

The Back Room with Andy Ostroy
Produced by RFR and Andy Ostroy
The Back Room with Andy Ostroy presents a humorous, honest take on politics and pop culture featuring notable guest interviews, a shit-ton of righteous indignation, and rip-roaring repartee with co-producers Matty Rosenberg and Jen Hammoud. We're havin' a ball, and so will you!
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
Music by Andrew Hollander
Design by Cricket Lengyel
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
Music by Andrew Hollander
Design by Cricket Lengyel
Episodes
Mentioned books

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

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

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

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

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

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

Apr 5, 2025 • 48min
Andrew Weissmann on the Status of Trump 2.0's Legal Cases
Andrew Weissmann is the co-host of the popular podcast Prosecuting Donald Trump and is a frequent legal analyst for NBC/MSNBC. He serves on the board of Just Security and writes frequently for it, as well as The New York Times, The Atlantic, & The Washington Post. From 2017-2019 Andrew served as a lead prosecutor in Robert S. Mueller’s Special Counsel’s Office. His memoir about the Special Counsel investigation, Where Law Ends: Inside the Mueller Investigation , was a New York Times bestseller. He is also a Professor of Practice at New York University and teaches courses in national security and criminal procedure.
He also served as the General Counsel for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and from 2002-2005 he served as the Deputy and then the Director of the Enron Task Force where he supervised the prosecution of more than 30 individuals in connection with the company’s collapse. And he was also a federal prosecutor for 15 years in the Eastern District of New York, where he served as the Chief of the Criminal Division and prosecuted numerous members of the Colombo, Gambino, and Genovese families, including the bosses of the Colombo and Genovese families.
Join us for this super-insightful chat about the current status of the mounting lawsuits filed 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

Apr 3, 2025 • 56min
Liza Treyger On Her Netflix Comedy Special, Doing Stand-Up in the Age of 'Woke', And More!
Liza Treyger is an actress, comedian, and podcaster. She’s been named one of Variety’s “Top Ten Comics to Watch,” Rolling Stone’s “Ten Comics to Watch,” and Comedy Central’s “Comics to Watch”, and her first ever hour-long comedy special entitled “Night Owl” just dropped on Netflix. She recently wrapped production on season two of Netflix’s critically acclaimed comedy series “Survival of the Thickest”, and can next be seen in the independent feature “Damned If You Do”. She’s also the co-host of the podcast, That’s Messed Up: an SVU Podcast.
Jojn me for this super-fun chat with this super-funny comedian! We discuss her Netflix Comedy Special, doing stand-up in the age of 'woke', her love of Soul Cycle and weed, 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

Apr 1, 2025 • 40min
Michael Ian Black On Comedy, Acting, Trump 2.0, CNN's "Have I Got News For You" & More!
Michael Ian Black is an actor, writer, and comedian who began his career with the legendary sketch comedy troupe, The State. He then went on to co-create several television shows, including Viva Variety, Stella, and Michael & Michael Have Issues. His other tv credits include Ed, Another Period, The Jim Gaffigan Show, and the Wet Hot American Summer franchise. His film credits include This is 40, Sextuplets, The Baxter, and Linoleum. Michael’s written several screenplays, including Wedding Daze, which he directed, and Run, Fat Boy, Run. He’s also authored many books including My Custom Van (and 50 Mind-Blowing Essays That Will Blow Your Mind All Over Your Face), You’re Not Doing It Right, and his most recent A Better Man: A (Mostly Serious) Letter to My Son.
He is also the author of several award-winning books for children, including A Pig Parade Is A Terrible Idea, Chicken Cheeks, the I’m… series, and his satirical book, A Child’s First Book of Trump. Additionally, he’s hosted game shows including Trust Me I’m A Game Show Host, and Duck Quacks Don’t Echo on NatGeo. He’s co-created and hosted the How To Be Amazing, Topics, and Mike and Tom Eat Snacks podcasts and currently hosts the Obscure podcast. He’s currently a team captain on CNN’s Have I Got News For You. And he’s a stand-up comedian who has released several albums and specials and regularly tours the US.
Michael and I had an insightful, fun chat about his childhood, his early comedy inspirations and career, Trump 2.0, the CNN hit show "Have I Got News For You" and more. And don't miss our riveting discussion where we debate the pecking order of dinner theater, community theater, Medieval Times and Renaissance Fair!
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

Mar 29, 2025 • 58min
Lindsey Boylan On Former NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Sexual Harrassment and Abuse of Power
Lindsey Boylan has spent her career in urban planning and public service. She is the former Deputy Secretary for Economic Development and Housing for New York and served as Special Advisor to former Governor Andrew Cuomo. She was the first woman to come forward with accusations about Cuomo’s abuse of women and his related abuses of power. An unapologetic feminist, her words have appeared in leading publications including Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bazaar, Teen Vogue, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, and Gothamist.
Lindsey joins me in The Back Room to share her personal story and her mission to help victims of sexual harassment.
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