The Back Room with Andy Ostroy

Produced by RFR and Andy Ostroy
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Apr 24, 2025 • 30min

CO Rep. Jason Crow on Trump 2.0, Hegseth/SignalGate, the Economy, Tariffs and Trade Wars, the Path Forward for Democrats, and Whether the MAGA Fever is Starting to Break

He represents Colorado’s 6th Congressional District and serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Armed Services Committee, on which he is the Ranking Democrat of the Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittee. He’s a former Army Ranger and Bronze Star recipient who enlisted in the National Guard and worked construction to help pay his way through college. Congressman Crow and I chat about Trump 2.0, Pete Hegseth and SignalGate, the economy, tariffs and trade Wars, the path forward for Democrats, and if the MAGA fever is starting to break. And, whether the Knicks and Nuggets will make it to the NBA Finals! Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel
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Apr 23, 2025 • 30min

Illinois Rep. Sean Casten On the Democrats' Fight To Win Back The Working Class!

As a scientist, clean energy entrepreneur and CEO, and now a member of Congress representing Illinois’ 6th Congressional district. Rep. Sean Casten has dedicated his life to fighting climate change. He serves on the House Financial Services Committee and the Joint Economic Committee. He also serves as Vice-Chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) and is a Co-Chair of the Sustainable Investment Caucus. Join us for this insightful chat about Trump 2.0 and the challenging road ahead for the Democratic Party as it fights to protect Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, veterans benefits, the environment, and more and win back the working class. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel
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Apr 21, 2025 • 36min

Mary Trump on Uncle Donnie's Chaos and Attack on Democracy

Mary Trump is an American psychologist and author. Her first book, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man (2020), sold nearly one million copies on its first day of publication. She is the author of two other New York Times bestsellers, The Reckoning, and a memoir, Who Could Ever Love You. Mary holds a PhD in clinical psychology and, as an adjunct professor at Adelphi University, taught graduate courses in developmental psychology, psychopathology, and trauma. She also has a Master’s degree in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University. She writes The Good in Us, a best-selling newsletter on Substack, is the founder of Mary Trump Media whose YouTube channel has over 370,000 subscribers, and is well-known as the niece and outspoken critic of former president Donald Trump. Don't miss this incredibly insightful conversation about the current political landscape and the challenging road ahead for American democracy. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel
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Apr 19, 2025 • 58min

CT Congressman John Larson On the Attack On Social Security by Trump, Musk and DOGE

Congressman John Larson represents Connecticut's First District. Now in his thirteenth term, he sits on the influential House Ways and Means Committee—including the Subcommittee on Trade and the Social Security Subcommittee, where he serves as the Ranking Member. Join us for this important conversation about the attack on Social Security by Trump, Musk and DOGE. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel
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Apr 16, 2025 • 55min

Jill Schlesinger on the Economic, Tariff and Stock Market Turmoil, and, Advice for Investors!

Jill Schlesinger is the Emmy and Gracie Award winning Business Analyst for CBS News. She appears on CBS radio and television stations nationwide covering the economy, markets, investing and anything else with a dollar sign. She is a weekly guest on NPR’s “Here and Now” and writes the nationally syndicated column “Jill on Money”. She is the author of two books, The Great Money Reset and The Dumb Things Smart People Do With Their Money. Jill is also the host of the “Jill on Money” and the “MoneyWatch” podcasts and of the nationally syndicated radio show, “Jill on Money”. She is a frequent speaker on a variety of topics, including macroeconomic, market and demographic trends; workplace issues for women and LGBT employees in financial services; and how to create authentic branding. She serves on the board of the New York City Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center. Jill and I get into all of it...the economy, the tariffs and trade wars, stock market anxiety, the bond market meltdown, the threat of recession, and what investors should be doing defensively to minimize their downside. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel
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Apr 14, 2025 • 47min

Andrew Feinberg on Tariffs, Trade Wars, Turmoil, Musk and More!

Andrew Feinberg has been a journalist in the nation's capital for nearly two decades and is currently the White House correspondent for The Independent, covering the executive branch, Congress, campaigns and political investigations across the United States. He was the first journalist to report on the exact timing of the unprecedented first federal indictment of former president Donald Trump in June 2023. He also broke the story of the Trump White House social media monitoring operation that gave Mr Trump's aides advance warning of plans for violence on January 6, 2021. Andrew's work has also appeared in Politico Magazine, Newsweek, Washington Business Journal, The Hill, and Communications Daily. Join us for this insightful conversation about Donald Trump's tariff and trade war debacle, the motivations behind this disastrous economic policy, and where it all might be headed. We also discuss Trump 2.0, Elon Musk, DOGE, the spending cuts and more. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel
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Apr 12, 2025 • 48min

Elie Honig on Trump 2.0's Legal Cases, Due Process, the Rule of Law and the Courts

Elie Honig is an attorney and CNN senior legal analyst and the bestselling author of Hatchet Man and last year's Untouchable: How Powerful People Get Away With It. He’s a former assistant United States attorney for the Southern District of New York. He also hosts podcasts, writes for CAFE, Vox Media and writes a weekly column for New York Magazine. Elie's back in The Back Room unpacking the latest with the myriad legal cases against the Trump administration. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel
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Apr 9, 2025 • 38min

Filmmaker Kevin Macdonald on his New Documentary ONE TO ONE: JOHN AND YOKO

Kevin Macdonald is a Scottish born filmmaker who’s worked across feature films, documentary and television over the last 25 years. His best known films include: ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER, (Oscar win for Best Documentary, 2000) TOUCHING THE VOID, THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND, LIFE IN A DAY, MARLEY, WHITNEY, THE MAURITANIAN, and his new film, ONE TO ONE: JOHN AND YOKO, which premiered at Venice and Telluride in 2024 and opens exclusively in IMAX on April 11. Kevin is also the co-author of Imagining Reality, a history of documentary film. A must for fans of The Beatles, John and Yoko, and documentary film! Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel
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Apr 8, 2025 • 39min

David Enrich on Trump 2.0 and His New book "Murdcer the Truth" About the Attacks on the Media

David Enrich is the Business Investigations Editor at the New York Times and the bestselling author of “Dark Towers and Servants of the Damned”. The winner of numerous journalism awards, he previously was an editor and reporter at the Wall Street Journal. His first book, “The Spider Network: How a Math Genius and Gang of Scheming Bankers Pulled Off One of the Greatest Scams in History”, was short-listed for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year award. His new book is “Murder the Truth: Fear, the First Amendment, and a Secret Campaign to Protect the Powerful”. Join us for this critically important and timely chat about free speech, the media, the Supreme Court and the legendary New York Times v. Sullivan decision on public figures and defamation. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel
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Apr 7, 2025 • 31min

Victoria Nourse on Trump 2.0, Congress and the Assault on the Rule of Law and Democracy

Victoria Nourse is the Whitworth Professor of Law at Georgetown. She teaches and writes about Congress and the separation of powers. She has worked in the White House for former Vice-President Biden as his chief counsel, and in the Congress, DOJ, and in private practice. Join us for this compelling chat about Trump 2.0, the role of Congress, and the assault on the rule of law and Democracy. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

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