Call It Like I See It

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana consider why so many Americans so say the care about freedom and free markets embrace sports league drafts, which operate to take away players freedom to choose where to live and work and to negotiate a salary.   Is the NFL Draft Illegal? (Sports Lawyers Association)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at some of the more intriguing topics in Yanis Varoufakis’ book “Talking to My daughter About the Economy - A Brief History of Capitalism,” which is alternatively titled “How Capitalism Works and How it Fails.” This book, which was first published in 2013, details the rise of market societies and how things like money and the profit motive came to be, and also discusses the mechanics behind the rise of capitalism and how those mechanics have supercharged societies in some good ways and also some risky or unsustainable ways.   Talking to My Daughter about the Economy: A Brief History of Capitalism (yanisvaroufakis.eu)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana consider the extent to which the framework of the United States government, as expressed in the Constitution, is falling, and how a failure to heed George Washington’s warning is driving it off the cliff (01:52).  The guys also react to the new research that suggests that adult humans don’t age linearly but rather have aging bursts in their mid-40s and early 60s (33:41).   The Constitutional Crisis Is Here (The Atlantic) Trump says he would "love to" send American "homegrown criminals" to foreign prisons (CBS News) US Supreme Court halts deportation of detained Venezuelans (BBC) A quick break from football, for something more important (ProFootballTalk) Over 150 US university presidents sign letter decrying Trump administration (The Guardian) George Washington Farewell Address (National Constitution Center) U.S. attorney demands scientific journal explain how it ensures 'viewpoint diversity' (NBC News) Trump’s playbook is Viktor Orbán’s (Robert Reich Substack)   Humans Age Rapidly at 44 and 60. Follow These Tips to Delay the Burst (Mens Health - Apple News Link) Why Aging Comes in Dramatic Waves in Our 40s and 60s (Scientific American)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana consider whether nontraditional economic measures like the brothels spending or beer sales may be able to tell us more about where the economy is going than the stock market (01:02).  The guys also look at some new research into a small diet tweak that could match the health and weight loss benefits of intermittent fasting (33:06).   Sex Workers Already Predicted There's A Recession Coming — Here's How They Know (Huff Post)   Simple diet hack is more effective than intermittent fasting diet, study claims (BBC Science Focus) Common artificial sweetener makes you three times hungrier than sugar (New Scientist)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss the ongoing measles outbreak in the southwest United States and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s apparent about face on the importance of the measles vaccine (01:22).  The guys also consider whether the rise in caffeine consumption, whether through energy drinks or coffee and tea products, and the deaths that seem to be arising out of that, is something that society needs to take a closer look at (29:21).   Health secretary RFK Jr. endorses the MMR vaccine — stoking fury among his supporters (NPR) Trump begins mass layoffs at FDA, CDC, other US health agencies (Reuters) Colorado sues HHS, RFK Jr. over funding cuts as measles case hits (Axios)   All That Caffeine You’re Drinking May Be Doing More Harm Than Good — Men’s Health (Apple News) 'Workout Queen,' 28, Who Loved ‘the Buzz’ from Caffeinated Energy Drinks Has Heart Attack, Suffers Fatal Brain Damage (People)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana discuss a few things that stood out in Martin Gurri’s 2014 book “The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium,” which looks at how digital technology has ushered into a new era of information access altered the power balance between the public and elite institutions in societies around the world.  The guys also consider the extent to which the perspective it offers still holds true over 10 years after its initial publication.   The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium (Stripe Press)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana react to the numbers that suggest that young men are having a tough time holding down romantic relationships, at least relative to historic trends (01:16).  The guys also try to make sense of the rise in what look like apologist attitudes and conversations about Hitler and the Nazi’s we have seen recently coming from figures on the political right. (29:22).   Why are young men so hopeless at dating? (Vox) Teens Are Forgoing a Classic Rite of Passage (The Atlantic)   Antisemitism Rears Its Head on the Right, Too (WSJ) Yes, Musk repost misleadingly claimed 'Stalin, Mao and Hitler didn't murder millions of people' (Snopes) Elon Musk’s daughter says father’s rally gesture was ‘definitely a Nazi salute’ (The Guardian) This Has Got to Be the Most Hitler-Curious Administration in U.S. History (Slate)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at the growing consensus that appears to be forming that the Covid-19 virus originated from scientific research and was accidentally released from a lab in Wuhan, China (01:25).  The guys also break down the overwhelming evidence that firing employees deemed as low performing doesn’t work boost overall productivity in workplaces, particularly in light of talk now in corporate America and in government about cutting workers and growing efficiency (26:24).   German spy agency concluded COVID virus likely leaked from lab, papers say (Reuters)   The surprising truth about low performers (Business Insider)  

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana take a look at the ongoing global AI development race and consider in light of its recent development technologies like DeepSeek and Manus, whether China may be poised to overwhelm the US from a capability standpoint.   New Chinese AI agent draws DeepSeek comparison (Axios) The west is already losing the AI arms race (The Guardian) Billionaire investor Ray Dalio warns the U.S. won’t ‘be competitive in manufacturing with China in our lifetime’ (Yahoo! Finance)

James Keys and Tunde Ogunlana consider what it means that the US economy continues to become more and more reliant on spending by the top 10% of earners, and discuss how this is the exact opposite of how the US built to largest middle class in the history of the world in the 20th century (01:15).  The guys also take a look at the concept of news fatigue, and discuss why so many in our modern society feel overwhelmed by the news and what can be done about it (29:51).   The U.S. Economy Depends More Than Ever on Rich People (Wall Street Journal) (Apple News Link)   Why the News Feels Overwhelming—And How to Cope (Scientific American) (Apple News Link)