Astead Herndon

You know, your corporate pardons report documents over 160 companies that have had federal enforcement actions dropped.

But as we know, corporate influence has been true in Washington for a long time.

You know, how do you think this is a qualitatively different moment than the usual pay to play or the usual lobbying influence that we've seen?

What do you think is the impact of that kind of flagrant?

degradation of the process, or just doing it out in the open.

I mean, we've established kind of how different this moment feels in its in-your-face nature of it.

Does that have a democracy-corroding impact?

Like, what do you think is the consequence of its being in our face in this way?

We're back.

It's Today Explained Saturday, and we're talking with Senator Chris Murphy.

As you mentioned of kind of explicit examples, Donald Trump Jr.

is a strategic advisor at MarketKaushi.

He's joined the board of another prediction market.

Your Bets Off Act targets prediction markets, banning bets on government actions, war, assassination.

But as we know, this kind of insider trading isn't a bug of these kind of things.

It's a feature.

And they, you know, these companies have kind of built it into the cost.

Has the train left the station?

on these prediction markets?

Is there a way to rein them in as your Bets Off Act tries to do?