Riley on news · June 26th

Morning’s “The Morning Meeting” kicks off at 9 a.m. ET with Erick Erickson and Kevin Walling, then streams on SiriusXM’s Megyn Kelly Channel an hour later. Later, “The Group Chat” goes live at 4 p.m., and at 5 p.m. Al Mottur and Ed Rogers join “2WAY Tonight” for a bipartisan chat.

The day’s political calendar is busy: the House Appropriations Homeland Security subcommittee hears from DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin at 10 a.m., while NATO’s Mark Rutte meets Capitol Hill lawmakers and later talks with the Atlantic Council about the upcoming summit in Turkey.

NASA and the Canadian Space Agency announce a spacewalk on the ISS, and economic data—GDP, weekly jobless claims, and consumer spending—drops at 8:30 a.m.

In sports, the 2026 World Cup features six matches, including Turkey versus the United States at 10 p.m. ET.

Zohran Mamdani is nudging the Democratic Party’s left edge into the mainstream in New York City, a move that could ripple out to national politics. At the same time, some voters and operatives are uneasy about the Democratic Socialists of America’s rhetoric, worrying it might strain the broader coalition as the midterms loom.

Hakeem Jeffries is feeling the pressure, trying to steer the party while keeping his New York base happy, and early sketches of the 2026 House and Senate maps are already shaping the next battleground. The conversation on “The Morning Meeting” broke down how the DSA wing is influencing strategy and what that means for the party’s direction.

If you want the full discussion, the show runs live on SiriusXM’s Megyn Kelly Channel and streams on YouTube, Apple, Spotify and other podcast apps. There’s also a follow‑up “2WAY Tonight” at 5 p.m. ET with strategists from both sides, plus a “Next Up” episode featuring a mix of political and cultural voices. Give it a listen when you have a moment.

I just wrapped up the latest “Next Up” episode, and it’s a solid look at what Tuesday’s New York City primaries mean for the Democratic Party’s future. Veteran strategist Doug Sosnik breaks down how decades of economic shifts have set the stage for a surge in Democratic Socialists, and why that could reshape the party by 2026.

Drew Holden from American Compass chimes in, pointing out the lingering gaps in the COVID response and how the media missed an opportunity to probe China’s role more deeply. His take adds a layer of accountability to the conversation.

Then Mitchell Modell, the Gotham‑city legend, shares how the Knicks’ recent championship sparked his return to the sports‑apparel world, tying the city’s cultural vibe into the political narrative.

If you’re interested in more live discussions, the show’s teasing a “Group Chat” at 4 p.m. ET and a “2WAY Tonight” with Al Mottur and Ed Rogers at 5 p.m. ET, both streaming on YouTube and Zoom.

Ted Cruz has stood tall during a period of rising antisemitism that has exposed tensions across America’s political spectrum. On “2WAY Tonight,” Al Mottur, Ed Rogers, and I examined Cruz’s response, discussed whether leaders in either party are willing to confront antisemitic rhetoric within their own ranks, and explored what these debates could mean for the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential race. We also looked at President Trump’s continued dominance over his Republican rivals, the Democratic Party’s struggle to define itself amid the influence of the Democratic Socialists of America, the legislative gridlock in the House, and much more—all with the insight and participation of the 2WAY community. **** Watch today’s new episode of “The Group Chat”: “NEXT UP” On today’s episode of “Next Up,” I break down the fallout from New York City’s primaries and what the rise of Democratic Socialists means for the Democratic Party’s future. Veteran strategist Doug Sosnik joins me to discuss the economic forces reshaping American politics, Drew Holden examines the media’s handling of COVID and China, and Mitchell Modell talks Knicks, New York, and his return to the sports apparel business. Politics, media, culture—and plenty of New York—on today’s episode. Please download, subscribe, and share wherever you consume podcasts. Apple: Spotify: YouTube: FRIDAY “The Morning Meeting” is LIVE at 9am ET. Larry O’Connor, Kevin Walling, and I break down the day’s biggest stories—and take your questions in real time. Watch LIVE by Zoom here. You can watch it on YouTube LIVE here. DOWNLOAD 2WAY PODCASTS “The Morning Meeting” and “2WAY Tonight” are available as audio podcasts on Apple, Spotify, and all major platforms. Be part of the growing 2WAY community—invite your friends and family to listen, download, subscribe, and share! “The Morning Meeting” Apple: Spotify: “2WAY Tonight” Apple: Spotify:

Happy Thursday, friends. Before we get into ANY news-related content, can we discuss this? It’s fair to say that I’m a bit of a curmudgeon when it comes to remaking already excellent movies/television shows, but can we all agree that each of these new spins just seems… tired and lazy? First of all, the tagline alone suggests they might not truly understand what they read (IF they read it). Can we NOT try to appeal so much to the “girlboss” sensibilities of 2026 and stay true to Austen’s original masterpiece? Is THIS TOO MUCH TO ASK. Secondly, I don’t mean to get nitpicky (but I’m going to): Why are we having the hair down, beach-wave look? That suggested something completely different in the Regency era, and you’d think they’d maybe know that? And finally, why is everything so dark? Where are the colors? I feel like this is a trend in filmmaking these days, but what a miss when dealing with such rich textures and color palettes. I mean, just look at what you’re missing out on when everything is beige and grey and has a modern “aesthetic”: In my view, the 1995 Sense & Sensibility adaptation was already perfect, and we don’t need another. Case closed. Trump, The SAVE America Act, And Angst Amongst The GOP I’m getting a lot of questions from you guys about what in the sam hill is happening in D.C. with the housing bill and the SAVE Act. It’s been a lot of “he said she said,” but I’ll do my best to summarize it for you. I find a list rather helpful, so here you go… Read more

We're celebrating America 250, diving into what it's going to take to pass the save act, who is and isn't on board, and a HUGE discussion on our children's online activity and how we can protect them and ourselves. Read more

I’m sharing a quick story Paul wrote about his grandparents and the names they carried. He explains that his dad, Irwin, gave him a stamp album his own parents presented in 1935, and the first page is signed “Dad” and “Mommy.” Those titles felt odd to Paul because he only ever knew his paternal grandmother as “Nanny,” a name his parents still use. His maternal grandmother was called “Nana,” so the two nicknames sometimes overlapped when both were around.

Paul wonders how families pick those labels—whether grandparents choose them, or children adopt them over time. He asks readers to share what they called their grandparents, how those names came about, and whether the shift between “Mommy,” “Grandpa,” or similar feels strange as generations change.

He closes by inviting anyone with stories or thoughts on generational nicknames to comment, noting his long‑standing interest in the small details that shape family life.

Hey, just a quick heads‑up on what’s buzzing this week. The newsletter’s back with its usual mix of food talk and a promise of a recipe next week, so expect that culinary teaser soon. The author’s been buzzing about “Down to Earth,” a queer romance set on a vegetable farm, and even got a shout‑out from Samantha Irby, who’s been devouring the whole 831 Stories line‑up and now can’t get enough of this new love story.

The vibe is sweet with a kick of spice, so if you’re into something cozy yet lively, it sounds like a perfect pick. And there’s a live event on the horizon: a book signing at the Pride Book Fair in New York City, happening Friday, June 26th at the LGBTQ Community Center on West 13th Street. The author will be there around three in the afternoon, and the whole day’s set to be a good time.

That’s the gist—food, romance, and a chance to meet the writer in person. Catch you later!

I’ve been digging into the whole private‑AI scene because it’s a neat way to keep your data off the big‑tech cloud. The core idea is simple: you download a program like Jan, install it on your Mac, PC or Linux box, pick an open‑source language model, and you’ve got a chatbot that never talks to anyone else. It runs locally, costs nothing, and you can swap models whenever you want, so the tone and expertise change to match the task you’re tackling.

Jan is the most polished option I’ve tried – a minute to install, a clean interface, and a built‑in prompt library that helps you get started with things like summarizing notes or polishing an angry email. If you close heavy apps first, it stays snappy. The trade‑off is that you won’t get the latest plug‑ins or massive context windows you see on ChatGPT, but you gain full control over what you feed the model and you can even go offline on a train or in a cabin.

There are a few other free tools worth a look. Msty adds a zen mode and lets you build multiple personas, while AnythingLLM can pull in files, make simple charts and even do a web search with a free Google API key. For the more technically inclined, LM Studio is praised by AI educators for its quick updates and easy model switching – Florent Daudens used it to analyze plane photos without ever sending the images to a server.

Overall, the private‑AI route saves you subscription fees, keeps sensitive queries private, and lets you experiment with a growing catalog of open‑source models. It won’t replace the polish of the big commercial platforms, but for everyday writing, coding help, or just a quiet place to brainstorm, it’s a solid, cost‑free alternative.

The piece points out that most Borderline Personality Disorder treatments zero in on emotional dysregulation, aiming to curb distress, self‑harm, anxiety and crisis episodes. It argues that this narrow focus overlooks the broader lived experience of those diagnosed, especially the ways the current model reinforces gendered expectations and marginalizes the very people it intends to help.

The author suggests that by treating BPD almost exclusively as a problem of suffering, clinicians miss crucial dimensions such as identity formation, relational patterns and the social contexts that shape symptom expression. This gap, they say, leaves many patients feeling unheard and perpetuates a cycle where the therapeutic agenda never fully aligns with their needs.

To move forward, the article calls for a more holistic framework that integrates emotional, relational and cultural factors, and that respects the agency of those labeled “pathological.” It proposes rethinking diagnostic language, expanding therapeutic goals beyond symptom reduction, and involving patients in shaping the very models that define their care.