NEW EPISODE · SEPTEMBER 22, 2026 · EP 629
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Vol. V · No. 629Tuesday 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

Andrew Yang’s CNBC warning that AI researchers are freaked o. Andrew Yang’s CNBC warning that AI researchers are freaked out because models are “breaking containment” — and Congress is gone until November

02

Why Trump makes his biggest moves when Congress is on break. Why Trump makes his biggest moves when Congress is on break and his poll numbers are underwater

03

Reaper drones being repositioned to Southern Command and why. Reaper drones being repositioned to Southern Command and why Cuba is still on Trump and Rubio’s vision board

04

Joint Chiefs chair Dan Cain telling troops to prepare to wag. Joint Chiefs chair Dan Cain telling troops to prepare to wage and win wars “on and around the moon”



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.