WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.319 It really feels like we're living in just a constant 00:00:03.319 --> 00:00:05.580 state of breaking news, doesn't it? Oh, absolutely. 00:00:05.679 --> 00:00:08.160 Trying to keep up with everything, Capitol Hill, 00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:11.320 international stuff. Yeah. Well, it's a lot. 00:00:11.380 --> 00:00:13.380 It can feel like a full -time job, for sure. 00:00:13.699 --> 00:00:15.419 And that's kind of where we come in, right? Instead 00:00:15.419 --> 00:00:19.079 of chasing every single headline, we step back, 00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:22.199 try to explore the core of a few key stories, 00:00:22.519 --> 00:00:25.100 understand what's really significant. Exactly. 00:00:25.320 --> 00:00:28.510 So for this deep dive, we've got, well. a really 00:00:28.510 --> 00:00:31.670 interesting mix. We'll look at a Bloomberg report, 00:00:31.789 --> 00:00:34.729 pretty detailed, on those late night talks in 00:00:34.729 --> 00:00:38.689 Congress, President Trump's tax cuts. And then 00:00:38.689 --> 00:00:41.250 we'll un -tax some analysis from electoral vote, 00:00:41.789 --> 00:00:44.170 covers all sorts of things, potential shifts 00:00:44.170 --> 00:00:46.909 in like who's funding elections, some big Supreme 00:00:46.909 --> 00:00:51.420 Court moves. Even this really head -scratching 00:00:51.420 --> 00:00:54.280 idea for an immigration reality show. Yeah, that 00:00:54.280 --> 00:00:56.500 one's something else. So our goal here is really 00:00:56.500 --> 00:00:58.679 to pull out the essential info from these different 00:00:58.679 --> 00:01:00.700 sources, connect the dots where maybe they don't 00:01:00.700 --> 00:01:02.920 seem connected, and give you a clear picture 00:01:02.920 --> 00:01:06.620 of what's going on and what it might actually 00:01:06.620 --> 00:01:08.799 mean. OK, let's get into it. Let's jump straight 00:01:08.799 --> 00:01:11.319 to Capitol Hill, then. That Bloomberg piece painted 00:01:11.319 --> 00:01:14.819 a picture of a real pressure cooker in the House. 00:01:15.260 --> 00:01:17.799 Republicans working late, pushing hard on Trump's 00:01:17.799 --> 00:01:20.159 tax bill. They had this deadline this Thursday, 00:01:20.340 --> 00:01:22.840 self -imposed. And it sounded like, well, there 00:01:22.840 --> 00:01:25.859 were still some pretty big disagreements to nail 00:01:25.859 --> 00:01:29.260 down. And it's interesting. It shows the challenge 00:01:29.260 --> 00:01:31.500 of governing, even when you technically have 00:01:31.500 --> 00:01:35.120 the majority, the drive to pass this tax package. 00:01:35.359 --> 00:01:37.239 It's a huge promise for Trump's economic plan. 00:01:37.420 --> 00:01:40.209 It's strong in the party. Sure. like always with 00:01:40.209 --> 00:01:42.650 legislation, the details. That's where the friction 00:01:42.650 --> 00:01:45.069 happens. Speaker Johnson, he sounded optimistic 00:01:45.069 --> 00:01:47.269 publicly, but yeah, late nights usually mean 00:01:47.269 --> 00:01:49.290 they're still hashing things out. Absolutely. 00:01:49.890 --> 00:01:52.069 And Bloomberg pointed to a few key sticking points. 00:01:52.430 --> 00:01:55.569 SALT, the state and local tax deduction, always 00:01:55.569 --> 00:01:57.510 a battleground, right? Especially for reps from 00:01:57.510 --> 00:02:00.790 high tax states. Always. And debates over maybe 00:02:00.790 --> 00:02:04.469 tweaking spending on Medicaid or clean energy 00:02:04.469 --> 00:02:06.780 credits sounded like a real balancing act. It 00:02:06.780 --> 00:02:08.840 is. And you have to remember the bigger picture, 00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:11.500 too. This isn't just about extending the 2017 00:02:11.500 --> 00:02:14.620 cuts. They were talking new proposals, too. Things 00:02:14.620 --> 00:02:18.960 aimed at voters, like no taxes on tips or on 00:02:18.960 --> 00:02:22.060 overtime pay. Right, right. So the pressure to 00:02:22.060 --> 00:02:24.259 actually deliver a bill, something that can pass 00:02:24.259 --> 00:02:27.099 both the House and the Senate, it's pretty intense. 00:02:27.319 --> 00:02:29.680 Yeah. We even heard Representative Fox admit 00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:33.159 they were still like... actively drafting the 00:02:33.159 --> 00:02:35.039 revised bill while these late night talks were 00:02:35.039 --> 00:02:37.400 happening. Which is unusual. Yeah. Representative 00:02:37.400 --> 00:02:39.620 McGovern, Democrat, pointed that out. Imagine 00:02:39.620 --> 00:02:41.439 debating a bill that's literally still being 00:02:41.439 --> 00:02:43.819 written. It definitely raises questions about 00:02:43.819 --> 00:02:45.680 the process, doesn't it? The next big step was 00:02:45.680 --> 00:02:47.960 the rules committee meeting. That's the gatekeeper 00:02:47.960 --> 00:02:50.159 before the House floor. So those late night deals 00:02:50.159 --> 00:02:52.439 must have been absolutely critical. Well, Axios 00:02:52.439 --> 00:02:54.680 had a report, Bloomberg mentioned it, gave us 00:02:54.680 --> 00:02:57.680 some insight into maybe assault compromise. OK. 00:02:57.960 --> 00:03:00.879 The idea was maybe raising it to $40 ,000 a year 00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:05.599 for incomes up to $500 ,000. But with this slow, 00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:09.009 like, out over 10 years then it becomes permanent 00:03:09.009 --> 00:03:11.069 sounds quite different from earlier versions 00:03:11.069 --> 00:03:14.849 it does that's a significant shift remember those 00:03:14.849 --> 00:03:18.909 earlier ideas lower caps shorter timelines yeah 00:03:18.909 --> 00:03:20.969 they just weren't cutting it for the members 00:03:20.969 --> 00:03:23.710 from you know New York California right even 00:03:23.710 --> 00:03:27.330 Trump's first idea the $30 ,000 cap didn't fly 00:03:27.330 --> 00:03:29.710 yeah it's such a tightrope walk for Trump here 00:03:29.710 --> 00:03:32.050 you know trying to keep those members happy but 00:03:32.050 --> 00:03:34.939 not alienate the fiscal conservatives who want 00:03:34.939 --> 00:03:37.840 deeper spending cuts. Exactly. And Bloomberg 00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:40.280 mentioned that pressure. conservatives pushing 00:03:40.280 --> 00:03:43.300 for more cuts before it goes to the Senate. Talk 00:03:43.300 --> 00:03:45.379 about maybe moving up the timeline for Medicaid 00:03:45.379 --> 00:03:47.960 work requirements, changing when the green energy 00:03:47.960 --> 00:03:50.099 breaks phase out. Those are pretty big changes. 00:03:50.300 --> 00:03:52.520 Real world impacts. And connecting this back, 00:03:52.599 --> 00:03:55.460 these internal fights, they just highlight the 00:03:55.460 --> 00:03:57.960 ongoing tension within the party, right, between 00:03:57.960 --> 00:04:00.680 the different factions. Moderate Republicans 00:04:00.680 --> 00:04:02.259 are probably thinking about the midterms, how 00:04:02.259 --> 00:04:05.319 voters might react to cuts in social programs. 00:04:05.560 --> 00:04:07.780 And if these talks stalled out, Bloomberg raised 00:04:07.780 --> 00:04:10.939 a really word. point it could mess up efforts 00:04:10.939 --> 00:04:13.419 to avoid a government default this summer because 00:04:13.419 --> 00:04:15.780 it's tied to the debt ceiling yeah exactly this 00:04:15.780 --> 00:04:18.439 tax bill is apparently linked to raising the 00:04:18.439 --> 00:04:20.500 debt ceiling like maxing out your credit card 00:04:20.500 --> 00:04:22.639 you know they need to raise the limit and this 00:04:22.639 --> 00:04:24.899 bill is tied to that high stakes that's a good 00:04:24.899 --> 00:04:27.180 analogy yeah and yeah well the house is rushing 00:04:27.180 --> 00:04:29.959 for this week's deadline the Senate's timeline 00:04:29.959 --> 00:04:33.399 that's much less clear it could be weeks maybe 00:04:33.399 --> 00:04:36.139 months before they tackle it revise it so even 00:04:36.139 --> 00:04:39.120 if the house passes something soon Long way to 00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:41.379 go. Far from over. Okay, complete shift now. 00:04:41.879 --> 00:04:44.519 Elon Musk. Electoral vote had a piece on this. 00:04:44.540 --> 00:04:47.439 He was at a Bloomberg conference in Qatar, apparently, 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:49.639 and said some things about his political spending. 00:04:49.860 --> 00:04:52.139 Yeah, pretty noteworthy comments. What's striking 00:04:52.139 --> 00:04:55.959 is how definitive he sounded. He said he plans 00:04:55.959 --> 00:04:58.759 to do a lot less political spending going forward. 00:04:58.920 --> 00:05:01.800 A lot less. Said he feels he's done enough. Although, 00:05:01.839 --> 00:05:03.730 you know, he left a little wiggle room. maybe 00:05:03.730 --> 00:05:05.569 future reasons could change his mind. Right, 00:05:05.769 --> 00:05:07.990 but electoral vote immediately throws in that 00:05:07.990 --> 00:05:11.209 big caveat, doesn't it? Reminds us, Musk is, 00:05:11.230 --> 00:05:13.490 well, let's just say unpredictable, mercurial. 00:05:13.850 --> 00:05:16.670 Exactly, dishonest even. So, could be temporary, 00:05:16.810 --> 00:05:19.829 could be strategic, and as they say, less for 00:05:19.829 --> 00:05:22.209 him, could still be a ton of money. Good point, 00:05:22.389 --> 00:05:25.230 very good point. But... Electoral vote then lays 00:05:25.230 --> 00:05:28.370 out 10 potential reasons why he might actually 00:05:28.370 --> 00:05:30.990 be serious this time. And they're pretty insightful. 00:05:31.370 --> 00:05:34.170 Things like potential damage to the Tesla brand 00:05:34.170 --> 00:05:36.629 from his politics. Yeah. That makes sense. Possible 00:05:36.629 --> 00:05:39.189 pressure from the Tesla board, even his own financial 00:05:39.189 --> 00:05:41.589 situation, you know, so much wealth tied up in 00:05:41.589 --> 00:05:43.870 stock, big loans against it, especially for Twitter. 00:05:43.870 --> 00:05:46.329 Right. Maybe cash for donations is tighter. Use 00:05:46.329 --> 00:05:49.410 that George Washington analogy. Land rich, cash 00:05:49.410 --> 00:05:51.829 poor. That was a good one. Yeah. And the idea 00:05:51.829 --> 00:05:54.370 that he just gets bored moves on the shiny objects 00:05:54.370 --> 00:05:58.089 theory. Right. Politics loses its novelty, maybe 00:05:58.089 --> 00:06:00.509 focuses internationally or just on his other 00:06:00.509 --> 00:06:02.769 companies. That fits his pattern. And the idea 00:06:02.769 --> 00:06:05.670 he sees influencing the Trump election as his 00:06:05.670 --> 00:06:09.389 peak, maybe wants to quit on top. That's interesting. 00:06:09.610 --> 00:06:11.470 It is. Then there's the idea of maybe he got 00:06:11.470 --> 00:06:13.750 burned. That Wisconsin Supreme Court race, he 00:06:13.750 --> 00:06:16.569 spent a lot, his side lost. Maybe he's disillusioned 00:06:16.569 --> 00:06:18.670 with money and politics or just, you know, ego 00:06:18.670 --> 00:06:21.279 bruised. Could be. And maybe politics just has 00:06:21.279 --> 00:06:23.560 too many rules for him. He doesn't like regulations. 00:06:23.699 --> 00:06:25.579 It's riskier than his other stuff. Remember those 00:06:25.579 --> 00:06:29.540 million dollar giveaways? Borderline legal. And 00:06:29.540 --> 00:06:32.379 you can't ignore just like personal feelings, 00:06:32.680 --> 00:06:34.600 right? Feeling unappreciated by Republicans, 00:06:34.740 --> 00:06:36.800 after all, is hell. Or even falling out with 00:06:36.800 --> 00:06:38.939 Trump himself. Trump's known for using people 00:06:38.939 --> 00:06:41.839 and moving on. That image they painted, Musk 00:06:41.839 --> 00:06:45.550 and DOGE coin increasingly on an island. Kind 00:06:45.550 --> 00:06:48.589 of vivid. Yeah, potential isolation. So, okay, 00:06:48.730 --> 00:06:51.250 let's say he does cut back significantly. What 00:06:51.250 --> 00:06:53.790 happens? Electoral vote sees two big impacts. 00:06:54.370 --> 00:06:58.009 First, the GOP loses a massive donor, one of 00:06:58.009 --> 00:07:01.410 only five who gave over $100 million in 2024. 00:07:02.170 --> 00:07:05.379 That could really hurt. especially for the 2026 00:07:05.379 --> 00:07:07.579 midterms. Especially, yeah, if Miriam Adelson 00:07:07.579 --> 00:07:09.339 sits out the midterms like she sometimes does. 00:07:09.379 --> 00:07:11.819 That's a big hole to fill financially. Huge. 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:14.040 And the second thing, it could weaken Trump's 00:07:14.040 --> 00:07:16.839 grip on party discipline. That threat, you know, 00:07:17.019 --> 00:07:19.379 Musk will fund a primary challenger against you 00:07:19.379 --> 00:07:22.060 if you step out of line. That's been powerful. 00:07:22.379 --> 00:07:24.259 Without that threat, maybe it's harder to keep 00:07:24.259 --> 00:07:27.379 everyone unified, especially on tough votes like 00:07:27.379 --> 00:07:28.980 that budget stuff we were just talking about. 00:07:29.319 --> 00:07:31.519 OK, let's move to the legal beat now also from 00:07:31.519 --> 00:07:36.470 electoral vote. Supreme Court case, AARP v. Trump, 00:07:36.990 --> 00:07:40.129 that name. It's deliberately misleading, isn't 00:07:40.129 --> 00:07:42.189 it? It is, yeah. Electoral vote makes that clear. 00:07:42.670 --> 00:07:46.430 It's not the actual AARP suing. It's the ACLU, 00:07:46.730 --> 00:07:48.709 challenging Trump's use of the Alien Enemies 00:07:48.709 --> 00:07:51.829 Act for detainees. AARP was just initials used 00:07:51.829 --> 00:07:53.769 to protect the plaintiffs. They're even trying 00:07:53.769 --> 00:07:57.240 to get the name change to WMMV Trump. Wow. Sounds 00:07:57.240 --> 00:07:59.240 like a crazy legal journey, they describe. Started 00:07:59.240 --> 00:08:02.120 in DC, Supreme Court stepped in once, then this 00:08:02.120 --> 00:08:04.759 scramble to file individual cases. Must've been 00:08:04.759 --> 00:08:06.759 chaotic. It's this real back and forth between 00:08:06.759 --> 00:08:08.980 the courts. One judge down in southern Texas 00:08:08.980 --> 00:08:11.160 already ruled against Trump's use of the act 00:08:11.160 --> 00:08:14.360 there, but this case, AARP in northern Texas, 00:08:14.980 --> 00:08:17.720 more complicated. Initial requests to stop deportations 00:08:17.720 --> 00:08:19.740 got denied, even though they seemed about to 00:08:19.740 --> 00:08:22.800 happen. Yikes. So emergency appeals all the way 00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:25.680 to SCOTUS, and the Supreme Court eventually did 00:08:25.680 --> 00:08:28.000 step in, temporarily stopped removals just so 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:30.560 they could keep jurisdiction, review it. Sounds 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:32.440 like they were really worried about due process. 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:35.299 Absolutely. Electoral vote flags the key bits 00:08:35.299 --> 00:08:37.940 of the SCOTUS order. They didn't rule yet on 00:08:37.940 --> 00:08:40.139 whether the Alien Enemies Act itself was used 00:08:40.139 --> 00:08:42.580 correctly in this instance. Okay. But they hammered 00:08:42.580 --> 00:08:45.659 home the need for constitutionally adequate notice. 00:08:46.299 --> 00:08:48.179 TTDs have to know what's happening in time to 00:08:48.179 --> 00:08:49.980 challenge it. They mentioned that at break of 00:08:49.980 --> 00:08:52.799 ... see a case highlighting the risk of, well, 00:08:53.039 --> 00:08:55.659 basically indefinite detention if someone's wrongly 00:08:55.659 --> 00:08:57.940 deported and can't get back. So due process is 00:08:57.940 --> 00:09:00.659 critical. Critical. And the court let the detainees 00:09:00.659 --> 00:09:04.379 proceed as a group, a putative class, just on 00:09:04.379 --> 00:09:07.100 that notification issue. Think of it like a class 00:09:07.100 --> 00:09:09.840 action, but specifically for this one legal point 00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:12.120 about getting proper notice. Yeah. Makes it way 00:09:12.120 --> 00:09:14.200 more efficient than everyone filing separately 00:09:14.200 --> 00:09:16.960 on that. Got it. And they told the lower court. 00:09:17.070 --> 00:09:19.710 the Fifth Circuit to look at not just the notice 00:09:19.710 --> 00:09:22.509 issue, but also the likelihood of success of 00:09:22.509 --> 00:09:24.809 the detainees main argument against using the 00:09:24.809 --> 00:09:26.909 Alien Enemies Act at all in this way. Right. 00:09:27.110 --> 00:09:29.809 So basically, is their underlying case strong? 00:09:30.169 --> 00:09:32.610 Lots still to unpack there. The legal fight is 00:09:32.610 --> 00:09:34.600 definitely heating up. Okay, now for something 00:09:34.600 --> 00:09:37.460 Electoral Vote called Are You Serious? Part One. 00:09:37.820 --> 00:09:39.500 This is about the Ashley Babbitt settlement. 00:09:39.940 --> 00:09:42.580 Just remind us, Babbitt was the person shot inside 00:09:42.580 --> 00:09:45.440 the Capitol on January 6th. Correct. And as Electoral 00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:48.179 Vote notes, multiple investigations cleared the 00:09:48.179 --> 00:09:50.720 officer involved. No wrongdoing found. So the 00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:52.679 Justice Department settling the family's $30 00:09:52.679 --> 00:09:56.720 million lawsuit for $5 million. That's surprising, 00:09:56.779 --> 00:09:59.840 to say the least. Electoral vote calls it inconceivable 00:09:59.840 --> 00:10:02.559 from a legal perspective. Given Babbitt's actions, 00:10:02.720 --> 00:10:05.220 the odds of her family winning seemed low. They 00:10:05.220 --> 00:10:07.559 float a theory that the motive might be, well, 00:10:07.799 --> 00:10:10.620 corrupt. Corrupt? How so? Like sending a signal. 00:10:11.059 --> 00:10:14.059 Showing support to certain violent elements in 00:10:14.059 --> 00:10:16.320 Trump's base, even if it's not really true. Just 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:19.029 optics. Wow, that's a strong claim. suggesting 00:10:19.029 --> 00:10:21.629 it's politics, not law. That sarcastic crack 00:10:21.629 --> 00:10:23.990 about threatening Jade events really shows their 00:10:23.990 --> 00:10:26.389 disbelief, huh? It does. And speaking of things 00:10:26.389 --> 00:10:29.690 that make you go, huh, are you serious? Part 00:10:29.690 --> 00:10:32.909 two. This report about DHS, the Department of 00:10:32.909 --> 00:10:36.549 Homeland Security, actually considering an immigration 00:10:36.549 --> 00:10:38.649 reality show. I know. When I read that, I thought 00:10:38.649 --> 00:10:42.570 it had to be a joke. Satire. Me too. This producer, 00:10:42.870 --> 00:10:46.090 Rob Worsoff, pitched an amazing race style competition, 00:10:46.350 --> 00:10:49.500 immigrants competing. for citizenship. It's just 00:10:49.500 --> 00:10:52.159 bizarre. And DHS didn't just laugh it off. They 00:10:52.159 --> 00:10:54.159 confirmed they were doing a vetting process. 00:10:54.419 --> 00:10:56.940 Astonishing, right? Electoral vote just shreds 00:10:56.940 --> 00:10:59.740 the idea. Four big problems. First, the awful 00:10:59.740 --> 00:11:02.500 optics. Immediately makes you think Hunger Games 00:11:02.500 --> 00:11:05.080 or something. Turning a path to citizenship into 00:11:05.080 --> 00:11:07.700 a game show. Deeply troubling. No matter if the 00:11:07.700 --> 00:11:09.820 producer calls it a love letter to America. And 00:11:09.820 --> 00:11:11.820 it completely contradicts the usual messaging, 00:11:12.159 --> 00:11:14.120 right? Citizenship is this precious thing you 00:11:14.120 --> 00:11:16.580 earn carefully. This seems to cheapen it. Critics 00:11:16.580 --> 00:11:18.950 would have a field day. Oh, absolutely. Then 00:11:18.950 --> 00:11:21.470 there's the sheer cruelty. Winners and losers 00:11:21.470 --> 00:11:23.990 for citizenship. What happens to the 11 people 00:11:23.990 --> 00:11:26.850 who don't win after being, you know, exploited 00:11:26.850 --> 00:11:30.909 for TV? Seems so unethical compared to, say, 00:11:31.129 --> 00:11:33.769 a serious documentary. Yeah. And finally, the 00:11:33.769 --> 00:11:37.149 legality. Can you even grant citizenship this 00:11:37.149 --> 00:11:40.029 way? Highly questionable. Let's really hope that 00:11:40.029 --> 00:11:42.570 one stays in the vetting process forever. Please. 00:11:43.289 --> 00:11:45.509 OK, let's switch to actual election results. 00:11:45.759 --> 00:11:49.299 Pittsburgh mayoral primary first. Heavily democratic 00:11:49.299 --> 00:11:51.200 city, so the primary is usually the main event. 00:11:51.360 --> 00:11:54.840 Right. And this time the incumbent, who was progressive, 00:11:55.059 --> 00:11:58.080 lost to a more moderate centrist candidate. And 00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:00.080 electoral vote notes. Yeah, national media jumped 00:12:00.080 --> 00:12:02.559 on this. Another sign of backlash against progressives 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:04.740 in blue cities. Yeah. Like we saw in San Francisco, 00:12:04.740 --> 00:12:06.820 Oakland. But it's always tricky drawing huge 00:12:06.820 --> 00:12:09.889 conclusions from local racists. Exactly. Electoral 00:12:09.889 --> 00:12:12.230 vote offers important counterpoints. Turnout 00:12:12.230 --> 00:12:14.809 was low, maybe not representative. Local stuff 00:12:14.809 --> 00:12:16.929 probably mattered more. City budget issues, how 00:12:16.929 --> 00:12:19.649 the incumbent handled tax -exempt groups. Maybe 00:12:19.649 --> 00:12:21.830 just a throw -the -bums -out feeling. And that 00:12:21.830 --> 00:12:24.190 local angle, too, the winner's dad was a popular 00:12:24.190 --> 00:12:26.809 former mayor. Right. Name recognition, maybe 00:12:26.809 --> 00:12:30.029 some goodwill or sympathy. That stuff counts 00:12:30.029 --> 00:12:32.990 big in local politics. Yeah. Electoral vote suggests 00:12:32.990 --> 00:12:35.529 maybe Pittsburgh is just a center -left city 00:12:35.529 --> 00:12:38.389 going back to its roots, not some huge rejection 00:12:38.389 --> 00:12:40.990 of progressivism overall. They use that San Francisco 00:12:40.990 --> 00:12:44.450 example of a city that's wide blue, but maybe 00:12:44.450 --> 00:12:46.809 not always deep blue, electing moderates sometimes. 00:12:46.830 --> 00:12:48.970 Makes sense. OK, lastly, a foreign election. 00:12:49.429 --> 00:12:52.129 Romania. Electoral vote framed this as another 00:12:52.129 --> 00:12:54.710 case of voters choosing a centrist over a far 00:12:54.710 --> 00:12:57.409 -right populist, one with links to Putin. Yeah, 00:12:57.590 --> 00:12:59.370 the election itself sounded like a real soap 00:12:59.370 --> 00:13:02.269 opera. First round got annulled last year, Russian 00:13:02.269 --> 00:13:04.710 meddling concerns. Wow. Then the initial front 00:13:04.710 --> 00:13:07.210 runner got barred, charges including fascism. 00:13:07.629 --> 00:13:09.509 They reran the first round, ended up with the 00:13:09.509 --> 00:13:12.429 centrist Nick or Dan against the far right George 00:13:12.429 --> 00:13:15.580 Simeon. And Dan won. pretty decisively in the 00:13:15.580 --> 00:13:17.519 end. And electoral vote connects this straight 00:13:17.519 --> 00:13:19.960 back to U .S. politics, how some folks expected 00:13:19.960 --> 00:13:22.159 Simeon to win based on the right wing vote share 00:13:22.159 --> 00:13:24.659 in that annulled election. Right. But crucially, 00:13:24.820 --> 00:13:27.059 the polling just before this election actually 00:13:27.059 --> 00:13:29.820 favored Dan. Really highlights how important 00:13:29.820 --> 00:13:32.980 good polling is and turnout. Simeon's claiming 00:13:32.980 --> 00:13:35.399 fraud, foreign interference, getting back up 00:13:35.399 --> 00:13:39.080 from some Trump admin people who like right wing 00:13:39.080 --> 00:13:43.120 anti -Ukraine leaders. But the results seem clear. 00:13:43.279 --> 00:13:45.580 It's like Electoral Vote says, some people just 00:13:45.580 --> 00:13:47.580 declare their preferred reality as truth, no 00:13:47.580 --> 00:13:49.580 matter the evidence. The pollster's model of 00:13:49.580 --> 00:13:52.080 who actually votes, that was key. The ones predicting 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:54.440 higher turnout got it right. Interesting. And 00:13:54.440 --> 00:13:56.340 they said we might get one or two more foreign 00:13:56.340 --> 00:13:58.279 election updates soon. Yeah, something to watch 00:13:58.279 --> 00:14:00.940 for. So when we take this deep dive, look at 00:14:00.940 --> 00:14:02.519 all these different pieces. You start seeing 00:14:02.519 --> 00:14:05.179 the threads, right? Yeah. Domestic tax policy, 00:14:05.320 --> 00:14:08.000 how it might affect the debt, who's funding politics, 00:14:08.639 --> 00:14:11.759 these legal fights. election results here and 00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:15.639 overseas, even a crazy reality show idea, they're 00:14:15.639 --> 00:14:17.940 all part of this bigger interconnected picture. 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:20.279 So here's maybe a final thought for you, listening. 00:14:20.740 --> 00:14:23.879 If someone like Elon Musk does pull back on political 00:14:23.879 --> 00:14:26.860 spending, how does that change the money game 00:14:26.860 --> 00:14:29.399 in future elections? Who steps into that void? 00:14:29.700 --> 00:14:32.500 Right. Or think about those legal battles over 00:14:32.500 --> 00:14:35.679 immigration and then this proposed reality show. 00:14:36.159 --> 00:14:38.559 What does that juxtaposition tell us about how 00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:41.360 we as a society are thinking about citizenship 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:43.059 right now, the different values, the different 00:14:43.059 --> 00:14:45.240 approaches being debated? What's the two on there? 00:14:45.519 --> 00:14:47.840 Definitely complex questions, big implications. 00:14:48.360 --> 00:14:50.259 We hope you keep exploring these things, keep 00:14:50.259 --> 00:14:52.120 thinking critically about the forces at play, 00:14:52.779 --> 00:14:54.980 the bigger context behind the headlines we dug 00:14:54.980 --> 00:14:55.659 into today.