Underneath the "cuddly" rhetoric of the Democatic Socialists there lurks admirers of some of the most evil men in history. And, says our guest Tal Fortgang of the Manhattan Institute, they are also poised to take control of the whole of the Democratic Party. 

There's also some hockey talk (USA! USA! USA!), the State of the Union and Gavin Newsom's SAT scores.

It's been said that there's no use in proposing that Donald Trump moderate his rhetoric, but with presidential approval ratings being what they are, a friendly reminder about duties and decorum might be just what the doctor ordered. Daniel Mahoney, author and professor emeritus at Assumption College, joins James and Steve to discuss his latest piece, "Discipline at a Moment of Power."

Plus, the fellas consider this morning's breaking news about the SCOTUS ruling on "emergency" tariffs, applaud Marco Rubio's performance in Munich, and reflect on the passing of Jesse Jackson and Robert Duvall.

Conservatism and the Republican Party have been at an impasse for some time. On the one hand, we're beholden to the enduring principles of our founding, on the other we're proud members of the world's most innovative state. Henry Olsen joins Steve and James this week to discuss life at the conservative crossroads. (Check out his new podcast series of the same name here!)

Plus, Lileks and Hayward celebrate the EPA's move to drop the greenhouse gas "endangerment finding," and mark the departure of a friend of Ricochet. Rest in peace, Mr. John Ekdahl.

Lingering cold has many a podcast host needing a week off, but Rob Long and Steve Hayward reconvene to enjoy some juicy stories and just desserts: The "Democracy Dies in Darkness" crowd got cut up in broad daylight, Jeffrey Epstein's pals are paying their due for dealing with the devil, and a $2 million verdict was awarded to a minor in a suit against the medical professionals who deformed her.

Peter returns to catch up with James of Snogadishu and Charles of the land of peace, prosperity, and enviable winter climate. It's good timing to have the ever-winsome Robinson back as the trio wraps their heads around another week of crazy that hits a little too close to home. They grapple with domestic disturbances revolving around another killing in the Twin Cities and the preposterous notion that journalists have special First Amendment privileges. There's also trouble abroad...all over the place, in fact. But we're feeling pretty good about a State Department left in Little Marco's hands.

We're one year into Trump 2.0. And it's America at 250. James, Steve and Charles discuss and debate an especially wild week for an already-adventurous Trump administration.

Sometimes you've just had enough. Bill Barr, two-time Attorney General and author of One Damn Thing After Another, knows the feeling. He joins James, Steve, and Charles today to discuss the legal grounds for the extraordinary rendition of Nicolás Maduro and the options available to federal law enforcement as the Twin Cities tiptoe around an insurrection. 

The trio speculates on whether the US is reversing its position on Iran, considers the supposed price tag on a Greenland buy, and James declares that he has absolutely no opinion on the new Star Trek series. Not a one. Zip, zero. Don't bother asking...

James, Steve, and Charles are back for a new year that seems determined to outdo its predecessor. Lileks reports from the Twin Cities, a site dead set on being the epicenter of American chaos. Then the fellas step out of the Minnesota cold to warm their bones by the fire of collectivism. And they round it all out with a chat about the ever-surprising Don Doctrine, which put an end to one tyrant last week and has many wondering what it could mean for Iran.

We have a special Christmas season episode to tide everyone over through the holidays. Steve Hayward sits down with Rob Long, who's just wrapped his first year at Princeton's Theological Seminary. They discuss dramatic career changes, the storyteller's take on the link between show business and the saving souls business, and the modern cultural discomfort with the faith of our fathers.

If you have access to the internet, you've likely seen a clip of Scott Jennings acting as a lone voice of reason on a noisy CNN panel. This week, he joins Steve and Charles to discuss his new book, A Revolution of Common Sense, an account of President Trump's fight against a whole lot of kinds of crazy.

Plus, Cooke and Hayward consider Australia's latest bid against gun ownership, suss out Susie Wiles' slip-up with the press, and marvel at the legacy of another kid from one of the other boroughs, Norman Podhoretz of Brooklyn, who passed this week at 95.