The Imaginary War For LA

In today's Enemies List we cover how Trump-era cuts under DOGE slashed nearly 600 National Weather Service jobs, leaving Texas forecasting offices understaffed ahead of this weekend’s deadly floods, which claimed dozens of lives. Rick breaks down the political fallout and what this weekend reveals about the risks of cutting vital public safety resources. All that and more on this week's Enemies List... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It would take us a thousand years to get through all of your questions. Thank you for bringing the heat! This week, there were a few themes, though. Lots of you were curious about Rick's take on Mamdani (it's not what you might imagine). Even more of you pledged your hatred of the MAGA Murder Budget Bill and wondered if there was still time to fight back. And we got more than a few questions asking Rick to look into his crystal ball, which he was more than happy to do. All that and more on this week's Enemies List... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, Pete Hegseth argued that the real danger to our military lies in criticism from the press or skepticism about military campaigns. He’s wrong. The real danger to our military is leadership that rewards dishonesty, punishes accountability, and erodes the chain of trust that holds the armed forces together. Pete Hegseth is unqualified. Pete Hegseth is a liar. Pete Hegseth is a national security risk. And he’s found a forever-home on the Enemies List. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"This is the new free press—without corporate masters, without super PACs." Rick takes your questions on this episode of the Enemies List, and you had some doozies. Many of you wondered whether or not democracy's guardrails were holding, and what the current state of the protest movement tells us about the generational divide. Rick talks about all that and how outlets like Lincoln Square are the face of the new media. And then...he gives a bit of parenting advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The B-2 strike on Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility was a show of unmatched precision and power—but the rush to celebrate masks a dangerous truth. Triumphalism, especially from Trump’s political base, treats the attack as an end rather than a beginning. But Iran has built its legacy on asymmetric warfare, and tonight’s strike may have opened a long, uncertain chapter rather than closed one. This isn’t just about a bomb dropped—it’s about what comes next. Iran doesn’t need nukes to retaliate; it needs patience and proxies. The enemy gets a vote, and Tehran is likely already planning its next move. Triumphalism isn’t victory—it’s the prelude to tragedy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rick takes your questions on everything from the economic outlook going into the midterms to the definition of neocon. A lot of you were curious about the possibility of a Musk redemption story arc, and about the right way to protest. Rick answers all and delivers this instant classic: It's too late to work inside the system, but too soon to start shooting motherf****. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Political violence doesn’t emerge in a vacuum — MAGA has built a system of terror out of manufactured rage and conspiracy. The assassinations and attempted assassinations in Minnesota over the weekend are the logical result of this effort. Fox News, Facebook, and Twitter are the hypodermic needles injecting the MAGA base with vile hatred, allowing them to see anyone who disagrees with them not as adversaries, but as existential threats—pedophiles, communists, invaders, subhumans. These stories aren't just fringe; they’re algorithmically amplified, monetized, and echoed by politicians and law enforcement alike. When this kind of rhetoric becomes normalized, stochastic terrorism becomes inevitable. The country is reaching a flashpoint — not because individuals snap, but because entire platforms profit from pushing them to the edge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump's invasion of Los Angeles isn’t about immigration—it’s about power, manipulation, and preparing you for a crackdown. WE are the real targets. The Trumps, the Millers, the Bondis, the Patels, they are praying for violence to legitimize a massive military escalation. Fox News, Twitter, and Facebook are deeply complicit. They may be pulling immigrants off the streets for the cameras, but they're really coming for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen Miller is a familiar face on the Enemies List, but over the weekend, the stakes ramped up to a million. He isn’t just a policy advisor—he’s the mastermind behind the deliberately cruel strategy to provoke unrest and justify state violence. This incursion into the streets of Los Angeles with the ICE raids isn't LIKE a Nazi tacting. It IS on: provoke resistance, claim victimhood, then strike harder. It’s not about law enforcement—it’s about staging a spectacle of repression that delights the authoritarian base and erodes democratic norms. If that's not scary enough, the suspension of ABC’s Terry Moran under political pressure is proof that our media is buckling under this pressure. When cruelty becomes policy and dissent becomes criminalized, the danger isn’t just to immigrants—it’s to everyone. In other words...you're next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rick takes your questions this week, and there were plenty to choose from. You sent in hundreds. Sadly, we can't get to all of them, but it was clear that there were some trends. Ricks covers ground from Trump's recent pardons to his craven desire to stoke chaos in order to crush dissent with violence. And one of you, at least, wondered if Trump was actually a spy. Please, keep the questions coming! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices