Episodios
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This week, Eric, Dan, and Emily discuss the death of O.J. Simpson and examine how the combination of his celebrity and his criminal trial launched a thousand cultural ships, including reality TV, true-crime obsession, and the 24/7 news cycle. Next, Belgian politicians tried to shut down the National Conservatism Conference, only to have it saved by liberal institutions. Oh, the irony. And finally, what can we learn from NPR senior business editor Uri Berliner’s piece at The Free Press accusing NPR of losing its journalistic integrity?
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O.J. Simpson, Football Star Whose Trial Riveted the Nation, Dies at 76 | New York Times
Europe’s hard-right bags big win after ‘own goal’ by Brussels mayors | Politico
Brussels Mayor Attempts to Shut Down National Conservatism Conference by Force | Stephanie Slade, Reason
What I Saw at the National Conservatism Conference | Dan Hugger, Religion & Liberty
National Conservatism One Year Later | Dan Hugger, Religion & Liberty
I’ve Been at NPR for 25 Years. Here’s How We Lost America’s Trust. | Uri Berliner, The Free Press -
This week, Eric, Noah, and David Hebert, making his maiden voyage on the podcast, discuss squatters’ rights: Do they really exist? And if so, how big a problem are they really?. Then, has the problem with industrial policy been that we just weren’t doing it right all these years? Sen. Marco Rubio thinks so. Oh, and a new California minimum-wage law for fast-food workers has taken effect. Our future fast-food robot overlords are appreciative. And finally, Sam Bankman-Fried gets 25 years for the fraud he perpetrated. Is this sentence too harsh, too light, or just right?
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What’s Behind Recent ‘Squatters’ Rights’ Disputes? | Reilly Stephens, The Dispatch
Why Christians Should Be (the Best) Landlords | Rachel Ferguson, Religion & Liberty Online
Why I believe in industrial policy—done right | Sen. Marco Rubio, Washington Post
Beware the Bipartisan Folly of Industrial Policy | Noah Gould, National Revie
California’s Crazy ‘Fast Food’ Minimum Wage Takes Effect | David Neumark, Wall Street Journal
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years for crypto fraud, to pay $11 billion in forfeiture | CNBC -
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This week, Eric, Dan, and Dylan are joined by Mike Cosper of Christianity Today to discuss his cover essay in the latest issue of Religion & Liberty, “There Shall Be None to Make Him Afraid: American Liberty and the Jews.” Then they turn their attention to controversial LSU basketball coach Kim Mulkey to explore how hard-driving and tough-coaching styles fit in the modern world and what it means for a perspective on leadership.
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There Shall Be None to Make Him Afraid: American Liberty and the Jews | Mike Cosper, Religion & Liberty
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Promised Land podcast | Christianity Today
Why do some people hate the Jews? | Acton Line
The History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict | Acton Line
A Christian Perspective from Visiting Israel | Acton Line
The Kim Mulkey Way | Washington Post
The Bobby Knight Problem | The Rise & Fall of Mars Hill
They’re Coming After Us | John Podhoretz, Commentary Magazine -
This week, Dan Hugger, Noah Gould, and Emily Zanotti discuss the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Maryland. They then turn their attention to the announcement of the God Bless the USA Bible, the only Bible endorsed by President Trump and country music sensation Lee Greenwood. What does this reveal about the state of religion, politics, and culture in America today? And finally, is it time to rethink the culture war?
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The impact of the Baltimore bridge disaster | Economist.com
Lawyers Gear Up for Swift Start in Legal Fight Over Baltimore Bridge | WSJ
Donald Trump Is Selling a 'God Bless the USA' Bible for $60 | NPR
God Bless the USA Bible
The New Culture Warriors | Religion & Liberty Online -
This week, Eric, Anthony, and Dan discuss the Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit against Apple for alleged monopolistic practices in the smartphone market. They then turn their attention to a strange essay in National Affairs on the “Soft Tyranny of Smartphones” and explore whether a desire to use a smartphone less requires government action. And finally, should we be concerned about Elon Musk’s brain-chip company, Neuralink, or should we celebrate such a technological advancement?
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U.S. accuses Apple of illegally maintaining monopoly in broad lawsuit | Axios
The Apple Antitrust Case and the ‘Stigma’ of the Green Bubble | Wired
Brandon Sanderson Says Deal with Audible Is in the Works | Publishers Weekly
The Soft Tyranny of Smartphones | National Affairs
Patient of Elon Musk’s Neuralink Shows Off New Life With Implant | Wall Street Journal -
This week, Eric, Noah, and Emily discuss the legislation moving through Congress that would force the sale of TikTok from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, or ban the app’s availability in the United States. Are the national security issues serious enough to trump all other concerns about setting such a precedent? Then the panel turns its attention to Ben Shapiro’s comments about work and retirement. How should we think about work and its role in our lives—now and when we’re older?
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House passes bill that could lead to TikTok ban | Axios
Acton Institute on TikTok
TikTok Suspends a Film on Jimmy Lai | Wall Street Journal
Ben Shapiro on work and retirement | X
Closing the Gap Between Work and Life | David Bahnsen, Acton Line -
This week Eric, Dan, and Emily discuss President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address and give their own takes on the state of the union, the recent ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court that implicates IVF treatment, and the recent remarks by Pope Francis calling for Ukraine to have the “courage of the White Flag” in bringing about an end to the war in Ukraine.
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Remarks by President Biden in State of the Union Address | The White House
Put the State of the Union address out of its misery | Eric Kohn, Religion & Liberty Online
Alabama Supreme Court Sparks IVF Debate | The Morning Dispatch
It’s time for hard conversations about frozen embryos | Emily Zanotti, Deseret News
Alabama Against IVF | Advisory Opinions podcast
Pope Says Ukraine Should Have the ‘Courage of the White Flag’ | New York Times
Kremlin says appeal by Pope Francis for Ukraine talks is quite understandable | Reuters -
On this special bonus episode of Acton Unwind, Eric, Dan, Dylan, and Daniel discuss Dune: Part Two, the second entry in director Denis Villeneuve’s trilogy adapting the Frank Herbert novels. The panel discusses the technical filmmaking, how this film compares to the 1984 David Lynch adaptation of Dune, how it compares to the original books, what was left out, and more. Warning: Spoilers!
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Dune: Part Two trailer
Dune: Part Two and the Death of Freedom | Joseph Holmes, Religion & Liberty Online
Discovering human dignity in Villeneuve’s Dune | Dylan Pahman, Religion & Liberty Online -
This week, Eric, Anthony, and Dylan discuss the self-immolation of Aaron Bushnell and the ethics of using his suicide to advance the Palestinian cause, the online free-speech cases that SCOTUS heard last week, and the story that the fast-food chain Wendy’s was planning to roll out surge pricing in the spirit of Uber and Lyft. Wendy’s isn’t doing that—but should it?
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Man Dies After Setting Himself on Fire Outside Israeli Embassy in Washington, Air Force Says | New York Times
Cornel West tweet about Aaron Bushnell
The History of Self-Immolation as Political Protest | TIME Magazine
US Supreme Court weighs landmark online free speech case | BBC
‘Mainstream Media’ Doesn’t Have a Liberal Bias | Dylan Pahman, The Federalist
Supreme Court justices raise First Amendment concerns in NetChoice oral argument | FIRE
Wendy’s says ‘dynamic pricing’ is different from ‘surge pricing,’ but whatever it’s called may still alienate customers | Fortune
Consumerism, Service, and Religion | Dylan Pahman, Religion & Liberty Online -
This week on Acton Unwind, guest host Dan Hugger is joined by Dylan Pahman and Noah Gould. They begin the podcast by discussing two recent essays that call into question Hillsdale College’s “Christian College” bona fides. What makes a college Christian, and does Hillsdale fit the bill? Next, Google’s Gemini generative AI chatbot’s political biases are explored. What does AI bias look like? Why is it important, and what can be done to mitigate it? Is it inadvertent performance art?
Finally, the group unpacks the recent scandal that has engulfed science fiction and fantasy’s most prestigious award, the Hugo. Is it prudent to host such awards in China? Is the Hugo scandal an indictment of democracy? How does this scandal effect the award’s credibility going forward?
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Selling “Christian” Hillsdale | Current
Some additional thoughts about Hillsdale | Current
On Hillsdale College and Christianity by Dan Hugger | Reign of Conscience
On Constitutions, Confessionalization, and Gandhi | Reign of Conscience (Substack)
More human than human: measuring ChatGPT political bias | Public Choice
Hugo Awards 2024: What Really Happened at the Sci-Fi Awards in China? | Esquire
Authors ‘excluded from Hugo awards over China concerns’ | The Guardian
Your New Aesthetic | YouTube -
This week guest host Dan Hugger is joined by Dan Churchwell and Emily Zanotti.
The panel begins by discussing the recent death of Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny in prison. How should the international community respond? Will this tragedy cause Americans on the extreme left and right develop a more critical attitude toward Vladimir Putin? Next, recent discoveries of rare-earth minerals in Wyoming promise to give the U.S. a geopolitical and economic edge, but what tradeoffs are involved in the extraction of natural resources? Then—what does OpenAI’s plans for investment in chip production mean for our world and our home?
Finally, the gang reflects on the penitential season of Lent. What’s behind its increasingly ecumenical appeal? It’s cultural, political, and theological dimensions are explored before the panelists share their spiritual practices for the season.
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Putin critic Alexei Navalny dies in Arctic Circle jail, says Russia (bbc.com)
Russian Exceptionalism | New York Review of Books
Wyoming Hits the Rare-Earth Mother Lode | WSJ
Rare Earths Discovery Near Wheatland So Big It Could Be World Leader | Your Wyoming News Source (cowboystatedaily.com)
Sam Altman Seeks Trillions of Dollars to Reshape Business of Chips and AI | WSJ
‘The astonishing Jensen Huang of Nvidia talks about the future of AI. Sovereign AI is the future and more valuable than oil or gold’| Twitter (X)
More Work For Mother: The Ironies of Household Technology from the Open Hearth to the Microwave
The Harried Leisure Class | Marginal Revolution
2024 Lent Project | Biola University Center for Christianity, Culture and the Arts
Tuna Fish and Tollhouse Cookies | Emily Zanotti (substack.com)
Catechism of the Catholic Church -
This week, Eric talks with Mustafa Akyol about his essay in the Winter issue of RELIGION & LIBERTY, a book review of “Wahhābism: The History of a Militant Islamic Movement.” Where did Wahhabist Islam come from and how much sway does it hold in the Muslim world today? Then Eric is joined by Anthony Bradley and Noah Gould as they discuss the He Gets Us ads from the Super Bowl, Tucker Carlson’s interview of Vladimir Putin, and how old is too old to be president of the United States.
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The Rebirth of a Heretical Islam | Mustafa Akyol, Religion & Liberty
Foot Washing | He Gets Us
Who is My Neighbor? | He Gets Us
Vladimir Putin tells Tucker Carlson that Russia is 'willing to negotiate' with Ukraine | USA Today
Overwhelming majority think Biden is too old to serve following Hur report: Poll | The Hill
Ad-Copy Gospel and the Christian Marketing Dilemma | Isaac Willour, Religion & Liberty Online -
This week, Eric, Anthony, and Dylan are joined by John G. Grove, managing editor of Law & Liberty, to discuss his essay in the Winter edition of Religion & Liberty, “The Gods of the City.” Is Christian nationalism a real thing? What is the proper interplay between faith and government? Then Emily joins the show to discuss the way-too-online theory that the Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce relationship, and even possibly the Super Bowl, is actually a psyop or deep-state conspiracy. But setting aside that silliness, shouldn’t conservatives be holding up Swift and Kelce as an example of a courtship done right? And finally, social media CEOs were on Capitol Hill for their annual congressional hearing/public beating. Is there a role for the government in helping parents handle kids and social media? Or do we just need better parenting?
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The Gods of the City | John G. Grove, Religion & Liberty
The Existential Threat of Anti-Christian Nationalism | D.G. Hart, Religion & Liberty
This Lawmaker Wants to Jail People for Watching Porn | Rolling Stone
The ‘Taylor Swift Psyop’ Freaks Need to Go Outside | National Review
Hawley presses Zuckerberg to compensate online harm victims | Axios -
This week, Eric, Dan, and Emily discuss the Supreme Court’s ruling lifting an injunction that prevented the federal government from removing razor wire installed by the state of Texas at the southern border. What did SCOTUS actually do here? What are we supposed to do in this bizarre situation where the federal government will not enforce federal law but doesn’t want states to enforce it either? Will political incentives prevent any definitive action? Next, Alabama executed a death row inmate using nitrogen hypoxia, after previous attempts using more common methods had failed. How should people of faith think about the death penalty? Are our attempts to avoid supposedly cruel and usual methods like firing squads and the electric chair leading to less certain and possibly more inhumane methods? And finally, what does the Ayodhya Ram temple’s inauguration by Indian prime minister Modi tell us about the place of religion in Indian public life?
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Divided SCOTUS grants Biden administration request to cut Texas’ razor wire | Axios
Letter from Texas Governor Greg Abbott
What Part of Legal Immigration Don’t You Understand? | Reason
The U.S. had its first execution by nitrogen gas. Here’s what to know. | Washington Post
Why India’s New Ram Temple Is So Important | New York Times -
This week, Eric, Dan, and Noah discuss Javier Milei’s speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos. Did the Davos set know what they were getting into when they invited him? How important and refreshing was it to hear a voice opposed to the elite consensus at Davos? Will anyone listen to him? Next, Donald Trump claims that a president can’t be the president without also being guaranteed full and complete immunity from prosecution. Is there any legal basis for this? What will be the consequences of the continual degradation of norms in our society? And finally, South Africa brings a case against Israel for genocide at the International Court of Justice at The Hague. Does the case have any merit? And does international law even really exist?
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Davos 2024: Special address by Javier Milei, President of Argentina | World Economic Forum
Javier Milei Speech at the World Economic Forum | Video
Argentinian prez Javier Milei kills ’em with common sense as he scolds Davos elites | Douglas Murray, New York Post
The Intellectuals and Socialism | F.A. Hayek
Trump, awaiting ruling, says presidents must have ‘complete and total’ immunity | NBC News
Trump invokes ‘rogue cops’ and ‘bad apples’ to explain why he needs total immunity | The Independent
Israel rejects genocide charges, tells World Court it must defend itself | Reuters
Mere Natural Law with Hadley Arkes | Acton Line -
This week, to start the show, Eric is joined by Fr. Robert Sirico, Acton’s co-founder and president emeritus, who just returned from a quasi-secret trip to Hong Kong, where he attended a day of Jimmy Lai’s National Security Law trial. What did he see in Hong Kong and at the trial? How has the “feel” of Hong Kong changed since he last visited? Then Eric is joined by Dan Hugger and Dylan Pahman for a discussion of how universities are reappraising standardized tests like the SAT and ACT. What have we learned since some schools dropped these tests as admissions criteria during COVID and after years of a campaign to reduce their use because of their “inherent bias”? Next, SCOTUS will decide the constitutionality of the right of cities to ban homeless encampments. Aside from the legal questions, is allowing homeless camps advisable in regard to public health and safety? How should we approach the issue of homelessness? And finally, President Joe Biden spoke in the pulpit of South Carolina’s Mother Emanuel AME Church in what was widely regarded as a campaign speech. How should we think about politics from the pulpit?
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The Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai’s Extraordinary Struggle for Freedom
The Misleading SAT Debate | David Leonhardt, New York Times
Supreme Court to Decide If Homeless-Camping Bans Violate Constitution | National Review
NYC HS principal lashes out at parents who bashed decision to force students to go remote as migrants sheltered at school | New York Post
The Great Unlearning | Acton Line
Biden condemns white supremacy in a campaign speech at a church where Black people were killed | Associated Press -
This week, Eric, Anthony Bradley (making his maiden voyage on the podcast), and Emily discuss the resignation of Harvard University president Claudine Gay. How significant a story is this? Does it matter only for elites, or do the downstream effects impact more of America? Does it matter that the people who uncovered her plagiarism had their own political motivations? Did race play any role in this story, with Gay having been the first black woman president of Harvard? Next, the panel reflects on the passing of Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O’Connor in early December. Beyond being the first woman on the Court, what will she be remembered for? And finally, what are Eric, Anthony, and Emily hopeful for in 2024?
Harvard President Resigns After Mounting Plagiarism Accusations | New York Times
Claudine Gay: What Just Happened at Harvard Is Bigger Than Me | New York Times
Harvard President Claudine Gay Hit with Six New Charges of Plagiarism | Washington Free Beacon
How We Squeezed Harvard to Push Claudine Gay Out | Christopher F. Rufo, Wall Street Journal
Sandra Day O’Connor, First Woman on the Supreme Court, Is Dead at 93 | New York Times -
This week, Eric is joined first by Mark Clifford, the president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, as they discuss the National Security Law trial of Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong. After numerous delays, the trial has finally started. What charges is Jimmy facing, of which he will certainly be convicted? What comes after those convictions, both in regard to the cause of freeing Jimmy Lai and the cause of freedom in Hong Kong? What significance do the calls from the U.K. and American governments for Lai to be released hold? Then Eric is joined by Noah Gould and Emily Zanotti to discuss the Satanic Temple’s statue of the pagan idol Baphomet in the Iowa State House. Should such displays be prohibited? If so, on what grounds? What does the legal jurisprudence say on matters like this? Does the First Amendment require indulging efforts to troll people of faith? And finally, Sam Bankman-Fried was indicted and convicted on multiple federal charges related to fraud perpetrated at his cryptocurrency exchange FTX. His adopted philosophy of effective altruism has also come in for criticism in the wake of the conviction. The group discusses Noah’s piece in Fusion magazine on the topic.
The Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai’s Extraordinary Struggle for Freedom | Full Film
The Trial of Jimmy Lai | Isaac Willour, Acton Institute
Jimmy Lai: Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon’s trial begins | BBC
Britain calls for Jimmy Lai’s release as Hong Kong trial begins | Reuters
Trial of Jimmy Lai Under the Hong Kong National Security Law | US State Department
Satanic Temple says part of display in Iowa Capitol ‘destroyed beyond repair’ | Des Moines Register
Effective Altruism’s Reign Should End with Sam Bankman-Fried’s | Noah Gould, Fusion
Poverty, Inc. -
This week, Eric, Dan, and Dylan discuss the passing of Henry Kissinger at the age of 100. How should Kissinger be remembered? Is there any merit to the claims he was a war criminal? What will be his enduring legacy? Next, Venezuela might be preparing to annex some of the territory of neighboring Guyana after the discovery of large oil reserves in that nation. How concerned should we be? How much does this underscore the disaster that the socialist governments of Chávez and Maduro have been for Venezuela? And finally, the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and Penn appeared before Congress to testify on anti-Semitism on their campuses—and it didn’t go very well. How should we think about free speech on college campuses?
Pax Kissinger | The Morning Dispatch
The Meaning of History: Dr. Henry Kissinger’s Undergraduate Thesis | Johns Hopkins University
Guyana agreed to talks with Venezuela over territorial dispute under pressure from Brazil, others | Associated Press
Venezuela’s autocrat, Nicolás Maduro, threatens to annex Guyana | The Economist
Antisemitism Beleaguers the Ivies | The Dispatch -
Today, Eric and Dan talk with Acton’s Michael Matheson Miller about his essay “The Poverty Pyramid Scheme,” and AIER’s Samuel Gregg about his review “Mistaken About Poverty,” both of which appear in the Fall 2023 issue of our magazine RELIGION & LIBERTY, which is focused on the issue of poverty. How should we think about poverty in the developing world and in places like the United States? What conditions are necessary for people to rise out of poverty? What do social engineers get wrong about how we should address issues that contribute to poverty? And what is Acton’s new Center for Social Flourishing doing to advance the discussion on poverty?
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The Prosperity Pyramid Scheme | Michael Matheson Miller
Mistaken About Poverty | Samuel Gregg
Poverty, Inc.
Reason, Faith, and the Struggle for Western Civilization | Samuel Gregg
Afghanistan I fought for lacks foundation for freedom | Stephen Barrows - Mostrar más
