Acton Unwind

This week, Eric and Noah are joined by Acton’s Dan Hugger to discuss his essay in the Spring 2024 issue of Religion & Liberty, “The Rambler and the Transformative Power of Magazines.” Why, even in an age of digital publishing, have print magazines endured? Then the group looks at legislation that has recently moved in Congress to add a definition of anti-Semitism to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If we acknowledge that anti-Semitism is a problem on college campuses, is this the best way to address it? And finally, Oklahoma’s charter school board has approved a Catholic charter school. We don’t yet know if this is legal, but is it a wise move by proponents of religious education? Subscribe to our podcasts   Subscribe to Religion & Liberty The Rambler and the Transformative Power of Magazines | Dan Hugger, Religion & Liberty The End of Democracy? The Judicial Usurpation of Politics | First Things The Paper of Record Meets an Ephemeral Web: An Examination of Linkrot and Content Drift within The New York Times | SSRN House passes bill to expand definition of antisemitism amid growing campus protests over Gaza war | Associated Press First Religious Charter School Sparks Legal, Philosophical Battles | Wall Street Journal

This week, Eric, Anthony, and Emily are joined by Gene Edward Veith to discuss his essay “Sheen and Maier: Broadcasting Theology,” which explores the broadcast ministries of Fulton J. Sheen and Walter A. Maier. Then, are frat bros the heroes we’ve been waiting for, pushing back on the radical protests on elite college campuses and defending the American flag? And finally, Florida has banned lab-grown meat. Is there anything more to this than protection for the traditional meat industries?  Subscribe to our podcasts   Subscribe to R&L Sheen and Maier: Broadcasting Theology | Gene Edward Veith, Religion & Liberty UNC frat brothers who defended US flag speak out: 'Deeply important to us’ | The Daily Mail Flag-Protecting Frat Brothers Have Plans for $500K in Donations | Newsweek Heroic Fraternities: How College Men Can Save Universities and America | Anthony B. Bradley ‘We Will Save Our Beef’: Florida Bans Lab-Grown Meat | The New York Times

This week, Eric, Dylan, and Dan are joined by Karen Swallow Prior to discuss her essay in the new Spring 2024 issue of Religion & Liberty, “Who Will Comfort Me? The Total Care of Cicely Saunders” and issues of, literally, life and death. Then Eric, Dylan, and Dan discuss the place of free markets within the conservative movement and how college administrations should be dealing with the protest encampments being established on their campuses. Subscribe to our podcasts   Subscribe to Religion & Liberty Who Will Comfort Me? The Total Care of Cicely Saunders | Karen Swallow Prior, Religion & Liberty The Conservative Movement Is Defending Free Markets — from Both Sides | Erick Erickson, National Review Heritage Foundation’s Wesley Coopersmith’s Response Karl Polanyi's Battle with Economic History | Alex Nowrasteh, Libertarianism.org Texas Gov. Abbott faces backlash after mass arrest at UT Austin pro-Palestine protest | The Hill UF threatens student protesters with suspension, banishment from campus for 3 years | WUFT

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? Subscribe to our podcasts   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? Subscribe to our podcasts   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

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. Subscribe to our podcasts There Shall Be None to Make Him Afraid: American Liberty and the Jews | Mike Cosper, Religion & Liberty Subscribe to Religion & Liberty 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? Subscribe to our podcasts  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? Subscribe to our podcasts   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? Subscribe to our podcasts   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. Subscribe to our podcasts   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! Subscribe to our podcasts   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? Subscribe to our podcasts   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? Subscribe to our podcasts  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. Subscribe to our podcasts 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. Subscribe to our podcasts Subscribe to Religion & Liberty 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? Subscribe to our podcasts Subscribe to Religion & Liberty 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? Subscribe to our podcasts 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?  Subscribe to our podcasts  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? Subscribe to our podcasts  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