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The Left Hook · September 10 · 44 min

Left Hook - 53 - Where's the Beef 2026

Mark Bland and Jason Kull open with a genuinely fun segment: Mark joined the American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) and took his son to Daredevil Days at the newly rebranded Mid-America Adventure (formerly Six Flags St. Louis). Highlights included a backstage tour of Mr. Freeze, standing two feet from the track at launch speed, and a "post-touch" — feeling the coaster's vibration through the support beam. Park president Dan Snider fielded Q&A on the rebrand and ongoing DC licensing negotiations. Plus Family membership secured. Then it gets sharp. Mike Johnson went on camera calling Thomas Massie's claim that Congress would recess until after the midterms "stupid" — then did exactly that, pulling the House out two weeks early. The hosts argue the play is deliberate: run out the clock through midterms, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's until the new session starts, keeping Congress frozen while Trump governs unchecked. The suspected motive: keeping the Epstein Files Transparency Act 2 buried before November. From there: imported Argentine beef that China already rejected for antibiotic contamination, USDA gutting, soybean-bailout déjà vu, and a broader indictment — Trump has dragged the country backward while allies quietly replace us in global trade. Finally, Mark's plea to vote left-of-center in 2028 so the next president can run the "yeah, sorry about that guy" world tour.

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Mark Bland and Jason Kull open with a genuinely fun segment: Mark joined the American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) and took his son to Daredevil Days at the newly rebranded Mid-America Adventure (formerly Six Flags St. Louis). Highlights included a backstage tour of Mr. Freeze, standing two feet from the track at launch speed, and a "post-touch" — feeling the coaster's vibration through the support beam. Park president Dan Snider fielded Q&A on the rebrand and ongoing DC licensing negotiations. Plus Family membership secured.

Then it gets sharp.

Mike Johnson went on camera calling Thomas Massie's claim that Congress would recess until after the midterms "stupid" — then did exactly that, pulling the House out two weeks early. The hosts argue the play is deliberate: run out the clock through midterms, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's until the new session starts, keeping Congress frozen while Trump governs unchecked. The suspected motive: keeping the Epstein Files Transparency Act 2 buried before November.

From there: imported Argentine beef that China already rejected for antibiotic contamination, USDA gutting, soybean-bailout déjà vu, and a broader indictment — Trump has dragged the country backward while allies quietly replace us in global trade.

Finally, Mark's plea to vote left-of-center in 2028 so the next president can run the "yeah, sorry about that guy" world tour.

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