Hour 4: NASA is sending astronauts to the moon again tomorrow

The John Curley Show dives into two major stories in this episode. First, investigative journalist Glenn Morgan from We The Govern exposes a systemic conflict of interest involving Washington State Senate Majority Leader Jamie Peterson, who profits personally from legislation he helps write—particularly the Climate Commitment Act—while simultaneously serving as a top executive at McKinstry, a company that secures massive no-bid government contracts. Morgan details how Peterson’s financial disclosures show he earns $250k–$500k annually from McKinstry, owns a 1% stake, and benefits from dividends tied directly to laws he authored. Despite the clear ethical breach, the practice is technically legal due to loopholes in state ethics laws, which Peterson himself helped weaken. The episode also critiques the lack of accountability, noting Peterson sits on the very ethics board that could investigate him. Later, the show shifts to space exploration, previewing NASA’s Artemis 2 mission—the first crewed flight of the Orion capsule to the moon—set for launch the next day. Host Joe frames the mission as a pivotal step toward Mars, a race against China, and a symbol of human innovation and inspiration, though he humorously mocks the media spectacle surrounding it, including the astronaut’s appearance and the perceived over-the-top hype.