After Party with Emily Jashinsky:

Biden’s Autopen Pardons, Why CBS Wants Bari, and Ethics of Phillies “Karen,” with Michael Moynihan
Date: September 9, 2025
Guest: Michael Moynihan (Host, "The Moynihan Report," Co-Host, "Fifth Column")

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Emily Jashinsky welcomes Michael Moynihan to discuss a whirlwind of current events blending political intrigue, media criticism, and viral cultural trends. Key topics include the Biden Autopen pardons scandal, the evolving state of American media (CBS’s move towards Bari Weiss’s Free Press), an analysis of the viral "Phillies Karen" baseball incident, and the ethics of viral outrage. The conversation weaves through breaking news items, offering a no-holds-barred analysis with humor, sharp insights, and cultural critique.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Biden’s Autopen Pardons Scandal

[10:00 - 21:20]

• Story Background:
  Axios’ Alex Thompson reports new details about President Biden’s use of an autopen to pardon family members, with authorization flowing not directly from Biden but through multiple aides.
• Media Coverage:
  Emily and Michael note the mainstream media has largely ignored or downplayed the details, which are potentially explosive given the precedent and the family connections.
• Michael’s Take:
  • “It was like three people down. And then there was somebody at the Justice Department was like, wait, are we sure that he's okay with this?” (11:38, Michael Moynihan)
  • The pardons included people with serious, sometimes violent backgrounds, contrary to the portrayed “non-violent marijuana offender” narrative.
• Double Standards and Precedent:
  • Both hosts compare the muted reaction from the media to how a similar story under Trump would be treated: “If Donald Trump did this... I mean, some of his pardons, I'm not a big fan of either. But it's pretty astonishing…” (12:46, Michael Moynihan)
  • Concern that these precedents will enable further abuses by future administrations.

2. Media Critique and the CBS/Free Press Merger

[28:45 - 41:46]

• CBS Moves Right?
  CBS is reported to be considering a $200 million acquisition of the Free Press, signaling a significant editorial shakeup and possible move toward including more heterodox voices.
• Editing Scandals:
  Debate over CBS/60 Minutes and Face the Nation editing practices, which have recently drawn accusations of deceptive editing from both left and right.
• Transparency Trend:
  Both note an increasing demand for full transcripts and raw interviews:
  • “Everything is going to now be transcripts. Like, you're not going to be able to get away with these artfully edited, elegant 60 minute packages anymore unless you're releasing everything else.” (31:43, Emily)
• Barry Weiss Ascendant:
  Discussions about whether Weiss (and her model) represents the future of serious journalism, and the debate between independent vs. “conquering” legacy media.
  • “Barry built an institution and showed that you can actually make money and have a big audience by these people that CBS has forever ignored.” (38:47, Michael Moynihan)

3. Viral Outrage and the Phillies “Karen”

[64:54 - 70:20]

• What Happened:
  Viral video shows a woman at a Phillies game confronting a father for a home run baseball, sparking a wave of online outrage and memes.
• Classic Karen or Something Else?
  Moynihan questions the "Karen" label:
  • “She’s not a Karen, by the way ... she just doesn’t understand the rules of the ballpark. Whoever gets that ball first, it’s their ball, full stop. Those are the rules.” (66:53, Michael Moynihan)
• Internet Panopticon:
  Discussion on the ethics of internet mobs and viral shaming:
  • “Is that a good instinct or a bad instinct?” (70:00, Michael Moynihan)
  • Emily cautions against allowing strangers to ruin someone’s life over a single snippet:
    • “I think that’s a horrific, horrific instinct. ... it’s just not natural for the millions of people around the country to take a snippet of her life and weigh in on it.” (70:24, Emily)

4. Crime, Race, and Media Selectivity: The Charlotte Light Rail Stabbing

[47:00 - 54:27]

• Story Ignored:
  Coverage of an immigrant’s brutal stabbing on public transit is largely absent from national media; major outlets only address the story once conservatives raise it.
  • “This is not about crime… this is about how the media treats certain stories.” (49:27, Michael Moynihan)
• Selective Coverage:
  Analysis of identity narratives: stories featuring certain racial dynamics justify national attention, others are ignored.
• Critique of Double Standards:
  Moynihan: “If there was a young black girl sitting there in a white perpetrator, you would have seen it on every newspaper. And everyone knows that…” (51:39, Michael Moynihan)

5. Culture, Gender, and Political Identity (Gen Z Trends)

[54:27 - 63:55]

• Polls on Gender and Priorities:
  Data showing young men trending conservative and young women liberal, differing on what constitutes “success” (children, marriage, etc).
  • “You have young men trending conservative in stark contrast with young women trending liberal…” (56:29, Emily)
• Vibe Shift on the Right:
  Moynihan argues that contemporary conservatism is far less about free-market economics and more about cultural resistance:
  • “It’s a vibe. ...It’s a cultural thing: this is crazy that I should be afraid to say this, that I have to believe this...” (61:19, Michael Moynihan)
  • The concept of “Zombie Reaganism” gets discussed, referencing the fading power of old-school economic conservatism.

6. Lighter Moments and Personal Stories

[42:16, 43:19]

• Both hosts share self-deprecating stories about minor accidents and drinking.
• Michael recalls the unpredictability of working in media (and his “ruin” by receiving Rush Limbaugh’s book for Christmas).
• Nostalgic jokes about old magazines, Vice, the evolution of journalism students, and generational gaps in how people live in the internet age.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Autopen:
  “Actually not even technically from Jeff Zients, but from an aide to Jeff Zients. And so this Thompson story was full of sort of marshals, but that to me stuck out and I've seen basically nothing about it in the media today other than Alex's story.” (10:41, Emily)

• On Barr Weiss and Media Evolution:
  “If they had hired Ezra Klein, would there be a single news story about it? Would people be like, no, that's the natural state of affairs. ...But Barry...I love the fact that all these people who ganged up on her...are like, oh, well, congratulations on making her the head of CBS News and giving her $200 million, you dummies.” (31:55, Michael Moynihan)

• On Culture War and Conservatism:
  “People are trending to the right. And I think that's also why. And this is maybe a controversial position. I think that's also why conservatism is no longer about free market economics” (61:11, Michael Moynihan)

• On Viral Outrage:
  “...It’s just not natural for the millions of people around the country to take a snippet of her life and weigh in on it. ...They’re not in her community...” (70:24, Emily)

Important Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------| | 10:00 | Breakdown of the Biden Autopen pardons, media silence, and justice department concerns | | 28:45 | CBS editing controversy, Bari Weiss, and facing shifts in legacy media | | 31:43 | Emily on the shift from edited “packaged” interviews to public demand for transcripts | | 36:30 | Discussion of transcript transparency and future of journalism | | 37:35 | Matt Taibbi vs. Barry Weiss: competing visions for new media | | 47:00 | Charlotte Light Rail stabbing – media selectivity and outrage | | 54:27 | Trayvon Martin, polarization, and long-term impacts on US culture | | 56:29 | Divergence of Gen Z political identities (men right, women left) | | 61:19 | Moynihan declares the culture war has replaced free-market conservatism | | 64:54 | Phillies Karen, internet mobs, and the ethics of outrage cycles | | 70:24 | Are viral mobs ever justified? (Emily/ Michael debate the internet’s “snitch” culture) |

Conclusion & Closing Thoughts

The episode wraps with Emily critiquing Democratic messaging on Trump’s plans for a federal surge in Chicago and sharing breaking news on DHS operations, reflecting frustration at politicians’ inability to address public safety and crime directly.

Michael and Emily’s conversation delivers a fast-paced, irreverent, and deeply insightful look at the intersections of media, politics, and culture in the US—poking at institutional double standards, changing ideological landscapes, and society’s ever-more-online, panopticon reality.

For questions, feedback, or listener interaction, Emily encourages emails to emilyoulmaycaremedia.com and reminds listeners to subscribe wherever they find their podcasts.