Noah Rothman returns to the Ricochet Podcast to discuss the troubles of dealing with an uncooperative world. He, Steve, and James discuss the fall of the New Puritans in the real world as they resist from their barracks on prestigious college campuses. The gang then moves from culture war to the shooting kind as they consider Putin's recalcitrance and negotiations with Iran.

Plus, Hayward and Lileks unpack the Court of International Trade's tariff intervention, the Big, Beautiful Bill that's worked its way out of the House, and Elon Musk's DC departure. 






- Sound from this week's open: CNN’s Jake Tapper on The Prof G Pod defending his 15-year-old son.

Western elites have run into a recurring predicament over the past decade: In a democracy, you can't abolish the voters. Populist coalitions are on the march in Europe, and while they've yet to take over their respective governments like their American counterparts, they aren't going away. So Henry Olsen returns to the podcast to give us the scoop on everybody from the Romanians, who just had their delayed election, to the Poles and Hungarians who have some coming up, along with Reform UK and AfD. We also dig into Trump's so-far successful 'Dirty Harry' theory of justice and the limitations any politician's gotta know — including the transformational ones. 

Plus, Lileks and Hayward yap about the latest with Harvard, the "stochastic terrorism" that killed two young Jews in DC, and Original Sin...





- Soundbite from this week's open: UK PM Kier Starmer pivots on immigration

Conservatives love their histories; they lose themselves in great biographies; they have a voracious appetite for news and avidly devour op-eds. But the menu for literature on the right is, regrettably, if understandably, a bit limited. To add a bit of variety, Chris Scalia joins Peter, Steve, and Charles to discuss his soon-to-be-published book, Thirteen Novels Conservatives Will Love (But Probably Haven't Read). The boys quiz Chris on his selections and on the broader premise that the novel deserves greater attention from keepers of the cause. 

Plus, the hosts prattle on about the Pope, nationwide injunctions, Trump's trip to Riyadh, and the blasted SALT caucus.




- Sound from this week's open: the president says his piece about neocons in Saudi Arabia.



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Ben Domenech returns to the Ricochet Podcast to give a progress report on Trump's second go at running things. James, Charles and Steve glean insights about the builder from Queens as Ben divulges about his long sitdown with the president in February. 

Plus, the hosts rap on the pope from Chicago, Germany's lurch toward state censorship, series worth a watch, and pieces worth a read.




- Sound from this week's open: a clip from Ben's interview with Trump.

Within a week of Spain boasting its success at wiring up the grid with renewable energy sources, it was lights out for the whole Iberian Peninsula. Who could've predicted such an outcome? Today's guest is Robert Bryce, author of A Question of Power: Electricity and the Wealth of Nations and a Substack well worth a look. Robert provides a little refresher course on energy grids and explains how Green hubris threatens to overheat our whole system.

Plus, James, Steve and Charlie delve into a few developments on the administration's run-ins with the judiciary; they welcome progress on America's mineral deal with Ukraine, take a few swipes at Harvard's report on campus anti-semitism, and declare this week's winner on Twitter.




- Sound from this week's open: Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez addresses the blackout of the Iberian Peninsula.

It's the Hayward and Long Hour this week, meaning it's TheoBro-PoliPhi time. Since this duo was away for our recent episode featuring questions submitted by Ricochet subscribers, we asked for a new batch of inquiries catered specifically for our blithesome professor and the jocular seminarian. As ever, Ricochet members delivered a surplus of material for us in the chatty corner of showbiz. 

Care to get in on the conversation? Join us at Ricochet.com! 

With Congress missing in action, the two active branches of our federal government are at it again, and the temperature rises by the minute. Caught in the crosshairs are the increasingly exasperated American people and our numerous non-citizens, most notably Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Jason Willick joins today to argue that our partisan impulses are blinding team red and team blue to both the legal and the political stakes before us. 

Plus, Messrs. Lileks & Hayward talk Harvard's funding freeze and why they had it coming. 





- Sound from this week's opening: President Trump takes a question from his new favorite reporter.

It's Question Time with Lileks and Cooke. They jump into the guest chairs and let Ricochet's very own members steer the ship this week. Tune in to hear their thoughts on lots of stuff: the Pax Americana, universal suffrage, wordsmithing in the age of AI, their favorite interview subjects, and more — all with plenty of pop culture sprinkled in.






- Sound from this week's open: John Cleese in the "Take Your Pick" sketch on Monty Python's Flying Circus.

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It's been said that California is to America what America is to the world. This is troubling for all parties involved given the current state of affairs in the now-inaptly named Golden State. While today's guest Steve Hilton pulls no punches in his new book, Califailure, he carries some glad tidings in the form of voter trends that magnify what look to be glimmers of hope. Our resident Californians Peter Robinson and Steve Hayward soak up the glad tidings, putting them in a good enough mood to momentarily get over their post-Liberation Day jitters.

It's legal funtime hour with John Yoo calling in from the always optimistic Golden State. He, James and Charlie dig into the issues at root of the deportation fights between the executive and judicial branches. Considering everything from foreign thugs to Charlie's seditious past and our missed opportunity to conquer France in the early days of the Republic, the fellas turn up what powers they can for the president's effort to toss out the bad guys. 

Plus, Charlie bursts John's bubble about Ezra Klein's "new" pitch for abundance; James squints at the Ghibli Twitter takeover; and the gang is a bit puzzled by much of the Signalgate reaction. 

• Sound clip from this week's open: National Security Advisor Michael Waltz talks the Signal snafu on Fox News while DNI Tulsi Gabbard gets grilled by Sen. Mark Warner (D - VA) in committee.