Brett & Brad

Brett and Brad sit down for an interview with Dr. Matt Thompson, a 3rd year resident in integrated thoracic surgery at the Cleveland Clinic (don't worry, he explains what that is). We explore his experience in becoming a doctor, the history and important innovations in heart surgery, we explain Aortic Dissection that came into the news with the death of Lindsey Graham last month, and touch on what the future of heart surgeries might look like.

Brett and Brad discuss space and the man-made debris in it under the lens of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage that crashed into the moon this morning. After the break, we talk the 26th Amendment that lowered the voting age to 18 before discussing the Guardians trades before the deadline and the big sticking point that will decide whether we see any baseball next year: a league-wide salary cap.

Brett and Brad cover the 25th Amendment and its uses both practical and theoretical before we extol (or question?!) the value of IKEA. After the break, Brett rants on the quality of musicals as the most base form of The Theatre and Brad is fascinated by Emily Wilson's vicious yet compelling review of Christopher Nolan's, The Odyssey.

Brad is joined in the studio by friend-of-the-show Donna Schuele to talk about her recent retirement, the 24th Amendment, and how the amendment relates to recent national discussions around voter ID requirements. We explore some of the Supreme Court Cases, in the last 20-ish years especially, that change how we view voter ID requirements. Donna recently retired from teaching Political Science, American History, and Business Law at the University of California and California State. She is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University and holds a PhD from UC Berkley. She has also previously clerked for the 9th circuit federal court of appeals.

Brett and Brad briefly add to the comments on Eukaryotes v. Prokaryotes from last week before diving into the 23rd Amendment which gave D.C. a voice in presidential elections. We also run touch on the Trump v. IRS settlement that was just voided by the judge, saying the Government defrauded the court. After the break we touch on safety outlets after being inspired by a PSA before discussing the ongoing Cyclospora outbreak that's making people sick around the country.

Brett and Brad make predictions for a FIFA World Cup game that's already happened by the time you listen to this, we also discuss the Balogun Red Card. Then we break down the 22nd Amendment, the reasons for it, and subtleties. Finally, we go discuss the SpudCells, a new advancement in synthetic biology and pose some questions on what makes something alive.

Brett and Brad correct the record from last week by reviewing the differences and similarities between Marimbas, Xylophones, Vibraphones, and Glockenspiels. After that little sojourn, we read George Washington's Farewell Address to the nation, a now little read published speech Washington that he intended to serve as well wishes for the citizens of the new USA.

Brett and Brad discuss Solstice at the Cleveland Museum of Art this past weekend before diving into the Reflecting Pool fiasco on the National Mall. We briefly touch on the Iran deal, or some of the details, before moving on. After the break, Brad regales you with the tale of the 21st Amendment that repealed Prohibition and we end with a short, somewhat related Supreme Court case, United States v. Hemani, that was decided recently.