Central Air

This week: Annie Lowrey on the time, effort, money, and psychological costs some government policies impose on us. Filling out endless forms, repeatedly proving eligibility, telling the government what we owe in taxes even though it already knows what we owe — we love a conversation about how the government is ineffective and how it could be more effective. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.centralairpodcast.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.centralairpodcast.com This week: Cranks make society work. We challenge the popular consensus, and we aren’t afraid to speak up even when we know what we have to say will be poorly received. Thank you to all the Central Air listeners who answered our call for your crankiest policy proposals. We discuss some of them: Should tax returns be public documents that any citizen can look up? Should you be able to submit a standing order that all your votes should be cast for your favorite political party, instead of having to tediously complete a ballot at every election? Should we geo-engineer a tornado inside the Astrodome to produce clean energy? Should we do daylight saving time backwards , so we spring forward in the fall? Probably not. But maybe. Let’s discuss.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.centralairpodcast.com This week: David Ellison is displeased about the California-led lawsuit to stop the Paramount-Warner merger, and he’s threatening to move both studios out of the state. Is this threat credible? Also this week: the Democratic establishment held off Thanksgiving-canceler Francesca Hong in the primary for Wisconsin governor, and we discuss the unhinged responses to the very grim news with the Jason Arday situation. And during cocktail hour, we look for silver linings — who in the Trump cabinet is actually doing a good job? To hear the full episode, upgrade your subscription at www.centralairpodcast.com .

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.centralairpodcast.com This week: UCLA sociology professor Gabriel Rossman joins us this week to talk about rough times in elite higher education. We start with a problem at the UC system itself: California’s top public universities haven’t considered test scores for admission since 2019, and that has led to the universities admitting some students who are wildly unprepared for college-level work. Then, behind the paywall: star scholar Jason Arday has resigned from Cambridge University in scandal, and it reflects a phenomenon Tyler Austin Harper complains about in his Atlantic essay about his time as a professor at Bates College : universities being more interested in black academics’ political symbolism than their academic output, which is pretty racist, if you think about it. Plus: ideological homogeneity in the humanities and humanistic social sciences ( and in sociology specifically ) and what could be done to combat it, and during cocktail hour, we talk about what “Woke 1” is and whether it’s really over, and we talk with Gabriel about his academic work on the laundering of disreputable financial exchanges — a useful lens for talking about both Melania Coin and the debate over whether men are really expected to send Ubers to fetch women for first dates . Upgrade your subscription at www.centralairpodcast.com

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.centralairpodcast.com This week: pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson tells us all about the state of polling, what American voters are thinking about heading into the midterms, how AI and the death of the phone call are changing polling, and how polls identify fake responses. Kristen tells us about the “ political tribes ” that make up the Republican and Democratic parties, and how the middle-aged millennials and young adults of Gen Z are changing the landscape — that conversation is mostly for paying subscribers. Then, during cocktail hour (also just for paying subscribers), we discuss exciting food news: Alison Roman , like David Chang , shares my once-controversial-but-now-conventional opinion that grills ruin food . To hear the whole episode (and all future episodes), upgrade your subscription now at www.centralairpodcast.com .

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.centralairpodcast.com This week: It's another edition of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, and Maxwell Tani from Semafor joins us to talk about it. Could this humiliation be enough to end the dinner for good? Then: Have you heard about the new mayor in New York City? This guy, Zohran Mamdani, has been running the city for seven months, and he’s working on opening city-owned grocery stores that will sell meat and produce 30% below the city’s normal retail prices. We discuss that, and what Mamdani can do to prevent theft, bare shelves, and other problems that could arise with public-sector grocery. Plus: Mamdani's brewing fight with the teachers' union and never mind about arresting Benjamin Netanyahu... Upgrade your subscription to hear the full episode at www.centralairpodcast.com .

This week: Sonny Bunch joins us to talk about “The Odyssey,” what we thought of the film, whether the controversy about some casting decisions materialized, and more. Also this week: we consider the likely effects of the WBD-Paramount merger (if it is allowed to go through) and why the studios are spending so much money to produce films they dump on streaming. We discuss why Netflix’s stock is in so much trouble. During cocktail hour (free to all listeners this week) we discuss the stupid plan to adopt year-round daylight saving time, propose ideas to make soccer more interesting, and discuss how Josh has become an EV-driving lefty cuck. Sign up for updates from us at centralairpodcast.com . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.centralairpodcast.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.centralairpodcast.com This week: Tyler Austin Harper returns to Central Air to discuss the ignominious end of Graham Platner’s campaign for U.S. Senate. Free subscribers hear part of that conversation, and paying subscribers hear the whole thing, plus our discussion about the legacy of Lindsey Graham — even the respectful remembrances treat him as a chameleon who was whatever he needed to be in order to further his foreign policy agenda — weird lawmaker absences on the Hill, and some lessons from Josh's trip to Yellowstone National Park for July 4, and the helpful ways that nature can put us in our place ( ideally not by launching us into the air ). Upgrade your subscription now at www.centralairpodcast.com to hear this and every full episode of the show.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.centralairpodcast.com This week: Jason Furman joins the show this week for an economy-focused discussion. We start by looking at why public views about the economy have gotten so negative, the persistent economic problems people are so mad about, the obvious solution (it's fiscal consolidation — that is, tax increases and spending cuts), and what it could take to get us there. We also discuss Kevin Warsh's first actions as chair of the Fed. For paying subscribers, we talk with Jason — who co-teaches Harvard’s largest undergraduate course — about the university’s efforts to unwind the rampant grade inflation that led to two-thirds of undergraduate grades being straight A’s. And we have another edition of cocktail hour, in which Megan, Ben and I reflect on our experiences of skipping grades in elementary school, we rank the best six New England states, I offer provocations about grilling, and we share our plans for celebrating America’s 250th birthday. Upgrade your subscription at www.centralairpodcast.com .

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.centralairpodcast.com This week: the case for AI regulation and what it would look like, with Dean Ball, who helped to shape AI policy in the Trump White House and is soon to join OpenAI. Is bank regulation a good model for AI regulation, where companies follow rules about making their own rules? We discuss that, and whether we have other choices. Then: for paying subscribers, this week’s episode ends with the very first (but not the last) Central Air cocktail hour, where Ben, Megan and I pour ourselves some drinks, unpack what we’ve heard from our guest, and try to get comfortable with what the future holds for us. To hear the whole episode, upgrade at www.centralairpodcast.com .

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.centralairpodcast.com This week: Andrew Sullivan joins us from Provincetown to assess the emergent Iran deal. Paying subscribers also get our discussion of racial unrest and immigration politics in the U.K., our debate how much Europe really needs to learn from the United States (a lot, I’d say, and not just about air conditioning), and our consideration of the joys of Europeans discovering exurban America ( including Buc-ee’s !) as they attend the World Cup. Upgrade your subscription now at www.centralairpodcast.com to hear the whole episode.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.centralairpodcast.com This week: Matt Yglesias joins us to recap WelcomeFest and discuss “dog-whistle moderation," and why the factional forces seeking to drag the Democratic Party to the center need to advocate specific moderation on specific issues. Then: why Maine Democratic voters are attached to Graham Platner despite his manifest defects , a mistake Washington D.C. voters appear poised to make, the city's failures to stop “teen takeovers,” California’s vote-count malaise, and Matt somewhat walks back his anti-dog-park position . To hear the whole episode, upgrade your subscription .

Listen to two conversations Josh, Ben and Megan had at WelcomeFest, the center-left organizing conference: one with San Francisco DA Brooke Jenkins, and the other with Tejano singing legend-turned-congressional candidate Bobby Pulido. More next week, and thanks to those of you who joined us for our happy hour in Washington last week. Sign up for updates about the show and future happy hours at www.centralairpodcast.com . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.centralairpodcast.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.centralairpodcast.com This week: Reihan Salam of the conservative Manhattan Institute on the state of the center and the right in cities. Why have we been asked to support politicians like Andrew Cuomo who discredit the center? Is Zohran Mandani really doing such a bad job? Can conservatives and cities be persuaded to take interest in each other again? All subscribers hear that conversation. Paying subscribers hear the rest of the conversation with Reihan about why people can’t leave Israel out of municipal politics, and what it’s like to run a conservative think tank in the age of Trump. Also: Ben, Megan and Josh discuss the “Save our Bacon Act” and the ethical obligations we have toward livestock, and finally, the implosion of the “Freedom 250” festival. Upgrade your subscription now at centralairpodcast.com .

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.centralairpodcast.com As noted last week, we don’t have a regular episode this week, due to the Memorial Day holiday. We’ll be back with two episodes next week — one with Reihan Salam, president of the Manhattan Institute, and one with content from Welcomefest , including an interview with Mark Cuban. We do have some bonus content for you: a Substack Live chat we did with Nate Silver of Silver Bulletin on Wednesday, reacting to Tuesday’s primary election in Texas and assessing Democrats’ odds of retaking the Senate. There’s also a free preview of that for free subscribers. Enjoy!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.centralairpodcast.com On this week's show: Why is Europe poor? Megan wrote about the issue this week , and Sam Bowman of Works in Progress magazine joins us from London to discuss our differences in work culture, leisure, and how we dry our clothes. Plus, we talk about the ignominious unpopularity of Keir Starmer’s Labour, which has not delivered on its promise to build instead of block, even though Britain’s central government has all the authority over planning and zoning that Abundance advocates here dream about. That’s for all free listeners. Yes, the paywall is here — for paying subscribers, we also chat with Sam about Christopher Nolan’s forthcoming film ‘The Odyssey,' the Long Island Rail Road strike, and we discuss central New Jersey’s missing congressman, Tom Kean Jr., who hasn’t been seen since early March. Is he in a mental institution? We discuss that possibility with Ben, who is an alumnus of America’s most prestigious mental institution. Upgrade your subscription (and find instructions for setting up your private paid podcast feed) at www.centralairpodcast.com and RSVP to our D.C. happy hour on June 2 here .

On this week's show: Robinson Meyer , executive editor of the excellent Heatmap News, talks with us about why oil has not gotten even more expensive, if there is hope for permitting reform, why Republicans hate windmills so much, and if there ever been a greater environmental advocate than ‘Degrowth Donald.' And where can we put data centers so they won’t bother anyone? Also this week: Josh's despair at the continued unwinding of the social contract, and Democrats’ despair over the Virginia Supreme Court. Plus, exciting news: we’ll be having a listener gathering in Washington, D.C., the evening of Tuesday, June 2. More details on that soon. Sign up for updates from Central Air at www.centralairpodcast.com . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.centralairpodcast.com/subscribe

On this week's show: Gary Leff, author of the View From the Wing blog on the airline industry, joins us to discuss who killed Spirit Airlines — the airline made strategic errors, but it could have been profitably acquired by JetBlue years ago if not for a series of Biden-era anti-trust policy failures . The Trump administration tried to commit its own policy error — it wanted to buy the airline, making Spirit’s troubles into taxpayers’ problem — but fortunately, Spirit’s existing creditors refused to be crammed down, and there was no deal to be had. We have a wide-ranging conversation for you with Gary on the relationship between the government and the airlines — whether United could really be allowed to buy American, what’s going to become of the financially-troubled JetBlue, why Europe has a more robustly competitive low-cost airline industry than the U.S. does, and much more. Also this week: We discuss hopeful federal news on housing policy and a grim housing policy outlook in our nation’s capital. Sign up for updates from Central Air at www.centralairpodcast.com . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.centralairpodcast.com/subscribe

On this week's show: Sean Trende joins us to discuss the continued devolvement of the gerrymandering wars. Sean is an election analyst for Real Clear Politics and lecturer in political science at The Ohio State University. With this week’s Supreme Court decision in Callais , even more opportunities to seek partisan advantage will arise. We talk with Sean about how to define and measure ‘fairness,’ and about the ways the gerrymandering debate remains stuck in the 2010s. Also this week, we talk about food inflation. Sean had a viral tweet in 2023 bemoaning how a family-size DoorDash order from Outback Steakhouse had climbed to $125 . Well, today that same order would be $190, in part due to the spiraling cost of lobster tails. This sounds trivial, but it gets at a key fact about politics — inflation bothers everyone, from those scraping by to those who simply notice that the things they like to buy cost more than they used to. Plus, Ben, Megan and Josh talk about the assassination attempt on President Trump, and the low-intensity public response to it — why is it no longer even that interesting when someone tries to kill the president? Sign up for updates from Central Air at www.centralairpodcast.com . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.centralairpodcast.com/subscribe

On this week's show: We joined in the discourse about whether dog owners have gotten too big for their britches . (Dogs are sycophants, I say — at least cats have self-respect.) We discussed the wisdom of New York’s proposed tax on fancy pied-à-terre apartments. Axios reporter Alex Thompson, who caused a bit of consternation at last year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner , joined us to talk about whether there should even be a White House Correspondents’ Dinner. And we even discussed a controversy that’s literally about air conditioning . Sign up for updates from Central Air at www.centralairpodcast.com . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.centralairpodcast.com/subscribe