King of Stuff

For the past year, Arthur Brooks has been a Professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Harvard Business School. Before that, he served ten years leading the American Enterprise Institute. He has written 11 books, including the bestsellers Love Your Enemies (2019) and The Road to Freedom (2012). He also hosts the Ricochet podcast “The Art of Happiness with Arthur Brooks. Source

Since February, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has focused on the COVID-19 pandemic. This month, he methodically began re-opening the state’s economy. Jon asks him about what the near-term future holds, his collaboration with the White House and fellow governors, and why so many businesses are fleeing blue enclaves for the Grand Canyon State. Before serving as governor, Gov. Ducey was elected state... So...

Scott Rank, Ph. D., is the host of the History Unplugged podcast and today has released his latest book, History’s 9 Most Insane Rulers. As armchair psychologists question the mental health of our current politicians, this book shows how truly insane rulers are in a different category altogether. This is Scott’s 12th book and, when he isn’t writing or podcasting, he researches the history of the.....

Siraj Hashmi is a writer and commentary video editor for the Washington Examiner. Before that, he was an editor for Red Alert Politics and an associate producer for SiriusXM Radio. Most importantly, Siraj created the all-powerful Twitter Phone Power Ranking. Jon and Siraj chat about the media’s #MeToo double-standard, reopening the country, the perils of tired Twitter, and compare the fasts of......

Amber Athey is the Washington editor of The Spectator, was the White House correspondent for the Daily Caller, and is a Tony Blankley Fellow at the Steamboat Institute. Jon asks Amber about the media silence around Joe Biden and Tara Reade, the types of women on Twitter, and how much longer the lockdowns can last. The intro/outro song is “Not Too Soon” by Throwing Muses. To listen to all the music...

David C. Lowery founded the legendary bands Camper van Beethoven and Cracker. He’s also a mathematician, writer, producer, professor, entrepreneur, and a member of Ricochet.com. (Please join!) Jon and David talk about his music, the industry in the age of COVID-19, and how streaming services affect the bottom line. The intro song is “Take the Skinheads Bowling” by Camper van Beethoven and the... S...

Shoshana is the Senior Manager of Digital Media and a Policy Fellow at the R Street Institute in Washington DC — and a dominant presence on Twitter. She focuses on occupational licensing reform and has written for The Wall Street Journal and USA Today among others. Jon and Shoshana chat about dropping government restrictions all over the place, from localities and states all the way up to DC... So...

Jon Gabriel flies solo to discuss the developing Coronavirus lockdowns, a Twitter spat with a Senator, the perils of modeling, and the need for skeptics during an age of monothink. The intro/outro song of the week is “Locked Down” by Swedish band Turbonegro. To listen to all the music featured on The Conservatarians this year, subscribe to our Spotify playlist! Source

Coronavirus and the reactions to it are causing a lot of stress in our daily lives. How we react to that pressure is crucial. Michele Tafoya is the Sideline Reporter for “Sunday Night Football” on NBC, following success with ESPN, ABC, and CBS. She also has become an advocate for the ancient philosophy of Stoicism and has helped spread it through the NFL. Jon asks Michele how Stoic principles help...

Preparation for Coronavirus is essential. Panic? Not so much. Jon welcomes his old friend from the blogging trenches Jim Lakely, now the Vice President and Director of Communications of the Heartland Institute, to discuss the media’s abysmal job at covering a pandemic. Prior to joining Heartland, Lakely spent 16 years in daily-deadline journalism, covered Capitol Hill, and was a member of the... S...

Benjamin Weingarten has written a new book titled American Ingrate: Ilhan Omar and the Progressive-Islamist Takeover of the Democratic Party, focusing on Minnesota’s favorite Squad member. Ben is a Senior Fellow at the London Center for Policy Research, Fellow at the Claremont Institute, and Senior Contributor at The Federalist. Follow him on Twitter! The intro/outro song of the week is “Gratitude...

Jon’s happy to welcome back Michael Malice, host of “ YOUR WELCOME,” bête noire of Twitter, and author of both The New Right: A Journey to the Fringe of American Politics and Dear Reader: The Unauthorized Autobiography of Kim Jong Il. We discuss Bernie’s hostile takeover of the Democratic Party, Trump’s chances in November, and the perfidy of the mainstream media. The intro/outro song of the week....

Jon opened up Facebook and Twitter for “Ask Me Anything” questions and, wow, did he get a lot. From politics to the Navy to music to God to coffee, he covers it all in his first solo effort. Keep the conversation going by asking more questions in the comments for Jon to answer. The intro/outro song of the week is “Ask” by The Smiths, of course. To listen to all the music featured on The... Source

Jon welcomes New York-based writer and A-list Twitter follow Kate Hyde. She was the news director of American Military News and a Penn State alum. We chat about impeachment, the Democratic primary, and cheeseburgers. The intro/outro song of the week is “Kate Is Great” by The Bouncing Souls. Jon’s song of the week is “1992” by Beliefs and our special cameo guest’s song of the week is “Julia Take......

Jon welcomes the brilliant Kevin D. Williamson to discuss his latest book, The Smallest Minority: Independent Thinking in the Age of Mob Politics. He’s a roving correspondent for National Review who’s written for many other publications, including The Atlantic for a brief time. We chat about the toxic nature of social media and the intoxicating nature of outrage. The intro/outro song of the week.....

Amity Shlaes is the author of Great Society: A New History, a sweeping revision of our last great period of governmental idealism, the 1960s. She is the presidential scholar at The Kings College in New York, chairs the board of trustees of the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation, and previously wrote bestsellers The Forgotten Man and Coolidge. (You really need to read them all!) The intro/ Sou...

Trump greased the commander of Iran’s Quds Force and terrorist mastermind Qaseem Soleimani. Jon invites Kurt Schlichter to spike the football in the mullahs’ face, propose next steps, and ask why the media and Democrats are rooting for the bad guys. Kurt has authored several books, writes for Townhall Media, and hosts his own podcast, “Unredacted.” The intro/outro song of the week is “The Queen Is...

Stephen Miller returns for The Conservatarians’ annual Albums of the Year podcast. Stephen hosts his own podcast on Versus Media. and you can follow him on Twitter here. All 10 songs in our “Best of 2019” list are on Spotify. The intro/outro song of the week is “Bells” by The Vacant Lots. And to listen to all the music featured on The Conservatarians this year, subscribe to our Spotify playlist! S...

While DC dithers, the real action is happening in the states. I attended the States and Nation Policy Summit this week, a conference organized by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). The smartest local and national politicians and policymakers from Florida to Alaska shared how they’re improving the lives of their constituents. Here’s the lineup: Gov. Scott Walker, Wisconsin Rep. Sourc...

Comedian, author, and commentator Stephen Kruiser joins Jon to discuss impeachment, cybertrucks, and the state of comedy. Check out his new Kruiser Kabana podcast and get his latest book, Straight Outta Feelings: Political Zen in the Age of Outrage. The intro/outro is “Alone Again Or” by Calexico. Stephen’s song of the week is “Play Me a Hank Song” by Tyler Childers; Jon’s is “Season of Mist” by.....

Bridget Phetasy is a stand-up comedian, writer, and host of the Walk-ins Welcome podcast you can find right here on Ricochet. She’s written for everyone from the New York Post to being the “Playboy Advisor” for that august magazine. Bridget and Jon discuss the state of comedy, the joys of recovery, and her recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s number-one-rated podcast. Bridget’s song of the week is......

We’ve dragooned (#dragoon) commentator, cigar aficionado, and raconteur Tony Katz to discuss impeachment, Bloomberg entering the race, and what Hoosiers think of Pete Buttigieg. Like him on Facebook and listen to his podcast, “Eat, Drink, Smoke.” The intro/outro song and Jon’s song of the week is “Step On” by the Happy Mondays. Tony’s song of the week is “Grounds for Divorce” by Elbow. Source

The Conservatarians make a huge announcement, share touching words, then tackle Twitter banning political ads while Facebook stands firm (for now). The intro/outro song and Stephen’s song of the week is “Serve the People” by Handsome Furs. Jon’s song of the week is “Same Old Tricks” by Poppy Jean Crawford. To listen to all the music featured on The Conservatarians, subscribe to our Spotify... Sour...

Frank J. Fleming is the author of the new novel Hellbender and writer for The Babylon Bee. Follow him on Twitter! Then Stephen and Jon chat about the growing threat of impeachment and how GOP politicians will play it. The intro/outro song and Jon’s song of the week is “Never Been to Paris” by Capitol. Stephen’s song of the week is “You’re the Only Good Thing in My Life” by Cigarettes After Sex. So...

Kimberley Strassel is the author of the new book Resistance (At All Costs): How Trump Haters Are Breaking America and a member of the Wall Street Journal editorial board. Her previous book was the bestseller The Intimidation Game. Then Stephen and Jon chat about Tulsi vs. Hillary and the state of the Dem primary. The intro/outro song and Jon’s song of the week is “Sally Go Round the Roses” by... S...