In this live, I cover two stories that might seem separate at first but are actually connected by the same problem: who holds power, and how it’s being normalized. I start with the TikTok deal that’s now all but finalized, with Oracle and Larry Ellison positioned to take control of the platform while ByteDance still appears to retain influence over the algorithm. I break down why the algorithm—not the app itself—is the real issue, why “content moderation” should make everyone nervous, and why I’m deeply skeptical that this deal meaningfully addresses either national security or free expression.
From there, I turn to what’s frankly harder to stomach: House Democrats voting to fund ICE. I walk through the arguments Democrats are making to justify that vote—and why I reject them. In my view, this isn’t a complicated policy question. You don’t fund an agency that is operating as a masked, unaccountable police force that is terrorizing communities and breaking the law. I talk about how Democrats have a habit of intellectualizing obvious moral red lines and how that tendency ends up normalizing violence and illegality.
Along the way, I react to reporting, read directly from articles, answer questions from the live chat, and try to make sense of how we ended up in a moment where compromise keeps winning over clarity.
