Politics + Media 101

Columnist Noah Smith joins Justin and John to discuss major issues in the global economy. They address the current challenges in the technology sector, which Noah characterizes as a popping bubble. Noah also advocates for a strong distrust of China in a new phase of U.S. strategic competition. Read Noah's work at noahpinion.substack.com.

Elie Honig joins Justin and John to discuss developments in criminal probes of Donald Trump, as well as his new book Untouchable: How Powerful People Get Away with It. Elie draws on two decades of experience as a prosecutor, offering personal insight into prominent culprits and their approach to the legal system. In the discussion, Elie details how mafia bosses, Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein,...

Justin and John sit down with Michael R. Strain, director of Economic Policy Studies and the Arthur F. Burns Scholar in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute. Michael assesses the COVID stimulus packages and their impact on inflation, addressing the direct cash payments and criticizing the popular concept of UBI. He explains why the national debt matters for U.S. interests and des...

Justin and John sit down to discuss the week's headlines. Topics include the string of high-profile shootings in the United States and Germany's move to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine. The hosts also take time to discuss the Academy Award nominations, drawing on John's professional and academic connections to the entertainment industry. Subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoyed the...

Justin and John sit down with conservative columnist Matt K. Lewis of The Daily Beast . Matt shares stories of his encounters with right-wing media figures over the years, from Ben Shapiro to Tucker Carlson to Alex Jones. The group discuss the impact those personalities have on the Republican Party, and whether the American right can be fairly described as "conservative" anymore. Read Ma...

Politico aviation reporter Oriana Pawlyk joins Justin and John to discuss recent disruptions for U.S. airlines, including mass flight cancellations and an emergency grounding by the FAA. What are the major challenges facing airlines and travellers, and has Secretary Pete Buttigieg adequately responded to transportation crisis? Read more from Oriana here: https://www.politico.com/staff/oriana-pawly...

Justin and John are joined by William Neuman, the former Andes Region Bureau Chief for  The New York Times . Reporting for years from Caracas, William witnessed Venezuela descend from an economic powerhouse into one of the world's poorest countries. He explains the causes of this crisis and the opportunity to change course, as the U.S. considers ending its punitive sanctions. William Neuman i...

With a chaotic leadership fight finally concluded, Justin and John sit down with reporter Emily Brooks to discuss the Congressional term ahead. Will Kevin McCarthy and the Republicans force a U.S. default over the debt ceiling? Will they focus on investigations, or are there areas for new bipartisan legislation? Listen to find out. Read Emily's work here: https://thehill.com/author/emily-broo...

Justin and John discuss the congressional standoff over Kevin McCarthy's bid to become House Speaker. They assess the motives and tactics of key members, drawing on Justin's experience working for a right-wing Republican congressman. Subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoyed the conversation.

Justin and John discuss the political fight in the Republican House Conference as members attempt to select the next House Speaker. Drawing on Justin's experiences working for a right-wing congressman, they assess the current state of the GOP caucus and its characters, including Kevin McCarthy, Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Steve Scalise. Subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoyed t...

After John returns from attending the World Cup in Qatar, he joins Justin to discuss the country and its role in global affairs. Labour issues, tournament controversies, and diplomatic strategy are among the topics of conversation. Subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoyed the conversation.

Justin hosts writer Parker Molloy for a conversation about the American news media. They discuss the state of cable news, print outlets, and digital distribution platforms. Should we listen to columnists and commentators for any reason at all? What is 'bothsidesism'? Read Parker here: https://www.readtpa.com/ Subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoyed the conversation.

Andrew Lawrence ( Twitter Account )  of Media Matters joins Justin to discuss Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter, how the platform has changed, and whether or not it will survive.  Please remember to rate and subscribe to the show!  Check out our website here: pm101.live

Justin and John are joined by Chris Stirewalt, former Fox News political commentator and current editor at NewsNation and The Dispatch. Chris offers his election analysis, discusses media approaches to political discourse, and describes his experience testifying for the January 6th Committee. Subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoyed the conversation.

As Donald Trump announces a presidential campaign in the wake of insurrection and electoral defeat, Justin and John debate whether Trump can effectively stage a comeback.  Justin believes that Trump's cultish support is strong enough to dominate a GOP primary, while John believes that exhaustion and institutional factors will limit his potential. Subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoyed the...

Justin and John host Scott Kennedy, senior adviser and Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. They discuss an isolated China beset by domestic challenges and a confronted by a rejuvenated Western alliance. Topics include the Chinese Communist Party Congress, zero-COVID policies, semiconductor bans, tension over Taiwan, The Belt and Ro...

Justin and John discuss the 2022 election results, noting the success of Democratic candidates in key races. They address the struggle of many Republican candidates to connect with ordinary voters and the bleak political outlook for the MAGA movement. Subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoyed the conversation.

Justin and John are joined by Greg Bluestein of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Greg is a leading expert on politics in the state of Georgia, even serving as moderator for the governor debate. Just in time for election day, Greg breaks down that race between Stacey Abrams and Brian Kemp, along with the U.S. Senate race between Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock. Subscribe, rate, and review if y...

Justin and John are joined by Lis Smith, senior advisor to Pete Buttigieg's presidential campaign. She offers her take on Tim Ryan, John Fetterman, Kathy Hochul, Andrew Yang, and more, discussing what Democrats are doing right and wrong. Subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoyed the conversation. Purchase Lis’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Any-Given-Tuesday-Political-Story/dp/0063084392

Justin and John discuss the controversy over a letter from the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which called for direct diplomatic engagement between the U.S. and Russia. Subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoyed the conversation.

Justin and John assess the U.S. Senate debate between John Fetterman and Dr. Mehmet Oz. They discuss the relevance of Fetterman's stroke and comment on the media approach to debate analysis. Subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoyed the conversation.

John and Justin discuss the fall of U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss and the collapse of support for her Conservative Party.  They look ahead to the November U.S. elections, assessing campaign strategies and evaluating party leadership. Subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoyed the conversation.

Colonel Mark Cancian joins Justin and John to discuss the Ukraine war. Mark evaluates the scope and impact of U.S. support. The group also address Ukraine's counter-offensive, Russia's mobilization, and Putin's nuclear threats. Mark is a Senior Advisor at the Center for Strategic & International Studies. Read more of his commentary here: https://www.csis.org/people/mark-f-cancia...

Justin and John are joined by Richard Helppie, host of the Common Bridge podcast. Richard proposes an idea for universal health insurance and shares his views on U.S. partisan politics. Subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoyed the conversation.

Justin sits down with Enoh T. Ebong, Director of the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). Director Ebong explains the role of the agency in development finance and how it impacts American competitiveness. Subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoyed the conversation.