The Problem with Jon Stewart Season 2 Episodes

Episode 1

The War Over Gender

Fri, Oct 7, 2022

Jon tackles the problem with the gender binary - and it turns out there's a lot of non-binary stuff happening in between the binaries. Jon and the panel offer an insightful look into what gender-affirming care actually is, and why it's so critical for trans kids to have access to it. And, finally, Jon presses Leslie Rutledge, Attorney General of Arkansas, about why her state banned gender-affirming care for minors.

Episode 2

Where Is Our Tax Money Going?

Fri, Oct 14, 202241 mins

Jon explores how American tax dollars are actually spent - and he learns a shocking amount of the money goes directly to middlemen and private companies. Our panelists discuss why there's not much accountability and how little value taxpayers get for their dollar. Then Jon heads to DC to talk to Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, about why Congress isn't using its power to get a better return on investment for taxpayers.

Episode 3

Globalization: Made in America

Fri, Oct 21, 2022

What happens when states compete against each other to woo corporations who promise new jobs? Sure, states trying to lure companies to relocate to their towns might sound like a good thing, but who really benefits? As Jon finds out, these companies benefit from incentives and tax breaks, but wages often go down, environmental regulations tend to go away, and it's the workers who usually end up suffering. Our panelists explain what this practice has cost their communities and how they've fought back. And finally Jon travels to North Carolina to talk to Gov. Roy Cooper about why his state has done this and if that money might have been better spent on things that actually help the people who already live there.

Episode 4

Midterms: This Is What Democracy Looks Like?

Fri, Oct 28, 2022

America's democracy has been built on free and fair elections. But since 2020, things have taken a turn. Now, on the cusp of the midterms, America's democracy is in real danger. This week, Jon looks at just how vulnerable the underpinnings of America's election system are and what Americans can do to protect the process. Jon invites a panel made up of people who are on the front-lines of ensuring America's election integrity. They tell what it's like on the ground and whether they've got what they need for the threats they're facing. Jon also talks to Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, whose state is a prime battleground for those who believe the 2020 Presidential election was stolen.

Episode 5

Allies: Friends Without Benefits

Fri, Nov 4, 2022

When America goes to war, they rely on locals to act as interpreters and for other critical help. During the war in Afghanistan the U.S. made big promises in return for the services of Afghan interpreters, including a path U.S. citizenship, but once the U.S. military went home they left many of these local allies behind. Jon investigates why the U.S. has made it so hard for the interpreters who served alongside the U.S. military in Afghanistan to get the Special Immigrant Visas that were promised to them. On the panel, there are those who've been left to fend for themselves against Taliban retribution and a veteran who scrambled to help his translator when the U.S. wouldn't. Jon also talked to Sen. Dick Durbin, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, about how the U.S. can fix the process for getting their Afghan allies to safety and on a path to American citizenship.

Episode 6

Election Wrap-Up special

Fri, Nov 11, 2022

In the lead up to the U.S. midterms, the media was all in on the narrative that a Red Tsunami of Blood was going to sweep over the entire country and drown what was left of America's divided democracy. And yet, despite the dire predictions, election night was... maybe a little heavy on guys frantically doing on-air math, but otherwise very normal. In this Special Election Wrap-Up Show, Jon is joined by several guests who tell us what voting was like on the ground in some of the most contested counties, what it's like to have scraped through in a closely fought race, and how the media's coverage of elections needs to change to spare us all the agony and be more constructive.

Episode 7

Chaos, Law, and Order

Fri, Mar 3, 2023

Can you be tough on crime but soft on guns? The numbers say no, but too many legislators say yes. In "Chaos, Law, and Order," Jon looks at how weakening gun laws is making everyone - including law enforcement - less safe. This week's panel - featuring an advocate for gun violence prevention, a sheriff, and a former NRA lobbyist - digs into why passing gun regulations has been so difficult, even though most people agree we should have them. And finally Jon talks to Oklahoma State Sen. Nathan Dahm, who wrote a law that prohibits restricting gun access to those deemed dangerous, about why he believes unfettered access to firearms makes us safer.

Episode 8

The Military Industrial Excess

Fri, Mar 10, 2023

This week Jon describes the problem that the US has not received any of the promised "peace dividend" that was expected at the end of 20 years of war (Iran and Afghanistan).

Episode 9

The Inflation Blame Game

Fri, Mar 17, 2023

Episode 10

America's Incarceration Epidemic

Fri, Mar 24, 2023

Episode 11

Searching for Allies

Fri, Mar 31, 2023

Episode 12

Trump Indicted

Fri, Apr 7, 2023