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Series

3 Whisky Happy Hour617 episodesBeyond the Polls with Henry Olsen175 episodesGLoP Culture210 episodesJames Lileks’ The Diner101 episodesMartini Shot176 episodesMom Wars55 episodesSmart Girl Politics16 episodesThe Back of the Book45 episodesThe Dave Carter Show110 episodesThe Ricochet Podcast712 episodes

Recent Episodes

The Ricochet Podcast
The Ricochet Podcast

Thumos and a Touch of Swaggart

With each passing wild week in the West, it can feel like a tall order to request an unequivocal defense of it. But when there's a meme, there's a way, and if Marco Rubio has taught us anything, it's that he's always up for the job. James, Steve, and Charles celebrate his statesmanship displayed on Wednesday's Acropolis speech; wonder about the wisdom of the proposed live streaming of the firing-squad execution of the Fort Hood shooter; and bristle at Abdul El Sayed's response to being confronted with "dumb questions" about who our friends and enemies are. Despite it all, they find much to look forward to in our living, breathing, loud-talking and fast-walking civilization on a hill. Sounds from this week's open: The late televangelist Jim Bakker advises against self-pity; Marco Rubio "testifies to a debt that no lapse of time, no distance of space, can ever extinguish." Closing Music: "Reverie," composed by Robert Schumann, performed by Bruno Freitas
Hosts:
Charles C. W. CookeJames LileksSteve Hayward
Beyond the Polls with Henry Olsen
Beyond the Polls with Henry Olsen

The Trump Tornado and Danger in the Dust Bowl

There's good news and bad news, Toto: We are still in Kansas, but it's not the safe state we'd grown used to. With the midterms less than a month away, and reports confirming the GOP's move to divert funds to tightening races in the agricultural belt, Henry opts to fly solo this week to survey the windswept field ahead of the battle. Considerable movement has occurred in response to the president's bold maneuvering after returning to office, particularly among the Independents and MAGA-lite Republicans who helped elect him. But is a complete leveling inevitable? Not so, says Henry, who offers a lesson from the 2022 midterms that Republicans have curiously left on the table so far. Plus, Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers has a new ad that reveals an important detail about this cycle's swing state playbook. Can't wait til Thursday for Henry's election insights? Subscribe to his weekly newsletter, "Margin of Victory," for an early look at his latest thoughts on the approaching midterms.
Host:
Henry Olsen
3 Whisky Happy Hour
3 Whisky Happy Hour

The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Godwin’s Law Edition

Sitcom viewers will recall the "Soup Nazi" from Seinfeld, but the famous Soup Nazi needs to yield to the latest iteration of this low form of comedy, as this week's episode features the person who has been called "the Shampoo Nazi"—Charles Haywood. We would have thought that people named "EricKKK EricKKKson" (see how easy it is to be stupid?) would know Godwin's Law, whose most important corollary application is that the first person to resort to Reductio ad Hitlerum is immediately deemed the loser of the debate. Charles Haywood is a person of considerable controversy these days, and to be sure he has some exotic opinions, which listeners should check out for themselves at his capacious website, The Worthy House, in particular his Foundationalist Manifesto. Harry Jaffa, the person who wrote the infamous phrase "Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice" for Barry Goldwater (and who got called a Nazi for saying this in 1964), also wrote: "'Provocative articles' are worthless unless they can be tested."
Hosts:
'Lucretia'Steve Hayward
3 Whisky Happy Hour
3 Whisky Happy Hour

The Three Whisky Happy Hour: The Left’s Death March Picks Up Speed

Way back in the 1970s, Malcolm Muggeridge wrote a classic essay entitled "The Great Liberal Death Wish," but in recent years this formulation has become more pronounced. Forget abortion: the leading edge of Progressive "compassion" is "assisted" suicide, which, while claiming to be in the cause of "relieving suffering," looks to be much more insidious when you look closer at what is really happening. John Yoo is away this week, so Lucretia and Steve welcome Wesley Smith as the special guest host for this episode. Wesley is the director of the Discovery Institute's Center on Human Exceptionalism, a regular contributor to National Review, and author of more than a dozen books, several of them co-authored with Ralph Nader in his misspent youth! Wesley has been on the death-cult-of-the-left beat for a long while now, but the details of what is going on are truly shocking—and needless to say, ignored by the mainstream media. (Also, we should mention, he is a fellow podcaster, with a weekly show called Humanize. Put it in your rotation! In light of the seriousness of this week's subject, we decided to omit our usual Babylon Bee headline roundup at the end, but we do have a "cameo" toward the end this week from "Henry Kissinger," reflecting on what's going on with the Iran War.
Hosts:
'Lucretia'Steve Hayward
The Ricochet Podcast
The Ricochet Podcast

Feeling Judgey

Sometimes life feels like a freak show, and the sane can either take it in or turn away. This week gave us more glimpses of horror than usual, which tends to make folks more amenable to harsh punishments. James, Steve, and Charles consider the death penalty in light of the heinous crime of an unsuccessfully executed Tennessee woman; they wade through the cloudy "Cornell Seven" case and draw important distinctions between moral depravity and criminality; and they look over to France, where the people of Paris swarmed the streets to see the Pope last week and which is today in flames as second- and third-generation immigrants riot. Makes you wonder whether la République and la révolution will ever square themselves in l’Hexagone. Plus, Charles has an announcement about Ricochet 5.0! Sound from this week's open: Marine Le Pen responds to the riots in France. And our own John Yoo talks about execution methods on Fox News. Closing music: "Waltz for the Elephants" by Ziv Grinberg
Hosts:
Charles C. W. CookeJames LileksSteve Hayward
Beyond the Polls with Henry Olsen
Beyond the Polls with Henry Olsen

All About Exit Polls

Americans are often in a hurry, always looking for ways to save time. Yet back in the olden days, whenever Americans held an election, the public had to wait until every ballot was tallied before an official announcement of the results. Though that remains the method for squeaker contests, election-day reporting outlets strive to stay ahead of the curve wherever possible. Enter the exit pollers. Henry sits down with Joe Lenski, Executive Vice President of the survey research firm SSRS and co-director of The Voter Poll. Joe's here to explain how his team goes about sampling actual ballot-casters so the American people can get quicker (yet still accurate) calls on election night. Plus, keeping predictive power in mind, Henry reverse-engineers the generic ballot from the past three midterm elections to gauge who will win the House tug-of-war in November. And we take in Susan Collins' clever pitch to her Red Sox country voters about Yankee Chuck Schumer's attempts to influence the contest in Maine. Catch Henry's latest PostOpinions piece to see his midterm model. While you're there, subscribe to his weekly newsletter, "Margin of Victory," for invaluable insights every Wednesday!
Host:
Henry Olsen
Mom Wars
Mom Wars

Betrayal

This week, Bethany sits down with her old Ladybrains co-host Mary Katharine Ham to discuss the viral New York Times Magazine essay about how Nikole Hannah-Jones betrayed her daughter by sending her to a failing New York City public school. Note: This episode was recorded before the release of the This American Life episode featuring Hannah-Jones and her daughter, Najya.
Host:
Bethany Mandel
Guest:
MKMary Katherine Ham
The Back of the Book
The Back of the Book

The Declaration of Independence: Its Intellectual and Material History

Let’s keep celebrating the semiquincentennial by tackling the remarkable history of our most inspirational founding document. Historian and Hoover Institution fellow Michael Auslin joins the podcast to discuss National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America. He and Chris cover the document’s chaotic creation, its less-than-ideal preservation, and its enduring impact on almost ten generations of Americans. Show Notes: Michael Auslin’s book, National Treasure Michael’s book event at AEI Time Stamps: 1:45 Myths and misconceptions about the Declaration 12:40 The forgotten Declaration takes center stage 23:34 The Civil War and consent of the governed 28:33 More reasons to loathe Woodrow Wilson 33:45 MLK and the “promissory note” of equality 42:30 The Declaration’s core claim of unity 46:16 The DSA’s challenge to the greatness of the Declaration 49:03 The Declaration preserved and displayed Opening and closing music: Brendan Benson, “Spit It Out,” used with permission from the artist. Produced by Keira Stenson.
Host:
Christopher J. Scalia
Guest:
MAMichael Auslin

September 2026

GLoP Culture
GLoP Culture

Clowns Are Buoyant

Clowns are buoyant, which may explain how this podcast stays afloat. This month, Jonah, John, and Rob ponder the lousy-man theory of history, admire a podcast whose hosts actually do research, and demonstrate why seminary hasn’t made Rob any less cranky. Along the way: TV greatness, a longstanding dispute over Miller’s Crossing, and the academic credentials of professional clowns.
Hosts:
John PodhoretzJonah GoldbergRob Long
3 Whisky Happy Hour
3 Whisky Happy Hour

The Three Whisky Happy Hour: What the Hell Is This?

We don't know how to describe this episode. We start out by looking over the forthcomong docket of cases for the new term of the Supreme Court that begins next week, but then John Yoo, back from playing hookie last week, drops in a mischievous question about the "theological-political question," and proved anew that Pavlov's theory still works, as Lucretia and Steve bit, hook, line, and sinker, as the story goes. But the gang also goes on to the juicy media and higher education stories of the week, including the latest embarrasment of Nicole Hannah-Jones discovering that New York's public schools are really bad, and how Cambridge University predictably wimped out on the promised "investigation" of the Jason Arday scandal. This, and Steve's latest short-form book review, and much more!
Hosts:
John Yoo'Lucretia'Steve Hayward
The Ricochet Podcast
The Ricochet Podcast

Everything is Everything is Revolutionary Praxis

What exactly do the fight to save Piddington in Oxfordshire, the public betrayal of Najya Hannah-Jones by her activist mom, Trump's deal with Greenland, Russia's cultural inferiority complex, and a "COVID-conscious" lesbian bar in Massachusetts have in common? For those of us who haven't worn an N-95 mask in at least five years, the distinctions are clear. Even so, they each command the attention of James, Charles, and Steve. The trio reunites to remind us that praxis rarely makes perfect. Opening sound this week: Nikole Hannah-Jones talks about her child’s school at the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2018 and lesbians on TikTok say, “Keep it on the QT.” Closing music: "Revolution" by Willow McKenna via MotionArray.
Hosts:
Charles C. W. CookeJames LileksSteve Hayward
Beyond the Polls with Henry Olsen
Beyond the Polls with Henry Olsen

Reasonably Random Thoughts on Polling

The polling business has undergone profound changes since the start of the 21st century, especially in its response to new technology and the altered habits of potential respondents. We often hear from representatives of the media or university end of polling, but today Henry sits down with a guest who has skin in the game: professional political pollster Jon Lerner. The two discuss how these new entrants have changed the playing field, address the live question about the relative value of modeling, and consider alternative methods for addressing demographically uneven response rates. Plus, Republican candidates are publicly breaking with Trump in political advertisements and Henry rants about why they're doing so and what this portends. And speaking of ads, we've got a trio sampler of effective approaches to kick off general election season: one positive, one negative, and one that's just plain funny. To stay on top of campaign season, sign up for Henry’s weekly "Margin of Victory" newsletter. You'll receive indispensable insights every Wednesday for the price of...free!
Host:
Henry Olsen
Mom Wars
Mom Wars

Skipping School

This week, Kara and Bethany are joined by Dixie Dillon Lane, the author of the book Skipping School: A history of American homeschooling and how it went mainstream. They talk... homeschooling, you guessed it.
Hosts:
Bethany MandelKara Kennedy
The Ricochet Podcast
The Ricochet Podcast

Familiar Parts of the Body Politic

Sometimes our topsy-turvy world is more dizzying than usual—and in those times, it's best to stand on a firm foundation and in the company of dependable people. Rob Long returns to chat with Charles and Steve about controversies of all shapes, sizes and degrees of comprehensibility—from Bo French and the "NETTR" movement, a Republican admin talking about buying votes with $5,000 checks and a prudish left shocked by the... apolitical appeal of Sidney Sweeney. Sound clips from this week's open: Gavin Newsom hubris on Hollywood and Sydney Sweeney seduces the betting man Closing Music: "Can't Stop," by Wake the Wild via MotionArray
Hosts:
Charles C. W. CookeRob LongSteve Hayward
3 Whisky Happy Hour
3 Whisky Happy Hour

The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Is Trump ‘The End of History’?

So it happens that Francis Fukuyama, who became famous because of his of book The End of History and the Last Man back in the early 1990s, is having a moment in 2026. See, he really didn't mean it, and besides, he is no longer even a neo-con but has moved left because Donald Trump ruined his parade by restarting history. Or at least disrupting it. Or something. And suddenly he's getting glowing notices in the liberal media. Big surprise there. Glenn Ellmers of the Claremont Institute takes the truant John Yoo's place this week, and as the author of a book that is a sharp contrast to Fukuyama (The Narrow Passage: Plato, Foucault, and the Possibility of Political Philosophy) is the ideal person to assist our beatdown of Fukuyama. Not to worry, and don't be scared. We keep our mentions of Hegel and Kojève to a minimum, and use the occasion to beat down on Progressives—our favorite target. Our cameo segment this week is with comedian David Deeble, who has lately made his first comedy club appearances in . . . Germany. In German. Is this conceivable? As he likes to say, "There are two things Germans don't joke about: Hitler, and everything else." We talk about the whole comedy scene, and whether comedy clubs are in fact the front line of turning back wokery. And Sydney Sweeney is back in the news. What's not to like this week?
Hosts:
'Lucretia'Steve Hayward
Guests:
DDDavid DeebleGlenn Ellmers
The Back of the Book
The Back of the Book

What a Tangled Web: Honesty in the 21st Century

The first topic for our new season is an important one, and that’s no lie. Chris talks to Christian B. Miller, the A.C. Reid Professor of Philosophy at Wake Forest University, about the virtue of honesty. What does it mean to be honest? Is it more rewarding—and less risky—to be dishonest today than it was in the past? How are Americans dishonest today online, on campus, and in politics? Christian’s new book is The Honesty Crisis: Preserving Our Most Treasured Virtue in an Increasingly Dishonest World (Oxford, 2026). Time Stamps: 2:49 What is honesty? 15:14 Deepfakes and online infidelity 31:07 Academic dishonesty and the tragedy of Jason Arday 42:39 Honesty and politics 52:39 The exception of the arts Show Notes: Christian B. Miller’s book, The Honesty Crisis Billy Joel, “Honesty” Opening and closing music: Brendan Benson, “Spit It Out,” used with permission from the artist. Produced by Keira Stenson.
Host:
Christopher J. Scalia
Mom Wars
Mom Wars

Sucked into the Algorithm

This week, Bethany is joined by Theresa Payton, the CEO of Fortalice Solutions. They discuss how the algorithms on social media gave us Lindsay Clancy defenders and Luigi Mangione fans. Theresa, who was the first female White House chief information officer (serving under President George W. Bush) is the author of Manipulated.
Host:
Bethany Mandel
Beyond the Polls with Henry Olsen
Beyond the Polls with Henry Olsen

Americans Won’t Tolerate a Loser

After last week's tour of competitive House races, it's time to look to the Senate battlegrounds. Though nobody can predict the future, our friend Kyle Kondik brings his Sabato's Crystal Ball to assess this cycle's key toss-ups, leans, and tight holds—the races that will decide who controls the upper chamber. He and Henry dart about the map to consider the latest on the campaigns in Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Maine, Iowa, Ohio, Texas, and Alaska. Plus, since we live in an era of models rather than polls, Henry advises on how to look under the hood for a firm's methodology before cranking up to take the results to the bank. Be sure to sign up for Henry’s "Margin of Victory" newsletter for his election insights every Wednesday!
Host:
Henry Olsen
Mom Wars
Mom Wars

Turning Kids into Readers with Ann Koffsky

Bethany is joined by Ann Koffsky, one of her children's favorite authors. Ann has written over 30 Jewish books for children, and they discuss the Jewish holiday season and some tricks for raising a reader. Note: This episode was supposed to debut last Thursday right before Rosh Hashanah, but was delayed due to technical issues. The good news is that this will be a 2-episode week! See you again Thursday!
Host:
Bethany Mandel
The Ricochet Podcast
The Ricochet Podcast

A Searing Memory

It's been a quarter century, but the fury and grief have not dimmed in the slightest. James, Steve, and Charles recall that fateful day and reflect on life in America since. A few recommended articles for commemoration: "The Martyred Towers," James Lileks - Substack "Look Back in Anger at 9/11," Charles CW Cooke - National Review "The Untold Pre-History of 9/11," Chris Naylor - National Interest "What Mohammed Atta Was Trying to Tell Us," Ayaan Hirsi Ali - Tablet Magazine Sound from this week's open and close: The Brooklyn Youth Chorus sings the national anthem at today's September 11th memorial in New York City.
Hosts:
Charles C. W. CookeJames LileksSteve Hayward
3 Whisky Happy Hour
3 Whisky Happy Hour

25 Years On

This week's episode is 100% ad-free, as we take up the somber subject of "memory against forgetting" (to borrow Milan Kundera's useful phrase) on the subject of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and we didn't want to risk getting an automated ad for "Jihadis-R-Us Truck Rental" or something. John was at the Dept. of Justice that day (and late into the night); Steve was four blocks from the White House (and due to meet there at 11 am that morning), and Lucretia was overseas in Germany toward the end of her stint there as a military spouse (and mom to young children that she never once thought about strangling). In addition to personal reflections, we go through a few of the key issues that became urgent that day, such as the necessary transition from regarding terrorist acts as criminal matters to seeing them more properly as acts of war, requiring a war-fighting mentality. This necessary shift remains controversial, of course. John recalls this in detail in a piece for Civitas Outlook, "Remembering 9/11 and the War We Fought." Don't miss it! We also wonder about the strange twists and turns that have happened in the intervening years (such as having a radical Muslim mayor of New York City today—something unimaginable in the immediate aftermath of 9/11), and finally take up the question of whether we and our Western allies are finally, slowly coming to grips with the problem of radical Islam, or even non-radical Islam, taking some of our bearings from Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Tablet article, "What Mohammad Atta Was Trying to Tell Us." We manage to end on an upbeat note with a modest suggestion for how to reform "land acknowledgements."
Hosts:
John Yoo'Lucretia'Steve Hayward
Beyond the Polls with Henry Olsen
Beyond the Polls with Henry Olsen

Rate Changes and Coordinated Expenditures

The primaries are nearly finished, and Labor Day is behind us—that means it's officially midterm season! To mark the occasion, Henry catches up with Cook Political Report's Erin Covey to discuss the races that look competitive now in mid-September and how she'll gauge contests as we approach November. From consideration of surprising events and the movement of outside expenditures, Henry and Erin dive deep into the circumstances that might yield a good election return for either party in a midterm that's more of a toss-up than polls might suggest. Henry has tonight's RNC midterm convention in mind as he rants through the kind of messaging Republican candidates should adopt for this unfavorable cycle. Plus, he thinks through one of the great puzzles of the current system: If the parties are increasingly doing the heavy lifting on ballots, what should we make of the record sums being spent on candidates? Be sure to sign up for Henry’s weekly newsletter, Margin of Victory, for his election insights every Wednesday!
Host:
Henry Olsen
3 Whisky Happy Hour
3 Whisky Happy Hour

The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Is There a Modern Remedy for Ancient Hatred?

John Yoo is off again this week (I know—many of you think he's "off" every week!), so joining us as a special guest is Titus Techera, who wears many hats, including executive director of the American Cinema Foundation; Distinguished Fellow at Hillsdale College; International Program Coordinator, Edmund Burke Foundation; and researcher in political philosophy, Mathias Corvinus Collegium in Budapest. The Romanian-born Techera is one of those non-citizens whose love of liberty led him to become a deep lover of America. We cover a lot of ground with Titus, and since he is currently in Budapest, we get a report on what the new authoritarian government of Peter Magyar is doing to suppress all remnants of the supposedly authoritarian government of Victor Orban that voters turned out of office a few months back. This is not just a Hungarian problem; we also look at France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, where the EU establishment blob is trying to suppress the democratic will all in the name of "saving democracy." From there we take up the question of rising anti-Semitism, about which Titus has some novel suggestions. And finally, as a preview of his next visit with us, we do a lightning round discussion of our favorite John Ford and Whit Stillman movies.
Hosts:
'Lucretia'Steve Hayward
The Ricochet Podcast
The Ricochet Podcast

Embodied Optimism

AI has many amygdalae flooding nervous systems with warnings; a rising share of Americans look toward digital technology with deep suspicion; and a data center revolt is underway. The worries are increasingly apocalyptic. But it's not that America has never experienced a transformation of comparable scale, only that no living American is old enough to remember it—or so argues today's guest: Mark Mills, author of The Cloud Revolution: How the Convergence of New Technologies Will Unleash the Next Economic Boom and A Roaring 2020s. Mark and the fellas cover everything from the cold realities behind development, construction, and energy considerations to productivity gains, labor participation, sociocultural cohesion, and cybersecurity risks. Plus, while on the subject of the tumultuous present, James, Steve and Charles reflect on Ryan Reynolds' thoughts on the traumatic 1980s; Steve thinks through a proposal to curb bad actors in the "non-profit sector"; and while they look forward to cutting the rug at the White House's new ballroom, the trio find themselves baffled by Chief Justice Robert's sudden fretting over standing. Opening sound this week: Jason Kelce and his friends at Garage Beer want you to send your pee to data centers, and Ryan Reynolds tells Variety he was traumatized by the tumultuous 1980s. Closing music: Radetzky March Op. 228 performed by the Budapest Art Orchestra (via MotionArray)
Hosts:
Charles C. W. CookeJames LileksSteve Hayward
Guest:
MPMark P. Mills
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