Texas race, Ecuador boat strikes and sports finance collide

The brief

Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti question whether polling, election models and primary turnout can reliably measure Democratic enthusiasm in Texas, where James Talarico faces Republican competition.

Investigative journalist Camila Lourdes-Galarza examines attacks on Ecuadorian fishing boats, eyewitness accounts and tracking data that appear to challenge official denials of U.S. involvement.

The killing of prosecutor Alexandra Bravo, who was investigating the strikes, sharpens the episode’s questions about Ecuador’s justice system, private contractors and extrajudicial killings at sea.

Pablo Torre analyzes the reported Lakers sale to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner, placing it within a broader shift toward private equity, political connections and media-driven valuations.

Across all three stories, the hosts examine how institutions that appear public and accountable are increasingly shaped by opaque models, security operations and concentrated capital.