The Back Room with Andy Ostroy

S.E. is a nationally syndicated columnist, author, podcaster and TV commentator. She hosts Off the Cupp, a podcast which focuses on mental health, and which features interviews with celebrities and newsmakers. She is a columnist at the New York Daily News and has also been published in the New York Times, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Washington Post and many other publications. She is currently a political commentator at CNN. She regularly interviews authors for CSPAN's BookTV, and is a regular guest on The View, Real Time w/Bill Maher, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Watch What Happens Live and others. SE has also consulted on Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom and AppleTV's The Morning Show, and has made cameos on House of Cards and SNL. As an author SE has written two books, Losing Our Religion: The Liberal Media's Attack on Christianity, and co-authored Why You're Wrong About the RIght. She is on the Advisory Board of Cornell University's Institute of Politics and Global Affairs and INARA.org, and is a No Kid Hungry ambassador

S.E. and I discuss the Iran war, MAGA, the midterms, and the general chaos, dysfunction and danger of Trump 2.0. But whenever S.E.'s around, there also has to be a some silly fun too, so there's also some chit-chat about AL Gore, French strikes, and her new "Pee Poo" pod with Adam Kinzinger!

Got somethin' to say?!

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud

Jess Michaels is a 3x Founder, TEDx speaker, Advocate, and 1991 Jeffrey Epstein survivor who has lived with PTSD for 30+ years. She is founder and CEO of 3Joannes Inc and the #withyoutoo Social Safety App, which guides users to "know what to do when someone says #metoo”.

Jess joins me for another critical discussion of the latest developments involving the Epstein files and the survivors' ongoing quest for accountability and justice.

Got somethin' to say?!

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud

For three decades, Bill Kristol has been a leading participant in American political debates and a widely respected analyst of American political developments. He served in senior positions in the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush Administrations and as a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University. He is the founding director of Defending Democracy Together, an organization dedicated to defending America’s liberal democratic norms, principles, and institutions, focusing on issues ranging from American foreign policy to the future of the Republican Party and the meaning of American conservatism. Bill is editor-at-large of The Bulwark, frequently appears on all the major television talk shows, and also is the host of the highly regarded video series and podcast, Conversations with Bill Kristol.

Bill and I discuss Trump's Iran "excursion" (war), how and when it might end, what comes next, and more.

Got somethin' to say?!

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud

Alexis Coe is a presidential historian, a senior fellow at New America, and the American history columnist at the New York Times. She's also the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George of Washington and Alice+Freda Forever: A Murder in Memphis. She frequently appears on CNN, MSNOW, CBS, History, BBC, and PBS, and has been featured in and published by most major publications, including the New Yorker, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. She is a frequent guest on NPR and hosted the podcasts No Man's Land and Presidents Are People Too! Her next book, Young Jack: A Biography of John F. Kennedy, 1917-1957, will be published next year.

Alexis and I discuss Trump's initial 14 months, his continued autocratic overreach and its impact on our democracy, and whether Democrats can and will capitalize on the opportunity Trump and Republicans are handing them for the November midterms.

Got somethin' to say?!

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud

Graham Nash’s incredible career spans over 60 years. He’s a two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, with Crosby, Stills & Nash and the Hollies. He’s a Grammy Award winner and two-time inductee to the Songwriters Hall of Fame—as a solo artist and with CSN. With CSN and CSNY he has written and performed some of the greatest songs ever including “Marrakesh Express,” “Teach Your Children” and “Our House”. His solo career yielded two albums which include “Chicago/We Can Change the World,” and “Military Madness.” He’s been a passionate advocate for peace and social and environmental justice, and created . The No Nukes/Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) concerts with Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt in 1979. Graham is also the author of the NY Times bestselling memoir Wild Tales, and he’s a renowned photographer and visual artist whose work has been shown in galleries and museums worldwide. Most recently he released A Life In Focus: The Photography Of Graham Nash. And his most recent album is 2023’s “Now”.

Graham takes us back to his early years and musical influences; the genesis of Crosby, Stills & Nash and the timeless music they created together and with Neil Young; his poignant memories of David Crosby; reflections on Woodstock, Joni Mitchell, and the 60's/70's; the importance of protest songs, especially today; and more. And in one of my favorite stories, Graham describes a recent emotional visit back to the Laurel Canyon home he shared with Joni for two years, and where he wrote "Our House" in one hour on a cold, rainy day.

Got somethin' to say?!

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud

Repeat

Got somethin' to say?!

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud

Vicky Ward is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, podcaster, documentary host and producer, former CNN Senior Reporter, magazine editor at large, entrepreneur, and Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford. She uses multi-media to deliver investigative reporting with a specialty in power, money, and corruption in the United States and abroad. Ward is the author of the bestselling Substack newsletter, “Vicky Ward Investigates.” Her most recent book about the 2022 killing of four University of Idaho students, which she co-wrote with best selling novelist James Patterson and which became an instant #1 New York Times bestseller, is The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy.

Vicky joins me for an insightful conversation about the latest developments in the Epstein case and cover-up.

Got somethin' to say?!

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud

Tom Nichols is a staff writer at The Atlantic and a contributor to the Atlantic Daily newsletter. And he's back in The Back Room sharing his thoughts on Trump's war of choice in Iran and what happens next.

Got somethin' to say?!

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud

Alex Vindman and his family left the Soviet Union as refugees when he was three years old. He is a retired 21-year U.S. Army combat veteran who also served as a national security expert working for presidents of both parties. He was wounded in Iraq and awarded a Purple Heart. His military service took him from the battlefield to the Pentagon and the White House, where he served as a Director on the National Security Council staff.

During his time on the National Security Council, he witnessed a corrupt and illegal abuse of power by a president intent on undermining an election. As was his duty under the Constitution, he reported the wrongdoing. His decision to blow the whistle led to the 2019 impeachment of President Donald Trump, whose retribution ultimately cost him his military career. After he left the military, Alex dedicated himself to public service outside of uniform, helping veterans run for office so they can serve as a check on corruption and abuse of power. He’s also the author of the Why It Matters Substack and the New York Times bestselling books Here, Right Matters and The Folly of Realism. And he is now running for the U.S. Senate in Florida.

Alex and I discuss Trump's illegal Iran War, the overall incompetence of the administration, and his very exciting, very promising U.S. Senate campaign in Florida.

Got somethin' to say?!

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud

Kara Swisher is the host of the podcast “On with Kara Swisher” and the co-host of the “Pivot” podcast with Scott Galloway. She was the co-founder and editor-at-large of Recode, host of the “Recode Decode” podcast, and co-executive producer of the Code conference. She was a former contributing opinion writer for The New York Times and host of its “Sway” podcast and has also worked for The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. She is the author of several books, including her latest, BURN BOOK.

Kara shares her keen insights into Nvidia's blowout earnings, the AI trade, and the future of AI; the Paramount/Netflix battle for Warner; SecDef Pete Hegseth's Anthropic threats; Bari Weiss and the trouble at CBS News and 60 Minutes; and the latest Epstein 'missing Trump files' bombshell and massive cover-up.

Got somethin' to say?!

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud