A.R. and Rebecca discuss our top story this week: are we really in a “constitutional crisis” as various media outlets claim?

This episode also dives into DOGE, Trump’s “Mar-a-Gaza” proposal, Kier Starmer and the Online Safety Act, and New York Mayor Eric Adams’ prosecution.

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https://www.nysun.com

This is Sanity, a podcast by The New York Sun.

A.R. Hoffman (Associate Editor of the Sun) and Rebecca Sugar (Columnist at the Sun) will be joined by buzzy and thoughtful guests to break down the week’s news, share their hot takes and long views on where it's all heading, and keep you sane all the while.

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On this week's episode we debated what the retention of NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch might mean for a Mamdani mayoralty, reported on newsworthy developments on immigration and national security in North Carolina and Texas, debriefed on the latest in the Epstein Files, and were outraged at a mob attacking a Manhattan synagogue.

On this episode we debated the latest news from the Epstein files, analyzed the visit of Syria’s new president to the White House, lamented Germany's capitulation on Christmas, and were flabbergasted by Zohran Mamdani's just-disclosed first reaction to October 7.

On this episode we broke down the Gaza hostage deal, deep dove into Trump's escalating offensive against Antifa, discussed the legal intricacies of deploying the National Guard, talked about Chinese SIM cards, and debriefed about Greta Thunberg's Mediterranean cruise.

Aid in Gaza and Around the Globe: Ken Isaacs

In this interview we picked the brain of Ken Issacs, a senior leader at Samaritan's Purse. We talked about the politics of aid, helping people in combat zones, what works and what doesn't in the world's most dangerous places, and what he saw in Gaza.

On this episode we discussed the 20-point Gaza Plan, predicted the winners and losers of the government shutdown, broke down that Pfizer drug deal, wondered what is going on with Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and Tucker Carlson, and caught up on some shenanigans across the Atlantic Ocean.

Inside the Vaccine Debate: Aaron Siri

In this interview we talked to the lawyer Aaron Siri, an ally of RFK Jr., about vaccines, the CDC, the MAHA movement, Covid-19, and that press conference about Tylenol and autism. Listen for the inside scoop on what is fast becoming one of the most controversial policy areas of Trump's second term

In this conversation we broke down Trump's UN speech, speculated on the future of Europe, wondered about a broken escalator, assessed the H1B visa controversy, and proposed that Barack Obama and Kamala Harris might be reading from the same cheat sheet.

The State of Censorship Today

In this interview we picked the brain of Andrew Lowenthal, the CEO of liber-net who worked closely with Matt Taibbi on the Twitter Files and has broken stories on the Virality Project, the Atlantic Council, and Australia’s censorship regime. He brought us up to date on the state of free speech around the globe.

On this episode we analyzed every dimension of the free speech debate convulsing the country, explored the legal dimensions of domestic terrorism, celebrated Israel's Iron Beam, weighed in on the future of AI, and discussed a salacious scandal in Iran.

On this episode we discussed the shocking and horrible murder of Charlie Kirk, heard from Ari about the mood on the ground in Israel, wondered why in the world magistrates are judging, remembered 9/11, and read Kamala Harris’s book so you don’t have to.

In this interview we talked with the CEO of Xtend, Aviv Shapira. Xtend designs cutting-edge military-grade tactical drones powered by AI for America, Israel, Ukraine, and other countries. We discussed the future of warfare, robotics on the battlefield, humanoid soldiers, and the next chapter of global conflict.

In this episode we debated RFK Jr.'s tenure in office, caught up with the latest on the immigration front, kept the pressure on Britain over freedom of speech, unmasked the latest libel against Israel, and gave Mayor Adams some love.

In this interview we talked about all things Mamdani with Heather Mac Donald, the Thomas W. Smith Fellow at the Manhattan Institute. We dove into the implications of the new mayor's policies, the nature of the electorate that catapulted Mamdani to power, and what lies ahead for New York.

In this interview we gamed out Israel's path to victory in Gaza, considered the state of play in the global diplomatic arena, received a dispatch from the military front lines, and were briefed on the Jewish state's progress against Iran, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and more.

On this episode we reacted to the horrific shooting in Minnesota, broke down the constitutional considerations behind banning flag burning and firing Lisa Cook at the Fed, debated Nigel Farage and Emmanuel Macron, speculated on Uncle Sam's new stake in Intel, and opined on a parade from hell in the UK.

On this episode we delved into the latest on the Russia-Ukraine front, went behind the scenes on the effort to renovate the Smithsonian, read the tea leaves on the latest voter registration numbers, and debriefed on the Ten Commandments and those wild New Yorker tweets.

In this episode we broke down what's happening in D.C., predicted might happen in Alaska when Putin and Trump gather for their summit, dove into the details of the looming cases against Letitia James and Adam Schiff, took the temperature of the populist surge in Europe, and chided GQ for thirst trapping a terrorist sympathizer.

In this interview we checked in with the commissioner of the FDNY, Robert Tucker. He told us about the leading cause of fire in the city, what New York is learning from California's experience with wildfires, when it's ok to wander into a firehouse, and what the FDNY and NYPD really think about each other.

In this episode we debated the endgame in Gaza, dove into the gerrymandering drama in Texas, wondered about Trump's plans for Washington, D.C., scouted out a new religious liberty frontier, and broke down why that Mahmoud Khalil interview is so chilling.

In this interview we spoke with leading demographer Jennifer Sciubba about the global population, whether we have too many people or too few, which countries are most and least optimistic about the future, and what is the ideal number of children per family (the answer to this might surprise you!)

In this episode we debated the Trump administration's turn toward prosecuting President Obama, dove into the details on the crisis in Gaza, reported on Microsoft and China, wondered what's going on with Alina Habba in New Jersey, and delivered snap reactions on the deal cut by Columbia.

We debrief with the senator from Oklahoma on why he is bullish on the mammoth legislation, what its critics are getting wrong, why he has no regrets about the bipartisan immigration bill that wasn't, and why he is predicting an American revival for our 250th birthday.

On this episode we measured the Epstein fallout, debated Trump's Ukraine pivot, broke down the growing weirdness in the NYC mayoral race, debuted a new segment, and sussed out the stakes of the bombing of Damascus.

On this episode we discussed all things mayoral. We analyzed the results, debriefed on the campaign, and predicted what the next four years will look like — and strategized how to fight back. We also talked about tariffs, debated the filibuster, reported on the implosion at Heritage, and drilled down into the numbers on SNAP.

In this conversation we picked a legendary political guru's brain about the NYC mayoral race, dug deep into the Democratic divide over Israel, read the tea leaves on Trump's poll numbers, and ran through a Rolodex that includes Bill Clinton and Menachem Begin.

On this episode we mourned the victims of the flash floods in Texas, analyzed Biden's doctor invoking the Fifth Amendment, discovered why farm policy is vital for national security, and took a stand against cancelling friends — or anyone else.

In this interview we talked with abolitionist and human rights activist Charles Jacobs about the scourge of contemporary slavery, why its brutality is ignored by elites in the West, and his lessons learned fighting against barbarism everywhere, from South Sudan to southern Israel.

On this episode we debated the One Big Beautiful Bill, broke down the Diddy verdict, unpacked how class action lawsuits could be the next legal frontier in the resistance to Trump, unloaded on the horror at Glastonbury, reflected on why America matters more than ever, and celebrated Thomas Sowell as a national treasure in honor of his 95th birthday.

On this episode A.R. and Rebecca debrief the Israel-Iran War and anticipate some major Middle East announcements, digest Zohran Mandami's shellacking of Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary, and react to a memorable day at the Supreme Court.

Strategic consultant and pollster John McLaughlin predicts Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is likely to be the next mayor of New York City, Governor Kathy Hochul may not be the next governor of the State of New York, and the Republicans might hold Congress in the midterms.

In this episode Rebecca speaks with Jeff Lewis about crypto, Bitcoin, stablecoins, tokenization and why there really is nothing new under the sun. The future may not belong to banks, no one is being freed from "the system", and transparency on the blockchain will change everything. A.R. is still in and out of bomb shelters in Tel Aviv and Senator Elizabeth Warren delivers the quote of the week.

Rising Lion: Sirens, bomb shelters, rubble and the path to a new Middle East. Rebecca interviews A.R. who is on the ground in Israel as war with Iran continues.

On this episode Rebecca speaks with the Director of the Independent Medical Alliance about being anti-MrNA vaccines but not an anti-vaxxer, the power of Ivermectin, AI in medical schools and the US medical system's ranking just below Cuba.

Also A.R. was off this week, leaving Rebecca alone to wonder who is more insane - the anti-ICE rioters or their apologists...

In this interview we went deep with a maven of start ups and philanthropy, Mark Gerson on his new book, “God Was Right: How Modern Social Science Proves That the Torah Is True.” It’s a provocative thesis, and we had fun with it- and think you will too.

The Right's Moment of Truth With James Lindsay

We sat down for a wide-ranging conversation with author and activist James Lindsay about the woke left and right, his recent trip to Israel, what's behind Tucker Carlson's latest transformation, and how to think about religion in public life.

On this episode we analyzed the Trump-Musk crack up, caught up on the latest deportation news out of Boulder, wondered when culture got so tawdry, and picked winners and losers from the first mayoral debate.

We chatted with Paul Dreyer, a cities policy analyst at the Manhattan Institute, about immigration, New York as a "sanctuary city," the stakes of the mayoral election, and what's next for Riker's Island.

On this episode, we worried about an AI takeover, broke down the "Big Beautiful Bill" and DOGE's sunset, asked hard questions about Gaza and Ukraine, wondered what American universities owe America, and warned what a Mayor Mamdani could mean for NYC.

On this episode, we were joined by legal scholar Alan Dershowitz. We discussed the Trump administration's battle with courts, the professor's favorite and least favorite clients, how he would solve the immigration crisis, and what to do about antisemitism on campus.

In this episode, we discussed the murders — and the ideology that is responsible for those deaths —of two members of Israel's embassy, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, a couple who exemplified the best of us. We also got philosophical about the Biden cover up, debriefed on the surreal South African sit down in the Oval Office, and told Washington to stop meddling in our New York City political mess.

On this episode, we spoke to Tiffany Justice, a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation who is at the forefront of parental rights. We talked about the legacy of Covid, the importance of school choice, gender ideology, and what the RFK- Trump alliance will look like going forward.

On this episode we discussed "Qatar Force One," previewed Trump's new world order that emerged under the Arabian sky, analyzed what suspending habeas corpus might really mean, and speculated on why Israel drives Glenn Greenwald out of whack.

We sat down with acclaimed journalist Yardena Schwartz to talk about her book "Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine That Ignited the Arab-Israeli Conflict." Our conversation covered the possibilities for peace, the sacred and bloody history of Hebron, the failures of Oslo, the root causes of October 7, the future of Zionism, and the traumas of exile.

On this episode we tracked Leo XIV’s journey from the Windy City to the Eternal City, dropped in on the Met Gala and Diddy’s trial, talked civil rights, dinged the Pulitzers, and took on Newark Airport trauma.

In this episode, the president of the Government Accountability Institute, Peter Schweizer, joins us to talk about government corruption, China's fentanyl strategy, the logic of tariffs, and which former president he wants to see prosecuted.

Ray Kelly: How To Keep New York Safe

On this live episode of Sanity, we spoke with former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly about crime in the city, what a Mamdani mayoralty could mean, how he thinks the surge of antisemitism can be stopped, and what he would do if Trump sends in the national guard to New York City.

On this episode we broke down the highs and lows from Trump's second 100 first days, analyzed Canada's election results and discussed as much of Harvard's antisemitism report as we could bear. Plus, are you a "vector of disinformation?" Tune in to find out.

On this episode, we’re joined by the actor and activist Nate Buzolic, who is best known for his role as Kol Mikaelson in the “Vampire Diaries” and “the Originals.” We dove deep into his Christian faith, Hollywood's politics, his passion for the Jewish people, and his work in the wake of the October 7th terror attacks in Israel.