The weekly round-up of the best moments from DZ's season 406 (9/15/25-9/19/25)

The weekly round-up of the best moments from DZ's season 406 (9/15/25-9/19/25)

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

Listen to this collection of top episodes from iHeartRadio and iHeartPodcasts. 

Listen to this collection of top episodes from iHeartRadio and iHeartPodcasts.&nbsp;

Podcasts from iHeartRadio

Weekly Zeitgeist 399 (Best of 9/15/25-9/19/25)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c9f7044b-b26d-4965-a462-b35e017201d2/transcript

In episode 2020, Jack and Miles are joined by comedian and host of Go Fact Yourself, J. Keith van Straaten, to discuss… Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon Is Spending Billions On War... And Millions On Lobster, Trump Playing 4D Checkers Baby With Save Act,Old Habits…Iran/Midterms, Is Hollywood’s UFO Trend A Government PSYOP? And more!
Is the Iran war really costing the US $2bn per day?
Pentagon Should Focus on Defense Priorities, not Lavish Dinners, After Historic $93.4B “Use-It-or-Lose-It” September
Pete Hegseth Blew Billions on Fruit Basket Stands, Chairs, and Crab
Hollywood Is Suddenly Taking UFOs Seriously, With Rival “Disclosure” Projects in the Works (Exclusive)
‘A lot of stories but very few facts’: sceptics push back on buzzy UFO documentary
MAGA Congresswoman Claims UFOs Might Be ‘Interdimensional Beings’
UFOs, Aliens & Steven Spielberg's 20-Year Obsession
Close Encounters: Cultural Impact
Claim: NASA tried to stop Spielberg's 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'
CIA Influence on 'The Day the Earth Stood Still'
The Day the Earth Stood Still: Rejected by the US Air Force, but aided by the CIA?

LISTEN: blackbird by Victoria Canal

In episode 2020, Jack and Miles are joined by comedian and host of <a href="https://gofactyourpod.com/">Go Fact Yourself</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jkeithdotnet/?hl=en">J. Keith van Straaten</a>, to discuss&hellip; Pete Hegseth&rsquo;s Pentagon Is Spending Billions On War... And Millions On Lobster, Trump Playing 4D Checkers Baby With Save Act, Old Habits&hellip;Iran/Midterms, Is Hollywood&rsquo;s UFO Trend A Government PSYOP? And more!
<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/9/is-the-iran-war-really-costing-the-us-2bn-per-day">Is the Iran war really costing the US $2bn per day?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://openthebooks.substack.com/p/pentagon-should-focus-on-defense">Pentagon Should Focus on Defense Priorities, not Lavish Dinners, After Historic $93.4B &ldquo;Use-It-or-Lose-It&rdquo; September</a></li>
<li><a href="https://newrepublic.com/post/207555/pete-hegseth-billions-dollars-fruit-basket-stands-chairs-crab">Pete Hegseth Blew Billions on Fruit Basket Stands, Chairs, and Crab</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/ufo-disclosure-movies-spielberg-kosinski-roswell-1236522458/">Hollywood Is Suddenly Taking UFOs Seriously, With Rival &ldquo;Disclosure&rdquo; Projects in the Works (Exclusive)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/dec/15/the-age-of-disclosure-ufo-documentary">&lsquo;A lot of stories but very few facts&rsquo;: sceptics push back on buzzy UFO documentary</a></li>
<li><a href="https://gizmodo.com/maga-congresswoman-claims-ufos-might-be-interdimensional-beings-2000642770">MAGA Congresswoman Claims UFOs Might Be &lsquo;Interdimensional Beings&rsquo;</a></li>
<li><a href="https://theankler.com/p/steven-spielberg-ufo-aliens-close-encounters-third-kind">UFOs, Aliens &amp; Steven Spielberg's 20-Year Obsession</a></li>
<li><a href="https://academic.oup.com/liverpool-scholarship-online/book/37761/chapter-abstract/332135354">Close Encounters: Cultural Impact</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.metabunk.org/threads/claim-nasa-tried-to-stop-spielbergs-close-encounters-of-the-third-kind.11611/">Claim: NASA tried to stop Spielberg's 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/123762648/The-CIA-the-Movie-Mogul-and-The-Day-the-Earth-Stood-Still">CIA Influence on 'The Day the Earth Stood Still'</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.spyculture.com/the-day-the-earth-stood-still-rejected-by-the-us-air-force-but-aided-by-the-cia/">The Day the Earth Stood Still: Rejected by the US Air Force, but aided by the CIA?</a></li>
</ol>
LISTEN: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/0GKHsu9HyyL93RakAtXWNO">blackbird by Victoria Canal</a>

Pentagon Pete’s Spending Spree, Spielberg = Pied Piper Of Idiots? 03.11.26

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/3b021221-629e-43ef-99c5-b40901463565/transcript

In this edition of Fool Me Once, Trend On… You?, Jack and Miles discuss Mario Day, Rosanna Arquette on Tarantino's use of the N-word, that AI Wes Anderson trailer, islamophobia on Southwest 2094 and much more!

In this edition of Fool Me Once, Trend On&hellip; You?, Jack and Miles discuss Mario Day, Rosanna Arquette on Tarantino's use of the N-word, that AI Wes Anderson trailer, islamophobia on Southwest 2094 and much more!

Fool Me Once, Trend On… You? 3/10: Mario Day, Rosanna Arquette vs. Tarantino, AI Wes Anderson, Southwest 2094

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/05413deb-b0d8-4914-a633-b40901492441/transcript

In episode 2019, Jack and Miles are joined by comedian and host of Intercepts, David Huntsberger, to discuss… Trump Administration Blames Rising Oil Prices On Bad Vibes, Predator / Conan / Commando, Ballet And Opera Lovers Sure Are Pissed At Timothée Chalamet, Pentagon Has Been Havana Syndrome-ing Rats? And more!
As oil prices spike, G7 opts not to dip into emergency reserves for now
Trump's energy chief blames oil price spike on market fear
'Night turned into day': Iranians tell of strikes on oil depots
As Iran chokes Strait of Hormuz, U.S. vows $20B for maritime reinsurance
Scoop: U.S. dismayed by Israel's Iran fuel strikes, sources say
US military tests on secret weapon bought from Russian criminal network reveal Havana Syndrome-like symptoms: report
Unsurprisingly, tonight's 60 Minutes episode covering Havana Syndrome didn't offer a smoking gun because it was a sales pitch for a book coming out in September. The authors? Two 60 Minutes producers.
All we've got to say is... use promo code TIMOTHEE to save 14% off select seats for Carmen, through this weekend only. Timmy, you're welcome to use it too 💃 See you at the opera!
Timothée Chalamet triggers backlash over ballet and opera remarks
Ballet and Opera Companies Slam Timothée Chalamet Over ‘No One Cares’ Remark

LISTEN: Demon Cam by Earth Tongue

In episode 2019, Jack and Miles are joined by comedian and host of <a href="https://www.davidhuntsberger.com/intercepts/">Intercepts</a>, <a href="https://www.davidhuntsberger.com/">David Huntsberger</a>, to discuss&hellip; Trump Administration Blames Rising Oil Prices On Bad Vibes, Predator / Conan / Commando, Ballet And Opera Lovers Sure Are Pissed At Timoth&eacute;e Chalamet, Pentagon Has Been Havana Syndrome-ing Rats? And more!
<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/oil-prices-spiking-march-9-9.7120238">As oil prices spike, G7 opts not to dip into emergency reserves for now</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/08/trump-oil-prices-iran-fear-strait-hormuz">Trump's energy chief blames oil price spike on market fear</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clygpxq41l3o">'Night turned into day': Iranians tell of strikes on oil depots</a></li>
<li><a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/11719504/united-states-iran-war-insurance-agreement/">As Iran chokes Strait of Hormuz, U.S. vows $20B for maritime reinsurance</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/08/us-dismayed-israel-iran-fuel-strikes">Scoop: U.S. dismayed by Israel's Iran fuel strikes, sources say</a></li>
<li><a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/09/us-news/us-military-tests-on-secret-weapon-bought-from-russian-criminal-network-reveal-havana-syndrome-like-symptoms-report/">US military tests on secret weapon bought from Russian criminal network reveal Havana Syndrome-like symptoms: report</a></li>
<li><a href="https://x.com/RobertSkvarla/status/2030832927878115746">Unsurprisingly, tonight's 60 Minutes episode covering Havana Syndrome didn't offer a smoking gun because it was a sales pitch for a book coming out in September. The authors? Two 60 Minutes producers.</a><a href="https://x.com/RobertSkvarla/status/2030832927878115746/photo/1"></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DVjn2oGAbgD/">All we've got to say is... use promo code TIMOTHEE to save 14% off select seats for Carmen, through this weekend only. Timmy, you're welcome to use it too 💃 See you at the opera!</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx281xz2qjqo">Timoth&eacute;e Chalamet triggers backlash over ballet and opera remarks</a></li>
<li><a href="https://au.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/ballet-opera-companies-timothee-chalamet-no-one-cares-92083/">Ballet and Opera Companies Slam Timoth&eacute;e Chalamet Over &lsquo;No One Cares&rsquo; Remark</a></li>
</ol>
LISTEN: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6QtGkeZ0wXFvnxNzD68puY">Demon Cam by Earth Tongue</a>

Vibes Based Oil Pricing, Chalamet VS Ballet 03.10.26

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c789911f-8a04-46d2-b51b-b40801401c5b/transcript

Weekly Zeitgeist 399 (Best of 9/15/25-9/19/25)

In 1 playlist(s)

The Daily Zeitgeist

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips