In the first episode of Show In Progress with Matt Strabone, Matt talks about money in politics, why it’s bad, why it isn’t the same as speech, how we can get rid of it, and what society could look like without it (2:28). Matt then interviews former Obama press secretary Ben LaBolt, who talks about his consequential career in politics, how the work of communications under Obama differed from what we’ve seen with Trump, how the press can adjust its coverage of the Trump presidency, and what Obama really thinks of Trump (6:40). Ben also shares his thoughts about the 2018 electoral landscape (nationally and in California) and what the 2020 election might look like (25:44). Matt closes the inaugural episode with a joke about Winnie the Pooh (32:50).