Beyond Politics

New prosecutions on the cusp for Donald Trump, but is this Lucy and the football all over again, and will anything actually bring him down.  The answer is...yes, quite possibly, but it won't be a prosecution.  Also, will anything change with police killings in the wake of Tyre Nichols' murder?

Russia has infiltrated American politics, mostly through the Republican Party, largely through Donald Trump.  We know this,  and yet we’ve somehow all been gaslighted, exhausted, or tricked into sending it down the memory hole. Today, a reminder of how the KGB begin recruiting Donald Trump in the early 1980s and about how all of his behavior since confirms that, whether he’s aware of it...

Republicans are fighting over what direction they should take, with a big vote coming this week.  But the panel discusses how they are blaming all the wrong things for their problems.  Also, another drip falls in the Biden classified documents story. And the Republican "debt ceiling" crisis gets re-branded as the Republican "stupidity bomb."

The "debt ceiling" is actually a stupidity bomb: a dumb way for politicians to wreck our economy and send us into a recession. Celebrated economist Mark Zandi is often on television and in Congress explaining economics as clearly and directly as he can to decision-makers, and he joins us to explain why the debt ceiling standoff is so perilous, and why the underlying argument is merely a setup for...

There are some suspicious ties (see the 60 second YouTube summary here ). Plus, more Biden classified documents emerge, so is there more to this story now? And, Chris Sununu is gearing up for a Presidential run, along with other Republicans.  WHY?  Is it realistic? Does it matter?

Last month, one of America's most celebrated pollsters put together the most comprehensive, detailed explanation of what actually happened in the 2022 elections that anyone had done, and shared it with a group of campaign insiders.  We wanted all of our listeners and viewers to get access to the same expert insights, so we were delighted when our old friend Jef Pollock agreed to come onto the...

2022 was the year of the crypto crash, when hundreds of billions of dollars in investor savings suddenly evaporated. For years, cryptocurrencies, NFTs and the technology they are built on have been sold by true believers as game-changers that will revolutionize the world and solve everything from banking to health care to law.  Those evangelists still believe. But the question many of have be...

Does the Biden classified document revelation matter, or is a nothingburger? Also, why we're in for a world of hurt after the MAGA nutjob deal that Kevin McCarthy struck to get the Speaker job, and how it could fracture DC on defense spending and fracture America's economy altogether.  Plus, a special bonus for audio listeners of our Blue Amp channel SDE ad.

The ongoing Kevin McCarthy Speaker saga seemed to make a little progress on Friday, as McCarthy lost a 13th round by a little less.  But actually, he's walked right into a trap where the far-right band of nihilists in Congress is only gaining power, and McCarthy's future in the Republican Party is getting hazier by the hour.  Matt Robison and former Biden admaker Cliff Schecter of the Bl...

Democrat and former Congressional staffer Matt Robison and conservative political consultant Alicia Preston unpack one of the wildest days in Congressional history and what it means. We hit questions like: what’s the scene usually like Congress on swearing in day? What is driving House Republicans' bizarre tantrums? Why the difference between McCarthy and McConnell? Do actually have a Congress rig...

The Democrat who used to Represent George Santos's district tells the inside story of how a lying con man could fool Democrats, the oblivious media, and even Republicans to win a seat in Congress. Steve Israel wrote an inside account in The Atlantic and he joins the Beyond Politics podcast, also available on video on YouTube .

What was the best news story of the year? The biggest innovation? Who was the biggest idiot?  And who won the year?

Who was the MVP for Republicans...for Democrats?  What new bill or law was the biggest deal? What did we learn about ourselves this year? Part One of an action-packed two part year end episode. 

You're going to hear a lot of Russian disinformation from House Republicans in the next few months.  As they gear up to rehash the Hunter Biden laptop story, Republicans are preparing to spread what they know full well to be a noxious mix of salacious personal detail, mixed with invented Russian intelligence material. Veteran reporter Lindsay Beyerstein provides  definitive rundown of th...

Chris Hill of Motley Fool Money hits the things going DOWN right now: inflation, the reputation of cryptocurrencies, and Twitter's business model. Also: CEO of the year award, and the government steps in to block Microsoft.

No, really, we talked about all of those things.  Also, crypto is evil, beating deplorables, and marriage equality.

Matt joins legendary West Virginia radio host Howard Monroe to examine why Sinema bolted, why Trump despite being such a disaster is still politically viable, and why Herschel Walker came so darn close in Georgia.

Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema's decision to leave the Democratic Party made Kari Lake jump for joy. But is it really huge news for Republicans? Former Biden  admaker Cliff Schecter and former Dem congressional staffer Matt Robison run down the biggest questions and threats, and discuss what Dems need to do next on an emergency Beyond Politics mini podcast.

Is American tech and innovation something that's not just good for California tech bros? Yes, and former U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp can tell you why. She was the first female Senator elected from North Dakota, served on the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and serves on the Board of the American Edge Project, an advocacy group focused on the role of American technology and...

All three have been suggested to be over.  Which is actually done?  And which should be?  Also, right wing nutjob bingo, and Georgia runoff!

John Broderick was Chief Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court. When John’s son was just 13, he began suffering from anxiety and depression, conditions that went unrecognized and undiagnosed for years. His family went on a very public and painful journey, luckily, one they all survived and healed from. If you recognize this story, it’s because we told it with John on this show a little over a...

As we enter a period of lame ducks, high stakes negotiations, and divided government, we wanted to know: how does it all work, and will the next year of American government work at all?  So we asked Ryan McConaghy, Senate Majority Leader Schumer's former right hand man on policy, to walk us through what, if anything, we might get out of the next month and the next year. Photo by Norbert Kundr...

Matt Robison and Chris Hill of Motley Fool Money tackle: Black Friday/Cyber Monday – A record $9  billion in sales on Black Friday! It’s encouraging, with one caveat:  the percentage of purchases bought with a “buy  now, pay later” plan is very much on the rise. China protests – Everyone has something in their home made in China. From manufacturing to U.S.  businesses with expa...

Is President Biden's move to enforce a rail deal a smart move to save the American economy, or a double cross of his base?  Also, is Congress about to drop the ball on its most basic responsibility? Does the Senate actually need to protect interracial marriage? And what do the China protests mean?

Democrats have been congratulating themselves for a strong showing in the 2022 midterms. But when it comes to the House, did they actually fumble the ball at the goal line? Our guests are Lauren Harper and Liam Kerr, the co-founders of WelcomePAC, an organization focused on a pragmatic approach to growing a big tent Democratic party and winning more elections. They were featured last week in the N...