The weekly round-up of the best moments from DZ's season 401 (8/11/25-8/15/25)

The weekly round-up of the best moments from DZ's season 401 (8/11/25-8/15/25)

There’s more news and less comprehension today than any historical period that didn’t involve literal witch trials, and trying to stay on top of it all can feel like playing a game of telephone with 30 people, except everyone’s speaking at the same time and like a third of them are openly racist for some reason. From Cracked co-founder Jack O’Brien, THE DAILY ZEITGEIST is stepping into that fray with some of the funniest and smartest comedic and journalistic minds around. Jack and co-host Miles Gray spend up to an hour every weekday sorting through the events and stories driving the headlines, to help you find the signal in the noise, with a few laughs thrown in for free.

The Daily Zeitgeist

Weekly Zeitgeist 394 (Best of 8/11/25-8/15/25)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c81bf84b-5e22-4e36-bb55-b33c00537877/transcript

In episode 2097, Jack and Miles are joined by super producer, Anna Hossnieh, to discuss… Zuck - What If We Tried NOT Freaking People The F**k Out About Sh*tty AI? Zoran Speech Is Very Popular? Republicans Are Using Olive Garden To Justify Vote-Stealing, Are Society’s “Eyes Adjusting” To CGI? And more!
I’m a Mom of Two, and Olive Garden’s Returning $100 Pasta Pass Is My Ultimate Dinner Hack
Olive Garden: "The Never-Ending Pasta Pass is only for use by the Passholder whose name is printed on the Pass."
How the G.O.P. Turned Olive Garden Into a Voter ID Talking Point
Olive Garden becomes unlikely face of voter ID fight after restaurant's policy goes viral
FOXX on Voter ID: Heck, you even need to present a photo ID to utilize the Olive Garden’s never ending pasta pass.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson: "...that's weird, Olive Garden takes pasta pass security more seriously than Democrats take election security."
Top Republican rages at needing a photo ID for Olive Garden pasta but not on voting day
Scalise: "Anybody that gets on an airplane has to show a picture ID to vote. Nowadays, if you want to go to Olive Garden and get unlimited pasta, you gotta show a picture ID. This isn't complicated stuff."
The SAVE Act: An attempt to restrict voting rights
What Does Olive Garden’s Never-Ending Pasta Have to Do With Voting Rights?
Diners furious at Olive Garden after ‘Never-Ending Pasta Pass’ sale went off the rails


Secrets That Olive Garden Doesn't Want You To Know
Olive Garden’s ‘pasta passes’ for sale on eBay for as much as $4,500
Olive Garden says no way to $500 unlimited pasta passes on EBay

LISTEN: Cafe by Tusabe

In episode 2097, Jack and Miles are joined by super producer, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hossniehhh">Anna Hossnieh</a>, to discuss&hellip; Zuck - What If We Tried NOT Freaking People The F**k Out About Sh*tty AI? Zoran Speech Is Very Popular? Republicans Are Using Olive Garden To Justify Vote-Stealing, Are Society&rsquo;s &ldquo;Eyes Adjusting&rdquo; To CGI? And more!
<ol>
<li><a href="https://parade.com/food/olive-garden-pasta-pass-returns-family-budget-hack">I&rsquo;m a Mom of Two, and Olive Garden&rsquo;s Returning $100 Pasta Pass Is My Ultimate Dinner Hack</a></li>
<li><a href="https://x.com/olivegarden/status/2077753495764005285">Olive Garden: "The Never-Ending Pasta Pass is only for use by the Passholder whose name is printed on the Pass."</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/21/us/politics/olive-garden-voting-save-america-act-republicans.html">How the G.O.P. Turned Olive Garden Into a Voter ID Talking Point</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/olive-garden-becomes-unlikely-face-voter-id-fight-after-restaurants-policy-goes-viral">Olive Garden becomes unlikely face of voter ID fight after restaurant's policy goes viral</a></li>
<li><a href="https://x.com/Acyn/status/2079307552840704330">FOXX on Voter ID: Heck, you even need to present a photo ID to utilize the Olive Garden&rsquo;s never ending pasta pass.</a></li>
<li><a href="https://x.com/atrupar/status/2078100479578341650">White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson: "...that's weird, Olive Garden takes pasta pass security more seriously than Democrats take election security."</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/steve-scalise-olive-garden-voter-id-b3018897.html">Top Republican rages at needing a photo ID for Olive Garden pasta but not on voting day</a></li>
<li><a href="https://x.com/atrupar/status/2079576616456294503">Scalise: "Anybody that gets on an airplane has to show a picture ID to vote. Nowadays, if you want to go to Olive Garden and get unlimited pasta, you gotta show a picture ID. This isn't complicated stuff."</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-save-act-an-attempt-to-restrict-voting-rights/">The SAVE Act: An attempt to restrict voting rights</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.404media.co/olive-garden-never-ending-pasta-id-save-act/">What Does Olive Garden&rsquo;s Never-Ending Pasta Have to Do With Voting Rights?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.the-sun.com/money/16706854/olive-garden-never-ending-pasta-pass-sold-out-seconds/">Diners furious at Olive Garden after &lsquo;Never-Ending Pasta Pass&rsquo; sale went off the rails</a></li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.mashed.com/38711/secrets-olive-garden-doesnt-want-know/">Secrets That Olive Garden Doesn't Want You To Know</a>
</li>
<li><a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/olive-gardens-pasta-passes-selling-on-ebay-for-as-much-as-4500-2016-09-16">Olive Garden&rsquo;s &lsquo;pasta passes&rsquo; for sale on eBay for as much as $4,500</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-olive-garden-unlimited-pasta-pass-20140911-story.html">Olive Garden says no way to $500 unlimited pasta passes on EBay</a></li>
</ol>
LISTEN: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1IL6y8NvInYe14v6eFcv6a">Cafe by Tusabe</a>

Olive Garden Voter Suppression, Real Eyes Realize CGI 07.24.26

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a4d13e4e-ccbf-4fa3-8949-b49001422938/transcript

In this edition of Devil’s Trendbone, Jack, Miles and Anna discuss Pete Kegseth’s workout vids, Hunter Biden won’t give up any names in Washington’s ‘Gay Mafia’, Kalshi’s election coverage and much more!

In this edition of Devil&rsquo;s Trendbone, Jack, Miles and Anna discuss Pete Kegseth&rsquo;s workout vids, Hunter Biden won&rsquo;t give up any names in Washington&rsquo;s &lsquo;Gay Mafia&rsquo;, Kalshi&rsquo;s election coverage and much more!

Devil’s Trendbone 7/23: Pete Kegseth, Hunter Biden, Kalshi

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/f88f5692-bfb5-41c8-8c42-b4900146dc0c/transcript

In episode 2096, Jack and Miles are joined by comedian, writer, and co-host of Yo, Is This Racist?, Andrew Ti, to discuss… OpenAI Is Going Full Skynet, Robocop Being Rebooted By Omnicorps– I Mean... Amazon, Elon Musk Promises That Grok Will Make The Best Odyssey Movie Of 2026 and more!
OpenAI says its AI went rogue and launched 'unprecedented' cyber-attack
OpenAI Models Escaped Containment and Hacked Hugging Face
‘Robocop’ Reboot Series Set at Prime Video
Amazon Promises "Unwavering" Commitment to Police, Military Clients Using AI Technology
Inside Amazon’s Aggressive Push To Get Cops Using AI Surveillance
As Israel Bombed Gaza, Amazon Did Business With Its Bomb-Makers
Elon: Before this year ends, Grok Imagine will make a full-length movie of The Odyssey that is historically accurate and true to the art of Homer
Elon Musk is promising to make The Odyssey 'historically accurate' with AI slop
A tale of two Odysseys: Nolan's blockbuster gets AI-generated competition
AI slop movies are the new direct-to-video cash grabs

LISTEN: Runnin' by OMA

In episode 2096, Jack and Miles are joined by comedian, writer, and co-host of <a href="https://suboptimalpods.com/">Yo, Is This Racist?</a>, <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/andrewti.bsky.social">Andrew Ti</a>, to discuss&hellip; OpenAI Is Going Full Skynet, Robocop Being Rebooted By Omnicorps&ndash; I Mean... Amazon, Elon Musk Promises That Grok Will Make The Best Odyssey Movie Of 2026 and more!
<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3ek3gvdnj3o">OpenAI says its AI went rogue and launched 'unprecedented' cyber-attack</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.wired.com/story/openai-models-escaped-containment-and-hacked-huggingface/">OpenAI Models Escaped Containment and Hacked Hugging Face</a></li>
<li><a href="https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/robocop-reboot-series-amazon-prime-video-1236817195/">&lsquo;Robocop&rsquo; Reboot Series Set at Prime Video</a></li>
<li><a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/07/30/amazon-facial-recognition-police-military/">Amazon Promises "Unwavering" Commitment to Police, Military Clients Using AI Technology</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2025/10/01/inside-amazons-aggressive-push-to-get-cops-using-ai-surveillance/">Inside Amazon&rsquo;s Aggressive Push To Get Cops Using AI Surveillance</a></li>
<li><a href="https://theintercept.com/2025/10/24/amazon-weapons-gaza-israel-rafael-iai/">As Israel Bombed Gaza, Amazon Did Business With Its Bomb-Makers</a></li>
<li><a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2079758604656316619">Elon: Before this year ends, Grok Imagine will make a full-length movie of The Odyssey that is historically accurate and true to the art of Homer</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.polygon.com/elon-musk-the-odyssey-movie-grok-ai-christopher-nolan-historical-accuracy/">Elon Musk is promising to make The Odyssey 'historically accurate' with AI slop</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/the-odyssey-ai-movie-9.7269663">A tale of two Odysseys: Nolan's blockbuster gets AI-generated competition</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/965616/ash-koosha-odysseus-the-fall-foundtain-zero-tilly-norwood">AI slop movies are the new direct-to-video cash grabs</a></li>
</ol>
LISTEN: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0bMyeFjWklhBEvfZzpF0mA">Runnin' by OMA</a>

Dave Portnoy = Grok Odysseus, OpenAI Fake Judgement Day 07.23.26

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/4879d390-d424-4fa7-92ad-b48f0149900f/transcript

Weekly Zeitgeist 394 (Best of 8/11/25-8/15/25)

In 1 playlist(s)

The Daily Zeitgeist

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips