Podcasts

Maternal Instincts

Coming to you from a thunderous Sioux Falls, today’s Ruminant features a distinctly Goldbergian potpourri of rank punditry and eggheadery. Jonah begins by discussing the merits of the Letitia James lawsuit, his general distaste for enthusiasm, and Trump’s cavalier treatment of classified materials. After a not-so-brief foray into the consequences of the left’s pro-truth hypocrisy, things end on an esoteric note as Jonah contemplates pragmatism and the philosophical differences between the New Deal and the Great Society.

Show Notes:

Eli Lake: “Framed and Guilty” 

The Atlantic: “Separating Sports by Sex Doesn’t Make Sense” 

The Fair Jessica’s review of The Frailty Myth 

Chelsea Conaboy: “Maternal Instinct Is a Myth That Men Created”

Jonah: “Both Parties Are to Blame for the Immigration Crisis”

The Remnant with Nick Eberstadt

Putin Makes Nuclear Threats

What happens when Vladimir Putin starts feeling cornered? Sarah, David, Steve, and Jonah react to Russia announcing military mobilization and think through the implications of Putin’s nuclear chest-thumping. They then turn to the politics of immigration (still very bad), and conclude with some rank punditry: is the Democrats’ momentary surge in the polls already bust?

Out of context: “To me, it’s a little like the fight: Hiter-Stalin – who is worse?”

Show Notes:

NBC poll showing decline in GOP loyalty to Trump

Politico: using cartoons as political ads

Ken Paxton’s Airing of Grievances

Texas joins an amici brief in Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago case, and Sarah and David ponder… why? Plus: a listener’s astute follow-up question about Yeshiva University gets the full AO treatment.

Show Notes:

David’s French Press on “Segregation Academies”

Trump’s response to DOJ’s motion for partial stay

Red states amici brief for Trump v. USA

Class action lawsuit against Ron DeSantis

Hardly Working

Nicholas Eberstadt, AEI’s Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy, makes an overdue Remnant return to discuss his new book, Men Without Work: Post-Pandemic Edition, an expanded version of his 2016 release which examined the collapse of work for men in modern America. Why are increasingly large numbers of men abandoning the workforce? Is something similar going on with women? And what will be the social, cultural, and economic effects of this trend? Tune in to hear these questions answered, and to hear some reflections on why work is valuable in the first place.

Show Notes:

Dr. Eberstadt’s page at AEI

Men Without Work: Post-Pandemic Edition

Dr. Eberstadt: “What’s Behind the Flight from Work in Post-Pandemic America”

The Remnant with Michael Strain

Charles Murray’s Coming Apart

The Remnant with Marian Tupy

Keynes: “Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren”

China, unquarantined

Allahpundit, unmasked

Dispatch Live introduces Kevin D. Williamson

Strain’s New Respect

Michael Strain, Remnant regular and beloved economic policy wonk at AEI, returns to the program to explore the state of inflation and kvetch about the Federal Reserve. He and Jonah also provide some unwashed commentary on House of the Dragon, discuss whether economics really is a dismal science, and mix in some thoughts on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Can inflation be fought at the state level? When should economics and politics mix? And is it possible for a Remnant episode to be too long and nerdy?

Show Notes:

Michael’s page at AEI

Jonah: “Not Everything Is a Morality Tale”

Russia’s oil riches

Celebrate Kevin D. Williamson’s arrival at The Dispatch with a 30-day free trial

The Supreme Court Sides With Process

Back in the saddle, Sarah and David explain the Supreme Court’s decision on Yeshiva University v. Youth Pride Alliance (spoiler: this isn’t over yet). Plus: Who gets to censor who in the battle between Texas and tech platforms?

Show Notes:


Yeshiva University v. Youth Pride Alliance
NetChoice v. Ken Paxton
Donald Trump v. the United States
Ilya Somin Reason Magazine piece on Texas’ social media law
Andrew Sullivan on monarchy and pre-Enlightenment institutions

Somebody’s Watching Me

Live and under-caffeinated from a mysterious compound buried deep in the Adirondacks, Jonah focuses today’s Ruminant on nationalism, liberalism, and the American tradition. After providing an update on the state of The Dispatch and a few thoughts on integrity in politics, he launches into an epic rant on the recent National Conservatism Conference in Miami and the movement behind it. Throughout, he’s keen to stress a particular point: Our constitutional order still works.

Show Notes:

Peter Thiel, losing Arizona

Jonah: “Mugged by Fallacy”

The Ahmari-French debate

National conservatism: a primer

Jonah: “Bellamy’s Children”

Lindsey Graham’s New-Old Abortion Ban

At long last in the same room, Sarah, Steve, David, and Jonah debate whether the conversation around abortion is changing, why it doesn’t feel like Republicans are out of power, and whether lawmakers will ever do the right thing on border security. Plus: Sarah offers a troubling glimpse of the gents’ problematic footwear.

The Wisdom of Mortality (a tribute to Jonathan Tjarks)

In this special re-release, we at the Good Faith podcast want to honor the life of Jonathan Tjarks, who passed away last week. Jonathan was an NBA beat writer and podcaster for The Ringer, but he was so much more! Just 6 months ago we had the pleasure of having Jonathan join us to talk about his cancer diagnosis, the role of his faith community in caring for his family, and even a little NBA talk. Whether you caught this episode or not, we believe his hard-earned wisdom is worth hearing over and over again. Rest in the peace of God Jonathan.

Show Notes:

Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter 

Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org

Produced by Kris Carter

Serious Thrills

Determined to reclaim his Remnant throne from Chris Stirewalt, Jim Geraghty returns to the program to discuss his new thriller, Gathering Five Storms. The novel also provides a launch pad for some exceedingly rank punditry on Russia, the midterms, and the state of the Republican Party. Earlier in the year, it seemed certain that the GOP would make significant gains in November, but is that still the case? For that matter, why does the foreign policy establishment seem to get so many things wrong? How does writing fiction compare to writing about politics? And can any pundit match Jim’s Trump impression?

Show Notes:

Jim’s page at National Review

Jim’s new novel, Gathering Five Storms

Jonah and Yuval Levin’s first Remnant encounter

Jim: “Control of the Senate Is Still a Jump Ball”

Jim: “Does AOC Want to Be Anything More Than a Celebrity?”

Jonah: “Principles vs. Partisanship”

Getting Your Legal Career Started

While David is still away on his well-earned vacation, it’s time for some career advice! Megan L. Brown – partner at Wiley Rein LLP – joins Sarah to talk about choosing (and getting hired by) the right law firm. How to get your best self across in interviews? How to judge a firm’s work culture? Is it wise to inquire about a firm’s work-life balance? And, most importantly, should you take career pointers from Netflix’s Partner Track? All shall be answered.

Oh, and by the way, the views expressed in this episode are Megan’s and Sarah’s, they do not represent necessarily the views of Wiley Rein, its partners or clients.

Editor’s Note: Views expressed are not necessarily the views of Wiley Rein, its partners or clients.

Down to the Roots

On today’s Ruminant, Jonah provides a distinctly Goldbergian fusion of punditry and nerdery. After evaluating Joe Biden’s use of the phrase “MAGA Republicans” and offering a few further thoughts on the Philadelphia speech, he discusses Steve Bannon’s arrest, the ongoing fallout from the Mar-a-Lago raid, and Gov. Greg Abbott’s migrant busing policy. It all ends on a philosophical note, as Jonah reflects on the distinction between conservatism and radicalism.

Show Notes:

Last weekend’s Remnant

Last Friday’s G-File

Texas’ migrant bussing

Muriel Bowser declares a public emergency

Steve Bannon’s arrest

Andy McCarthy on Bannon’s indictment

The Dispatch Podcast on the Mar-a-Lago investigation

Greta Van Awful

The pandemic erased two years of progress in math and reading

The Remnant with Matt Continetti

Leo Ribuffo’s The Old Christian Right

Ukraine lures Russian missiles with fake HIMARs

Attend The Dispatch’s What’s Next summit in Naples

Criminal Justice

In a previously recorded (but never released) episode, David and Curtis tackle the particularly vexing challenge of justice when crimes are committed. For those who do not engage regularly with the criminal justice system, these questions can feel distant, or even irrelevant. But as we are reminded, God’s repeated calls for justice throughout the scriptures don’t give the Christian such an easy out.

Show Notes:

-Sign up for David’s French Press newsletter

-Follow Curtis’ work at RedeemingBabel.org

Mar-a-Lago Documents Investigation Explained

The rapid developments in the Justice Department’s investigation of classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago may be hard to follow, but not to worry, Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and Declan are here to clarify and discuss. Plus: a look at the long-term impact of COVID-19, and the internal battles as both parties look to the midterms.

Show Notes:

TMD: How Sarah Palin Lost Alaska’s House Special Election

The Dispatch: Trump Is Hurting the GOP’s Midterm Prospects

Special Master to Review Mar-a-Lago Documents

A federal judge ordered the appointment of a special master to review the sensitive documents seized at Mar-a-Lago. Orin Kerr, law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, joins Sarah to break down the ruling. Then, Sarah is joined by Thomas Lee, former associate chief justice of the Utah Supreme Court, for another discussion of corpus linguistics.

Show Notes:

A Corpus Linguistic Analysis of ‘Foreign Tribunal’

Corpus Juris Advisors

Judging Ordinary Meaning

Data-Driven Originalism

Crime After Crime

It’s been a while since the Remnant featured an expert on crime, but today, Manhattan Institute fellow Rafael Mangual joins the program to fill that void. Recently, Rafael published Criminal (In)Justice, in which he argues against decarceration and depolicing. Using that book as a launch pad, he and Jonah discuss the sociological factors behind criminality, how crime can be deterred, and why the U.S. is an outlier in its incarceration rate. Plenty of policy wonkery is also mixed in.

Show Notes:

Rafael’s Manhattan Institute webpage

Rafael’s new book, Criminal (In)Justice

Rafael: “The Cost of Decarceration”

The D.C. sniper attacks

Jonah: “Abolishing Police Departments Is Insane”

Stanton Samenow’s Inside the Criminal Mind

Rafael: “Are Democrats Serious About Gun Crime?”