Topic: Jane Mayer

The New Yorker's Jane Mayer published a report alleging that Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth engaged in financial mismanagement and alcohol-related incidents at a veterans organization. The report includes claims of Hegseth being restrained at a strip club and chanting inflammatory slogans in Ohio, which Hegseth denies.

Billionaire Trump donor Robert Mercer is profiled by Jane Mayer on Democracy Now, where she discusses his belief in the "Clinton Body Count." The hosts discuss the unsolved murder of DNC staffer Seth Rich and the long-standing list of suspicious deaths associated with the Clintons. They mock the media's characterization of these beliefs as "ignorant" while noting Mercer's significant influence.

The hosts examine a Jane Mayer article in The New Yorker titled "Covert Operations," which profiles Charles and David Koch and their funding of libertarian causes. They compare this to Mayer's 2004 reporting on George Soros, noting a shift in tone. The discussion focuses on how "associative messaging" is used to frame the brothers' political activities negatively.

The hosts play a segment from NPR's "Fresh Air" where Terry Gross interviews Jane Mayer about the Koch brothers. They point out the irony of NPR being supported by corporate sponsors like Chase and Lumber Liquidators while criticizing the Kochs' influence. The summary lists the various brands owned by Koch Industries, such as Brawny and Dixie.

The hosts compare the media's treatment of the Koch brothers to that of George Soros. They note that Jane Mayer's 2004 article on Soros was far less critical of his "secret meetings" than her current piece on the Kochs. They also highlight that the Koch brothers fund non-partisan groups like the ACLU and the show "Nova" on PBS.