
Night Owls
Joe Klein and John Ellis on what's happening and what happens next. Joe Klein is the author of seven books and "Sanity Clause," a Substack newsletter. John Ellis is the founder and editor of two Substack newsletters — News Items and Political News Items. The two friends have covered American politics for a combined 95 years.
Latest episodes

Mar 24, 2024 • 46min
Episode 15
Exploring Trump's financial challenges, a Biden family scandal tied to Medicare fraud, insights on inflation by Larry Summers, and rising grocery prices in Kenosha. The episode also covers Biden's unique sneakers, White House secrecy, and a Democratic Party operative's decision to undergo assisted suicide.

Mar 17, 2024 • 59min
Episode 14
Chuck Schumer puts Bibi on the clock. Systems of weapons, not weapon systems. GM is watching you drive, all the time, and selling your data to auto insurers. This and more in Episode 14 of 'Night Owls.'

Mar 10, 2024 • 52min
Episode 13
Exploration of political dynamics amidst challenges like Biden's state of the union speech, Supreme Court rulings, and evolving strategies of political figures. In-depth analysis of Republican voter sentiments, impact of AI on society, economic challenges in China, and the complexities of India's growing influence and Pakistan's nuclear weapons.

Mar 2, 2024 • 57min
Episode 12
A lengthy interview with Steve Coll, author of the just-released "The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the C.I.A., and the Origins of America's Invasion of Iraq". Mr. Coll is the David Halberstam of his generation. You'll understand why we say that after you listen to this episode.

Feb 25, 2024 • 46min
Episode 11
A walk around the news neighborhood. Joe surveys a political culture going off the rails. John bangs on about deep fakes and the possibility of a "hacked" election. More important: the pace of scientific discovery accelerates, advancing hope around the world.

Feb 19, 2024 • 48min
Episode 10
Joe Klein talks to Elaine Ciulla and William Galston, co-authors of the seminal paper The Politics of Evasion: Democrats and the Presidency, about immigration, Trump, the challenges facing the Democratic Party and more.

Feb 9, 2024 • 56min
Episode 9
Discussion on Trump's potential ceiling, Supreme Court decision and border control politics, situation in Mexico and impeachment of Mayorkas, coalition government and Biden's strategy, deep fake audio in the election, Houthis' precision and China's economic challenges, American Fiction movie and cultural appreciation, recent favorite books and cyber hacking threat.

Feb 3, 2024 • 49min
Episode 8
Discussions include ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, American far-right extremism, the political power of Taylor Swift, the situation in Iran and the Middle East, Israeli settlements in Gaza, a possible Ruby Ridge-like situation in Texas, the Oklahoma City bombing, China's real estate industry, and the rise of populism and the disconnect with expertise.

Jan 26, 2024 • 44min
Episode 7
Joe and John discuss New Hampshire primaries, Nikki Haley's political success, deep fake audio, hacking into election systems, negotiations on the border crisis, and journalistic encounters in the latest episode of the podcast.

Jan 17, 2024 • 29min
Episode 6
Joe and John discuss the Iowa results. Joe is unnerved by some of the exit poll results. John expects DeSantis to endorse Trump before South Carolina. If the exit poll data are accurate, Haley has no chance of winning the GOP nomination.