The Moment LIVE! Politics & Culture, Explained

Vivek’s Dirty Attack Ad, Jay-Z at the Super Bowl & Gen Z’s Midterm Problem

The Moment LIVE! Politics & Culture, Explained

Show Notes

Ohio’s governor’s race just got ugly. Vivek Ramaswamy spent $4 million on an attack ad featuring the estranged mother of Democratic candidate Amy Acton, a woman who sided with Acton’s abusive stepfather when CPS removed her from the home at age 12. Some Republicans are calling it out, but Trump posted on Truth Social in support. Is this backfire actually an October surprise for Acton?

Then: Jay-Z has allegedly selected himself as the Super Bowl halftime performer. Is Diddy adjacency going to be a problem? Does Gen Alpha know a single Jay-Z song? Where are the women in the NFL’s recent halftime lineup? Also: Clavicular pleaded not guilty in a Massachusetts court to charges of assaulting a 17-year-old, surrendered his passport, and showed up with a suspiciously convenient emotional support dog.

Plus: with 11 days until the midterms, Generation Lab founder Cyrus Beschloss joins to talk about what Gen Z thinks about voting, and if the youth wave everyone keeps predicting is actually coming.

The Moment LIVE is hosted by⁠ Meredith Lynch⁠ and⁠ Rebecca Sananès⁠. New episodes stream LIVE Tuesday and Friday, available the next day where you get your podcasts. Subscribe so you never miss a moment.

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00:00 Vivek’s Dirty Attack Ad, Jay-Z at the Super Bowl & Gen Z’s Midterm Problem

01:42 Midterm Check-In: 11 Days Out

03:02 Vivek Ramaswamy’s Attack Ad Against Amy Acton

06:20 Republican Backlash and the Politics of Child Abuse

15:23 Jay-Z Books Himself for the Super Bowl Halftime Show

19:50 Clavicular Pleads Not Guilty in Massachusetts

24:10 Gen Z Polling with Cyrus Beschloss

27:42 How Gen Z Has Turned on Trump

28:04 Gen Z’s AI Anxiety and Job Loss Fear

29:59 Data Centers as the New Campaign Battleground

31:43 Why Youth Voter Turnout Stays Low

34:36 Voting Cynicism and What’s Actually at Stake

36:47 2028 Polls, Name Recognition, and Gen Z Fluidity

41:10 Gen Z Discourse and What’s Having a Moment Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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