America’s conservative movement is being seduced by the strongman myth. As Vladimir Putin escalates his war on Ukraine, U.S. leaders like Donald Trump echo his rhetoric, turning their backs on democratic allies and just war principles. Is the right losing its moral compass in pursuit of power and posturing?

College football is in a downward spiral. Wealthy universities are buying their way to dominance, while teenage athletes sign multi-million-dollar deals, fueling a culture of greed and imbalance. Now, President Trump and legendary coach Nick Saban are stepping in, aiming to bring sanity and integrity back to the game. What will come of this great American tradition?

According to a well-known analytical tool, creativity has been declining since the 1990s. This is likely because we are over-scheduled and over-stimulated. In this episode, Stephen recommends what you you can do to increase and improve your own creativity. It will probably surprise you!

Where federal money goes, federal control follows. Listen in as Stephen talks about what the Trump administration is requiring of Harvard in order to restore $9B in funding. Is it reasonable? Is this normal?

Money. Politics. Our loved ones’ money and politics. If we believe the news, the world is falling apart, and we worry about it all. So how do we cope? How do we confront and overcome worry? Stephen talks in this episode about some surveys regarding worry, but more importantly, how we can tame worry.

We are losing the ability as human beings to hold two competing thoughts at the same time. Instead we choose one of two sides – black or white, good or evil – without nuance. Then we sacrifice ourselves on the sharp points of those extremes. What happens when we bring this kind of extreme thinking to our politics?

In this episode, Stephen gives his take on two controversial news events. One is the weirdest White House meeting he can remember in American foreign policy. The other is an encouraging breakthrough in the Middle East. As always, he reminds listeners to be aware of what’s happening.

Trump has called Zelensky a dictator and accused him of misusing American funds. What is really going on in the Ukrainian/Russian war? Who is the aggressor? Do we know how to have enemies? Listen in as Stephen breaks all of this down.

In yet another example of how institutions as we know them are being remade, keep your eye on Hollywood. Even before the LA Fires, many observed Hollywood in a freefall. Listen in as Stephen talks about the factors that have led to this and what we might see next.

Why are we holding big national events in a church run by one of the smallest denominations? At the National Prayer service, the nation and international media were subject to hearing a small narrow political agenda from the presiding bishop of one of the most liberal Christian denominations. What opportunity was lost? What are the options for the next National Prayer service?