James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at the Washington state law that would require that clergy from any religion to report to authorities any child abuse, including sex abuse or pedophilia, that they learn about, even if they learn about it during a confessional, and discuss the Trump administration’s effort to fight the law in court based on the First Amendment to the Constitution and in the court of public opinion by calling it an “anti-Catholic” law.   Trump and the Catholic Church Fight a Law Requiring Clergy to Report Child Abuse (Rolling Stone) Catholic Church sex abuse cases in the United States (Wikipedia)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss the reaction to the death of Hulk Hogan, particularly in light of how popular he was at his height of fame and how he remained in the public eye even after his popularity waned.  The guys also consider how the evolution of American culture can be seen through his public life and whether the kind of popularity Hogan had in the 1980s is even possible anymore.   The Mortal Hulk Hogan (The Ringer) Hulk Hogan’s legacy isn’t complicated (Andscape)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss the theory that human languages evolved in order to facilitate gossiping, which was raised in the book, Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari, and consider the ways our modern societies may illustrate this theory and also how recent trends may work to undermine how humans have traditionally used gossip to their advantage.   Sapiens (Yuval Noah Harari)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss jury duty, how it fits into American civic life, and consider why so many Americans seem to dread serving on juries, even though jurors are granted so much power.   Jury duty is rare, but most Americans see it as part of good citizenship (Pew Research Center) Selected for jury duty? Here’s why this civic service is important (LaHood Law Group)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana consider what the Trump Administration’s efforts to gaslight the public on the Jeffrey Epstein files says about both Donald Trump and his MAGA followers, and discuss why Trump so far is having such a hard time getting his followers to fall in line on this issue.   Pam Bondi’s botched handling of the Epstein files (CNN) Republicans block effort to force release of Epstein files in Congress (The Independent) Bongino still in limbo as Trump fumes and JD Vance seeks to play mediator, sources say (CNN) 'Weaklings': Trump lashes out at supporters over 'Jeffrey Epstein hoax' (USAToday) What Trump Has Said About Jeffrey Epstein Over the Years (Rolling Stone) Trump begins openly embracing and amplifying false fringe QAnon conspiracy theory (PBS)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at some recent research that suggests marijuana use may be connected to some serious health problems, including life threatening cardiovascular issues, and consider whether this means that legalization efforts have been misguided or counterproductive.   Smoking weed and consuming THC-laced edibles linked to early heart disease, study finds (CNN) Cannabis Use Is Linked to Epigenetic Changes, Scientists Discover (Science Alert)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana react to Elon Musk’s talk of starting a new political party, the America Party, and consider the reasons why Musk cannot be taken seriously with something like this, and the reasons why Musk has to be taken seriously with something like this.  The guys also discuss how third parties have played a key role in many elections in American history and how extreme polarization in modern American politics may be setting the stage for a third party to go beyond a spoiler and actually be able to exert considerable control.   Elon Musk's New Party: Who Has Declared Interest? (Newsweek) Elon Musk's new US political party faces steep challenges (Reuters) The Civil War That Never Ended (NY Times)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss the recent comments from Superman director James Gunn about how he expects that his Superman movie will be offensive to some because it’s about kindness, particularly in light of the way many studios and creatives have kowtowed to criticism when it was received from certain sectors of the public.   James Gunn: Some people will take offence at my new Superman (The Times) Superman vs. the KKK! Yes, Really. (Book Riot)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana react to Zohran Mamdani's win in the Democratic Party’s New York City mayoral primary and the political frenzy that it sparked, which included attacks coming not just from members of the Republican Party but also members of Mamdani’s own Democratic Party.  The guys also discuss how Mamdani calling himself a Democratic Socialist may affect how he will be as much as his Islamic religion, his immigrant background, and his non-white ethnicity.   Zohran Mamdani declares victory in NYC’s Democratic mayoral primary as Cuomo concedes (AP News) Mamdani's stunning upset carries risks, rewards for national Democrats (Reuters) The socialist takeover of the Democratic Party (Washington Times) Attacks on Muslims flood mainstream after Mamdani win (Axios) A roadmap to beat Trump? How rise of Zohran Mamdani is dividing Democrats (The Guardian) MAGA right attacks Zohran Mamdani’s religion following his win (Politico) Zohran Mamdani: 10 things about Uganda‑born Democratic nominee for New York City mayor (The Africa Report)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at the increasing dominance of private equity in the US economy and what may be contributing to it, and also consider how some approaches that have commonly been favored by private equity, when deployed in more and more areas in the economy, may end up working against the interests of most stakeholders.   “We’ve Been Sold a Story That Isn’t Remotely True”: How Private-Equity Billionaires Killed the American Dream (Vanity Fair) The Secretive Industry Devouring the U.S. Economy (The Atlantic) The profit-obsessed monster destroying American emergency rooms (Vox) Private equity's positive impact on the US economy highlighted in new report (InvestmentNews.com)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss Tunde’s recent business trip to Israel which had him on the ground in Israel when Israel and Iran began exchanging missile attacks.  The guys go through what it was like to be in a place when missiles can be seen and felt flying overhead and the perspective on life that you can get when you go to bed knowing missiles will be coming and you wake up on some days to reports of casualties.   Israel strikes Iran’s nuclear sites and kills top generals. Iran retaliates with missile barrages (AP News) The math behind the war: Can Israel's air defense keep up against Iranian attacks? (NPR)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana react to Disney and Universal, two of the biggest players in Hollywood, going after the generative AI company Midjourney for copyright infringement and consider why they may be taking action now as well as how this move could influence the extent to which generative AI will be held to existing legal standards for copyright and beyond.   How the Disney-Midjourney Lawsuit Could Reshape the Battle Over AI and Copyright (Time) Disney and Universal Sue A.I. Firm for Copyright Infringement (NY Times) Disney and Universal sue AI firm Midjourney over images (BBC) OpenAI declares AI race “over” if training on copyrighted works isn’t fair use (Arstechnica) Reddit Lawsuit Comes Amid Anthropic’s New AI Models For U.S. National Security Customers (TechDogs)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at the debate about trans women participating in women’s sports that seems to pop up fairly regularly, and consider whether there are really two good faith sides to the debate and whether it is likely, or possible, that a consensus among reasonable people can be reached at some point in the future.   World Boxing Apologizes to Imane Khelif After Announcing New Sex-Testing Policy (Time) Trans athlete wins two girls events at California track and field finals (NBC News)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at some of the more insightful life lessons illustrated by the boy, the Englishman, and the Alchemist himself, in Paulo Coelho’s international bestselling book, “The Alchemist.”   "The Alchemist" (paulocoelho.com)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana consider why President Trump has seemingly met some resistance coming from the right, and even from former allies like Elon Musk, in getting his so called “Big Beautiful Bill” through the Republican controlled Congress, especially since the Republican party has for a long time displayed an almost complete fealty to the President.   What is the Big Beautiful Bill and why are Elon Musk and Donald Trump fighting over it? (ABC News Australia)  Thune’s first big test as Senate leader has arrived with Trump’s tax bill (AP News) The fine print: 5 things that even some Republicans didn't realize were buried in Trump's 'big, beautiful' budget bill (Yahoo! News) Republicans Admit They Didn’t Even Read Their Big Beautiful Bill (Intelligencer)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at the how the “future” was envisioned in the Back to the Future” movie trilogy, specifically “Back to the Future 2,”and discuss how present times match up with what was imagined in the 1989.   Are we living in Back to the Future? Scientists reveal what the cult film got right… and wrong (Daily Mail) One of the Most Iconic Sci-Fi Trilogies Began 40 Years Ago This Summer (MovieWeb)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana react to reports about the extent to which South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace and her staff have been using things like bot armies, burner accounts and other social media techniques to boost her public profile and perception (and not just while campaigning but also while she has been in office), and consider whether her alleged approach is business as usual, an outlier, or a natural progression as far as politician behavior.   Nancy Mace ran bot army, had staff run fake accounts to boost profile, report claims: ‘It’s what she does for fun’ (The Independent)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana react to the super realistic Veo 3 AI video generator that was recently released by Google, and consider whether it’s time to start worrying about the capabilities of AI - and about what it may do to us.  The guys also discuss whether the nature of our culture will compel us to continue down this path, even if we know it will lead to ruin.   Google's Veo 3 AI video generator is unlike anything you've ever seen. The world isn't ready. (Mashable)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at recent trends in how NBA basketball is being played and consider the concepts like “pace and space” are giving younger teams a leg up on older teams, particularly because the NBA has historically been dominated by veteran teams, not young ones.  The guys also consider whether the NBA’s television broadcasts do a good enough job explaining the new things that are going on on the court.   Step aside, millennial NBA stars: Gen Z is taking over — and winning a title could be a young man’s game now (Yahoo! Sports) Warriors coach Steve Kerr thinks an 82-game NBA regular season is too much (The Athletic) LeBron James Had Bummed Out Line About How Older Players Hurt the Game He Loves (Sports Illustrated)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at a recent analysis from ISeeCars that suggests Tesla’s are the deadliest cars on the road based on the fatalities per mile driven, particularly in light of Gilbert Arenas’s claim that it was a steering wheel malfunction led to his son Alijah’s accident that resulted in Alijah being in a coma for days.   Gilbert Arenas Blames Son’s Car Accident On Tesla Cybertruck Malfunction (Vibe) The Deadliest Car Brand in America Is … (Motortrend)