Disaffected America: Mass Shootings, Media Fatigue, and Party Infighting (w/ Jennifer Mascia)

This week, Josh and David open with Alabama sports/media/politics crossovers — from Bruce Pearl bowing out to Paul Finebaum’s flirtation with a Senate run — and debate whether “moderate” GOP backers are just trying to block Attorney General Steve Marshall. They also unpack college sports’ power shift: NIL, transfer portal realities, and why contracts (not nostalgia) could fix instability.

Journalist Jennifer Mascia of The Trace joins to explain mass shooter patterns since Columbine and Sandy Hook: isolation, grievance against failed institutions (schools, workplaces, churches), and an ecosystem that celebrates copycats. She addresses race, radicalization, and the internet’s silo effect; and the incel pipeline.

In Alabama politics, the hosts press Democrats to “circle the wagons” after the razor-thin Mobile mayoral loss and the Figures–Drummond rift. They argue party leaders failed to arbitrate, and that Dems must rally around a common foe and a clear message: top vs. bottom, not left vs. right. They close with Right Wing Bonehead of the Week: Rep. Reid Ingram, for pushing a constitutional amendment to mandate Pledge/prayer performatives instead of funding, resources, and real solutions.

Guests in this episode

• Jennifer Mascia: Senior news writer and founding staffer at The Trace — thetrace.org

Resources & Socials

• 🔵 Bluesky
• ⚫ X/Twitter
• 🔵 Facebook

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Alabama Politics This Week is sponsored by Wind Creek Hospitality, the gaming and hospitality entity for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, with 10 properties across the U.S. and Caribbean — including four in Alabama — offering entertainment, dining, hotels, and amenities.

Music courtesy of Mr. Smith via the Free Music Archive.