Normal Men

Truck Talk returns with harsh words for Stellantis, SNAP impact discussion (human edition not macro edition), and just-in-time election previews (at 43:50).
 
please help some people out at:https://teamfeed.feedingamerica.org/teams/7634
Chapters:
0:00 Jeep Wrangler & Stellantis Woes5:00 EV Range & Hybrid Benefits10:00 ICE vs EV: The Value Argument27:10 Normal Men Intro & Feeding America30:00 SNAP Funding Cliff & Consequences40:00 Political Blame & Election Forecasts44:30 Virginia & New Jersey Governor Races55:00 New York City Mayor & Betting1:05:00 Final Thoughts & Charity Call

Prof. Liz Sepper joins us to talk state of play on reproductive rights (remember those?), we do the needful on Graham Platner, and the Trump Administration prepares to Thanos SNAP.add'l reading:  
Hospital system outcomes in Texas:https://www.propublica.org/article/texas-abortion-ban-sepsis-rates-dallas-houston
George's coffee table:
https://bittersoutherner.com/magazine

The incomparable Don Moynihan (@donmoyn.bsky.social) joins us to talk administrative burden, No Kings gets people in the streets, and there are hijinks in Argentina.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro & College Athletics System7:22 Podcast Welcome & Admin Burden25:02 Psychological Costs & Policy Intent34:51 Medicaid Work Requirements Impact46:39 AI in Government Services: Promise & Peril1:00:23 Government Shutdown & Benefit Attrition1:13:09 No Kings March & Cringe Culture1:20:02 Media's Trump Coverage & Argentina's Milei1:21:29 US Treasury's Argentina Bailout
Chapters:
0:00 Intro & College Athletics System7:22 Podcast Welcome & Admin Burden25:02 Psychological Costs & Policy Intent34:51 Medicaid Work Requirements Impact46:39 AI in Government Services: Promise & Peril1:00:23 Government Shutdown & Benefit Attrition1:13:09 No Kings March & Cringe Culture1:20:02 Media's Trump Coverage & Argentina's Milei1:21:29 US Treasury's Argentina Bailout

On the joys of travel, Chinese tariffs and mineral access, and appropriate appropriations.
Chapters:
0:00 Portugal: Food, Bread & Fashion Trends10:40 Trump's China Tariffs & Market Impact16:30 Crypto Market Volatility & Insider Trading31:30 US Dependence on Critical Minerals42:30 Government Shutdown: Funding & RIFs59:00 Empathy, Disability Access & Cuts1:09:30 Tech: Immortality & Self-Driving Cars1:17:30 Seattle Mariners: Playoff Success1:28:00 Baseball Fandom & Episode Outro
Chapters:
0:00 Portugal: Food, Bread & Fashion Trends10:40 Trump's China Tariffs & Market Impact16:30 Crypto Market Volatility & Insider Trading31:30 US Dependence on Critical Minerals42:30 Government Shutdown: Funding & RIFs59:00 Empathy, Disability Access & Cuts1:09:30 Tech: Immortality & Self-Driving Cars1:17:30 Seattle Mariners: Playoff Success1:28:00 Baseball Fandom & Episode Outro
Chapters:
0:00 Portugal: Food, Bread & Fashion Trends10:40 Trump's China Tariffs & Market Impact16:30 Crypto Market Volatility & Insider Trading31:30 US Dependence on Critical Minerals42:30 Government Shutdown: Funding & RIFs59:00 Empathy, Disability Access & Cuts1:09:30 Tech: Immortality & Self-Driving Cars1:17:30 Seattle Mariners: Playoff Success1:28:00 Baseball Fandom & Episode Outro

A Normal Man returns to take us through the unpleasantness in Portland, we break down the shutdown, and sans George the video game freaks get digital.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro & Portlandia Ad2:59 Portland Occupation & Absurdity13:43 Legal Status of Portland Occupation22:39 Fox News & Media Critique25:38 Oregon Political Unity & ICE32:47 Government Shutdown in DC41:44 Shutdown Impact & Future50:05 What We've Been Up To1:00:13 Outro & Yarvin Quote
Chapters:
0:00 Intro & Portlandia Ad2:59 Portland Occupation & Absurdity13:43 Legal Status of Portland Occupation22:39 Fox News & Media Critique25:38 Oregon Political Unity & ICE32:47 Government Shutdown in DC41:44 Shutdown Impact & Future50:05 What We've Been Up To1:00:13 Outro & Yarvin Quote

With special guest Eva Cantor (@machete.gay on Bluesky).  George talks us through some real economic growth, Propter breaks down pre-snap federal shutdown reads, Eva talks us through a whole lot of violent extremism, and the gun touchers geek out.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro, Eric Adams, and Podcast Setup12:24 Economic Growth and Tariffs25:58 Government Shutdown and Politics45:36 Cheer Wine and Glonzo49:24 Extremism: Shooters and Motivations1:06:35 Gun Culture and Violence Normalization1:18:56 Positive Ideation and Metric System

Lowtax gives us a report on South Florida and the Very Specific Type of Guy (hint: Jeremy Shockey jersey) that lives there now (0:00-3:15). This week’s main event is Jimmy Kimmel, and the Men review MAGA’s effort to bring everyone who doesn’t salute Charlie Kirk at every opportunity to heel (3:15-32:45). Tom Homan secures the (Cava) bag before a check in on Trump Administration approvals and energy politics (32:45-1:06:30). We also talk about Maine (Ed is from Maine) and the quixotic politics on the margins of the lower 48 (1:06:30-1:21:15). Finally, a brief check in on the biggest embarrassment in the history of South Carolinian football and the run for his money being offered by the UNC Tarheels (1:21:15-1:27:00).

Chapters:
0:00 Cheerwine & Boston Baked Beans9:34 Normal Men Intro & News Preview11:34 Charlie Kirk Assassination Discussion22:09 Federal Reserve: Lisa Cook Update32:13 Hyundai Workers & Korea Diplomacy41:17 Ed Becomes a Cyborg: Eye Surgery53:22 George's MLS Team Sets Record1:03:56 The Joys of Sports Fandom
Chapters:
0:00 Cheerwine & Boston Baked Beans9:34 Normal Men Intro & News Preview11:34 Charlie Kirk Assassination Discussion22:09 Federal Reserve: Lisa Cook Update32:13 Hyundai Workers & Korea Diplomacy41:17 Ed Becomes a Cyborg: Eye Surgery53:22 George's MLS Team Sets Record1:03:56 The Joys of Sports Fandom

The Normal Men are back and covering it all this week. To start (0:00-17:30) we check in on the fighting game community before Soda Chat and learnings about the weird stuff they’re drinking up in Maine. George and Propter reminisce about A&W and the gang laughs at grocery stores. Next up, Elon’s unhealthy obsession with fertility and race, as well as some discussion of the very real shifts in global birth rates around the world (17:30-30:30). Speaker of the House Mike Johnson broke some news this week: the President is a snitch (30:30-42:45) and the all carrot no stick Republican governing theory turns its eye to Georgia manufacturing (42:45-57:30). Our government murdered 11 Venezuelans this week, and the Men discuss, followed by some conversation about movies ranging from the light-hearted to the troubling (57:30-1:19:30). 

Join the Normal Men for a break in the midst of Labor Day weekend for some college football chat and a victory lap celebrating Lowtax’s beloved Florida State University Seminoles (0:00-12:00). Next we talk Senate primaries and Senior Maine Correspondent Ed explains why Maine is actually a very large state, George commemorates one of our strongest Representatives, and the Men talk through the doomed logistics of applying tariffs to packages (12:00-42:00). Next up, it’s Glonzo time as Propter leads a discussion about the health of the President (42:00-51:00). Then it’s on to LLMs and why they’re such efficient mechanisms for cooking your brain (51:00-1:19:00). Finally a little Labor Day roundup of how each of the Men intended to spend their day off, including bachelor life, woodworking, grilling, potty training, and an anecdote about how seriously the state of Georgia takes college football (1:19:00-1:31:00).