Topic: Washington Institute

A study by the Highway Loss Data Institute claims car insurance claims rose in states with legal marijuana, but the Colorado State Patrol reports a decrease in impaired driving accidents. The hosts characterize the conflicting reports as a "scam" by insurance companies to justify higher premiums. They argue that texting while driving is a far more significant cause of accidents than "stoned driving."

Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron speaks at the Aspen Institute about maintaining objectivity. He claims the paper has layers of editing to check for bias but emphasizes that their primary mission is to report "what the evidence shows." The hosts characterize his defense as a "fake news" wrapper for inherent institutional bias.

A former Department of Defense official speaks at the Steamboat Institute, warning that ISIS represents a larger terrorist threat than pre-9/11 Afghanistan. The official claims ISIS is so extreme that Al-Qaeda has disavowed them, a narrative the hosts mock as a marketing ploy. Warnings are issued regarding training camps in Raqqa and the potential for sleeper cells in Europe and the United States.

A speaker from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy is recorded suggesting that the U.S. may need a "crisis initiation" to go to war with Iran. He cites historical examples like the sinking of the Lusitania and the Gulf of Tonkin incident, suggesting that an Iranian submarine "not coming up" could serve as a modern catalyst.