Polidicks

This episode is releasing a little late unfortunately but that's ok because Jeb and Tim are largely talking about the timeless topic of how the 24 hour news cycle is turning our brains to mush. We explore a delayed conversation on Trump's Senate impeachment trial and Tim talks about the one book he read in the last 12 months.Book: Humankind by Rutger Bregman See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There's one big news story this week and it's Reddit's troll war against Wall Street. Jeb and Tim chew over the finer points of a politically utopian vision of what this may mean (Occupy 2.0, anyone?) before moving onto discussing the Democrats' potentially reforming the filibuster rules in the Senate.~LINKS~Adam Jentleson's Kill Switch Indiebound & AmazonAlex Pareene's New Republic piece Fine, Keep the Filibuster. Kill the 60-Vote Requirement Instead. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We're back. American Political journalist/writer Jeb Lund and New Zealand comedian Tim Batt have returned after taking an entire Presidential term off to assess the damage and share what they've been up to in the intervening period. In this episode - Jeb can't bring himself to even bet on the planet being here in another four years but has been following the Church of High Sorkin that is the Biden/Harris inauguration with a glistening eye. He's also got the receipts on Matt Gaetz. Tim interested in the Senator Bernie Sander's new roles are Grumpy Opa who is a bit cold/Senate Budget Committee Chair. Also, what will come of the Republican Party from here on in (probably more of the same!) Will Biden live through his term? (Don't ask Tim.) And AOC blew off the inauguration to hang out with Teamsters? Cool.LinksTim's Worst Idea of All Time pilot for YouTube See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week Jeb and Tim chat about the first out loud moves from the Mueller investigation; the indictment of one-time Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and his collague Rick Gates, plus the guilty plea of 30 year old campaign staffer George Papadopoulos. Also this week; What's that uranium thing all about? The importance of the GOP's tax reform proposal and assessing how much does Kevin Spacey sucks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

US political journalist Jeb Lund and kiwi comedian Tim Batt chat discuss the bungled operation in Niger leading to the deaths of four special forces soldiers and Trump's bungled condolence call to one of the widows. Also this week; Betsy DeVos is a nightmare that's finally starting to surface on the news as a result of rescinding 72 policy documents guiding schools on Special Education; a Putin critic's US Visa is pulled suddenly and New Zealand finally has a government! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hollywood's dark underbelly has been exposed and Jeb and Tim discuss whether the Weinstein fiasco will lead to even more public airing of abuses by powerful men or stop dead at the ruined film executive. Trump's military moral authority is questioned, in light of him talking and joking while a flag lowering ceremony is taking place at a military base during a Fox interview. Meanwhile actual (terrible) policy is still happening too; This week, the continuation of Project Destroy Obamacare. On a lighter note, New Zealand still doesn't have a government and nobody seems to mind too much. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The horrific mass murder in Las Vegas won't change a dang thing about America's gun laws. President Trump is leading the way to no legislative victories in spite of the GOP's command of the White House, House of Representatives and Senate while they try one more bite at the healthcare apple before moving into tax reform. The Steele Dossier is still in play for the secretly still continuing Russia investigation by Rob Mueller and New Zealand's just had an election but has no idea who's in charge yet! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jeb Lund and Tim Batt ATTEMPT to wrap their head around the Russian probe and the who currently has a lawyer. Apparently, at this stage, everyone. Meanwhile, the GOP are trying to cook up some policy by Papa Prez ain't helping when he calls the Healthcare bill "mean". The UK delivers another unexpected democratic election result with a Corbyn-led Labour party getting such a solid resort, journalists are having to eat record amounts of crow pie. Also, the two big shooting incidents - Philando Castile's murder gets a Not Guilty virdict for the cop who killed him and Rep. Steve Scalise gets hit at a baseball practice. What does it all mean? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jeb and Tim discuss whether or not President Trump understands how NATO works and the wider question of whether Trump is a true idiot or acting an idiot for the benefit of the voting base. Also, climate change gets a limp wrist, France gets a terrible hand shake, the Pope gets dissed and journalists get body slammed. Plus a brief look at the future of Europe in a post-America led world, the Saudi-American relationship, an extended chat about the climate of being a journalist in 2017 and beyond. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This episode Jeb and Tim discuss the latest in the Trump Russia saga, including the announcement of a Special Counsel investigation headed by former FBI Director Robert Mueller. His appointment by Assistant Attorney General Rod Rosenstein (after AG Sessions recused himself from the case) could be seen as a big old Bird to Trump. Whatever it is, he seems to be an immovable force installed to get to the bottom of an issue Trump just wishes will go away. What will happen to Donnie? Where's next for VP Pence who has been caught out lying about Michael Flynn? Let's make some educated guesses! Plus a chat about net neutrality off the back of the FCC's vote to remove its Title 2 protection and thoughts on the recently deceased Fox News founder, Roger Ailes. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

FBI Director James Comey has been fired by US President Donald Trump following the advice of Attorney General Jeff Sessions AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RUSSIA! It's all about Hillary Clinton's emails, obviously. Tim struggles to say his own name, let alone follow the insane trail of events he's missed in his podcast absence, Jeb is deftly makes pop culture references, historical precedent and Google results to let us know what's happening. Plus, exactly how terrible is the American Healthcare Act 2.0? Real terrible. And now, terrible real. :( See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

While Tim's work takes him far afield, Jeb calls in air support from Megan Carpentier, former op-ed editor for The Guardian's US bureau and Jeb's former boss. Together they look over how Trump sabotaged his First 100 Days, how people (and not think tanks) understand taxes, feel relieved that they don't have to cover the Trumpless White House Correspondents' Dinner, and then Megan takes the wheel to guide us through a recent DOJ request and the future of contraception under Obamacare.Music courtesy of Chris Collingwood See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jeb and Tim file separate reports from around the world. This episode, Jeb is counting the ways in which this new administration continues to embarrass themselves and it is NOT A LOW NUMBER. Meanwhile Tim muses on impeachment possibilities off the back of developments in the Russia ties scandal and delivers some developing political scandal from his home country of New Zealand. Plus, we sure hope you don't need healthcare anytime soon. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Trump's tax returns have been revealed! Not really but we do have a two page summary of his 2005 return to pour over thanks to Rachel Maddow while Jeb's on (possibly Obama subsidised) painkillers and Tim's trying to dig into Trumpcare. Our American political journo and kiwi questioner bat around the idea of government efficiency and then team up to chew over the implications of the wire tap claims. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In an episode that barely makes sense, Tim - the NZ comedian who's supposed to be asking Jeb how American politics work, lays out what's been happening with the new Republican health care bill, AHCA and attempts to answer exactly what the hell this Wikileaks/CIA Vault 7 is. Too long, Didn't listen; It's all round pretty bad news. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Trump has delivered his address to the Joint Session of Congress and according to Jeb, it's a bit of a nothing. Meanwhile, Sessions and the clan are trying to make us think that the Russia ties are nothing too but it turns out the public pressure was enough to make him recuse himself from the investigations - a win for public pressure? Plus - what's happening with weed and the Trump administration? Let's find out. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recorded on Feb 16 2017Jeb Lund grabs the wheel without a co-pilot this week to discuss the sh!t sandwich that is the current situation with recently booted National Secruity Advisor Michael Lynn. Trump meanwhile tries to take the failing White House communication situation in his own hands and achieves an impossible level of stupidity and outrageous disregard for truth and reality. Again. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If Gen. Flynn is being thrown economics questions, then why should a Floridian political writer and kiwi comedian discuss the latest events of Emperor Trump's edicts? In this ep: botched Yemen attacks, a leader of the free world who needs one-sheets AND an international perspective on Trump, Obama and American national pride. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Betsy DeVos is pulling back the 4th century Christian covers and reminding us all out loud that rich people buy political influence. Meanwhile, Steve Bannon is plotting some serious BS and we want to find out who exactly this guy is and how many women's lives he's potentially destroyed. Also, how does one get the name Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III? Plus, as always Jeb has a little something for the sports fans. #LetsGoMagic See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Trump's carnage-ridden inaugural address, one massive march and alternative facts! Time for Jeb and Tim to pick apart White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer's performance so far and question exactly why the newly minted President wants to scare the heck out of the populace. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.