This week, as Trump’s FEMA struggles to answer questions about consequential budget cuts in the aftermath of Texas flooding, Rachel and Aaron look at how the Republican Party deliberately turned climate change into a conspiracy theory. It’s MAGA thought control. Plus, the FBI tries to go after thought crimes. And the Epstein Scandal threatens to unravel MAGA, despite Trump’s best efforts to move on. Which of his allies aren’t letting it go?

LINKS:

• The Cycle (Substack): The Big Ugly Cuts to Climate Science
• Nancy Pelosi & Newt Gingrich Climate PSA (2008)
• Frontline: Climate of Doubt
• New York Times: The F.B.I. Is Using Polygraphs to Test Officials’ Loyalty
• KOCO-TV (Oklahoma City): OSDE introduces 'America First Assessment' for teachers moving from certain states
• Megyn Kelly & Charlie Kirk on Epstein scandal
• The Hill: Bannon warns GOP could lose 40 House seats over Epstein files
• Vox: Why everyone runs for president these days
• Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts: How to Save Democracy by Beating Republicans at Their Own Game

Live Free. Die Fast. Get Digested… slowly. Welcome to “Alligator Alcatraz,” America’s first concentration camp. Plus, Rachel and Aaron explore the future, or not, of Elon Musk’s new “America Party.” Why, exactly, is America stuck with a two-party system? Meteorologists show us how cuts to NOAA and the National Weather Service impact weather disaster warning systems. And Jeffrey Epstein’s client list: What happened to piss off MAGA all over again?

LINKS:

• The Cycle on Subtack: Elon Musk announces a new party
• KXAN-TV (Austin, TX): Head of local weather warnings takes early retirement as NOAA cuts continue
• Oxford Reference: Duverger’s Law
• Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts: How to Save Democracy by Beating Republicans at Their Own Game

What the hell is happening with Iran and Donald “No Wars” Trump? This week Rachel and Aaron break down the confusion, and the rift it’s causing in MAGA’s alt-reality. Plus, Rachel has an important lesson for the news media about the difference between rioting and protesting. How decaying democracy has opened the door to political violence and… who told “Whisky Pete” Hegseth to “be a man” during a hearing on Capitol Hill?

LINKS:

• New York Times: Shifting Views and Misdirection: How Trump Decided to Strike Iran
• Tucker Carlson: Tucker Confronts Ted Cruz on His Support for Regime Change in Iran
• Sen. Slotkin to Hegseth: “Be a man”
• The Cycle: Monday Memo (Substack): Welcome Back to the ’70s, Baby!
• Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts: How to Save Democracy by Beating Republicans at Their Own Game