The Political Orphanage

Alice Vaughn and Yvette d’Entremont return to explore the week's best, underserved headlines, including stuff about cannons, 90s video games, and pregnancy tests. You can watch this on YouTube! Head to:  https://youtu.be/U3TKyZKoZzM "Inspired by Kevin MacLeod" Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3918-inspired License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license   

Yuval Levin thinks our sclerotic government and alienated culture trace back to anemic, declining institutions. As Congress, the press, and think tanks all lose esprit de corps, and turn into platforms for individual self promotion, gridlock and disgust ensue. He’s the author of “A Time to Build: From Family and Community to Congress and the Campus, How Recommitting to Our Institutions Can Revive the American Dream.” He joins the show to discuss.

Jeremey Kareken and Andrew Young join the program to make sense of the week's greatest, underserved headlines. From a Scotsman who tries to cross the Irish Sea on a jet ski, to Adolf Hitler's alias, to an Austrian town sick of their inappropriate name.   "Del Rio Bravo" by Kevin MacLeod, Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5706-del-rio-bravo, License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license   “Alcohol, Diamonds, and Beef” by Kimarie Sky https://www.kimariesky.com/

Trump protestors stormed the U.S. Capitol today! Jen Briney of "Congressional Dish" and Justin Robert Young of "Politics Politics Politics" plus yours truly convene to try to inject some meaning into the landscape.

Larry Sharpe joins the program to talk about how the Covid pandemic will affect and depopulate major cities, why urban life naturally leads to a preference for strong government, and how a potential demographic reversal could result in a rural renaissance. Also: a good rant about the Federal Reserve!

American public schooling came into its own during the Industrial Revolution, with standardized age cohorts, bells signifying start and stop times, and predictable timelines. What models are apt to apply to our current era in the Digital Revolution?   Lisa Snell is Director of K-12 Education Policy Partnerships at Stand Together. She comes on to discuss how technology is leading away from standardized to individualized education, and how the pandemic is likely to accelerate that trend.

Gather round for the 2020 Third Annual Snuffy's Christmas Special! Brought to you by your friends at Snuffy's, Off Route 44, who both sponsored and insisted on writing this episode. Not suitable for emotionally well-adjusted children.   Cast: Andrew Heaton Josh Jennings Austin Bragg Justin Robert Young Ashley Paramour Brian Sack Jack Helmuth Kourtni Beebe Andrew Young

An all new Christmas special airs this Wednesday, Dec 23, 2020! Until then, enjoy the second Snuffy's Annual Christmas Special: "The Political Orphanage's oldest and most enthusiastic show sponsor, Snuffy's Off Route 44, has kindly offered to pay for this year's Christmas special. On the condition that the staff of Snuffy's write it in its entirety. Merry Christmas!" Featuring: Josh Jennings, Austin Bragg, Justin Robert Young, and Brian Brushwood. Season 2, Ep 25. Original air date December 2019

An all new Christmas special airs this Wednesday, Dec 23, 2020.  Until then, enjoy the first Snuffy's Annual Christmas Special: The show’s principle sponsor funds an entire holiday special, in exchange for allowing its waitstaff to write the entire script. Original air date: Dec 2018

Turner Sparks and Mike Kaplan, hosts of "Lost in America" rejoin the program to explore the week's funniest, underserved headlines. Including: the world's more efficient criminal, why Thai protests are aesthetically superior to all other protests, and novel ways to cook chicken and get arrested for it.