Two days after Corey Ruiz was shot and killed by a Madison police officer, AJ (a criminal defense attorney) and Adrian Alan (a 20-year law enforcement veteran and use-of-force expert) sat down to do what mainstream media hasn't: watch the video slowly, read the record completely, and follow the analysis wherever it goes.

Full disclosure up front: Adrian is my friend. I've trained with him, I've done a ride-along with him, and we disagree about plenty — including, on past episodes, whether an officer should be charged with murder. That's the point of this show.

What we cover: what the video actually shows • why the tasers failed, and the physics of why distance matters • "why not shoot him in the leg" — answered honestly • the three shots, and how fast a human brain actually works • Ruiz's public court record: dozens of Dane County cases since 2007, what he was sentenced to, and what truth-in-sentencing actually means • mental health, competency, and NGI, explained by someone who argues them for a living • race and sentencing — the real disparities and the bad arguments on both sides • the body-camera history Madison doesn't talk about • and what could actually prevent the next one: crisis response, training, and intervention that happens before the last fifteen seconds.

All record information discussed comes from public court records (CCAP) and courthouse documents. Nothing in this episode is legal advice. Strong language throughout. Contains footage of the shooting. Viewer discretion advised.

After the assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, a careful look at when political violence has historically been held to be justified — through the Declaration of Independence and Paul Johnson's account of how Hitler dismantled Weimar — and why we're closer to that line than we should be, but not yet across it.

Sarah Isgur's Last Branch Standing is the most accessible Supreme Court book we've come across — and would recommend it for every voter. Full marks. The title of this episode comes from the disposition that makes the book so good. Whether that same disposition is also its one blind spot is a question we take seriously — and answer carefully.

A post-mortem on the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, a deep dive into Wisconsin Voter Alliance v. Secord, and an uncomfortable truth: the fraud might be real — we're just not allowed to look for it.

Episode 3 of 3 in a series that looks at what it means to be a Christian American: A patriot, and a follower of Jesus. In this episode, we bring the history home — taking seriously those who claim that the gospel blesses their demands for political power, and examining what scripture actually requires. We ask the questions that Christian faith, honestly applied, will not let us avoid.

Episode 2 of 3 in a series that looks at what it means to be a Christian American: A patriot, and a follower of Jesus. In this episode, we trace the history of the Church, particularly in its engagement with government and power, examining the moments and movements that set it on its current course.

In But Not Of: Episode 1 of 3 in a series that looks at what it means to be a Christian American: A patriot, and a follower of Jesus. In this episode, we look at what Jesus said and did--and importantly, what he did not do--in the context of the time he was born into: A world that was waiting for a very different kind of Messiah.

AJ laments the SCoWI election.

Review of the Oral Argument at the U.S. Supreme Court in Trump v. Barbara, the Birthright Citizenship case.

A pre-argument look at the legal questions in Trump v. Barbara, the birthright citizenship case headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Jus soli, Wong Kim Ark, and what the 14th Amendment actually says.