Central Air

Tyler Austin Harper, Atlantic staff writer and former environmental science professor, blends academic grit with on-the-ground reporting. He unpacks how big philanthropy reshapes humanities priorities. He visits Maine politics and the odd dynamics of a Senate primary. He traces extinction themes in literature and weighs cultural shifts around polyamory memoirs.

Alex Bores, a former New York assembly member and AI policymaker who wrote the RAISE Act, joins to discuss AI rules for the public sector. He tackles the Pentagon vs Anthropic dispute, risks around surveillance and autonomous weapons, and how data centers should pay for grid upgrades. He also talks transit needs for Manhattan and testing AI safety with playful prompts.

Mike Solana, founder of Pirate Wires and CMO at Founders Fund, shares quick, on-the-ground takes from Silicon Valley insiders. He discusses billionaire plans to leave California over a proposed wealth tax. Conversations cover why the tax feels different, the reality of relocation vs. fighting the measure, and culture wars from Wired’s “Gay Tech Mafia” claims to arts debate and market ripples.

Jesse Singal, journalist and co-host of Blocked and Reported who covers youth gender medicine, joins to discuss shifting medical society guidance on youth gender care. Short, sharp takes on how Europe moved faster to skepticism. Conversation covers research quality, media pressure, and why sports debates often overshadow medical issues.

Tim Miller, political commentator at The Bulwark, reflects on his Minnesota trip and ongoing ICE operations. He and the panel debate whether Democrats should reclaim a patriotic immigration message. They also cover a viral subway urination debate, Zoran Mamdani’s pragmatic politics, and the Supreme Court’s rebuke of Trump’s tariffs.

Cartoons Hate Her, Substack writer and cultural commentator, explains her provocative take that Democrats need a candidate who “fucks.” Conversation jumps from looks-maxxing and a NYT profile of Braden Peters to political charisma, dominance as an electoral asset, and whether figures like Newsom, JFK or Pete fit the bill. They also unpack Gen Z sexual habits and the social effects of COVID and social media.

Natasha Sarin, Yale Law professor and Budget Lab co-director who served in the U.S. Treasury, joins to unpack what people mean by affordability. She breaks affordability into inflation, interest rates, real incomes, and distribution. They discuss why prices feel so visible, housing and healthcare pressures, risks of politicizing the Fed, and policy tradeoffs around rates and long-term supply fixes.

Ross Douthat, New York Times columnist and host of 'Interesting Times', offers conservative analysis on politics, culture and tech. The conversation digs into the release of the Epstein files and what they reveal. He explains his role translating Trumpism to liberal readers. They discuss why AI deserves urgent attention and unpack Silicon Valley’s messianic rhetoric and practical AI risks.

Jerusalem Demsas, Editor-in-Chief of The Argument, is a thinker on immigration politics and liberal strategy. She walks through why public support for immigration waxes and wanes. She outlines what durable pro-immigration coalitions need. She debates enforcement optics, DHS funding leverage, and how liberals can proudly defend their ideas.

This week, the hosts dive into the absurdity of Trump's Greenland ambitions and its potential diplomatic fallout. They explore the complex dynamics of zoning in ski towns and how local regulations shape real estate. The ongoing Shapiro-Harris feud is analyzed through the lens of political vetting and the challenges of defining a woman. Additionally, they tackle California's proposed wealth tax, discussing its legal implications and the likelihood of billionaires fleeing the state.