Sunday, August 2, 2026

Weekly Roundup: Fauci McCarthyism, Elon's Revenge Porn Lawsuit, Trump Africa AI Scandal (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)

On the Weekly Roundup, Brad Onishi and Dan Miller breakdown three stories:

1. The GOP pursuit of Anthony Fauci over COVID era decisions and funding.
2. A new poll that shows 66% of MAGA supporters would continue to push for a candidate accused of sexual assault + Elon Musk's lawsuit against a law that bans nudifying AI.
3. The State Department's humiliating mistake in using an error-filled AI-generated map of Africa.

The thesis: You can't have democracy without shared facts, shared reality, and universal accountability.

(00:00) – Introduction and technological mishaps
(01:03) – The significance of shared facts and democracy
(04:12) – Democracy, truth, and trust: Maria Ressa’s insights
(08:39) – McCarthyism and the obsession with prosecuting Fauci
(12:14) – GOP's distraction tactics: From Fauci to election interference
(14:47) – The decline of literacy and its societal consequences
(19:23) – The post-literate society and the rise of influencers over facts
(22:46) – The crisis of accountability and the patriarchal narrative
(27:00) – Support for scandal-ridden politicians among GOP voters
(35:52) – The monstrous support for domestic abusers in politics
(44:42) – The suppression of free inquiry and Western civilization myths
(50:04) – AI, geography errors, and neglect of global health issues
(52:47) – Musk, deepfakes, and the devaluation of human life
(56:38) – Hope amid chaos: Reflections on political resilience and potential for change
Interview: 

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