The Chuck ToddCast

Suzanne Kianpour — the Emmy-nominated journalist, Semafor columnist, and Iran specialist who joins the Chuck Toddcast for an extraordinarily personal and deeply informed conversation about what's actually happening inside Iran as the war enters its third week. Kianpour paints a picture of a country where people are terrified and staying home, where Persian New Year will not be a celebration, and where the fabric of the regime is visibly falling apart — yet there was no pre-war effort by the U.S. to organize a viable opposition, meaning the question of who replaces the regime remains dangerously unanswered. She examines whether President Pezeshkian could serve as a transitional figure, notes that the former foreign minister has gone conspicuously quiet, discusses the role of Reza Pahlavi and the women's movement, and reveals that sources inside Iran believe the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, may already be dead. Kianpour delivers the stark bottom line: the regime wins simply by staying intact, and without boots on the ground or a coordinated opposition, air and naval power alone cannot finish the job.
The conversation broadens into a candid assessment of the geopolitical landscape that complicates any clean resolution. Kianpour argues that the U.S. lost the moral high ground when Trump ripped up the Obama nuclear deal a deal she defends as strategically sound even if imperfect — and that Western media has become so reflexively anti-Trump that some outlets almost want the war to fail, which is inadvertently helping the Iranian regime win the information war. She notes that Gulf states were supportive when they thought the strikes would work quickly but are now distancing themselves, that China — which brokered the Iran-Saudi détente — may end up playing the key diplomatic role. Kianpour offers a striking vision of what could emerge from the ashes: a future Iran and Israel could be close allies and co-leaders of a thriving Middle East, tut she cautions that geopolitical forgiveness must be part of any post-regime transition.
Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.
Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code CHUCKTODDCAST at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/chucktoddcast
Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Suzanne Kianpour joins the Chuck ToddCast
01:45 What Sparked the Protests in Iran
03:30 Suzanne's background in Iran, how she became a conflict journalist
07:30 Reporting on the Iran nuclear deal
09:30 Could the Regime Have Fallen on Its Own?
12:00 People in Iran are afraid and are staying at home
14:00 Persian New Year will not be a celebration this year.
16:30 Can the Regime Survive? What Would Change It?
18:30 There was no pre-war effort to organize opposition.
21:30 Pahlavi and the Women's Movement
24:30 President Pazeshkian as a potential transitional figure
27:15 Former foreign minister has gone quiet.
29:00 Regime wins if it stays intact
30:30 Was the Obama Deal naive or strategic?
32:00 U.S. lost moral high ground after Trump ripped up the deal
34:00 Western and European media is so anti-Trump that they almost want him to fail
36:30 The Iranian regime is winning the information war.
39:30 Joe Kent's resignation is being framed as a "wartime defection"
41:15 Air and naval power alone can't guarantee safe passage in Strait of Hormuz
42:45 Gulf states were supportive when they thought it would work, now they're distancing
45:15 China's Role China brokered the Iran-Saudi détente and may play a diplomatic role
47:30 Social media broke the regime’s control over the Iranian public
50:00 The fabric of the regime is now visibly falling apart.
52:15 Israel wanted to permanently eliminate Iran's proxy war capability post-October 7.
54:30 A future Iran and Israel could be close allies and co-leaders of a thriving Middle East
57:15 Geopolitical forgiveness has to be part of any post-regime transition
59:45 Conflict will back into intelligence and covert operations after the kinetic phase.
1:01:00 Sources inside Iran believe the new Supreme Leader may already be dead y.
1:04:30 Where to find Suzanne’s work
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with the two stories dominating the weekend: the Iran war's cascading economic consequences and Trump's vile celebration of Robert Mueller's death. On Iran, Chuck warns that rising energy costs with oil above $100 a barrel are not politically neutral — they function as a tax on existence that directly breaches the contract Trump's own voters signed up for — and that Trump is visibly panicking about gas prices because they disproportionately hurt his base. He argues that killing the Ayatollah was never going to topple the regime because the Iranian leadership doesn't operate as rational actors who can be deterred by suffering, that Trump made the same catastrophic miscalculation Putin made in Ukraine by assuming it would be easy, and that nobody in Trump's orbit will deliver bad news because there is now a North Korea-level sycophancy around the president. He then turns to Trump's Truth Social post celebrating the death of Mueller — a Bronze Star combat veteran, 12-year FBI director, and lifelong public servant who died at 81 from Parkinson's disease — in which Trump wrote "Good, I'm glad he's dead." Chuck notes that even Fox News' Brit Hume tweeted that this is why people don't merely oppose Trump but actively hate him. He argues that character matters in politics more than any policy position, and that Trump is fundamentally incapable of showing grace or knowing when to shut up He revisits the Mueller investigation itself, arguing that the real failure wasn't the probe's legal conclusions — which confirmed Russia took action to help elect Trump and that the campaign expected to benefit from stolen information — but that there were no consequences, and that Trump's refusal to acknowledge Russian help was never about innocence but about protecting the legitimacy of his presidency, with the entire GOP going along because copping to it would have been politically fatal.
Suzanne Kianpour — the Emmy-nominated journalist, Semafor columnist, and Iran specialist who joins the Chuck Toddcast for an extraordinarily personal and deeply informed conversation about what's actually happening inside Iran as the war enters its third week. Kianpour paints a picture of a country where people are terrified and staying home, where Persian New Year will not be a celebration, and where the fabric of the regime is visibly falling apart — yet there was no pre-war effort by the U.S. to organize a viable opposition, meaning the question of who replaces the regime remains dangerously unanswered. She examines whether President Pezeshkian could serve as a transitional figure, notes that the former foreign minister has gone conspicuously quiet, discusses the role of Reza Pahlavi and the women's movement, and reveals that sources inside Iran believe the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, may already be dead. Kianpour delivers the stark bottom line: the regime wins simply by staying intact, and without boots on the ground or a coordinated opposition, air and naval power alone cannot finish the job.
The conversation broadens into a candid assessment of the geopolitical landscape that complicates any clean resolution. Kianpour argues that the U.S. lost the moral high ground when Trump ripped up the Obama nuclear deal a deal she defends as strategically sound even if imperfect — and that Western media has become so reflexively anti-Trump that some outlets almost want the war to fail, which is inadvertently helping the Iranian regime win the information war. She notes that Gulf states were supportive when they thought the strikes would work quickly but are now distancing themselves, that China — which brokered the Iran-Saudi détente — may end up playing the key diplomatic role. Kianpour offers a striking vision of what could emerge from the ashes: a future Iran and Israel could be close allies and co-leaders of a thriving Middle East, tut she cautions that geopolitical forgiveness must be part of any post-regime transition.
Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the nuclear meltdown incident at Three Mile Island and argues that it derailed a massive transition to nuclear energy that could have led to energy independence and potentially avoided multiple wars in the middle east. He also answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.
Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.
Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code CHUCKTODDCAST at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/chucktoddcast
Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
04:15 Launching a new sports history podcast on Tuesday!
08:30 Noosphere interview with Joseph Allbriton
09:45 Providing local news services to the Washington D.C. area
11:30 Bezos didn’t live in DC, didn’t understand WaPo’s mission
12:45 The war in Iran is impacting everything. Everything else is downstream
13:15 Rising energy costs are not politically neutral, a tax on existing
14:15 Rising costs is a breach of the contract Trump voters signed up for
15:45 Iranian regime isn’t going to fight as rational actors, suffering doesn’t deter them
17:00 Killing the Ayatollah was never going to topple the regime
17:45 Nobody will give Trump bad news, he only hears what he wants to hear
19:00 There is a North Korea level of sycophancy around Trump
20:00 Trump made same mistake Putin made in Ukraine… thought it’d be easy
21:15 Trump alienated America’s allies, they want no part of his war
22:00 America is isolated and alone, but really need help from allies
23:45 Trump is finding out the hard way why other presidents didn’t hit Iran
25:15 Trump vacillates on his positions & messaging from day to day
26:15 Trump is panicking about gas prices, affects his voters the most
28:00 Trump celebrates Robert Mueller’s death in Truth Social post
29:45 The levels Trump will stoop to are truly sad
30:30 Brit Hume tweets “This is why people don’t just oppose Trump, they hate him”
31:15 Trump is incapable of ever showing grace or knowing when to shut up
32:15 Character matters in politics more than a policy position
33:15 Failure of Mueller investigation was no consequences for Russian meddling
34:30 Mueller report confirmed that Russia took action to help elect Trump
35:15 Wikileaks releases were very well curated & required American knowledge
37:30 Collusion wasn’t the crime, it was that Trump put himself above the country
39:15 Copping to Russian help would have delegitimized Trump, so GOP went along
40:30 People in Trump’s orbit were fine with Russian meddling since it helped them
41:30 Bob Mueller lived a life of public service, did not deserve Trump’s vile words
42:45 Trump’s supporters were mad about people mocking Charlie Kirk’s death
48:45 Suzanne Kianpour joins the Chuck ToddCast
50:30 What Sparked the Protests in Iran
52:15 Suzanne's background in Iran, how she became a conflict journalist
56:15 Reporting on the Iran nuclear deal
58:15 Could the Regime Have Fallen on Its Own?
1:00:45 People in Iran are afraid and are staying at home
1:02:45 Persian New Year will not be a celebration this year
1:05:15 Can the Regime Survive? What Would Change It?
1:07:15 There was no pre-war effort to organize opposition
1:10:15 Pahlavi and the Women's Movement
1:13:15 President Pazeshkian as a potential transitional figure
1:16:00 Former foreign minister has gone quiet
1:17:45 Regime wins if it stays intact
1:19:15 Was the Obama Deal naive or strategic?
1:20:45 U.S. lost moral high ground after Trump ripped up the deal
1:22:45 Western and European media is so anti-Trump that they almost want him to fail
1:25:15 The Iranian regime is winning the information war
1:28:15 Joe Kent's resignation is being framed as a "wartime defection"
1:30:00 Air and naval power alone can't guarantee safe passage in Strait of Hormuz
1:31:30 Gulf states were supportive when they thought it would work, now they're distancing
1:34:00 China's Role China brokered the Iran-Saudi détente and may play a diplomatic role
1:36:15 Social media broke the regime’s control over the Iranian public
1:38:45 The fabric of the regime is now visibly falling apart
1:41:00 Israel wanted to permanently eliminate Iran's proxy war capability post-October 7
1:43:15 A future Iran and Israel could be close allies and co-leaders of a thriving Middle East
1:46:00 Geopolitical forgiveness has to be part of any post-regime transition
1:48:30 Conflict will back into intelligence and covert operations after the kinetic phase
1:49:45 Sources inside Iran believe the new Supreme Leader may already be dead
1:53:15 Where to find Suzanne’s work
1:54:30 ToddCast Time Machine - March 28th, 1979 - Three Mile Island
1:55:30 It was the fear, not the details that defined the story of Three Mile Island
1:56:15 In the 60’s and 70’s the U.S. was rapidly building nuclear power plants
1:57:15 Operators at Three Mile Island acted logically, but warning system was flawed
1:59:30 Event happened near population center, which increased the panic
2:00:30 Jimmy Carter shown visiting site in protective gear, which shifted the psychology
2:02:45 US stopped building a nuclear future, and was dependent on foreign oil
2:03:45 Nuclear industry tried to recover in the 80s… then Chernobyl happened
2:05:15 Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima all failed for different reasons
2:06:00 Without Three Mile Island, America’s energy system could look very different
2:08:00 Three Mile Island became a symbol of doubt in nuclear energy
2:08:45 Could we have avoided multiple wars in the Middle East?
2:09:00 Ask Chuck
2:09:15 Is Trump’s vilification of political opponents more extreme than other presidents?
2:18:00 Can you recommend some books on James Garfield?
2:20:15 What issues can Democrats moderate on to appeal to independent voters?
2:23:45 Why are Republicans so much better than Democrats at messaging?
2:27:00 Any organizations to help TSA agents affected by shutdown?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd opens with the two stories dominating the weekend: the Iran war's cascading economic consequences and Trump's vile celebration of Robert Mueller's death. On Iran, Chuck warns that rising energy costs with oil above $100 a barrel are not politically neutral — they function as a tax on existence that directly breaches the contract Trump's own voters signed up for — and that Trump is visibly panicking about gas prices because they disproportionately hurt his base. He argues that killing the Ayatollah was never going to topple the regime because the Iranian leadership doesn't operate as rational actors who can be deterred by suffering, that Trump made the same catastrophic miscalculation Putin made in Ukraine by assuming it would be easy, and that nobody in Trump's orbit will deliver bad news because there is now a North Korea-level sycophancy around the president.
He then turns to Trump's Truth Social post celebrating the death of Mueller — a Bronze Star combat veteran, 12-year FBI director, and lifelong public servant who died at 81 from Parkinson's disease — in which Trump wrote "Good, I'm glad he's dead." Chuck notes that even Fox News' Brit Hume tweeted that this is why people don't merely oppose Trump but actively hate him. He argues that character matters in politics more than any policy position, and that Trump is fundamentally incapable of showing grace or knowing when to shut up He revisits the Mueller investigation itself, arguing that the real failure wasn't the probe's legal conclusions — which confirmed Russia took action to help elect Trump and that the campaign expected to benefit from stolen information — but that there were no consequences, and that Trump's refusal to acknowledge Russian help was never about innocence but about protecting the legitimacy of his presidency, with the entire GOP going along because copping to it would have been politically fatal.
Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the nuclear meltdown incident at Three Mile Island and argues that it derailed a massive transition to nuclear energy that could have led to energy independence and potentially avoided multiple wars in the middle east. He also answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.
Link in bio or go to https://getsoul.com & enter code TODDCAST for 30% off your first order.
Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code CHUCKTODDCAST at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/chucktoddcast
Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life!
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
04:15 Launching a new sports history podcast on Tuesday!
08:30 Noosphere interview with Joseph Allbriton
09:45 Providing local news services to the Washington D.C. area
11:30 Bezos didn’t live in DC, didn’t understand WaPo’s mission
12:45 The war in Iran is impacting everything. Everything else is downstream
13:15 Rising energy costs are not politically neutral, a tax on existing
14:15 Rising costs is a breach of the contract Trump voters signed up for
15:45 Iranian regime isn’t going to fight as rational actors, suffering doesn’t deter them
17:00 Killing the Ayatollah was never going to topple the regime
17:45 Nobody will give Trump bad news, he only hears what he wants to hear
19:00 There is a North Korea level of sycophancy around Trump
20:00 Trump made same mistake Putin made in Ukraine… thought it’d be easy
21:15 Trump alienated America’s allies, they want no part of his war
22:00 America is isolated and alone, but really need help from allies
23:45 Trump is finding out the hard way why other presidents didn’t hit Iran
25:15 Trump vacillates on his positions & messaging from day to day
26:15 Trump is panicking about gas prices, affects his voters the most
28:00 Trump celebrates Robert Mueller’s death in Truth Social post
29:45 The levels Trump will stoop to are truly sad
30:30 Brit Hume tweets “This is why people don’t just oppose Trump, they hate him”
31:15 Trump is incapable of ever showing grace or knowing when to shut up
32:15 Character matters in politics more than a policy position
33:15 Failure of Mueller investigation was no consequences for Russian meddling
34:30 Mueller report confirmed that Russia took action to help elect Trump
35:15 Wikileaks releases were very well curated & required American knowledge
37:30 Collusion wasn’t the crime, it was that Trump put himself above the country
39:15 Copping to Russian help would have delegitimized Trump, so GOP went along
40:30 People in Trump’s orbit were fine with Russian meddling since it helped them
41:30 Bob Mueller lived a life of public service, did not deserve Trump’s vile words
42:45 Trump’s supporters were mad about people mocking Charlie Kirk’s death
47:30 ToddCast Time Machine - March 28th, 1979 - Three Mile Island
48:30 It was the fear, not the details that defined the story of Three Mile Island
49:15 In the 60’s and 70’s the U.S. was rapidly building nuclear power plants
50:15 Operators at Three Mile Island acted logically, but warning system was flawed
52:30 Event happened near population center, which increased the panic
53:30 Jimmy Carter shown visiting site in protective gear, which shifted the psychology
55:45 US stopped building a nuclear future, and was dependent on foreign oil
56:45 Nuclear industry tried to recover in the 80s… then Chernobyl happened
58:15 Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima all failed for different reasons
59:00 Without Three Mile Island, America’s energy system could look very different
1:01:00 Three Mile Island became a symbol of doubt in nuclear energy
1:01:45 Could we have avoided multiple wars in the Middle East?
1:02:00 Ask Chuck
1:02:15 Is Trump’s vilification of political opponents more extreme than other presidents?
1:11:00 Can you recommend some books on James Garfield?
1:13:15 What issues can Democrats moderate on to appeal to independent voters?
1:16:45 Why are Republicans so much better than Democrats at messaging?
1:20:00 Any organizations to help TSA agents affected by shutdown?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Oklahoma Congressman and now president of Americans for Responsible Innovation Brad Carson joins the Chuck Toddcast for a wide-ranging conversation about why AI may be the most consequential policy issue nobody in Washington is seriously addressing. They discuss why Americans are uniquely pessimistic about AI compared to the rest of the world, and for good reason: huge AI money is pouring into races like the Illinois Senate primary where outside groups and PACs are far outspending actual campaigns, Elon Musk's Grok chatbot adopted a "MechaHitler" persona and is now integrated at the Pentagon, we have virtually no visibility into what's happening inside AI labs or how these systems are being deployed, and the same technology that could deliver incredible medical breakthroughs could also be used to develop bioweapons. Carson argues that immunizing tech companies with Section 230 was a massive mistake — the law passed before anyone understood how the technology would evolve — and that recommendation algorithms effectively make platforms publishers, meaning the Supreme Court has fundamentally misinterpreted the First Amendment when it comes to tech regulation.

He makes the case that state-level regulation may be the more immediate solution given congressional dysfunction and warns that surveillance pricing — where companies like the Washington Post reportedly examined subscribers' credit reports when setting prices — seems blatantly unconstitutional. They contend that consumer protection for AI would be a winning political message for either party, that the electrical grid alone will need a trillion dollars in investment to support AI's energy demands, and that letting the private sector roll out this technology without guardrails is an enormous risk.

Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code CHUCKTODDCAST at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/chucktoddcast
Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.
Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.

Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Rep. Brad Carson joins the Chuck ToddCast
02:30 Americans are uniquely pessimistic about AI
03:30 What is Americans for Responsible Innovation & who funds it?
05:15 Anthropic believes that AI needs reasonable guardrails
05:45 Huge AI money pouring into Illinois primary races
06:45 Outside groups & PACs are far outspending actual campaigns
08:15 Money is destroying democracy, SCOTUS let it get out of hand
09:45 Immunizing tech companies with Section 230 was a huge mistake
11:00 Courts need to develop common law for regulating tech
12:15 Recommendation algorithms make tech platforms a publisher
13:15 SCOTUS misinterpreted 1st amendment when regulating tech
14:15 Sec. 230 passed before knowing how the tech would evolve
15:30 State level regulation may be the more immediate solution
16:30 How do you determine which candidates to support?
18:00 The tech isn’t unpopular, it’s how it has interacted with U.S. politics
19:00 We know social media is bad for us, but can’t quit it
20:15 Congressional leadership has stood in the way of regulation
21:30 What’s a safer way to roll out AI regulation in a broken political system?
22:45 There are certain safeguards that must be built into AI models
23:30 Grok took on a “MechaHitler” persona & is integrated at the Pentagon
25:15 Letting the private sector roll out AI without regulation is a huge risk
26:00 We have no visibility into AI labs or how it’s being deployed
27:30 AI can be used for incredible medical advances… or bioweapons
29:30 Ron DeSantis is proposing an “AI Bill of Rights” in Florida
30:15 Surveillance pricing seems incredibly unconstitutional and illegal
31:00 Washington Post looked at subscribers’ credit reports when pricing
32:30 People deserve to know if AI is evaluating them when applying for jobs
34:00 We haven’t had enough debate around the AI issue
34:45 Who can be a trusted voice to lead the debate?
36:15 Consumer protection for AI would be a winning political message
38:30 Fear of AI job displacement & rising electricity prices at the forefront
39:45 The electrical grid will need a trillion dollars invested into it
41:15 The difference between Oklahoma Democrats & national ones?
43:45 The tribes have become the check on Republicans in Oklahoma
45:45 Ossoff & Buttigieg are two potential ‘28 Dems that stand out
46:45 Dems need to attack Trump for lying to base, rather than attack his voters
48:00 How did you like being the president of Tulsa University?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd digs into the wreckage of the Illinois primary — where more than $50 million in outside money from crypto, AI, and AIPAC-linked groups flooded Democratic races — and asks what it means for the future of American democracy when PACs and outside groups are far outspending the actual campaigns they're trying to influence. He credits Stratton for being able to overcome the massive crypto onslaught — a rare and significant defeat for an industry that has been buying influence across both parties — but warns that her victory required a billionaire governor's financial backing to counteract billionaire-funded opposition, which only underscores the problem.
He traces the rot back to McCain-Feingold, arguing that the landmark campaign finance law inadvertently weakened the parties by decentralizing money, which in turn decentralized accountability — and that the Supreme Court's subsequent decisions let the situation spiral completely out of control. He calls out Chuck Schumer directly for caving to crypto money and pressuring his caucus to go along, notes that campaign finance reform feels like an unwinnable issue because the people who benefit from the current system are the ones who'd have to change it, He closes with a broader observation: with money deciding which candidates are viable before voters even weigh in, and with the country having produced three consecutive one-term presidents, American politics is likely to remain deeply unstable for years to come.
Former Oklahoma Congressman and now president of Americans for Responsible Innovation Brad Carson joins the Chuck Toddcast for a wide-ranging conversation about why AI may be the most consequential policy issue nobody in Washington is seriously addressing. They discuss why Americans are uniquely pessimistic about AI compared to the rest of the world, and for good reason: huge AI money is pouring into races like the Illinois Senate primary where outside groups and PACs are far outspending actual campaigns, Elon Musk's Grok chatbot adopted a "MechaHitler" persona and is now integrated at the Pentagon, we have virtually no visibility into what's happening inside AI labs or how these systems are being deployed, and the same technology that could deliver incredible medical breakthroughs could also be used to develop bioweapons. Carson argues that immunizing tech companies with Section 230 was a massive mistake — the law passed before anyone understood how the technology would evolve — and that recommendation algorithms effectively make platforms publishers, meaning the Supreme Court has fundamentally misinterpreted the First Amendment when it comes to tech regulation.
He makes the case that state-level regulation may be the more immediate solution given congressional dysfunction and warns that surveillance pricing — where companies like the Washington Post reportedly examined subscribers' credit reports when setting prices — seems blatantly unconstitutional. They contend that consumer protection for AI would be a winning political message for either party, that the electrical grid alone will need a trillion dollars in investment to support AI's energy demands, and that letting the private sector roll out this technology without guardrails is an enormous risk.
Finally, he answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment.
Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code CHUCKTODDCAST at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/chucktoddcast
Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.
Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary.
Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00: Chuck Todd’s introduction
02:15: AI & Pac money dominates the Illinois Primary
05:30: Campaign finance reform feels like an “unwinnable issue”
08:30 McCain-Feingold weakened the parties
11:00 Chuck Schumer caves to huge crypto money
12:30 Illinois primary became Ground Zero for Donor-Centered Politics
15:15 Juliana Stratton was able to overcome massive crypto donors.
16:45: Decentralizing money decentralized accountability
18:15 Money decides which candidates are viable
21:45 Should Democrats find their own billionaire?
26:30 U.S. politics likely to remain unstable, with multiple 1 term presidents
36:00 Rep. Brad Carson joins the Chuck ToddCast
38:30 Americans are uniquely pessimistic about AI
39:30 What is Americans for Responsible Innovation & who funds it?
41:15 Anthropic believes that AI needs reasonable guardrails
41:45 Huge AI money pouring into Illinois primary races
42:45 Outside groups & PACs are far outspending actual campaigns
44:15 Money is destroying democracy, SCOTUS let it get out of hand
45:45 Immunizing tech companies with Section 230 was a huge mistake
47:00 Courts need to develop common law for regulating tech
48:15 Recommendation algorithms make tech platforms a publisher
49:15 SCOTUS misinterpreted 1st amendment when regulating tech
50:15 Sec. 230 passed before knowing how the tech would evolve
51:30 State level regulation may be the more immediate solution
52:30 How do you determine which candidates to support?
54:00 The tech isn’t unpopular, it’s how it has interacted with U.S. politics
55:00 We know social media is bad for us, but can’t quit it
56:15 Congressional leadership has stood in the way of regulation
57:30 What’s a safer way to roll out AI regulation in a broken political system?
58:45 There are certain safeguards that must be built into AI models
59:30 Grok took on a “MechaHitler” persona & is integrated at the Pentagon
1:01:15 Letting the private sector roll out AI without regulation is a huge risk
1:02:00 We have no visibility into AI labs or how it’s being deployed
1:03:30 AI can be used for incredible medical advances… or bioweapons
1:05:30 Ron DeSantis is proposing an “AI Bill of Rights” in Florida
1:06:15 Surveillance pricing seems incredibly unconstitutional and illegal
1:07:00 Washington Post looked at subscribers’ credit reports when pricing
1:08:30 People deserve to know if AI is evaluating them when applying for jobs
1:10:00 We haven’t had enough debate around the AI issue
1:10:45 Who can be a trusted voice to lead the debate?
1:12:15 Consumer protection for AI would be a winning political message
1:14:30 Fear of AI job displacement & rising electricity prices at the forefront
1:15:45 The electrical grid will need a trillion dollars invested into it
1:17:15 The difference between Oklahoma Democrats & national ones?
1:19:45 The tribes have become the check on Republicans in Oklahoma
1:21:45 Ossoff & Buttigieg are two potential ‘28 Dems that stand out
1:22:45 Dems need to attack Trump for lying to base, rather than attack his voters
1:24:00 How did you like being the president of Tulsa University?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.