Ben opens with the Charlotte light-rail killing of Irina Zyrutska, why legacy outlets tried to look away, and what that says about free speech, crime policy, and who gets to control the narrative. He connects the story to the broader fight over platform power and speech. Ben asks where we’d be without X’s openness and a political climate less tolerant of censorship. Winston Marshall, former Mumford and Sons Bandmember, then joins to unpack Britain’s speech crackdown. They also tackle immigration tensions and the long, ugly history of grooming gangs that elites don’t want discussed, plus whether AI can ever replace the soul in music. Finally, Rob Bluey of The Daily Signal, breaks down how the press room now includes voices from legacy outlets long kept out. He and Ben dig into a family-first policy focus from the right (marriage, birthrates, fixing perverse incentives). They also take stock of Trump’s second term so far: a harder border stance cheered by conservatives, with economic risks still looming. Ben closes with a sports-media rant: ESPN’s RedZone “short ads” morph into 45-second overlays that block live cut-ins. Ben argues it undercuts the entire product and he foreshadows a pricey ad-free upsell. DROP A COMMENT: How do you feel about RedZone adding commercials? 🎙Listen and SUBSCRIBE for more candid conversations on speech, culture, media power, and politics. Find the full audio show wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3fRPRZRNC9O7S8u40CSk2D Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-big-ben-show/id1556479134 Follow The Big Ben Show on all social platforms: X: https://x.com/BigBenShowFox Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigbenshowfox?igsh=bW82Mnk3cTQ5Yjkx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
