Plausibly Live

September 11 arrives each year carrying the familiar weight of memory. On its twenty-fifth anniversary, however, remembrance alone no longer seems sufficient. The ceremonies, speeches, and images remain important, but they leave us with a harder question: What have we learned? An entire generation has now grown up without a personal memory of the attacks. […]

Free speech rarely disappears with a dramatic announcement. More often, it retreats quietly as people calculate the possible cost of saying what they think. They worry about an employer, a university administrator, an online mob, or someone willing to turn disagreement into a threat. Nothing has been formally prohibited, yet the silence is real. The […]

The Hermit Kingdom of the Mind The modern world offers more information than any previous generation could have imagined. Nearly every argument, perspective, news report, historical document, and dissenting opinion is available within seconds. Yet access to information has not necessarily made us more intellectually curious. In many cases, it has simply allowed us to […]

NIL auctions, purchased blowouts and the financial collapse threatening the schools beneath the Saturday spectacle College football has always meant more to me than the final score. It carries memories of Saturdays with my father, Navy playing Air Force in Colorado Springs, regional rivalries, marching bands and traditions inherited across generations. My father once enlivened […]

The Thought Police Are Watching the Taproom There was once a useful boundary between public conduct and private conviction. You could buy bread, order coffee, or enjoy a pint without first demanding a political confession from the person behind the counter. That boundary is rapidly disappearing, particularly when activists can search public records, identify a […]

Congress Condemns an Ideology, Avoids a Budget, and Calls It Governing Congress has managed to discover socialism. This might seem encouraging until you remember that the national debt has reached $40 trillion, the federal government still lacks a genuine budget, and lawmakers apparently have plenty of time for nonbinding resolutions designed to produce campaign advertisements. […]

Washington has always been skilled at confusing an announcement with an accomplishment. President Trump’s new Venezuelan oil agreement sounds impressive: American control over billions of barrels, lower gasoline prices, and new supplies for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Then reality intrudes. Venezuelan crude resembles tar more than Texas oil, the country’s infrastructure is collapsing, and its...

Government loves a list. It loves categories, identification numbers, demographic boxes, databases and tracking systems, each created with assurances that the information will be used responsibly and only for its stated purpose. Sometimes those systems genuinely improve accountability. Sometimes they reveal that the government has developed a remarkable ability to count things it cannot competentl...

Radio has been dying for so long that one might wonder whether anyone has bothered to notify the corpse. The towers still stand. The signals still hum through the air. Millions of people still turn it on every day, often without making a decision to do so. Yet something has changed, and it happened long […]

Pollsters sample voters, weight responses, model turnout, account for undecideds, and then confidently tell us what Election Day is going to look like. There’s just one problem: Election Day hasn’t happened yet. There is only one poll that actually matters. It’s the one where people show up, cast their ballots, and we count the votes. […]

The episode of Plausibly Live hosted by Dave Bowman examines the evolving nature of sports fandom, questioning longstanding loyalties tied to geography and community. As corporate interests and mobile societies disrupt traditional ties, it probes whether fans prioritize teams over cities, illustrated by historical shifts like the Brooklyn Dodgers' relocation.

The episode of Plausibly Live hosted by Dave Bowman examines the evolving nature of sports fandom, questioning longstanding loyalties tied to geography and community. As corporate interests and mobile societies disrupt traditional ties, it probes whether fans prioritize teams over cities, illustrated by historical shifts like the Brooklyn Dodgers' relocation.

This episode captures a nostalgic journey along Highway 101, blending technology, personal reflections, and the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Dave shares musings on driving, aging technology, and contemporary issues, emphasizing the significance of small moments and memories made on the road, all while embracing a simpler, unrefined storytelling style.

This episode captures a nostalgic journey along Highway 101, blending technology, personal reflections, and the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Dave shares musings on driving, aging technology, and contemporary issues, emphasizing the significance of small moments and memories made on the road, all while embracing a simpler, unrefined storytelling style.

On the island of Pharos, the air refused to move. Menelaus, king of Sparta and veteran of a decade-long war, sat trapped with a ship full of treasure and no wind to carry him home. In the Odyssey, he recounts how he wandered the shoreline in confusion until the old sea god Proteus finally told […]

On the island of Pharos, the air refused to move. Menelaus, king of Sparta and veteran of a decade-long war, sat trapped with a ship full of treasure and no wind to carry him home. In the Odyssey, he recounts how he wandered the shoreline in confusion until the old sea god Proteus finally told […]

Thomas Paine’s words, “These are the times that try men’s souls,” resonate as a profound challenge during America’s Revolutionary War, urging genuine commitment amidst hardship. They emphasize that true patriotism requires resilience in adversity, reinforcing the value of struggle for freedom and morality. Paine’s call remains relevant, inspiring steadfastness against modern challenges.

Thomas Paine’s words, “These are the times that try men’s souls,” resonate as a profound challenge during America’s Revolutionary War, urging genuine commitment amidst hardship. They emphasize that true patriotism requires resilience in adversity, reinforcing the value of struggle for freedom and morality. Paine’s call remains relevant, inspiring steadfastness against modern challenges.

On October 2, 1775, the Continental Congress debated forming a navy amidst Britain’s naval supremacy. John Adams argued for its necessity to sustain the Revolution, while John Dickinson feared costs and repercussions. Host Dave Diamond highlights the urgency of this decision, framing it as America's first step towards becoming a seafaring nation.

On October 2, 1775, the Continental Congress debated forming a navy amidst Britain’s naval supremacy. John Adams argued for its necessity to sustain the Revolution, while John Dickinson feared costs and repercussions. Host Dave Diamond highlights the urgency of this decision, framing it as America's first step towards becoming a seafaring nation.

It’s October 1, 1775, and the Revolution is hanging by a thread. On the surface, George Washington’s army looks formidable, stretched in a ragged cordon around Boston. Red flags wave, sentries keep watch, and the illusion of strength gives the Patriots hope. But behind the bravado lies a grim reality: the army is almost out […]

It’s October 1, 1775, and the Revolution is hanging by a thread. On the surface, George Washington’s army looks formidable, stretched in a ragged cordon around Boston. Red flags wave, sentries keep watch, and the illusion of strength gives the Patriots hope. But behind the bravado lies a grim reality: the army is almost out […]

Last night wasn’t one of those restful ones. I was up too late, my mind chewing on stories that probably only matter to me. The kind of stories that slip into the local headlines and then vanish, but they stick in my head anyway. Like the lawsuit over Seattle’s homeless shelter hotels. Or the spectacular […]

Last night wasn’t one of those restful ones. I was up too late, my mind chewing on stories that probably only matter to me. The kind of stories that slip into the local headlines and then vanish, but they stick in my head anyway. Like the lawsuit over Seattle’s homeless shelter hotels. Or the spectacular […]

Washington State Ferries are facing a significant shift as the state has opted to source new hybrid-electric ferries from an out-of-state shipyard, marking a departure from local construction practices. Critics argue this decision, influenced by climate goals, leads to inflated costs and questions the efficacy of the Climate Commitment Act.