Ronald Bailey, science correspondent for Reason magazine, reflects on the legacy of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” the climate change documentary he rated “two stars” 20 years ago.
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00:00 — Opening: Maduro Playbook in Cuba?
Walworth, Cannon, and Bevan discuss the U.S. federal government filing charges against Cuban dictator Raúl Castro over the 1996 shoot-down of two planes. Are they preparing to go in and grab him the way they did with Maduro in Venezuela?
Carl Cannon warned that, given the U.S. blowing up multiple “drug boats” in the Caribbean this year, U.S. officials may one day face similar charges: “Is some World Court going to indict Pete Hegseth when he’s in his mid-90s on these charges?” he asked. “It seems to me somewhat hypocritical in this instance, when the U.S. military is doing what it is doing in the Caribbean right now.”
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09:55 — Bezos Tells AOC How to Make a Billion Dollars
The panel reacts to Jeff Bezos’s response to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s argument that no one can become a billionaire without breaking the law or abusing workers.
Watch: Jeff Bezos on AOC and Mamdani: Politicians Create Villains To Blame When They Can’t Solve Problems
“This was like wealth creation for dummies,” Tom Bevan said about Bezos’s comments. “I think it’s good to hear directly from these guys because otherwise they get painted as these caricatures and these evil villains.”
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18:00 — Does Trump Endorsement Help or Hurt Spencer Pratt?
RCP’s Susan Crabtree: Trump’s Pratt Praise: Kiss of Death or Secret Weapon in LA?
Watch: President Trump on Spencer Pratt: “I’d Like To See Him Do Well — He’s a Character”
The panel discusses Donald Trump’s quasi-endorsement of Spencer Pratt in the Los Angeles mayoral race. Tom Bevan argues that Trump’s involvement may galvanize some Democrats against Pratt, but those voters were not reachable for the Republican-aligned Pratt anyway.
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22:08 — Were “Robber Barons” Better?
The hosts criticize Fran Lebowitz’s argument that modern billionaires add little compared with old industrial “robber barons” — who at least employed factories full of workers — as economically illiterate.
Watch: Fran Lebowitz: “All This Money Magic Employs No One, We Don’t Need You”
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25:20 — ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ After 20 Years
Ronald Bailey, Reason Magazine’s science correspondent, reflects on the legacy of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” the climate change documentary he rated “two stars” 20 years ago. He says Gore was directionally correct that fossil fuels contribute to warming, but argues the film exaggerated the threat and polarized the issue, leading to the politicization of the issue.
Ronald Bailey, Reason Magazine (2006): Gore as Climate Exaggerator
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38:07 — Colbert’s Final Show
The group says farewell to “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” which is airing its last episode this week on CBS, late-night TV’s decline in general, and whether Colbert became too partisan during the Trump years.
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44:50 — Barney Frank Remembered
The episode ends with a look back at the life and career of Barney Frank, noting his trailblazing role as an openly gay member of Congress.
“He was a progressive who tried to help people, working people, and the LGBT community,” Carl Cannon said.
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