading it, and it basically contains the entire Sanskrit Vedic worldview in it.I had never been exposed to this very coherently laid-out version of what I would call Hindu cosmology and ethics. Hindus don't really get taught those things in a very organized way. The book is basically about dharma, the principle of rightness and how this principle of rightness orders the universe and how it basically results in everybody getting their just deserts in various ways. As I was reading the book, I was like, this seems very true that there is some cosmic rebalancing here, and that everything does turn out more or less the way it should, which is not something that I can defend on a rational level.But just reading the book, it just made me feel like, yes, that is true. There is justice, the universe is organized by justice. It took me about a year to read the whole thing. I started waking up at 5:00 a.m. and reading for an hour each morning, and it just was a really magical, profound experience that brought me a lot closer to my grandmother's religious beliefs.Oliver: Is it ever possible to persuade someone with arguments that they should read literature, or is it just something that they have to have an inclination toward and then follow someone's example? Because I feel like we have so many columns and op-eds and “books are good because of X reason, and it's very important because of Y reason.” And like, who cares? No one cares. If you are persuaded, you take all that very seriously and you argue about what exactly are the precise reasons we should say. And if you're not persuaded, you don't even know this is happening.And what really persuades you is like, oh, Naomi sounds pretty compelling about the Mahabharata. That sounds cool. I'll try that. It's much more of a temperamental, feelingsy kind of thing. Is it possible to argue people into thinking about this differently? Or should we just be doing what we do and setting an example and hoping that people will follow.Kanakia: As to whether it's possible or not, I do not know. But I do think these columns are too ambitious. A thousand-word column and the imagined audience for this column is somebody who doesn't read books at all, who doesn't care about literature at all. And then in a thousand-word column, you're going to persuade them to care about literature. This is no good. It's so unnecessary.Whereas there's a much broader range of people who love to read books, but have never picked up Moby Dick or have never picked up Middlemarch, or who like maybe loved Middlemarch, but never thought maybe I should then go on and read Jane Austen and George Eliot.I think trying to shift people from “I don't read books at all; reading books is not something I do,” to being a Great Books card-carrying lover of literature is a lot. I really aim for a much lower result than that, which is to whatever extent people are interested in literature, they should pursue that interest. And as the rationalists would say, there's a lot of alpha in that; there's a lot to be gained from converting people who are somewhat interested into people who are very interested.Oliver: If there was a more widespread practice of humanism in education and the general culture, would that make America into a more liberal country in any way?Kanakia: What do you mean by humanism?Oliver: You know, the old-fashioned liberal arts approach, the revival of the literary journal culture, the sort of depolitical approach to literature, the way things used to be, as it were.Kanakia: It couldn't hurt. It couldn't hurt is my answer to that question.Oliver: Okay.Kanakia: What you're describing is basically the way I was educated. I went to Catholic school in DC at St. Anselm's Abbey School, in Northeast, DC, grade school. Highly recommend sending your little boys there. No complaints about the school. They talked about humanism all the time and all these civic virtues. I thought it was great. I don't know what people in other schools learn, but I really feel like it was a superior way of teaching.Now, you know, it was Catholic school, so a lot of people who graduated from my school are conservatives and don't really have the beliefs that I have, but that's okay.Oliver: Tell us about your reading habits.Kanakia: I read mostly ebooks. I really love ebooks because you can make the type bigger. I just read all the time. They vary. I don't wake up at 5:00 a.m. to read anymore. Sometimes if I feel like I'm not reading enough—because I write this blog, and the blog doesn't get written unless I'm reading. That's the engine, and so sometimes I set aside a day each week to read. But generally, the reading mostly takes care of itself.What I tend to get is very into a particular thing, and then I'll start reading more and more in that area. Recently, I was reading a lot of New Yorker stories. So I started reading more and more of these storywriters that have been published in the New Yorker and old anthologies of New Yorker stories. And then eventually I am done. I'm tired. It's time to move on.Oliver: But do you read several books at once? Do you make notes? Do you abandon books? How many hours a day do you read?Kanakia: Hours a day: Because my e-reader keeps these stats, I'd say 15 or 20 hours a week of reading. Nowadays because I write for the blog, I often think as I'm reading how I would frame a post about this. So I look for quotes, like what quote I would look at. I take different kinds of notes. I'll make more notes if I'm more confused by what is going on. Especially with nonfiction books, I'll try sometimes to make notes just to iron out what exactly I think is happening or what I think the argument is. But no, not much of a note taker.Oliver: What will you read next?Kanakia: What will I read next? Well, I've been thinking about getting back into Indian literature. Right now I'm reading Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. But there's an Indian novel called Jhootha Sach, which is a partition novel that is originally in Hindi. And it's also a thousand pages long, and is frequently compared to Les Miserables and War and Peace. So I'm thinking about tackling that finally.Oliver: Naomi Kanakia, thank you very much.Kanakia: Thanks for having me. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.commonreader.co.uk

Laurence Luckinbill is an acclaimed Emmy Award winning and Tony Award nominee, actor, playwright and director. He's worked in film, television and theatre, in the latter as a writer, director and actor. He has starred in several celebrated one-man shows including as Teddy Roosevelt, Clarence Darrow and Lyndon Johnson. And he became a cult hero portraying Spock's half-brother Sybok in the film “Star Treck V: The Final Frontier”. He's been in a whole bunch of TV shows including Law and Order and the Mary Tyler Moore Show. On Broadway he made his debut in A Man For All Seasons and starred in The Shadow Box, for which he received a Tony nomination.  My featured song is “Studio One” from the album Play by my band Project Grand Slam. Spotify link. —----------------------------------------------------------- The Follow Your Dream Podcast:Top 1% of all podcasts with Listeners in 200 countries! Click here for All Episodes  Click here for Guest List  Click here for Guest Groupings  Click here for Guest Testimonials Click here to Subscribe  Click here to receive our Email Updates Click here to Rate and Review the podcast —---------------------------------------- CONNECT WITH LAURENCE:www.laurenceluckinbill.com —---------------------------------------- ROBERT'S LATEST RELEASE: “MA PETITE FLEUR STRING QUARTET” is Robert's latest release. It transforms his jazz ballad into a lush classical string quartet piece. Praised by a host of classical music stars. CLICK HERE FOR YOUTUBE LINK CLICK HERE FOR ALL LINKS —--------------------------------------- ROBERT'S RECENT SINGLE “MI CACHIMBER” is Robert's recent single. It's Robert's tribute to his father who played the trumpet and loved Latin music.. Featuring world class guest artists Benny Benack III and Dave Smith on flugelhorn CLICK HERE FOR YOUTUBE LINK CLICK HERE FOR ALL LINKS —-------------------------------------- ROBERT'S LATEST ALBUM: “WHAT'S UP!” is Robert's latest compilation album. Featuring 10 of his recent singles including all the ones listed below. Instrumentals and vocals. Jazz, Rock, Pop and Fusion. “My best work so far. (Robert)” CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICIAL VIDEO CLICK HERE FOR ALL LINKS —---------------------------------------- Audio production: Jimmy RavenscroftKymera Films   Connect with the Follow Your Dream Podcast: Website - www.followyourdreampodcast.comEmail Robert - robert@followyourdreampodcast.com   Follow Robert's band, Project Grand Slam, and his music: Website - www.projectgrandslam.comYouTubeSpotify MusicApple MusicEmail - pgs@projectgrandslam.com    

On Tuesday night, President Trump delivered a lengthy State of the Union (SOTU) address on Capitol Hill, during which immigration policy figured prominently. In this episode of Parsing Immigration Policy, guest host Jessica Vaughan, the Center's Director of Policy Studies, and guest Art Arthur, the Center's Resident Fellow in Law and Policy, break down issues that the President chose to highlight. Some of the discussed portions of SOTU address:The most political moment of the President's speech came when the President invited congressional members to stand if they agreed that, "The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.”President Trump underscored the success of his border policy, fulfilling a major campaign promise. The speech also attempted to explain the President's current immigration enforcement strategy by highlighting various crimes committed my criminal aliens, including the death of Lizbeth Medina. President Trump promoted four pieces of legislation: “Delilah's Law”, which would prohibit states from issuing commercial driver's licenses to those here illegally; the stalled DHS funding bill; an act to end federal funding for sanctuary jurisdictions; and the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. There were two noteworthy omissions from the speech: legal immigration and temporary work visas.HostJessica Vaughan is the Director of Policy Studies at the Center for Immigration StudiesGuest Art Arthur is the Resident Fellow in Law and Policy at the Center for Immigration StudiesRelatedIt Is Impossible to Fully Vet Immigrants When a Culture of Corruption Exists New January Data Still Shows Most Job Growth Going to Immigrants; 88% since 2020, 72% in the last year Why Cutting Chain Migration Must Be Part of an Immigration DealIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

How do you hold a country together when it's tearing itself apart? In this episode, Ryan sits down with Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin to talk about Abraham Lincoln's self-education, his emotional discipline, and how he managed anger, ego, and public pressure without losing himself.Doris Kearns Goodwin is a Pulitzer Prize–winning presidential historian and bestselling author. Her latest #1 New York Times bestseller, An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s, is being adapted into a feature film, while her earlier works, Team of Rivals, The Bully Pulpit, and No Ordinary Time, have won some of the nation's highest literary honors and inspired leaders worldwide. She has served as a White House Fellow to President Lyndon Johnson, produced acclaimed docuseries for the HISTORY Channel, and earned countless awards for her contributions to history and leadership.Doris has a new book out called The Leadership Journey: How Four Kids Became Presidents in which she shares the different childhood experiences of Abraham Lincoln. Theodore Roosevelt. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Lyndon B. Johnson, and how they each found their way to the presidency.

Israel's lighting campaign in the Sinai in 1956 resulted in a routing of the Egyptian forces and capture of the entire Sinai Peninsula in less than 100 hours. The threat of Egypt deploying its brand-new military hardware from the Soviet Union had been averted. But in a fluke of history, President Eisenhower, instead of siding with his natural allies, Britain, France and Israel, sided with the Soviet Union and Nasser's Egypt and demanded immediate Israeli withdrawal in return for nothing – or else! Eventually Israel received guarantees of right of passage through the Staits of Tiran and that the United Nations Expeditionary Force would be stationed in Gaza to prevent the penetration of Fedayeen terrorists into Israel. Israel's case against the unaccommodating Eisenhower administration, most notably Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, was assisted by Lyndon Johnson, Democratic leader in the Senate, and members of the press and Congress who were friends of Israel. The United States was employing a painful double standard by not doing anything as Hungarian protestors demanded freedom from Soviet oppression, and were murdered wholesale for their dissidence; yet the United States demanded with the threat of immediate sanctions, that Israel, which had gone to war for legitimate grievances, immediately withdraw from the entire Sinai. Israel gained from the battle a decade of quiet which was so necessary to build the State, and in the process demonstrated that the Middle East had a new military power. Credits Welcome Back Kotter theme song – The Great Take Royal Entrance Fanfare - Randy Dunn Ben Power Amen (official video) The Soviets Crushed the Hungarian Revolution by Trickery - USSR Decoded  The Suez Crisis (1956): Eisenhower's Response to the Anglo-French-Israeli Action – History Central Learn more at TellerFromJerusalem.com Don't forget to subscribe, like and share! Let all your friends know that that they too can have a new favorite podcast. © 2026 Media Education Trust llc

A partial government shutdown that began at midnight on February 14 has halted appropriated funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), affecting FEMA, TSA, the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). A new podcast episode provides an assessment of where negotiations stand and what is at stake for immigration enforcement nationwide.Guest Grant Newman, Director of Government Relations for the Immigration Accountability Project, discusses the evolving Democratic demands that triggered the partial government shutdown. Initially vague, those demands have since focused on proposed restrictions on ICE operations, including requiring judicial warrants for civil immigration enforcement, prohibiting enforcement at or near certain locations (such as schools, hospitals, churches, courthouses, and more), banning officer face coverings, and mandating body camera requirements. Newman argues these measures would effectively halt interior enforcement without formally abolishing ICE.Few details are available about negotiations, with Congress out of session and the White House engaged in closed-door discussions directly with Democratic leadership. The episode examines whether the current strategy is strengthening enforcement opponents' leverage or creating political risk, particularly if a national emergency occurs during the shutdown.The discussion also explores potential Republican counter-demands (including a stop to sanctuary jurisdiction non-cooperation), internal party dynamics, the timing of the shutdown, and the sustainability of DHS operations if the shutdown persists too long.The program concludes with commentary from Mark Krikorian, who highlights recent reporting by Andrew Arthur detailing how nearly one million immigration court cases were administratively closed under the Biden administration — creating what he describes as a “legal dark hole” that shielded removable aliens from enforcement and functioned as a de facto amnesty.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration StudiesGuestGrant Newman is Director of Government Relations for the Immigration Accountability ProjectRelatedImmigration Accountability ProjectIAP ActionThe DHS Shutdown: A Reckless Gamble Verging on MadnessDOJ Reveals that Biden Granted a Quiet Amnesty to Nearly One Million AliensIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

A recent Capitol Hill policy briefing sponsored by the Center for Immigration Studies and the Ben Franklin Fellowship examined the long-term security implications of the Biden administration's Afghan evacuation program. Excerpts from the event are featured in this week's episode of Parsing Immigration Policy, titled “Stopping the Next Afghan Terrorist Attack: Mitigating the Vetting Failures, Fraud, and Corruption of the Biden-Era Evacuation Program.”Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), a member of the House Judiciary Committee and co-chair of the Border Security Caucus, opened the discussion by warning that the Biden-era “Operation Allies Welcome” for Afghan nationals evolved into “an unmanageable and unsafe process.” He argued that safeguards became optional and that statutory vetting standards were weakened. “We're not abandoning allies,” Biggs said. “We're importing unvetted migrants. And the only promise we were breaking was our oath to keep American citizens safe and protect our borders and our people.” He emphasized that security vetting protects both Americans and the integrity of legitimate humanitarian programs.Andrew Veprek, Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), detailed how the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program had expanded far beyond the original SIV statutory framework. He noted that while the traditional SIV category required 15 years of faithful service and chief-of-mission approval, the Afghan program extensively broadened eligibility and reduced verification standards, gutting statutory requirements. There are still roughly 120,000 principal applicants still in the SIV pipeline (not including family members, which could quintuple the total). President Trump has put a hold on these.James Rogers, a former Foreign Service officer and whistleblower, described systemic pressure for rapid visa processing and adjudication. He cited widespread document irregularities and estimated substantial fraud, potentially higher than 75%, within the applicant pool. Rogers called for structural whistleblower protections and reforms to separate investigative and defensive functions within the employee grievance process.Mark Krikorian, the Center's executive director and podcast host, concludes the podcast discussion by highlighting a recent development in Afghanistan that complicates U.S. policy even further: the Taliban's recent issuance of a new penal code that formally recognizes slavery. Krikorian argues that Afghan nationals seeking entry to the U.S. can now claim they are fleeing slavery, triggering asylum grants despite the impossibility of meaningful vetting. He advocates eliminating defensive asylum claims and instead transferring applicants to safe third countries willing to accept them.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration StudiesGuestsRep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) is a member of the House Judiciary Committee and co-chair of the Border Security CaucusAndrew Veprek is the Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM)James Rogers, is a former Foreign Service officer and whistleblowerRelatedThe Ben Franklin FellowshipIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

Hank Moore became a radio DJ at just ten years old, then went on to influence the broadcasting industry. You'll hear about his experiences interviewing Elvis Presley, working as an advisor to President Lyndon B. Johnson, and earning two inductions into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. From payola to the negative effects of the deregulation of broadcasting, he offers valuable perspectives on the music industry. Hank has crossed paths with legends like Ed Sullivan, Frank Sinatra, and Burt Bacharach, and lived through many moments that defined popular culture. We discussed his Pulitzer Prize nominated "Pop Music Legends" and some of the many highlights from his varied and fascinating career in broadcasting and business. Like all my episodes, you can watch this on my YouTube channel or listen to the podcast, and I've also linked the transcript. t's a joy to bring these inspiring episodes to you, and I do all the many jobs of research, production and publicity. Have a look at the show notes of this episode, where you'll find all the links, including different ways to support this podcast and other suggested episodes. Show Notes with All the Links! Hank Moore website(00:00) Intro(01:53) Hank Moore's books, celebrities, radio, Lady Bird Johnson, Lee Iacocca, Bing Crosby(19:16) Elvis Presley, André Previn, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame(30:31) advisor to President Lyndon Johnson, radio industry(49:18) linked episodes, ways to support this podcast(50:02) Ed Sullivan, Mitch Miller, popular music history(58:54) Payola, meeting Burt Bacharach, McCarthy black list(01:08:39) stars discovered on talent shows, music industry problems(01:20:40) non-profit work, business and political work(01:27:45) Carole King, creative process

La spationaute française Sophie Adenot s'apprête à s'envoler demain pour la Station spatiale internationale, devenant la deuxième Française à atteindre l'orbite terrestre. À cette occasion, Marc Bourreau revient sur la présence des femmes dans l'espace.Remontez le temps jusqu'aux débuts de la conquête spatiale, lorsque la pionnière soviétique Valentina Terechkova est devenue la première femme à voyager dans l'espace en 1963. Plongez dans les coulisses de cette époque, où le régime de Khrouchtchev utilisait les exploits spatiaux comme des symboles de la supériorité communiste.Traversez ensuite l'Atlantique pour découvrir le programme Mercury 13, un projet méconnu visant à former des femmes pilotes pour les vols habités de la NASA. Mais ce programme révolutionnaire a été brutalement interrompu par le président Lyndon Johnson, qui a refusé catégoriquement l'intégration des femmes dans les missions spatiales américaines, du moins jusqu'en 1983.Suivez le parcours de pionnières comme Sally Ride, première Américaine dans l'espace, et Claudie Haigneré, première Française sélectionnée pour les étoiles. Leurs histoires illustrent les défis et les progrès lents, mais constants, de la féminisation de la conquête spatiale.Enfin, apprenez comment la jeune Sophie Adenot, inspirée par les exploits de Claudie Haigneré, s'apprête à rejoindre la Station spatiale internationale, ouvrant la voie à d'autres femmes astronautes comme Christina Koch. Un nouveau chapitre s'écrit dans cette épopée fascinante.Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

What kind of leadership can hold a fractured democracy together?About the GuestStephen Schlesinger is an American historian, author, and foreign policy analyst. The son of Arthur Schlesinger Jr.—Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and special assistant to President John F. Kennedy—and grandson of Arthur Schlesinger Sr., he grew up at the centre of one of America's most distinguished intellectual families. Schlesinger is the author of Act of Creation: The Founding of the United Nations, and has written widely on American foreign policy and international institutions. He knew both John and Robert Kennedy personally, and brings a rare insider perspective to the history of American liberalism.About This Episode"He went around the table asking us, 'Do you still believe in God?' — this was 1967, he was already being considered for the presidency. Why would a man of this intensity and ambition be talking about these issues?" - Stephen Schlesinger After two days exploring the surveillance state and the ethics of unmasking—with Andrew Guthrie Ferguson on how your data will be used against you and Christopher Mathias on the fight to expose the radical right—Andrew Keen steps back to ask a larger question: What kind of leadership can hold a fractured democracy together?Stephen Schlesinger joins the show from the Upper West Side of New York to offer a historian's perspective—and a personal one. From his father's role in Camelot to his own memories of playing touch football with Bobby Kennedy at Hickory Hill, Schlesinger reflects on what made the Kennedy brothers effective leaders in a divided country, and what lessons their example holds for progressives today. The conversation moves from the founding of the republic (one-third pro-British) through the Civil War to the present fracture, and asks whether elections remain democracy's "great solver"—or whether something has fundamentally changed.Chapters:00:00 Introduction On the road in New York, beside Columbia University01:10 What Has Happened to America? Schlesinger's 250-year view of national fracture03:40 The One-Third Fracture Why a leader with minority support cannot impose ideology on 330 million05:15 Elections as the Great Solver Except for the Civil War, the ballot box has resolved every American crisis07:30 An Intellectual Aristocracy Harvard, the Schlesinger legacy, and the view from inside the American elite10:45 The Romance of Camelot Meeting JFK, the magnetism of youth, and the television presidency14:20 Bobby's Vulnerability The dinner where RFK asked, “Do you still believe in God?”17:45 Touch Football at Hickory Hill Bobby's toughness and the bullet pass Schlesinger had to catch20:30 Jackie vs. Hickory Hill Two styles of Kennedy parenting22:15 Composed Jack, Emotional Bobby Arthur Schlesinger Jr.'s perspective on the two brothers24:40 The Assassinations The White House, Lyndon Johnson's motorcade, and the bar exam Schlesinger failed28:15 Could Bobby Have Won? Humphrey, the nomination, and what might have been30:30 The Kennedys and Internationalism From Joe Kennedy's isolationism to JFK's UN vision and RFK during the Cuban Missile Crisis34:00 Chris Matthews and the Bobby Kennedy CenentaryLessons for Today36:30 The Perpetual Civic DutyWhy each generation must defend constitutional freedoms anew38:45 ClosingAdvice to grandchildren and the enduring fight for democracyLinks & ReferencesMentioned in this episode:Act of Creation: The Founding of the United Nations by Stephen SchlesingerA Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in the White House by Arthur Schlesinger Jr.Robert Kennedy: His Life by Evan ThomasBobby Kennedy: A Raging Spirit by Chris MatthewsThe Power and the Glory by Graham Greene — the novel Bobby Kennedy mentioned reading at a 1967 dinner Schlesinger attendedWhy England Slept by John F. Kennedy (1940)Previous episode: Andrew Guthrie Ferguson on Your Data Will Be Used Against You (Episode 2794)About Keen On America Nobody asks more impertinent questions than the Anglo-American writer, filmmaker and SiliconValley entrepreneur Andrew Keen. In Keen On America , Andrew brings his sharp Transatlanticwit to the forces reshaping the United States — hosting daily interviews with leading thinkersand writers about American history, politics, technology, culture, and business. With nearly2,800 episodes since the show launched on TechCrunch in 2010, Keen On America is the mostprolific intellectual interview show in the history of podcasting.Website | Substack | YouTube

The Center's latest podcast episode features Florida Governor Ron DeSantis discussing how Florida has become the gold standard on immigration enforcement.Gov. DeSantis explains why Florida has avoided the unrest seen in Los Angeles and Minneapolis, pointing to strong state laws and cooperation with federal authorities.Key highlights:Mandatory Cooperation with ICE: During a special legislative session following President Trump's election, Florida enacted a law requiring all state and local officials to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. Officials who refuse can be suspended from office. Sanctuary policies are banned statewide.287(g) Agreements: All 67 Florida county sheriffs participate in 287(g) agreements, along with the majority of police agencies. Florida is the first state to require state agencies to enter such agreements, enabling full task-force, street-level cooperation with ICE.More than 20,000 apprehensions have resulted from state and local cooperation.State-Run Detention Capacity: Florida operates a state-owned detention and processing facility, nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” to address federal detention shortages. An immigration judge adjudicates cases onsite, and DHS conducts removals directly from the facility's airstrip.A second “Deportation Depot” in northern Florida supports removals.DHS provides full federal reimbursement.Provides an update on legal challenges.Interior Enforcement Measures:Mandatory E-Verify for public employers and private employers with 25+ workers.No driver's licenses or local photo IDs (by government agencies or NGOs) for illegal immigrants.English-only commercial driver's license testing.State election crimes unit to prosecute illegal voting.Maritime Enforcement: Through Operation Vigilant Sentry, Florida interdicts migrants at sea and hands them over to the Coast Guard for return to their home countries.In his closing commentary, Mark Krikorian, executive director and podcast host, highlights a new Center report finding that 53% of immigrant-headed households, legal and illegal together, use at least one welfare program. He points out that most immigrants work, but because they have low levels of education, they earn low wages and thus rely on taxpayer-funded support. Reducing future dependence requires selecting legal immigrants based on skills and enforcing laws against illegal immigration.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration StudiesGuestFlorida Governor Ron DeSantisRelatedWelfare Use by Immigrants and the U.S.-Born, 2024Intro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

Senator Barry Goldwater, the Republican nominee for President in 1964, was in no way a virulent racist, like others in his era, including Bull Connor, George Wallace or Strom Thurmond.  But he reached a higher plateau in American politics and his views on ‘freedom’ were in direct contrast with those of Martin Luther King, Jr., who felt that until human and economic rights were secured for all, it did not exist in full form in America. Goldwater felt that freedom was in trouble because the federal government was usurping states’ rights and the rugged individualism, he espoused with his Western frontier approach to government. They embodied a modern clash of the civil rights movement and the conservative movement as they both gained momentum.  Clearly, in the short run, Martin Luther King, Jr’s. vision won out in 1964 when the Civil Rights bill was passed and Goldwater lost in emphatic fashion to Lyndon Johnson, winning only five states.  However, their differences have been embodied in our politics to this day.

Tevi Troy observes McNamara dealing with the rude President Lyndon Johnson, examining the difficult working relationship between the cerebral defense secretary and the domineering, often abusive commander-in-chief.1910 VIETNAM

SHOW SCHEDULE 1-28-20261900 PRINCETON CANE RUSHBased on your notes, here are all 16 segments formatted for January 28, 2026:1.General Blaine Holt, USAF (Ret.), outlines the mission to rescue Iran from the brutes, detailing strategic options for liberating the Iranian people from the oppressive regime ruling in Tehran.2.Michael Bernstam of the Hoover Institution explains how Russia prospers with the price of gold, analyzing Moscow'seconomic resilience as precious metals revenues offset sanctions and sustain Putin's war machine.3.Bob Zimmerman of Behind the Black explains Blue Origin and SpaceX next missions, previewing upcoming launches and milestones as both companies push forward with ambitious spaceflight development programs.4.Bob Zimmerman explains Roscosmos failures without credit, examining how Russia's space agency stumbles through technical setbacks while refusing accountability, diminishing Moscow's once-proud position in space exploration.5.Victoria Coates and Gordon Chang identify the Baltic states as most vulnerable to Russian annexation, warning that Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania face persistent threats from Putin's expansionist ambitions.6.Ann Stevenson-Yang and Gordon Chang comment on the low spirits and isolation of mainland Chinese singles, examining the demographic and social crisis as young people struggle with loneliness and economic pressures.7.Charles Burton and Gordon Chang observe the contest in Arctic waters, analyzing competing claims and military positioning as Russia, China, and Western nations vie for polar strategic advantage.8.Charles Burton and Gordon Chang comment on Prime Minister Mark Carney and Canada's future with the United States and PRC, assessing Ottawa's delicate balancing act between its powerful neighbors.9.Tevi Troy remarks on the new book McNamara at War, exploring Robert McNamara's tenure as Defense Secretary and his controversial management of the Vietnam War under two presidents.10.Tevi Troy observes McNamara dealing with the rude President Lyndon Johnson, examining the difficult working relationship between the cerebral defense secretary and the domineering, often abusive commander-in-chief.11.Kevin Frazier analyzes how AI can fail like Western Union, warning that excessive concentration and lack of innovation could doom today's artificial intelligence giants just as the telegraph company declined.12.Kevin Frazier warns of regulatory capture in AI governance, cautioning that dominant tech companies may co-opt oversight mechanisms, stifling competition and shaping rules to entrench their market dominance.13.Simon Constable reports from temperate France with commodities analysis, noting copper and gold trading dear as industrial demand and safe-haven buying drive precious and base metals prices higher.14.Simon Constable faults Prime Minister Starmer's lack of leadership, criticizing the British leader's failure to articulate vision or direction as the United Kingdom drifts through economic and political uncertainty.15.Astronomer Paul Kalas explains planetary formation in the Fomalhaut system twenty-five light years distant, revealing how observations of this nearby star illuminate the processes that create worlds around young suns.16.David Livingston explains his twenty-five years hosting The Space Show, reflecting on a quarter century of broadcasting interviews with astronauts, engineers, and visionaries shaping humanity's journey beyond Earth.

A new episode of the Center for Immigration Studies podcast examines the U visa program, originally created by Congress in 2000 under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and explains how a narrowly tailored law-enforcement tool has evolved into a large-scale immigration benefit program, riddled with fraud and abuse.The U visa was designed to help law enforcement agencies detect, investigate, and prosecute crimes by offering legal status to unlawfully present victims of serious crimes who might otherwise be reluctant to have contact with authorities, in exchange for their cooperation. Congress capped the program at 10,000 visas annually, excluding family members.Key findings discussed in the episode include:The program has been overwhelmed, with roughly 250,000 pending applications from principal applicants and 150,000 more from family members – about 400,000 total cases.The surge is not driven by increased victimization, but by policy changes under the Biden administration that created incentives to apply regardless of merit.Under the Biden administration, applicants received work permits and protection from deportation upon filing an application, even before meaningful vetting or adjudication.USCIS officers were stripped of authority to place fraudulent applicants into deportation proceedings, eliminating consequences for false or frivolous filings.Evidence of abuse includes staged crimes, forged law-enforcement certifications, and an underground industry marketing the U visa as a means to a work permit.An internal USCIS study found that one-fifth of applicants were already in removal proceedings when they applied.Some sanctuary states, including California and Illinois, have leveraged the U visa as an amnesty tool, pressuring local law-enforcement agencies to certify applications.Recommendations include:Administrative actions to prioritize legitimate cases and reopen questionable approvals.Congressional reforms to restrict benefits before approval and tighten statutory eligibility.State and local standards for certification, centralized review, and increased oversight.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration StudiesGuestJessica Vaughan is the Director of Policy Studies at the Center for Immigration StudiesRelatedThe U Visa ProgramTrump Sends His ‘Ace Reliever' Tom Homan to MinneapolisImmigration Newsmaker: A Conversation with ICE Deputy Director Tom HomanIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

Political Icon Roger Stone joins me on today's show to discuss all things happening in the political world. Roger's latest book Bushwhacked looks into the attempted Reagan assassination.The book examines a potential plot against Reagan by his own Vice President George Bush senior. Roger's first book examined the assassination of JFK and how Lyndon Johnson was on the brink of political collapse before coming into power after Kennedy's assassination. Then there is Butler, PA and President Trump, Thomas Matthew Crooks was spotted with a rangefinder on the event grounds for 90 minutes. How did the president's protection detail do such a poor job protecting the perimeter? Roger takes note of the extraordinary accomplishments of Trump 2.0 as well as the stand outs in President Trump's cabinet. Peter Navarro was publicly humiliated and arrested for refusing to testify and yet the Clintons refuse with no consequences? Will Pam Bondi and the Trump DOJ allow them to snub their nose at the House Oversight Committee? Featuring: Roger Stone Longtime Trump Political Advisor https://substack.com/@rogerstone Today's show is sponsored by: Vandy Crisps Vandy Crisps is stepping up the chip game with a chip made from just three ingredients: heirloom potatoes, sea salt, and 100 percent grass-fed beef tallow—no seed oils. That tallow's loaded with nutrients for your skin, brain, and hormones, and it makes these chips taste incredible. You'll feel satisfied, energized, no bloat or crash like with regular chips. Just goto ⁠vandycrisps.com/SEAN⁠ use code: SEAN and get 25% OFF your first order! Boll & Branch The key to wellness starts with a good night's sleep. Making your night's sleep better starts with quality sheets. Boll & Branch sheets start unbelievably soft and get softer over time. Boll & Branch sheets are made with the finest 100% organic cotton in a soft, breathable, durable weave. If you're looking for sheets that last, feel amazing, and help you sleep better, Boll & Branch is where it's at. Feel the difference an extraordinary night's sleep can make with Boll & Branch. Just head to https://www.bollandbranch.com/SPICER for 15% OFF and FREE SHIPPING. ------------------------------------------------------------- 1️⃣ Subscribe and ring the bell for new videos: https://youtube.com/seanmspicer?sub_confirmation=1 2️⃣ Become a part of The Sean Spicer Show community: https://www.seanspicer.com/ 3️⃣ Listen to the full audio show on all platforms: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sean-spicer-show/id1701280578 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/32od2cKHBAjhMBd9XntcUd iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-sean-spicer-show-120471641/ 4️⃣ Stay in touch with Sean on social media: Facebook: https://facebook.com/seanmspicer Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanspicer Instagram: https://instagram.com/seanmspicer/ 5️⃣ Follow The Sean Spicer Show on social media: Facebook: https://facebook.com/seanspicershow Twitter: https://twitter.com/seanspicershow Instagram: https://instagram.com/seanspicershow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new episode of the Center for Immigration Studies podcast features Amanda Bartolotta, an investigative reporter for WorldNetDaily, for a detailed, evidence-based examination of abuses within the H-1B visa program and the powerful trade groups that profit from it.Drawing on firsthand experience in the tech sector, Bartolotta explains how certain IT staffing and outsourcing firms, often referred to as “body shops”, have built a business model around labor arbitrage, using temporary visa programs to displace U.S. workers while shifting jobs and intellectual capital overseas. The discussion focuses heavily on the ITServe Alliance, a trade organization representing hundreds of IT staffing firms that rely on H-1B, OPT, CPT, and related visa programs.Bartolotta explains how Bloomberg has documented exploitation of the H-1B lottery through multiple registrations for the same workers. She also outlines how ITServe openly promotes an integrated onshore-offshore labor pipeline, recruiting abroad while partnering with Indian state governments to expand offshore operations, all while lobbying U.S. policymakers as an “American job creator.”The episode also explores Bartolotta's personal experience working in tech, where she witnessed offshoring firsthand, raised civil rights concerns, and later became the subject of retaliation after filing complaints. Her reporting examines how visa dependency, restricted worker mobility, benching practices, and green card manipulation raise serious legal and ethical concerns.In the closing commentary, Mark Krikorian, the Center's executive director and podcast host, highlights how Virginia's new governor moved immediately to turn the state into a sanctuary jurisdiction, underscoring how quickly policy can be reversed when changes are not embedded in statute. He argues that this lesson applies at the federal level as well, and that the Trump administration must prioritize lasting legislative reforms if immigration policy is to endure beyond a single administration.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration StudiesGuestAmanda Bartolotta is an investigative reporter for WorldNetDailyRelatedAmanda Bartolotta's Author PageForeign Influence and Lobbying Network HubAmericans Left Behind: IT Serve and the Big Business of Labor ArbitrageVisa Power, Political Influence and the Big Business of Labor ArbitrageIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

A new episode of Parsing Immigration Policy examines the controversy surrounding foreign truck drivers and the issuance of non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses (CDLs). It also offers policy recommendations for the U.S. Department of Transportation and Congress to address safety and labor concerns in the trucking industry.The episode features Gord Magill, a third-generation truck driver and author of the forthcoming book End of the Road: Inside the War on Truckers (March release). Drawing on decades of firsthand experience, Magill challenges the claim, frequently promoted by industry lobbyists, that the United States faces a shortage of truck drivers. Instead, he argues the real problem is driver retention due to low wages and undesirable working conditions.Key issues include:The rapid increase in non-domiciled CDLs, originally intended to address interstate residency issues but now widely abused;How a “driver shortage” narrative has been used to suppress wages and justify expanded pipelines of cheap foreign labor;States issuing CDLs through training centers that fail to meet federal safety and English-language proficiency standards;The rise of “chameleon” companies that evade accountability by dissolving and re-forming under new LLCs after repeated safety violations;The use of overseas-based trucking firms in the hiring of U.S. truckers;Trump-era enforcement efforts aimed at restoring safety on America's highways.In the closing commentary, Mark Krikorian, executive director and podcast host, flags a Center blog post on a recent New York Times interview in which President Trump again expressed his support for continued high levels of legal immigration. Krikorian points out that this is not new and that the president is not a restrictionist, but rather a transitional figure, paving the way for the next generation of Republican leaders who do support lower levels of overall immigration.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration StudiesGuestGord Magill is a third-generation trucker and authorRelatedGord Magill's Substack, “Autonomous Truck(er)s”“I'm an American Trucker. Illegal Migrants Are Flooding My Industry.”Book due out in March: End of the Road: Inside the War on TruckersTakeaways and Analysis from Trump's Interview with the New York TimesIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

"Meet the first viral preacher, Billy Graham. You've never seen the evangelist like this before with a full biography documentary exploring the man known as America's Pastor, brought to life through archival footage, historical context, graphic design, and stunning 4K Ultra HD visuals.This full story follows Billy Graham's journey from humble beginnings to global evangelist, examining his faith, gospel message, and influence on American history. Discover his close relationships with U.S. presidents and world leaders including Winston Churchill, Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, George Bush, and Bill Clinton, and how his ministry shaped a nation.Presented by Christian YouTuber Joe Kirby from Off The Kirb Ministries.#billygraham #biography #Christianmotivation

A new episode of the Center for Immigration Studies' podcast examines Venezuela, U.S. foreign policy, and the immigration consequences that follow intervention abroad. Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies, and George Fishman, senior legal fellow, discuss whether recent U.S. actions in Venezuela could reshape migration flows, and whether legal tools such as the Alien Enemies Act still apply now that Nicolas Maduro is no longer in power.The discussion follows years of record Venezuelan migration during the Biden-era border crisis, driven by economic collapse, political repression, and the Maduro regime's ties to transnational criminal and terrorist organizations. Vaughan draws on her recent analysis detailing Venezuela's role in actively creating an environment for Tren de Aragua and Hezbollah to expand their size and reach – including into the United States.The episode explores whether renewed U.S. pressure on Venezuela's leadership could improve conditions and reduce migration, while also raising questions about the future of more than 600,000 Venezuelans currently protected under Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Fishman explains the statutory requirements of TPS, ongoing court challenges, and how changes in country conditions may affect future renewals, removals, and third-country deportations.Vaughan and Fishman also address asylum policy, including whether claims based on conditions tied to the former regime remain valid and the government's authority to revisit asylum grants if circumstances change.Finally, the episode assesses the continued relevance of the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime statute that gives the president broad authority to detain and remove citizens of an enemy state. While Maduro may be gone, Fishman explains that indictments linking senior Venezuelan officials to state-backed criminal organizations raise unresolved questions about whether hostile activity persists.Mark Krikorian, executive director and podcast host, points out that U.S. foreign policy decisions often carry lasting immigration consequences, for better or worse. History shows that intervention abroad can reshape immigration patterns; the U.S. has a history of involvement overseas resulting in new large immigrant communities at home.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration StudiesGuestsJessica Vaughan is the Director of Policy at the Center for Immigration StudiesGeorge Fishman is the Senior Legal Fellow at the Center for Immigration StudiesRelatedRegime Change in Venezuela May Enhance U.S. SecurityCan We Have a Reckoning about Biden's Venezuelan Migrants Now?Intervention Leads to ImmigrationTrump Deploys the Alien Enemies Act Against Venezuela and Tren de AraguaCongressional Testimony: The Impacts of Temporary Protected StatusFederal Court Rejects DHS's Decision to Revoke TPS for VenezuelansIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

Clay welcomes one of his favorite guests, Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky, back to the program to talk about political theater in American presidential history. Thomas Jefferson walked to his inauguration, met visitors to the White House, including diplomats, while wearing his house slippers. George Washington was able to quell a potential military coup (the Newburgh Conspiracy) by taking a pair of spectacles out of his pocket and apologizing that his eyesight had deteriorated in the long years of the War of Independence. How calculated were these moments of political theater? Were they planned and maybe even rehearsed, or were they more or less spontaneous evocations of presidential character? We talk about all of the early presidents, but end in a discussion of Lyndon Johnson taking the Oath of Office on the tarmac at Love Field in Dallas on the afternoon of JFK's assassination. This episode was recorded on November 19, 2025.

MCNAMARA AND JOHNSON'S DANGEROUS FEEDBACK LOOP Colleague William Taubman. Following JFK's assassination, Lyndon Johnson retained McNamara, relying on his efficiency and self-confidence to counter his own insecurities and depressive episodes. A dangerous feedback loop developed where McNamara, eager to please his new boss, adopted Johnson's "tone for action" regarding Vietnam, providing brilliant arguments for escalation that reinforced Johnson's instincts to fight. Johnson came to view McNamara as his "fair-haired boy," utilizing him for everything from the war effort to domestic projects and even considering him for the Vice Presidency. NUMBER 5 1966 LBJ ;

In a special year-end episode of Parsing Immigration Policy, Executive Director Mark Krikorian is joined by CIS Director of Policy Studies Jessica Vaughan and Fellow in Law and Policy Andrew Arthur for a comprehensive review of one of the most consequential years for U.S. immigration policy in modern history and a forecast of what to expect in 2026.The discussion examines a sweeping series of executive actions and reforms that dramatically reshaped border security, interior enforcement, and immigration programs. Among the most consequential developments: the resumption of border wall construction; reinvigoration of the Remain in Mexico program; limits on asylum claims by illegal entrants; expanded military support at the border; and a renewed emphasis on interior enforcement.Perhaps most significant for the long term, the panel notes, was the passage of the Laken Riley Act – landmark legislation enacted in direct response to illegal alien crime, widespread detention failures, and mass parole abuse under the Biden administration. Unlike executive orders, the act can't simply be undone by a future administration and is expected to shape immigration enforcement for years to come.The episode revisits predictions made last year and looks ahead to 2026 with forecasts including:A heavier emphasis on worksite enforcement.Kilmar Abrego Garcia will be removed to a country in the Western Hemisphere.Expanded fraud investigations by USCIS across visa and asylum programs.President Trump will withdraw the U.S. from the U.N. refugee treaty.Push for legalization of mixed-status families.A major no-match letter initiative.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration StudiesGuestJessica Vaughan is the Director of Policy at the Center for Immigration StudiesAndrew Arthur is the Fellow in Law and Policy at the Center for Immigration StudiesIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

When it was reported that two deceased people were found in The Singer-Reiner home, no one could have imagined the brutality and horror that it involved. Soon, headliners were reaching everyone, Rob and Michelle Reiner found by daughter, brutally stabbed to death. The person behind the double homicide? Their own flesh and blood. CREDITS & LINKS MUSIC COURTESY OF: Bobby Mackey "Johanna" KARA FUNDRAISER: http://spot.fund/CremationFundsForKaraMcCoy COVER PICTURE: Found on Wikimedia Commons: The LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas, screened a new Rob Reiner film titled 'LBJ' on Saturday October 22, 2016. In this photo taken on the red carpet are Ian Turpin, Luci Baines Johnson's husband, John Covert, LBJ's great grandson, Brent Covert, husband of Luci Baines Johnson's daughter Nicole, Mark Updegrove, Director of the LBJ Library, Luci Baines Johnson, daughter of LBJ, writer Joey Hartstone, producer Matthew George, Michele and Rob Reiner, and Woody and Laura Harrelson with their daughter Makani. On Saturday evening October 22, 2016, the LBJ Presidential Library held a sneak peek of Rob Reiner's new film LBJ, starring Woody Harrelson as the 36th president. The film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, chronicles the life and times of Lyndon Johnson who would inherit the presidency at one of the most fraught moments in American history. Following the screening, director Rob Reiner, actor Woody Harrelson, and writer Joey Hartstone joined LBJ Library Director Mark Updegrove on stage for a conversation about the film. LBJ Library photo by Jay Godwin 10/22/2016 LBJ Library Public domain Michele and Rob Reiner at LBJ Library (cropped).jpg Copy CITY SHOUT OUTS:

A new Center for Immigration Studies podcast episode examines the real-world consequences of immigration and public safety policies through the story of Katie Abraham, a 20-year-old college student killed by an illegal alien in a DUI hit-and-run crash in the sanctuary state of Illinois.Guest host Marguerite Telford, the Center's Director of Communications, speaks with Joe Abraham, Katie's father, about the night his daughter and another young woman were killed when an illegal alien driving at nearly 80 miles per hour struck their car while it was stopped at a traffic light. Three additional young women were seriously injured. The driver fled the scene and was later apprehended in Texas while attempting to flee to Mexico.Abraham details how the suspect had previously been deported, returned illegally in 2022, and was living under an alias using false identification. He recently accepted a plea offer of 30 years and now faces federal prosecution for passport misuse, false statements, identity fraud, falsification of a Social Security card, and related offenses. “This was never political for us,” Abraham says. “But policies matter. Leadership matters. And common-sense enforcement could save lives.”Discussion topics include:Sanctuary policies and their impact on public safety.How an illiterate illegal alien obtained a driver's license without receiving any vetting.The role of prevention – through enforcement and screening – rather than reacting after crimes occur.The lack of engagement from state leaders and victim advocacy organizations, including Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).The human cost of immigration policies.The importance of the DHS VOICE Office in supporting victims and their families.HostMarguerite Telford is the Director of Communications at the Center for Immigration StudiesGuestJoe Abraham is the father of Katie Abraham, a 20-year-old college student killed by an illegal alienRelatedAn illegal immigrant killed my daughter. Katie and Illinois are both getting justice Sanctuary policies failed my daughter and my state Joe Abraham: We all share my daughter Katie's legacy — and her death must still mean somethingIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

Before the dynasties, before the banners, before Brady, before Belichick, even before Bledsoe, there was the 1985 New England Patriots. A team built on grit, not glamour.History often remembers the champions, yet the 1985 New England Patriots didn't win a championship. Yet in this case, they are remembered for the journey, a journey that was one of the most memorable in NFL History. In this episode of the Historically Speaking Sports Podcast, the place where we give you sports from back in the day, Co hosts Charles Combs and Dana Auguster will bring you back to the mid 1980s. In this edition will will talk about Patriots' first AFC Championship team that posted three, count them, three postseason upsets that included ending a losing streak that dated back to the Lyndon Johnson administration. This was a team that was devoid of big names and huge stars. But was comprised of several solid individuals that was the personification of blue collar teamwork. Leading this group was a head coach who had made his own way into Canton as a Hall of Fame receiver, but his quiet understated style was the trademark of this great team. Later in the show we will send a shout out to a former Patriot great, whose clutch performance that season made him a New England legend plus a discussion on who was actually the worse Super Bowl participant. You could contact the show at Historically.Speaking.Sports@gmail.com

Political Strategist, Roger Stone, joins Michael to discuss his provocative book, "The Man Who Killed Kennedy: The Case Against LBJ." Stone outlines why he believes Lyndon Johnson played a central role in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, drawing on decades of political experience and his own interpretation of historical records. In this conversation, Stone explains the motives, alleged cover-ups, and longstanding political rivalries that shape his controversial theory. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ana Hebra Flaster immigrated as a 5-year-old on a Freedom Flight, a refugee airlift sponsored by President Lyndon Johnson.

This week's episode features Megan Basham, culture reporter for The Daily Wire and author of Shepherds for Sale: How evangelical leaders traded the truth for a leftist agenda, to discuss her reporting on how major philanthropic networks, political groups, and federal funding streams have shaped the policy positions of several large evangelical institutions on immigration issues such as open borders, refugee resettlement, and amnesties.Basham outlines how organizations like World Relief, the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals and a federally funded refugee-resettlement contractor, have become influential voices within evangelical leadership. She discusses her findings on the financial and philanthropic support behind campaigns such as the Evangelical Immigration Table, which was created to push support behind left-wing causes, like open borders.In the episode, Basham walks through her reporting on efforts by political and foundation-backed groups to partner with major denominations, develop Bible-study curricula, and promote messaging on immigration within Christian colleges and ministries. She also describes the tension emerging between national-level leadership and many congregants, noting recent pushback inside denominations like the Southern Baptist Convention. The conversation broadens to examine why institutional leaders in multiple religious traditions – Protestant, Catholic, Mormon, and Jewish – often adopt policy positions that differ from the views of the people in the pews.The episode also looks at ongoing debates inside evangelical circles about mission work and refugee policy. Should churches be importing targets for witness instead of going where these people are to preach the gospel?HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration StudiesGuestMegan Basham is the culture reporter for The Daily WireRelatedReligious NGO that Settled Afghan Shooter Condemned Trump for Additional Vetting OrderShepherds for Sale: How evangelical leaders traded the truth for a leftist agendaRaking in Hundreds of Millions for Trafficking Kids Destroys U.S. Catholic Bishops' Credibility on ImmigrationSomali Immigrants in MinnesotaMotor-Voter Law Often Lures Non-Citizens into Voting Illegally‘Operation Allies Welcome': Parole, Benefits, Vetting GapsIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

CLICK HERE! To send us a message! Ask us a Question or just let us know what you think!The autopsy reads like a military operation. The brain goes missing. From the first minutes on the tarmac to the last page of the Warren Commission, the JFK story is stitched with contradictions that refuse to die. We brought our roundtable back together to follow the hard edges: the casket swap accounts from Bethesda, morgue staff who recall a body bag and pre-autopsy surgery, and the chain-of-evidence gaps around the so‑called magic bullet. If a first-year defense attorney could dismantle the case, why did the nation accept it?We dig into the operational backdrop most people never see: JM/WAVE's web of CIA officers, anti-Castro exiles, and mob figures forged in the struggle against Castro; Operation Northwoods, which proved false flags were not fantasy but policy; and the rush to paint Oswald as a Cuban- and Soviet-linked agent via New Orleans leafleting, Mexico City legends, and convenient IDs. We weigh Lyndon Johnson's choices—why the Cuba blame was abandoned, how Vietnam escalated immediately, and what his behavior in Dealey Plaza and on Air Force One might tell us. Along the way, names like E. Howard Hunt and Curtis LeMay surface, tying Dallas to a broader culture of covert power and political pressure.This isn't a hunt for every shooter. It's a search for the employers—the coalition with the reach to manage an autopsy, redirect the press, and outlast oversight. We revisit Parkland doctors' accounts of the head wound, explore the “Prayer Man” doorway footage that could upend the sixth-floor narrative, and confront the witness attrition that shadows the case. If you care about the integrity of evidence, the architecture of cover stories, and how national security can bend truth, you'll want to hear this unvarnished exchange.If this conversation moves you, follow the show, share it with a friend who still has questions about Dallas, and leave a review telling us what piece of evidence you think matters most. Your take might guide our next deep dive.

In this episode of Gangland Wire, Gary Jenkins interviews bestselling author Mark Shaw about his explosive new research into the JFK and RFK assassinations — and the hidden role of New Orleans Mafia boss Carlos Marcello. Shaw breaks down newly uncovered FBI documents, including Marcello's alleged 1985 prison confession claiming involvement in JFK's murder. We explore Marcello's long-running war with Robert Kennedy, the suspicious death of journalist Dorothy Kilgallen, and significant inconsistencies in the official story of RFK's assassination. This conversation challenges the lone-gunman narrative and exposes how organized crime, politics, and government investigations may have collided to shape American history. Subscribe to get notified about new content. 0:10 The Kennedy Connection 21:37 Sirhan’s Background Uncovered 31:56 The Role of Marcello in Assassinations 44:54 The Quest for Justice

Despite more than two years of intense negotiations, the Veterans Day deadline to agree on the allotment of reduced water supplies under the Colorado River Compact passed without a consensus. If the seven states divided into the upper and lower basins of the river cannot put forward a joint proposal by February 14, the federal government will institute its own plan—which will likely result in appeals to the Supreme Court.  Since the first federal shortage declaration in 2021, Arizona has volunteered to accept the largest cuts in shares of Colorado River water. Given that a third of its overall water demand has relied on the river's supply, leaders in the state are anxious to conclude the current negotiations so that their long-term planning for alternatives can proceed.  The Central Arizona Project (CAP) is a 330-mile manmade canal built to transport Arizona's portion of Colorado River water across the state. Approved for federal funding by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968, CAP is an outstanding example of the infrastructural might that has often been required for cities in the Ten Across region to thrive. The urban boom that began in Phoenix and Tucson in the 1980s and 90s would not have been possible without CAP water.  In this episode Duke Reiter and Terry Goddard, CAP Board president and former Phoenix mayor, discuss how the state has weathered uncertainties surrounding growth and water security in the past, and how leaders need to step up to meet the present moment...and the future.  Relevant Articles and Resources  “Former Phoenix mayor: Embrace bad news” (AZ Central, April 2015)  “40 Years of Central Arizona Project Water Use” (Kyl Center for Water Policy, December 2025)  “'Dream' of desalinating water to boost Arizona's supplies moves ahead with vote” (AZ Central, November 2025)  “The Peirce Report, Revisited: Greater Phoenix Grows Up” (Greater Phoenix Leadership)  1987 interview with Neal Peirce on PBS Horizon  Relevant Ten Across Conversations Podcasts  Latest Deadpool Projections Inject New Urgency into Colorado River Negotiations  Understanding Groundwater Risks in the Southwest with Jay Famiglietti  Checking in on Tense Colorado River Negotiations with Anne Castle and John Fleck  CreditsHost: Duke ReiterProducer and editor: Taylor GriffithMusic by: Gavin Luke and Pearce RoswellResearch and support provided by: Kate Carefoot, Rae Ulrich, and Sabine Butler  About our guest Terry Goddard served as Arizona attorney general from 2003 to 2010, addressing major issues, including the fallout from the mortgage crisis, border security, and consumer and environmental protections. While mayor of Phoenix from 1984 to 1990, Terry conceived and presided over the Phoenix Futures Forum, the largest city visioning process in the U.S., measured by the number of citizen participants and scope. He was also elected president of the National League of Cities in 1988. Today, Terry is serving his third term as president of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District Board, which oversees the Central Arizona Project.

This week's Parsing Immigration Policy podcast features another panel discussion from the third annual conference of the International Network for Immigration Research (INIR), convened recently in Washington. The three speakers each discuss various types of lawfare affecting the enforcement of immigration laws in the U.S. and European countries.Matt O'Brien, Deputy Executive Director at the Federation for American Immigration Reform, explained how lawsuits and judicial interference have hampered the implementation of policy in the United States.Simon Hankinson, Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, described how migrants' use and abuse of asylum courts has led to a never-ending flow into the United Kingdom.Viktor Marsai, Executive Director of the Budapest-based Migration Research Institute, delved into how rulings by the European Court of Human Rights have made it more difficult for European Union member states to protect their borders.In light of last week's attack on National Guard members by an Afghan national, Mark Krikorian concludes the episode with a summary of his recent National Review op-ed explaining the limitations of vetting and the need to adjust our immigration policies accordingly.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration StudiesGuestMatt O'Brien is the Deputy Executive Director at the Federation for American Immigration ReformSimon Hankinson is a Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage FoundationViktor Marsai is the Executive Director of the Migration Research InstituteRelatedVideos of all the sessions of the recent INIR conferenceVetting in All the Wrong PlacesIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

In the latest episode of Parsing Immigration Policy, Jessica Vaughan, Director of Policy Studies, sits down with Mahvash Siddiqui, a U.S. Foreign Service officer, to discuss systemic fraud in the H-1B visa program. Speaking in her private capacity, Ms. Siddiqui shares firsthand experiences from her time as a consular officer in Chennai (Madras), India – one of the world's largest H-1B visa-processing posts – where U.S. officials adjudicated thousands of nonimmigrant visas, including 220,000 H-1Bs and 140,000 H-4 visas for their family members in 2024 alone.The episode highlights alarming patterns of fraud affecting the H-1B program, including forged degrees, falsified employment credentials, and the role of third-party staffing companies in bypassing the program's original rationale of admitting skilled workers to meet temporary shortages. While the Trump administration implemented changes aimed at reorienting the program toward more qualified applicants, Siddiqui emphasizes that widespread political pressure and a very effective Indian lobby here in the U.S. have often undermined quality control.The conversation provides insight into the challenges faced by consular officers attempting to curb visa fraud, including under-resourcing, bureaucratic obstacles, and pressure from both local and foreign political actors. The episode concludes with a discussion of potential reforms to ensure the program serves its intended purpose.Videos of the full conference will be posted in the near future.HostJessica Vaughan is the Director of Policy Studies at the Center for Immigration StudiesGuestMahvash Siddiqui is a U.S. Foreign Service Officer.RelatedThe H-1B Invasion: Why the U.S. Must Act to Protect American Jobs, Security, and ProsperityH-1B: End It, Don't Mend ItU.S. Chamber of Commerce: On Second Thought, H-1B Isn't for the 'Best and Brightest' After AllDHS Proposes to Reform the H-1B Selection Process to Favor Higher Paid WorkersIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

Send us a textIn this episode we look back at three people it is almost hard to imagine not being around. Hulk Hogan, if you are kid in my age range, middle 50s, was as big a star as ever roamed the Earth. He was the catalyst for Professional Wrestling's leap into mainstream society taking it from a cable television novelty, to starring in, what is still today, the largest indoor sporting event in all of history with an attendance of 93,173 to see Hulk Hogan wrestle 7ft 4 inch, Andre the Giant. Huge is an understatement at what an event that was for anyone who was watching it. We honor Hulk Hogan here though, for one of the last things he did in his long and storied career. He spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2024 on behalf of President Donald Trump. At the time, many of the political analyst were saying he was the first Pro wrestler to be involved as an endorser in Presidential Politics. That was far from the truth. Ric Flair had been a big supporter of George H. W. Bush and in 1992 he traveled North and South Carolina with him. We have an episode dedicated to that in our back catalogue from our 1992 Changing of the Guard Series.  We look back at Hulk Hogan with a great deal of fondness, he was a huge part of my childhood. Hulk Hogan was 71 years old.Jim Lovell, helped guide the Apollo 13 Moon mission back to Earth after disaster struck it and an oxygen tank exploded mid mission. The fabulous movie "Apollo 13" starring Tom Hanks and Directed by Ron Howard tells the story, as does an episode in our back catalogue of material. Jim Lovell always came across as a super nice man, known as "smiling Jim" by his fellow astronauts in the 1960s. I was honored to tell his Apollo 13 story during our initial Richard Nixon series. Jim Lovell was also on the first trip to circumnavigate the moon, and was a a part of the crew that took the famous "Earthrise" photo. We have an episode in our series on Lyndon Johnson that covers that mission. Jim Lovell was 97 years old. This year also saw the passing of my Mother, Gloria Bulmer's favorite movie star, Robert Redford. He was "The Great Gatsby." I have seen the movie several times, it was my mother's favorite. Redford was famous for many other huge blockbuster movies too from "All the President's Men" to "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", to another of my mother's favorite movies, "The Sting" with Paul Newman and Robert Shaw. He was the quintessential movie star. He also has an episode in our back catalogue, when we profiled one of my all time favorite movies, "Casablanca", and along with it another of my favorites, that was one of the few of his movies that flopped, "Havana". I loved the movie and never understood why it did so poorly at the box office. Redford also founded the Sundance Movie Festival, which has helped show some of independent films best work. For that we owe him a great deal of gratitude. Robert Redford was 89 years old. We invite you to comb through our back catalogue for all four of these episodes. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1507867/episodes/9047347   Episode 42 Earthrise the story of 1968's Apollo 8https://www.buzzsprout.com/1507867/episodes/9474650  Episode 58 Richard Nixon the Man that Saved the Union : Apollo 13 Our Finest Hourhttps://www.buzzsprout.com/1507867/episodes/16716829  Episode 349 George H. W. Bush -  1992 the Changing of the Guard: On the Trail with Ric Flair and George Bush (and later Mike Huckabee)https://www.buzzsprout.com/1507867/episodes/16567204  "Casablanc Questions or comments at , Randalrgw1@aol.com , https://twitter.com/randal_wallace , and http://www.randalwallace.com/Please Leave us a review at wherever you get your podcastsThanks for listening!!

The boys drink and review Forgotten Lore American lager from Nepenthe, then discuss food stamps. A lot of people were concerned that the recent government shutdown was interfering with the funding for food stamps (SNAP), but it brought up another issue. People started to wonder how we got to the point that one in eight Americans are getting food stamps. Food stamps started out as a relatively modest program to distribute surplus food to people who could use it. The original program ended during World War II, but it was resurrected for the "war on poverty" under Lyndon Johnson. As with most government programs, it's grown ever since. In the early days of the program you had to purchase the stamps. In 1977 they abandoned the purchase requirement, and now it's just a giveaway. And boy are we ever giving it away. P&C discuss.

How unique is Donald Trump's trajectory as a president born of backlash? What should we make of Trump following Barack Obama? Julia Azari finds that backlash presidents like Trump tend to follow transformative presidents like Barack Obama who represent changes to the American racial order. And the backlash presidents commonly face impeachment as they are seen as transgressive figures. She finds parallels in the previous pairings of Andrew Johnson after Abraham Lincoln and Richard Nixon after Lyndon Johnson. It puts Trump, the American presidency, and our racial politics in useful historical context.

This week's episode of the Center for Immigration Studies' Parsing Immigration Policy podcast features Jennie Taer, reporter for The Daily Wire, discussing how illegal immigrants are obtaining non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) – leading to tragic consequences on America's roads.Highlights:Fatal consequences: A string of deadly crashes involving illegal immigrant has drawn attention to the risks posed by non-domiciled CDLs.Licensing loophole: Non-domiciled CDLs, created in 2019 for legitimate cross-state work, have been exploited by illegal immigrants and created a cheap labor alternative for trucking companies facing labor shortages.Work permit abuse: The Biden administration's mass issuance of work permits to asylum applicants – without legal authorization to be here – allows states like California to grant CDLs to ineligible drivers.Lack of enforcement: Many illegal-alien truck drivers arrested did not speak English – despite a federal law requiring road testing be done in English to obtain a CDL.Private school loophole: Private schools in California have been certifying unqualified drivers, with limited state oversight.Legal showdown: Florida is suing California over its licensing practices after an illegal immigrant truck driver killed three residents.Federal response: The Trump has ordered California to reform its licensing policies within 30 days or risk losing $160 million in federal highway funds.ICE enforcement: Immigration and Customs Enforcement has increased roadside checks and weigh-station operations, with several states cooperating to curb illegal driving activity.Broader implications: When states hand out CDLs to illegal immigrants, every state becomes a border state.In this week's commentary, Mark Krikorian notes that today marks the anniversary of President Reagan signing the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, which granted amnesty to nearly three million illegal immigrants and made it unlawful to employ them. Billed as a “grand bargain,” it promised enforcement in exchange for legalization – but that promise was never kept, poisoning immigration politics to this day. The enduring lesson, as Mark Krikorian notes, is: real enforcement and system integrity must come before any talk of amnesty.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestJennie Taer is a reporter for The Daily Wire.RelatedJennie Taer Author PageHow Illegal Immigrant Truck Drivers Ended Up on America's RoadsICE Nabs Over 120 Illegal Immigrant Drivers After Probe Exposes Major Loophole Found in Texas DMVIllegal-Immigrant Trucker ‘No Name Given' Mocks US Law — and Puts Us in Grave DangerIllegal Immigrant Trucker Reveals Grave DangerBefore Considering Another Amnesty, Look at IRCA's LessonsIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

In today's episode, Ryan and Doris Kearns Goodwin discuss how parents can teach history to their children, encouraging curiosity in kids, and the importance of maintaining the love for history in education. Doris Kearns Goodwin is a Pulitzer Prize–winning presidential historian and bestselling author. Her latest #1 New York Times bestseller, An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s, is being adapted into a feature film, while her earlier works, Team of Rivals, The Bully Pulpit, and No Ordinary Time, have won some of the nation's highest literary honors and inspired leaders worldwide. She has served as a White House Fellow to President Lyndon Johnson, produced acclaimed docuseries for the HISTORY Channel, and earned countless awards for her contributions to history and leadership.She has a new book out called The Leadership Journey: How Four Kids Became Presidents in which she shares the different childhood experiences of Abraham Lincoln. Theodore Roosevelt. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Lyndon B. Johnson, and how they each found their way to the presidency. Grab copies of Doris' books Team of Rivals and Leadership at The Painted Porch | https://www.thepaintedporch.comFollow Doris on Instagram @DorisKGoodwin and check out more of her work on her website doriskearnsgoodwin.com

Lyndon Johnson wouldn't have been familiar with a shutdown. Grant might have, but it didn't work out the way modern ones do during his time. No, all that we've been experiencing comes down to an obscure ruling from the 1970s, and quickly put in action in 1981. Most hoped it wouldn't be seen again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Halloween! When everything is scary. Can you name a scary moment in politics? How about this one: LITTLE GIRL plucking daisy petals: One, two, three, four, five, seven, six, six, eight, nine "MISSION CONTROL": Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, zero SOUND EFFECTS: Huge atomic bomb blast. Pretty scary, right? That was from the 1964 presidential campaign … Lyndon Johnson's "Daisy" ad he used against Barry Goldwater. It showed a little girl plucking a daisy … Then: images of nuclear destruction. ... Then, LBJ says: "We must either love each other. Or we must die." The ad ran just one time … But that was enough to make it famous … And it was enough to make the list of 11 scary moments in politics… As you'll hear in the latest episode of C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly" …Timed for Halloween and with a very special guest: Managing Editor of National Journal Daily - Ledge King. Which ten other political moments make the scary list? And what does Ledge King say about each of them? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Parsing Immigration Policy, Simon Hankinson, Senior Research Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, discusses his new book, The Ten Woke Commandments You Must Not Obey. Two of the book's chapters focus on immigration: “You Shall Have No Borders” and “You Shall Have No Nation.”In the episode, Hankinson explains why the idea of the nation-state is fundamental to civilization and how the erosion of borders threatens both prosperity and safety. He argues that:The open border movement is both ideological and political – a tool to expand government dependency and reshape the electorate.A democracy cannot survive without defined borders; “If you don't have a country to defend, nothing else matters.”Birthright citizenship and “birth tourism” weaken the meaning of national allegiance and civic responsibility.Drawing on his years as a U.S. diplomat in India, Ghana, Fiji, Togo, and Slovakia, Hankinson shares how his first-hand experience with visa processing opened his eyes to migration patterns and visa fraud, shaping his perspective on U.S. immigration policy.He also reflects on how free speech, civic duty, and national loyalty intersect in a society increasingly pressured to conform to ideological orthodoxies. (Upcoming Event: Hankinson and Krikorian will join a November 19 Heritage Foundation panel on the H-1B visa program, exploring how it has shifted from filling national needs to displacing American workers, and how it can be reformed.)In his closing commentary, Krikorian notes two developments that mark the end of the Biden Border Crisis. First, of course, is the dramatic drop in apprehension numbers. Despite a small uptick in Southwest border arrests in September, the newly released Fiscal Year 2025 total was the lowest in generations. Equally important, though, is the fact that the (much smaller) migrant flow has reverted to traditional patterns – mainly Mexicans, with a few Central Americans – marking an end to the globalized flow from nearly every country on earth in response to Biden administration policies.HostMark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.GuestSimon Hankinson is a Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation.RelatedSimon Hankinson Bio and PublicationsThe Ten Woke Commandments You Must Not ObeyDespite Uptick in September, FY25 Border Arrests Were the Lowest in GenerationsMigrant Flow Returns to Traditional Demographic Patterns under Trump IIIntro MontageVoices in the opening montage:Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

3pm - I WAS THINKING:  I Will Die On This Hill… Unless my wife is listening // HIS DAY IN HISTORY: 1965 - President Lyndon Johnson signs the Highway Beautification Act // King County councilmember urges ‘Stupid Motorist Law’ after 3rd bridge strike in 2 months // Governor Ferguson signs an emergency declaration for Bullfrog Road seeking federal funding 

Random questions! Good luck! LOVE TRIVIA WITH BUDDS? CHECK OUT THE MNEMONIC MEMORY PODCAST!  "Forget forgetting—The Mnemonic Memory Podcast makes learning unforgettable.” http://www.themnemonictreepodcast.com/ Fact of the Day: Five U.S. Presidents (Thomas Jefferson, John Q. Adams, Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, and Lyndon Johnson) didn't take their Presidential Oath on a Bible. Triple Connections: Crocker, White, Boop THE FIRST TRIVIA QUESTION STARTS AT 01:15 SUPPORT THE SHOW MONTHLY, LISTEN AD-FREE FOR JUST $1 A MONTH: www.Patreon.com/TriviaWithBudds INSTANT DOWNLOAD DIGITAL TRIVIA GAMES ON ETSY, GRAB ONE NOW!  GET A CUSTOM EPISODE FOR YOUR LOVED ONES:  Email ryanbudds@gmail.com Theme song by www.soundcloud.com/Frawsty Bed Music:  "EDM Detection Mode" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ http://TriviaWithBudds.com http://Facebook.com/TriviaWithBudds http://Instagram.com/ryanbudds Book a party, corporate event, or fundraiser anytime by emailing ryanbudds@gmail.com or use the contact form here: https://www.triviawithbudds.com/contact SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL MY AMAZING PATREON SUBSCRIBERS INCLUDING:   Mollie Dominic Vernon Heagy Brian Clough Nathalie Avelar Becky and Joe Heiman Natasha raina Waqas Ali leslie gerhardt Skilletbrew Bringeka Brooks Martin Yves Bouyssounouse Sam Diane White Youngblood Evan Lemons Trophy Husband Trivia Rye Josloff Lynnette Keel Nathan Stenstrom Lillian Campbell Jerry Loven Ansley Bennett Gee Jamie Greig Jeremy Yoder Adam Jacoby rondell Adam Suzan Chelsea Walker Tiffany Poplin Bill Bavar Sarah Dan  Katelyn Turner Keiva Brannigan Keith Martin Sue First Steve Hoeker Jessica Allen Michael Anthony White Lauren Glassman Brian Williams Henry Wagner Brett Livaudais Linda Elswick Carter A. Fourqurean KC Khoury Tonya Charles  Justly Maya Brandon Lavin Kathy McHale Chuck Nealen Courtney French Nikki Long Mark Zarate Laura Palmer  JT Dean Bratton Kristy Erin Burgess Chris Arneson Trenton Sullivan Jen and Nic Michele Lindemann Ben Stitzel Michael Redman Timothy Heavner Jeff Foust Richard Lefdal Myles Bagby Jenna Leatherman Albert Thomas Kimberly Brown Tracy Oldaker Sara Zimmerman Madeleine Garvey Jenni Yetter JohnB Patrick Leahy Dillon Enderby James Brown Christy Shipley Alexander Calder Ricky Carney Paul McLaughlin Casey OConnor Willy Powell Robert Casey Rich Hyjack Matthew Frost Brian Salyer Greg Bristow Megan Donnelly Jim Fields Mo Martinez Luke Mckay Simon Time Feana Nevel

From the publisher: "When Barack Obama won the White House in 2008, becoming the nation's first Black president, the stage was set for Donald Trump's eventual rise to power. Backlash Presidents shows how, throughout American history, administrations that challenge the country's racial status quo are followed by presidents who deal in racially charged politics and presidential lawlessness, culminating in impeachment crises.In this incisive book, Julia Azari traces the connections between racially transformative presidents and their successors, examining the presidencies of Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon, and Obama and Trump. When he signed long-awaited civil rights legislation in 1964, Lyndon Johnson unleashed a perfect political storm that swept Nixon into the White House. Azari demonstrates how Nixon's rhetoric, relationship to Congress, and attitudes about executive power exhibit striking parallels with Andrew Johnson and Trump. She discusses how their actions are linked to race and racialized institutions—the Department of War during Reconstruction, the FBI during the Nixon years, and elections today—and looks at what happens after impeachment, describing how the rush to establish a new order perpetuates many of the same problems as the old.Challenging the conventional wisdom about the role of norms in American democracy, Backlash Presidents reveals how normal presidential politics upholds unsustainable racial hierarchy that in turn gives rise to intense periods of instability."For information on Dr. Azari's book from Princeton University Press, head here Support our show and Reach out and Read of Tampa Bay at https://patreon.com/axelbankhistoryAxelbankHistory.com is designed by https://www.ellieclairedesigns.com/Axelbank Reports History and Today" can be found on social media at https://twitter.com/axelbankhistoryhttps://instagram.com/axelbankhistoryhttps://facebook.com/axelbankhistory

The Supreme Court's decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard ended decades of race-conscious admissions in higher education. Supporters argue the ruling restores colorblind fairness, while critics warn it risks undoing decades of progress toward equal opportunity. On this week's Stay Tuned with Preet, Yale Law Professor Justin Driver, author of The Fall of Affirmative Action: Race, the Supreme Court, and the Future of Higher Education, joins Preet to trace the history of affirmative action — from Lyndon Johnson's call for “true equality” in 1965 to the Court's recent decision — and to explore what colleges can still do to build diverse classrooms within the confines of the law. Then, Preet answers your questions about the recent court ruling on deploying the National Guard to Portland, Oregon. In the bonus for Insiders, Justin Driver reflects on how his father's sacrifices shaped his understanding of opportunity and education. Join the CAFE Insider community to stay informed without hysteria, fear-mongering, or rage-baiting. Head to cafe.com/insider to sign up. Thank you for supporting our work. Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available on our website.  You can now watch this episode! Head to CAFE's Youtube channel and subscribe. Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on BlueSky, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

PREVIEW: Lyndon Johnson and the Australian View of His Vietnam Deception Guest: Gregory Copley Gregory Copley discusses LBJ's deceit regarding the Vietnam War and his demands for Australian troops. Although Australia was deceived, today its opinion of Johnson is low, focused mainly on his failure and decision to quit, rather than his statesmanship. He achieved little for Australia during his tenure. 1967 VIETNAM

 It was only a handful of episodes ago, when listeners learned the story of Bobby Baker. Do you remember that episode when the very day the world stood still, mourning the assassination of President John F. Kennedy? Another story was unfolding in the shadows of Washington D.C. A story so explosive, it could have stopped Lyndon B. Johnson from ever becoming president.You might remember that In a closed-door Senate hearing, a lone whistleblower, an insurance salesman named Don B. Reynolds, was giving testimony that implicated the Vice President himself. Testimony that touches upon a  web of kickbacks, bribes, and political corruption. The allegations were severe enough to  potentially lead to the impeachment, removal from office, and even prison time for LBJ.But then, shots rang out in Dallas.In the chaos that followed, that bombshell testimony vanished. The whistleblower, Don Reynolds, faced death threats and was forced to flee the country. He would live  in exile for four years, haunted by what he knew. Chased now  by the  federal machinery that had been weaponized by LBJ  to get him,  including the IRS and the FBI. His story was buried.  Bob Nelson, the nephew of Don Reynolds has written a book that we all have come to know on this podcas…Bob is the  author of the groundbreaking book, LBJ's Mortal Wound: The Don Reynolds Story. A book that has been out since June 2025. We got a chance to catch up with Bob and interview him for our You Tube Interview Series.  For decades, Bob's family held onto this incredible story of courage and betrayal. Now, drawing from never-before-seen family archives, secret White House tapes, and exclusive, declassified Senate records, Bob  has pieced together the full picture.In our full video interview, you'll hear Bob Nelson reveal what it was like growing up in a family living that harbored  the secrets and the fear  which  followed his uncle's testimony. And you will hear how one man's decision to speak truth to power, collided with one of the most pivotal and tragic moments in history...forever altering its course.This isn't just a political scandal; it's a riveting family memoir about resilience, the high price of justice, and the courage it takes to give a voice to a story that was silenced for generations.In the end, Bob nudges us all along to incorporate what is revealed in this book…to supplement our view on the legacy of LBJ….to understand the dark side of his being that so manifested itself… up close and personal for Bob's uncle Buck to see and experience…So get on over to our YouTube channel and listen to this interesting and thoughtful conversation with  this affable Midwesterner.  A man who experienced first hand what it was like to grow up in the middle of this circumstance. We know more about it than ever before thanks to the thoughtful  work done by  Bob Nelson.

Genesis: The Story of Apollo 8, the First Manned Flight to Another World Author: Bob Zimmerman Segment 1: Setting the Stage: The Cold War and the Genesis of Apollo 8 In late 1968, Apollo 8 was poised for a mission amidst the global Cold War, a period where both sides held apocalyptic views of each other. President Kennedy had tasked Vice President Lyndon Johnson with the goal of reaching the moon, driving NASA's efforts. This race against Roscosmos, the Soviet program, was a battle of ideologies. The mission's crew, Frank Borman, William Anders, and Jim Lovell, were introduced as men with military backgrounds, ready to embark on what both sides believed was a critical moment for a circumlunar mission or moon landing. 1868 Jules Verne. "Aound the Moon."

What made Lincoln great wasn't power or genius, it was his moral fiber. Historian and bestselling author Doris Kearns Goodwin joins Ryan to explore why Lincoln stands above the rest, how ambition can be twisted toward selfishness or greatness, and how moments of pain and principle shape true leaders. Ryan and Doris discuss the pressures of writing about legendary figures, Doris's years working for LBJ, and what it takes to bring history to life for future generations.Doris Kearns Goodwin is a Pulitzer Prize–winning presidential historian and bestselling author. Her latest #1 New York Times bestseller, An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s, is being adapted into a feature film, while her earlier works, Team of Rivals, The Bully Pulpit, and No Ordinary Time, have won some of the nation's highest literary honors and inspired leaders worldwide. She has served as a White House Fellow to President Lyndon Johnson, produced acclaimed docuseries for the HISTORY Channel, and earned countless awards for her contributions to history and leadership.She has a new book out called The Leadership Journey: How Four Kids Became Presidents in which she shares the different childhood experiences of Abraham Lincoln. Theodore Roosevelt. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Lyndon B. Johnson, and how they each found their way to the presidency. Grab copies of Doris' books Team of Rivals and Leadership at The Painted Porch | https://www.thepaintedporch.comFollow Doris on Instagram @DorisKGoodwin and check out more of her work on her website doriskearnsgoodwin.com