In episode 75 of Night Owls, John Ellis and Joe Klein pour a late-night double of geopolitics, economics, and technological dread. The conversation opens with President Trump’s latest press conference on Iran, where the rhetoric is hot, the implications hotter, and the margin for miscalculation somewhere between “razor-thin” and “catastrophic.” Ellis and Klein unpack the strange chessboard of Middle Eastern politics, where every move, whether military, rhetorical, or symbolic, reverberates through Israel’s strategic calculus, Iran’s internal factions, and America’s appetite for risk.

Back home, the mood doesn’t exactly lighten. Inflation continues its slow, grinding assault on American consumers, turning everyday purchases into small existential crises. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence looms over the labor market like an unpaid intern who just learned how to do your job better than you can. Ellis and Klein explore what happens when automation stops being theoretical and starts quietly rearranging reality.

Then comes the truly unnerving frontier: deepfakes. In a world where seeing is no longer believing, the hosts examine how synthetic media threatens to collapse the already fragile boundary between truth and fiction, and what that means for democracy, journalism, and basic sanity.

Finally, the episode closes with a reflection on Jesse Jackson’s political legacy and the shifting power dynamics inside a Democratic Party that seems, depending on the day, either on the brink of reinvention or total confusion.

Hosted by John Ellis and Joe Klein

Sanity Clause on Substack

News Items on Substack

Produced by Dale Eisinger

In the 2026 premier of Night Owls, John Ellis and Joe Klein recap Trump's first year of his second first term as president. The discussion begins with Trump's behavior at the recent Davos conference, which raised more concerns about the president's mental "capacity". They wonder when the "elite" news media is going to address the "mental capacity" issue directly. Moving right along, they consider the Republican and Democratic parties' challenges leading up to the 2026 elections, the importance of cultural issues and the Democratic Party's over-optimism about "the affordability crisis." The conversation also highlights education reforms in Mississippi, ongoing international conflicts, and the rise of AI technology. A lightning round closes the episode, with the hosts selecting their favorite books, movies, series, and sports moments of 2025.

Hosted by John Ellis and Joe Klein

Sanity Clause on Substack

News Items on Substack

Produced by Dale Eisinger

In this episode of Night Owls, hosts John Ellis and Joe Klein discuss a range of political topics, focusing on Donald Trump's recent behavior, mental health, and the implications for the Republican Party. They explore the political landscape, including the dynamics of the upcoming elections, Trump's foreign policy regarding Ukraine, and the economic challenges facing the nation, such as healthcare and affordability. The conversation also touches on the impact of artificial intelligence on employment and concludes with year-end personal reflections on cultural issues and recommendations for books and movies.

Hosted by John Ellis and Joe Klein

Sanity Clause on Substack

News Items on Substack