The Lunch Hour with Federal Newswire

In this episode of the Federal Newswire Lunch Hour, host Andrew Langer is joined by Brian Darling, founder of Liberty Public Affairs and former congressional staffer, to examine the U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.The conversation explores presidential war powers, congressional authorization, historical parallels to Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Panama, and the constitutional limits designed to restrain crisis-driven foreign policy. Darling and Langer discuss whether capturing a foreign head of state constitutes an act of war, the risks of unclear justifications for intervention, and how America’s foreign policy credibility is shaped by follow-through—or the lack of it.This episode offers a sober, legally grounded discussion of U.S. interventionism, executive authority, and the long-term consequences of military action abroad.Watch Full-Length Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@Lunchhour_FNW

In this episode of the Federal Newswire Lunch Hour, host Andrew Langer sits down with national security expert J. Michael Waller, Senior Analyst for Strategy at the Center for Security Policy, for a wide-ranging and urgent conversation on artificial intelligence, China, and the new Cold War Waller explains how the Chinese Communist Party is racing to dominate AI by 2030, using intellectual property theft, influence operations, and psychological warfare to undermine American institutions from within. The discussion covers AI-driven espionage, Chinese industrial strategy, academic infiltration, TikTok-style data harvesting, and the risks of letting adversaries set global AI standards.The episode also explores how Western complacency, libertarian blind spots, and the absence of a coherent national strategy have left the U.S. vulnerable—while China accelerates nuclear power development, robotics manufacturing, and AI-enabled influence campaigns.Watch Full-Length Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@Lunchhour_FNW

As artificial intelligence and data centers drive explosive growth in electricity demand, America’s energy infrastructure is falling behind. On this episode of the Federal Newswire Lunch Hour, host Andrew Langer sits down with Daniel Turner, founder of Power the Future, to break down why energy costs are rising, how electrification mandates strain the grid, and why nuclear power, permitting reform, and realistic energy policy matter more than ideology.Watch Full-Length Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@Lunchhour_FNW

Actor Dean Butler joins Federal Newswire Lunch Hour to discuss Little House on the Prairie, Michael Landon’s creative vision, and why the show’s themes of kindness, clarity, and moral storytelling still resonate more than 50 years later. Butler also reflects on the Little House Homecoming documentary, fan culture, historical preservation, and his career spanning Broadway, Sondheim, and television.Watch Full-Length Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@Lunchhour_FNW

In this episode of the Federal Newswire Lunch Hour, host Andrew Langer sits down with Tom Schatz, President of Citizens Against Government Waste, for a wide-ranging conversation on federal spending, Medicare reform, and the failures of government price controls. The discussion covers the legacy of the Reagan-era Grace Commission, the track record of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), the risks of drug price controls, and why patient-centered, market-driven healthcare remains critical to innovation and affordability. A candid, policy-focused examination of how government inefficiency persists—and what reforms actually work.Watch Full-Length Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@Lunchhour_FNW

On this episode of the Federal Newswire Lunch Hour, host Andrew Langer is joined by Guy Bentley, Director of Consumer Freedom at Reason Foundation, for a wide-ranging conversation on the modern nanny state. They break down the global neo-temperance movement targeting alcohol, aggressive nicotine bans and taxes sweeping New England, and the backlash against legalized sports betting. The discussion unpacks how public health, corruption risk, black markets, and personal liberty collide when government tries to regulate behavior instead of culture.Watch Full-Length Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@Lunchhour_FNW

America’s lawsuit system is being quietly reshaped by billions in foreign capital — and most people have no idea it’s happening. In this episode of the Federal Newswire Lunch Hour, Andrew Langer talks with Jon Bergner, Executive Director of Americans for Litigation Tax Fairness, about how third-party litigation funding has exploded into a multibillion-dollar industry, why sovereign wealth funds are pouring money into U.S. lawsuits, and how this creates national-security vulnerabilities, higher consumer costs, and perverse incentives in the courts.Bergner breaks down how opaque financing, tax loopholes, and foreign investors can influence U.S. litigation outcomes — and why Congress is now pushing the TPLF Act to restore transparency and fairness. A must-watch for anyone interested in law, policy, national security, or the rising cost of doing business in America.Watch Full-Length Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@Lunchhour_FNW

This episode of the Federal Newswire Lunch Hour dives deep into the cutting edge of AI, propaganda analysis, and regulatory policy with economist and data-innovation expert Dr. Weifeng Zhong. Host Andrew Langer explores how Zhong built the Policy Change Index—an AI-driven system used to forecast government actions in authoritarian regimes like China, Russia, and North Korea. Zhong also discusses his personal journey leaving mainland China, explains how propaganda signals reveal state intentions, and breaks down new findings on regulatory burdens inside the U.S. government. A forward-looking conversation about technology, freedom, economics, and how policy shapes the world we live in. Watch Full-Length Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@Lunchhour_FNW

In this episode of the Federal Newswire Lunch Hour podcast, host Andrew Langer sits down with CEI senior fellow Richard Morrison for a blunt, eye-opening conversation about cronyism, corporate subsidies, stadium deals, ESG score manipulation, and how government power fuels corruption. Morrison breaks down the Amazon HQ2 bidding wars, sweetheart tax deals, the failures of ESG ratings, and the political incentives that distort markets and hurt taxpayers. They also explore solutions rooted in limiting government overreach, strengthening transparency, and restoring real market competition. A must-watch for anyone interested in economic policy, corporate governance, or public-sector accountability.Watch Full-Length Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@Lunchhour_FNW

Economist and former White House advisor Dr. Vance Ginn joins host Andrew Langer to break down why America’s health-care system needs market-based reform, how over-regulation hurts innovation, and what’s at stake in the growing battle between socialism and liberty. Hear insights on cost-benefit analysis, deregulation, and the real meaning of economic freedom in this episode of Federal Newswire Lunch Hour.Watch Full-Length Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@Lunchhour_FNW