Best Lawrence Lessig Podcasts (2025)

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What 2025 Taught Us—And Where 2026 Is Taking Us 55:34

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18m ago55:34

55:34

What do foot massage parties, otters, and AI robot tutors have in common? To find out, tune into our special end-of-year conversation featuring the hosts from TED Talks Daily, TED Radio Hour, TED Business, and TED Tech! Elise Hu, Manoush Zomorodi, Modupe Akinola and Sherrell Dorsey got together to share the biggest ideas dominating their industry a…

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No Army At All 1:13:19

4h ago1:13:19

1:13:19

Presidential power is abridged, for a change, by the Supreme Court in its shadow docket ruling in Trump v. Illinois. Rather than ruling in silence, however, this time the Court gives us 25 pages and 4 opinions to chew on. We examine the history behind issues of deployment of the Army as well as the Guard/Militia on domestic soil, which leads us to …

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Military Conduct, TPUSA, 2026 Predictions, Recommendations and Rants 24:18

5d ago24:18

24:18

Trey and Mike join in this holiday-sized show! The pair start with a look into the Pentagon’s investigation into Senator Kelly over his video of illegal orders. Mike outlines the contours of the military code of justice. Trey argues for the need for members of the Senate (and House) to have the ability to speak freely. Next, they move to the ongoin…

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Introducing Explain Like I'm 5 1:51

2d ago1:51

1:51

Mike talks about the Explain Like I'm 5 podcast. I hope you will enjoy this excellent show as much as we do.By The Politics Guys

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The Affordability Hoax, Tina Peters and Presidential Power 1:07:00

6d ago1:07:00

1:07:00

Trey and Mike start with a focus on economic affordability, inflation rates, and the implications of Trump's economic policies. Trey outlines the historic economic conditions between Trump and Biden, noting that the economic conditions under Trump were better than under Biden. Mike argues that you can’t look at the total average under Biden because…

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Courage is Contagious - Special Guest Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander 1:01:35

6d ago1:01:35

1:01:35

One of the most promising new faces in the US Congress, Representative Maggie Goodlander, joins us for a wide-ranging discussion, including the recent video assuring our troops that they may not obey illegal orders, and the aftermath of that simple offer of support. You may not know that this first-term congresswoman has served in our military for …

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Dr. Joy Buolamwini | from Design Matters 1:03:29

6d ago1:03:29

1:03:29

Dr. Joy Buolamwini is a computer scientist and a poet of code who uses art and research to illuminate the social implications of artificial intelligence. She joins to discuss her career as the founder of the Algorithmic Justice League, her best-selling book Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What is Human in a World of Machines, and her featured r…

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Streaming Battle, Minnesota Fraud, Listener Questions 18:15

12d ago18:15

18:15

Mike and Joey open with a deep dive into the emerging battle over Warner Bros. Discovery, weighing Netflix’s proposed mega-merger against Paramount Skydance’s rival bid and asking whether antitrust law still has teeth in a streaming world defined by consolidation. Mike stresses market definition, consumer harm, and the risk of enshittification when…

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Venezuela Actions, Presidential Power 56:56

15d ago56:56

56:56

Mike and Joey open with a look at U.S. missile strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats and the seizure of an oil tanker, debating whether Article II authority is enough or whether Congress should have a say. Mike presses on limiting principles, civilian deaths, and why Coast Guard interdiction might achieve the same ends with fewer moral costs, wh…

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The multidimensional magic of modern maps | Peter Wilczynski 8:26

13d ago8:26

8:26

Maps have long helped us understand the world — now, they can help us shape it. Digital cartographer Peter Wilczynski introduces the Living Globe: a real-time, data-rich digital twin of Earth that fuses satellite imagery, sensor data and AI. Watch for a glimpse of the future of maps — and learn how these new tools can help us build the future witho…

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Humphrey's Execution 1:22:54

15d ago1:22:54

1:22:54

Oral arguments took place in the highly-anticipated unitary executive case, Trump v. Slaughter. The overruling of the case that seems to govern, Humphrey’s Executor, has been long expected, and indeed, the Chief Justice referred to the “dry husk” that was all that remained of that case after recent years of whittling by the current and recent Court…

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Ideologies: Marxism 15:51

16d ago15:51

15:51

Trey & Justin continue their dive into contemporary political ideologies. This week they dive into Marxism. Topics covered include: Marxism’s underlying structure in Hegel’s writings Historical Determinism Democracy and Marxism Lenin’s “fix” to Marxism with imperialism Critiques of Marxism and Neo-Marxism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg…

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National Guard Members Killed, Hegseth's Narco Strikes, Alina Habba, Tennessee Special Election, Oklahoma University Student's Failing Grade 1:10:34

22d ago1:10:34

1:10:34

Trey and Justin start the show discussing last week’s tragic incident involving the National Guard in Washington DC. Here, both Trey and Justin agree on the terrible nature of the attack. Trey highlights the emotionally charged nature such an episode will have on immigration conversations. Specifically, Trey discusses how media frames impact policy…

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Is AI ruining music? | Dustin Ballard 13:08

20d ago13:08

13:08

What makes music “real” — is it the instruments, the voice, the creator’s intention or something else entirely? Dustin Ballard, the creative force behind the viral channel “There I Ruined It,” explores the weird, wonderful and sometimes unsettling ways AI is reshaping music. With fiddle solos and AI-powered mashups of your favorite songs, he invite…

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Balance and Check-Mate - Special Guest John Fabian Witt 1:36:31

23d ago1:36:31

1:36:31

Secretary of Defense Hegseth is making use of his sights. He is focusing at times on Senator Mark Kelly, seeking to wreak havoc upon him for his utterances which have angered Hegseth’s master. Meanwhile, purported drug smugglers have found Davy Jones’ locker at the order of Hegseth, it has been reported, including those left helpless after initial …

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Democrats’ Dilemma, Second Thoughts on Sports Betting 19:07

26d ago19:07

19:07

Mike, Tim, and Michael open with the “Deciding to Win” memo and the broader question of how Democrats can reconnect with working-class voters while staying true to core values. Mike argues that Democrats already face structural disadvantages and will lose even more elections if they treat politics as a mass pedagogy project instead of meeting voter…

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Allegation 2, continued 8:31

26d ago8:31

8:31

Clarifying one additional point about Allegation 2 in less than ten minutes.By Lawrence Lessig

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Ukraine Peace Deal, Comey Case Tossed, Military Orders 1:07:47

29d ago1:07:47

1:07:47

Mike, Tim, and Michael open with Trump’s 28-point Ukraine peace plan, built on Russian terms that demand territorial concessions, a NATO ban, limits on Ukraine’s army, and sweeping amnesty. Tim focuses on trading some Ukrainian territory for ironclad security guarantees, including foreign troops on the ground as real deterrence. Mike argues the U.S…

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Tech Solutions (#4): How organizations can grow in a post-aid world (with Jacqueline Novogratz) 29:16

27d ago29:16

29:16

When the Trump administration dismantled USAID, it was the beginning of a post-aid era, says philanthropist and social entrepreneur Jacqueline Novogratz. Aid may not be coming back but in its place Jacqueline hopes creative solutions will emerge to provide independence and dignity at the community level. Jacqueline is the CEO of Acumen and has help…

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The Only Only 1:00:50

29d ago1:00:50

1:00:50

Events in the news once again intersect with Professor Amar’s past work, as a little-known aspect of a clause in the Constitution has surprising relevance to the President’s fire-breathing response to a video from Senators and Representatives reminding our military and other officers of their lawful obligations. We trace other constitutionally news…

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Comey Indictment, ACA Subsidies, the MAGA Theory of Power 17:36

1M ago17:36

17:36

Mike and Joey open with the spiraling Comey prosecution, where a Trump-aligned U.S. attorney faces judicial scorn for alleged grand-jury missteps that could collapse the case. Mike argues the real play is intimidation and precedent-setting revenge politics rather than a credible legal charge. Joey counters that Comey was central to what he consider…

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Epstein Files, Trump MBS Meeting, California vs ICE 1:10:16

1M ago1:10:16

1:10:16

Mike and Joey open with the blowback to Joey’s claim that “the hubris of the left” is the biggest obstacle to national unity . Mike frames Trump’s behavior as the more obvious example of hubris, while Joey argues that Trump’s personality is massive but incidental and that the real divide is between people focused on ideas and people hung up on iden…

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Tech Solutions (#3): How one of China’s biggest tech companies is tackling carbon removal (with Xu Hao) 22:28

1M ago22:28

22:28

Tencent is one of China’s biggest tech companies, running the popular Chinese messaging app WeChat and the world’s largest video game vendor. Now, it’s also an up-and-coming force in the field of carbon removal. Xu Hao, the vice president of Sustainable Social Value at Tencent, oversees two of those initiatives: the Carbon Neutrality Lab and Carbon…

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Can AI Save America’s Broken Political System? ft. Andrew Yang | Shane Has Questions 1:25:22

1M ago1:25:22

1:25:22

Shane sits down with Andrew Yang, entrepreneur, Forward Party founder, and former presidential and mayoral candidate for a wide-open conversation about what happens to America when AI collides with a political system stuck in the 1800s. They start with why anyone even runs for office in the age of opposition-research-as-bloodsport, then rewind to Y…

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A.I. in Political Campaigns 50:57

1M ago50:57

50:57

Travis talks with Dr. Michael Cohen, author of Modern Political Campaigns, and Julie Sweet, author of the American Association of Political Consultants’ Deepfake Law Compliance Guide for Political Campaigns, about the role of artificial intelligence in political campaigns. Topics Travis, Julie, and Michael cover include: How campaigns are using AI …

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The Undigested Matzo Ball 1:10:40

1M ago1:10:40

1:10:40

We return to the tariff case and continue to hear from the justices and the advocates in their own voices from the oral argument. This time, a 20 year old argument from Vik Amar takes center stage with apparent approval from several key justices, and several of the Court’s female justices join forces to make life difficult for the Solicitor General…

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Federalist Paper No 1 32:23

1M ago32:23

32:23

Trey & Ken begin a new supporter's series on The Federalist Papers. This week's episode includes an overview of The Federalist Papers themselves and introduces Federalist Paper No. 1. Topics covered include: The history behind writing the original essays The attack on the Constitution by Anti-Federalists How Hamilton and Madison became the principa…

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Dismantling "Allegation 2" 59:02

1M ago59:02

59:02

So far, this podcast has considered the procedural flaws that marred the process that led to Francesca Gino's tenure being revoked. With this episode, we begin dismantling the substantive conclusions as they relate to the four alleged cases of fraud. We begin with "Allegation 2."By Lawrence Lessig

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Government Shutdown Ends, Epstein Documents Continue, Tucker Carlson and the Heritage Foundation 1:03:12

1M ago1:03:12

1:03:12

In this episode, Trey and Ken discuss the recent end of the US government shutdown, including the implications for both parties, with a focus on the ACA subsidies. Trey argues that he was ultimately correct, and the shutdown did not benefit Democrats nor lasted into December. While Ken concedes that the shutdown didn’t last as long as he anticipate…

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Tech Solutions (#2): How to balance the AI boom and environmental responsibility (with Juan M. Lavista Ferres) 18:55

1M ago18:55

18:55

The environmental impact of AI is a growing concern. In this episode, Sherrell sits down with Juan M. Lavista Ferres, the Chief Scientist and Lab Director of Microsoft’s AI for Good Research Lab, to discuss his work in using AI for conservation and sustainability. Whether it’s using AI to measure methane gas leaks or allowing AI to optimize healthc…

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The Case That Could Take Down Super PACs & Stop Dark Money ft. Lawrence Lessig | Shane Has Questions 45:57

1M ago45:57

45:57

Harvard Law’s Lawrence Lessig, founder of Creative Commons and Equal Citizens, joins Shane for look at how money captured American politics and what it will take to break its grip. Lessig explains why the real super PAC problem wasn’t created by Citizens United but by a lower-court ruling, and why a new Maine initiative could become the test case t…

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Saving Ourselves From Big Car 51:41

2M ago51:41

51:41

Mike talks with David Obst, a former journalist, publisher, screenwriter, and film producer. He’s also the author of a new book on the automotive industry called Saving Ourselves from Big Car, which is the focus of their conversation. Topics Mike & David cover include: How “Big Car” became a self-perpetuating system The deadly legacy of leaded gaso…

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Incidental Trillions 1:10:56

1M ago1:10:56

1:10:56

The economy, trillions of dollars, and consequences unknown are on the line in the tarrifs case, Learning Resources v. Trump. We present the justices and the advocates in their own voices from the oral argument, and Akhil reacts in real time as he hears the clips for the first time. It’s a three hour argument, so this is the first of a two-parter. …

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Ideologies: Conservatism 13:06

2M ago13:06

13:06

Trey & Justin continue their dive into contemporary political ideologies. This week, they dive into conservatism. Topics covered include: The underlying principles of conservatism, including tradition and gradual change The relationship between tradition and conservatism The relationship between religion and conservatism The differences between the…

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Democrats Win, Government Shutdown, Senate Filibuster, Nancy Pelosi 1:02:22

2M ago1:02:22

1:02:22

Trey and Justin open the show by bypassing the shutdown, at least for a moment, and starting with the 2025 elections. Trey argues that the results are a victory for Democrats, but must be contextualized. His key point is that the economy is becoming an issue for Republicans. Both hosts outline what off-year elections such as this can and don’t mean…