In this episode, we kick off 2026 by throwing caution to the wind and making bold predictions across 13 topics—from politics and culture to tech, religion, and even rollerblading. After acknowledging the grim moment we’re living through, we dive into what the coming year might hold: midterm forecasts, the future of Trump’s influence, who could emerge in the 2028 presidential race, and what might happen with religion in the U.S. We also predict cultural trends like the potential resurgence of rollerblading (yes, really), the “analog year” vibe creeping into consumer culture, social media fatigue, and a possible AI backlash.

Whether it’s geopolitics, Taylor Swift, or the coalitions shaping the parties, this episode is all about being right or wrong together and starting the year with curiosity and nuance. Plus we’re turning it into a Bingo game, and everybody (Emily) loves a chance to compete.

Segments & Timestamps:

0:00 Intro + Remembering Rene

1:42 Prediction Season Rules

4:58 2026 Midterms

9:37 Trump, Power, and the Courts

15:12 Midterms & Movement Signals

21:04 2028?

26:41 Religion in 2026

31:55 Culture as Forecast (Yes, Rollerblades)

37:18 AI Backlash & the “Analog Year”

43:06 Social Media Fatigue

48:22 American Imperialism

1:00:36 Good Take: Dan Carlin — “First Day, First Term”

Mentioned:

Dan Carlin: Common Sense Ep 325

Connect With Us:

Produced and Engineered by ⁠Ken Wilson⁠ | Original Music by ⁠Robert Lanterman⁠

Website: ⁠thenuancehour.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠@thenuancehour⁠

Email: thenuancehour@gmail.com

In this episode, we take on the grim (and increasingly undeniable) question of America’s slide toward authoritarianism, and why naming it plainly isn’t partisan. We talk about how the two-party duopoly keeps forcing every concern into a Coke v. Pepsi “they’re all the same” dead end, making it easier to normalize power grabs with “yeah, but the other side…” logic. Trevor makes the case that structural issues like campaign finance, Citizens United, gerrymandering, and winner-take-all electoral rules have weakened representation and primed the system for strongman politics, while Emily argues for a broader “No Kings” style coalition that can welcome people who don’t neatly fit into either party identity.

From there, we map the current authoritarian terrain: due process erosion, weaponized institutions, loyalty-driven governance, creeping normalization of extrajudicial force, and civil society collapsing faster than we expected. We also push back hard on the false binary of “apathy or revolution,” making the case for sustainable resistance rooted in community, joy, and practical action. We end with corners—some good news on state-level experimentation to reduce money’s influence in politics, and a bad-take detour into the internet’s latest brain-melt: “Is Taylor Swift a Nazi?”

Segments & Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

0:23 Authoritarianism, Again

3:57 “We Were Early”

8:21 White House Discourse

11:56 Duopoly Brain

23:26 “No Kings” Coalitions

26:24 “At Least It’s Not…”

33:32 Oligarchy 101

36:46 Citizens United, Revisited

46:15 Gerrymandering + Electoral College

54:30 Joyful Resistance

1:01:54 Authoritarian Map Check

1:07:00 The List (Proof Points)

1:16:01 Due Process + Human Rights

1:23:26 Good News: Montana Plan

1:27:29 Good Take: Harris vs. Shapiro

1:28:56 Bad Take: T. Swift Isn’t a Nazi

Mentioned:

⁠Sam Harris (Making Sense): Sam Harris vs. Ben Shapiro on Trump, authoritarianism, and the peaceful transfer of power

The New York Times Editorial Board: Are We Losing Our Democracy?

The Montana Plan: Montana’s state-level effort to limit corporate political spending after Citizens United

Connect With Us:

Produced and Engineered by ⁠Ken Wilson⁠ | Original Music by ⁠Robert Lanterman⁠

Website: ⁠thenuancehour.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠@thenuancehour⁠

Email: thenuancehour@gmail.com

In this episode, we dive into why conspiracy theories feel so irresistible and ubiquitous right now, and why they’re also so corrosive. We talk about motivated reasoning, media bias, and our crumbling trust in experts, from JFK and 9/11 truthers to lab-leak debates, QAnon, RFK Jr., and the evergreen “do your own research” refrain. We also unpack how the attention economy and social media reward rage-bait and fringe content, why weather modification and “chemtrails” became right-wing go-tos after the Texas floods, and how politicians from Trump to Marjorie Taylor Greene exploit conspiratorial thinking for power. Along the way, we make the case for real media literacy, intellectual humility, and learning to live with complex, less cinematic truths.

Segments & Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

2:38 Why Conspiracy Theories Stick

11:54 Motivated Reasoning, Expertise & Bias

23:40 The Attention Economy & “Do Your Own Research” Culture

38:41 Weather Modification, Chemtrails & Political Weaponization

57:03 Epstein, Elon vs. Trump & the New Politics of Conspiracy

1:15:56 Counter Argument Corner: Is Musk Sitting on Nuclear Info?

1:21:35 Outro

Mentioned:

Abbie Richards for Media Matters: Why TikTok is becoming a playground for absurd AI-generated conspiracy theories

David Gardner on The Daily Beast: How Musk Brought Epstein Back to Life to Win His Bitter War With Trump

Planet Money: Why I Joined DOGE

Connect With Us:

Produced and Engineered by ⁠Ken Wilson⁠ | Original Music by ⁠Robert Lanterman⁠

Website: ⁠thenuancehour.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠@thenuancehour⁠

Email: thenuancehour@gmail.com