Washed Up in DC

Colin Mullaney and Abigail Cavizo
  • 5.0 (1)
  • News Commentary
  • Updated Weekly

Abigail Cavizo and Colin M. Mullaney are two "washed-up" reporters articulating a Gen-Z perspective, amplifying young voices, and advocating for free speech. Subscribe for incisive, weekly commentary on the latest news — delivered with scrappiness and the fear of God. We do not need to be divisive in order to be entertaining, engaging, and effective. Scapegoating and black-and-white thinking are a relic of the past. Join us as we explore the false binaries that benefit bad-faith actors — and expose the perverse incentives that drive societal conflicts. All opinions are our own.

  1. Oct 5 ·  Bonus

    Hillary and Me: Colin and Clinton

    On Sept. 30, Washed Up’s Colin Mullaney attended an event at Ford’s Theatre, with former Senator, Secretary of State and First Lady Hillary Clinton. Moderated by Norah O’Donnell and featuring former Indiana governor Mitch Daniels, the panel discussed the 25th anniversary of 9/11. They emphasized the bipartisan leadership and response by the George Bush Administration to September 11 — which today might seem unimaginable; hear Colin’s first-person POV of how he got into the same room as Hillary Clinton, and what he thinks of their testimonial about that fateful day in American history. This episode was recorded on Oct. 2, 2026. All opinions are our own and do not reflect those of any institution or affiliation.

  2. Sep 29

    A Pain in the Assembly

    The United Nations General Assembly was last week in New York City, where Washed Up's Colin Mullaney was dispatched to cover the day's events on the ground in NYC (i.e. from a Starbucks in Midtown). Donald Trump also returned to New York in his usual glory to deliver a "consequential" speech. Abigail Cavizo explains why Trump's threats of annihilation against Iran no longer hold much power, since we've heard this all before. Slightly more original... Trump is threatening Cuba with increased fervor, but this too is just a variation of a played-out theme. Israel Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, who is up for election in October 2026, was also at the UN and started his speech by calling practically the entire world "moral cowards"; there weren't many nations left in the room to hear his self-righteous speech, just like there isn't much left of Gaza after Israel's invasion — now recognized by most of the world as an ongoing genocide of the Palestinian population. If the reporting by Haaretz is to be believed, then Netanyahu was warned by the UAE President in advance of Oct. 7 about an imminent Hamas attack, (Netanyahu fully denies it); The New York Times has recently seconded Haaretz's reporting. President Xi Jinping came to DC last week after the UN Assembly, for a state visit and fancy dinner with the heads of AI companies and other Trump acolytes. They even visited the National Archives. Finally, Abigail describes a lawsuit against Cornell by a former female student identified as "Jane Doe" who alleges that she was assaulted, and gang raped by 7 Cornell Chi Phi fraternity members in 2024. The student reported this to Cornell three weeks later, and two of the seven were expelled, while the others were required to write essays. Now, the District Attorney is reopening the criminal investigation, and this has sparked many conversations about how campus and fraternity culture in the U.S .are extremely harmful to women, while young men are not held to a sufficient standard whatsoever. This episode was recorded on Sept. 27, 2026. All opinions are our own and do not reflect those of any institution or affiliation.

  3. Sep 26

    Weapons of Massie Destruction: Hegseth is Hopeless

    On this week’s episode of Washed Up, cohosts Abigail Cavizo and Colin Mullaney discuss the potential impeachment of Secretary Pete Hegseth. Many, including Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), have called for this, because of the ongoing Iran War: a likely violation of the War Powers Resolution and Constitution. Massie has a political history with Trump, and two things can be true at once: Hegseth has acted irresponsibly in the Iran War, and Massie may be getting his political vengeance while exiting office. Republicans and Democrats alike want the Iran war to be over. Middle East geopolitics also dominated pop culture last week — with Macklemore kicked off Ed Sheeran's tour. After a speech where Macklemore called to "Free Palestine," the tour's promoters faced pressure by Robert Kraft and others to either exclude Macklemore, or cancel stadium shows. Macklemore was removed, triggering much of the internet to discuss free speech and what our rights are as Americans. Speaking of free speech, Colin’s “soft news” topic this week is that the major media networks banded together to not cover President Trump, because Trump banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from White House access. This is a due process case, but also a first amendment case — which Colin and Abby love to discuss. This episode was recorded on Sept. 21, 2026. All opinions are our own and do not reflect those of any institution or affiliation.

  4. Sep 15

    Born in a Post-9/11 World

    The 25th Anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, was last Friday. On Washed Up, Colin Mullaney and Abigail Cavizo remember the nearly 3,000 innocent Americans who lost their lives on that fateful day, at the World Trade Centers in NYC, at the Pentagon in DC, and onboard the highjacked and crashed airplanes. No doubt it was a watershed moment in American history, and one that carries profound weight and emotion for every American old enough to remember it — and those like us, who were not yet born. It also brought sweeping policy changes regarding national security, data collection on citizens and noncitizens alike (the PATRIOT Act), and Middle Eastern Wars like Iraq and Afghanistan, which led to approximately 7,000 U.S. troop deaths. A memorial service last Friday in New York City brought together Vice President JD Vance, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY), Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Former President George Bush, and former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Families and survivors shared testimonials and read aloud the names of lost loved ones. The touching commemoration illuminated the importance of reflecting on loss in a public setting and giving voice to collective grief. On this show, we recall the first responders, the pandemonium as the buildings fell, the survivors who later contracted cancer from toxic exposure, the video and media footage of the day's events, those who were forced to ultimately jump from the upper floors out of desperation, and countless others. 9/11 has also been a prime source of conspiracy and remains so. Unanswered questions loom large. Similar to the death of Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated one year ago last Thursday, the shock and uncertainty of highly publicized tragedies often drive helpless members of the public to fill in the missing information with spurious or misguided claims (and blame). We remain committed to investigating and asking questions, but firmly rooted in following the facts. This episode was recorded on Sept. 13, 2026. All opinions are our own and do not reflect those of any institution or affiliation.

  5. Sep 10

    Lindsay Clancy's 11-1 Mistrial & Mental Health Dialogue

    This episode was recorded on September 7, 2026. Abby and Colin are back with coast-to-coast coverage from a Gen Z perspective. For hard news this week, Abby covers the Lindsay Clancy case, and what the jury (11-1) decided. It’s a mistrial, meaning the prosecution must decide whether to retry her case. Clancy is guilty of killing her 3 children in 2023, and this case brings to light a conversation that should’ve happened way sooner: the nuances of postpartum psychosis and postpartum depression. Some on social media call her a feminist icon, but we believe this is a terrible tragedy that could’ve been entirely prevented. Since it is September, Colin brings up Suicide Prevention Awareness, a cause he continually fights for. The two co-hosts have open dialogue about mental health, grief, and why it is never the answer to end one’s life. Mentioned in this episode (in order): Donate to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (Colin’s running for them!): Colin’s 2024 podcast episode, with testimonies from two survivors of a suicide eventThis Jungian Life

  6. Sep 1 ·  Bonus

    Meta Settles Mega Lawsuit

    In this episode of Washed Up, Colin Mullaney is joined by Lacey Ordakowski to discuss the approx. $17 billion settlement (paid out over 10 years) reached between Meta and 47 state attorneys general, plus the District of Columbia (shoutout DC). The states suing the company allege that Meta deliberately designed its platforms to be addictive to, in particular, children; Meta denies any such wrongdoing. Rather than continue to defend themselves through lengthy, expensive court proceedings and argue the case why social media is not addictive, or nor should companies be held responsible for the behavior of its users (including children), Meta instead agreed to pay an enormous sum to the coalition of states, who will in turn supposedly use the funds for mental health programs and digital literacy campaigns. We are of the opinion that Gen Z, who grew up on social media, does not need an expert or an official court decision to tell them that social media has addictive qualities and can contribute to harmful social comparison, depression and anxiety, and even death by suicide.Meta is also making several changes to its apps and interface; for users under 18, there will be stricter content moderation that requires parental permission to change, limits on app usage per day, silenced notifications between sleeping hours, no more cosmetic filters to alter facial features, and hiding like counts—among other changes. Of note: some of the above remains contingent upon competitor social media platforms like Tiktok or YouTube also being held to similar account. This episode was recorded on August 31, 2026. All opinions are our own and do not reflect those of any institution or affiliation.

  7. Aug 25

    USS Lincoln Debacle + Guessing Grammy Nominees

    This week in hard news, Colin Mullaney relays the USS Abraham Lincoln's extended deployment to the Middle East, amid the ongoing Iran War. The aircraft carrier — one of 11 belonging to the U.S. — will now be replaced by the USS George Washington; however, the prolonged deployment since Nov. 2025, has taken a heavy toll on the 5,000 sailors and marines onboard. Deteriorating conditions onboard seemingly drove at least one sailor to jump overboard. In soft news, Abigail Cavizo brings up the likely 2027 Grammy Nominees for album of the year, including Olivia Dean's "The Art of Loving," Taylor Swift's "Life of a Showgirl," and Olivia Rodrigo's "you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love." The hosts also discuss how TikTok has harmed songwriting by pigeonholing artists into creating short, raunchy viral hits instead of complex and emotionally resonant records. This episode was recorded on August 21, 2026. All opinions are our own and do not reflect those of any institution or affiliation.

  8. Aug 12

    Election Anxiety & Romantic Delusion (Talking Midterms & Limerence)

    This week, we’re still following up on our new format. It’s Abby’s turn to present our hard news, and we’ve got a lot to say about the future of the Midterm Elections. Recently, Trump proposed the SAVE Act, which would put federal restrictions on different voter ID laws. Democrats believe this is interesting timing, especially when Republicans may not be leading in some states. Interesting states to look out for in the future is Michigan, Ohio, and other swing states. Colin decides to bring in the Washed Up audience on something the co-hosts have done lots of thinking about… an up-and-coming psychology term: limerence. He primarily uses the book “Smitten: Romantic Obsession, the Neuroscience of Limerence, and How to Make Love Last,” by Dr. Tom Bellamy, who is a neuroscientist and university professor. What is limerence? How does it impact Gen Z and their dating habits. How do we deal with such strong emotions? Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KULkVNOanuA

See All (77)

About

Abigail Cavizo and Colin M. Mullaney are two "washed-up" reporters articulating a Gen-Z perspective, amplifying young voices, and advocating for free speech. Subscribe for incisive, weekly commentary on the latest news — delivered with scrappiness and the fear of God. We do not need to be divisive in order to be entertaining, engaging, and effective. Scapegoating and black-and-white thinking are a relic of the past. Join us as we explore the false binaries that benefit bad-faith actors — and expose the perverse incentives that drive societal conflicts. All opinions are our own.

Information

  • Creator
    Colin Mullaney and Abigail Cavizo
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    77
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Colin Mullaney and Abigail Cavizo
  • Show Website
    Washed Up in DC