Kremlin Wedding Present
Summary
Hosts discuss the Supreme Court’s ruling blocking Trump’s attempt to use the Postal Service to disrupt mail-in voting, alongside other midterm election threats like voter roll purges and federal presence at polls. The conversation shifts to growing AI anxieties, analyzing the political polarization around regulation, the potential for a US-China arms race, and the rising public concern over data centers and safety. The episode concludes with a look at ProPublica’s reporting on Russian oligarch funding for Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding.
Topics discussed
Intro, orchid mishap, and Slate Plus promo
Sponsors: Bowland Branch and NRDC
Supreme Court ruling on mail-in ballots and Post Office
Constitutional authority: Election Clause and Congress
Other threats to 2026 midterms: voter rolls and ICE
Voter confidence, infrastructure, and local election officials
Sponsors: Bombas, Vanguard, and Perk
AI safety, recursive self-improvement, and political polarization
AI regulation, China relations, and state-level action
Journalism, jargon, and the Hobbit first edition
Sponsors: Citizens Bank and Opill
Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding and Russian oligarch funding
Cocktail Chatter: Podcasts, books, and air quality data
Listener chatter: Ordinary Abundance and old bread cans
Outro, bonus episode teaser, and final sponsors
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