SIO499: Trump Is Weaponizing Government Against Political Enemies. Nick Fish, President of American Atheists, on How to Be Prepared

SIO499: Trump Is Weaponizing Government Against Political Enemies. Nick Fish, President of American Atheists, on How to Be Prepared

Author: seriouspod.com December 2, 2025 Duration: 1:09:36

In late September, shortly after declaring antifa a "domestic terrorist", Trump issued a memorandum directing the IRS to investigate tax-exempt organizations that could be "directly or indirectly financing political violence or domestic terrorism" and nonprofit organizations reasonably felt concerned of being targeted. A couple of weeks later, Lydia and Thomas ran into Nick Fish, President of the American Atheists, at California Freethought Day and asked how he and the organization were holding up in light of everything.

We're pleased to have Nick on to discuss what nonprofit organizations can do to protect themselves, as well as the people who have supported their mission and the communities they serve, when it is feeling less and less paranoid that the federal government might be coming for you. How can organizations fortify themselves through governing documents and organizational structure to donor databases and retention policies when the President of the United States could very well declare your nonprofit a supporter of domestic terrorism?


The conversations on Serious Inquiries Only start from a simple premise: that complex ideas deserve clear, thoughtful examination without sacrificing wit or approachability. Host Thomas guides these explorations, sitting down with experts and thinkers to untangle questions from the realms of science, political discourse, philosophical debate, and skeptical inquiry. What you’ll hear isn’t a stiff interview or a lecture, but a genuine dialogue that values curiosity over confrontation. The tone is friendly and the pace is engaging, allowing for both depth and detours, ensuring that even the most rigorous topics feel like a compelling chat rather than homework. This podcast operates on the belief that serious subject matter doesn’t have to be dry or inaccessible, and that humor is a powerful tool for understanding. Each episode is built on a foundation of critical thinking, aiming to dissect arguments, examine evidence, and navigate the nuances of issues that shape our world. It’s a space for listeners who want to engage with substantive content but appreciate a conversational, human touch in the process. You can find Serious Inquiries Only, created by seriouspod.com, within News podcast categories, where it offers a blend of intellectual substance and relatable delivery.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Serious Inquiries Only
Podcast Episodes
SIO497: The Mamdani Machine Exposed! Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:32
Part 2 of Asra Nomani's insanely terrible Fox News article. Make sure you listened to part 1! This is big, folks. Think Watergate combined with Deflate-gate combined with Christina Applegate combined with the Bowling Gre…
SIO496: Asra Nomani Has EXPOSED the Mamdani Machine! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:28
Part 1. This is big, folks. Think Watergate combined with Deflate-gate combined with Christina Applegate combined with the Bowling Green Massacre. THAT's how big of a scandal this is. You thought Zohran Mamdani was just…
SIO495: Can AI Chatbots Make You Delusional? A Psychologist Explains [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:15
Stormy Decisis AKA Dr. Alan Smerbeck is back! With multiple stories in the news of AI Chatbots potentially driving people to delusion or psychosis, Stormy wanted to explain to us what's going on and what the actual diffe…
SIO494: Autism and ADHD, Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:58
***This is a two-parter. Listen to part 1! Previously, the leading theory was that kids with autism and/or ADHD had mental health struggles due to emotional regulation issues or other direct elements of their neurodiverg…
SIO492: How Radicalized Was Kirk's Killer, Really? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:48
Part 2 of my thoughts and observations based on all the info I could gather on Tyler Robinson. I think there's an aspect to him that isn't being emphasized enough that might help explain why he did what he did.
SIO490: The "Leaky Pipeline" of Academia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:43
Dr. Bryan Gillis is back after far too long! But instead of space, he's here to talk about the problems in academia that lead to women and minority groups being underrepresented at astonishing and depressing levels.
SIO489: TikTok Banned #Skinnytok and It Was Right to Do So [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:17
Dr. Jenessa Seymour joins to discuss why TikTok's move here is aligned with what we know about eating disorders from the literature, and what happens when the internet doesn't draw a line like this. Are you an expert in…
SIO488: She Filmed Her Harassment and It Went Viral on TikTok [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:56
Lydia and I invite one of our good friends, Holly, to share her recent viral story of harassment at a public park in Glendale, California. We discuss what happened that day, the spread and impact of the video, as well as…