James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at Pope Leo XIV’s recent criticism of economies that have the wealthy live in “bubble of comfort and luxury” while marginalizing the poor and discuss some of the predatory aspects of the American economic system as well as how many of America’s most common economic measures may cover up how difficult things are for working people.     Pope Leo condemns economies that marginalize the poor while the wealthy live in a bubble of luxury (AP News) More Americans are financing groceries with buy now, pay later loans — and more are paying those bills late, survey says (CNBC) GoFundMe CEO says the economy is so bad that more of his customers are crowdfunding just to pay for their groceries (Yahoo! Finance) As billionaire wealth soars $33 trillion, Mark Cuban says it’s time for workers to receive a cut of their employers’ success in the form of stocks (Yahoo! Finance) Ray Dalio says America is developing a ‘dependency’ on the top 1% of workers, while the bottom 60% are struggling and unproductive (Fortune)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana react to how widespread the recent No Kings Protests were and discuss how they reflect something deep inside the Americans psyche.  The guys also consider why some Americans in power and in places of influence, like Rep Mike Johnson or comedian Joe Rogan were apparently so bothered by these peaceful demonstrations that reflected Americans’ longstanding disdain for unchecked and concentrated power.   From Texas to Tennessee, Even Trump Country Is Marching Against Trump (Mother Jones) Joe Rogan: Protesters are all ‘losers’ funded by Dems and ‘FBI agents’ (NJ.com) Joe Rogan Falls Hard For A Trump Hoax In Rant At 'No Kings' Protesters (Yahoo! News) 3 takeaways from Saturday's No Kings nationwide protests (NPR) Republicans mostly silent as millions of Americans protest Trump on No Kings day (The Guardian)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss a couple of sections that stood out in Morgan Housel’s 2020 book, “The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness.”   The Psychology of Money (Bookshop.org)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana react to recent comments from billionaire investor Ray Dalio, who suggests that a new civil war that is developing in the US and that economic issues such as out of control public debt and the massive wealth gap are key drivers of it.  The guys also consider the extent to which these very economic issues indicate that the culture war disputes may just misdirecting attention from actual class warfare.   Billionaire investor Ray Dalio warns of ‘civil war’ amid spiraling US debt, global turmoil and wealth inequality (The Independent - UK) Marc Benioff Says Trump Should Send Guard Troops to San Francisco (NY Times) Musk calls for federal troops in San Francisco even as Benioff softens stance (CNBC)  

James Keys and Tunde take a look at the growing trend in Canada which is seeing more and more people take advantage of the country’s expansive euthanasia and medical assistance in dying policies to end their life on their own terms, so to speak, and consider ways this seems to impact family dynamics as well as the medical system and legal system in Canada.   Canada is Killing Itself (The Atlantic) (Apple News Link)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss a section from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s fourth and final book, "Where Do We Go From Here, Chaos or Community," which was published in 1967.  The guys focus on a few of King's observations in the book's third chapter, "Racism and the White Backlash," and consider how well these observations hold up in light of the course of events in the U.S. over the past 15 year or so.   Where Do We Go from Here - Chaos or Community? (bookshop.org) Megyn Kelly blames Obama for America’s divisions in reaction to Charlie Kirk’s murder (Yahoo! News)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at the 2020 PBS documentary “McCarthy - Power Feeds on Fear,” which tells the story of US Senator Joe McCarthy and his anti-communism demagoguery in the 1950s.  The guys also discuss the things in that society that allowed it to happen or even promoted it and what characteristics can make societies more susceptible to a demagogue takeover.   "McCarthy - Power Feeds on Fear" (PBS)

James Keys and Tunde react to recent reports that Medicare will start paying AI companies what could be considered a bounty for every health coverage claim their AI software rejects, discuss how this kind of incentive will play out in the real world, and consider why the US has such a hard time addressing problems in its health care system even though there are so many working examples around the globe.   Medicare Will Start Paying AI Companies a Share of Any Claims They Automatically Reject (Futurism) Report: U.S. spends the most on health but outcomes are among the worst (Association of Health Care Journalists)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss Gavin Newsom’s new social media approach, why it has gotten such a positive and negative reaction from both the public and political and media elites, and what it means, if anything, for political communications in the US moving forward.   How Gavin Newsom trolled his way to the top of social media (Politico) Gavin Newsom is expertly trolling Fox News stars by mimicking Trump online — right down to the nicknames (The Independent)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss a recent effort by neurologists and researchers Ray Dorsey, MD, and Michael Okun, MD to warn people that Parkinson’s disease may be driven by modern pollution and chemical exposure, discuss how many other chronic diseases may actually not be merely bad luck occurrences but things arise in large part by chemicals we voluntarily use or surround ourselves with, and consider why it matters.   These Doctors Have a Bold Plan to Eradicate Parkinson’s Disease—and It Starts in Your Home (Oprah Daily) Living by a golf course could double your risk Parkinson's risk. Here's why (BBC Science Focus Mag - Apple News Link) Chronic Disease in the United States: A Worsening Health and Economic Crisis (American Action Forum) Poor health reduces global GDP by 15% each year (McKinsey)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss what stood out in the new Netflix documentary “America’s Team: the Gambler and His Cowboys,” which focuses on the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, their dynastic run in the mid-1990s, and the wild cast of characters that defined the organization at that time.   America’s Team: the Gambler and His Cowboys (Netflix) Boys Will Be Boys: The Glory Days and Party Nights of the Dallas Cowboys Dynasty (JeffPearlman.com) The 100 Most-Watched Telecasts of 2024: NFL, Paris Olympics, Presidential Debate, Lots of ‘Tracker’ and the ‘Young Sheldon’ Finale (Variety) Football Retains Dominant Position as Favorite U.S. Sport (Gallup) Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams (USA Today) What’s Behind the Exploding Prices of Pro Sports Franchises? (The Ringer)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss a couple of the laws from Robert Greene’s bestselling book “The 48 Laws of Power,” particularly looking at the extent to which the laws hold up as society has evolved in the nearly 3 decades since the book was published.   The 48 Laws of Power (Bookshop.org)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss the public reaction to the American Eagle jeans advertising campaign which features Sydney Sweeney and makes a direct play on the word jeans and the idea of genetics, culminating in quote “Sydney Sweeney has great genes.”  The guys also consider what it means for the public discourse that stirring up controversy and creating outrage is a very reliable path to money and power in the attention economy, particularly with how certain groups seem to be easily set up to play the same roles in these controversies over and over again.   The ad campaign that launched a thousand critiques: Sydney Sweeney's jeans (NPR) The Sydney Sweeney Jeans Ad "Backlash" Is Mostly Fake (The Present Age) American Eagle Scores Big Win Amid Sydney Sweeney Ad Backlash (Newsweek)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana reflect on an interesting point made in Yuval Noah Harari’s book “Nexus,” about the witch hunting era in Europe following the spread of the printing press and how that time shared many of the characteristics we see in our modern, post Internet society. The guys also discuss whether, in light of how things turned out in the witch hunting era, we should be more worried about where the information environment in this post Internet era may take us.   Nexus (ynharari.com)

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)