The Press Box

Hello, media consumers! Welcome to the January Issue. This month, Bryan and David come together to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Truman Capote’s ‘In Cold Blood’ being published by Random House. This episode is broken into four chapters, just like the non-fiction novel. Bryan and David start Chapter 1 by discussing Truman Capote himself, and how he was the podcast guest before there were podcast guests (03:20). They have a conversation about who is comparable to Capote in the modern age (09:09), why non-fiction with the style of fiction hits the reader the way it does (17:22), and why Capote wanted to combine these styles (21:04). In Chapter 2, the guys dive into the relationship between Capote and the killers of the Clutter family (26:41), Capote’s journalistic good luck (31:54), and his interviewing techniques (37:21). In Chapter 3, Bryan and David talk about what they made of ‘In Cold Blood’ after re-reading it (1:01:51), Truman Capote’s fabulism (1:05:48), and whether ‘In Cold Blood’ would have been as successful if Capote had said it was almost all true (1:12:14). In Chapter 4, Bryan and David take a look at the impact ‘In Cold Blood’ has had on the media (1:14:43). They discuss ‘In Cold Blood’ being the invention of true crime (1:16:06), and what the heirs of the book are (1:22:32). The January Issue ends with Bryan and David recommending other books you might like if you enjoyed reading ‘In Cold Blood’ (1:30:27). All that and more, here on The Press Box.

Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker

Guests: Chip McGrath and Gerald Clarke

Producers: Isaiah Blakely and Bruce Baldwin
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, media consumers! Bryan and Joel are joined today for a bonus episode by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. The governor discusses his feelings on ICE and the shooting of Alex Pretti (02:31), whether Kristi Noem should resign as head of Homeland Security (05:43), and how Democrats can convince voters of their plan on immigration (08:49). The interview continues with a conversation about Jay-Z songs and lyrics (13:30), today’s political climate (21:19), and whether Gov. Moore is running for president in 2028 (23:49). The show ends with some talk about Gov. Moore’s college football career (30:09), and if it was time for John Harbaugh to go (34:05). All that and more, here on The Press Box.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, media consumers! Today on The Press Box, we have a special episode! Bryan and Joel are joined in studio by The Ringer’s own Van Lathan to create a 2028 Democratic Nominee depth chart. The guys go through a list of potential candidates for the 2028 Democratic nomination for President, discussing the outlook and viability of each person. The list spans all the way from frontrunners like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Gavin Newsom, to long shots like John Stewart. The show wraps up with Van ranking them in order of who he thinks will win the nomination as of today.


Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (2:26)


Gavin Newsom (7:20)


Pete Buttigieg (16:12)


Josh Shapiro (17:42)


Kamala Harris (20:48)


Tim Walz (25:46)


Stephen A. Smith (26:27)


Mark Cuban (28:03)


JB Pritzker (32:08)


Rahm Emmanuel (33:53)


Bernie Sanders (35:54)


Joe Biden (37:00)


Wes Moore (37:35)


Corey Booker (39:21)


Michele Obama (40:40)


Ruben Gallego (44:43)


Mark Kelly (45:45)


Bob Iger (47:47)


Gretchen Whitmer (48:41)


James Talarico (49:26)


Andy Beshear (53:29)


Liz Cheney (1:03:33)


John Fetterman (1:03:56


Tech Mogul/Pop Culture Persona TBD (1:04:02)


Jon Stewart (1:04:24)


Hunter Biden (1:09:36)


Putting the Candidates in Order (1:10:40)


Jasmine Crockett (1:11:53)


Ro Khanna (1:12:51)

Hosts: Bryan Curtis and Joel Anderson

Guest: Van Lathan

Producer: Bruce Baldwin

Additional Production Support: Conor Nevins, Ben Cruz, Chris Thomas
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, media consumers! Bryan, David, and Joel come together on today’s episode for a three-man weave. The guys start by discussing the shooting of Alex Pretti (01:58), the way the Trump administration has tried to spin the story (10:04), and the way the Minnesota Star Tribune has covered these events (29:50). After that, Bryan, Joel, and David give their thoughts on the rumored shuttering of the Washington Post sports desk (33:33), alongside other rumored layoffs that could affect half of the company's newsroom. The show ends with a new edition of Our Disillusioned Listeners, where Bryan, David, and Joel answer questions from you, the listeners (51:58).

Plus, David and Joel Guess the Strained-Pun Headline!

Hosts: Bryan Curtis, David Shoemaker, Joel Anderson

Producer: Bruce Baldwin

Social: Isaiah Blakely
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, media consumers! On today’s episode, Bryan interviews Senator Mark Kelly (D-Arizona). Their conversation starts with his thoughts on Trump’s attempts to acquire Greenland (01:21), what he thinks is driving Trump’s foreign policy in his second term (03:18), and the purpose of the video he and other Congress members released about ignoring illegal military orders (07:19). Next, Bryan and Senator Kelly discuss how it feels to be 15 years removed from the horrific shooting of his wife, former House Representative Gabby Giffords (D-Arizona) (15:31), before diving into his thoughts on Trump’s actions in and against Venezuela (17:33). After that, they talk about his experiences as a fighter pilot in Iraq (27:16), whether Democrats were prepared for Trump 2.0 (33:23), and immigration (40:18). Lastly, Bryan asks Senator Kelly if he is running for President in 2028 (48:22), before ending with some classic Ringer pop culture questions (52:02). All that and more, here on The Press Box.

Host: Bryan Curtis

Guest: Senator Mark Kelly

Producer: Bruce Baldwin

Additional Production Support: Ben Cruz, Conor Nevins, and Chris Thomas
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices