James Lileks | Ricochet

This week, some thoughts on the Khashoggi murder, a deep dive into the Catholic Church scandals with the great Rod Dreher, and our mid-term preview with Ricochet’s newest podcaster, Lahnee Chen (subscribe to his show!). Also, you thought we weren’t going to give our take on Elizabeth Warren’s DNA test? No way, Chief.

Music from this week’s podcast Bad Blood by Taylor Swift

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This week, another one guester as we call on Ricochet alumnus Mollie Hemingway to help us sort through Kanye, Kavanaugh, and other assorted issues of the day (she also gives us an instant review of the new Gosnell movie, which Mollie had just seen). Also, the Senate is looking brighter, and the guys recommend some Peak TV.

Music from this week’s podcast: Good Golly Miss Molly by Little Richard

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Sometimes, people ask why we wait until Friday afternoons to publish the podcast. The last couple of weeks should answer that question for at least a while. We’re lucky to have a full contingent of quality guests this week to help us sort through all the outrage, er, news that has accumulated since last week’s show. First up, Ricochet’s own Bethany Mandel who has a few opinions on the Kavanaugh confirmation process. Then, one of our favs: the great Andy Ferguson, who’s been doing some reading and some thinking about all things Trump. Also, courtesy of Rob Long, an insiders view of the Yale grapevine. Suffice to say, Buffy and Biff are upset.

(H/t to Seth Mandel for the title of this week’s episode).

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No guests this week, just our hosts reflecting on a week that will not soon, if ever, be forgotten. We look at the testimony from both Kavanaugh and Ford, the reaction and remarks from the Judiciary Committee, from the media, and from friends. We wind up with some predictions from the hosts as to whether or not Brett Kavanaugh will get confirmed. Give us your predictions in the comments.

Music from this week’s show: Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty

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We’ve reached peak news cycle. So much going on. And when that happens, we reach out to people who make it their business to cover the news: that’s the WSJ’s Bill McGurn and the Washington Post’s Bob Costa. They help us sort through the Kavanaugh controversy, the scandals in the Catholic Church, trade wars with China, and some predictions about the upcoming mid-terms. Also, Rob Long deconstructs the old show biz adage that “nobody knows anything.” Listen!

Music front his week’s podcast: Ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do by Billie Holliday

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This week on the podcast, silly political controversies, a good old fashioned smear campaign, some expert analysis from Millennial voter expert Kristin Soltis Anderson, we visit New Hampshire’s 1st District to check in on Republican candidate Eddie Edwards, CBS CEO Les Moonves gets #MeToo’d, and guess which podcast host actually defends the President in this podcast? The answer will surprise you.

Music from this week’s podcast: A Mighty Wind is Blowin’ – New Main Street Singers, The Folksmen and Mitch & Mickey (From the movie The Mighty Wind)

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Hugely busy week, which means a hugely busy podcast. This week, the invaluable Byron York stops by to set us straight on just who might have penned that NYT op-ed, where in the world Bob Mueller is, and other D.C. shenanigans. Then Christopher Scalia, who knows a thing or two about the Supreme Court, joins to discuss the Kavanaugh circus, er, hearings. Also, so long, Bandit — you were one the of greats.

Music from this week’s episode: East Bound and Down by Jerry Reed

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This week, we do a Rico-Centric show with our regular crew and our two trusty editors: Jon Gabriel (Ricochet’s beloved EIC) and Bethany Mandel, the Madonna of The Main Feed. We talk about flagpoles, conservatives on social media, an insider’s view of Arizona, why Instagram is the best social media platform (after this one, natch) and of course, Lileks gives the lowdown on the Minnesota State Fair.

Music from this week’s episode: State Fair (opening title) by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II

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Well, this is a first for this fully operational podcast: we tackle Socialism, the newly hip, but always old school form of government. To cover both sides of the argument, we call on Washington Post columnist Elizabeth Bruenig and longtime Ricochet member (and Professor of Political Science at Skidmore) Flagg Taylor. Also, Manfort, Cohen, and all that jazz, and finally, what’s the most accurate gauge of a robust economy? Easy, it’s the state of Lileks Oil in Fargo, North Dakota. Spoiler alert: business is great.

Music from this week’s episode: Talkin’ bout A Revolution by Tracy Chapman

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Did someone say Space Force? That’s just too irresistible a topic for this podcast not to tackle in depth. So we do. But that’s not all. No sir. We also call on our friends Matt Continetti (he of the must listen Right and Righter podcast) to talk about Alexandria Cortez-Ocasio and what she means for American politics, and Byron York takes us for a deep dive on the status of the Mueller investigation. We learned a lot in this segment and we bet you will too. Also, Rob goes long on the Academy’s new Most Popular Movie category. Hoping for a podcast category soon.

Music from this week’s show: Space Cowboy by The Steve Miller Band

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This week, a super-sized episode featuring scooters, Nebraska’s own Ben Sasse on trade, tariffs, Trump, and Kavanaugh, self-driving cars, Twitter mob, and more. We could say more, but really, you should just listen to the show.

Music from this week’s podcast: Summertime by The Busters

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This week, we visit with Republican candidate for Senate in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Beth Lindstom, who’s running a valiant attempt to unseat someone by the name of Elizabeth Warren. No idea who she is. Then, our old friend Toby Young stops by to discuss his recent experience with the digital pitchfork and torch mob on the internet and what we ought to do about it (do read his fantastic essay on this topic on Quillette.com, The Public Humiliation Diet and buy his books that are discussed on the show). Also, the Cohen tapes, the roaring economy, and is there life on Mars? Hope so, because we feel like moving there.

Music from this week’s show: Life on Mars by David Bowie

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This week, some rumination on Trump’s tete a tete with Putin (along with a history lesson for Rob Long), we introduce you to Elizabeth Heng, who is running for Congress in California’s 16th District, we get some #MeToo education from our good pal Mona Charen, (stop whatever you’re doing and buy her book Sex Matters right now) and the city of Santa Barbara declares that if you use a straw in that fair city, you’ll do time. Which sucks. Also, the Word of The Day is spizzerinctum.

Music from this week’s podcast: Sex Bomb by Tom Jones

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This week, we travel across the pond to talk with our good mate James Delingpole to get his very hot take on Trump’s visit, What May or May not happen to the current Prime Minister, and get his impression of that so called Baby Trump Blimp. Also, we’ve got a new SCOTUS nominee and his age is a trigger warning for one of our hosts, that fantastic Tweet storm by Ricochet alum Claire Berlinski, and the Strzok circus comes to town.

Music from this week’s episode: Roll With It by Oasis

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As you’ll hear, there were many possible titles for this episode, but we went with the simplest and most descriptive for we spewing a fair amount of time covering both. But we also have on the supreme Supreme Court expert Adam White from the Hoover Institution (listen to his new podcast with Richard Epstein here) to discuss all things SCOTUS and the great Salena Zito (read her new book The Great Revolt: Inside the Populist Coalition Reshaping American Politics) who lets us Coastal (and yes, Minneapolis) Elites® know how all this stuff is playing in the heartland we only fly over.

Happy 4th, everyone. We’re off next week. Have a safe and fun holiday!

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Another big news week and we’ve assembled the appropriate heavy hitters to help us parse it: first up, Victor Davis Hanson weighs in on North Korea, the IG report, and why the case for collusion is looking weaker and weaker every day. Then, Andrew McCarthy (listen to his brand new podcast, The McCarthy Report) stops by for some in-depth analysis on that IG report and what it means for the President. Also, Robinson returns from Spain and reports on what it’s like to hang out with rich people. Olé!

Music from this week’s episode: Spanish Bombs by The Clash

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We cribbed the title of this week’s show from Charles Krauthammer’s book as it perfectly describes what we’re feeling this week after the announcement from the good doctor and the deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. We get reactions from our guests, Rod Dreher and Andrew Klavan, who also delve into other topics, including psychedelics, why Trump is a great President, cake baking, and more.

Music from this week’s show: The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel

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This week, we take a bit of break from the politics of the day to delve into the culture a bit with our guest Richard Rushfield, Editor-in-Chief of the indispensable Ankler show business newsletter. We talk Roseanne, Samantha Bee, the Disney/Comcast merger, and yes, even some Solo. Then, our good friend and McRib connoisseur John Yoo stops by to a talk about pardons, special counsels, all of that stuff. Also, peak TV, and Señor Robinson is going to España. Olé.

Music from this week’s episode: Dirty Computer (feat. Brian Wilson) by Janelle Monáe

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This week, we wanted to do a show aimed at graduating students — which is why we booked The WSJ’s Andy Kessler to discuss his column Advice to New Grads: Scale or Bail and Amy “Tiger Mom” Chua (yes, her new book Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations isn’t strictly for grads, but hey, she’s the TIGER MOM). But one of our podcasters decided to hijack that theme and take us on his own magic carpet ride. Still, it’s a good show, chock full of advice, life, hacks, and other illuminating factoids. Happy Memorial Day!

Music from this week’s show: Eye of the Tiger – Bluegrass Tribute To Classic Rock

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After a rousing live edition of the podcast in DC, we’re back on virtual home ground and we hit the ground running. First up, our old pal Larry Kudlow former Ricochet podcaster, current Director of the National Economic Council stops by to dish on the economy, Milton Friedman, working in the White House, and he declares a certain podcaster #NeverTrump (spoiler alert: it’s not who you think it is). Next up: Matthew Hennessey stops by to chat about his new book Zero Hour For Gen X. Finally, some thoughts on the great Tom Wolfe, who passed away earlier this week from two who knew and admired him.

Music from this week’s podcast: Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67 by Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev – Academy of London Orchestra

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