The Unseen World of Congressional Staffers with Micah Robertson and Solomon Chen

The AI tipping point? Interview with Byron Tomes

It’s been less than a year since cybersecurity expert Byron Tomes was last on the podcast, but a lot has happened since then. Two major developments have been the ongoing friction between the Trump administration and first Anthropic and now Open AI as the dueling AI giants push the expanding capabilities of their frontier models out past what may or may not be ethically wise. At least that’s the concern, but there’s a more immediate national security concern as well. NOTE: Byron’s views are his own and do not represent the views and policies of his employer, the state of California, or the US Federal Government. Subscribe to Tim Talks Politics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://timtalkspolitics.substack.com/pod] for the full show notes (30% off for podcast listeners)!

The Unseen World of Congressional Staffers with Micah Robertson and Solomon Chen

I’m really excited about today’s podcast. What happens away up there on Capitol Hill where laws are made, hearings are held, and legislators debate? Away from the headlines, behind closed doors, and in the many offices that house the members of Congress and the committees they sit on an army of congressional staffers labor away at the detailed work of legislation. This podcast gives you, the listener a peek inside that world.  My guests today are a former student of mine and a former pick up basketball buddy, both graduates of the Political Science program at Biola University where I work. Solomon Chen currently works on the House Committee on Education and Workforce and Micah Robertson is the current Director of Partnerships at PreBorn! A prolife nonprofit organization, but served a staffer in the US Senate prior to moving into the nonprofit sector. Today on the show, Solomon, Micah and I talk about their experiences working on Capitol Hill, the differences between staff work on committees versus congressional offices, what a typical day looks like, and the joys and frustrations of working at the business end of American government. Subscribe to Tim Talks Politics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://timtalkspolitics.substack.com/pod] for the full show notes (30% off for podcast listeners)!

The Islamabad Memorandum

In this episode, we do what I have often done on the podcast and that is to take an important document, read through, and I offer my thoughts and comments on how to understand it. I talk about chronology and context a lot in my newsletter, and it’s for moments like this that chronology and context become important tools in our analytical tool belts. The chronology of US-Iran relations creates the context in which this diplomacy can take place and sets limits (real and perceived) on what’s possible in terms of ceasefires and peace deals. As I work through this MOU, one of the things that stands out to me is that it suggests both the US and Iran are giving up things to get here, and the US is exercising due caution in agreeing to these terms with Iran.  Subscribe to Tim Talks Politics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://timtalkspolitics.substack.com/pod] for the full show notes (30% off for podcast listeners)!

The Pro-Life Movement Amidst Conservative Realignment with Matthew Lee Anderson

In this episode, Matt Anderson and I discuss the rhetorical and political difficulties of maintaining a consistent pro-life position in a conservative political milieu divided on questions of IVF and recent court ruling related to abortion pill access. We then explore the strategic and tactical approaches the emerging wings of the pro-life movement are taking as distinct “reformer” and “radical” coalitions take shape and vie for influence. In particular, we consider the self-proclaimed “abolitionist” movement and its adoption of a more militant anti-abortion position, contrasting it to the “radical” and “reform” wings of the original abolitionist movement that sought to end slavery in Great Britain and United States. In some ways, this is a heavy conversation as it touches on an issue that Matt and I both care about, and some of the developments are deeply troubling to us, particularly as Christian advocates for the unborn. Still, there’s cause for encouragement and even optimism as we look to the future. Subscribe to Tim Talks Politics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://timtalkspolitics.substack.com/pod] for the full show notes (30% off for podcast listeners)!

Isolationism and Religion in American Conservatism with Stephen Mansfield

One of the more surprising developments in American politics in 2026 is the rift in American conservatism between those who are supportive of President Trump’s war with Iran and those adamantly opposed to it. Stranger, and scarier, still, is an anti-Israel component of the opposition camp that comes uncomfortably close to antisemitism. In this podcast, Stephen Mansfield and I revisit our earlier discussion on isolationism in American conservatism and consider where this trend in conservative politics goes from here. Can it be a healthful corrective to military adventurism and American overreach? Can it thread the needle between a balanced critique of American allies and a respect and honoring of the same? Can it safeguard America from future conflicts and threats? We don’t settle on firm answers in this discussion. Rather, what you get is a thoughtful discussion and exercise in intellectual humility and self awareness. Subscribe to Tim Talks Politics⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://timtalkspolitics.substack.com/pod] for the full show notes (30% off for podcast listeners)!