Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah -- it's the last pre-holiday show!

We've made it through an odd budget fight, and now we have to figure out what happens next. Will this be the end for Speaker Mike Johnson? Will it portend ill for the Trump agenda? Or is this the beginning of draining the swamp, for real?

We'll also talk about the exclusion of Trump voters (or even skeptical Democrats) from the LGBTQ+ world -- a practice of cancelation that continues even in the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election.

We'll discuss an organization that funds search and rescue equipment for a reserve unit in the IDF. We'll explore how California Democrats appear to have stolen (legally) a congressional seat using methods illegal in other states.

And we'll talk about one of the remaining anti-Trump cases -- the so-called "fake electors" case in Nevada, which still remains even after a Georgia appellate court kicked DA Fani Willis off a similar case this past week.

Special guests:

Yuval David -- ...

This week's portion begins the story of Joseph, the longest (and in my opinion the best) story in the Torah, continuing over four weeks of readings. The story opens in the Land of Israel, where Jacob has finally settled with his family.

Joseph, we are told, is Jacob's favored son, and incurs the jealousy of his brothers. They conspire to kill him, but sell him slavery in Egypt instead. He proves his worth as a slave but is jailed on wrongful claims of sexual misconduct.

In prison, Joseph again excels, and is a natural leader of the inmates. He interprets the dreams of Pharaoh's butler and baker -- one for freedom, the other for death -- and his interpretations are fulfilled in reality.

There are two insights in the portion that I want to highlight. One is in the beginning of the portion, when "a man" (37:15) finds Joseph lost, looking for his brothers. The unnamed man played a key role in the unfolding drama.

This, according to the late UK Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, points to the importance...