Need to Know

By The Ricochet Audio Network

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National Review's Mona Charen and Jay Nordlinger discuss the news of the week.

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289. “Her Own Body,” and Tr...

05.24.2019

Is it treason to criticize the president? If so, Mona and Jay are in big trouble. They also take swipes at Beto, Mayor Pete, farm subsidies, and more, while pausing to appreciate a Mr. Smith Goes to Washington moment. They ...

Need to Know episodes:

05.24.2019 289. “Her Own Body,” and Treason Is it treason to criticize the president? If so, Mona and Jay are in big trouble. They also take swipes at Beto, Mayor Pete, farm subsidies, and more, while pausing to appreciate a Mr. Smith Goes to Washington moment. They ...
05.15.2019 288. Great Patriot Podcasters Jay and Mona do tariffs, mercantilism, the NRA and other grifters, Harvard and Harvey Weinstein, the Uighers, and Franklin Graham’s stunning fundraising gambit.
05.03.2019 287. God Bless America Yes, Mona and Jay talk about Kate Smith, recently the victim of a terrible injustice. But they don’t play “God Bless America” at the end. They have Kate Smith in “I’ll Be Seeing You,” that classic (1938) by Fain and ...
04.26.2019 286. Making All Political Arguments into Legal Disputes Law professor Adam White joins the podcast to discuss the Mueller report, the contours of obstruction, and our trend toward criminalizing matters that deserve political treatment. Jay and Mona then discuss Game of Thrones (briefly!), a midwestern heroine, and more.
04.08.2019 285. Is Twitter Twisting Us? Jay and Mona consider the days when Democrats were deregulators (truly), how great our air transport system is (truly), and cheating at golf, among many other things. Music: Laura Dickinson, Come Fly With Me
03.30.2019 284. Heroes And Heels Jay and Mona pay tribute to a great French pilot and a tough Mossad agent. They also talk of Biden’s flaws, the Democrats’ drift, the Mueller report, and a great show — “1776.” Music From This Week’s Show: But Mr. ...
03.15.2019 283. Immigration, Sí or No? The Atlantic’s David Frum joins to discuss his thoughtful article on limiting immigration. Jay and Mona then get sidetracked on several issues and have fun doing so.
03.11.2019 282. Oh My, Omar Benjamin Parker of The Bulwark joins Jay and Mona to discuss the anti-Semitism kerfuffle in the Democratic Party, reparations for slavery, Joe Biden (how dare he call Mike Pence a nice guy), and the age issue. Music from this week’s ...
03.02.2019 281. Norks to Nixons Jay and Mona dissect the Cohen hearing, the Hanoi summit, Amy Klobuchar’s character, Netanyahu’s decline, and the last Nixon brother to pass away, before paying tribute to the great Andre Previn.
02.22.2019 280. Warrentless Childcare Lindsey Burke of Heritage joins to examine the Democrats’ proposals for universal pre-K. Jay and Mona then reflect on Ilhan Omar v. Elliott Abrams, Kamala Harris v. Neomi Rao, and Robert Kraft’s trouble.
02.11.2019 279. Never Apologize Is that the standard now? Jay and Mona consider the travails of Virginia’s governor, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Elizabeth Warren and many others in this age of shame and shamelessness. They also talk Green New Deal, Kim Jong Un, and much ...
02.05.2019 278. Infanticide, the KKK, and the SuperBowl That was the past week. Jay and Mona cover it, with poll data, a little Starbucks, a little Medicare for All, and some reminiscences about the religion of anti-racism.
01.25.2019 277. Goo-Goos, Amigos, and Other Characters Beholding the government-shutdown fiasco, Jay recalls an old term: “goo-goo.” He and Mona discuss “the wall and the cave,” the Democratic field so far, and “The Three Amigos.” They also ask if the U.S. remains serious about NATO. Mona recounts ...
01.18.2019 276. Is Max Boot Right? A loaded question. There is lots of agreement and some disagreement with this honest man. Then Jay and Mona launch into the news of the week: Bill Barr, the wall, Brexit, left-wing conspiracy theories, and a mini-debate about Ann Coulter. ...
01.10.2019 275. Chicken Over the Wall, the R’s and the Dems are playing a game of chicken. That’s one thing Mona and Jay say about this shutdown drama. Who’s going to swerve away first? Is the border a genuine national emergency? Then our ...
01.04.2019 274. Pow Wow Chow Elizabeth Warren is running. The Boston Globe’s Jeff Jacoby analyzes her “likeability” among other things with Mona. Jay joins later to talk about another Massachusettsite – or is it Utahite?
12.21.2018 273. French and Friends David French joins Jay and Mona to explode myths (“Flynn was framed!”) and analyze where things stand with a president unmoored. Secretary Mattis is gone, but Steven Miller goes on and on.
12.14.2018 272. Jay for Oscar Host! Jay is back. Mona and Jay lament the passing of the Weekly Standard, note the president’s ISO for COS, ask about the wall, talk a little Russia, a little Flynn, and Cohen, and praise the free press and Hedy Lamarr.
12.11.2018 271. Remembering One Man and Remembering American History In this bonus episode, Mona and colleagues discuss the work of the late Bruce Cole – a believer in America who left a great legacy.
12.07.2018 270. Johnson and Lake It sounds like a PR firm or a face cream, but it’s our two guests this week. Bloomberg’s Eli Lake sits in for Jay as co-host, and Eliana Johnson of Politico offers her insights on staff shake-ups at the White ...
11.16.2018 269. Playing Hurt Mona went splat and broke her wrist, but still shows up. She and Jay talk trade, Amazon and its critics, election fraud, Deep Fake fraud, Jim Acosta, entitlements, and the passing of three notable men. Music from this week’s episode: ...
11.09.2018 268. About Last Tuesday Mona and Jay begin with a guest, Charles Lane. (Jay is late but butts in when he arrives.) They talk about the midterm elections and about Central America. Chuck has done extensive reporting from Latin America, as well as several ...
11.02.2018 267. Who’s Inciting Whom? Jay and Mona talk about the eternal curse of anti-Semitism, executive orders – who’s for them, who’s against them and does it depend entirely upon whose ox is gored? Left wing and right wing violence. And the most underrated flavor. ...
10.23.2018 266. Jumping on the Caravan In this (typically) wide-ranging hour, Mona and Jay talk about the caravan, up from Central America: Is it salted with Middle Eastern terrorists? They also discuss our northern neighbor, Canada, which has just legalized pot: What effect will that have? ...
10.13.2018 265. TALLLK OR TOK? Charlie Sykes joins Mona to chew over the past week and exult in a new project they’ve helped to create. Then Mona and Jay review the lessons of the Khashoggi story, the “woman thing,” Betsy DeVos, and much more. It’s ...
07.27.2018 Ep. 255: Balls and Strikes Sponsored by Casper Jay and Mona consider the pitfalls of calling balls and strikes. How do you measure harm from lying? They touch on two good Republican congressmen, and one who went tragically bad. They talk about the FBI, and ...
04.12.2018 Ep. 244: Ain’t Nobody’s Business Jay and Mona consider Paul Ryan's career and what it says about where we are. They talk Zuckerberg, Trump, Syria, Putin, Comey, Gingrich, and golf. Note: Apologies in advance for the occasional audio issues on this show. More Join the ...
04.06.2018 Ep. 243: Takin’ Care of Business Sponsored by Wine Access Mona and Jay welcome Kristen Soltis Anderson, a top pollster and analyst with a beautiful name. She talks about Trump's standing, the GOP's standing, and related important issues. Then Mona and Jay discuss tweeting, Amazon, Kevin ...
03.30.2018 Ep. 242: “Ape you know what” Sponsored by Casper, Wine Access There's lots to debate about guns, but not the way America is currently doing it. Jay and Mona look at David Hogg, Marco Rubio, and the tone of contempt. They pay tribute to Kevin Williamson, ...
03.19.2018 Ep. 241: Podcast Do-Si-Do Powerline's Steve Hayward joins Mona for the first half of this week's special NTK. They talk about the conservative crack-up and Mona's book (coming June 26!). Jay later joins Mona for a look at "Rexit," boobish campaigning, Putin's "election," and ...
03.09.2018 Ep. 240: No Fair! Sponsored by Quip It's the eternal cry of children, but does it apply to international trade? Scott Lincicome joins to explain why not. Jay and Mona then consider the Trump/Kim summit, the nationalists vs. globalists theme that's making the rounds, ...
03.02.2018 Ep. 239: On Being Booed and Buoyed Sponsored by Wine Access Mona reports the behind the scenes details of her appearance at CPAC last weekend and the fallout since. The conservative movement is up for grabs -- no telling how this story will turn out. More Join ...
02.23.2018 Ep. 238: Can We Talk? When it comes to guns, it seems doubtful. Mona and Jay talk discourse, extremism, and the seeming elusiveness of serious policy discussion. The podcast begins with the redoubtable Richard Brookhiser, historian and NR senior editor, who reflects on Trump's influence ...
02.16.2018 Ep. 237: Smooth Operator Sponsored by Quip, Wine Access Prof. Gabriel Rossman of UCLA joins NTK to offer reflections on being a conservative in academia - and also on invitations to provocateurs like Milo. Jay and Mona then analyze the Mueller indictments, Russian interference, ...
02.09.2018 Ep. 236: Who Are You Calling Partisan? Sponsored by Casper, ManCrates The wry and witty Andrew Ferguson joins NTK to report on The Post, which he had just seen, and on the Washington world, which he's seen through the years. Jay and Mona then speak of Rob ...
02.02.2018 Ep. 235: Memogate, SOTU, and Rule of Law Sponsored by ManCrates Benjamin Wittes of Lawfareblog joins a special NTK that includes David French to analyze the release of the Nunes memo and the state of our intelligence community in the Trump era. David, Jay, and Mona then opine ...
01.26.2018 Ep. 234: Conspiracy Week Sponsored by Quip, Wine Access From the "secret society" to banned memos to shady "informants," the infotainment wing of conservative world went into full baying mode this week. Jay and Mona also talk about Hillary's aide, Kenneth Starr, disobeying presidential ...
01.19.2018 Ep. 233: Elections, Polls, Pols, and Profanity Sponsored by Casper David Byler crunches numbers about the 2018 elections and explains his impressive degree. Jay and Mona then talk deportation, immigration, and telling it like it is. They also ask who deserves credit for serving in the Trump ...
01.05.2018 Ep. 232: Big Book Shakes Washington Sponsored by Quip The new year begins with a behind the scenes book that President Trump is attempting to suppress. Jay and Mona consider its merits or faults. This leads to a discussion of conservative virtues and Burke v. Paine. ...
12.22.2017 Ep. 231: Starry Night Sponsored by Casper, DonorsTrust NTK reviews the week's news - and 2017's, and then reflects on a little known Romanian heroine, a New Jersey senator who stood up to Andrew Jackson (his descendant is in the House today), and some ...
12.15.2017 Ep. 230: Sadder But Wiser Sponsored by HelloFresh Moore is gone. Is Bannonism? Could you imagine voting for a Democrat? Do you fall in love with politicians? Some of the questions Jay and Mona tackle this week. More Join the conversation and comment on this ...
12.08.2017 Ep. 229: Jerusalem, peace, and the changing world Sponsored by Casper Jay and Mona talk a little Roy Moore (as little as possible) and then consider the state of the Democrats and Republicans, the recognition of Jerusalem, Kuwaiti TV, immigration, abortion, and Hogan's Heroes - inter alia. Music ...
11.30.2017 Ep. 228: Sex and Taxes Sponsored by HelloFresh But taxes first. National Review's Ramesh Ponnuru joins to provide his perspicacious insights on all things tax related, including a rebuttal to the WSJ arguments about the child tax credit. Jay and Mona then consider whether Trump's ...
11.17.2017 Ep. 227: This Is Where Sexual Revolution Gets You Sponsored by HelloFresh Need to Know pulls back the lens on the storm of sexual harassment charges to ask how this happened. Jay and Mona speak of uncomfortable subjects, like whether you should always believe women, the malice and schadenfreude ...
11.08.2017 Ep. 226: What the 2017 Elections Mean Sponsored by Casper Jay and Mona chew over the election results and ask whether the Republican civil war is on or off. They also consider Chief of Staff Kelly's comments about China, the reforms - if that's what they are ...
11.01.2017 Ep. 225: Designated Hitter Sponsored by DonorsTrust, Zip Recruiter That could describe Charlie Sykes - a powerful batter for truth, conservative ideas, and integrity. He joins to talk about his new book - How The Right Lost Its Mind. Jay and Mona then turn ...
10.27.2017 Ep. 224: The Bolsheviks At 100 Sponsored by HelloFresh, Zip Recruiter Or very nearly. Jay and Mona reflect on New York City's glorious renewal, the work of great philanthropists, the worth of work in general, Putin's Kafkaesque assault on truth, and a grim anniversary, among many ...
10.20.2017 Ep. 223: Doglessness Sponsored by Casper Jay and Mona talk gossip--the morality of it. They don't traffic in it. They offer their take on the week's imbroglios, and touch on GWB, Harvey Weinstein, Colin Kaepernick, Putin's comely fake opponent, John Kelly, and Jerry ...
10.12.2017 Ep. 222: Non-belonging Sponsored by Zip Recruiter Is the word 'conservative' up for grabs? Does lying matter? What Harvey Weinstein should have said. Who's worse: Trump or Pence? More Join the conversation and comment on this podcast episode: https://ricochet.com/podcast/need-to-know/non-belonging/. Podcast listeners: Now become ...
10.06.2017 Ep. 221: Swamp Creatures, Morons, Gun Control, and Rock Sponsored by Zip Recruiter Policy guru Avik Roy joins to consider whether there's still space for market oriented reform in health care and in American life in general. He also explains how he became a wonk. Jay and Mona then ...

Older episodes

Need to Know

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Need to Know episodes:

289. “Her Own Body,” and Treason

288. Great Patriot Podcasters

287. God Bless America

286. Making All Political Arguments into Legal Disputes

285. Is Twitter Twisting Us?

284. Heroes And Heels

283. Immigration, Sí or No?

282. Oh My, Omar

281. Norks to Nixons

280. Warrentless Childcare

279. Never Apologize

278. Infanticide, the KKK, and the SuperBowl

277. Goo-Goos, Amigos, and Other Characters

276. Is Max Boot Right?

275. Chicken

274. Pow Wow Chow

273. French and Friends

272. Jay for Oscar Host!

271. Remembering One Man and Remembering American History

270. Johnson and Lake

269. Playing Hurt

268. About Last Tuesday

267. Who’s Inciting Whom?

266. Jumping on the Caravan

265. TALLLK OR TOK?

Ep. 255: Balls and Strikes

Ep. 244: Ain’t Nobody’s Business

Ep. 243: Takin’ Care of Business

Ep. 242: “Ape you know what”

Ep. 241: Podcast Do-Si-Do

Ep. 240: No Fair!

Ep. 239: On Being Booed and Buoyed

Ep. 238: Can We Talk?

Ep. 237: Smooth Operator

Ep. 236: Who Are You Calling Partisan?

Ep. 235: Memogate, SOTU, and Rule of Law

Ep. 234: Conspiracy Week

Ep. 233: Elections, Polls, Pols, and Profanity

Ep. 232: Big Book Shakes Washington

Ep. 231: Starry Night

Ep. 230: Sadder But Wiser

Ep. 229: Jerusalem, peace, and the changing world

Ep. 228: Sex and Taxes

Ep. 227: This Is Where Sexual Revolution Gets You

Ep. 226: What the 2017 Elections Mean

Ep. 225: Designated Hitter

Ep. 224: The Bolsheviks At 100

Ep. 223: Doglessness

Ep. 222: Non-belonging

Ep. 221: Swamp Creatures, Morons, Gun Control, and Rock

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