They say Labor Day marks the ordinary American's starting point for following a particular election cycle, setting off a scramble for undecides by campaigners and a busy couple of months for pollsters. Henry Olsen returns to discuss where things stand in the presidential race as we head toward the first debate; he offers some potential outcomes that will determine the extent of the Republican majority in the Senate; and he expands on his piece about the populist parties' successes in eastern Germany, explaining "Ostalgie," and detailing the adjustments mainstream parties will have to make if they want to maintain stability in the West.

Plus, James and Charlie are emphatically pro-Churchill.



- This week’s opening sound: Darryl Cooper's take on Winston Churchill in an interview with Tucker Carlson.

It's a big legal stuff week for Donald Trump. Naturally, we phoned our pal Andy McCarthy. Andy brings breaking news on Judge Merchan’s sentencing schedule, his hot take on Jack Smith’s superseding indictment in the election interference case, and adds a detailed reaction to Mark Zuckerberg’s admission of acquiescing to censorship pressure from government officials. 

Plus: Charlie, Steve, and James weigh in on Harris's airy interview, wonder (again) who's running the country, and ramble on the many curiosities to be found in Iceland—from cute cuisine and baffling museums to monuments of the anonymous meddlers that make up the amorphous blob. 

- Sound this week: CNN’s Dana Bash “grills” Kamala Harris with multiple choice quiz.

Victor Davis Hanson is back! He joins Rob and Steve Hayward to discuss his latest must-read book, The End of Everything: How Wars Descend into Annihilation. Aside from the cheery discussion on civilization obliteration, the trio finds their way into digressions spanning the cameos of great men in the Old Testament to the spectacular blunders of the modern era. Is there any hope to be found in this eleventh hour? Listen in to find out. 



- Audio from this week's podcast: White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says clips of a deteriorating Joe Biden are “cheap fake videos.”

It’s hard to call it unbelievable when a 96-year-old mortal shuffles off, but Queen Elizabeth II’s final departure has had a peculiar effect. Hoping to have the feeling articulated without sentimentality, we asked on a couple English friends ( Charlie Cooke filling in for Peter and London Calling’s Toby Young) to discuss her importance, and what her death means for the Commonwealth. Source

You saw the pictures! The walls are finally closing in; or maybe it’s the floor that’ll finally move in on Trump! Or maybe everyone should cool their jets, as our guest Bill Barr might recommend. The former Attorney General joins us again to discuss what we know (and don’t know) about the latest legal troubles for the former president. Without getting ahead of the facts, Barr thinks through the... Source

It’s hard to put words to the audaciousness of President Biden’s latest charade. Good thing we have an Englishman! Our friend Charlie Cooke is filling in for Peter and James to talk about Joe’s promise to liquidate the American social contract. He and Rob also get into midterms and search in vain for a Republican national agenda. And since we can’t help but cling to a bit of good news, Dr. Source

Since our plans to hide away forever at a remote Minnesotan lake house were dashed – on account of James not having one for us – we decided instead to jump on into the mucky swamp that’s swallowed up our institutions. At least we have Eli Lake (who, as you’ll hear, knows everybody) to tour us through the law enforcement agencies who’ve undermined their standing with the public in order to get the... Source

We’re not short on takes about the search (or whatever you wanna call it) at Mar-a-Lago this week; but one can’t ever get enough of people who know what they’re talking about when it comes to something as big as this! Ricochet’s old friend Andy McCarthy joins to provide just that kinda commentary. He gives some essential vocab clarifications; lays out the charges he believes the Justice Department... Source

With all the sound and fury surrounding Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan, we think it’s timely to hear from an expert on the Indo-Pacific to see if it signifies much. Misha Auslin, host of The Pacific Century, joins to do just that. He identifies the silver lining in the whole affair; elucidates how China’s strategy has frozen us from stating our interests; points to the return of the engagement... Source

It’s a free-for-all on the Ricochet Podcast this week! Rob and Peter are off enjoying the last gasp of Summer, so filling in are the effervescent John Yoo and the mysterious “Lucretia”. Our official guest is Rafael Mangual, the newly minted author of Criminal (In)justice, which compiles his years of studying criminality in the U.S. and the progressive inaction of those charged with fighting it. Source

With heat waves, and the inevitable extinction of humanity practically around the corner, why not talk about what’s happening in the cool, comfortable theaters that we’re told are also doomed? To help us keep things light and pleasant, we’ve recruited film critic Sonny Bunch to chat about the elegiac Top Gun: Maverick, the rockin’ biopic Elvis, and the not-so-buzzy Lightyear. The trio also get... Source

This week, it’s another round of Question Time, this week with actual (OK, former) British person Charles C.W. Cooke sitting in for Peter Robinson, We cover Florida, guns, newspapers, — an entire smorgasbord of topics (what’s British for smorgasbord?). Music from this week’s episode: I Know There’s An Answer by The Beach Boys... Source

We’ve made it to 600, and in spite of the seemingly never-ending buffet of bad news that got our hosts talking in the first place, we manage to have a good time. Our first guest is Noah Rothman, whose latest book, The Rise of the New Puritans: Fighting Back Against Progressives’ War on Fun, takes a deep dive into the fanatics out to break up our good time. Then Toby Young (host of Ricochet’s very... Source

Steve Hayward, Rob, and James enjoy gazing at political upheaval from a safe distance this week, as Europe wrangles with its own game of Elites vs Peeps. The boys swap anecdotes, a couple of historical tidbits, and toss in a few predictions for the EU's future. Then they bring it back home to parse why the corporate world seems to be toning down on Pride merch and marketing this year.



- This week’s sound: Reform Party’s Nigel Farage questions Tory MP Penny Mordaunt on the government’s immigration policy (ITV News) 

Whoa. Wow. Golly. And Hooray! Big news from SCOTUS today. A fifty year judicial error is finally corrected, and Ricochet’s Supreme Court expert John Yoo joins us at the top of the hour to explain. He talks about the unofficial Thomas/Alito court, discusses what this could mean for other landmark cases, along with a few other fresh decisions that, on any other day, would’ve merited a visit from our... Source

There are too few refuges for free speech. But on Ricochet our cup overfloweth! To keep things going full speed, we asked our friend Ann Coulter on to dish out an abundant full scoop. She’s just launched her new Substack and podcast to push back on… well, just about everyone who she believes is getting in the way of freedom, America and the families who make it great. As is her wont... Source

There are few on planet Earth who’ve spilled as much ink over concerns on Western Civilization’s decline as today’s guest Douglas Murray. Nevertheless, he’s betting long on America even though he’s well aware of the onslaught recounted in his latest bestseller, The War on the West. (Order your copy today!) Murray takes us through the complications of finding things to agree on when the past is... Source

This week we move from the pits of a senseless war to the mount of the royal jubilee, and cover quite a bit of terrain in between. Our first guest is exiled Soviet dissident Yuri Yarim-Agaev, whose extensive knowledge of Vladimir Putin is tough to match. We get his take on the man and his motivation; how the supposed mastermind of intelligence operations became the victim of Russian disinformation... Source

With a catastrophic tragedy in the news, the Ricochet mood is a bit more serious; but that doesn’t mean bad policy or sentimental grandstanding are appropriate courses of action. That’s why this week, we’ve invited a Second Amendment expert and parent on to the show. The one and only Charles C.W. Cooke. He fields questions on the horror in Uvalde, the reaction from politicians and the press... Source

Rob’s off on vacation, but Peter’s back from the Promised Land! Thankfully you won’t have to wait until his next episode of Uncommon Knowledge is released to hear from Yoram Hazony, author of Conservatism: A Rediscovery. Yoram has revisited the past in the hopes of finding something new that conservatives will desperately need in order to offer something other than a another variant of liberalism. Source

While Peter’s venturing about the real America, James is vacationing between the Hudson and East rivers so he can meet up with his pal Rob–and, more importantly!–fellow Ricochet members for our first pub crawl! We hope you won’t miss it; but don’t worry, we’ve got more events to come. (There’s even a surprise announcement for our next one herein!) First up is a man who needs no introduction. Source

Big, big news this week! And even if we’re a few days behind, fashionable lateness is sort of our style. To ensure thoughtful novelty, we’re joined by legal scholar Adam White, who is able to channel his Iowa everyman to take us through intricate legalese and manages to put it in plain English. He evaluates precedents, the new political questions, and the litigation to come. The gang (including... Source

We still can’t help but wonder what happened to California; and today’s guest has not only been writing about it for years, but is running for governor in hopes of administering a cure. Michael Shellenberger is confident he can take on Gavin Newsom and restore the Golden State to health. (Visit here to donate to his campaign!) He talks about his vision, the growing support he’s receiving... Source

The title says it all, yes? Not quite. It doesn’t tell you that everybody’s favorite Peter Robinson is off to Israel, and will therefore be filled in by everybody’s favorite Steve Hayward. And it also fails to tell you that the indefatigably cheery John Yoo is our guest! The hosts pick John’s brain on everything from the trouble in the Mouse House, to slipping mandates, and on to a sure-to-be... Source

Business may be booming these days for the great Andy McCarthy, but the judicial corruption and cockamamie prosecutions are all a bit wearying. Nonetheless, he has time to join his Ricochet Podcast buddies to discuss the lawfare against the former president, the ever-waning confidence in an impartial justice system, and the political consequences that will result.

James, Rob, and Charlie Cooke also argue about the slump of the entertainment industry.

Don’t matter what you call it. Ricochetti are a passionate bunch, and sometimes the fighting spirit takes over. Our first guests are Andrew Gutmann (hosts of the essential Take Back Our Schools podcast) and Ricochet member Michele Kerr who’s had some strong criticisms of the fellas’ takes on public education over the years. For those of you who like a little scrappiness on the flagship podcast... Source

Even if it doesn’t normally win popularity contests, we like to keep things candid (but fun!) on the Ricochet podcast. And even if it cost US attorney general Bill Barr some popularity points, we still want to hang out with him! He’s just published his memoir One Damn Thing After Another, and the gang do what they can to get at all the damn things. Barr proves still-adept at handling himself when... Source

Good News! James is back! The whole crew is reunited. Even our guest Matthew Hennessey – a self-professed Ricochet nerd – was missing him. Matt’s got a new book heading our way. It’s called Visible Hand: A Wealth of Notions on the Miracle of the Market. Matthew proves to the hosts that Economics doesn’t have to be mind-numbingly boring. (And our host who’s had the pleasure of reading it goes so... Source

Whenever James roams for the week, a dilemma emerges. How do we make up for his erudition and charm? This time we reached out for a northerner from across the pond. Our guest is Niall Ferguson, one of the few men alive truly qualified to explain the subtleties of consensus misinterpretations of history–and the consequences. Are western leaders making foolhardy wagers in Ukraine? And if so... Source

What’s the Ricochet Podcast to do when the world insists on calamity? We invite one of the leading historians in the English speaking world and a former National Security Advisor, that’s what. Joining the fellas in our opening chat is Andrew Roberts. He reports from Eastern Europe to tell us about his recent trip to Ukraine, and, as the Churchill expert, to give his take on the comparisons between... Source

Though James-less once more, the founders are back with yet another fascinating discussion about the dizzying crisis in Eastern Europe. With us from his home in Budapest is John O’Sullivan, former advisor to Margaret Thatcher, to discuss the reignited Cold War. He gives us the mood in Hungary, considers the longevity of the West’s newfound resolve, and elaborates on the NATO debate. Source

We jet eastward and then into the ether this week, unfortunately without our pal James Lileks who’s vacationing somewhere on planet Earth. Our first guide is Elbridge Colby, who explains why we better not sleep on the Pacific theater. Then we’ve got Rich Goldberg, host of our new podcast: Cryptonite. He’s here to tell us that even a smart person like you can wrap your head around cryptocurrency. Source

Is anybody else wondering why we’re seeing more coverage about politicians chattering or journalists ducking from skirmishes than, you know, military movements, logistics and strategy? Our hosts sure do, and that’s why they’re eager to hear from Eli Lake, Bloomberg’s foreign policy columnist. Eli gives his take on the Russian pipe dream, Europe’s need for a wakeup call, and how Biden can get... Source

As always, we’ve got everything you could ask for before starting your weekend. From global “warfare” to matters of taste, Ricochet’s got it all. First we reconvene with Congressman Mike Gallagher, who shares his take on American defense, energy and the spectacularly bad priorities that have left our armed forces helping our enemies in their propaganda efforts. Then we bring on the one, the only... Source

We got a convoy and are headed North this week! First we meet the man who plans to restore sanity to James’s home state, Kendall Qualls. He hopes to combat the juvenile delinquents trapped in grown-up bodies who’ve been running the Gopher State into the ground. Then we head beyond the border to chat with Ezra Levant of Rebel News, who gives us the 411 on the Canadian truckers who’ve got Justin... Source

In writing his memoir, Glenn Loury recognized the game that would go on between author and reader. To get his audience to trust him as a person, he'd confess his past misdeed and defects in character; to gain your confidence in his integrity as a thinker, he'd have to acknowledge the many times he's changed his mind on the stances he's taken. Today he joins to James, Rob and Steve Hayward to explain himself.

The hosts also consider the broken pier in Gaza, compare this administration's incompetence with past calamities, plus last weekend's IDF strike in Rafah and the tent camp fire.



- This week’s audio: Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh on whether or not the Gaza pier was a failure.

UPDATE: Some listeners have had issues with the sound on the original posted recording. We’ve adjusted the levels and re-uploaded. If you’ve already downloaded the show and are having difficulty hearing, all you need to do is delete it and re-download for the adjusted recording. (Or try here.) Enjoy! With Peter up in the air, we needed a guest to lift our grounding in the Metaverse. Source

There are no secrets at Ricochet: the web’s best place for civil conversations. That’s why we’re happy to have Amy Zegart join us to divulge the details of her soon-to-be-published Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence (pre-order your copy today!) We rely on Amy’s decades of research on the Intel Community to help us make sense of dizzying changes that have... Source

After an informative press conference with Mr. President, who better to take us through last year’s stunning over-performance than Byron York? (Be sure to subscribe to his podcast, available right here on Ricochet!) Among other things, we go over Biden’s plan to get out more; the dilemma of staff shakeups when the boss is the problem; and question of succession. The hosts also get into the so... Source

Apologies for being a tad late today, but thankfully the whole gang is back in action! Today we’ve got Susan Ferrechio, chief congressional correspondent for the Washington Examiner. She takes on all comers: from Democrats playing election projection, to the bored and tired people in charge, to talk of a (collective gasp!) Clinton comeback. Susan has thoughts on all of it. Follow her on Twitter @ Source

We’re back! For the most part anyway–Peter’s out, but Ricochet editor Bethany Mandel is a fitting sub for today’s education-oriented podcast. Our guest is Andrew Gutmann, the man who stood up to CRT pushers in his daughter’s school and became last year’s overnight sensation. (He’s also the co-host of Ricochet’s new podcast “ Take Back Our Schools!“) We go through the pandemic of cowardice which... Source

It has been one year and one week since Rush Limbaugh last sat behind the Golden EIB microphone and broadcast with substantial talent on loan from God. In this final Ricochet Podcast for 2021, James Lileks welcomes James Golden, aka Bo Snerdley to the show and they reminisce about Rush’s rise, the impact he had across the media landscape and more. See you in the New Year! Music from this week’s... Source

It’s our last regular episode of 2021, but fear not! We’ll be back… With us today is historian Andrew Roberts, author of The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III. Roberts takes us through the many inaccuracies that have captivated modern imagination and loomed over his legacy. We get into George, the man; why Great Britain lost; how the Georgian records are relevant to... Source

It’s a big scary world out there–or so we’re told. But how do we sort what to worry about and what not to? We say: bring on some guys who know their stuff! That’s why Dr. Jay Bhattacharya is back. He wants to keep us calm, despite the return of variant hysteria; he and the hosts talk Omicron and a world limping its way back to normal. Then, Seth Cropsey, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute... Source

It’s a better-late-than-never show. We’ve got galavanting hosts (James is out this week), a Supreme Court steeped in overdue contemplation (John Yoo fills in for James to keep fill us in and even makes a prediction!) and our guest, Bjørn Lomborg is here to talk COP26. Lomborg —author of False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet—takes us... Source

James Lileks reboots The Ramble, just in time for Thanksgiving (AKA a great time to start a diet). Subscribe to James Lileks’ The Ramble here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/james-lileks-the-ramble/id1073828132. Source

The Ricochet Podcast is back, and jam-packed with chatter on sex, comedy, food and fun... and the lack thereof we find among our postmodern youth. Noah Rothman, author of The Rise of the New Puritans, returns to discuss the war on fun in America along with the war on Hamas in Gaza. Plus, James, Rob and Steve Hayward show their age as they canvass the finer points of flag etiquette. 



- Sound from this week's open: ABC’s Terry Moran with Sen. Dick Durbin’s comments on the Justice Alito flag “controversy.” 

Before we break for another reckless Thanksgiving in Anno CoViDi 3, we decided to take the scenic route this week. We go deep into the capacious mind of Ross Douthat, who’s just released his latest book, The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery. Along with Lyme disease, fringe medicine and faith, the hosts survey Ross on everything from potential hope for American education to the... Source

When elected leaders decide to look the other way from… ya know… the matters that actually matter to us, we find out about the kinds of people America has in its reserve stock. Yes, the supply chain is a mess; but we’ve got all three hosts to chat with Ryan Peterson, CEO of Flexport, who hopes to fix it. (Take a look at what is likely the first-ever viral tweetstorm on shipping logistics... Source

Even with Rob out, we’re glad to celebrate a great week for democracy! Our guests this week are old friends of ours, Mark and Mollie Hemingway, and they’re here to take us through the irregularities of last November and why it doesn’t have to be nefarious, illegal or fraudulent to call it “Rigged!” Maybe somebody should write a book with that title. Well, maybe somebody has. (Rigged: How the Media... Source