News & Brews
49 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 16 ratingsIt's like happy hour with your nerdy friends. Every Wednesday, Mike and Erol dive deep into the most consequential news stories of the week. Listen as they mix weighty insights with light hearts, lukewarm takes with cold hard facts, dry wit with frothy brews. No ID required.
Get in touch: [email protected]
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Episodes
Vaccine Diplomacy: Buying the world a poke
March 25, 2023 00:23 - 53 minutes - 73 MBAnna McCaffrey of the Global Health Policy Center at CSIS joins Mike and Erol to discuss Biden's announcement that the U.S. is sending more Covid-19 vaccines abroad.
The Year Democracy Fought Back
December 22, 2022 15:00 - 50 minutes - 69.5 MBAfter a lightning first round, Mike and Erol recap the most significant stories from 2022, covering everything from Ukraine to Elon Musk to the World Cup. And of course, we finish off the last episode of the year with some delightfully spicy nuggets. Mike's drinking: Wandering Bear Cold Brew Erol's drinking: Great Lakes Brewing Company Christmas Ale Richard Fontaine on the Lawfare podcast discussing the National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy, and Nuclear Posture Review:...
Do You Hear the People Xi?
December 01, 2022 12:30 - 1 hour - 83.7 MBWar crimes and winter weather in Ukraine. Elon unable to get out of Elon's way. A dinner party for the (dark, super anti Semitic) ages. And, for our main story, do you hear the people Xi? Well they're in the streets, singing a song of angry men. Mike's drinking: Austin Eastciders Original Dry Cider Erol's drinking: GT's Guava Goddess kombucha Spicy Nuggets: Erol: Christian Pulisic goes beast mode https://twitter.com/foxsoccer/status/1597677266330329089?s=46&t=azTPDEK7AkzjfFe_nt7zHg Sh...
America Passes Its Midterms*
November 16, 2022 15:43 - 1 hour - 91.5 MBMike and Erol are back talking all things democracy. Mike ponders the angles of democratic (and Democratic) slippery slopes while Erol wonders why it seems to be either jail or the presidency for leaders in Brazil and Israel. And both break down a good night* for Democrats (and democracy). *NOTE: Whenever Democrats are celebrating, an asterisk is required. Erol's drinking: ANXO District Dry Cider Mike’s drinking: ANXO Transcontinental Dry Cider Erol's spicy nugget: Dr. Jen Sciubba, me, a...
The Vibes Giveth
August 11, 2022 15:39 - 55 minutes - 76.9 MBThere was SO. MUCH. NEWS. in the last 2 weeks that Mike and Erol decide to go a bit rogue. The focus is all in the first round today, from Biden and Dems getting their groove back to a really bad couple of weeks for some really bad people. Erol's drinking: Green tea with honey, squeezed lemon, and freshly picked mint Mike's drinking: High Noon Guava Show Links: The drone that killed Zawahiri will haunt your dreams https://theweek.com/briefing/1015696/how-the-us-killed-al-qaeda-leader-aym...
Only Murders in the Capitol Building
July 29, 2022 15:59 - 1 hour - 101 MBIn this special episode of News & Brews, Mike goes deep on the January 6th hearings, piecing together all the shocks, twists, and turns into a ready-for-prestige-tv script. You won't want to miss it. And by you, we of course mean Netflix (our DMs are open). Mike's drinking: Wandering Bear Coffee Erol's drinking: The Corruption IPA by DC Brau Brewing Co. Spicy Nuggets Erol: Mike's impeccable skin care regime https://twitter.com/fran_eremeeva/status/1552673248952844290?s=20&t=SDzD9TOxK92G...
Why We (Usually Don't) Fight with Chris Blattman
July 27, 2022 20:30 - 51 minutes - 71.3 MBWe talk a lot about conflict on this show, whether it's in Ukraine, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Myanmar, or the US Capitol Building. But why do some conflicts turn into all-out war, while others fade away? University of Chicago professor Chris Blattman joins us to talk about his findings in his new book Why We Fight: The Roots of War and the Paths to Peace. We talk about how the insights from the book apply to two stories we've been tracking specifically — the Russia-Ukraine War and th...
The Economy Gets Weird
July 22, 2022 15:24 - 58 minutes - 80.8 MBIt's been a month since the last episode... and sh*t got weird. Inflation is at a 40 year high but also not that high (?) depending on how you look at it. BoJo finally rode off screaming into the sunset, a President broke up with his country over email, and somehow there were not one but two Super Marios on this week's episode. PLUS a new episode next week: Jan 6th Hearings Season 1 recap & interview with author and academic, Chris Blattman, on his new book: Why We Fight. Show Links: The ...
Petro at an Historic High
June 22, 2022 14:23 - 1 hour - 83.7 MBColombia makes all sorts of history but tbd how history will remember what happens next in Ukraine or whether the Jan 6 commission hearings will result in anything more than good ratings. Meanwhile, Mike walks us through how the economy simultaneously sucks and doesn't suck... spoiler alert: it's all clear as mud. Lastly, listen to this episode on the way to our first IRL happy hour, this Thursday June 23rd at 430p at Sauf Haus near Dupont Circle, DC! Show links: Erol's 2020 policy brief ...
We’re back! (For some Insurrectio-tainment!)
June 10, 2022 19:08 - 1 hour - 91.5 MBMike and Erol are back after a short mid-season break. They catch up on the queen's platinum jubilee, the first public hearing from the January 6 Committee, and the Summit of the Americas, which for Biden is shaping up to be…whatever the opposite of a banger is. Then they unpack the most recent series of horrific mass shootings and prospects for something (anything?) to change. And of course, they have some spicy nuggets. Erol's drinking: San Pellegrino Limonata Mike's drinking: Wandering ...
Special Episode: Ruh Roe
May 06, 2022 20:32 - 9 minutes - 13.5 MBMike gives us a solo episode unpacking the one issue on all our minds - the recent leaked draft decision on Roe v. Wade from SCOTUS. He dives into what "due process" really means for the future of Roe v. Wade and a brief history of abortion-related laws in the US. No brews this week, just lots of spicy news. Strict Scrutiny breakdown of the draft Dobbs decision: https://crooked.com/podcast/what-the-scotus-leak-could-mean-for-abortion/ Washington Post annotations to the decision: https://www.w...
Florida Cancels Mickey Mouse
April 27, 2022 13:20 - 50 minutes - 69 MBOur main story brings us to Texas and Florida, where GOP governors with their eyes on 2024 are overreaching right past the midterms. In the first round, we'll talk about good news for France, bad news for CNN+, and the ultimate Rorschach Test of news as Elon Musk gets closer to buying Twitter. Mike’s drinking: Founders All Day IPA Erol’s drinking: Guava Goddess Synergy Raw Kombucha Show Notes: Migrants thank Greg Abbott for the free bus ride to DC: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/26/us/...
Traveling Fouls with Lauren Wolfe
April 21, 2022 17:36 - 1 hour - 96.8 MBWith Erol out this week, Mike is joined by consumer advocate, world traveler, and former staffer to the German parliament Lauren Wolfe of the nonprofit Travelers United. Mike and Lauren take a rhetorical walk through mask mandates on their last legs, the invading Russian forces trying to find their footing in Ukraine, and China stumbling hard as it tries to get a leg up on the ongoing Covid outbreak. For our main story, Lauren takes us through some news she has been making recently: a lawsui...
M. Night Shyam-Elon’s Plot Twists
April 14, 2022 14:23 - 58 minutes - 80 MBNow that we're done binging Bridgerton, we can refocus on the courtship drama of Elon Musk and Twitter. Will they be on-again or off-again by the time you listen?From there, things get progressively more worrisome. The French elections could mean the rise of an authoritarian Putin apologist, Covid is trying to make a comeback, in our main story we look at the world's collective shrug as the IPCC screams into the void. Erol’s drinking: Right Proper Brewing Company Fear No Art IPA Mike’s dri...
Twitter’s Extreme Free Speech Makeover
April 06, 2022 14:28 - 1 hour - 83 MBElon Musk just became Twitter's largest shareholder and newest board member. We'll all tweet happily ever after, probably. In the first round, we've got lots of news from Congress this week: KBJ has a clear path to the bench, while Madison Cawthorn finds out what it takes in today's GOP to get...benched. And we'll check in on Ukraine, where the atrocities are mounting, force availability is in question, but the international community is providing an ample supply of strongly-worded statement...
Slapping a Tax on Billionaires
March 30, 2022 14:17 - 1 hour - 86.2 MBMike is back! He comes back after only a month off to a 1980s dystopia where Russia is attempting to reconstitute its empire, billionaires are complaining about taxes and pesky laws, and the Oscars are interesting again. Show Links: Steph Curry and Shaq's "The Queen of Basketball": https://vimeo.com/580833148 Peter Coy's tax explainer: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/28/opinion/billionaire-tax-biden.html Bob Gourley's Russia Ukraine 2022 Twitter list: https://twitter.com/i/lists/1483456...
No Money Mo Problems with Kristen Cordell & Sara Reckless
March 16, 2022 14:03 - 1 hour - 95.3 MBErol’s friends Kristen and Sara join the podcast this week to unpack conflict dynamics, shaky economics, and alternative reality spicy nuggets. Come for supply chain shocks, oily baskets of goods, and Russian academy lifetime achievement awards… Stay for a rousing call to action. Show Links: Fiona Hill on the Ezra Klein Show https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/11/podcasts/the-daily/fiona-hill-ukraine-russia-ezra-klein.html Russia waged a cheap war in Syria. Here’s what those tactics might loo...
Coitus, Quietus, & Exodus, LLC with Dr. Jennifer Sciubba
March 09, 2022 14:40 - 52 minutes - 71.7 MBThis week Erol and guest co-host Dr. Jennifer Sciubba wonder whether President Biden can be right and wrong at the same time and why the science says we’re basically getting little right and everything wrong on adapting to climate change. In the main story, Jen talks about her new book “8 Billion and Counting: How Sex, Death, and Migration Shape Our World”... during which we find out that basically everything we thought we knew about demographics is... just plain wrong. Erol's drinking: Man...
Ebola, Covid & Putin: Various Viruses with Erin Polich
March 02, 2022 13:40 - 59 minutes - 81.4 MBMike is out this week which means Erol gets to invite a friend on to talk about lots of things that can kill you. Erin Polich guest hosts for a tribute to Paul Farmer and a deadly conversation on Ebola, jet skis in Juba, masks against Covid-19 (this is a joke), accidentally crossing international borders, and yes, Vladimir Putin (this is not a joke). Erin's drinking: Distraction Brewing Hoppily Distracted Erol's drinking: Manor Hill Brewing Grain Reaper Spicy Nuggets: Erin: https://mymo...
Ma(Canada)GA Hated the Halftime Show
February 16, 2022 15:30 - 54 minutes - 74.4 MBThe Super Bowl Halftime Show was objectively perfect, according to our in-show poll of Xennial and Millennial podcast hosts. What's not so perfect? The actual (allegedly!) racist ways the NFL is running its business. Also: truckers menacing people and commerce in Canada, Russia menacing Ukraine, and the Megadrought menacing the Southwestern US. Finally: a surprise spicy nugget... make sure and listen to the end! Erol's drinking: Leffe Blonde Mike's drinking: Wicked Weed Pernicious IPA Sho...
The Gerrymanderlorian with David Imamura
February 09, 2022 15:34 - 1 hour - 108 MBIt’s hard to overstate what's at stake as states redraw their congressional districts this year. We get a behind-the-scenes look at how redistricting works from David Imamura, chair of New York State's redistricting commission. But first, we fly back to Ukraine for a reminder that civilians are more than just pawns on Putin’s chess board, we throw some fresh powder on the sledding hill that is the Biden Boom, and we bid farewell and good riddance to a radical (and now headless) snake. Erol’s...
Insane in the Ukraine
February 02, 2022 16:04 - 1 hour - 110 MBWhat is actually happening with Russia and Ukraine, and why does it matter? Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), joins us to talk about the facts on the ground and the bigger picture. From the brewing crisis in Eastern Europe to the brews flowing constantly on Downing Street, and from Nazi cats to Stephen Breyer’s vine and fig tree, it’s been a big news week and we're here for it. Mike's drinking: Steady Eddie IPA from Union Craft Brewing Erol's drinking:...
Insane in the Ukraine with Richard Fontaine
February 02, 2022 16:04 - 1 hour - 110 MBWhat is actually happening with Russia and Ukraine, and why does it matter? Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), joins us to talk about the facts on the ground and the bigger picture. From the brewing crisis in Eastern Europe to the brews flowing constantly on Downing Street, and from Nazi cats to Stephen Breyer’s vine and fig tree, it’s been a big news week and we're here for it. Mike's drinking: Steady Eddie IPA from Union Craft Brewing Erol's drinking:...
Inflate Away the Pay
January 26, 2022 15:38 - 1 hour - 85.4 MBTroops are on high alert on both sides of the Ukraine-Russia border, but Tucker Carlson is down to half-mast over the new cartoon M&Ms and that is NOT OKAY. We have more clarity now on the deranged anti-Semitism behind the Congregation Beth Israel attack, and Burkina Faso becomes the latest African nation to jump on the coup bandwagon. In our main story, inflation is driving market volatility and popular hostility; but is it really so different from the last 10+ years? Erol’s drinking: Laga...
Chile's OK Boomer Moment
January 19, 2022 15:28 - 46 minutes - 64.4 MB2022's Big Sick Energy continues, with classrooms shutting down, synagogues coming under siege, and Russia on the war path. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic gets very different receptions in Melbourne vs. Belgrade, and for our main story, we'll check in with Chile, where decades of turmoil and protest are culminating in an energetic young president and a constitutional convention. Erol’s drinking: Dance of Days Pale Ale from Atlas Brew Works Mike’s drinking: Z. Morris Blonde Ale from Black Flag B...
An Omi(cro)nous Start to 2022
January 13, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 87.6 MBHappy New Year? Mike and Erol are back for a second season, just in time to question whether Putin's telling the truth (he's not), whether Elizabeth Holmes is actually innocent (she's not), whether we're out of the pandemic yet (we're not), and whether we should all just give up and move to Venus (...) Erol’s drinking: San Francisco Bay Coffee Company French Roast Mike’s drinking: True Respite Week Away Hazy IPA Show links: "Democracy Talk Is Cheap" https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articl...
2021 Fast 2022 Furious
December 15, 2021 13:50 - 1 hour - 110 MBFor our last episode of 2021, we’ll look back at the news stories that made us laugh and cry the most this year. We’ll also get a head start on next year's cries with a 2022 “advance-spective,” whatever that is. And for good measure, in the first round we'll check in on two dumb-yet-destructive phenomena in this week's news: Omicron and Mark Meadows. Mike's drinking: Celebration Fresh Hop IPA from Sierra Nevada Erol's drinking: Partly Cloudy by Solace Brewing Co.
Vlad the Invader
December 08, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 92.6 MBWhat exactly is Vladimir Putin doing on the border with Ukraine... besides the obvious. Less obvious: the merits of a diplomatic Olympic boycott and how China will maintain zero Covid without tanking its (and the global) economy. Least obvious: what a dairy farmer can do to turn around a social media failure. Erol is drinking: Grisette Farmhouse Ale from Manor Hill Brewing Mike is drinking: Dreamland American Lager from Rogue Ales & Spirits
Oh My Cron!
December 01, 2021 14:38 - 55 minutes - 76.3 MBOmicron: not just the coolest Transformer anymore. We'll get into what we know, what we don't know, and what we can recklessly speculate about with the newest variant of Covid-19. In other news, Barbados finally breaks free from the British monarch, Black Friday breaks its winning streak, and Indian farmers break through to Modi. Erol's drinking: relax [IT’S JUST A HAZY IPA] from Offshoot Beer Co. Mike’s drinking: Cidre Blanc from ANXO Cidery Show Links: Economist graphic on omicron's sp...
Great Post-Covid Expectations
November 17, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 82.9 MBWe can't decide if this episode has an M. Night Shyamalan or a Charles Dickens storyline, so we'll just call it Oliver; you have to listen for the twist ending. Mike helps connect the dots between this week's economic news, the headwinds the Build Back Better bill faces in Congress, and promising developments in Covid treatments. But first, Erol marks the return of international travel with a journey back to Glasgow, and then over to the Belarus-Poland border. No twists there unfortunately, j...
Captain Planet vs. The Super Pollutants
November 10, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 84.3 MBWe get a firsthand report of the good, the bad, and the ugly at COP26 from James Turrito, Campaign Manager for Super Pollutants at the Clean Air Task Force. In a surprise twist, there is actually some good to report! Same goes for the Infrastructure bill passing the House, and the latest on the economy. But lest you think we've gone all rosy-colored glasses, we'll also talk about the latest from Ethiopia. Erol is drinking: Oban 14 Mike is drinking: Glenfiddich 12 James is drinking: Braum...
Rearranging Deck Chairs on the Death Star
November 03, 2021 11:00 - 57 minutes - 79.5 MBAs Mike and Erol desperately try to avoid looking at live VA governor's race returns, the pair returns to a favorite topic: summitry. In Rome G20 leaders have a plan that involves coinage and actual smart money is on very little at COP26 in Glasgow. Meanwhile, Zuck goes Meta and Alec Baldwin's misfire brings up more than just movie set safety. Erol's drinking: Solace Brewing Company Partly Cloudy Hazy IPA Mike's drinking: Aslin Beer Co. Palace Bohemian Pilsner
It's Complicated (Or Not?)
October 27, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 91.6 MBLots of news in democracy this week: Barbados goes all in on it, Sudan backslides from it, and Steve Bannon might actually face some consequences for trying to subvert it. In our main story, Africa’s largest country is becoming a powder keg of inequality, violence, corruption, climate change, jihadism, piracy, cryptocurrency, and more. Can the center hold in Nigeria? Mike is drinking: Elysian Superfuzz Blood Orange Ale Erol is drinking: Soda Stream H20 Tweet thread Erol mentions: https://t...
Game of Gangs
October 20, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 92.3 MBIt was a big week for gangs. The Yang gang starts a third party journey, a Haitian gang kidnaps missionaries, and the sorta gang-like construct that is the Chinese Communist Party faces some economic headwinds. Ok that last one was kinda forced, a bit like our (failed) attempts to not talk about infrastructure. Erol is drinking: Gute Nacht by Solace Brewing Company Mike’s drinking: Bell’s Two Hearted Ale Erol on The Truth of the Matter podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-t...
It's the Economy, Millennials
October 14, 2021 20:55 - 56 minutes - 77.8 MBAfter a week off, Mike & Erol dig in on the most important economic issue of our time: Joe Biden canceling Christmas. In the first round, we check in on millennial world leaders and CEOs (spoiler: we're leaning toward Team Boomer), and we revisit the legislative perfect storm from the last episode (spoiler: still a-brewing). Mike is drinking: Some High Quality H20 Erol is drinking: Stok Cold Brew Coffee - Unsweet Black
A Perfect (Non Climate-Related) Storm
September 29, 2021 11:00 - 54 minutes - 74.3 MBThis week, Mike and Erol talk about ancient predators, and also Tyrannosaurus Rex. The US has too many murders, the UK has too few truck drivers, and Germany has just the right amount of democracy. For our main story, a perfect storm is brewing in Congress: #BuildBackBetter is on the brink, the government is about to shut down, and the US is about to default on its debts. But, objectively, it's a lovely time of year in DC. What Erol’s drinking: Lagunitas Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale What Mik...
“Donnez-moi un break”
September 23, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 90.1 MBAs the UN General Assembly kicks off this week, AUKUS gets awkward. We check in on the Texas 1984-meets-Handmaid's Tale crossover special. Mike wonders what it would mean to bring a galaxy brain strategy to vaccine distribution, while Nicki Minaj's cousin's friend has his own kind of "galaxy brain" problems. Mike's drinking: Dogfish Head Punkin Ale Erol's drinking: Topo Chico Show links: WaPo op-ed from Dr. Alan Braid: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/09/18/texas-abortion-provide...
Finally, Some Good News
September 15, 2021 11:00 - 49 minutes - 67.9 MBWe're verging on Upworthy territory this week: Biden's vaccine mandate could be the shot in the arm this country needs, child poverty in America is way down, and we're starting to see some progress on "long haul" Covid. But before we get ahead of ourselves, China may also be pulling from Putin's playbook or worse on LGBT rights, and this week saw current and former presidents mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11 as only they can -- for better or worse. Mike's drinking: Waterloo Black Cherry sp...
We're All Sideshow Bob Stepping on Rakes Now
September 01, 2021 11:00 - 54 minutes - 74.5 MBWill Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes make the jury's blood boil, or draw first blood from the prick she used to date? In Earth news, we've got Fire in the west, Wind and Water in the east. America's longest war is over -- not to get all King George about this, but...what comes next? And has Erol finally found his Achilles heel? What Erol's drinking: DC Brau Oktoberfest What Mike's drinking: Green Man Cider The Atlantic article on Afghanistan in the 1950s and '60s: https://www.theatlan...
"Hi, Mr. Van!"
August 25, 2021 11:00 - 49 minutes - 68.2 MBWelcome to a Very Delta Back-to-School season. The Kabul Airlift continues and the US Capitol Building comes under threat again, but we’ve got good news on Josephine Baker, a new potential mRNA vaccine for HIV (#anagrams), and…local news in Baltimore? What Mike's drinking: Ghost of the James APA from Three Notch'd Brewing What Erol's drinking: Tucher Helles Hefeweizen
Afghanistan 2001 (Taylor's Version)
August 18, 2021 11:00 - 53 minutes - 72.9 MBAfghanistan is fully broken, with the Taliban's return to power after 20 years. It's a tough week for Haiti too, as natural disasters pile on top of political ones. On the bright side, the U.S. is expanding food stamps, Nancy Pelosi is making it clearer than ever that she has zero time for amateurs, and Erol got to play with some spy gear. What Mike's drinking: Lagunitas Super Cluster What Erol's drinking: Leffe Brown Links referenced in this episode: Erol Yayboke's op-ed, "The Next Big ...
Tucker Carlson Fiddles While the World Burns
August 11, 2021 11:00 - 58 minutes - 79.7 MBThis week Mike and Erol talk about whether the continuation of the human race is actually a thing according to a new UN IPCC report. Anti-democratic states from Hungary to Florida get the Carlsonian/DeSantisian treatment. And bipartisanship peaks its head out from under the covers while Andrew Cuomo finally realizes that being a dinosaur is not an excuse. What Mike's drinking: Ginger's Revenge Original Ginger Beer What Erol's drinking: Solace Brewing Co. Partly Cloudy IPA
Local news is dying. Does it matter? (with Dr. Nikki Usher)
August 04, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 92.3 MBThis week, Mike and Erol are joined by Dr. Nikki Usher, Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Senior Fellow at the Open Markets Institute. Her new book, “News for the Rich, White, and Blue” traces the decline of local newspapers in cities that don’t have the Times or the Post, and how it has reshaped the landscape of news production and consumption. We talk about how the market for news has failed, what it has meant for our beloved places and papers like the ...
No Sex in the Champion's Room
July 21, 2021 10:52 - 50 minutes - 68.7 MBThe Olympics kick off this week with fake news about cardboard beds, real news about free condoms, and maybe even some sports. Jair Bolsonaro is in the hospital with the hiccups, while Jeff Bezos is in space with a badass legend of aviation. Joe Biden is flirting with a 2-front cyberwar against China and Facebook, and the only good news out of Cuba is coming from...Guantanamo? What Erol's drinking: Bell's Official Hazy India Pale Ale What Mike's drinking: Green Man Demon Dweller Barrel-Age...
Joe Biden Will Fix Your Tractor, etc.
July 14, 2021 10:00 - 59 minutes - 81.2 MBJoe Biden issues a game-changing executive order to revitalize competition in U.S. industries, while Xi Jinping kneecaps a promising Chinese company's IPO. We're seeing failed states in Haiti, Cuba, and Texas, with some rays of hope in the Euro final, but none at CPAC. Zero mentions of billionaires in space, you're welcome. What Erol's Drinking: Sun’s Out Hops Out by the Solace Brewing Company in Sterling, VA What Mike's Drinking: Rock Steady sparkling rosé by Sipwell Wine Co. in Paso Rob...
The Ocean is Burning, and Other Stories
July 07, 2021 11:00 - 48 minutes - 66.1 MBThis week, Mike and Erol get back to the basics: talking about the news and drinking the brews. Mike's on location in CA while Erol holds down the fort in DC with a conversation that goes from Kabul to the cryosphere. They cover everything from a controversy in South Korea to a super not controversial series of indictments in NY, and from Sha’Carri Richardson’s unbelievable suspension to an eminently believable Russian cyberattack. Tune in for everything you need to know about this week's ne...
Infrastructure: Weak?
June 30, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 85.9 MBSundar Ramanujam of the Center for Strategic & International Studies joins Mike and Erol to discuss the infrastructure policy framework agreed to last week by President Biden and a bipartisan group of senators. Come for the fiscal responsibility, spirit of compromise, and 32-oz crowler, stay for a cameo from friend of the show Donatienne Ruy! What Mike's drinking: National Bohemian Lager aka Natty Boh What Sundar's drinking: Carlsberg aka Probably the Best Beer In The World (?) What Erol’...
Progress, or Congress?
June 23, 2021 11:00 - 50 minutes - 68.8 MBThis week, Senate Republicans blocked discussion of the For the People Act, while Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) penned an op-ed reiterating her opposition to ending the filibuster. All to say, the easy wins have been won, and Biden's legislative agenda faces an uphill battle from now to 2022, and beyond. To help make sense of it all, Mike and Erol are joined by Andy Reynolds, Senior Vice President at Civix Strategy Group. What Mike was drinking: Green Man ESB What Erol was drinking: Power Mov...
America’s Back: ! or ?
June 16, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 88.8 MBLet’s dig into the G7, NATO summit, and the US-Russia meeting in Geneva. Donatienne Ruy of the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia program joins Mike and Erol to discuss. Learn more about Donatienne’s recent work. What Mike was drinking: Duvel What Erol was drinking: St. Bernardus Abt 12 What Donatienne was drinking: La Chouffe