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The Ricochet Podcast
The Ricochet Podcast

Murder, He Wrote

The great Andrew Klavan has a new novel out! Find Me Nowhere is the latest entry in his Cameron Winter series. He sits down with James, Charles and Steve to discuss his detective, the writing process, the blacklisting of conservatives in prestige art circles, and the foundations of great art. And since Andrew embodies indefatigable hopefulness, we dive into politics to confront the truth of the midterm massacre to kick off the right's comeback arc. Plus, Lileks, Hayward and Cooke question the economic judgment of the Maryland activist who killed a data center project and investors to build her a bouncy palace instead. (Click here to buy Andrew's novel!) Opening sound this week: The incoming House Republicans elect new leadership, and Clint Eastwood speaks the words of Andrew Klavan in True Crime (Warner Bros., 1999) Closing music: "Take You Higher" by Where's Lulu? via Motionarray
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Latest podcast episodes

Paranoid or Prescient?

Susan Quinn
@SusanQuinn
Conservatives are alarmed about the midterm election results, and they should be. They’re shocked by the election of socialists, particularly members of the radical Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). The DSA’s demands for Medicare for All, tearing down our constitutional government, addressing affordability, increasing the number of SCOTUS justices, and action on climate change will be front and center on its agenda. But one agenda item will be lurking nearby that few are discussing: targeting the Jews of America.
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Musing While Microsoft’s Got Me Offline

BillJackson
@BillJackson
For those not aware, Microsoft has had an outage of all of its “cloud-based” software. Outlook's crashed email and calendar are getting all the headlines, but anyone trying to use Excel, PowerPoint, Teams or anything connected to Microsoft's internet services has been out of luck. [Also: I know the more computer savvy will say, “Aktshually, on-prem resources are not … blablablabla.]
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The Back of the Book
The Back of the Book

Free Range Podcast: Going Back to the Land – and Back to the Past

During the 1970s, childhood looked much different. Preteens, untethered to smartphones, listened to new records on turntables, wandered unsupervised in the wild, and…drove trucks and bathed in tin tubs? That was the case for 12-year-old Meghan Cox Gurdon, at least, when she was sent to live with her father on his homestead in rural Maine. Her new memoir, Free Range Girl, recounts the year she went “back to the land” – all while navigating the challenges of early adolescence. She and Chris discuss the trials and triumphs of her life on the homestead, why she views the past with charity, and how her experiences shaped her own approach to motherhood. Show Notes: Meghan’s book, Free Range Girl Meghan’s column at The Wall Street Journal Time Stamps: 1:54 – Inspiration and method 12:40 – Her father’s “back to the land” motivation 14:07 – Forgiving the past 20:00– First impressions of the homestead 26:56 – An idyllic excerpt 31:32 – The capability of children 34:14 – Friends, music, and the escapades of middle school 43:10 – The struggle to fit in 46:00 – After the first year 50:11 – Free-range parenting Opening and closing music: Brendan Benson, “Spit It Out,” used with permission from the artist. Produced by Keira Stenson.
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Mom Wars
Mom Wars

Boys Adrift

Bethany sits down with Leonard Sax, MD, PhD and author of Boys Adrift, which looks at the epidemic of unmotivated boys and underachieving young men. First published in 2007, it's now in its third edition, expanded to include the new dangers of pornography, AI girlfriends, and the manosphere.

Hosted by Bethany Mandel

Organization:
Ricochet
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The Alaska Mess is Coming to Washington; It Won’t End Well for Republicans

KellyJohnston
@KellyJohnston
Alaska’s elections are a mess, and the outcome of this year’s US Senate contest, still undecided at this point, is murky. Worse, if Democrat Mary Peltola “wins” the election, it’s a mess that will be spread across both the outgoing and incoming US Senate, along with departing (Republican) and incoming (Democratic, most likely) governors and lieutenant governors. Meanwhile, both Alaska’s Department of Public Safety and the US Department of Justice conduct criminal investigations.
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CPI, Trump and the Iran War

Ekosj
@Ekosj
I’ve been poking around the month-to-month changes in the consumer price index and calculating annualized Inflation rates. One thing is immediately clear: the vast majority of total inflation since the inauguration of Trump v2 occurred in energy (particularly gasoline and fuel oil) and has happened since the Iran war began. See below. I pulled data from the monthly CPI reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and aggregated it into one table.
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Freedom to Learn
Freedom to Learn

Paul Runko on the RISE Rankings, State Education Policies & School Choice

Paul Runko joins the podcast to discuss how midterm election results could shape future education policies and to introduce Defending Education’s new Rankings on Integrity in Education (RISE). The rankings evaluate all 50 states and Washington, D.C., across five education policy areas: gender and sexuality, DEI, parental rights, teachers’ unions, and foreign influence in public schools. Paul shares what they reveal about the state of American education, their relevance to school choice policies, and which states have the most work to do. Helping Public Schools Rise: Rankings on Integrity in State Education (RISE): https://defendinged.org/projects/helping-public-schools-rise-rankings-on-integrity-in-state-education-rise/ 🔗 Links & Resources: Visit our website: DFIPolicy.org 💡 Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Twitter: @DFIPolicy Follow us on Facebook: /DFIPolicy Subscribe to our YouTube channel (@DFIPolicy) for future episodes! 📩 Contact Us: If you have feedback or suggestions for future podcasts, please reach out to us at Podcast@DFIPolicy.org. 🎧 Thank You for Listening: Freedom to Learn is a production of the Defense of Freedom Institute. You can learn more about DFI at DFIPolicy.org. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a thumbs up, share it, and subscribe for more insights into education law and policy. Thank you for your support!
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Trolley Holiday

Andrew Miller
@AndrewMiller
Sometimes all you can do is see the way the world is going and ask: Can I have my handcart back? Not least because riding frantically along in the next lane is the old line about escaping, finding yourself in the ranks of the insane. The more politics is allowed to seep into life, the more miserable we seem to become – and the less room there is to be truly human, and truly alive. There has to be more to life than this. Not so long ago, there was. Maybe it’s time to take the politics out of life.
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The Libertarian
The Libertarian

California Says No to the Wealth Tax

Last week, California voters rejected a billionaire wealth tax, and Richard Epstein thinks they had good reason. Epstein explains why taxing wealth can drive away investment, discourage startups, and leave everyone poorer. Epstein also challenges the promise of a “one-time” tax, defends tax deferral for productive investments, and makes the case for a flat tax that puts economic growth ahead of narrowing the wealth gap.

Hosted by Charles C. W. Cooke and Richard Epstein

Organization:
Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin
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Armistice Day and how Woodrow Wilson kept us out of war

Veto Gerald
@Jose
Every November Eleventh, my thoughts turn to my grandfather who fought in the trenches in France. According to the history of the 28th Infantry Division, they saw lots of action. He was wounded by shrapnel on the morning of Armistice Day. He is pictured below, on the right. He died when I was 4 years old, so I have many questions that will never be answered. He rarely spoke of his time in combat, although a few things came out over the years.
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The Learning Curve
The Learning Curve

METCO’s Dr. Kandice Sumner on Massachusetts’ Voluntary School Desegregation Program

This week, on The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy of the Center for Strong Public Schools and Prof. Albert Cheng of The Ohio State University speak with Dr. Kandice Sumner, President & CEO of METCO, Inc. Dr. Sumner shares the history of Massachusetts’s voluntary school desegregation program and reflects on her own experience as a Weston/METCO alumna. She explains its role as a national model, serving students from Boston and Springfield in suburban districts. Dr. Sumner discusses the students and families who participate, the academic and personal opportunities METCO provides, and the enormous demand that exceeds available seats. She examines research on METCO’s long-term outcomes, including stronger academic performance, graduation rates, college enrollment, and career prospects. Dr. Sumner also considers the program’s long bus rides, the ways students are integrated into receiving districts, and differences in outcomes for boys, girls, and first-generation college students. Finally, she addresses METCO’s funding constraints, limited enrollment growth, and policy changes that could expand METCO's public-school choice for urban students across Massachusetts.
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Comparing International Healthcare Systems

Dr. Craniotomy
@Craniotomy
Nothing shows a person knows less about healthcare policy than when they say, “Well, the rest of the world has it figured out!” No. They haven’t. Every country faces challenges and trade-offs with healthcare. The differences among other countries can be greater than their differences with the US. On who sells basic insurance, Switzerland looks much closer to the US than to Canada. Each country has lessons for American reform. So here are some highlights, with an emphasis on patient choice and physician independence.
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The Conservative Woman’s Guide
The Conservative Woman’s Guide

Martha MacCallum: The Book of Valor and the Heroes Who Shape America

Karin Lips sits down with Martha MacCallum, Fox News anchor, bestselling author, and host of The Story, to discuss her new book, The Book of Valor: America's Story of Survival, Gallantry, and Grace. From the incredible women who survived the Mayflower’s first winter to the sacrifice of 9/11 hero Welles Crowther, MacCallum shares the story of America through those who demonstrated remarkable courage in extraordinary circumstances. She reflects on the importance of preserving these stories for future generations and what America’s heroes can teach us about service, sacrifice, and the pursuit of something greater than ourselves. MacCallum shares personal reflections on 30 years of marriage, raising three children while building a successful television career, and the advice she wishes more young women would hear about love, motherhood, and finding their way. Order Martha MacCallum's new book, The Book of Valor: America's Story of Survival, Gallantry, and Grace.
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Quote of the Day: How Can We Discern the Truth?

Susan Quinn
@SusanQuinn
If people in the media cannot decide whether they are in the business of reporting news or manufacturing propaganda, it is all the more important that the public understand that difference, and choose their news sources accordingly— Thomas Sowell It can often feel like we live in times when it is nearly impossible to tell when the mainstream media is telling the truth. If a claim from them is outrageous, that does not guarantee it’s untrue. Events can just be crazy.
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The American Idea
The American Idea

An Epic Drubbing - 2026 Election Analysis

Political analyst and writer Henry Olsen joins Jeff in this special episode to analyze why the 2026 midterms went the way they did and what this all means for America and each of us moving forward. Read Henry’s recent article: https://eppc.org/publication/exit-polls-reveal-the-real-reasons-for-the-republican-wreckage/ Read about Pew’s political typology framework: https://www.pewresearch.org/collections/political-typology/ Take Pew’s typology quiz: https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/quiz/political-typology/ Host: Jeff Sikkenga Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea Homepage: https://ashbrook.org/the-american-idea-podcast/ Thank you for being part of The American Idea community. Follow on Twitter https://x.com/amideapodcast Follow on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ashbrookcenter/
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Law Talk with Epstein, Yoo & Cooke
Law Talk with Epstein, Yoo & Cooke

Court Packing, Arches, and McRibs

What does a Democratic midterm wave mean for the Supreme Court? Charles C. W. Cooke, Richard Epstein, and John Yoo debate judicial nominations, possible retirements, and the prospect of court packing before turning to a property rights dispute over compensation for pipeline construction. Then, as completely expected, John Yoo mounts a passionate defense of the McRib against a false advertising lawsuit. Finally, Trump’s proposed triumphal arch sparks a debate over judicial power, presidential motives, and who gets to shape Washington’s skyline.

Hosted by Charles C. W. Cooke, John Yoo, and Richard Epstein

Organization:
Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin
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Revenge of the Tantrum Throwers

Greg Strange
@GregStrange
Just a cursory glance at post-midterm news headlines concerning the new crop of lunatics that have been put into power — and the people who celebrate them — makes me wonder: How can sentient human beings be so ugly, so stupid, so irrational, so ignorant of history, and so ungrateful, and then be elected to public office from sea to shining sea by my fellow citizens?
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Medicare Strikes Again

Nanocelt TheContrarian
@NanoceltTheContrarian
Last week I received a nasty notice from a Walmart pharmacy, to which I had sent a prescription for blood sugar test strips for a slender, 72-year-old woman that I saw recently, referred by her primary care physician for diabetes. Her diabetes was poorly controlled. She has multiple myeloma and has been on various treatments, including high-dose steroids intermittently. Her condition had been diagnosed as type 2 diabetes by her primary care physician, given that she was an elderly patient and had been on steroids.
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The Iran Distemper

Ben Sears
@BenMSYS
The enemy was dispatched militarily in a matter of weeks. They persist in firing on civilian tankers, but otherwise pop up infrequently and are quickly disabused. We’ve laid Iran under siege. As it rates, they’re getting a minuscule amount of oil out of the country through Pakistan, but are otherwise shut down, watching drill sites atrophy and become unusable.
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Destroy the US Senate to Save It?

KellyJohnston
@KellyJohnston
Finger-pointing, recriminations, blame-gaming, and circular firing squads are human nature, especially after losing a contest. That’s true whether it's football games or elections. If you’re not blaming the refs, you’re yelling about your team’s quarterback, dropped passes, missed plays, bad coaching, or worse. Or losing a lot of elections, most of which weren’t even close. And a lot of Republicans are doing precisely this in very foolish ways, proving that they’ve learned nothing from their shellacking this past week.
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The Kids Are Not Entirely Wrong

Old Bathos
@OldBathos
One lesson from the coming end of full GOP federal control is that a mere absence of Democrats in power does nothing to reverse disastrous fiscal trends. Neither entitlements nor overspending in general have been, or soon will be, rethought or reformed by anyone in power.
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From one of those annoying Disney adults

Eustace C. Scrubb
@EustaceCScrubb
For those who think that adults shouldn’t be attending Disney parks, feel free to ignore this post. I grew up in Northern California, but my folks had moved from Southern California, and we still had a lot of family down there. We made the trek south multiple times a year. We sometimes stopped at Knott's Berry Farm or Universal Studios, but most years we went to Disneyland. On one of those trips, I remember stopping at Gulf for gas and they were giving out a Disney magazine promoting the opening of Disney World.
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