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Mona is absent this week, so Jay grabs the mic and welcomes a guest co-host: David French. They proceed to take a tour of the news.

Our relations with Australia. Our relations with Russia. Justice-to-Be Neil Gorsuch. The National Prayer Breakfast. The Wall. The refugee "ban," or whatever the agreed-on word is. Betsy DeVos. Holocaust Remembrance Day. Steve Bannon. Three to five million illegal votes (?). The American flag (especially on lapels). Victimology versus personal responsibility. Etc.

Jay and David end with the NBA - especially with Charles Barkley and LeBron James. They also talk about Franz Rupp (pianist) and Adolph Rupp (basketball coach).

The music at the end of the show is Beethoven's "Spring" Sonata - the concluding Rondo from it - played by Franz Rupp and Fritz Kreisler (not to be confused with Fritz Crisler, the football coach). 

Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/a-tour-of-the-news/.

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Daniel Ikenson of CATO and Steve Moore of Heritage (who has advised Donald Trump) drop by to talk about trade and the Trump Administration. 

Jay and Mona then move on to discuss populism left and right, the "women's march" against Trump, and other matters. They appraise Nigel Farage, praise George Will, and remember the great Mary Tyler Moore. RIP.

Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/a-trade-debate/.

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Subscribe to Need to Know in iTunes (and leave a 5-star review, please!), or by RSS feed. For all our podcasts in one place, subscribe to the Ricochet Audio Network Superfeed in iTunes or by RSS feed.

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To mark this historical day, we've assembled a panel that we think reflects all sides of the new Trump administration -- a mashup of the Ricochet Podcast and Need To Know with Charen and Nordlinger with a dash of Victor Davis Hanson thrown in for flavoring. It's a bracing conversation that really gets into the weeds on the election and what may lie ahead.

Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/inauguration-day-2/.

Podcast listeners: Now become a Ricochet member for only $2.50 a month! Join and see what you’ve been missing: https://ricochet.com/join/.

Subscribe to Need to Know in iTunes (and leave a 5-star review, please!), or by RSS feed. For all our podcasts in one place, subscribe to the Ricochet Audio Network Superfeed in iTunes or by RSS feed.

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National Review's Ian Tuttle joins Jay and Mona to talk about BuzzFeed and the press, among many other things. They consider whether, on balance, the past few weeks have been good for conservatism. There were one and a half cheers for Rex Tillerson, and some full-throated enthusiasm for others. Does the cabinet matter, when DT is in the Oval? Jay and Mona differ.

The podcast closes with thoughts about the "real America." 

Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/does-the-cabinet-matter/.

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Subscribe to Need to Know in iTunes (and leave a 5-star review, please!), or by RSS feed. For all our podcasts in one place, subscribe to the Ricochet Audio Network Superfeed in iTunes or by RSS feed.

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That's what an Obama staffer asked when he/she saw the term "the least of these" in a memo about the proper policies on poverty. What a chasm separates the two parties! Which brings up Kerry, Putin, the UN anti-Israel vote, changes on the right (is it protectionist now?), and much more. We close with a special contribution from two much-appreciated listeners.

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Who doesn't love Christmas music? Mona and Jay share some favorite tracks in a special holiday edition of the podcast.From Bach to Berlin, it's a great journey.

The track list from this podcast may be viewed here.

Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/need-know-goes-christmassy/.

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Steve Hayes, newly-appointed editor-in-chief of The Weekly Standard, joins Jay and Mona to talk about foreign policy (he was a terrific Benghazi reporter), what is detectable about the Trump approach, and the polarization of news and information.

Jay and Mona then mull over the CIA. Can they be political? Are they being political right now?

The podcast closes with reflections on Christmas music and two greats who never go out of style - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Laura Ingalls Wilder. 

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So many issues seem to come down to that. Jay outs himself as a Trumpster (!). Mona talks climate and Al Gore. Who wants to eliminate the Electoral College? Depends. The duo also do a little music. Mona wants to know how not to hate modernism. Jay explains.

Music from this week’s episode: Lorin Maazel conducts Franck’s Symphony in D minor, M 48- III

Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/whose-ox-gored/.

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Mona and Jay talk about President-elect Trump and his cabinet-building. Also about Carrier, conservatism, and capitalism. And about the hunt for heretics: Do you now or have you ever belonged to a church that opposes same-sex marriage? There is also some talk about identity politics vs. art: Who will win? The outcome of that war is momentous. And there is an appreciation of the Queen of England, and her husband, Prince Philip.

The podcast goes out with some music from a ballet that Mona brings up, and that is especially popular this time of year. It is the Grand Pas de Deux from "The Nutcracker," by Tchaikovsky.

Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/build-cabinet-etc/.

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Henry Olsen of the Ethics and Public Policy Center joins to analyze the election results (Olsen was one of the few to predict the outcome within a point or two) and consider the big takeaways from 2016 about ethnic and working class voters. What matters more: identity or issues?

Jay and Mona then read the tea leaves emerging from Trump tower and Bedminster, NJ and offer some praise, some relief, and some alarm.

Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/good-bad-ugly-trump-transition/.

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