Former Mass. Secretary of Education Jim Peyser joins the show to explain the “Mississippi Miracle” where that state went from among the worst on education to one of the best in reading and math, and the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress report.
After that, the panel discusses Gov. Gavin Newsom coming out against the proposed “billionaires’ tax” in California, and a new Gallup poll showing approval of the Supreme Court at record lows as Democratic 2028 candidates endorse the idea of expanding the number of justices from nine to 13.
Listen live weekdays at 11:00 a.m. Eastern on SiriusXM’s Megyn Kelly Channel 111, or on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or other platforms.
00:00 — Opening: Can El-Sayed Beat ‘Normie’ Republican Mike Rogers?
Walworth, Cannon, and Bevan start the show with a preview of the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan where Abdul El-Sayed appears poised to beat Rep. Haley Stevens to take on Republican Mike Rogers in November.
RCP Average: 2026 Michigan Senate – Democratic Primary (August 4) | El-Sayed +10.2
Watch: Abdul El-Sayed: “Why Does Anybody Still Listen To James Carville?” — “It’s The Economy, Stupid!”
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06:26 — Cori Bush’s Comeback?
The panel turns to ‘Squad’ member Cori Bush running to reclaim the St. Louis-area House seat she lost in 2024
Associated Press: Former Progressive Squad Member Cori Bush Attempts Political Comeback Against Missouri US Rep. Wesley Bell
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09:55 — Data Centers Loom Over Race For Kansas Governor
The conversation turns to opposition to data centers dominating the Kansas governor’s race, where both leading candidates are being criticized for previously supporting their development. With opposition crossing party lines and phones in all of our pockets, why have proponents failed to make the case for building more?
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13:36 — Dems Eye Pickups in Virginia
Virginia resident Carl Cannon says Democrats have a realistic chance to gain one or two seats, even after a proposed redistricting plan was struck down by the courts.
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14:23 — Centrist Dems Facing Heat in WA
The group looks at Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Rep. Adam Smith’s campaigns as examples of the Democratic Party establishment fighting on two fronts — from both the left and the right. Would replacing Perez with a more progressive nominee improve Republican chances of capturing her seat?
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18:53 — _
Former Mass. Secretary of Education Jim Peyser joins the show to explain the “Mississippi Miracle” where the state that once had the worst education stats is now among the best in reading and math — while spending half as much money as #8 Massachusetts.
This wasn’t a fluke, he says, but the result of a deliberate and sustained strategy of focusing on phonics and vocabulary. “The Mississippi Miracle is real — I would describe it as a marathon more than a miracle,” he said. “Mississippi is one of the few states that has seen consistent improvement… It is an outlier for sure. And I think there is a consensus that they have had a consistent focus on reading.”
“It’s also about building background knowledge so that you’re able not just to decode words, but to understand their meaning in the context of a broader body of knowledge, which ultimately is what comprehension is all about,” he said.
Read: Latest National Assessment of Educational Progress Report
“It’s not enough to pass a law and say, ‘Let’s do science, reading, phonics,'” he said. “You have to put a systematic program behind it in order to get the right curriculum in front of students, train teachers in how to teach in this way, support them in it and hold them accountable for it.”
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37:71 — Newsom Against Billionaires’ Tax
The panel discusses Gov. Gavin Newsom coming out against the proposed one-time 5% wealth tax on the state’s roughly 200 billionaires, arguing: “You would have a windfall one time, and then, over the years, you would see a significant reduction in taxes because taxpayers will move.”
“Does anyone really think this would be a one-time thing?” Bevan asked. “I’m sure as a presidential candidate he would propose this nationally, but just California? No, sir.”
“The argument in favor of it is just emotional,” Carl Cannon said. “But this is coming from the grassroots.”
“Why single out a group of people almost by name? This would just take money from them. It’s confiscation.”
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42:56 — Kamala For Court-Packing
The episode ends with a look at record-low public approval of the Supreme Court and Kamala Harris’s suggestion that the country reconsider both the Electoral College and expanding the number of justices.
Gallup Poll: Politics
July 28, 2026
Supreme Court Job Approval Slumps to Record Low“Liberals did not have a problem with the court when they had liberal courts that were ruling in their favor. I think what set them off was Mitch McConnell holding the seat and not even giving Merrick Garland a hearing,” Bevan said. “That’s when Democrats started attacking the court and saying it was corrupt and illegitimate.”
“Obama chastised the court, but Democrats now regularly call the court corrupt, rogue and illegitimate.”
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