Jul 15, 2026

Censorship is often associated with authoritarian governments. But throughout history, efforts to control ideas have taken many different forms — and they haven't always come from the state.

In this episode, Nico sits down with University of Chicago professor Ada Palmer to explore the history of censorship from the...

Jul 1, 2026

Over the past five years, book bans and book challenges have become a major flashpoint in American politics.

School boards, parents, librarians, and lawmakers are fighting over what students should—and shouldn’t—have access to on library shelves. Supporters of library restrictions say they are protecting children....

Jun 17, 2026

Debates over religious freedom have shaped American life for centuries. From Quakers facing persecution in colonial America to The Crucible to South Park, fights over religious expression have repeatedly tested the country’s commitment to free speech and religious liberty.

At the heart of these debates are a few...

Jun 10, 2026

What is financial censorship?

Rainey Reitman joins the show to discuss what happens when people are denied access to financial services because of their lawful speech and conduct.

Reitman is the author of Transaction Denied: Big Finance’s Power to Punish Speech, which examines the role financial companies like Visa,...

May 27, 2026

In 2010, two landmark decisions transformed American campaign finance law. The first was Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The second was SpeechNow.org v. FEC.

Together, these cases cleared the way for corporations and so-called Super PACs to raise and spend unlimited sums of money in elections.

What...