News Trap 11.14.25 - The Epstein Problem w/ Justin Rogers-Cooper

Have you ever seen A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies? It's an epic documentary whose title says it all: a legendary director tells his life story while sharing ideas about the history of cinema. Kind of a two-for-one. I highly recommend it. Anyway, that's what I'm going to do with this series, except instead of movies I'll be talking about drugs. I don't think my drug experiences are particularly unique, but I do have a lot of drug experiences, and I think I've got some insights to offer that extend beyond memoir; that is, I'm going to attempt to connect my own highs and lows with the broader history and politics of the past couple decades. So, in this first episode, I share some stories and thoughts about the world of pills: uppers, downers and, um, in-betweeners. I hope you enjoy...and stay tuned for more adventures in intoxication. This series is, for obvious reasons, only for subscribers. Click here to check it out

The latest Jeffrey Epstein email dump brings up some intriguing ideas about the shadowy financier's actual role among all his elite friends, from Donald Trump to Noam Chomsky. Why did so many powerful people seek his advice and companionship, despite knowing the details of his dark crimes? As Justin Rogers-Cooper explains, the answer raises uncomfortable questions about American history, "cancel culture," and the depths of inhumanity we're willing to forgive in our heroes, leaders, and friends. Check out the Nostalgia Trap Patreon page and support the show by SUBSCRIBING!

This is a preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit the Nostalgia Trap Patreon. This week Justin and I talk about the Mamdani victory in NYC; the shifting dynamics of the much hyped "civil war" within the Democratic Party; how to read the Trump administration's weak response on elections and the government shutdown; Marjorie Taylor-Greene's pivot away from QAnon world; the Heritage Foundation's fight over Nick Fuentes and Nazi influencers; bombshell news about Nayib Bukele and his El Salvador prison project.  

The US government shits the bed, Trump dumps AI feces on protesters, the East Wing of the White House gets flushed down the toilet, Mamdani squeezes out a floater upon a dying Democratic Party, and something stinks about the US dropping bombs on "drug dealers" off the coast of Venezuela. Listen to the full episode on the Nostalgia Trap Subscriber Feed    

Spoiler alert! I recorded this livestream about an hour after finishing this movie, so this is me attempting to untangle my thoughts about it. A complicated, funny, scary, and beautiful contemplation about revolutionary praxis (worst word in the world), One Battle After Another is definitely worth your time. I explain why here. Follow/subscribe to our Patreon for access to all our bonus content and News Trap episodes

This week Justin joins me to consider the dialectical nature of our 2025 reality, as we examine the utopian and dystopian properties of Bad Bunny Super Bowl discourse, the rise of Zohran Mamdani, and the accelerated unleashing of AI slop upon a world of hungry little piggies. Are we in heaven, or are we in hell? Why not both? Subscribe for a FREE 7 day trial to listen to this whole episode, plus gain access to our giant library of delicious, nutritious bonus content 

The Supreme Court is scared of crossing Trump; Stephen Miller wants to declare the Democratic Party a terrorist organization; an ICE raid in Chicago lays the groundwork for a new era of authoritarianism; late night TV says goodbye; microplastics are giving everyone cancer; and we're all awaiting an economic crash at a scale the world has never seen. Cheers! Click here to listen to this whole episode and all our livestreams, news traps, and other bonus content

This week on the Nostalgia Trap Livestream: Conspiracy theory mind-melt reaches the upper echelons of power, AI-generated savagery plunges further into the toilet, Chuck Schumer and Zohran Mamdani flirt with the limits of liberal possibility, a shocking violation of the 1st Amendment that's NOT Jimmy Kimmel (so no one cares), plus some delightful Cuban piano grooves! Listen to the whole episode here

On this week's News Trap update, Justin joins me to discuss the question on everyone's mind: when is the fever gonna break? As the cartoonish reality of Trump's second term takes on increasingly demented dimensions, we game out how larger forces, particularly the insane bubble that is the AI economy, are stirring in the background, threatening an imminent meltdown that promises to flip the script of what both left and right are currently imagining. Listen to the whole episode by joining the Nostalgia Trap Patreon with a FREE 7-Day Trial

On this week's livestream I talk about the deceptive power of the Kirk memorial, the postmodernity of conspiracy culture, the ironic twist of right-wing cancel campaigns and, of course, Jimmy Kimmel. Plus I share some juicy bits from Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland. Join the Nostalgia Trap Patreon and hear the whole episode, along with all our weekly bonus content