A bill to reopen the government has at last passed the Senate. It includes major concessions from Democrats on health care subsidies, earning moderate Democrats the ire of progressives. As the shutdown reaches its forty-second day, hosts Spencer and Mike sit down with guest Matthew Peterson to discuss the government’s perennial inability to form a budget. Elsewhere, election tallies are in: Zohran Mamdani won the NYC mayoral race, the election for Virginia AG went to Jay Jones, and California voters approved Gavin Newsom’s redistricting plan. The tide of political battle remains yet uncertain as midterms loom. Plus: who planted the January 6 pipe bombs? And more cultural recommendations!

Recommended Reading:

Former Capitol Police Officer a Forensic Match for Jan. 6 Pipe Bomber, Sources Say

2025’s Message to the GOP: Get Back to Basics

A Brief History of the Samurai, by Jonathan Clements

Status and Culture, by W. David Marx

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