Pawlitics

America promised the pursuit of happiness, not happiness itself. Baseball is the only game we invented that takes that distinction seriously. In this episode, William and Abe sit down exclusively with Andrew Friedman, President of Baseball Operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers, to talk about failure, Moneyball, and what the American Dream actually means in the only sport built around losing.

In the third episode of Pawlitics, hosts William and Abe are joined by guest Finn to take a hard look at the current state of American politics, ranging from ICE protests and tariffs to the dismantling of the Department of Education and the looming threat of a government shutdown. Drawing insight from Professor Steven Lamy’s (USC) talk at Polytechnic School, they examine how the Trump Administration’s foreign policy is reshaping America’s global reputation and international relations, as well as whether any meaningful enforcement mechanisms exist to check executive power. It’s a candid, wide-ranging conversation about protest, the presidency, and what it means to live in the United States right now.

In the second episode of Pawlitics, hosts William and Abe sit down with guests Kyan and Jack to unpack the United States’ recent provocations toward Venezuela and Greenland and what they reveal about America’s shifting role on the world stage. Together, they explore how these moves affect NATO alliances, set international precedents, and expose the limits of international law without enforcement, drawing insight from Professor Saira Mohamed from UC Berkeley, who recently spoke to the group. Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation that connects foreign policy headlines to the deeper questions shaping our global order.

In the very first episode of Pawlitics, hosts William and Abe, with guest speaker Ambrosio Rodriguez, kick things off by exploring one of philosophy’s oldest questions: what does it mean to live a good life, and how does technology shape that in the world we live in today? They chose this as their opening topic deliberately, believing that before diving into big issues in politics, philosophy, economics, or current events, we must establish the foundational question that underlies all of it—what are all of these humanistic systems for? Whether you think tech is a tool for connection or a source of distraction, this episode will leave you thinking about the values at the center of your own life.