Podcasts about republicans

Conway Jr. dives into the breaking news about late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel being pulled off air by the ABC due to inflammatory comments he made during his monologue about Charlie Kirk's accused assassin Tyler Robinson. Kimmel said that the MAGA gang was trying to “score political points” off Kirk's murder and stated the accused killer was “one of them,” a pro-Trump Republican. The FCC took exception to the host's inflammatory political commentary. Plus, Michael Monks is in studio to talk about the LA Convention Center being painted for the Olympics in 2028.

The assassination of Charlie Kirk is the new 9//11: a shocking life-changing event that is giving birth to a new breed of domesticterrorists, who are playing whack-a-mole with Republican leaders.Your host, Carole Lieberman, M.D., a psychiatrist known as TheTerrorist Therapist®, starts off by talking about the significance of his assassination taking place the day before 9/11. She lists reasons why we are more vulnerable to Radical Islamist terroriststoday than on September 11, 2001, and adds the divisiveness, that caused Charlie Kirk to be assassinated, as a new reason.  Next, Dr. Lieberman psychoanalyzes the shooter, Tyler Robinson, and explores why he murdered Charlie Kirk - whom she knew from his being a guest on her podcast. You will hear about his motives, what his gender identity has to do with it, the messages on the bullets, the significance of his flunking out of college on scholarship and more. You will also hear about his ‘roommate'/lover, Lance Twiggs, and how he plays into this scenario. Finally, you'll hear about the aftermath of the assassination: the investigation, charges against Tyler Robinson, what his social media trail reveals, the consequences for people celebrating his death and so much more. 

On Tuesday's Mark Levin Show, WREC's Ben Ferguson fills in for Mark. Political violence is a rising trend driven by radical left extremists radicalized by the Democratic Party. Democrats, including leaders like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, are using  inflammatory rhetoric—labeling Republicans as fascists, Nazis, and threats to America—to incite people against opponents like President Trump and Charlie Kirk.  We are witnessing a hardcore desensitizing to the idea you can kill anyone you think is a threat to what you believe in.  Also, the media echo's the Democrat Party. They won't tell you the real story of what happened to Kirk. Some in the media are even claiming that nobody on the left is cheering Kirk's death.  ABC's Matt Gutman gushed over Tyler Robinson, the alleged assassin, and his transgender romance. He called Robison's text's touching and intimate. The texts read like a psycho covering for his transgender lover.  In a normal world Gutman would have been fired. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Americans don't talk about state attorney generals very much. Technically it's “attorneys general”—like “sisters-in-law” instead of “sister-in-laws”—but don't get hung up on the wording. It's what AGs actually do that matters so much.A state attorney general is basically the top legal expert in their state; they're also known as The People's Lawyers because they fight for us, their constituents, against bad actors who don't have our best interests in mind. That can mean prosecuting companies that are polluting waterways or landlords who are illegally raising rent prices or banks that are selling people's private data. Sometimes state AGs band together on lawsuits, like a recent case against Purdue Pharma for aggressively pushing medications like OxyContin and contributing to the opioid crisis we're facing in this country.Unfortunately, we also have a lot of examples of the harm that a corrupt or extremist attorney general can do. (Ken Paxton, for example) But the good news is, we the people have the power to elect them. In all but seven states (AK, HI, NH, NJ, WY, TN, & ME), voters choose their AG at the ballot box. Most attorneys general are up for election in 2026 or 2028, and in one pivotal state, Virginia, voters will get to elect a new attorney general in just a couple of months.This November, Jay Jones—a lawyer and former member of the Virginia House of Delegates—will square off against the current Virginia Attorney General, Jason Miyares. Miyares is a Republican and a supporter of Donald Trump, campaigning for him and supporting his policies.If you live in Virginia, be sure you come to the polls in November prepared to vote for attorney general. And if you don't live in Virginia, chances are you'll have the chance to vote for your own AG very soon! It's not just about rejecting extremism. It's about choosing a “People's Lawyer” who actually works for the people.For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue. You can learn more about us at www.redwine.blue or follow us on social media! Twitter: @TheSWPpod and @RedWineBlueUSA Instagram: @RedWineBlueUSA Facebook: @RedWineBlueUSA YouTube: @RedWineBlueUSA

New York Post Columnist Miranda Devine calls in to discuss her views on media bias, particularly highlighting alleged one-sidedness in liberal media against conservatives. Key incidents discussed include the portrayal of political events and figures, the role of Democrats and Republicans in current political conflicts, and high-profile cases such as the murder of Charlie Kirk and its media coverage. Devine contrasts the ideological divides in the U.S. and emphasizes the need for honesty and clear communication in preserving the nation's integrity. The discussion also touches on the impact of political figures like Trump and the spread of conservative messages through media and grassroots movements. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Curtis Sliwa, Republican running for Mayor of New York City, joins Sid live in-studio to talk about his ongoing campaign for mayor, expresses determination not to quit, drawing parallels to Donald Trump's perseverance during his presidential campaign. He also criticizes political opponents like Andrew Cuomo for their policies and actions, accusing them of damaging New York City and State. Sliwa outlines his platform on issues like reducing taxes and improving public safety, particularly in the subway system. The discussion further highlights his opposition to current mayoral candidate Mamdani and his plans for reforms if elected. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hernando’s majority Republican board of aldermen rejected a motion to rename a street in honor of Charlie Kirk. Also today, Sen. Marsha Blackburn drops by along with a debate between Sen. Brent Taylor and County Mayor Lee Harris. Live Weekdays 7AM Central on the KWAM app, or Mighty990.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

In this episode of the Crawford National Roundtable podcast the guys discuss the assassination of Conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Republicans have long railed against “cancel culture” and blamed the left for seeking to curb free speech. Now, they are catching criticism on the same grounds in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination – and potentially going further by having government officials involved. Also: today's stories, including how Charlie Kirk's allies are vowing to continue his political legacy, how some Syrians are taking steps to build a democratic legislature, and our review of “Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare's Greatest Rival," by Stephen Greenblatt. Join the Monitor's Ira Porter for today's news.

Republicans have long railed against “cancel culture” and blamed the left for seeking to curb free speech. Now, they are catching criticism on the same grounds in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination – and potentially going further by having government officials involved. Also: today's stories, including how Charlie Kirk's allies are vowing to continue his political legacy, how some Syrians are taking steps to build a democratic legislature, and our review of “Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare's Greatest Rival," by Stephen Greenblatt. Join the Monitor's Ira Porter for today's news.

Kenny Webster interviews author Austin Peterson.

Synopsis:  As a bestselling author of 18 books, including "Aftershock" and "The System: Who Rigged It and How We Fix It", Robert Reich shares his insights on how to address growing income inequality and its impact on politics and economy.This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donateDescription:  The crisis we're in was a long time coming. Now that we're here, what do we do about it? Returning to the show, former Labor Secretary and longtime professor Robert Reich joins Laura Flanders to discuss two bullies tormenting U.S. democracy: concentrated wealth and corporate power. As Reich shares, growing income inequality yields corruption in our politics and economy. No one election will change everything, but that's not a reason not to act, and act quickly to defeat the Trump administration — in Congress, and at the polls. Reich's latest Substack, “Should Democrats Shut Down the Government?” presents some ideas. Reich's latest book is “Coming Up Short: A Memoir of My America”. He  is also the subject of “The Last Class” about his final semester teaching at UC Berkeley's Goldman School. He's the author of eighteen books, including the bestsellers, “Aftershock” and “The System: Who Rigged It and How We Fix It,” and is co-founder of Inequality Media. Online, you can find Reich's viral video explainers and his widely-read newsletter on Substack. Join Reich and Flanders as they unpack how economic and political power intersect in American life – and catch Laura's two cents on “democratic capitalism.”“If the Republicans who now control Congress say, “‘We're not going to give you any role at all, and we are not even going to reassume our constitutional role as Congress,' then I think the Democrats have no choice but to say, ‘Forget it. That's it. The only way we bring attention to this crisis is we stop and shut the whole place down.'” - Robert Reich“More than a century ago, we had the first Gilded Age in the United States . . . We had the equivalent of billionaires, the equivalent of Elon Musk . . . Why would we not have another Progressive Era as a response to the Gilded Age? We are now in the second Gilded Age.” - Robert ReichGuest:  Robert Reich- Former Secretary of Labor; Professor Emeritus, University of California Berkeley; Author, Coming Up Short: My Memoir of AmericaWatch the special report on YouTube; PBS World Channel September 14th, and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode). Listen: Episode airing on community radio September 17th  (check here to see if your station is airing the show) & available as a podcast.Full Episode Notes are located HERE.-Related Podcast: Robert Reich Full Uncut Conversation Support Laura Flanders and Friends by becoming a member at https://www.patreon.com/c/lauraflandersandfriendsMusic Credit:  'Dawn Smolders' by Bluedot Sessions, and original sound design by Jeannie Hopper RESOURCES:Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes:•  Democracy & Capitalism: A Failed Experiment?  Watch•  The Pandemic Economy-  Watch / Listen•  Naomi Klein & Astra Taylor: Are We Entering “End Times Fascism”?  Watch / Listen: Episode and Full Conversation  •  Masha Gessen & Jason Stanley: Is it Doomsday for U.S. Democracy? Watch / Listen: Episode and Full Conversation Related Articles and Resources:•  Documentary:  The Last Class with Robert Reich•  “The Jobs Crash” by Robert Reich, Substack•  Democrats Regain Advantage in Party Affiliation, by Jeffrey M. Jones, July 31, 2025, Gallup News•  Bessent hails new ‘Trump accounts' as ‘backdoor for privatizing Social Security, by Michael Stratford, July 30, 2025, Politico•  Co-founded by Robert Reich: Inequality Media and Inequality Media Civic Action•  Office Hours:  Who is MOST responsible for this catastrophe, other than Trump? By Robert Reich, September 3, 2025, SubStack• Schumer:  Democrats ‘will force votes' on Trump tariffs after disappointing jobs report, by Al Weaver, September 5, 2025, The Hill Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O'Conner-Senior Consulting Producer. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Blueky: https://bsky.app/profile/lfandfriends.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel

Was Charlie Kirk a terrorist? Was South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson a dangerous threat? According to the FBI's Operation Arctic Frost, they and 90 other Republican-linked individuals and groups were treated as if they were. This episode unpacks the explosive revelations about how the FBI allegedly spied on 92 Republican entities under the pretext of “election threats” — while ignoring or burying whistleblower evidence of Chinese-backed absentee ballot fraud and thousands of fake driver's licenses intercepted at Chicago O'Hare. We also dive into the Clinton Annex, a hidden cache of evidence that reportedly showed repeated felonies tied to Hillary Clinton's handling of classified information, and new documents naming Joe Biden directly in a $100 million Russian-linked scheme through Rosemont Seneca. While real crimes were classified and hidden, innocent Republicans were surveilled for questioning the 2020 election — raising the question: was the FBI protecting democracy, or manipulating it?

A fast, hard-hitting episode that follows a single thread: new disclosures about the FBI probe code-named “Arctic Frost” and what they mean for political surveillance, press trust, and partisan outrage. We parse allegations that the probe swept up 92 Republican targets — including Turning Point USA — and what Senate documents and oversight hearings reveal about who was watched and why.

In the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's assassination, a political firestorm erupts on Capitol Hill. Rep. Nancy Mace introduces a resolution to strip Rep. Ilhan Omar of her committee assignments, accusing her of amplifying rhetoric that fuels “assassination culture.” Omar fires back on X, claiming Mace is fabricating quotes and attempting to censor her. This episode examines the rhetoric war in Congress, the role of influencers like Hasan Piker campaigning alongside far-left candidates, and the shocking calls for violence that surface in their circles. From chants of “kill landlords” to debates over free speech vs. incitement, the culture of political rage is laid bare. Meanwhile, new revelations surface about the FBI's Operation Arctic Frost, where 92 Republican entities — including Charlie Kirk's TPUSA and state attorneys general — were surveilled under the guise of “election threats,” even as whistleblower warnings of Chinese-backed absentee ballot fraud and fake IDs flooding U.S. airports were ignored. Add in hidden evidence from the so-called Clinton Annex and a Biden-linked $100 million Russian energy scheme, and the story becomes one of censorship, corruption, and control.

On today's episode, Andy & DJ discuss the FBI investigating a far-left Utah Group for advanced knowledge of the Charlie Kirk assassination, Republicans blocking the Senate vote to release the Epstein files, and the New York Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsing Communist Zohran Mamdani in New York City's Mayoral Race.

Star columnist David Rothkopf joins the Daily Beast's Joanna Coles and Executive Editor Hugh Dougherty to discuss Trump's week of cascading crises. From Kash Patel's reckless tweets and FOX News appearances that have corroded FBI trust, to the internal purges and morale collapse that now haunt the Bureau, the hosts probe how Trump's allies are weaponizing chaos to tighten their grip on power. They examine the killing of Charlie Kirk and the way Trumpworld is turning Kirk's memorial into a MAGA rally. At the same time, Utah's Spencer Cox emerges as an unexpected counter-voice inside the Republican party. And with Trump preparing for a gilded U.K. state visit—shadowed by the specter of Jeffrey Epstein and royal unease—the conversation asks: is this just spectacle, or the architecture of Trumpism's next power grab? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The former senator and former Dem has some not-very-nice things to say about Schumer and Obama—as well as progressives—who he blames for hounding Biden to move left and diminishing his will to fight. And while he's proud he helped protect the filibuster while he was in the Senate, Republicans just invoked the nuclear option to get Trump's nominees approved. Plus, what's with all the Confederate flags in West Virginia? And why aren't West Virginians more angry that conditions in the state have not improved since flipping red under Trump? Sen. Joe Manchin joins Tim Miller. show notes Sen. Manchin's new book, "Dead Center: In Defense of Common Sense" Tim's 2021 piece, "An Ode to Saint Joe Manchin" Bulwark Live in DC and NYC at TheBulwark.com/events. Tix for a second Toronto show go on sale for members Tuesday at noon and for everyone else on Wednesday!

Jody Hamilton guest hosts for Stephanie today as she is recovering from a COVID booster shot. Jody and crew discuss the desperate attempt of Republicans to blame anyone and everyone else for the shooting of Charlie Kirk even though the shooter was one of their own. Guests - David Shuster and Charlie Pierce.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/damagereport and get on your way to being your best self. JD Vance blames the left for all of the political violence. Trump forgets the name of the Democratic lawmaker who was shot and killed. Republicans are going after Ilhan Omar for repeating Charlie Kirk's previous comments. Trump announces another potential illegal strike on a drug boat. Democrats unveil their list of demands to avoid a shutdown. Trump doesn't understand why Putin and Zelenskyy hate each other.  Host: John Iadarola (@johniadarola) Co-Host: Brett Erlich (@lukepbeasley) ***** SUBSCRIBE on YOUTUBE TIKTOK  ☞        https://www.tiktok.com/@thedamagereport INSTAGRAM  ☞   https://www.instagram.com/thedamagereport TWITTER  ☞         https://twitter.com/TheDamageReport FACEBOOK  ☞     https://www.facebook.com/TheDamageReportTYT

President Trump's order to attack a Venezuelan boat on drug smuggling suspicions has alarmed some Republican lawmakers.

Join Jim and Greg for Monday's 3 Martini Lunch as they call out Democrats and the media for lying about Charlie Kirk's assassin, criticize Attorney General Pam Bondi for forgetting the First Amendment, and laugh at Pete Buttigieg's sudden admission that Joe Biden should never have run for re-election.First, they update the latest evidence in the case against the shooter who assassinated Charlie Kirk last week in Utah and then hammer elected Democrats and leftists in the media who stressed that the parents were Republicans and tried to peddle the fiction that killer was mad that Kirk was not far right enough, even after the facts were painfully obvious.Next, Jim and Greg reprimand Attorney General Pam Bondi for threatening to prosecute people for their despicable celebrations of Charlie Kirk's murder. She also demanded employers fire any employees who did that. They remind Bondi that public pressure on employers over that kind of speech is very different than the government filing charges or trying to get people fired. Jim says that's exactly what the left has been trying to do to conservatives for years.Finally, they laugh as former Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg weakly follows Kamala Harris' lead and says Joe Biden definitely should not have run for re-election in 2024. But Buttigieg, who also never said a word about his alleged concerns, says it's just time to move on now.Please visit our great sponsors:If your business can't adapt in real-time, you're in a world of hurt.  Get the free e-book “Navigating Global Trade: 3 Insights for Leaders” from NetSuite by Oracle.  Download today at https://NetSuite.com/MARTINISleep on an award-winning mattress from Brooklyn Bedding. Get 30% off sitewide at https://BrooklynBedding.com with promo code 3ML, and don't forget to mention our show after checkout!

John discusses the desperate attempt of Republicans to blame anyone and everyone else for the shooting of Charlie Kirk even though the shooter was one of their own. Then, he welcomes back Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman to discuss the recent shootings and Trump's crackdown of liberal speech. Next, Professor Corey Brettschneider returns to discuss the curtailing of free speech, the 2 separate universes of public information, and how history repeats itself. Then finally, John chats with comedian Rhonda Hansome and they talk listeners off the edge and give advice on how to deal with Maga extremists in their lives.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Let's talk about Trump worrying republicans with power grabs....

In the wake of Charlie Kirk's hideous public murder, lots of people have been trying to defend their awful takes as "their opinions". Our dedicated host, Mike Slater, hates that garbage and is here to explain why all opinions aren't valid and why we should start bashing more of them for being stupid and wrong.Following that opener, Breitbart's Editor-in-Chief returns to speak about the news of the day and comment on the liberal claptrap regarding "conservative cancel culture" in the wake of people getting in trouble in polite society for badmouthing a dead man. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week's episode is a collaboration with comedian Michael Regilio, host of Regilio v Everything. We talk about being dumb, young, and punk—which for Michael meant being a young Republican in high school. I take a trip down memory lane of that time I was cancelled in Dallas. And Michael shares with me all the insane things I had no idea were happening in the world. Did Michael scare me? Yes. But I'm still hopeful for the future. And I'm looking forward to Michael's forthcoming comedy special. Check out my book, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore: On the Death and Rebirth of Comedy https://amzn.to/3VhFa1r     Watch my sketch comedy streaming on Red Coral Universe: https://redcoraluniverse.com/en/series/the-lou-perez-comedy-68501a2fd369683d0f2a2a88?loopData=true&ccId=675bc891f78f658f73eaa46d Rock XX-XY Athletics. You can get 20% off your purchase with promo code LOU20. https://www.xx-xyathletics.com/?sca_ref=7113152.ifIMaKpCG3ZfUHH4  Attorneys on Retainer https://attorneysforfreedom.my.site.com/signupattorneysonretainerus/s/?promoCode=LU51ZEZ324  Support me at www.substack.com/@louperez    Join my newsletter www.TheLouPerez.com  Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../the-lou-perez.../id1535032081  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KAtC7eFS3NHWMZp2UgMVU  Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/.../2b7d4d.../the-lou-perez-podcast  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb5trMQQvT077-L1roE0iZyAgT4dD4EtJ  Lou Perez is a comedian, producer, and the author of THAT JOKE ISN'T FUNNY ANYMORE: ON THE DEATH AND REBIRTH OF COMEDY. You may have seen him on Gutfeld! , FOX News Primetime, One Nation with Brian Kilmeade, and Open to Debate (with Michael Ian Black). Lou was the Head Writer and Producer of the Webby Award-winning comedy channel We the Internet TV. During his tenure at WTI, Lou made the kind of comedy that gets you put on lists and your words in the Wall Street Journal: “How I Became a ‘Far-Right Radical.'” As a stand-up comedian, Lou has opened for Rob Schneider, Rich Vos, Jimmy Dore, Dave Smith, and toured the US and Canada with Scott Thompson. Lou has also produced live shows with Colin Quinn, the Icarus Festival, and the Rutherford Comedy Festival. For years, Lou performed at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (both in NYC and L.A.) in sketch shows with the Hammerkatz and his comedy duo, Greg and Lou. Greg and Lou is best known for its sketch "Wolverine's Claws Suck," which has over 20 million views on YouTube alone. In addition to producing sketch comedy like Comedy Is Murder, performing stand-up across the country, and writing for The Blaze's Align, Lou is on the advisory board of Heresy Press, a FAIR-in-the-arts fellow, and host of the live debate series The Wrong Take and The Lou Perez Podcast (which is part of the Lions of Liberty Podcast Network). How'd Lou start out? He began doing improv and sketch comedy while an undergrad at New York University, where he was part of the comedy group the Wicked Wicked Hammerkatz. Lou was a writer for Fox Sports' @TheBuzzer; produced The Attendants with Lorne Michaels's Broadway Video; produced pilots for FOX Digital and MSN Games; and was a comedy producer on TruTV's Impractical Jokers. Lou hosted the stand-up show Uncle Lou's Safe Place in Los Angeles, performed at the Big Pine Comedy Festival, Bridgetown Comedy Festival, Punching Up Comedy at Freedom Fest, and co-created the political comedy podcast Unsafe Space. Lou taught creative writing at the City College of New York, "writing the web series" for Writing Pad, and comedy writing workshops for the Moving Picture Institute. Lou worked with The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression as Communications Manager and later as a producer and consultant. Their video "Taking a Knee in Sports? For what?" was broadcast during a USC vs. Notre Dame football game and was a SILVER ADDY® WINNER at the American Advertising Awards. Lou is also a brand ambassador for XX-XY Athletics and Attorneys for Freedom.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we talk about stablecoins, crypto assets, and conflicts of interest.We also discuss the crypto industry, political contributions, and regulatory guardrails.Recommended Book: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. MaasTranscriptA cryptocoin is a unit of cryptocurrency. A cryptocurrency is a type of digital currency that uses some kind of non-central means of managing its ledger—keeping track of who has how much of it, basically.There have been other types of digital currency over the years, but cryptocurrencies often rely on the blockchain or a similarly distributed means of keeping tabs on who has what. A blockchain is a database, often public, of users and a list of those users' assets that's distributed between users, and it makes use of some kind of consensus mechanism to determine who actually owns what.Some cryptocurrencies ebb and flow in value, and are thus traded more like a stock or other type of non-fixed, finite asset. Bitcoin, for instance, is often treated like gold or high-growth stocks. NFTs, similarly, create a sort of artificial scarcity, producing unique digital goods by putting their ownership on a blockchain or other proof-of-ownership system.Stablecoins are also cryptocurrencies, but instead of floating, their value growing and dropping based on the interest of would-be buyers, they are meant to maintain a steady value—to be stable, like a national currency.In order to achieve this, the folks who maintain stablecoins often use reserve assets to prop up their value. So if you produce a new stablecoin and want to issue a million of them, each worth one US dollar, you might accumulate a million actual US dollars, put those in a bank account, show everybody the number of dollars in that bank account, and then it's pretty easy to argue that those stablecoins are each worth a dollar—each coin is a stand-in for one of the dollars in the bank.In a lot of cases, the people issuing these coins aim for this approach, but instead of doing a direct one-for-one, dollar for coin system, they'll issue a million coins that are meant to be worth a dollar apiece, and they'll put one-hundred-thousand dollars in a bank account, and the other 900,000 will be made up of bitcoin and stocks and other sorts of things that they can argue are worth at least that much.As of mid-2025, about $255 billion worth of stablecoins have been issued, and about 99% of them have been pegged to the US dollar; Tether's USDT, Binance's BUSD, and Circle's USDC are all tethered to the USD, for instance, though other currencies are also used as peg values, including offerings by Tether and Circle that are pegged to the Euro.Stablecoins that are completely or mostly fiat-backed, which means they have a dollar for each coin issued in the bank somewhere, or close to that, tend to be on average more stable than commodity or crypto-backed stablecoins, which rely mostly or entirely on things like bitcoin or gold tucked away somewhere to justify their value. Which makes sense, as while you can argue, hey look, I have a million dollars worth of gold, and I'm issuing a million coins, each worth a dollar, that asset's value can change day-to-day, and that can make the value of those coins precarious, at least compared to fiat-backed alternatives.Because stablecoins are not meant to change in value, they're not useful as sub-ins for stocks or other sorts of interest-generating bets, like bitcoin. Instead, they're primarily used by folks who want to trade cryptoassets for other sorts of cryptoassets, for those who want to avoid paying taxes, or want to otherwise hide their wealth, and for those who want to transfer money in such a way that they can avoid government sanctions and/or tariffs on those sorts of transfers.What I'd like to talk about today is a new US federal law, the GENIUS Act, which was heavily pushed by the crypto industry, and which looks likely to make stablecoins a lot more popular, for better and for worse.—The Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins Act, or GENIUS Act, was introduced in the Senate by a Republican senator from Tennessee in May of 2025, was passed in June with a bipartisan vote of 68-30—the majority of Republicans and about half of Democratic senators voting in favor of it—and after the House passed it a month later, President Trump signed it into law on July 18.Again, this legislation was heavily pushed by the crypto industry, which generously funded a lot of politicians, mostly Republican, but on both sides of the aisle, in recent years, as it serves folks who want a broader reach for existing stablecoins, and who want to see more stablecoins emerge and flourish, as part of a larger and richer overall crypto industries.Folks who are against this Act, and other laws like it that have been proposed in recent years, contend that while it's a good idea to have some kind of regulation in place for the crypto industry, this approach isn't the right one, as it basically gives the tech world free rein to run their own pseudo-banks, without being subject to the same regulations as actual banks.Which isn't great, according to this argument, as actual banks have to live up to all sorts of standards, most of them oriented around protecting people from the folks running the banks who might otherwise take advantage of them. Those regulations are especially cumbersome in the wake of the 2008 Great Recession, because that severe global economic downturn was in large part caused by exactly these sorts of abuses: bankers going wild with lending mis-labeled assets, those in charge of these banks pocketing a whole lot of money, lots of people losing everything, and lots of institutions going under, leaving those people and the government with the bill, while the folks who did bad things mostly got off scott free.The goal of these bank regulations is to keep that kind of thing from happening again, while also keeping banks from overtly taking advantage of their customers, who often don't know much about the banking options and assets they're being sold on.Allowing tech companies to do very similar things, but without those regulations, seems imprudent, then, because, first, tech companies have shown themselves to be not just willing, but often thrilled to grab whatever they can and get slapped on the wrist for it, later, moving fast and breaking things, basically, and then paying the fines after they've made a fortune, and if they're allowed to step into this space without the same regulations as banks, that gives them a huge competitive advantage over actual financial institutions.It's a bit like if there were a food company that was allowed to dodge food industry regulations, as was thus able to cut their flour with sawdust and sell it to people at the same price as the real thing. People would suffer, their competition, which sells actual flour would suffer, because they wouldn't be able to compete with a company that doesn't play by the same rules, and the companies that sell the inferior products without anyone being able to stop them would probably get away with it for a while, before then closing up shop, pocketing all that money, and starting over again with a different name.This is how things work in a lot of countries with weak regulatory systems, and it creates so much distrust in the economic sphere that things cost more, the quality of everything is very low, and it's nearly impossible to ever punish those who cause and perpetuate harm.That's at the root of many arguments against the GENIUS Act: concerns that a lack of consumer protections will lead to a situation in which we have growing systemic risk, caused by tech entities taking bigger and bigger risks with other people's money, like in the buildup to the 2008 recession, while simultaneously more legit institutions are elbowed out, unable to compete because they have to spend more and work harder to adhere to the regulations that the new players can ignore.It's worth mentioning here, too, that the Trump family has issued their own cryptocoins, and reportedly already profited to the tune of several billion dollars as a result of that issuance, that the Trumps have their own stablecoin, which they're promoting as an upgrade to the US dollar, that the early backers of these coins include foreign governments and their interconnected companies, like the Emirati-backed MGX, that the Trump children have their own crypto-asset companies, including one that's listed on the Nasdaq, and which is profiting from the increasing popularity and legalization of the industry in the US, and that Trump's media company, which owns Truth Social, also has a multi-billion-dollar bitcoin portfolio, alongside a whole lot of other crypto-coins, which the president has been pushing, and his family has been promoting overseas, using his name and office.All of which points at another conflict of interest issue here, that the president and his family seem to be self-enriching at an incredibly rapid pace and at a very high level, in part by pushing this and similar legislation.People in the crypto industry lavishly spent on his campaign, and they are entwined with his family's business interests, which makes it difficult to separate what might be good for the country, in an objective way, from what's good for Trump and his family, in the sense of using the office to grow wealthier and wealthier—and that's true both in the sense that crypto-assets allegedly allow his family to take bribes in a fairly anonymous and deniable way, but also in the sense that people who buy his memecoins and buy into his stablecoin ventures and buy more bitcoin and similar assets that he already holds, also increase the value of his existing assets, and using the office of the presidency to enrich oneself in that way is the sort of thing they never really made illegal because they didn't think anyone would be brazen or shameless enough to do it.There's a lot going on here, then, and while there are some arguments that this sort of legislation is a good starting point to get some eventual, actual guardrails on the crypto industry in the US, the concerns related to those tech world incentives, and the possibility and reality of the president and his family profiting from this legislation, would seem to make this effort a lot more questionable than prudent, and loaded with a lot more downsides than upsides, even if, again, the majority of lawmakers voted for it, and a lot of people are excited about it for all sorts of reasons.Show Noteshttps://www.wired.com/story/genius-act-loophole-stablecoins-banks/https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/07/stablecoin-regulation-genius-act/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GENIUS_Acthttps://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-stablecoins-congress-cryptocurrency-94fa3c85e32ec6fd5a55576cf46e58eahttps://advocacy.consumerreports.org/press_release/senate-oks-genius-act-without-safeguards-needed-to-protect-consumers-and-the-financial-system-from-stablecoin-risks/https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/03/politics/crypto-trump-bitcoin-wlfi-stablecoin-analysishttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptocurrencyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stablecoin This is a public episode. 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On this Tuesday edition of Sid & Friends in the Morning, Sid covers a range of topics, beginning with Governor Kathy Hochul's endorsement of Democratic Socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani for New York City Mayor, which has sparked a strong backlash from Republicans, updates on major legal cases, including Luigi Mangione's trial for the murder of a healthcare CEO, which involves both state and federal charges and has drawn public support for some reason, the assassination of conservative leader Charlie Kirk is discussed, detailing the suspect's background and the reactions from various political figures and the public, and commentary on the broader implications of these events on free speech and political discourse. Rich Lowry, Randy Fine, Bo Dietl, Bruce Blakeman, Arthur Aidala & Michael Goodwin join Sid on this Tuesday installment of Sid & Friends in the Morning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As President Donald Trump travels to the U.K. this morning, the conversation in the U.S. remains focused on the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's death. FBI Director Kash Patel is set to appear for a Senate hearing this morning, where he'll likely face questions over his credibility in light of his response to the investigation. Meanwhile, Kirk's death is spurring Republicans to go after what they have deemed the “radical left” over the response to Kirk's death. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and Adam Wren unpack the stakes and what to expect next. Plus, the Federal Reserve's highly anticipated meeting begins this morning.

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com