Newt's World

In his new book, “The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens”, New York Times bestselling author Richard Haass calls for bold change. He argues that the very idea of citizenship must be revised and expanded and makes his case for what he considers obligations for American citizens. Newt’s guest is Dr. Richard Haass. He is the president of the nonpartisan Council on Foreign Relations and an experienced diplomat and policymaker. He has served in the Pentagon, State Department, and White House under four presidents, Democrat and Republican alike.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What should our global strategy look like in an age of renewed great power competition? And what must America offer to a newly empowered developing world when we’re no longer the only major player? In his new book, “The American Imperative: Reclaiming Global Leadership Through Soft Power”, Dan Runde makes the case for building a new global consensus through vigorous internationalism and judicious use of soft power. Newt’s guest is Dan Runde. He is the senior vice president, director of the Project on Prosperity and Development and the William A. Schreyer Chair in Global Analysis at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newt discusses the 118th Congress, Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s agenda, the Commitment to America and the 40 new Republican members of Congress.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Like the Kennedys before them, the Bidens are a tight-knit, idealistic Irish Catholic clan with good looks, dynastic ambitions, and serious personal problems.  As “The Bidens” reveals, the best way to understand Joe Biden, his values, fears, and motives, is to understand his family.  Newt’s guest is Ben Schreckinger.  He is a national political correspondent at POLITICO.  Before that, he served as GQ’s Washington correspondent and covered the rise of Donald Trump as a campaign reporter.  His book, “The Bidens: Inside the First Family’s Fifty-Year Rise to Power” is out now. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why are drug prices so high in the United States? What impact will the recent “Inflation Reduction Act” have on Medicare and drug development? Newt’s guest is Dr. Tomas Philipson. He is the Daniel Levin Professor of Public Policy Studies Emeritus at the University of Chicago, Harris School of Public Policy. He also served as a member of the President’s Council of Economic Advisors from 2017-2019 and as its Chairman from 2019 to 2020. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Callista served as Ambassador to the Holy See, Newt spent three and half years in Rome as her “trailing spouse” and was taken with Rome’s history, art, cuisine, and people. Newt talks with his friend, the art historian Liz Lev, about living full-time in Rome, teaching, providing tours, and discussing the art of the Sistine Chapel. She teaches at Duquesne University’s Italian campus as well as the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newt has been an avid reader of Stephen Hunter’s books for many years, following closely the lives of his characters, Vietnam War veteran and sniper, Bob Lee Swagger, his father, Earl Swagger, a legendary marine, and Bob’s son, Ray Cruz. His latest novel, “The Bullet Garden: An Earl Swagger Novel” is out now. Newt’s guest is Stephen Hunter. He has written over twenty novels. He’s the retired chief film critic for The Washington Post, where he won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Distinguished Criticism. He has also published two collections of film criticism and a nonfiction work, “American Gunfight”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In his new book, “Never Forget Our People Were Always Free: A Parable of American Healing”, Ben Jealous draws from his own life lived on America’s racial fault line to deliver a series of gripping and lively parables that call on each of us to reconcile, heal and work fearlessly to make America one nation. Newt’s guest is Ben Jealous. He is the former national NAACP President and current President of People For the American Way, Professor of the Practice at the University of Pennsylvania, and the New York Times bestselling author of “Reach: 40 Black Men Speak on Living, Leading, and Succeeding”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The current national debt is $31.381 trillion dollars. On Thursday, January 19th, The U.S. Treasury Department announced the United States has reached its debt limit and they would begin a series of accounting measures to keep the United States from breaching its borrowing cap. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sent a letter to Congressional leadership about the debt limit, saying, “I respectfully urge Congress to act promptly to protect the full faith and credit of the United States.” Newt’s guest is Thomas Hoenig. He is the former Vice Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, former President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. He is currently a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

General George Catlett Marshall graduated from Virginia Military Institute, and served in the Philippines and in World War I.  He was later an aide to General John Pershing and assistant commandant of the Army’s infantry school where he taught many future commanders.  As chief of staff of the U.S. Army he directed army operations throughout World War II.  After his retirement in 1945, President Harry Truman sent him to China to mediate the civil war there.  As Secretary of State, Marshall proposed the European aid program known as the Marshall Plan and initiated discussions that led to the formation of NATO.  He resigned because of ill health but was called back by Truman to become Secretary of Defense and to prepare the armed forces for the Korean War. In 1953 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace.  Given everything he accomplished in his life, he truly is an Immortal.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.