Standing Room Only: now a YouTube series!

It’s been hard keeping it under wraps while we worked on it, but it’s finally here: Standing Room Only, the talk show! Once a week, I’ll be hosting this online program featuring commentary, expert guests, and, because we all need some fun, a music recommendation.

The first episode is based on a recent article I wrote about using Hallow, a prayer app funded by MAGA capitalists Peter Thiel and, yep, JD Vance. And I got to loop my colleagues Coleman Spilde and Russell Root into the conversation.

You can watch the first episode of “Standing Room Only” here on YouTube:

How a lady becomes a “genius,” MAGA-style

There will be full episodes of “Standing Room Only,” but we are also breaking out short, digestible clips for people who don’t have a half-hour to spare. The first is about the anti-feminist content I discovered while using Hallow. And how I learned what makes a woman a “genius,” according to conservative Christians.

At least we understand Blake Shelton

In this clip, I’m chatting with my Salon colleagues, Russell Root and Coleman Spilde, about Gwen Stefani’s heel turn into MAGA.

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What we're reading this week

• “Democrats Have a Real Shot at Retaking the Senate in 2026,” Ed Kilgore, New York

• “How Much Should You Know About Your Child Before He’s Born?” Jessica Winter, New Yorker

• “The anti-woke right won in 2024. Now they’re turning on each other,” Zack Beauchamp, Vox

• “Due Process Is a Right, Not a Privilege You Get for Being Good,” Adam Serwer, Atlantic

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“Holy, Holy” by Geordie Greep

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