No Agenda Show – Episode 1815: “Attunement”
Date: November 9, 2025
Hosts: Adam Curry & John C. Dvorak
Episode Overview
Episode 1815 of the No Agenda Show, titled "Attunement," finds Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak deconstructing a tumultuous week in U.S. political theater, centered on the ongoing government shutdown and its far-reaching effects on air travel, healthcare, digital surveillance, climate policy, and political optics. True to the show's style, Adam and John blend media deconstruction, irreverent humor, and audience engagement, digging through partisan narratives, media gaffes, and cultural fads—with frequent asides about generational divides and the economics of podcasting.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Kristi Noem's Plane Fiasco and Media Spin
- Kicker: South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem apparently authorized buying planes without engines (Spirit Airlines’ airframes).
- John clarifies that buying engines/airframes separately isn’t weird in aviation, but the political controversy is about the legal ownership of the planes.
- Adam notes the story is covered sloppily, mainly as a Guardian hit piece [00:46-01:50].
2. Shutting Down the Skies: Government Shutdown Fallout
- Impact: 13,000 air traffic controllers & 50,000 TSA agents working unpaid; FAA cuts 10% of flights at major airports [02:18-03:11].
- Key Insight: U.S. air infrastructure can't handle an abrupt 10% reduction without massive ripple effects: "You can't get the crews to the next airport... It'll screw up everything" (John, [03:37]).
- Notable moment: Teterboro (private jet hub for the wealthy) included in cuts—“Maybe someone will call the Democrats and say, hey, dude, I can’t land my G5, baby” (John, [06:34]).
3. Political Blame Games and Media Narratives
- Katie Porter vs. Trump: Katie Porter blames Trump for the travel collapse; Adam/John emphasize Democrats (with many private jets) are also affected—and that the airspace reduction is for safety, not politics [04:38-07:16].
- Quote: “What is happening here is... air traffic controllers and TSA agents calling in sick... So they had to reduce IFR traffic.” (John, [05:58])
- Media Framing: Both hosts roast NPR and PBS for unnuanced, partisan coverage:
- “These liars. The national... ‘1400 flights cancelled after Trump administration’s order!’ That’s the spin.” (John, [08:48])
- Includes clips from FAA expert Randy Babbitt (Obama admin) explaining staffing is the reason for cuts, not just “Trump orders” [10:48-14:35].
4. U.S. Healthcare System is "Theft"
- Anecdotal outrage: Viral TikTok stories expose huge price disparities between paying cash vs. using insurance—$700 MRI cash vs. $5100 with insurance [17:43-19:50].
- Quote: “Insurance is such a ripoff. I don’t know how in the world this hospital is telling me I can’t self pay it. What does it matter?” (TikTok clip, [18:25])
- John and Adam both rail against insurance as a “bank scam” propped up by politicians and media. “Throughout my life, I have heard [insurance] is untouchable in Congress... It’s not healthcare. It’s theft.” (John, [15:15])
- Notable: Discussion of California apparently fining people for lacking insurance [16:31].
5. Trump's Proposed Healthcare Reforms & Congressional Stalemate
- Trump proposes redirecting subsidies from insurance companies directly to people—“Give Americans freedom of choice... stop sending money to insurance companies, hope it gets better” (Senator on Fox clip, [24:08-25:47]).
- Democrats, here via Hakeem Jeffries, argue Republicans only want to dismantle, not improve, Obamacare [26:51-28:40].
- Quote: “In Congress, nobody touches insurance... Pitchforks this time. Pitchforks and AR-15s. Seriously.” (John, [23:03])
6. Political Optics: Affordability and Thanksgiving Prices
- Trump blames “affordability crisis” and touts Walmart’s “cheaper Thanksgiving meal,” but gets tripped up when it’s revealed Walmart just reduced the portion size [34:22-38:33].
- Jen Psaki (now on TV) and the media pounce, with John speculating Walmart intentionally set Trump up for embarrassment.
7. Media Culture: The Bird Test TikTok & Boundary Violations
- Long, satirical segment mocking a viral "bird test" used to measure relationship attunement on TikTok [43:51–55:04].
- Playful reenactment and deconstruction: “I saw a bird today.” “Birds aren’t real!” (Clip, [52:31])
- Adam’s analysis: “All about addiction to the phone—not attunement.” John: “Boundary violation. Just put the phones down!”
8. COP30 & The "Climate Money Summit"
- Climate change narratives: COP30 launches in Brazil with a “climate disinformation” theme [55:58-58:19].
- Satirical play-by-play on e-methanol, cow vaccines (to cut methane), “hybrid threats,” and “solutions” like shooting wild birds [58:19-65:36].
- Adam: “Haven’t seen a cow in months, only thousands of cars… but cows are the problem?”
9. Digital Surveillance & Facial Recognition Creep
- ICE and Border Patrol now using facial recognition apps on the street [71:23-76:58].
- John: “Yes, I’m okay with tools for immigration. But I don’t want cops to just scan everyone.” [76:03]
- Segues into European digital ID proposals, fears of linking social media to official ID (French law, [81:46-83:46]).
10. Political Influence of Media Production
- Astute observation from a producer: New York politician Zoran Mamdani benefited from slick campaign videos produced with Hollywood-level gear (his mother is famous filmmaker Mira Nair)—media savvy matters [97:17-100:13].
11. Miscellaneous Topics
- The decline of print institutions: The Farmer’s Almanac closing after 2026 due to financial/market pressures [68:05-70:32].
- Tesla’s record pay package for Elon Musk: “Promotion genius,” “he’s not getting a nickel” (John/Adam, [126:11-130:59]).
- Discussion on tariffs: U.S. manufacturing vs. Chinese imports; skepticism about “affordability” promises [154:48-157:25].
- BBC scandal: Top resignations after Trump’s Jan 6 speech was doctored in Panorama program [159:42-162:05].
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On airline chaos:
“You can’t get the crews to the next airport so they can take the next… it'll screw up everything. Absolutely everything.” — John [03:37] -
On insurance scams:
“Insurance is such a ripoff. I don’t know how in the world this hospital is telling me that I now can’t self pay it.” — TikTok Woman [18:25]
“It’s not healthcare. It’s theft.” — John [21:16] -
On gun control:
“Pitchforks and AR-15s. Seriously.” — John [23:03] -
On climate policy hype:
“Now multiply that by the world’s billion cows and the number gets wild.” (Narrator)
Adam: “Haven’t seen a cow in months, but thousands of cars go by!” [61:18] -
On TikTok "bird test":
“Did you shoot it? It might have bird flu.” — John [45:29]
“All about one thing—addiction to the phone.” — Adam [54:18] -
On digital ID:
“I don’t want them living in a society where cops just come up and scan your face… I don’t want that.” — John [77:04] -
On Hollywood-style campaign tricks:
“If you watch his videos, there are three and four-camera shoots... slick... it’s a scam.” — Adam [99:59]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [00:46] – Kristi Noem/Plane Purchase Story
- [02:16] – Airport Chaos Shutdown Clips
- [04:49] – Katie Porter on Shutdown; ATC Reports
- [08:52] – NPR on FAA Flight Cuts
- [10:48] – PBS, FAA’s Babbitt Explains Reasons
- [17:43] – TikTok MRI Healthcare Rant
- [24:08, 26:51] – Trump’s Healthcare Plan & Congress Stalemate
- [34:22, 38:33] – Affordability & Walmart Thanksgiving Trap
- [43:51, 50:17, 55:04] – The "Bird Test" on TikTok/Relationships
- [55:58, 65:36] – COP30/Climate Narratives Parody
- [71:23, 76:58] – Digital Surveillance/FACIAL Recognition
- [81:46, 83:46] – France's Digital ID Law & Debunking
- [97:17-100:13] – Hollywood Production in NY Politics
- [154:48-157:25] – Tariffs and the Cost of Re-shoring Manufacturing
- [159:42-162:05] – BBC Doctored Trump Clip Scandal
Tone and Style Notes
- The show is irreverent, skeptical, and conversational, liberally mocking both political parties and mainstream media narratives.
- Frequent running gags (bird test, "psychological torture," insurance as “banks”).
- Hosts blend serious analysis with banter, generational asides, and crowd-sourced producer updates.
For Listeners Unfamiliar with No Agenda
This episode exemplifies the No Agenda philosophy: “deconstructing media, one hit at a time,” with an emphasis on skepticism of received narratives and a call for individual critical thinking. John and Adam not only critique but often satirize current events, bringing audience-generated tips and insights directly into the flow, all while resisting easy ideological categorization.
Additional End-of-Episode Segments
- Donor/Producer Acknowledgements: Community support and value-for-value recognition
- No Agenda Meetup Announcements
- End-of-Show Mixes: Audience musical remixes and AI-produced tracks, showcasing listener participation in the podcast's production ecosystem
Summary prepared for audiences seeking a faithful, detailed overview of No Agenda Show #1815, preserving its unique blend of media critique, humor, and community engagement.