An editorial-style Brief from Matthew, who’s been parenting as a stepdad and biodad for long enough to know that parents and the childless absolutely need each other.

We run down the most cursed Kamala conspiracy theories, how they distort the real questions about her, how being a childless cat lady is her superpower, and whether the ghouls that dream them up really matter.

A tale of two tweets: Dark Horse podcast cohost and “conspiracy hypothesizer” Bret Weinstein took to Twitter twice this month, first dropping a video claiming that RFK Jr becoming Donald Trump’s running mate would make them “assassination proof,” then later floating the idea that an AI Joe Biden really phoned into Kamala Harris’s first conference as the presumptive presidential nominee. Or…is Biden even alive?

Where does JD Vance fit into the conspirituality landscape? We break down a speech from an intimate invitation-only conservative event hosted in 2021 by the Teneo Network. Behind closed doors, Vance encourages his audience to listen to the unique truths of conspiracy theorists, calls for more right-wing oligarchs, and warns about the devil.

Gaming journalist and Master of Divinity Riley MacLeod joins Matthew to talk about whether the hit indie game Cult of the Lamb might be all the inoculation against cultic dynamics that generation Alpha ever needs. 

Two landmark Supreme Court decisions represent the legal institutionalization of the core values of conspirituality: self-sovereignty, natural immunity or divine protection, and “doing your own research.” The attempted assassination on the former president forged the essence of these two rulings into a stunning still life of Trump’s image for those who love him and those he’s appointed to serve him. 

Kevin Roberts is the mastermind behind Project 2025, Heritage’s 920-page “presidential transition” agenda that seeks to implement authoritarian power in America. The text combines the anti-regulatory stance of libertarianism, laissez faire capitalism on steroids as espoused by conservatives, and the heinous and anti-democratic religious dogma of Christian nationalists, and it’s finally receiving a lot of attention.

Today we’re looking at a lavish infomercial put out by New Age oligarch and RFK Jr superfan Aubrey Marcus, in which he tries to show the world that his very expensive encounter group, Fit For Service, is definitely not a cult. And at how Matthew got quoted in the opening montage as though he endorsed FFS as an “anti-cult.” He hasn’t.

Freebirth mogul Yolande Norris Clark now joins the growing ranks of converts from conspirituality to Orthodox Christianity. How will she square her politics of the divine feminine with a hyper-patriarchal tradition? Or is it really such a stretch? 

Matthew and Julian examine the gap between how spiritual aspirations appear and are praised or condemned in the world of the spectacle, and how they play out in the flesh.

Last month, Russell Brand visited Jordan Peterson's podcast for “The Evolution of Theology.” Which, given these two figures, had to focus on topics like the unreligious impulsivity of gay people and why slaves should “just not be slaves.” Derek and Julian discuss.

The US Military was recently outed for conducting a clandestine campaign that spread anti-vax propaganda throughout Asia. What will the conspiritualists do when confronted with an actual government conspiracy based in the anti-vax lies they’ve been spreading?

Julian tracks how Leonard Leo’s Federalist Society used Trump as part of a decades-long systematic takeover of the judicial system that culminated in the current ethics and corruption scandal in the SCOTUS.

Terrence Howard is still claiming that 1x1=2 in his most recent version of Terryology. Is it all good fun, or something more dangerous?

Terrence Howard recently made waves (again) when appearing on Joe Rogan’s podcast to discuss “Terryology,” a language of logic which he claims proves one times one equals two. Eric Weinstein appeared on physicist Brian Keating’s podcast to refute the theory—and much more.

Dave Asprey recently held his 10th annual Biohacking Conference in Dallas. Mallory DeMille returns to discuss the conference after everyone discusses the history of biohack…bioquacking.

Playwright and theater scholar Hank Willenbrink joins Matthew to look at the spectacle of Donald Trump through the lens of performance studies. 

Renee Diresta joins to discuss her new book, Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality.

Julian talks to “Dancing for the Devil” series director, Derek Doneen, about the TikTok dance cult, 7M Films.

Biomedical scientist Dr Andrea Love and cosmetic chemist Dr Michelle Wong talk to Derek about the Environmental Working Group’s questionable methodologies and fear-mongering tactics.