The Ricochet Podcast

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, the erudite optimist, addresses 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) Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ricochet-podcast--5817275/support .

Canada is back in the news, but not in the good way like you want. So Steve and James find themselves weighing in on another renamed body of water while wading through the latest wave of weekly events. There's also curiously leaked reporting on CIA chief John Radcliffe's mission to Moscow, investigations into the Soros-backed DAs responsible for catch-and-release criminal justice, and another rich-kid commie duty-bound to lecture from the family's waterfront property. This week’s opening sound: Al Michaels starts Prime’s Thursday Night NFL schedule from a city on the Great Lakes and Alice Weidel (AfD) declares Germany is finished with immigrants. Closing music: "County Waltz," by promusic24 (via MotionArray) Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ricochet-podcast--5817275/support .

It's just James and Charles this week at the post: Post-elections in Florida, Minnesota, and South Carolina - post-mortem on l'affaire de Arday - and the post-partum madness of Lindsay Clancy, who is on trial in Massachusetts for murdering her three children and receiving an inexplicably large amount of support. Opening sound this week: Sen. Darline Graham on American foreign policy and hospital chaplain Sheila Cavanaugh testifying in the Clancy trial. Music this week: Enigma Variations: Nimrod (via Motion Array) Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ricochet-podcast--5817275/support .

For once, we can all agree with AOC: Woke 1 was crazy. But rather than laugh it off and set the stage for "true woke has never been tried," perhaps we could ask the youths to learn from their mistakes. To that end, we were pleased to chat with Evan Barker, a former fundraiser who worked within the Democratic Party's establishment and progressive insurgent wing. Having left the party in disgust in 2024, she penned the just-released New York Times bestseller, Nothing Left . James, Steve, and Charlie sat down with Evan to hear her story. Plus, the trio discuss JD Vance's take on how to sway the youngins from socialism; the Trump admin's new childhood vaccination policy; and the coming Reagan biopic about the 1986 Reykjavik Summit with Gorby. Opening Sound this week: AOC laughs off “Woke I” on ABC’s This Week, and Karen Friedman Agnifilo, attorney for Luigi Mangione, talks about his“unfair” treatment. Closing Music: "Je Plante Mes Légumes," by Bamtone via MotionArray Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ricochet-podcast--5817275/support .

Britain is on its seventh prime minister since bidding adieu to the EU a decade back. There’s news of once-unimaginable crimes and ethnic strife shaking once sleepy shires. Even model citizens like scholar-slash-philanthropist and casual world-class athlete Jason Arday are having a hard go of it. For the lowdown on the United Kingdom’s political crisis, we’re joined by our new pal, historian and commentator Dominic Green . Plus, the regular hosty blokes see plenty of problems on our side of the pond, especially after the DSA proves that they can win statewide primaries outside coastal enclaves. But there’s always plenty to be cheery about in the land of opportunity, like DIY burritos, roaring roller coasters, and albums so familiar that you can spot the covers from miles away. Opening sound this week: Hasan Piker says, “(Screw) Black people!” James Carville says “I’m outta here” to Fox News, and UK MP Rupert Lowe says, “Everybody has to go!” Closing music: "God Save the Queen," by Ian Post (via MotionArray) Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ricochet-podcast--5817275/support .

It's a milestone episode! Number Eight Hundred. That calls for a celebration. Not only does Ricochet co-founder Peter Robinson join to host, but our dear pal Dr. Jay Bhattacharya is able to take a moment away from running both the NIH and CDC to talk about the downfall of Anthony Fauci and his team's work to restore public trust in America's leading public health and scientific institutions. With the disarming humility we've always known him for, Dr. Jay explains what he found most striking about Fauci's journal entries and evastions before Congress. The gang then pivots to what must be done to prevent a bureaucrat from acquiring such dictatorial powers and taxpayers from having to fund their own pandemic. Plus, Robinson, Hayward and Lileks wish the DNC luck in staving off the DSA; they find in our techno-innovators things to be hopeful for despite a generation that knew not the Soviets; they have a friendly debate over the triviality of pop-culture; and they say farewell to a departed Ricochet member. Sound from this week's open: Senator Rand Paul questions Anthony Fauci before the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Closing Music: "Center of the Universe" by Markus Little, via MotionArray Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ricochet-podcast--5817275/support .

Christopher Nolan has another blockbuster hit in theaters and has set off the pop culture controversy of the year with his rendition of The Odyssey. To move beyond the visual spectacle and online hysterics, James, Steve and Charles are joined by Titus Techera for a discussion on the Homeric epic, the visionary Nolan, and the thunderous debate over ancient and modern morality. Plus, the trio stay on theme to consider a couple of beloved 20th-century directors and the sci-fi military tech that's become a reality on the battlefield in Eastern Europe. This week’s opening sound: Lupita Nyong’o on playing Helen of Troy (courtesy of Discussing Film) and Victor Davis Hanson on the role on the Daily Signal Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ricochet-podcast--5817275/support .

CNN's Harry Enten joins Steve, Charlie and James to put a little pizzazz on polling data. The gang covers a great deal of ground: the DSA insurgency, a couple of key midterm races, economic pessimism, public suspicion about polling, and some of the forces behind American polarization. But it ain't all bad! Stay tuned til the end to find out about Harry's famous Uncle Neil and a story of inspiration from unlikely places. Plus, our trio debates the merits of Trump's election integrity speech, turns over a few cultural touchstones, and makes an announcement about Ricochet 5.0. Sound from this week's open: President Trump implies foul play at hand in California's recent elections in his prime-time address, and Chuck Schumer commends the legacy of Lindsey Graham on the Senate Floor. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ricochet-podcast--5817275/support .

As the late Johnny Thunders would say, "Rock and roll is simply an attitude." And we bring the attitude this week with Free Press contributor Eli Lake , as we talk Graham Platner's Maine implosion, underestimating the Ukranians and how Donald Trump may have stumbled to the right answer in Iran. All that and Eli leads us through a round of "What Are You Listening To?" and Charlie's collection of semi-pornographic album covers. Let's have ourselves a podcast... Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ricochet-podcast--5817275/support .

For a special edition of the Ricochet Podcast, Peter Robinson sits down with Steve Hilton, California's Republican candidate for governor. The duo discusses Hilton's uphill fight with the machine-backed Xavier Beccera, the corrupt alliance between unions, activists, and elected officials that's behind the Golden State's muted shine, and Steve's plan to deliver results for California's American dreamers. With the 250th celebrations here, Hilton reminds us that the revolutionary spirit springs eternal. Consider donating to his campaign here . Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ricochet-podcast--5817275/support .

Our hosts are out of sorts as they prep for the Independence Day celebration: Hayward is on the high seas, Lileks is in Boston, and the always-fashionable Cooke is even later than usual. But the gang had to get together once more before the holiday break to make their grumblings known about a less welcome kind of revolutionary spirit... Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ricochet-podcast--5817275/support .

America's 250th birthday is just a few weeks out, and festivities are underway. But, leaving aside disputes about fist fights and daring stunts on the White House South Lawn, a question emerges about what a serious celebration of the American way looks and feels like. To consider this and more, Charles, James, and a visiting Peter Robinson sit down with Matthew Mehan, author and Associate Dean of Hillsdale College's graduate school in Washington, D.C., to discuss The American Book of Fables . The gang thinks through the meaning of our civic inheritance and the endeavor to pass on the baton to the young. Matt's here to remind us that the arduous effort can be joyful and that hopefulness is a trait that marks the serious thinker. Our trio also kvetches (and then some!) over the Iran deal, winces at the newly unveiled Obama Presidential Center, and chortles with bewilderment at the accusation that a Pride-themed baseball cap was "desecrated" by a Bible verse. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ricochet-podcast--5817275/support .

It's just James and Charles to recollect and swap rants about the goings-on of the land of the free and the home of oddball. The cast of characters includes the world's first billionaire, an Angeleno who lost an election for common sense, a lunatic posing as a model working man, and the deeply flawed judgment of Democratic voters about guys like these. Lileks and Cooke also delight in watching Europeans share their newfound love for America, and embrace Trump's can-doism vis-à-vis public beautification. Sound this week: CNBC announces the world’s first trillionaire, Jimmy Kimmel recoils, and Graham Platner continues to gaffe. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ricochet-podcast--5817275/support .

John Yoo returns to usher in SCOTUS opinion season, joining James and Steve for some friendly debates on law, politics and, most controversially, more than a few matters of taste. For our democrats in the audience, we've got chatter on California vote counting and Alabama map battles. News from the UK reminds us that the royalists are in even worse shape, as authorities there prove to be as confused in dealing with controversial speech as they are with violence (the real kind). John Bolton's deal with the DOJ and a couple death penalty cases concentrate the fellas' minds further on the subtleties—and unsubtleties—of hard justice. Thankfully, Scott Pelley's bad week brings a much-needed restorative laugh, and the gang finds something to agree on as they count down to the semiquincentennial. That's right: not even petty celebrities can rain on our Independence Day parade! Sound this week: CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil says goodbye to Scott Pelley while Fox News’ Brit Hume finds it all amusing. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ricochet-podcast--5817275/support .

Lots and lots of burning questions dominate the news. Do we need a $250 bill, and what or who should be on it? Mamdani flexes his communist urges in NYC, so what could possibly go wrong? And can a state tax a "slush fund" at 100%? James and Charles have thoughts. But the question we really want an answer to is, "Do we have a deal with Iran or not?" To answer that, we welcome back our old friend Richard Goldberg , a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the former director for countering Iranian weapons of mass destruction for the White House National Security Council during the first Trump administration. It's an episode to get your Spidey senses tingling. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ricochet-podcast--5817275/support .

James, Steve and non-stipendiary host Rob Long shoot the breeze as they face revolutionary changes big and small. From the impending phenonena of Pratt Summer and unstoppable AI to the DNC's stateside Commie drama and the Euros giving nationalism another go, the trio draws some important lessons: Local elections matter. They can even be fun! Political messaging is especially effective when your opponent is the weird one. Climate apocalypse is dumb. You can be a people or a bureaucracy, not both. Artificial Intelligence is coming. Work on your human skills. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ricochet-podcast--5817275/support .

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have ended their two day summit in Beijing with lots of talk and no announced breakthroughs. James and Steven break it all down. Speaking of breaking down, we welcome back National Review senior writer Noah Rothman to talk about the left's embrace of political violence that he covers in his new book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence in America. It's a riot. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ricochet-podcast--5817275/support .

Ricochet’s beloved former editor Mollie Hemingway is back with a new book, Alito: The Justice Who Reshaped the Supreme Court and Restored the Constitution . We’re so thrilled, in fact, that we couldn’t even keep Peter Robinson away. So Mollie leads our embarrassment of hosts through her exclusive scoop on the Supreme Court’s most enigmatic justice. Tune in for an in-depth report covering everything Alito—from the political dramas starting with his confirmation to the leak of his best-known Dobbs opinion, and analysis of the particulars of his legal philosophy, his mastery over oral proceedings, and ultimately his influence over the increasingly originalist branch of government. And with investigative journalism in mind, our quartet digs into reports about rampant Medicaid fraud in Ohio, and James tries to pin the panelists down on their stance on aliens, UFOs and G-man plots. The gang also guffaws at the Virginia Supreme Court's redistricting rebuff and manages to find quibblible claims against the common understanding of invasive species. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ricochet-podcast--5817275/support .

Have we hit the "another week, another act of homegrown terror" phase of American history? Spencer Klavan joins Steve and Charles for a roundup of the (relatively) young academic's recent works on subjects ranging from Francis Fukayama's oft-misunderstood thesis to the ascent of figures like Hasan Piker , who hope to microloot our stores of social capital (and Whole Foods, too). The trio also considers the possibilities before the classical education rebellion that's breaking out on campuses. Plus, Cooke and Hayward dive into this week's SCOTUS decision on Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, and they see an achievement worth celebrating in the United Arab Emirates' decision to leave OPEC. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ricochet-podcast--5817275/support .

The pitiful state of university sociology departments is an unfortunate thing, but to see tantrums at elite law schools over "controversial" speakers portends danger — or so says Ilya Shapiro, author of Lawless: The Miseducation of America’s Elites . He and the fellas discuss the illiberal takeover of higher education, most troublingly in the institutions that train the gatekeepers of our legal system. Plus, James, Charles, and Steve speculate on the midterms; see the potential for backfire from Virginia's redistricting referendum; smell controversy over the latest victory for the refer movement; and begrudgingly admit the Americanness of gambling with top secrets. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ricochet-podcast--5817275/support .