Topic: Matt Taibbi

The history of Operation Mockingbird, a CIA program to recruit journalists, is detailed. The hosts discuss the 2012 repeal of the Smith-Mundt Act under Barack Obama, which they claim allowed the U.S. government to legally use propaganda on American citizens. They characterize the "Twitter Files" reported by Matt Taibbi and Bari Weiss as "Micro-Mockingbird," suggesting the information is still being filtered and redacted by intelligence-linked lawyers.

The HSBC money laundering scandal is detailed, involving the processing of billions of dollars for Mexican drug cartels. Journalist Matt Taibbi's reporting is cited to highlight the lack of criminal prosecution for bank executives. Former FBI Director James Comey is noted for his role on the HSBC board of directors during the period when the bank was attempting to address these regulatory failures.