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This week on Rational Security, Quinta and Scott were joined by Molly Reynolds and (a prerecorded) Anna Bower to talk through some of the week\u2019s big national security news, including:

• \u201cThe Shutdown Rut.\u201d Congress once again has the government on the verge of a shutdown. And while Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has reportedly committed to avoiding one, demands from within his caucus may make that hard\u2014just as they continue to obstruct a path forward for the national security supplemental that contains essential assistance for Ukraine. Is there a way forward? Or are we shutdown-bound?
• \u201cSex, Lies, and Geolocation.\u201d The criminal case against former President Trump and more than a dozen codefendants in Fulton County, Georgia, remains on hold as defense attorneys continue to dig into the details of Fani Willis\u2019s romantic relationship with subordinate Nathan Wade. Over the last week, we\u2019ve seen filings on geolocation data and the examination of Wade\u2019s former attorney. But does any of this add up to a potentially disqualifying conflict of interest?
• \u201cIf This Segment Were a Newspaper, How Much Would It Weigh?\u201d The Supreme Court heard extended oral arguments over the constitutionality of controversial Florida and Texas laws seeking to regulate content moderation on social media platforms this week. But amid some very interesting lines of questioning\u2014including one inquiring the weight of YouTube if it were a newspaper\u2014it wasn\u2019t clear the Court was really ready and interested in delving into the technical details. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? And where might the Court come out?

For object lessons, Quinta answered Justice Alito\u2019s recent inquiry, \u201cIf YouTube were a newspaper, how much would it weigh?\u201d Scott sang the praises of Bianco DiNapoli\u2019s fire-roasted tomatoes. And Molly recommended the podcast Short Walk, about one of the stranger state-level political controversies in recent memory.

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