Topic: The Atlantic

David Brooks has left The New York Times after 22 years to join The Atlantic, a move the hosts describe as joining a "left-wing rag." His final column for the Times was a 2,800-word essay on the state of the country, which critics described as rambling and poorly written. The transition marks a significant shift for the prominent conservative columnist.

The Atlantic published an article by Sarah Fitzpatrick alleging that FBI Director Kash Patel engaged in excessive drinking and erratic behavior, including a claim that security details had difficulty waking him. The reporting relied on a video of Patel celebrating with the U.S. Olympic hockey team. Critics argue the article is a character assassination attempt similar to tactics used against other Trump administration officials.

Kash Patel filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic, characterizing their reporting on his alleged intoxication as "pure fantasy." The lawsuit specifically disputes claims regarding the use of breaching equipment to enter his room. A brief educational aside clarifies the legal distinction between slander (spoken defamation) and libel (written or published defamation).

The Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg published details from a Signal group chat involving Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other senior officials regarding military strikes in Yemen. The leaked messages included timing for F-18 launches and MQ-9 Reaper drone deployments against Houthi targets. While the administration claims no classified methods were compromised, critics argue the two-hour window provided ample warning for foreign intelligence.

The Atlantic published an article regarding Elon Musk's reported use of ketamine to treat depression. The discussion explores the effects of the drug, including "dissociative characteristics" and the "K-hole," and mentions other public figures like Kevin Rose and Scott Galloway in relation to the substance.

Laurene Powell Jobs is highlighted for her acquisition of The Atlantic and her stated goal of using the publication to shape the "cultural narrative." The discussion links this strategy to recent articles by Ann Applebaum that compare Donald Trump to historical dictators. The hosts argue that the magazine serves as a tool for cross-disciplinary influence involving capital investment and policy.

The Atlantic published an article by Richard Stengel titled "Democracy Dies Behind Paywalls," which argued for making journalism free during the 2024 election. Ironically, the article itself was placed behind a subscription paywall, drawing widespread mockery on social media. The incident is cited as an example of the "tone-deaf" nature of legacy media institutions.

Writer Ann Applebaum argued in The Atlantic that Donald Trump's loyalties do not lie with the United States or its allies. She claimed Trump has "ulterior motives" regarding Russia and should be disqualified from the presidency for being a "traitor" to democracy. The hosts dismiss Applebaum as a "spook" for the elite establishment.

MSNBC's Ari Melber and other media figures have faced criticism for labeling Donald Trump as "very unpopular" despite his polling leads. A broader debate in journalism, involving figures like Jay Rosen, suggests that reporters should abandon traditional objectivity to protect democracy from perceived threats.

A writer for The Atlantic argues that the media is failing to convey the "scale of the threat" posed by Donald Trump's rhetoric. He cites Trump's comments about shooting shoplifters and his Truth Social posts regarding General Mark Milley. The hosts argue that the writer is encouraging the media to be even more partisan.

The hosts examine the cultural landscape of Mother's Day 2023, noting a lack of expected outrage regarding gender-neutral terminology like "birthing persons" or "people with uteri." They critique an article in The Atlantic by Kelly McMasters titled "Why I am Skipping Mother's Day This Year," characterizing it as part of a broader trend of "mom hate." The conversation touches on the various definitions of motherhood, including surrogate and spiritual mothers, while asserting the inherent female nature of the role.

The hosts profile journalist Anne Applebaum, labeling her a "spook" due to her extensive ties to the Council on Foreign Relations and the National Endowment for Democracy. They discuss her background in Poland, her marriage to politician Radoslaw Sikorski, and her coinage of the term "Putinism." Her recent writing in The Atlantic advocating for the total liberation of Ukraine is framed as an establishment narrative.

Professor Emily Oster published an article in The Atlantic calling for a "pandemic amnesty," suggesting that people should forgive the mistakes made during the COVID-19 response. The hosts argue that amnesty is impossible without atonement and apologies from those who enforced mandates and censored dissenting views. They compare the situation to the lack of accountability for the Russiagate narrative.

Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, moderated a Davos panel featuring Duke futurist Nita Farahani on the potential of brainwave-sensing technology. The discussion focused on a future where brain data can be used to fight crime, increase productivity, and even find love. Farahani is presented as a leading expert on the legal and ethical implications of monitoring human neural activity in the workplace.

The Atlantic published an article titled "Inside the Mind of an Anti-Paxer," identifying a new category of skeptics wary of the Paxlovid antiviral. Concerns regarding the drug's efficacy and potential "rebound" effects have led to public criticism. Simultaneously, social media discussions are tracking "sudden deaths" of public figures like Irene Cara, fueling broader vaccine and pharmaceutical skepticism.

Catherine Wu of The Atlantic discussed the lack of human data for the new COVID-19 boosters, comparing the ingredient substitution to "subbing in shortening for butter" in a recipe. While acknowledging the "tricky" nature of approving vaccines based on animal data, she expressed confidence in their safety based on previous iterations. The discussion highlights the shift away from using specific efficacy percentages as a primary selling point for the new shots.

Amazon, Citigroup, and other major corporations announced they would cover travel costs for employees seeking abortions across state lines. Meanwhile, the Biden administration explored using Medicaid for travel funding. France 24 interviewed Molly Jong-Fast of The Atlantic to discuss the impact on future generations of American women.

At a conference organized by The Atlantic, CNN's Brian Stelter was confronted by a student regarding his network's history of reporting on the Russia collusion hoax, Jussie Smollett, and the Hunter Biden laptop. Stelter avoided the specific allegations, instead defending the "shared reality" of journalism and citing the cooperation of news crews in war zones. The exchange is presented as a failure of mainstream media to address its own credibility issues.

Writer Stephen Marche publishes an article in The Atlantic titled "When the Trucker Convoy Came for Me," describing his visceral disgust and "political rage" toward the protesters. The hosts mock Marche's focus on his own "sharp rise in testosterone" and his claim that men should not be in power.

Pfizer's social media campaign regarding "science having your back" is mocked for its imagery, which the hosts interpret as aggressive. They also analyze an interview with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla in The Atlantic, where he labels professionals who circulate "misinformation" as "criminals." The hosts argue that such rhetoric is dangerous and contributes to the de-platforming of dissenting voices on services like PayPal and Twitter.