The RTWJ Podcast

In this episode, we reflect on Disneyland’s 70th anniversary celebration and share our thoughts on the blend of nostalgia and missed opportunities. While we genuinely enjoy the return of beloved shows like Wondrous Journeys and Paint the Night, their reuse without any new offerings created specifically for this milestone raises questions about Disney’s current creative direction. We discuss the changing park atmosphere and what thi...

Just over 100 days into Trump’s second term, the political and economic landscape is shifting rapidly, with aggressive tariff policies causing a projected 35% drop in imports at Southern California ports, raising fears of supply chain disruptions and shortages. In this episode, we unpack the immediate domestic effects, declining global perceptions, and economic instability marked by reduced tourism and capital flight. We draw conne...

After celebrating John’s birthday, we’re back to address recent feedback from our March 22nd episode, particularly claims of “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” As public servants, our concerns stem from direct experience with the impact of erratic policies. Sudden tariff shifts, for example, disrupt planning and create instability, not out of partisanship, but because effective governance matters.

We also examine federal spending priorit...

Following our discussion on the Trump administration’s attack on DEI initiatives in our last episode, we now shift our focus to recent economic policies, such as tariffs, that contradict campaign promises to tackle inflation and lower the cost of living starting on day one. We also examine the administration’s sweeping executive actions, including efforts to dismantle the Department of Education, which signal a fundamental reshapin...

In this episode, we reflect on how Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives have increasingly become a target for the Trump administration, with recent policy shifts and administrative actions designed to dismantle progress achieved in promoting equity in the workplace and education. As two individuals who are part of several groups which benefit from DEI initiatives, we share our personal perspectives on why such initiatives a...

It is officially the five-year anniversary of John and Marcus hosting The RTWJ Podcast, having proudly first started pre-pandemic in February 2020! And to celebrate the occasion, it'll be one of our classic mixed topic episodes. We will start by covering the radical developments in U.S. politics since we last joined you on January 19th, now that Donald Trump is President of the United States and has released a flood of executi...

With John still away on vacation and enjoying the life of luxury, Marcus is holding down the fort for The RTWJ Podcast with today’s episode. We’ll touch on a few current “hot topics” for the month of January, starting with a brief mention of the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, followed by some reflection about what have been the most catastrophic wildfires in Los Angeles history since our last episode release...

We’re back with our first episode of 2025, where after some housekeeping we start off with reflecting on what concerns us with upcoming major political transition activities as we approach Inauguration Day in just two weeks. But after taking that moment to reflect, we then have some fun focusing on a positive upcoming event for the year, which is John’s first visit to Walt Disney World in Orland Florida in just a few days from this...

As President-elect Donald Trump continues to name appointees to his upcoming administration and shares bold plans for his first day in office, we question what policies he will actually be able to implement after Inauguration Day, as well as the extent to which such policies will impact American democracy and society. Based on what we have seen and heard so far, we are more concerned than ever with how the initiatives of Trump and ...

After a busy October and a delayed episode release schedule, we are happy to be back on track with a new release for November 15th! Having been away during the most critical moments of the race for the White House, we're reflecting on the results, our disappointment with the Harris-Walz ticket not being successful in winning the race, and the initial concerns we have as we approach Inauguration Day in just a little more than t...

We’re back with a brand new episode, and we start off with a throwback to our days being branded as The Real Talk with JAM Podcast, followed by allowing ourselves to dive into some tangents, including trying to understand why credit card companies sell gift cards. We then briefly reflect about the first presidential debate earlier this month between Harris and Trump (having delayed the release of this episode), as we prepare for an...

For our Labor Day weekend episode, we’re diving deeper into the race for the White House as Election Day is just a little more than two months away. And as the Harris and Trump campaigns continue pushing along this final stretch, one question we explore is whether the electoral college is still the best way to elect the President of the United States, or if it’s time to consider transitioning to the popular vote.

September 1, 2...