This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Matt Welch are joined by Reason Senior Editor Robby Soave to discuss the $1.5 billion renewal of South Park and why the show remains one of the most important libertarian pop culture creations of the past 30 years. They reflect on its enduring relevance, its crude but effective political metaphors, and its broad appeal across ideological lines. The panel also revisits the fall of Gawker and what it revealed about public trust in media, then turns to President Donald Trump's new AI executive order and the growing tendency to frame tech policy as part of the culture war. A listener question sparks discussion of Trump's deregulation record and how it connects to the One Big Beautiful Bill, followed by a look at the latest developments around a potential government shutdown.

00:59 —South Park's renewal and the political implications

08:19 —Late night TV, the Paramount merger, and cord cutting

17:20 —The legacy of Gawker's collapse

28:15 —Trump's anti-woke AI executive order

36:05 —Listener question on Trump's deregulation track record

42:24 —Are we heading toward another government shutdown?

50:52 —Weekly cultural recommendations

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