The Cross Cut

Review your constitutional law and check your ignition before you turn that key, today we are talking about the #BreakingNews of Joe Biden's SCOTUS nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson. We look into her background as a judge, her philosophy on the court, and preview just a bit of the political fight ahead. To do so, we go back to the early 90's when floppy disks and VHS tapes ruled the day to examine Jo...

This week we're going eastbound and down! But also northbound and up? We're trying to figure out what exactly these truck drivers are up to in Ottawa, Ontario Canada while at the same time learning about alcohol transport laws in the US south in the 1970's. It's been quite a week, so join us to figure out exactly how Burt Reynolds relates to a couple people named Lick and Dickter. No, we're not ki...

Happy Super Bo... hang on... *checks with nonexistent legal staff*... ok yeah it's cool we can say it. Happy Super Bowl weekend everyone! As the Cincinnati Bengals take on the favorite Los Angeles Rams in the NFL's showcase game, we take a look at the story hanging over the weekend. Brian Flores, former Miami Dolphins head coach, has filed a class action lawsuit against the NFL and three teams for...

The Olympics have officially kicked off in Beijing this week, but not without a fair share of controversy. From China's treatment of the Uyghurs to their restrictions on media coverage, we thought it would be useful to dive in and see how we should be feeling about all of this.  And for a look at how the Olympics have shaped public perception of nations in the past, we examined the Jesse Owen...

Wolverines! No, not the cool guy from the X-men. And no, not the University of Michigan. That's right! The school kids/militia from the cable TV classic, Red Dawn. In this episode, we look at the current conflict of a potential invasion of Ukraine by the Russian military by stepping into the wayback machine and remembering what it was like when everyone thought the US could one day be invaded by t...

Ready for an out-of-this-world episode? Wait, come back! This week, we take a look at a constellation of news coming out of NASA. From reports on our warming earth to a new telescope to the first of its kind black hole, we cover everything you need to know about the most recent space news. And to put it all in context, we take a trip through the wormhole with Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, perh...

Curious why everyone claims to love teachers but hate teachers' unions? In this week's episode, we look into the history of unions, what the Chicago Teacher's Union is asking for to aid themselves and their students during the pandemic, and how the film Stand and Deliver gives us a unique insight into the power dynamics between teachers, parents, and administrators. We also mentioned an article fr...

In this episode, we cover the January 6th insurrection, its wild cast of characters, and the movie that perhaps predicted it all: White House Down. We focus on what makes an insurrection and how a lot of the dummies who staged this one got themselves caught. We also talked a bit about the demographics of your typical Capitol rioter based on this article from The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.c...

Women in the workforce have been hit especially hard since 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic has forced children into at home schooling and childcare. But discrimination against women at work is nothing new. From pay differences to harassment to fewer opportunities for advancement, it's been *checks notes* not great! Fortunately, Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, and Dolly Parton got together in 1980(!) to...

Political news always seems stuck in the weeds. Now, the filibuster is threatening to destroy our democracy, but for some reason, people still defend it. Looking at you, Joe Manchin. In our first episode, we discuss how the classic Frank Capra film "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" created the most pervasive narrative about the filibuster and why that narrative is really, really wrong.  Welcome...

Merry Christmas! On this special holiday episode, we look deeper into the true Grinch in the news that haunts all of our gift giving this year: supply chain disruptions! With the help of the movie Jingle All the Way, we talk about what causes supply chain issues, how people respond to the resulting shortages, and how it all led to the Cabbage Patch Doll Riots. Also, if you're reading this, don't f...

This is The Cross Cut, a podcast that contextualizes the biggest news of the week with the story, motifs, and themes of a treasured (or trash) piece of cinema, helping to understand them both just a little better. Your hosts Forest and Jesse Conner are ready to guide you through the good and bad of the week with a little help from Hollywood. The first episode drops on December 25th. Yes, Christmas...