No Agenda Show – Episode 1832 "Lincoln’ Dome"

Date: January 8, 2026
Hosts: Adam Curry & John C. Dvorak

Episode Overview

In episode 1832 of the No Agenda Show, "Lincoln’ Dome," Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak deliver their signature deconstruction of current events and media narratives. They dissect the latest national controversies, most notably the Minnesota shooting involving an ICE agent and protestor Renee Good, the explosive ripple effects across U.S. politics and media, the evolving geopolitical drama around Venezuela and Greenland, the underreported economic unrest in Iran, and the continuing transformation of information—and misinformation—by legacy press and podcasts alike. The hosts pack the episode with sharp analysis, context, and trademark banter, all while highlighting media manipulation, political self-preservation, and distraction tactics as the 2026 midterms loom.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Minnesota Protest and ICE Shooting: Context, Narratives, and Political Fallout

[00:04–14:39]

• Incident Recap: A Minneapolis protest ends with ICE agent shooting Renee Good during anti-ICE demonstrations, igniting nationwide protest echoes reminiscent of the George Floyd era.
• Narrative Battle:
  • Mainstream media frames as another law enforcement excess—"George Floyd 2".
  • Political framing by local/state Dems (Gov. Walz, Mayor Frey) places blame on federal agencies, labeling ICE as "rogue" and "escalating."
  • Federal/Conservative framing (Kristi Noem, GOP reps) brands the protest action as "domestic terrorism" and decries sanctuary policies for emboldening activists.
• Media Deconstruction:
  • John & Adam highlight the media’s one-dimensional narrative (“triple tap,” selective footage use), omitting the context of the ICE officer being struck by the protestor’s car.
  • Notable quote:
    • “Your media is not giving you context. They're not showing you the people assaulting these ICE agents... They're showing you one angle.”
      — John [01:40]
    • “This is the... it's like a fractal. As long as Walz is governor, they're going to let it riot.”
      — Adam [01:27]
• Further Context:
  • Renee Good’s background as a white, queer activist; encouraged to lead by her spouse; described as a “disruptor,” not a legal observer.
  • “Say her name” refrain is dissected as borrowed protest theater.
• Political Incentives:
  • Adam and John argue the turmoil benefits the upcoming Democratic midterm narrative by stoking outrage and distracting from international stories (Venezuela, Israel).
  • Analysis from external sources (NTD): Local “political cover” leads to bolder protest behavior; other “blue cities” compared (Portland, Seattle).

2. Sanctuary Cities, State vs Federal Power, and the National Guard

[06:16–14:39]

• Governor Walz’s Actions:
  • Issues “warning order” to National Guard to “protect Minnesotans from rogue ICE agents.”
  • Analysts explain this is largely for optics; Trump could federalize the Guard if needed.
  • Eerie echo of 1960s federal interventions for civil rights/desegregations.
• Media & Political Spin:
  • Mayor Frey and Hakeem Jeffries (House Dems) slam ICE and the federal response, demand investigations of the agent.
  • Adam & John note that both sides leap to narrative warfare—each using the shooting for their own purposes.

3. Venezuela & Global Geopolitics, Media Forgetting, and “Donroe Doctrine”

[12:44–84:26]

• Media Distraction:
  • Hosts observe the Venezuela operation (Maduro’s capture, shadow fleets, US oil seizures) barely gets mention as media cycles fixate on the domestic ICE protest narrative.
  • Notable quote:
    • "The biggest story... is Venezuela and the fallout... just wiped off the table. Now it's all George Floyd II."
      — John [13:06]
• Venezuela Fallout:
  • US seizes tankers, cuts oil deals that send proceeds to US-controlled accounts meant to benefit both Americans and Venezuelans.
  • Adam details the geo-economic implications: oil as leverage in global diplomacy; potential for the US to dictate oil prices and undermine Russia/China’s resource strategies; “Donroe Doctrine” names US hemispheric security policy under Trump.
  • Rubio’s rising profile as Trump’s “Doer in the South.”
• Greenland Saga:
  • Expansion of US ambitions: possibility of acquiring/ leasing Greenland as Arctic routes open due to climate change; strategic aims are about controlling the GIUK (Greenland–Iceland–UK) gap and containing Russian/Chinese naval ambitions—not mineral rights, as media claims.
  • Notable quote:
    • "It's about one thing... the GIUK gap... We want to do the same thing China's doing in the China Sea... We want to be in control."
      — Adam [79:14]
• International Reaction:
  • Europe, UK, Denmark are alarmed by the naked US ambitions; hosts highlight panic in European financial and political media.

4. Fraud, Corruption, and Money Flows: Minnesota and Beyond

[25:48–35:03]

• Minnesota Fraud Scandals:
  • Explosive audits reveal “shocking” levels of grant fraud in MN’s Behavioral Health Admin.
  • State grants handed out without bidding, followed by officials joining corrupted firms.
  • Politicians accused of benefiting from fraud (“money flow to campaign”).
  • John & Adam skeptical anything meaningful will change: “Do nothing Republicans… the old game.”
• Federal Pressure:
  • CMS and HHS, now led by Dr. Oz, withhold funds from Minnesota and other states over Medicaid fraud.
  • Adam: "Why are my tax dollars going to Minnesota health care?"
• Insurance Industry Critique:
  • Discussion of health insurance profiteering, Trump rhetoric about redirecting healthcare subsidies, and the explosion of alternative crowdfunded insurance.

5. Election Jockeying & The 2026 Midterms

[35:00–45:15]

• Political Strategy:
  • Adam criticizes GOP for overconfidence and poor messaging, predicting voter complacency might hurt their chances.
  • Trump’s speech: GOP needs to “win the midterms or face 2 years of nothing but impeachments.”
  • Notable quote:
    • “What they should be doing is scaring the Republicans and making them panic...”
      — Adam [35:53]

6. January 6th Anniversary and Rewriting History

[45:15–50:58]

• Media Packages & Political Theater:
  • Media runs pre-packaged emotional memorials, with Hakeem Jeffries and Nancy Pelosi dramatizing the 5th anniversary.
  • Hosts lampoon the “Lincoln’s Dome” mythos and revisionist history.
  • John: “It’s what you do… show everybody, ‘he’s lying, he’s lying, let me lie’—it’s great.” [51:15]

7. Underreported: Iran’s Economic Meltdown and Protest Movement

[91:27–113:52]

• Iranian Unrest:
  • Adam raises the mystery of why major US media isn’t covering Iran’s escalating street protests and possible regime cracks, while significant video evidence and obscure (but legitimate) reports emerge online.
  • France24 and BBC confirm severe inflation, currency collapse, water shortages—public unrest at 40–50% inflation and failing state capacity.
  • Theorize: Real revolution, not an intelligence op, thus ignored by Western press unless the narrative can be co-opted or weaponized.
  • John: “This could be an actual… grassroots revolution… and that makes it even worse… they [media] don’t cover what isn’t run by an intel agency.” [108:27]
  • Israeli/Mossad angle: Executions of alleged spies mentioned; BBC implies a hidden “Jewish” hand as the standard regime scapegoat.

8. Bigger Picture: Information War, Tech, and Youth Illiteracy

[160:08–167:39]

• Information Literacy Crisis:
  • Viral street interviews and TikTok testimonies reveal abysmally low levels of knowledge among young Americans on global affairs (e.g., “What is Maduro?” “Where is Venezuela?”).
  • Teachers decry disappearance of textbooks, computer labs in favor of Chromebooks—argue it’s destroying attention span, deeper learning, and context; Chrome-based worksheet culture blamed for digital skills replacing meaningful knowledge.
  • Notable quote:
    • “Chromebooks are killing education... Kids do not know how to type properly… They just know how to click next and scroll.”
      — Anonymous teacher, [163:53–165:56]

9. Odds & Ends: Visa Bonds, National Security Spending, Meetups, and No Agenda Community

[169:43–End]

• Visa Bonds:
  • New $5K–$15K bond required for travelers from 38 countries to deter visa overstays—an unreported but potentially powerful policy.
• Military & National Security:
  • Trump proposes $1.5T defense budget, demanding new manufacturing investments from contractors (not just buybacks).
• Listener Community:
  • A vibrant supporting community: No Agenda meetups, listener businesses, and a call for podcast audition submissions.
• "Value for Value":
  • Episode closes with a segment thanking producers and promoting independent, ad-free podcast support.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Media Context:
  “Your media is not giving you context. They're not showing you the people assaulting these ICE agents... They're showing you one angle.”
  — John [01:40]

• On Political Narratives:
  “The whole thing is just. It sucks. And now there's a guy with a Black Lives Matter T shirt. Okay, all right.”
  — John [12:15]

• On Media Distraction:
  "Now it's all George Floyd ii. It's insane. And just listen to the podcast. That's all they're talking about... everyone follows the narrative."
  — John [13:06]

• On Venezuela & Global Politics:
  "We could now basically make the strike price for oil. There's all kinds of very interesting angles to this taking of the oil."
  — Adam [61:42]

• On Underreported Iran Protests:
  "This is somewhat mysterious … even if it's all fantasy, that's worth covering, too."
  — Adam [96:11]

• On Youth & Knowledge:
  "This is the level of knowledge about current events... Women go out, try to run over ICE agents and get shot—get over yourself."
  — Adam [159:41]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Minnesota Protest & ICE Shooting:
  [00:04–14:39]
• Venezuela & Global Geopolitics/“Donroe Doctrine”:
  [12:44–84:26]
• Minnesota DHHS Audit & Fraud:
  [25:48–35:03]
• January 6th Anniversary & Media Spin:
  [45:15–50:58]
• Iran’s Unrest & Undercover Revolution:
  [91:27–113:52]
• Youth Illiteracy & Education Tech:
  [160:08–167:39]
• Odds & Ends, Community, Listener Segment:
  [169:43–End]

Tone & Style

As always, Adam and John blend sharp-witted critique, candid curiosity, and irreverent humor. They frequently pause to mock both mainstream and alternative media, highlight their own research hurdles and quirks, and debate the absurdities and risks of prevailing narratives. The hosts maintain their usual balance of skepticism and entertainment, offering listeners not just facts but strategies for thinking beyond the headlines.

For New Listeners: Why Listen?

This episode is a textbook example of No Agenda’s unique value: it tears down media facades, surfaces buried political context, and draws the connective tissue between local incidents and global strategy—while keeping the audience laughing and informed. If you want to understand what’s really going on behind today’s headlines—and why those headlines are chosen in the first place—Adam and John offer both revelation and reassurance that yes, you’re not the only one noticing the crazy.

“Media assassination is our game; context is our gift. Get connected.”