Vox

Congressman James Clyburn remains one of the defining architects of modern Democratic politics. But as a new generation of voters pushes for structural reform, is the establishment listening?
Vox’s Astead Herndon sits down with 86-year-old Clyburn to challenge him on corporate PAC contributions, the lessons of the 2024 election, and whether experience should triumph over generational turnover.
00:00 – Intro
01:22 – Why Rep. Jim Clyburn decided to run for reelection at 86
05:32 – Experience vs. youth in Congress and the debate over cognitive tests
09:08 – Looking back at Joe Biden's 2024 debate performance and reelection bid
11:34 – Working across the aisle: Clyburn on his relationship with Sen. Lindsey Graham
12:38 – Are younger politicians too rigid?
14:26 – The CBC’s defense of corporate PAC money
19:02 – Technology, AI, and how veteran lawmakers legislate modern issues
20:32 – Navigating the Democratic primaries
25:43 – Who is to blame for the Democratic Party’s brand problem?
30:35 - Lessons from the Biden administration and Kamala Harris’s defeat
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For years, right-wing influencers and politicians have pushed the conservative movement to have more controversial, anti-establishment views. Why are some of those figures now upset about where the movement has ended up?
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In today’s episode, guest host Bryan Walsh speaks with Vox Senior Correspondent Zack Beauchamp about conservatives who decry the extremist direction that the right is moving but refuse to recognize the role they played in pushing the movement in that direction. The two discuss US Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), pundit Ben Shapiro, podcaster Candace Owens, the drivers of conservative extremism, and what the party might look like after Donald Trump.
Guest Host: Bryan Walsh, Vox Senior Editorial Director
Guest: Zack Beauchamp, Vox Senior Correspondent
Read Zack’s essay: The MAGA stars freaked out by their own movement
00:00 Intro
01:54 Who are the ‘hot dog men?’
03:41 US Rep. Thomas Massie and President Trump
07:26 Ben Shapiro and Candace Owens
16:23 Why scandal doesn’t stick to President Trump
23:04 Why the America Right keeps moving towards more controversial views
30:17 Anti-semitism and American politics
36:48 The future of the conservative movement
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Worried about the spread of the diarrhea-causing illness cyclosporiasis? A healthier gut might better prepare your body to deal with it. With all the noise of wellness experts and coaches, we decided to go directly to doctors and researchers who have been studying gut health and the human microbiome for decades.
Gut health is everywhere right now. The hashtag #GutTok has over 6 billion views on TikTok, the global digestive health product market is worth over $60 billion, and viral trends that promise to “hack your gut” through miracle products, cleanses, and restrictive diets are all the rage. But what does gut health really mean, and what can science tell us about how to make sure our gut is in good shape?
With so many voices chiming in on gut health, pushing everything from probiotic foods and supplements to wellness shots and coffee enemas, it can be hard to tell what information is based on real research and what might just be a marketing gimmick or social media clickbait. Vox producer Benjamin Stephen spoke to doctors and visited Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles to bust some gut health myths for science-backed advice.
Read more about gut health and gut microbiome research:
Vox editor Katherine Courage’s book, Cultured: How Ancient Foods Can Feed Our Microbiome: https://katherinecourage.com/book/
Cedars-Sinai’s Human Microbiome Research Institute: https://www.cedars-sinai.edu/health-sciences-university/research/departments-institutes/medicine/human-microbiome.html
The MAST program at Cedars-Sinai: https://csmast.com/
Trisha Pasricha’s book, You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong: https://www.trishapasricha.com/youvebeenpoopingallwrong
Vox’s explainer video on probiotics in yogurt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYj09lx15ik
Pew Research’s findings on why people look to influencers for health and wellness information: https://www.pewresearch.org/data-labs/2026/05/07/why-do-americans-get-information-from-health-and-wellness-influencers-and-how-do-they-find-them/
The Myths and Scientific Realities About Gut Microbiota: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12525918/
This video is presented by Colgate. Colgate doesn’t have a say in our editorial decisions, but they make videos like this one possible.
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Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com.
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