BTC255: Bitcoin Is For Everyone w/ Natalie Brunell (Bitcoin Podcast)
Host Preston Pysh interviews journalist and educator Natalie Brunel about her book "Bitcoin Is for Everyone" and how her immigrant family's experience with the American dream and the 2008 financial crisis shaped her worldview. They discuss why the current fiat-based financial system feels broken, how inflation and debt erode savings and opportunity, and why Natalie believes Bitcoin is a hopeful, apolitical form of money that can restore property rights, enable low time preference, and counter systemic wealth concentration. The conversation also covers the challenge of explaining Bitcoin simply, its relationship to energy and human rights, and broader geopolitical and industrial vulnerabilities in the US.
Tech Stock Troubles, Epstein Fallout, and SF Mayor Daniel Lurie
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway host a live show in San Francisco featuring an interview with Mayor Daniel Lurie about housing affordability, crime, tech's role in the city's recovery, and autonomous vehicles. After the interview, they analyze the latest tech and AI stock selloff and systemic risks around market concentration, then discuss the new Jeffrey Epstein document release and how it exposes corruption in clemency and pardons as well as potential political fallout for Donald Trump. They close with segments on restrictive health-based visa rules, cannabis legalization obstacles, and audience questions on AI's labor impact and youth substance use.
Epstein Emails, Kennedy for Congress, and Guest Gov. JB Pritzker
At a live Pivot show in Chicago, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway interview Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker about federal immigration enforcement operations in Chicago, Donald Trump's attacks on the city, crime trends, redistricting, the government shutdown fight, quantum computing, and his positions on issues like minimum wage, health care, Ukraine, and social media regulation. After the interview, Kara and Scott analyze newly released Jeffrey Epstein documents and what they could mean for Donald Trump, discuss Jack Schlossberg's run for Congress and the role of looks and sexism in politics, and break down Kim Kardashian's Skims valuation and celebrity entrepreneurship. They close with an extended audience Q&A on topics including the Fed and economic data, dating and life advice, housing and NIMBYism, and whether Scott would run for president.
652. Inside the Horse-Industrial Complex
This episode examines the modern thoroughbred horse industry, from elite breeding operations in Kentucky to the lived experience and economics of being a jockey and a backstretch worker. Former jockey Richard Migliore describes the physical and psychological demands, risks, and rewards of his nearly 30-year riding career, while industry participants like economist Jill Stowe and farm operator Mark Taylor explain the business structures, sales markets, and breeding strategies that underpin the sport. The conversation also explores how immigration rules shape the racing workforce and how long-standing breeding rules, especially the ban on artificial insemination, help keep Kentucky at the center of the global thoroughbred economy.
#2404 - Elon Musk
Joe Rogan and Elon Musk discuss topics ranging from extreme human physiques and giant strongmen to SpaceX's Starship program, reusable rockets, and the vision of building cities on Mars and bases on the Moon. They examine government corruption and incentives, including homelessness policy, immigration, Social Security fraud, and how political parties allegedly exploit these systems, and they revisit controversial deaths such as an AI whistleblower and Jeffrey Epstein. Musk also explains his concerns about the "woke mind virus" in media and AI, outlines his work on X/Twitter and Grok, and describes a potential future of AI-driven universal high income, deep automation, and even the possibility that reality is a simulation.
The remittance mystery
The episode investigates a puzzling surge in remittances flowing from the United States to several Central American and Caribbean countries, especially Honduras, despite heightened immigration enforcement and declining new immigration. Through interviews with a Honduran bank remittance manager, migrants, and economists, the reporters explore how fear of deportation, a looming remittance tax, and migrants' desire to build savings back home are driving this spike. They also examine how critical remittances are to economies like Honduras, the risks of over-dependence on this income, and the potential economic shock if these flows decline in the near future.
#2398 - Francis Foster & Konstantin Kisin
Joe Rogan speaks with Francis and Constantine about censorship and hate-speech policing in the UK, the social and psychological aftermath of the pandemic and protest era, and how social media algorithms amplify outrage and extremism. They discuss protests, ideological labeling, gender and puberty-blocker debates, AI-generated music, ancient history and human nature, Middle East geopolitics, political violence, and the role of religion and myth in giving people meaning and moral frameworks.
#2396 - Andrew Schulz
Joe Rogan and Andrew Schulz discuss AI-generated music, internet outrage dynamics, stand-up comedy culture, and the political climate in the U.S. and abroad. They explore topics ranging from pool hustling, parenting, and child stardom to free speech, immigration policy, and the possibility of alien contact as hinted in ancient religious texts. The conversation also covers MMA matchups, the psychology of cancel culture, and the importance of having humbling, skill-based hobbies outside of work.
#2395 - Mariana van Zeller
Joe Rogan talks with investigative journalist Mariana van Zeller about her high‑risk reporting on global black and gray markets, the end of her TV series "Trafficked," and the launch of her new podcast "The Hidden Third" exploring the underground economy and people living outside the law. They discuss drug cartels, counterfeit money, rehab and insurance fraud, the fentanyl and "tranq dope" crisis, and systemic failures in U.S. drug policy and healthcare. The conversation also covers immigration raids and asylum, pharmaceutical corruption around OxyContin and fentanyl, the explosion of sophisticated online scams and scam factories in Asia, political polarization, and Mariana's belief that empathy‑driven journalism is essential to understanding crime and fixing broken systems.
#617 - Aziz Ansari
Theo Von talks with Aziz Ansari about his new film "Good Fortune," the challenges of writing, directing, and acting in a feature, and how movie production differs from stand-up comedy. Aziz shares personal stories from growing up as the only Indian kid in a small South Carolina town, including the death of his younger sister and the kindness of the women who helped raise him. They also discuss burnout, avoiding ego, living abroad in London, and the importance of early gatekeepers and mentors in their stand-up careers.
Cheaper Teslas, OpenAI's Cash Burn, and Apple's CEO Succession Plans
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss Tesla's newly announced cheaper but downgraded Model 3 and Model Y, and what the moves reveal about intensifying EV competition, Tesla's shrinking market share, and the company's stretched valuation. They analyze OpenAI's massive compute deals with NVIDIA and others as signs of a potential AI bubble and explain how AI-driven market gains concentrate risk and give political cover for Trump's aggressive policies. They also cover the surge in gold prices and what it signals about confidence in the U.S. dollar, Apple's emerging CEO succession plan around John Ternus, bank lobbying over a potential Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac IPO, National Guard deployments and ICE raids in U.S. cities, and close with predictions on the Nobel Peace Prize and the length of the government shutdown alongside personal anecdotes.
#2391 - Duncan Trussell
Joe Rogan and Duncan Trussell discuss contemporary political polarization, authoritarian drift, economic frustration, homelessness, immigration policy, and how social media algorithms fuel fear and division. They range into speculative territory on UFOs, possible alien involvement in human evolution, and the social impact of potential disclosure while also exploring spirituality, Christianity, evil, and the importance of family and individual responsibility. Throughout, they contrast large-scale systemic problems with the need to focus on personal action, compassion, and tending to one's immediate community.
#616 - Retired Boston Detective
Retired Boston police detective Kara Connolly discusses her 31-year career, from working busy 1990s patrol beats in Dorchester and South Boston to becoming a detective and later joining the human trafficking unit. She shares detailed stories about major cases, including armed robberies, a man who cut off his own penis, a baby abandoned in a trash can, long-term human trafficking investigations, and undercover stings targeting sex buyers. The conversation also explores how TV crime shows affect juries, the impact of politics and prosecutors on street-level policing, the emotional toll of the job, and how she is transitioning into retirement in South Carolina.
#2390 - Jack Carr
Jack Carr discusses his new novel set in 1968 Vietnam, explaining the extensive historical research and immersive process he used to authentically capture the era and the experience of soldiers on the ground. He and Joe Rogan explore the Vietnam War, media influence on public perception, the decline of reading, the rise of AI in creative work, and the realities of Hollywood adaptations of his books like "The Terminal List" and "Dark Wolf." They also range into topics like stunt work, physical training, security concerns, political polarization, immigration, and the disturbing public reaction to the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
OpenAI Backtracks, Elon's Netflix Boycott, and Instagram Safety Features
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss U.S. immigration crackdowns under President Trump, including National Guard deployments, ICE raids, and the use of masked agents, arguing these tactics are authoritarian and designed to inflame division. They examine how tech platforms and algorithms amplify rage, debate OpenAI's Sora copyright policy and its impact on Hollywood and creative workers, and analyze Elon Musk's call to boycott Netflix, SpaceX's Chinese funding, and SpaceX's growing power in satellite-based mobile service. The episode also covers Instagram's inadequate teen safety measures, the mental health impact of social media on youth, and a Trump-era higher education compact that would reshape university admissions, ideology on campus, foreign enrollment, and pricing.
Selects: How Mail Order Marriages Work
The hosts examine the history, mechanics, and ethical debates surrounding so‑called mail-order marriages, from colonial America and frontier settlements through 19th‑century matrimonial ads to the modern international marriage brokerage industry. They discuss how these arrangements have at times expanded women's agency and legal rights, while also creating serious power imbalances, immigration-related vulnerabilities, and potential overlaps with human trafficking. The episode also covers contemporary legal safeguards, data limitations, and evolving forms such as LGBTQ mail-order marriages, before closing with a listener email about losing a parent to COVID-19 and the importance of vaccination.
#614 - New York Circus
Theo Von reflects on changes in the circus from his childhood to the present and uses that as a segue into describing a "circus" surrounding his recent comedy special taping in New York City. He explains how going off antidepressants, a viral Department of Homeland Security immigration video using an old joke clip of his, heightened security concerns, and performance struggles all contributed to a stressful night and a later viral clip of him joking about suicide. He clarifies that he is not suicidal, shares a personal story about a friend's sister who took her life, takes emotional calls from listeners about losing a son to suicide and a three‑year‑old finishing chemotherapy, offers prayer and encouragement, and notes that he is back on his medication and planning to rest while remaining hopeful about the future.