Unmuted's Political Pulse
Hi there! The Political Pulse is a newsletter on events across the spectrum and occasional thoughts on America.
Ed Manzi here - I run Unmuted, an offline hub for intelligent people to discuss the issues of our time without judgment. In our newsletter, I highlight one upcoming Unmuted event a week, and we also highlight a number of other organization events that I find interesting across the political spectrum. In addition, every month we will publish one piece of thoughtful, Founding Member content. We’re open to feedback, so let us know what you like and want to improve!
A Rabbi, A Priest, and an Imam did in fact walk into a bar last week
Unmuted had an excellent conversation with Father Jonah Teller, Rabbi Daniel Bortz, and Imam Mohammad Shahidullah in a packed house (80 tickets, with a waitlist of 10!) last Wednesday - discussing immigration and the aftermath of October 7 in Israel. One thing I was left wondering after the discussion was the intersection of politics and religion. What is the chicken and the egg in this relationship? Do our politics affect the prism through which we practice our religion? Or does religion play more of a role in determining our overarching politics? I used to think it was obviously the latter, but now I’m not so sure. As a future event, I’d love to have a discussion between two clergy of the same faith with different overall politics…could be interesting.
Ed Manzi stares intently at Father Jonah (left), Rabbi Bortz (middle) and Imam Shahidullah (right).
Upcoming Unmuted Events
Next Monday - 11/17: Substance Abuse and Mental Health with City Council Member Tiffany Cában
Thursday, 12/4: A Debate on H1Bs: Good for American Innovation or Bad for Labor featuring Rutgers Professor Hal Salzman
Unmuted Holiday Party Where and When to Be Revealed Soon
This Week
Events of the Week
The events I’ve got my eye on this week across the spectrum. Really interested in the Oliver Libby talk Tuesday, the Press Freedom Under Fire panel Thursday, and making Dumplings for SNAP recipients on Friday. Had a hard time finding conservative events this week, so let me know if you have any organizations that I’m missing that I should have reviewed.
🗓 Monday, November 10
• 6:00 PM Walking with Migrants: Witness to Hope & Truth
(🟦 Liberal, Refugees)
Where: The View at The Battery, 1 Battery Pl, New York, NY 10004.
Who: Center for Migration Studies
What: This is a fancy gala in FiDi for a think tank that provides support and services to, as well as conducts research around, legal and illegal immigrants in the country. In this time of ICE raids, it’ll be interesting to hear the speeches as they relate to Trump’s immigration policy. I won’t be able to attend, but there is an option to pay what you can ($5 minimum) although it’s unclear if that’s a ticket or just a donation (closest stated price is $400).
• 6:00 PM Yitzhak Rabin, 30 Years On: His Legacy and the Challenges of Peace (⚪ Non-Partisan, Israel)
Where: Columbia University…somewhere
Who: Columbia Institute of Global Politics
What: The 30th anniversary of the November 1995 assassination of Israel’s Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and honoring his enduring legacy. This event is stacked, with Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, the President of Columbia, and others speaking on Rabin’s history. Invitation only unfortunately, but if you have any tips on how to attend let me know!!!!
🗓 Tuesday, November 11
•6:00 PM – Oliver B. Libby presents Strong Floor, No Ceiling
(⚪ Radical Centrism, America)
Where: P&T Knitwear
Who: Oliver Libby, Author of Strong Floor, No Ceiling
What: A book talk from Oliver Libby about how America can take the best policies of the left and the right to move forward. Half of you will roll your eyes at this, but I’m all for it (practicality is another matter). Should be an exciting talk for anyone who supports the mission of Unmuted. Tickets at door - $5.
•7:00 PM – What’s Next for Khan Academy? (⚪ Non-partisan, Education)
Where: Harvard Club of New York
Who: The Khan Academy
What: A talk at the Harvard Club by Sal Khan, founder and CEO of Nonprofit Khan Academy. Sal is taking the view that AI will be a great equalizer in education - this is part and parcel with classic Silicon Valley mentality on AI, but Khan Academy is a very interesting model in education and I will be attending. Let me know if you’d like to come with me!
•7:00 PM – Post-Veterans Day Parade Party (🟥 Republican, Veterans)
Where: REVEALED with ticket purchase!!
Who: New York Young Republicans
What: Not much else to it. Get drunk with Republicans celebrating Vets.
🗓 Wednesday, November 12
• 6:00 PM – The Menace of Prosperity (🟦 Liberal, Mamdani)
Where: 20 Cooper Square, 5th Floor
Who: NYU Institute of Public Knowledge
What: A book talk on NYC’s history in economic development between 1865-1980, and how this may translate in Zohran’s own mayoral term. The speakers are incredibly liberal (the author himself was an organizer for Occupy Wall Street), so expect this to slant very positively towards Zohran’s policies, although I don’t know if the author will take a positive or negative of Zohran’s ability to enact them
• 6:00 PM – Who’s In and Who’s Out? (🟦 Liberal, Mamdani)
Where: Elebash Recital Hall, The Graduate Center
Who: CUNY Graduate Center
What: This should be a very good talk - we have a state senator, a city councilmember, a professor, and a political expert talking about what the results of this mayoral election say about the divisions and factions within the New York ecosystem. Hopefully, this is spicy and is less obvious than just “this shows that voters didn’t like Cuomo”. I might attend this one.
🗓 Thursday, November 13
• 6:00 PM – Press Freedom Under Fire (🟦 Liberal, Journalism)
Where: Helen Mills Theater, 137 W 26th St.
What: Journalists from the Guardian, Northwestern, and ProPublica claim to face pressure, from censorship, disinformation and violence to the erosion of public trust and democratic norms. I wish this panel was more than just a bunch of liberal journalists discussing the destruction of norms because this discussion has been repeating the same talking points since 2016. I think this would be more effective if there was a journalist with an alternative perspective from NY Post, Free Press, or FOX, instead of preaching to the choir. However, I could be wrong, and I will be attending this! $20 ticket.
• 6 PM – What’s On Tap?(🟦 Liberal, Climate)
Where: Broadstone – John Jay Room, 88 Broad St., Manhattan Who: Association for a Better New York
What: Part of ABNY’s Young Professionals series. NYC Chief Climate Officer Rohit Aggarwala discusses NYC infrastructure, resilience, and community impact. Good for young people looking to get their feet wet in a climate career.
🗓 Friday, November 7
• 5:00 PM – Dumpling Making for SNAP Recipients
(⚪ Non-partisan, The Right Thing to Do)
Where: Fabrik Dumbo
Who: Lenny An, a great dude
What: Unlike our federal government, my friend Lenny actually gives a sh*t about people who are no longer receiving SNAP benefits. We’ll be making pork as well as vegan dumplings, which will be distributed to SNAP recipients, mutual aid groups, and local community fridges. All ingredients and equipment will be provided. Just come ready to wrap some dumps! I will be attending this.
🗓 Saturday, November 8
• 2:00 PM – Hidden in Plain Sight: A History of the Soldiers' & Sailors' Monument (⚪ History, Civil War)
Where: 102nd Field House
Who: Summer on the Hudson
What: Cool history lesson talk with a University of Georgia professor to discuss the history of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument in Riverside Park. That’s right near me (don’t try to find me), so I might stop by!
🗓 Sunday, November 9
• 11:00 AM - Town Hall w/ Alex Bores
Where: Hunter College
Who: State Assemblyman Alex Bores
What: Alex is debating at our event next month, so I figured I would give him a shout out for his upcoming town hall. Have questions, he’s got answers!
That’s it for this week. Let us know if there are events to highlight in upcoming weeks!
Show up, think deeper, and as always, stay Unmuted!
The Unmuted Team