The Futurist Public Intellectual

Harvard is being criticized again for its admissions policies, but this time for legacy admissions. Brad Yates debunks the view that legacy admissions is affirmative action for elites, explains why legacy admits are treated in the same manner as athletes, and even proposes doubling down on legacy admissions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ohio passed a constitutional amendment that protects abortion and a law that legalizes marijuana on November 7, 2023. Brad Yates details Ohio’s historic political results, recognizes Ohio as a sign of healthy American federalism, and encourages Democrats to harness the momentum of the present. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Supreme Court of the United States issued a historic document two days ago: an official ethics code. Brad Yates notes the hypocrisy of the Democrats’ spearheading of this ethics crisis, details the chaos that would be unleashed by an ethics code enforced by Congress, and approves the new ethics code for being a reasonable compromise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The American tradition of trick or treating has declined while its sanitized variant, trunk or treat, has seen a conspicuous rise in popularity. Brad Yates implores us to stop infantilizing our children, debunks the urban myth of poisoned Halloween candy, and reminds parents of their true purpose. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, Taylor Swift released her fourth re-recorded album, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) . Why is she doing this? Brad Yates describes Swift’s legal battle with Big Machine Records in the context of US copyright law, explains Swift’s unprecedented solution to her predicament, and applauds her for being a trailblazer for artists’ rights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Mitt Romney’s pending retirement from Congress and Dianne Feinstein’s passing, the debate over term and age limits for Congress has been reignited. Brad Yates uncovers the bipartisan support for Congressional term and age limits among registered voters, explains why term limits are fairer than age limits, and encourages Millennials and Gen Z to be more politically active. Hosted on Acast. See...

Almost half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended. Brad Yates analyzes the sad statistics of unwanted children, outlines the consequences of growing up unwanted, and makes a surprising connection to the opioid epidemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, the Biden administration announced that construction of the border wall in Starr County, Texas was going to resume. Brad Yates points out President Biden’s reneging of his campaign promise, lambasts Mayor Eric Adams’s tour of Latin America, and questions the political savvy of the Democrats’ handling of the southern border. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The iPhone 15 heralds a new era of tech regulation spearheaded by the European Union. Brad Yates questions a government’s ability to pick market winners, chastises the US government for inadequate protection of digital privacy, and highlights the difficulty of balancing content moderation and free speech. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hasan Minhaj’s award-winning comedy is built upon a bed of lies. Brad Yates distinguishes between embellishment and fabrication in comedy, explains why the truth matters in Minhaj’s social justice narrative, and laments his impact on nonwhite people’s truthful experiences of racism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Susanna Gibson has been surrounded by controversy regarding her livestreaming of sex acts with her husband on Chaturbate. Does this deserve public outcry? Brad Yates contextualizes Gibson’s scandal in our era of sexting, discerns revenge porn laws’ real purpose, and addresses the ultimate question of Gibson’s qualification for public office. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informat...

Rachel Zegler has ignited a media controversy around the upcoming Snow White remake. Can Snow White really become a 21st century girlboss? Brad Yates chastises Zegler’s disrespectful attitude towards the original movie, explains how Hollywood’s portrayal of strong female characters is sexist, and suggests Ferris Bueller as a role model for future female movie characters. Hosted on Acast. See acast...

Ta’Kiya Young, a 21 year-old black woman, was killed by a police officer in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. Was that police brutality? Brad Yates uncovers how black noncompliance contributes to unnecessary deaths at the hands of police officers, explains how the Black Lives Matter movement needs to address more short-term concerns, and outlines various potential reforms for police departments. Hosted...

Lia Thomas, a transgender collegiate swimmer, made history when she won a NCAA Division I national championship in 2022. But should she have competed in women’s sports? Brad Yates illuminates the fairness principle that undergirds sex segregation in sports, analogizes transgender people to biracial people, and proposes the creation of trans sports. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...

Child leashes or safety harnesses have a specious history. Brad Yates points out child leashes’ nonexistent safety record, lambasts treating children like pets, and advocates for promoting independence in children. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oregon decriminalized illegal drug possession and use in 2021 in a radical attempt to fix the severe drug abuse problem in the state. Brad Yates compares Oregon’s implementation to Portugal’s and Singapore’s, advocates differing approaches for drug users and traffickers, and points out a curious correlation between drug abuse rates and political parties. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

The body positivity movement has been accusing people of fatphobia while promoting fat acceptance. Brad Yates explains medicine’s negative position on obesity, examines the equivocation between beauty and goodness, and clarifies the difference between the acceptance of fat people’s humanity and the endorsement of their obesity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The meteoric rise of Dylan Mulvaney recently led to an embarrassing boycott of Bud Light after Mulvaney promoted the beer brand on her Instagram in April 2023. Brad Yates chastises Bud Light for its hollow pinkwashing, exposes Mulvaney’s true identity as a nonbinary person, and explains why Mulvaney is a bad role model. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Barbie has seized the cultural zeitgeist, but should we be applauding its message? Brad Yates questions the movie’s choice of setting in light of its misandry, examines the movie’s confusing portrayal of women and trans women, and rejects the movie’s un-American ending. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The third Supreme Court case to make waves this June was 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis , which grappled with the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act. Brad Yates distinguishes websites from restaurants and hotels in the context of public accommodations laws, explains the importance of protecting the speech of our enemies, and emphasizes the need for a constitutional amendment if sexual orientation is goi...

Biden v. Nebraska was a significant Supreme Court case that addressed President Biden’s controversial student loan forgiveness program. Brad Yates explains the majority’s analysis, acknowledges Justice Kagan’s reasonable disagreements in her dissent, and questions the timing of the program’s enactment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Supreme Court ended affirmative action in the United States in the cases Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina . Brad Yates summarizes the majority’s reasons for finding affirmative action unconstitutional, excoriates Justices Sotomayor and Jackson’s dissents, and reaffirms the superior bipartisan solution to educational inequi...

On June 18, 2023, OceanGate’s submersible Titan attempted to dive to the Titanic wreck, but ultimately imploded while underwater. Brad Yates suggests that the Titan’s implosion might be the tipping point for increased governmental regulation of extreme tourism, compares OceanGate to Uber and Airbnb, and reminds us to applaud the risk takers who propel science and progress forward. Hosted on Acast....

On June 19, 2023, the United States celebrated its newest federal holiday, Juneteenth. What exactly is the point of this holiday? Brad Yates compares Juneteenth to the other federal holidays, questions the historical significance of this holiday for non-black Americans, and suggests a better date to commemorate the end of slavery. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Netflix released a documentary called White Hot about the controversial clothing company Abercrombie & Fitch. Brad Yates questions whether Abercrombie & Fitch was truly worse than other fashion brands, posits that corporations are not responsible for fighting culture wars, and compares the company with Hooters and FUBU. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.