NEW EPISODE · AUGUST 11, 2026 · EP 597
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Vol. V · No. 597Wednesday Edition
Righteous MediaSince 1776. Est. 2019

Episode 470

200 Billion and Counting

The Pentagon drops a staggering funding request for Iran, drones hit U.S. bases, and the 'Secretary of Culture War' preaches from the podium while unlikely allies from Joe Kent to MTG start breaking ranks.

The Brief

→ Four things from today’s episode
01

Why the primary is the election. 95% of U.S. House races across Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, and Wisconsin are uncompetitive in November

02

The hard number. 935,892 unaffiliated Connecticut voters — 41.5% of the state — locked out of today's closed primary

03

Connecticut's real registration breakdown. independents 935K, Democrats 792K, Republicans 489K — independents are first

04

129,563 Connecticut veterans caught in the lockout, with an. 129,563 Connecticut veterans caught in the lockout, with an estimated 63,000 identifying as independent



It’s episode 470 and Paul Rieckhoff is solo in New York on the first day of spring, bringing his trademark mix of independence, insight, and righteous outrage as March Madness tips off across America. From Kurtis Blow’s “Basketball” to bracket-busting Cinderella stories like 12-seed High Point, Paul lays out his “fab five” vibes—integrity, independence, information, inspiration, and impact—and explains why this tournament is one of the few things still uniting the country. But he also exposes a much darker kind of March madness: Trump’s escalating war with Iran, the Pentagon’s stunning 200 billion dollar funding request, and the hidden lifetime costs of traumatic brain injuries and VA care that the White House refuses to own.