Left Hook - Rotten Tomatoes
The Left Hook
Mark Bland and Jason Kull turn the spotlight on their own side of the aisle in this episode of The Left Hook, challenging Missouri and St. Louis-area Democrats to stop overlooking opportunities to reach conservative and independent voters. The hosts argue that their presence on Fox News-affiliated radio offers candidates a chance to speak beyond the Democratic base—and that avoiding those conversations leaves potential votes on the table. Drawing on past interviews and their involvement in local political debates, Bland and Kull make the case for more direct engagement, less political...
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The Left Hook - Artificial Intelligence
The Left Hook
On this week’s episode of The Left Hook, Mark Bland and Jason Kull took on President Trump’s incendiary Truth Social post about Minnesota, in which he claimed the state was being “taken over” by Somali immigrants, painted Minneapolis as a war zone, called Tim Walz an “incompetent thief,” and urged Minnesotans to “fight back.” Bland and Kull broke down why that kind of rhetoric is dangerous: it demonizes an entire community, inflames an already tense political moment, and sets up the idea that federal force should be welcomed into Democratic-led cities. They also connected it to...
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The Left Hook - Super Beets and Super Powers
The Left Hook
The show opens with Mark Bland and Jason Kull and a quick post-season autopsy of the Cubs' loss to the Padres — Pete Crow-Armstrong vs. Fernando Tatís, and the unwritten rule that you never root for a division rival like the Brewers — before pivoting to the economy. Mark argues that voters who pulled the lever in 2024 expecting cheaper gas and groceries "on day one" got the opposite, pointing to a $41 tab at Steak 'n Shake for three people and $100-plus bills at mid-tier sit-down chains as evidence that prices have outrun promises. From there he takes aim at pressure on the Fed and Jerome...
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The Left Hook - 56 - Midnight Attack Drones
The Left Hook
On this week’s episode of The Left Hook, Jason Kull and I went after Trump’s decision to pull White House press pool credentials from CNN, MSNBC, ProPublica, Politico, and other outlets. We called it what it is: thin-skinned, authoritarian behavior from an administration that seemingly only wants coverage from people willing to applaud. Less than 48 hours later, they announced “Trump TV” — which Jason couldn’t even get to load on YouTube during the show. Then the whole thing backfired at the unveiling of the new White House helipad, where the gutted press pool left one Newsmax...
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The Left Hook - Who is Number One?
The Left Hook
Grab your coffee, because Mark Bland and Jason Kull are back with a week's worth of things to be mad about. They start at the gas pump, where diesel is pushing $8 in California and the Iran war is taking the blame. Then it's on to Trump's rally joke about holding back FEMA money from flood-hit North Carolina ("I'm not sending it... just kidding"), which got the awkward silence it deserved. They play JD Vance warning of an economic crisis if we leave the war, and Marjorie Taylor Greene's viral rant about diesel prices, which is a sentence nobody expected to write. They also lay out why they...
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Left Hook - 54- Concepts of a Payment
The Left Hook
Hosts Mark Bland and Jason Kull kicked off *The Left Hook* with some lighthearted baseball talk about the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals before quickly diving into politics. Their top headline was Fox News host Jesse Watters, who admitted President Trump's campaign promise of $5,000 checks for every American likely wouldn't happen. Watters infamously compared the empty promise to "a woman showing her bra" to keep a man interested, leading the hosts to call his remarks gross, misogynistic, and proof that Trump's allies assume the American people are gullible enough to fall for it. Bland...
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Left Hook - 53 - Where's the Beef 2026
The Left Hook
Mark Bland and Jason Kull open with a genuinely fun segment: Mark joined the American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) and took his son to Daredevil Days at the newly rebranded Mid-America Adventure (formerly Six Flags St. Louis). Highlights included a backstage tour of Mr. Freeze, standing two feet from the track at launch speed, and a "post-touch" — feeling the coaster's vibration through the support beam. Park president Dan Snider fielded Q&A on the rebrand and ongoing DC licensing negotiations. Plus Family membership secured. Then it gets sharp. Mike Johnson went on camera calling Thomas...
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The Left Hook - Lake America
The Left Hook
Hosts Mark Bland and Jason Kull opened their St. Louis-based show with a discussion about local news: the rebranding of Six Flags St. Louis to "Mid-America Adventure" under new parent company Enchanted Parks. The hosts covered changes to season passes, pricing, and the popular "Fright Fest" Halloween event, noting that entry will now cost extra beyond a season pass. They joked that St. Louis residents will likely keep calling it "Six Flags" regardless of the name change, comparing it to how locals still refer to the Riverport concert venue by its original name despite multiple corporate...
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Left Hook - The Presidents Shadow
The Left Hook
On this episode of *The Left Hook*, host Mark Bland and co-host Jason Kull kick off the show by breaking down recent media controversies and political gridlock. They analyze a tense CNN panel exchange between host Abby Phillip and conservative pundit Scott Jennings, criticizing Jennings for what they see as dishonest deflections and double standards regarding Donald Trump and his controversial aide, Natalie Harp. Bland and Kull expand their political commentary to address the broader state of governance, sharply criticizing Speaker Mike Johnson and the Republican-led Congress for failing to...
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The Left Hook - The Same Page
The Left Hook
In this episode of The Left Hook, host Mark Bland—a self-described liberal broadcasting on Fox-affiliated stations—is joined by guest co-host Andy Echele, a conservative-leaning friend and veteran. After an extended discussion about Bland's family trip to Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio (where he was sent to a "quiet room" after complaining about outdated bathrooms at a park making $1-2 million per day), and a visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, the conversation turns to politics. Bland asks Eccle to assess Trump's presidency, and Eccle rates him a...
info_outlineOn this episode of The Left Hook, hosts Mark Bland and Jason Kull tackle a wide range of political headlines before closing things out with a much lighter and more comedic discussion. The episode opens with Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker publicly questioning Donald Trump’s mental sharpness in a recent Politico interview. Mark and Jason discuss reports of Trump falling asleep during meetings, mixing up names, and stumbling through speeches, while pointing out the irony that many Republicans who aggressively scrutinized Joe Biden’s cognitive health now seem far less concerned.
The conversation then moves into Trump’s tariff policies, including his criticism of a “terrible trade deal” that was later revealed to be the USMCA agreement created during his own administration. The hosts also cover ICE enforcement, the Epstein files, Howard Lutnick’s contentious congressional hearing, and the ongoing gerrymandering battle in Tennessee that could significantly impact voters in Memphis.
In the second half of the show, Mark and Jason discuss liberal political influencer Brian Krassenstein purchasing a Cybertruck, losing thousands of followers over it, and then sarcastically announcing that he traded it in for a gas-guzzling Ford truck. The hosts argue that the situation felt more like engagement farming than authentic political commentary. They compare Krassenstein unfavorably to figures like Ron Filipkowski, whom they view as more grounded and journalistically focused.
The episode closes with a comedic “F, Marry, Kill” segment centered entirely around breakfast foods, featuring debates over pancakes, waffles, French toast, eggs Benedict, omelets, scrambled eggs, and more — providing a fun and conversational ending to an otherwise politically charged episode.