The Political Orphanage

Updated: 16 Oct 2025 • 590 episodes
www.mightyheaton.com

Politics minus bile plus jokes. Comedian and avowed independent Andrew Heaton interviews authors and thought leaders about policy and big thinky stuff.

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Can comedians ethically perform standup for a despotic regime without endorsing it? Recently the Riyadh Comedy Festival invited furor when some comics schlepped to Saudi Arabia to perform–at great expense–while others declined in protest of supporting human rights abuses. Turner Sparks and Michael Ira Kaplan join to di

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Okay, so what constitutes "cruel and unusual"? Why was it okay to brand horse thieves in the face in old timey days, but it's barbaric now? In the final installment of this year's Judge Week, we go over the history of cruel and unusual punishments; what scared the English into outlawing it in their Bill of Rights, and

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09 Oct 2025 • EN

How Texas Blocked Pornhub

Pornhub ceased operating in the Lone Star State after Texas implemented an age verification law. Pornhub, and other adult websites, said the compliance was too onerous, and the potential fines too staggering. In response, the Free Speech Coalition sued Texas in court for an injunction to block the law, on the grounds t

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In Mahmoud v. Taylor the Supreme Court affirmed parents rights to remove their children from LGBTQ material used in public schools. The Court ruled that opt-outs preserve separation of church and state, and protect parental rights.  The Dissent maintains that exposure is not the same thing as indoctrination, and opt-ou

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In Trump v. Casa the Supreme Court ruled that district judges cannot issue “universal injunctions” against the federal government… Well, what the hell does that mean? The ruling comes in regard to Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship. Is the Trump administration accurately “rediscovering” the true meaning

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I think I probably drink too much, and I ought to curb that before I wrinkle prematurely. Fortunately, there is Katie Herzog. You may know her as the host of the Blocked & Reported podcast, but she is also the author of “Drink Yourself Sober: The Science-Based Method to Break Free from Alcohol.” LINKS: Addicted to Dopa

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