JWSP

Alex Midway and Eric Halsey
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Politics
  • Updated Weekly

John Wayne's Surge Protector podcast is two guys discussing the world around us on a twice weekly basis. We try to look at things that we think are huge deals and sometimes those items are also flying under the radar for a lot of other media channels. Having known each other for many years some of the jokes you hear may not come off as jokes. Keep listening and you will get in the loop soon enough as well. We have a link to leave any feedback in most of the episodes so don't hesitate to reach out. 

  1. 1,569 Days, One Screwworm, and a Referee Stranded in Miami

    4d ago

    1,569 Days, One Screwworm, and a Referee Stranded in Miami

    The episode kicks off with Trump making some eyebrow-raising comments about inflation, and the hosts break down what's actually going on with the numbers. From there, Tesla gets some time in the spotlight — the stock had an interesting day, and there's some new data out of Europe about their self-driving technology that's worth talking about. The Ukraine war hits a sobering milestone this episode. The hosts put the length of the conflict into perspective in a way that might genuinely stop you in your tracks — and then there's a significant development deep inside Russian territory that shows just how far Ukraine's reach has grown. Back stateside, the political circus delivers as always. A high-profile congresswoman's career comes to an unceremonious end in a primary, and there's some leaked audio from a Republican leader that has people asking questions about promises made to voters. One congressman's attempt to dodge a reporter on the street goes about as well as you'd expect. The World Cup is here, hosted on North American soil — but not everything about the lead-up has been celebratory. There are some real head-scratching decisions around who's been allowed in and who hasn't, including one story about a referee with an incredible backstory that will leave you frustrated. The hosts also get into a creepy-crawly public health story making a comeback in the American South, a tone-deaf celebrity moment involving a real estate ad, and close things out on a genuinely feel-good sports moment that New York hasn't seen in a long, long time. Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    51 min
  2. Too Many Jobs, Somehow Bad

    6d ago

    Too Many Jobs, Somehow Bad

    This week's "Who Said It" is about taxing the rich — coming from someone whose track record on that subject is going to make you spit out your coffee. We also have a bonus "Who Said It 2: Electric Boogaloo" buried in the back half that hits just as hard. Tesla is sliding again and the reason this time is genuinely wild — the job market was doing too well and that's bad for tech stocks, which tells you everything you need to know about whose economy this actually is. We also dig deeper into the SpaceX IPO and there's a new wrinkle involving the S&P 500, a 12-day window, and your 401k that deserves a lot more attention than it's getting. The EU just dropped what could be the biggest sanctions package on Russia yet — $1.5 trillion worth — targeting the military industrial complex, propagandists, and human rights violators. Meanwhile the American response involves lifting sanctions on Russian oil and sending a hockey team to Moscow. We look into who's behind that hockey trip and the American Chamber of Commerce's Russia chapter president has a wishlist that will have your jaw on the floor — including a very sympathetic take on Russian civilians that somehow involves Sephora. Ukraine's four-year-old missile startup just sent a cruise missile skimming along the Finnish coast headed straight for Russian ships in the Baltic. Germany's Skynex anti-drone system just entered service with Ukraine and the reviews are glowing. War portfolio update included. Dr. Oz held a White House presser on obesity and dementia while someone very important appeared to be taking a power nap in the chair behind him. Trump then showed up to the Knicks NBA Finals game, caused a traffic apocalypse, got booed during the anthem, and left at halftime — while the new NYC mayor paid a grand out of pocket for standing room and stayed the whole time. The contrast writes itself. Thomas Massie is back and this time he's calling for an investigation into Israel's 1967 attack on the USS Liberty — we walk through what actually happened that day, how clear the conditions were, and why the survivors have never bought the official explanation. And the LA mayoral primary caused a meltdown among people who apparently don't understand how vote reporting works. Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    47 min
  3. I Would Never Have Forgotten My Drugs

    Jun 5

    I Would Never Have Forgotten My Drugs

    This week's "Who Said It" is about groceries — and the follow-up question that gets asked is the kind of thing that makes you put your phone down for a second. Tesla keeps doing Tesla things, but if you followed our war portfolio advice, you're having a much better week. There's "progress" being made in Lebanon while the strikes continue, and the defense stocks tell you everything you need to know about how anyone actually expects this to end. Russia's version of Davos kicked off in St. Petersburg this week and the US sent a representative for the first time since before 2022 — we look up who got the call and the results are something else. The guest list includes a former German chancellor Putin wanted as a "neutral" peace negotiator, a Hollywood action star with very strong pro-Kremlin opinions, and a pair of brothers you definitely know from the internet. Ukraine meanwhile had some very pointed thoughts about the timing of the forum and made sure everyone arriving knew exactly how far their drones can reach — including a corvette sitting in drydock in the Russian Baltic fleet that just became a $150 million lesson in FAFO. A Ukrainian startup that didn't exist before 2022 just successfully tested a missile that could replace the Patriot system — at a fraction of the cost — and we think this is one of the most underreported stories of the year. ICE is quietly trying to sell off the mega-warehouses they spent your tax dollars on at ten times market value, the Boeing jets Kristi Noem splurged on may be going too, and the government is about to take a bath on all of it. Dark Hunter Biden showed back up on the internet this week and genuinely won a round — we read the exchange and give credit where it's due. And finally: there is now a four-legged domed arch structure on the White House front lawn, the man who lives there is comparing it to the Eiffel Tower, and he's talking about making it permanent. We have thoughts. Many, many thoughts. Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    38 min
  4. An Organic Revolution of 53 Russians

    Jun 3

    An Organic Revolution of 53 Russians

    This week's "Who Said It" is about qualifications — and once we tell you who said it and who they were talking about, the irony is going to hit like a freight train. Tesla slides back down and there's a new reason on the horizon that connects directly to Elon's well-documented habit of abandoning a pond once other fish show up. Meta fired 8,000 people and their AI support bot immediately handed hackers the keys to thousands of Instagram accounts — which we choose to view as an encouraging sign for the human workforce. Ukraine just inked a deal with Sweden for Gripen jets and we do a full breakdown on why this matters — the range, the runway requirements, the intake ports, and the Cold War design quirks that make it almost perfectly suited for exactly what Ukraine needs right now. It's 2027 before they arrive, which is a long time, but Russia's glide bomb advantage just got an expiration date. The French and British meanwhile intercepted a Russian shadow fleet tanker, which has us once again comparing allied contributions to America's recent highlight reel. We take a deep dive into Igor Girkin — the FSB man who wrote the blueprint for taking Ukraine back in 2013, crossed the border with 52 Russians to "organically" start a people's revolution, and was later convicted at The Hague for his role in shooting down MH17. His reason for rejecting that conviction is one of the most brazen things we've ever read out loud. We also walk through Russia's propaganda tactics with some receipts that are very hard to argue with. Jared Kushner is evicting flamingos and sea turtles in Albania, the locals are not taking it well, and the EU has some strong feelings about it heading into a meeting in Montenegro. Ukraine dropped the Operation Spiderweb footage just in time for summer — we have thoughts and so does everyone with eyes. The Freedom 250 concert lineup came together and then immediately fell apart — Milli Vanilli cancelled, Morris Day and the Time cancelled, Martina McBride cancelled, and the birthday boy rage-posted on Truth Social. The one act that didn't cancel should surprise nobody. And the booking agency running the whole thing is named after someone the White House really should have googled first. Albanian fireworks link https://youtube.com/shorts/8LZ7kd18oHo?si=vVFtxEITWV_YYos9 Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    49 min
  5. Flushels Has a Plan

    May 28

    Flushels Has a Plan

    This week's "Who Said It" comes from someone who is very confident they have the evidence — despite not being a doctor — and once you hear who it is, the rest of the episode will make a lot more sense. Tesla is back up and a Wall Street investor has a theory about why — and we're going to be very polite about how wrong it is. Tesla is also threatening to sue the Canadian province of Manitoba for dropping their EV incentive, which opens up a very interesting conversation about which electric vehicles are actually made in Canada. Spoiler: Tesla isn't one of them. We also revisit the SpaceX IPO valuation and ask the one question nobody seems to want to answer out loud. Ukraine keeps innovating — rocket-boosted drones, balloon launches, mobile laser platforms — while Russia's big counter-drone reveal turned out to be a scope-mounted pistol that fires a drone with no warhead at other drones. Meanwhile Russia launched an Oreshnik missile that cost somewhere between thirty and fifty million dollars and took out a couple of garages. We have the video. We also walk through Russia's claim that Ukraine targeted a college dormitory full of children — and what happens when you run the victim photos through Google image search. AIPAC posted something after Thomas Massie's primary loss that tells you everything about how they operate — and their follow-up statement about it tells you even more. A Las Vegas home was raided for a possible biolab, the charges were dropped, and the person who dropped them has a backstory that requires some explanation about a very convenient legal loophole. West Virginia is dealing with record flooding near a brand new 1,100 acre data center, and the county's voting record adds some context we couldn't resist sharing. Flushels the Clown has a new plan to end international travel at every major blue city airport to own the libs — we run the numbers on what that actually means. And we close with some news about Pam Bondi that we have very complicated feelings about, and zero intention of pretending otherwise. Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    33 min
  6. The Hype Video Nobody Asked For

    May 22

    The Hype Video Nobody Asked For

    This week's "Who Said It" comes courtesy of the Bloodhound Gang — and if you know the song, you already know where this episode is going tonally. First up, a very important listener beef gets addressed — Boston J has some strong feelings about poutine and gravy rights, and we have some even stronger feelings back. Tesla ticks up on the SpaceX IPO filing, but once you actually read what the filing says about Tesla's involvement, the celebration might be a little premature. We break down the fine print so you don't have to. The Xi-Putin summit wrapped up and the body language alone tells you everything about where America stands in that relationship right now. Russia meanwhile is selling off its oil at bargain basement prices just to keep the war machine running — and both the US and UK have quietly found ways to keep buying it anyway. Oh, and Ukraine just figured out how to extend drone range using balloons. We're not joking. The primaries are in — and the results are going to require some conversation. Thomas Massie, who had the nerve to work across the aisle on the Epstein files, is out. Five Indiana senators who blocked gerrymandering efforts are out. And there are some vote total anomalies in Kentucky's District 4 that have people asking questions we're going to ask out loud. The big story this week is the Gaza aid flotilla — boarded in international waters, activists detained on their knees, and Israel's own Minister of National Security put out a hype video of the whole thing. We walk through what's in that video, which countries summoned their Israeli diplomats, and what the United States did instead. We also get into Hasbara — what it is, what it costs, and why one video just undid years of it. Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    35 min
  7. 174k Isn't Enough

    May 20

    174k Isn't Enough

    This week's "Who Said It" is five words that aged about as well as a no-bid contract — and by the end of the episode, you'll know exactly who said them and why that's so funny. Tesla slides back down and Wall Street is starting to ask the question that Tesla owners probably don't want to hear — what happens when the guy in charge has a shinier new toy? Elon posted something on X this week that got deleted by morning, but not before the internet made sure it lived forever. We read it. We have thoughts. Ukraine's drones just got a serious upgrade — think Charmander to Charizard — and Moscow's fuel supply is feeling it. Meanwhile Russia managed to hit a Chinese-owned ship on its way to Odessa, right before Putin's trip to visit Xi. That's going to be a fun conversation. And the Trump administration quietly extended Russian oil sanctions relief again, which we'll contextualize for you in the most polite way we can manage. Congress is having a moment — senators just voted to stop their own paychecks during a government shutdown, which sounds responsible until you read the part about backpay. Then Mike Johnson stepped in to explain that $174,000 a year just isn't cutting it and members of Congress need stock trading to get by. We run the numbers, compare them to the federal minimum wage, and let the audience draw their own conclusions. Congressman Jason Crow has some ideas about fixing this that we suspect will make him very popular with exactly the wrong people. Trump dropped his $10 billion IRS lawsuit this week, and buried in the fine print of the settlement is something that should make everyone stop and read it twice. The reflecting pool has a new look that cost a lot more than advertised. And Kentucky's primary today has more foreign money flowing into a single House seat than you'd believe — we do the math on a per-resident basis and it's genuinely staggering. Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    47 min
  8. The Man Getting Paid in Rubles

    May 13

    The Man Getting Paid in Rubles

    This week's "Who Said It" is directed squarely at a very specific type of keyboard warrior, and we promise it lands perfectly given what's in the news this week. Tesla's having a week — the Cybertruck is back in recall territory for a reason that's going to make you think twice about hard cornering, and Elon posted something on X that was deleted by morning but not before the internet got a screenshot. We have thoughts on what it says about the man currently in charge of your rockets. Russia's Victory Day parade happened — sort of. No tanks, no missiles, and a flyover that turned out to be more CGI than aircraft. Both sides are already accusing each other of breaking the ceasefire, the prisoner exchange that was supposed to be the big win hasn't happened, and Putin has picked a mediator for peace talks whose resume includes being on the payroll of Russian state energy companies. We couldn't make this up. Ukraine meanwhile reached out and touched something over 900 miles away, which tells you everything you need to know about where this war actually stands heading into year five. Back home, the Federal Reserve just got a new face — confirmed by a razor thin margin with one very surprising Democratic vote that we have some feelings about. Trump made his expectations about interest rates crystal clear, and the contrast with how he's handled building renovations at home is genuinely one for the books. Iran sent a response to a White House baby announcement that is going to stop you cold. Ohio Representative Max Miller is this week's Scumbag of the Week, and the details of why he earned it are not for the faint of heart. Got feedback? We want to hear it.

    38 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

John Wayne's Surge Protector podcast is two guys discussing the world around us on a twice weekly basis. We try to look at things that we think are huge deals and sometimes those items are also flying under the radar for a lot of other media channels. Having known each other for many years some of the jokes you hear may not come off as jokes. Keep listening and you will get in the loop soon enough as well. We have a link to leave any feedback in most of the episodes so don't hesitate to reach out. 

Information

  • Creator
    Alex Midway and Eric Halsey
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    117
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 John Wayne's Surge Protector
  • Show Website
    JWSP