The Lonely Liberal

From DOGE to bribes, this year has been absolutely insane for American politics. In this week's episode, Rick and I discuss our top 10 craziest news stories of 2025, covering all of Trump's most insane moments. 

This week we’re taking a tour through the corners of American power — from missing files and secret wars to Hunger Games-style patriot pageants for kids. We start with the latest Epstein document dump and the quiet disappearance of 16 files from the Justice Department’s website, including at least one photo of Trump with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Why did Congress pass a transparency law if DO...

This week on The Lonely Liberal, I’m unpacking the fentanyl crisis with one rule: follow the data, not the rhetoric. After the Trump administration designated illicit fentanyl a “weapon of mass destruction,” I wanted to understand what that label actually changes—and whether the new Venezuela-centered narrative matches what we know about how fentanyl reaches the U.S. The White House+1 We’ll break...

On this week’s episode of The Lonely Liberal, Rick and I dig into four stories that say a lot about power, violence, and accountability in 2025 America. First, we unpack the newest batch of Epstein files and photographs, including tens of thousands of images and a growing list of powerful names. Then we turn to the tragic shooting at Brown University, the first mass shooting in Ivy League history....

This week I break down five of the most outrageous pardons Donald Trump has handed out this term—from sitting members of Congress accused of foreign bribery, to crypto executives tied to money laundering, to a former foreign president convicted of running what U.S. prosecutors called a narco-state. But it doesn’t stop there. We also dig into the honorable mentions—including George Santos, major cr...

This week, we sprint through the biggest headlines at the intersection of policy, law, and pop culture. The White House releases its 2025 National Security Strategy, with a sharper focus on great powers. The Pentagon confirms the 22nd maritime strike tied to Venezuela, keeping the region on edge. Trump dubs “affordability” a Democratic scam while also collecting a brand-new FIFA “Peace Prize.” In...

Forbes says Donald Trump’s fortune jumped roughly $3B in 2025, peaking near $7.3B before giving some back into late fall. In this 10–15 minute solo breakdown, I unpack what actually drove the swing DJT stock, a new three-part crypto stack (memecoin, World Liberty Financial, and a USD stablecoin), key legal rulings that removed liabilities, and old-school licensing/golf income, and ask how much of...

This week’s rundown hits the biggest flashpoints across Washington and beyond. We start with the DC shooting that sparked a political firestorm and a wave of security and immigration moves. Then we unpack Trump’s rapid-fire posts and policy pronouncements, from autopen “nullification” claims to a call to close airspace around Venezuela, plus an unusual back-and-forth with Caracas that ended with r...

This week, we cover a whirlwind of headlines spanning transparency, tech, city–federal politics, national security, immigration, and the 2026 landscape. Congress green-lights the release of the Epstein files. Larry Summers steps off OpenAI’s board. NYC’s new mayor meets President Trump in the Oval—yes, there’s outfit discourse—while the short-lived “DOGE” department quietly shutters months early....

Visa waits, new fees, thin long-haul flight capacity, and a steep Canada pullback are weighing on international travel to the U.S.—even as domestic trips hold up. In this 10–15 minute solo breakdown, I cut through the noise with a quick industry primer, the latest arrivals/spend trends, and what’s driving 2025’s underperformance vs. 2019 and 2024. In this episode: How the tourism engine works typi...

This week’s rundown moves fast: Democrats end the 43-day government shutdown, a new tranche of Epstein files heads for daylight, and the White House floats a 50-year mortgage option that has economists split. We break down what actually changed at the grocery store as the administration rolls back tariffs on dozens of food imports, and we talk through a viral (and bizarre) moment from the Syrian p...

After weeks of brinkmanship, Democrats ended the standoff with a clean(ish) continuing resolution—no ACA subsidy extension in the bill text—and public patience wore thin. In this 10–15 minute solo breakdown, I walk through what changed, why the leverage didn’t convert, and what it means for the next funding fights. In this episode: What the final CR actually did (and didn’t): government reopened a...

This week, we unpack a headline-heavy slate: Zohran Mamdani shocks NYC, Trump thumbs the scale by endorsing Andrew Cuomo, Democrats hold New Jersey with Mikie Sherrill, and Abigail Spanberger makes history in Virginia. We compare what these Democratic wins have in common—and where the coalitions and messages diverge. Plus: Gov. Greg Abbott’s “100% tariff on New Yorkers” trolling, California’s newl...

Tensions are spiking: F-35s in Puerto Rico, Venezuelan troop surges, boat strikes at sea, and louder great-power echoes. In this 10–15 minute solo explainer, I break down what “war” would actually look like here (hint: incidents and limited strikes, not an invasion), why the standoff escalated, and what to watch next. In this episode: What’s happening right now—and what “counts” as war Why tension...

In this week’s roundup, we unpack a wild mix of policy moves and political shockwaves: RFK Jr. wades into the Tylenol–autism debate, the White House signals a restart of U.S. nuclear testing, and Washington flirts with letting South Korea build a nuclear-powered submarine. We also break down a rare-earths “trade truce” with China that comes with a fentanyl-related tariff cut, a first-ever White Ho...

Shutdowns aren’t “bankruptcy”, they’re budget failures. In this solo ep, I break down what actually stops during a federal shutdown, why this one is happening, and whether Democrats are gaining or just burning goodwill. We walk through the latest blame snapshots, the real economic and human costs, and a four-lens scorecard to judge “winning” while the fight is still in progress. In this episode: W...

We are back!  This week, we run through the 16 biggest stories in U.S. politics from the last two weeks—what happened, why it matters, and what to watch next. Government shutdown hits second-longest ever — The funding lapse that began Oct 1 drags on with no clean offramp; core services strain and pressure mounts on leadership. SNAP pause warning — USDA signals November benefits won’t go out withou...

Today we are joined by Stephanie Gagnon-Rodriguez to talk about the clean energy economy! What it is, where it is, and how all these policy changes that are happening in the Trump Administration are impacting real people, real investment, and real jobs. 

This week, we unpack the government shutdown’s real-world fallout, the latest culture-war broadsides from the White House, and fresh signs of alignment with Project 2025. We also dig into claims of targeted funding cuts to “blue” states, a headline-grabbing Argentina lifeline framed as a “bailout,” and a new U.S. strike on a Venezuelan vessel. It’s a fast, sourced tour through politics, policy, an...

On this week's episode, we are joined again by Dr. Eric Grube (also known as Dr. Fascist) to discuss five guardrails, cultural norms, and other mechanisms the US has in place that can prevent it from completely falling into fascism. 

In this episode, Rick and I break down a whirlwind week of headlines, examining what was actually announced, what’s being claimed, and what still needs verification. From RFK & Trump’s Tylenol–autism comments and a new “Antifa” designation to Epstein document releases, a reported Comey indictment, and shutdown brinkmanship, we separate signal from noise. Stories covered RFK & Trump link Ty...

AI is everywhere: writing articles, creating art, diagnosing diseases, and even helping run our daily lives. But should we be excited, cautious, or downright terrified? In this episode, I chat with PhD researcher Ivo Young for a casual but thoughtful conversation about artificial intelligence: what it actually is, where it stands today, the big opportunities it offers, and the risks that keep peop...

On this week's show, Rick and I cover: Jimmy Kimmel fired over Kirk comments Vance urges viewers to dox people who celebrated Kirk’s death (on Kirk’s show) Kash Patel testifies Ex-CDC Director Susan Monarez testifies Trump says he may label “antifa” a terrorist group DOJ removes research about domestic extremism from its website Trump links potential RICO charges to George Soros Fed cuts interest...

I'm so sick of the violence

On today's show, Rick and I breakdown this week’s biggest headlines—from the killing of Charlie Kirk and the political aftershocks, to Congress’ Epstein document fight, National Guard plans for Memphis, Missouri’s redistricting, a disputed U.S. strike on a Venezuelan boat, new NAEP scores, a Supreme Court order affecting ICE raids, Bolton search details, and a controversial plan to link child deat...