The "Things Blowing Up" Briefing

The "Things Blowing Up" Briefing

Author: CLNS Media Network March 27, 2026 Duration: 10:58
Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman break down a week of absolute cognitive dissonance: a President receiving military briefings via two-minute "action" reels, an economy that seems to be running on Wile E. Coyote physics, and a landmark legal reckoning for the tech giants who built our fractured reality. From charging electric cars at gas stations that sell steak to the "suicide mission" plans for Kharg Island, it’s a deep dive into the crumbling facade of the American empire. The Michael Bay Briefing: NBC reveals that Donald Trump’s primary source for Iran war updates is a "things blowing up" compilation. The Wile E. Coyote Economy: Why the markets remain eerily calm while the petrodollar system is in flames. The Great Tech Reckoning: Landmark judgments against Meta and YouTube for mental health damages could be the "Big Tobacco moment" for Silicon Valley. The CBS Exodus: Ratings are cratering as the network pivots toward billionaire-friendly propaganda. Culture Corner: Nick struggles through the "dystopian burnout" of Paradise, while Jared survives the 760-page psychological warfare of Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow. If you’re listening to this preview, head over to Patreon.com/muckrakepodcast to become a patron. You’ll get access to the full show, live chats, and Q&A sessions. We remain editorially independent and ad-free because of your support.

Hosted by political analysts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman, The Muckrake Political Podcast operates on a simple premise: the daily headlines are just the surface layer. Produced by the CLNS Media Network, this podcast actively resists the repetitive spin cycle that defines so much political coverage. Instead, each episode is an exercise in excavation, where Sexton and Hauselman pick apart a current event to uncover its roots and ramifications. They consistently reach for historical parallels and viewpoints often sidelined by mainstream discourse, arguing that understanding the past is crucial for navigating the present. The goal isn't just to inform, but to impose a framework for thinking critically about power, rhetoric, and policy as they unfold in real time. For listeners fatigued by shallow takes, this show offers a substantive alternative, replacing noise with nuance. The conversation you'll hear is analytical yet accessible, designed for anyone who feels the news moves too fast to comprehend. It’s a deliberate attempt to find signal in the noise, providing context that makes chaotic political developments feel more intelligible. Tune in for a discussion that treats politics as the complex, consequential force it is, beyond the day's predictable talking points.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Muckrake Political Podcast
Podcast Episodes
The Quick Reaction Force for Fascism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:13
This is a preview of The Weekender edition of the Muckrake Podcast. Please go to ⁠patreon.com/muckrakepodcast⁠ to gain access to the regular Weekender episodes on Fridays. Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman d…
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Duration: 12:18
To support the show and gain full access to the Weekender episode on Fridays, head over to ⁠⁠patreon.com/muckrakepodcast⁠⁠ and become a patron. It keeps us ad-free, editorially independent, and helps us grow. The right-w…
Trump Rejects Reality [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:49
On this episode of the Muckrake Podcast, co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman dig into the disturbing trend of punishing truth-tellers in government, the newly revealed memo outlining plans to deploy more milit…
It's The Epstein, Stupid. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:28
This is a preview of The Weekender edition of the Muckrake Podcast. Please go to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to gain access to the regular Weekender episodes on Fridays. Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman…
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Duration: 44:58
Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman break down the stunning news that Ghislaine Maxwell secretly met with the DOJ, potentially signaling cooperation that could implicate more powerful figures. Meanwhile, Donal…
From McCarthyism To Epsteinism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:53
Together at last! Co-hosts Nick Hauselman and Jared Yates Sexton are reunited (and it feels so good). In this episode, they dig into the Wall Street Journal’s latest bombshell reporting on Jeffrey Epstein, the flurry of…
From Epstein to ICE: How Power Protects Itself [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:04
Together at last! Co-hosts Nick Hauselman and Jared Yates Sexton are reunited (and it feels so good). In this episode of the Muckrake Podcast, Nick and Jared break down newly surfaced evidence related to Jeffrey Epstein,…
What They Did to the Epstein Files, They’re Doing to Democracy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:43
This is a preview of The Weekender edition of the Muckrake Podcast. Please go to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to gain access to the regular Weekender episodes on Fridays. Jared Yates Sexton is unavailable, so on this ep…
The Truth Behind The Epstein Files, With Aaron Rupar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:46
Nick Hauselman hosts while Jared Yates Sexton is unavailable, and he interviews Aaron Rupar, an independent journalist and publisher of The Public Notice Newsletter. As the tweeter of record of all things political on br…