Overtime – Episode #727: Gov. Wes Moore, Chris Cuomo, Sarah Isgur

In this overtime episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, Governor Wes Moore of Maryland joins host Bill Maher alongside Chris Cuomo and Sarah Isgur to discuss pressing political and social issues. The conversation opens with Moore’s recent executive order banning state government employees from participating in prediction markets, citing the absurdity of betting on political outcomes—such as his own re-election—with potentially millions at stake. The panel critiques the normalization of gambling and insider trading in public life, using the case of a soldier who profited from a successful covert operation as a flashpoint. They condemn the hypocrisy of Congress, which fails to regulate its own stock trading while loudly condemning others. The discussion then shifts to the controversial DOJ proposal to reinstate firing squads for executions, with Moore arguing against the move on moral and social grounds, emphasizing that the death penalty fails as a deterrent and undermines the values of a just society. Instead, he highlights Maryland’s success in reducing violent crime by increasing accountability and speed of justice—without harsher penalties. The episode closes with a focus on youth screen time, as Moore details Maryland’s upcoming 'bell-to-bell' device ban in schools and a program to recruit fired federal workers into teaching, aiming to combat teacher shortages and protect students’ focus in classrooms.