♪ question, should a person's non-violent attendance at the january 6th save america march have any impact on their employment? i'm michael smerconish in philadelphia, and that is this week's poll question at smerconish.com. many who participated on the storming of the capitol on january 6th have been charged and may still be. scrutinizing former president donald trump. but i want to update a different story about that day. one of a middle schoolteacher who on thursday night was just fired by his school board tracing back to his attendance on january the 6th, despite his never being anywhere near the capitol. kind of ironic that the pennsylvania teacher is now out of his job while the current republican nominee for pennsylvania charted puss to transport people to attend. jason mother head at the robb middle school in allentown, pennsylvania.

he attended the rally and posted about it on social media, but did not participate in anything beyond that. he was suspended with pay and benefits while the district investigated his involvement. when the district told moor head he could return to work last september he ask they make a public statement about his being clear. they refused. he was fired. his involvement came to light with some screen shots of his social media posts, one with the caption, doing my civic duty while he was carrying a revolutionary war flag, join or die. and someone else's post saying don't worry, everyone. the capitol is ensured, to moorhead added this, january 7th, the school town launched the investigation that read in part, quote, the school district was made aware of a staff member involved in the electoral college protests that took place at the united states capitol building on january 6th. we understand that many members of our community are upset by

the image at the same time the district has an obligation to respect the first amendment rights of our staff and students. this past thursday night, moorhead appeared at a public school board meeting and here is some of what he had to say. >> i understand the fears of the community when they want to make sure their kids are in a safe place. a safe place to be. where they can be nurtured. so i understand the outrage of those parents have been lied to. yes, i went to washington, the capitol in d.c. to hear some speeches, but i was never a part of any violence, period. the district told the allentown community that i was, that i was an active participant in the riots. that's a lie. once the district admitted to me privately that i had done nothing wrong and that i could return, they refused to let the community know that i'm safe, to alleviate both their fears and my fears by returning. and they still have not made a

statement today. you made it impossible for me to return. you destroyed my career, my character, my life, my marriage. i might lose my house. all because some of you did not like my political, conservative views. shame on you. and the rest are too afraid to stand up and do what's right. >> the law firm for the school district sent cnn a statement which reads in part, mr. moorehead was terminated solely for his failure to return and report to work as directed by the administration. his termination was in no way connected to his activities on january 6th. joining me now is jason moorehead along with his attorney francis. so jason, january 6th, you're in washington. what exactly were you doing? >> hi, michael. thank you for having me back again. i went down with some people i knew to simply listen to the speeches on that day to try to learn and be a witness.

that's why i went down. >> what were your activities? where were you physically positioned? and what were you doing? >> we arrived right by the washington monument. we walked around the washington monument. we walked towards the white house, tried to get pictures of the white house. we were with people who had never been to d.c. we listened to some speeches or attempted to. it was hard to hear. right around 1:30 we walked over to get a hot dog. hung out for about an hour right by the washington monument white house and headed back to the bus, which picked us up right by the holocaust museum. >> how close did you get to the capitol? >> i was more than a mile away at all times. it was a 20 minute walk. >> your social media -- it occurs to me but for your own social media posts, katherine, can you put that back up on the screen. this probably might not have come to light. what were you seeking to convey, quote, doing my civic duty, somebody else says don't worry, everybody. the capitol is ensured.

and you say this, the message you were seeking to convey was what? >> i think it's important to see events firsthand if you can and to hear from people directly. i have an obligation to make sure i'm learning firsthand for myself and not trusting the media to tell me that story. i thought that day would be important to hear. >> so the following day the superintendent sends out a letter and it says on january 7 the allentown school district was made aware of a staff member who was involved in the electoral college protests that took place at the united states capitol. i guess francis, part of your beef is that it suggests he was at the capitol when he wasn't. >> no comment should have been made against jason moorehead until there was an investigation and it was a violation of the collective bargaining agreement. furthermore, the district knew right off the bat that he did

nothing wrong and he was not at the capitol building protests or part of any violence. yet they placed him there and destroyed his life. they knew two days later on january 8th after a full investigation and inquisition was taken that he wasn't there. he did nothing wrong. but they spent seven months refusing to correct the record and now a year and a half later they still haven't corrected the record or cleared his name, even though they did a full investigation, even suearching his personal devices with the fbi including that fact from him and what they found out was he smelled like roses, he was a choir boy and a boy scott, he did nothing wrong, but to this day they poisoned the community, they poisoned the students, they poisoned teachers and parents against him to the point where it's impossible for him to return and the most decent thing when you make a mistake as a human being is to say i'm sorry. but instead they doubled down and 9-0 voted to terminate him which was wrong and unlawful.

>> but jason, after a hearing on the matter, i'm reading the fact finder's report, ultimately when all the noise is put aside, the facts are simple. they invited moorehead, you, to return to work. he state his intention to not work. and then failed to show up. jason, you would say what in response to that? >> for months afterwards parents, students, community members were allowed to think and say horrible things about me and my character. and they were allowed eed eed te it because the school never corrected it. and i can't go back. i wouldn't want to go back to a place where it was unsafe for anybody. and it's one of those situations where there's so many horrible things said that students feel i'm this way. they don't know the truth. and that needs to be corrected. >> so, the fact finder also says francis, that you didn't put forth any evidence of threats

against your client. i'm going to play a voice mail. then i'm going to ask you to respond to it. roll that. >> hey, idiot, i saw you on the news. i think you're a piece of [ bleep ] and you got conned by donald trump. participating in a coup. call me back if you want to talk about it. direct me like a man, but you're a trump supporter, so you're a scared little [ bleep ]. >> francis, did you put forth evidence of him being threatened? >> this shows the bias of the hearing officer, this shows the bias of the administration and the board. we asked for subpoenas to be served upon law enforcement and the state police, which had the death threats documented. but the hearing offer, the administration, and the board refused to allow those subpoenas to be issued so testimony could be heard. so when we talk about a far left leaning board that's lost their balance and hearing officer that was unfair and biased, who represented the board and the administration, the current

solicitor, that statement is absolutely false. it's a lie. and needs to be corrected. and this is the type of thing -- >> jason, here is something else i think is important. they've asked you to come back to work. you haven't gone back to work. you've just made it clear to a cnn audience because you want your name cleared, importantly, were there any strings attached to your coming back to the workplace? >> yes. one of the requirements was that i attend some classes on african-american and hispanic studies and if i took those courses, it would be admitting that i needed some racial training when all i did was go to a political, conservative rally. i can't admit that i'm racist because i have a different political viewpoint. >> in other words, they wanted you to engage -- wait, this is important, i want to understand, they wanted you to take some level of training that other teachers didn't have to take, and that, too, was a condition for your coming back to the

workplace? >> that was the condition that they had given me, yes. >> and i think it's important to note, if we -- >> francis -- >> yeah, go ahead. >> i was going to say what other aspect of this? francis, i've got to get this in the record, too. the fact finders say, hey, you, francis malify wanted $1 million and upped that very soon thereafter. is this a money play is my question? >> from day one it was about correcting the record. it was about them clearing his name and putting him back in the classroom. they refused to do that. they refused to do that today because they're too bent on their ideology and not respecting the first amendment, which values difference of opinion, which values freedom of speech. if the board could appreciate blm protests, then so too can they appreciate conservative protests or conservative gatherings. you know, what we have here is a left-leaning board that's lost their balance. the school district and the school is a government entity.

it cannot adopt one political view to the exclusion of another. just because you're a white christian conservative male does not mean you get to be politically assassinated by the school or the government. it's unlawful. it's illegal. >> i have to wrap it up. i have to wrap it up. francis malify, jason moorehead, thank you for being here and telling your story. thank you. tweet me at smerconish, go to my facebook page, youtube. i'll read responses throughout the course of the program. from twitter, depends on the profession. a social studies teacher must have better judgment than to indulge a far out conspiracy. they're supposed to teach critical thinking to our kids. matt, hang on a second. are you saying that there's going to be a different standard that applies those that attended the events. let's give him the benefit of doubt because the school district doesn't say otherwise, he was at the ellipse, he was not near the capitol. and for showing up at that event, which is billed as a save

america march, that he's fundamentally unfit to hold his job? i'm not comfortable with that. where does that logic exsnend what if i'm a cop? what if i'm a firefighter? i mean, where exactly are we going to carry that school of thought? if he was not involved in any of that which transpired at the capitol but was exercising his first amendment right showing up to hear president trump and others speak, my personal view, that is not a fireable offense. to me that's frightening. if that's all it consists of. well, this will be interesting, smerconish.com right now has this week's poll question, go there and answer this. should a person's -- i tried to make it generic and not just about him. should a person's non-violent attendance at the january 6th save america march have any impact on their employment? still to come, is america in a recession? while politicians argue about the definition, what can we learn from certain bell weather small businesses? and what do many summer concerts have in common with our

political leaders? i'll talk to one candidate who thinks we're being ruled by a geriatric oligarchy. is he right? >> same people running our country and our state are the same people who asked you to come over and reset their router. >> hey, joe, router is out again. if you have age-related macular degeneration, there's only so much time before it can lead to blindness. but the areds 2 clinical study showed that a specific nutrient rmula can help reduce the risk of dry amd progression. ask your doctor now abouan areds 2 supplement. medium latte, half-caff, no foam. quite the personalized order. i know what i like. i've been meaning to ask you, carl. does your firm offer personalized index investing? hmm? so i can remove a stock that doesn't align with my goals. i'm a broker, not a barista. what about managing gains and losses

to be more tax efficient? not a wizard either. looks like schwab personalized indexing can. schwaaab! learn more about personalized indexing at schwab today. some people have minor joint pain, plus high blood pressure. and since pain relievers may affect blood pressure, they can't just take anything for their pain. tylenol® is the #1 dr. recommended pain relief brand for those with high blood pressure. if you have questions on whether tylenol is right for you, talk to your doctor.

bubbles bubbles so many bubbles! as an expedia member you earn points on your travels, and that's on top of your airline miles. so you can go and see... or taste or do absolutely nothing with all those bubbles. without ever wondering if you're getting the most out of your trip. because you are.

my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis... the itching... the burning. the stinging. my skin was no longer mine. emerge tremfyant®. with tremfya®, most people saw 90% clearer skin at 16 weeks. the majority of people saw 90% clearer skin even at 5 years. tremfya® is the first medication of its kind also approved for adults with active psoriatic arthritis... and it's 6 doses a year after 2 starter doses. serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. emerge tremfyant®. with tremfya®... ask your doctor about tremfya® today.

♪ ♪ how's he still playin'? aspercreme arthritis. full prescription-strength. reduces inflammation. don't touch my piano. kick pain in the aspercreme. in a moment, you're going to meet a gubernatorial candidate who thinks we're ruled by a jar at rick ol gary. many agree, we don't seem to mind during the summer concert season. there's a huge number of rock stars proving you're never too old to rock and roll.

paul mccartney, the who and donald trump. that was the first reaction i had seeing his speech this week when he returned to washington, d.c., i had to seek online because no conventional outlets aired it. maybe it was the music playing in the house before he took the stage. it was elton john, himself, 75, and still on tour. or maybe that i myself had just seen concerts by 77-year-old john anderson of yes, dead and company led by 74-year-old bob weir. as a recent cnn.com piece this summer marks the twilight of classic rock. few of the ageing rockers have new material. there's rarely a new album. and still they tour. which is why i would add to that list donald trump at age 76 currently on his own greatest hits tour. see it this way, trump walked out on stage, he nodded and

pointed at a crowd whose hands and cell phones were raised high. what does that look like? like classic rock fans. this audience came for the trump experience. they're ready for in his case not the songs but the one liners and the excitement. it was billed as a policy speech, something that is not his forte. on the topic of crime. but you can see him read the room and feed off the crowd. when the crowd is bored, he gets bored. what does he do, he throws something else into the mix. he goes off script to keep them enthused. and he did so with a rant on transgender athletes that had nothing to do with crime. the crowd went wild. say what you will about him, he knows how to read a room. but also like the rock stars, he has no new material, no new policy, no new album, just the hits, which in this case are those same old grievances and targets. his critics scoffed at the set list, if you will.

the reviews called a dark presentation. but like his contemporaries, he's nevertheless selling out. still, among many other issues is he actually too old for the job? if he runs in 2024, he would be 78. at 79, joe biden is the oldest president in u.s. history. as for congress, the senate is the oldest in american history. the average age of senators in the congress is almost 64 years old. the average age of a house member is a little over 58. the number is higher for house democratic leadership average age is 71. consider that the average age of the signers of the declaration of independence was 44. some of our founding fathers were only in their 20s and teens. madison 25. alexander hamilton, 21. aaron bur 20. john marshall 20. james monroe just 18. they were the millennials and

gen zers of their time. my next guest made waves when he released a campaign video calling for term limits and age limits for o politicians in his state of south carolina. >> our country and our state are being run by geriatric oli oligarchy. people stay in office way past their prime. the folks making a career out of politics are making a mess of our country. that's why it's time to put term limits and age limits on politicians. bring new blood and new ideas to the table. >> here with me to discuss is joe cunningham, running for governor in south carolina. you know, congressman, people look at this and say, well, we already have age limits. we already have term limits. they come every two, four or six years. if the voters want to vote you out, they can vote you out. >> well, we all know that's a fallacy, michael. i mean, look what politicians have done across the country they've drawn their lines to pick their voters. so they've engaged in

gerrymandering where i think there's like 435 congressional seats in what, only 2 to 3 dozen of those are actually competitive. and everyone knows how difficult it is to beat an incumbent. they have the power of the incumbency. so when ever you pick your own voters and you have the power of the incumbency, there aren't real competitive races. everyone knows that's typically just not true. >> i thought what was compelling in your commercial was when you made reference to other professions. katherine, roll that video and we'll respond. >> airline pilots are forced to retire at age 65. federal law enforcement officers, 57. judges here in south carolina, 72. >> what? >> have you noticed that politicians hardly ever retire? >> i mean, it makes a good point that at this point i'm three years beyond being a federal investigator by your definition

of this. so what has been the reaction? because i think this was politically risky for you to take on. >> look, i'm saying the quiet parts outloud, michael. i'm saying what others are thinking. and the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. take for instance here in south carolina, where i mentioned that 72 is the retirement age for judges. you know, if 72 is too old to interpret the law, why is it not too old to make the law? and the fact is in south carolina we have the oldest governor in our state's history, governor mcmaster, 75 years old. and he's been in politics, been a politician, get this, longer than i've been alive literally. you look at where it's gotten us. we're dead last in roads. near the bottom with teacher pay, with health care. every metric of the quality of life, we're at or near the bottom. and he's been in politics for over four decades. so that -- >> i don't deny that it's -- >> age limits. >> i don't deny it's on people's mind. the question of whether it's

smart politics. the whole country recalls the role that jim clyburn played for joe biden in the last presidential nomination process when congressman clyburn was asked about you and this issue. this is a very short clip. but here was his response. >> joe needs to grow up. >> he says you need to grow up. you say what? >> look,s i don't expect those who would be impacted by this policy to come running towards it with open arms. you know, the question is -- >> he's 82. >> yeah. yeah. and the question is not -- i have a lot of respect for the whip. and i worked well with him in congress. and the question is not can these people do the job, but it's should they do the job? and right now, you know, we have a decline in voter turnout, specifically among younger people. and you think about it, who can blame these kids for not showing up at the polls when they have

to choose between two 70, two 70-year-olds or 80-year-olds for president of the united states? what do they have in common with these people in their 70s and 80s? they breathe air? that's about it. you know. -- >> i think that's the pronunciation writing in the courier says she hopes you win. quote, but playing the age card is simply not great politics. for starters, a lot of 72-year-old voters. have you written off a part of the electorate or do you think a certain number of seniors themselves recognize what you're saying? >> i see some of the greatest support from seniors. and you know what they tell me, michael, they tell me we've had our opportunity in government. it's time for new generation. this is what it's all about. this is not about disparaging or saying that these people in their -- in their older years cannot do the job. this is about making room for a new generation of leadership because when you look at washington, d.c. or you look at

columbia, south carolina, you see people in their 70s and 80s. this is about having people make the decisions that will be around long enough to live with the actual consequences. i'm looking at my 4-year-old son -- >> i would be derelict in my duty if i didn't point out that this whole subject applies to the current president of the united states as well as the past president of the united states as i just noted. but what you're saying has direct relevance to joe biden. your thought? >> yeah. well, look, i think what people hate about politics is the hypocrisy. that's why weeks ago i said president biden should not run for another term. i won't support his run for another term because i think it's time for a new generation of leadership. this is nothing personal against the president but this is about being consistent. people hate politics they'll call out something in another party but won't have the guts to call it within their own party. i'm over here calling balls and strikes. that's what i'm doing. i think that's new for politics

and it's refreshing for voters to hear. >> the only part of the commercial i didn't like was the fixing of the router because i'm constantly doing that for my mother. and my kids are still doing it for me. joe cunningham, thank you for being here. i appreciate it. >> thank, michael. let's see what you're seeing on my smerconish twitter and youtube and facebook pages. however you reach me. i think he's right but experience counts in politics. age 75. agree that many are just too old says mother of chickens. makes me wonder how old is the mother of chickens, does it not? yeah. age is a relative thing. 75 doesn't look the same on one person as it does on another. but when you look at the data, the most compelling thing to me was to think of the ages of our founding fathers when this country was taking shape. that is really remarkable. but you make a point, mother of all chickens, that when you say, okay, you've now aged out, with that does go a lot of

experience. so my solution is more civics training and education earlier on so we've got a generation ready to step right in. i want to remind you to go to my website at smerconish.com and answer this week's survey question. should a person's non-violent attendance at the january 6th save america march have any impact on their employment? up ahead, is america in a recession? the new york post put this helpful definition on yesterday's front page. going by the gdp the answer is yes. larry summers and the white house they say no, but what are americans experiencing when it comes to everyday indicators? like a breakfast sandwich or a haircut or a strip club? ♪ that disagreement ends right nowow. lactaid ice cream is the crcreamy, real ice cream you loe that will never mess with your stomach. lactaid ice cream. i recommend nature made vitamins because i trust their quality. they were the first to be verified by usp...

...an independent ganization that sets strict quality and purity standards. nature made. thnumber one pharmacist recommended the unknown is not empty. it's a storm that crashes, and consumes, replacing thought with worry. but one thing can calm uncertainty. an answer. uncovered through exploration, teamwork, and innovation.

an answer that leads to even more answers. mayo clinic. you know where to go. i typed in my dad's name... and i found his childhood home. he's been wondering about the address for seventy years... (chuckle) and i found it in five minutes. travel back in time in no time with the 1950 census on ancestry. the tenth pick is in the new all-american club. that's a “club” i want to join! let's hear from simone. chuck, that's a club i want to join! i literally just said that. i like her better than you the new subway series. what's your pick?

with xfinity internet, you get advanced security that helps protect you at home and on the go. you feel so safe, it's as if... i don't know... evander holyfield has your back. i wouldn't click on that. hey, thanks! we got a muffin for ed! all right! you don't need those calories. can we at least split it? nope. advanced security that helps protect your devices in and out of the home.

i mean, can i have a bite? only from xfinity. nah. unbeatable internet. made to do anything so you can do anything. is america in a recession? based on one popular rule of thumb, which is two consecutive quarters of decline in gross

domestic product the answer is yes. and in the first quarter of 2022, the gdp decreased at an annual rate of 1.6% in the second just ended, another .9%. do you think that data would settle the matter with the conclusion that we're in a recession. but it's not so simple. the gdp says yes, the white house and economist larry somers say no. fortune magazine reports the recession debate is so intense that wikipedia blocked new users from editing its recession page because people keep changing the definition. we're about to settle the debate. historically people tried to find everyday indicators such as the hem line index developed in the 1920s it theer rorizes when the economy does well, dress hem lines creep up to match good feelings, but then fall back down when bank accounts are depleted. then there's former federal reserve chair alan greenspan's theory of men's underwear. in good times men don't think twice about replacing worn out boxers and briefs but in

recessions they prefer to wear underwear with holes in it than buy a new pair. usa today green span's theory held up. at the height of the economic downturn in 2009, sales plummeted and started to recover in 2011. what about that old stand by breakfast sandwich, bacon egg and cheese? one bronx bodega owner told the a.p. he was forced to rise the price from 2.50 to 4.50. i asked my radio audience to call in their current experience of downturn. one memorable from ej from michigan a d.j. at a strip club. >> economic downturn has really hit us. people have less discretionary income. they're more apt to be paying on their house or their car for food and whatnot than coming and buying dances and buying drinks. >> and then there are haircuts. it's something economists follow as a good shorthand because it's something that basically never

changes. so what's happening with haircuts? in may the price rose another half a percent for a total of 6.2% from a year ago. so what's that doing to business? well, joining me now to discuss is randall vaughn, for 30 years has been a barber and owner of atlanta's classic in town barbershop and men's spa. thank you so much for being here. by the way, i had a hot straight raiser cut this week. do you perform those? do you do the straight razor shaves? i love it. >> absolutely. i mean, that's one of our specialties. that's why we get to hang around. >> yeah. and i must say, it's a dying craft. and those who know how to do it well, it's a special skill set. sooim going to hook up with you when i am next in atlanta. what do you make of this? do you think that you have some special insight into what's going on with the economy? and if so, what is it? >> well, things are a bit off still because of the pandemic.

and it's very difficult to gauge really what's going on because there are a lot of conventions coming back into the downtown area as well as people in the hotels. so we're seeing a bit of traffic. but we have a very abbreviated schedule as well. >> have you had to raise prices? >> yes, we did in may we raised the prices $10 from 35 to $45 a cut for basic cut. >> the logic is that you look at a barbershop because a haircut is a haircut. and you've been doing this for a while. a haircut today is the same as a haircut five years ago, ten years ago, 20 years ago so the logic is that you can just look at the price of a haircut and if it's ticking up beyond the inflationary rate, that ought to tell you something. make sense? >> that's absolutely right. i mean, we're on the front lines. and most people in the service industry like we are, we're on the very front lines.

so, any time there's uptick or down tick in the economy, we're the first to feel it because a lot of people will go without. they'll do it at home or sit down with their families and look at the overall expenses of the household and, you know, this is one of the things that can be sliced right out. >> okay, randall vaughn, then settle it because you know all the -- i call them eggheads, all the economists out there crunching numbers are telling us different thing. what does randall vaughn say from the classic intown barbershop and men's spa in atlanta? >> yeah. we have to hang on. you know, we're kind of in a difficult environment to gauge things because we're downtown and like i said, there's so much traffic from the universities. we have georgia state university, we have georgia tech in our vicinity. so we get a lot of students from there. so we're not in a neighborhood

per se, so we're not able to really gauge what's really going on yet. but things seem okay. we just have to extend our hours eventually. >> i hope i see you soon. thank you for being here. >> absolutely. give me a call any time. thank you. >> okay. thank you. checking in on your tweets and youtube and facebook comments. what do we have? absolutely we are in a recession. we just don't know how deep it is yet. investors are pulling back in nearly every sector. fed rates are going up. prices in every industry are too high. jl, i don't know what the answer is. i mean, i don't like the shifting goal posts. if the standard is going to be two consecutive quarters of negative growth, then we ought to apply it to the trump administration and ought to apply to the biden administration and whatever is to follow. so i'll say that. but, just from my experience, i get confused because on one hand it looks like the market is starting to come back. on the other hand, i know so

many employers who just can't hold a work force because we're at full employment. and the question they say is, well, i'll hire somebody and i expect them to come on monday. i don't know if they're going to be there the second week. therein lies the dispute that i see. i want to remind you to answer this week's survey question at smerconish.com. here it is, should a person's non-violent attendance at the january 6th save america march have any impact on their employment? you met my guest in the first segment of the program and i'm asking you to weigh in on that and the bigger picture. still to come, social media is undermining democracy. that's what my next guest jonathan height has found. he has ideas about how to combat it.

psoriatic arthritis, made my joints stiff, swollen, painful. emerge tremfyant®. tremfya® is approved to help reduce joint symptoms in adults with active psoriatic arthritis. some patients even felt less fatigued. serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. emerge tremfyant® with tremfya®. ask you doctor about tremfya® today.

if maga republicans get their way, abortion will be banned nationwide, with no exceptions. medicare and social security will end in five years, with no replacement. elections will be decided by politicians, with no regard for your vote. if maga republicans get back in power, your rights, benefits and freedoms will be in danger. democrats will protect your rights. and the only way to stop maga republicans is to vote for democrats. ff pac is responsible for the content of this ad. there's a different way to treat hiv. it's every-other-month, injectable cabenuva. for adults who are undetectable,

cabenuva is the only complete hiv treatment you can get every other month. cabenuva helps keep me undetectable. it's two injections, given by a healthcare provider every other month. it's one less thing to think about while traveling. hiv pills aren't on my mind. a quick change in my plans is no big deal. don't receive cabenuva if you're allergic to its ingredients or taking certain medicines, which may interact with cabenuva. serious side effects include allergic reactions, post-injection reactions, liver problems, and depression. if you have a rash and other allergic reaction symptoms, stop cabenuva and get medical help right away. tell your doctor if you have liver problems or mental health concerns, and if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or considering pregnancy. some of the most common side effects include injection-site reactions, fever, and tiredness. if you switch to cabenuva, attend all treatment appointments. every other month and i'm good to go. ask your doctor about every-other-month cabenuva. flowers are fighters. that's why the alzheimer's association walk to end alzheimer's is full of them.

because flowers find a way to break through. just like we will. join the fight at alz.org/walk with best western rewards you get rewarded when you stay on the road and on the go. find your rewards so you can reconnect, disconnect, hold on tight and let go! stay two nights and get a free night. book now at bestwestern.com. a monster was attacking but the team remained calm. because with miro, they could problem solve together, and find the answer that was right under their nose. or... his nose. is social media harmful? that's the question being raise and debated. my next guest published an essay in the atlantic this spring that went viral. it was titled why the past years of american life have been

uniquely stupid. in the essay, jonathan height argued that american society today is akin to the citizens of baseball in the days after god rendered them unable to understand one another. he got pushback from meta facebook's parent company and contending that academic researchers haven't reached a clear consensus on the issue. new atlantic piece, height compares that response to the tobacco companies who kept claiming science about smoking and lung cancer wasn't settled either. in yes social media is really undermining democracy, he lists many troubling instances of how social media has polarized and inflamed america and why we need to address it. now instead of passively waiting for researchers to reach a consensus. jonathan height joins me now, a social psychologist at the nyu stern school of business and also the coauthor with greg of the coddling of the american mind. jonathan, welcome back. causation or correlation, how can you so easily weigh in on

one side not the other? >> well, every social scientist knows that correlation doesn't prove causation, so first you have to look for correlation and there's plenty of that. teenagers, began to go -- get incredibly depressed and anxious basically in 2013 the year after they got on instagram. democracies began to get more unstable and more polarized around 2016 basically as political life was moving on to social media platforms. it's very hard to do experiments. we can't manipulate societies here. but we can look at the pattern of findings. there are also experiments on bringing people into the lab and exposing them to news. if you look at the pattern of findings, you actually can tease out alternative hypotheses to what's happening. >> i know you're at work on a book on this very subject. i look forward to reading it. you kind of gave us a sneak peek back in the spring with the initial atlantic essay. i thought it was great.

but it was deficient in one way, i thought that you had underplayed the role of cable television news and media, polarized media, in bringing all of this about. >> you're absolutely right. and that is facebook, their director of research, made three arguments against me. that was one of them and she's right about that. i did underplay it. now, if we're talking about the degree to which left and right hate each other, that's affective polarization. that begins rising in the late '90s and just kept going up and up and up. if we're talking about that, then you're right and she is right. i did mention it in the original article but it should have emphasized it. but here is the thing -- >> so can -- go ahead. >> it's very hard for us to do anything about cable tv, but social media we can do a lot about. and facebook itself has done it. here is one of the experiments. facebook itself tweaked algorithm to reduce polarization before one of the elections and put it back up. why can't they keep it down? >> yeah.

frances haugen, the whistleblower illuminated on that very issue. what can we do instead of waiting for facebook to fix it, what's the message to those of us who consume social media? >> uh-huh. so, everybody has to realize we're all being invited in to talk to each other the middle of the roman coliseum. this is not normal conversation. these platforms are not connecting us. they're bringing us into the coliseum so we can fight and broadcast and preen and dance around so that the people in the audience have something to look at. it's a sick game. it's sucked so many people in. we have to stop it. refuse to fight. refuse to go in. it's useful for some things, for example, you yourself, you use it on the program. you can get quick feedback on twitter. so it does have uses. but we need to use it in ways that advance our goals not their goals. so, be compassionate, be moderate, don't give quick takes. never attack people. it doesn't do what you think.

all it does is generate engagement and content for the platforms. >> can i just take the final word and say that i speak all over the country, knock on wood, i never had an unpleasant, personal encounter with someone who disagrees with me and there have been many. i compare that to, people in social media, they get beer muscles. the anonymity of social media somehow empowers people to be nasty. and maybe, you know, going old school the way you had to sign your name if you were going to publish a letter to the editor in the local newspaper, maybe there's a lesson in that. food for thought. can't wait to read the book. thanks for coming back. >> my pleasure, michael. so with that preamble, let us see what we have from social media. will it be naughty or nice? that's really just an assessment. social media is dumbing down america. yeah, i think when you have to express yourself in 140 word character statement, that is the net impact, but it's not just social media.

i think all of our attention spans are short. but, i may be wrong, i've been consistent. you know what i think, i think that as i have watched the country go partisan ditch over the span of the three decades i've been involved in the media, number one on my list are media influences for polarization. remember, 60% of the house and senate were comprised of moderates on ronald reagan's watch in the 1980s. media shifted and that definition of media now includes social media. that's my two cents. still to come, cannot wait to see the result of this week's poll question. go to my website, smerconish.com. register for the daily newsletter when you're there. tell me this. should a person's nonviolent, stressing that, attendance at the january 6th save america march have any impact on their employment?

demands a lotion this pure. goldld bond pure moisture lotin 24-hour hydration no parabens, dyes, or fragrances gold bond champion your skin (woman vo) sailing a great river past extraordinary landscapes into the heart of iconic cities is aourney for the curious traveler, one that many have yet to discer. exploring with viking brings you closer to e world, to the history, the culture, the flavors, a serene river voyage on an elegant viking longship. learn more at viking.com i brought in ensure max protein with 30 grams of protein. those who tried me felt more energy in just two weeks. uhh... here, i'll take that! yay!!! ensure max protein, with 30 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar enter powered by protein challenge for a chance to win big!

if your moderate to severe crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms are stopping you in your tracks... choose stelara® from the start... and move toward relief after the first dose... with injections every two months. stelara® may increase your risk of infections, some serious, and cancer. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, sores, new skin growths, have had cancer, or if you need a vaccine. pres, a rare, potentially fatal brain condition, may be possible. some serious allergic reactions and lung inflammation can occur.

feel unstoppable. ask your doctor how lasting remission can start with stelara®. janssen can help you explore cost support options. 80% of couples sleep too hot or too cold. because quality sleep is vital, the sleep number 360 smart bed is temperature balancing, so you both stay cool. our smart sleepers get 28 minutes more restful sleep per night. save $500 on the sleep number 360 c4 smart bed queen now only $1,299. lowest price ever. (fisher investments) in this market, you'll find fisher investments is different than other money managers. (other money manager) different how? aren't we all just looking for the hottest stocks? (fisher investments) nope. we use diversified strategies to position our client's portfolios for their long-term goals. (other money manager) but you still sell investments that generate high commissions for you, right? (fisher investments) no, we don't sell commission products. we're a fiduciary, obligated to act in our client's best interest. (other money manager) so when do you make more money, only when your clients make more money? (fisher investments) yep. we do better when our clients do better. at fisher investments, we're clearly different.

time to see how you responded to the poll question at smerconish.com this week asking should a person's nonviolent attendance at the january 6th save america march have any impact on their employment. survey says. here are the results. wow, i must say i'm pleasantly surprised, i'm actually in the majority for change. 69% i'll say of us say no, it shouldn't. one-third, 31%, a little less, say yes. social media response, catherine, what do we have? if you voted yes, you are what's wrong with america.

interesting, says timothy gumm. i don't know if i would say you're what's wrong with america but i agree with the assessment. i'm disgusted how you never condemn traitor trump. and his enablers. you're such an a wimp. are you running for republican office? how much more clear could i make it? i was here on a commentary two weeks ago where i said he's unfit, the january 6th committee hearings, if you needed any confirmation, were so illuminating in terms of his unfitness to hold office. and maybe i don't like that in the same breath and not through establishing parity i said, but the other guy's going to be too old to run for reelection so let's find some other choices out there. but people hear and see from me what they want to hear and see. i think you're so conditioned to hearing only one side or the other depending on your outlet that i come along and you don't know what to make of me. i'll see you next week.

just you and youour people. ♪ ♪ 9 out of 10 coupleles prefer a different mattress firmness. the sleep number 360 smart bed senses your movements and automatically adjusts to keep you both comfortable. our smart sleepers get 28 minutes more restful sleep per night. save $500 on the sleep number 360 c4 smarted, queen now only $1299. lowest price ever! if maga republicans get their way, abortion will be banned nationwide,

with no exceptions. medicare and social security will end in five years, with no replacement. elections will be decided by politicians, with no regard for your vote. if maga republicans get back in power, your rights, benefits and freedoms will be in danger. democrats will protect your rights. and the only way to stop maga republicans is to vote for democrats. ff pac is responsible for the content of this ad. if your moderate to severe crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms are stopping you in your tracks... choose stelara® from the start... and move toward relief after the first dose... with injections every two months. stelara® may increase your risk of infections,

some serious, and cancer. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, sores, new skin growths, have had cancer, or if you need a vaccine. pres, a rare, potentially fatal brain condition, may be possible. some serious allergic reactions and lung inflammation can occur. feel unstoppable. ask your doctor how lasting remission can start with stelara®. janssen can help you explore cost support options. [eerie shrinking sounds] (brad) congratulations! you're having an out-of-apartment experience. but apartments-dot-com can help you trade this love nest for... (woman) ...an actual nest. (brad) apartments-dot-com. the place to find a place. i don't hydrate like everyone else. because i'm not everyone else. they drink what they're told to drink. i drink what helps me rehydrate and recover: pedialyte® sport. because it works... and so do i. ♪ hydration beyond the hype. ♪