This week’s The Daily Whatever Show kicked off with something rare: good news.
A blue wave, a blue hurricane — call it what you will — swept across the elections, and for the first time in forever, democracy had a banner week. Lawrence and I were both in that weird post-election euphoria that feels like joy laced with PTSD. I even said it out loud: “I don’t know what to do with good news anymore.”
Our guest, the inimitable
, joined us live from her post-grandbaby recovery haze to remind us that while the wins felt glorious, the work isn’t done — especially with a government shutdown still grinding on. Rosie’s take? The extremists don’t actually want it to reopen. “They don’t want a government,” she said flatly. “That’s the point.”From there, the conversation dove headfirst into the truly dystopian: Utah Governor Spencer Cox’s plan for a so-called “homeless village” — a forced-labor camp in the desert where unhoused people will be rounded up, housed against their will, and made to work. Rosie compared it to “a test project for all Republican states.” I called it what it is: a concentration camp with better branding.
We tried to lighten the mood (briefly) by dissecting the bizarre White House video where a man collapsed mid-press event and Trump just stood there, staring into space like a malfunctioning animatronic. I compared it to the time my toddler froze at preschool when another kid got hurt — except she was three, and he’s running for president again.
By the time we reached the Fucked-Up Friday competition, it was impossible to choose. Rosie’s “Utah work camp” entry was jaw-dropping. Lawrence nominated the ever GenX fear of nuclear escalation, with Putin now claiming to get in on the action. And I brought a double feature: two devastating anti-trans court rulings dropped the same week voters overwhelmingly rejected that hate at the ballot box.
The chat voted, the swearing flowed, and the takeaway was clear: Rosie was once again our winner.
Though we all lose in this fucked-up timeline, as always.
Thank you
, , , , , and many others for tuning in. We love you, mean it!
