The long-running media deconstruction podcast "No Agenda" continued its twice-weekly broadcast on July 30, 2026, with guest hosts Darren O'Neill and Larry Blythner filling in for regular hosts Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak. Curry took bereavement time following the passing of Dvorak, leaving the show's trademark clip-driven analysis in the hands of the seasoned guests. Episode 1890, titled "Flock Off!," tackled a range of stories dominating the news cycle, from Anthony Fauci's Senate appearance to Elon Musk's latest predictions on artificial intelligence and a growing bipartisan revolt against Flock Safety license plate cameras.
The episode opened with a candid explanation of how O'Neill and Blythner were tapped to keep the show running without interruption. They then delved into the headline-grabbing moment when Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment 111 times before a Senate committee. The hosts read verbatim passages from Fauci's roughly 1,100-page diary, including entries about Julia Roberts, Barbra Streisand, and a Kennedy Center evening with Joan Baez. Blythner did not mince words about the spectacle, saying, "This is the biggest, uh, comedic event in the history of United States government, no question about it." He argued that Fauci squandered a chance at a Caesar's Palace residency by listening to his six attorneys instead of answering Senator Josh Hawley's questions about the color of his tie and the carpet in front of him.
In another segment, the hosts discussed Elon Musk's comments to The Economist, where he predicted that AI will exceed human intelligence within five years, with a 10 to 20 percent chance of "killer robots." The hosts analyzed the implications of such a timeline and the potential risks, providing their trademark skeptical take on the hype and fear surrounding AI development.
The Flock Safety segment highlighted a rare bipartisan coalition, with the ACLU joining right-leaning municipalities in Sedona, Arizona, and elsewhere to cancel contracts with the license plate camera company. The hosts referenced reporting from dflock.org, a tracking site, and Sir Ryan Bemrose, who reported on antenna sensors capable of harvesting MAC addresses from passing phones. They contrasted CEO Garrett Langley's pitch that "safety should just be a right" with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's stance on incarceration, El Salvador's Bukele prison model, and Radley Balko's book "Rise of the Warrior Cop." The discussion underscored the growing concerns about surveillance and privacy, and the unusual alignment of civil liberties advocates with conservative critics.
The episode also covered a McLaughlin poll on the Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz strikes, and a WNBA controversy involving the Seattle Storm owner confronting two teenage Sophie Cunningham fans. Throughout, the hosts maintained the show's commitment to questioning how stories are framed by media and government, a mission that has defined "No Agenda" for years. A lengthy donation segment honored Dvorak with tributes from producers around the world, plus knightings and meetup announcements from Coeur d'Alene to Calgary.
Episode 1890 is available now wherever podcasts are heard, offering listeners a blend of humor, sharp commentary, and media deconstruction that keeps the spirit of the show alive during a transitional period.
