Q & A, Hosted by Jay Nordlinger

That was the title of a column long ago, and for many years – first written by Drew Pearson, then by Jack Anderson: “The Washington Merry-Go-Round.” Robert Costa is a national political reporter for the Washington Post. He is also the moderator of “Washington Week,” a political analyst for NBC News, etc. He and Jay worked together at National Review. Jay asks him what it’s like to have a front-row... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Peter Pomerantsev has written a couple of books with very interesting titles. Their subjects are important, too. A few years ago, Pomerantsev published “Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible,” about the “surreal heart” of Putin’s Russia. Now he has published “This Is Not Propaganda,” about … well, propaganda, or fake news, or disinformation. It is a worldwide epidemic. Pomerantsev is a Soviet... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Denise Ho is a star in Hong Kong and in the broader Asian world. She is a singer and actress. She is also a democracy leader. She has been in the throes of the protests in her home city. What has her activism done to her artistic career? What are the prospects for the democracy movement in Hong Kong? What do protesters expect of the outside world, if anything? Denise Ho is a wonderful interviewee... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Jonathan V. Last, executive editor of The Bulwark, is known as “JVL.” Jay (S.) Nordlinger is not known as “JSN” – but we will call him that just for the purposes of this episode. Jay and Jonathan worked together at The Weekly Standard many years ago – indeed, in the last century. On this podcast, Jay asks Jonathan the pregnant question: What does the “V” stand for? They go on to Jonathan’s... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

The baseball master talks to Jay about a slew of issues: How was the 2019 season? What about the (current) playoffs? Who are the future Hall of Famers? Is the Hall selective enough? What reforms of the game would be advisable? What about the relative paucity of black American players? What about the preeminence of Latin American players? What is the role of managers? And of GMs? And of owners? Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Today, Jay turns “Q&A” into an old-fashioned “Need to Know,” with his “friend, colleague, heroine, and podcast partner,” as he puts it: Mona Charen. They talk Trump-Ukraine-impeachment, of course. And then Greta (the teen climate-change activist), China, Turkey, Egypt, etc. A lot of laughs, a little yelling, and some keen analysis. At the beginning, Jay asks Mona a potentially sensitive question... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Tanya Chan is a legislator from Hong Kong and a democracy leader. She has just given testimony before the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva (as an invitee of UN Watch, a non-governmental organization accredited at the U.N.). Chan talks with Jay about the democracy movement in Hong Kong. What does it want? What is its current mood? Who calls the shots in the city, the local government or the... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

At some point in this conversation, the guys get into “The Super Bowl Shuffle” – from the Chicago Bears in the 1980s. That leads to other music associated with particular teams: “Another One Bites the Dust” and the Detroit Lions; “We Are Fam-i-ly” and the Pittsburgh Pirates. This is a sportscast, with David French and Vivek Dave (hosted by Jay). We’ve got college football: Nick Saban and them. We’... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

As Jay says in his introduction, John Relyea is a wonderful singer, a wonderful guy – and, it turns out, a wonderful conversationalist. You will enjoy getting to know this Canadian bass-baritone, who has many insights, observations, and stories, related amiably. Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

One of Jay’s favorite conductors – and favorite conductor-interviewees – is Manfred Honeck, the Austrian who leads the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. He played in the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for some years. His brother Rainer is still there: as a concertmaster. Jay had a conversation with Maestro Honeck – Manfred Honeck – at the Salzburg Festival last week. They discussed music and his life. Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe