Ep. 107: Marcus! Plus the Great Beard Debate
Hey FRs,
So we covered a lot of big news on the show this week: Trump making a deal with Russia in a doomed Hail Mary to lower diesel prices before the midterms, recent West Bank settler attacks against Palestinians and a Washington Post photographer, the upcoming election in Israel and how Trump's endorsement of Bibi might impact it, JD Vance's very purposeful display of homophobia in support of Ken Paxton, and the general collapse of the existing world order.
Real shit. And we had Marcus Parks on hand to help us do it!
But, seriously, the biggest topic both in the studio and in the comments was Travis's lack of facial hair. The lines have been drawn, folks. If you haven't picked your side, you better do it now.
Why did Trump lift the Russia sanctions that Congress passed 86 to 11?
Excellent question! Trump's executive order waived the sanctions that would have taken effect under the Graham Act. Separately, his administration cleared the way for Russian diesel imports, allowing Russia to ship up to 2.25 million barrels of diesel to the US or roughly one day's supply.
A fairly blatant attempt to lower prices before the midterms, you might think, but the Council on Foreign Relations says it won't move prices. What it will do, however, is put billions into Russia's coffers. One estimate puts the windfall at $6.9 billion—enough to buy roughly 14,000 Shahed attack drones. Those are the Iranian-designed drones Russia has been using to bombard Ukraine.
What happened to a journalist covering West Bank settlers?
Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine suffered four fractured vertebrae and a broken rib after masked settlers attacked her on October 16th during olive harvest season. She survived the assault only because she was wearing a flak jacket. European delegates and Palestinian farmers, including one reportedly doused in gasoline while sleeping, were attacked the same week. The violence is horrific enough, but the part that makes it feel hopeless is that there's no functioning mechanism to prosecute it. Israeli courts have jurisdiction, and arrests have been unsurprisingly minimal. And the International Criminal Court, which the US has sanctioned, offers no recourse either.
What was the point of Trump's "letter"?
Trump released a letter endorsing Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel's election, calling him "strong, brave, and brilliant" and warning Iran will be destroyed unless it changes course.
Why did JD Vance imply a Texas Senate candidate is gay?
I mean, aside from the fact that he's an insufferable prick. At a rally for Ken Paxton, an attorney general dogged by years of fraud allegations and a public affair, Vance mocked Paxton's Democratic opponent, James Talarico by implying he was gay. Talarico has drawn attention largely for being an outspoken, openly empathetic Christian, which to Vance apparently reads as suspect.
This isn't really about Talarico. It's about how a sitting vice president is choosing to campaign two years before a possible 2028 run.
Missed the full episode? Better catch up!