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PODCAST

Talk Cocktail

Jeff Schechtman

Jeff Schechtman talks with authors, journalists, newsmakers and opinion shapers, and sheds light on the issues of the day, from local stories to national and international headlines and ideas. jeffschechtman.substack.com

news & politics

All Episodes

48:48

Why America Can’t Do Big Things

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/05/07

America once built highways and reached the moon. Now we can’t even fix a bridge. The reason? The reforms meant to improve government have paralyzed it.In this recent WhoWhatWhy podcast I talk with Marc Dunkelman, whose recent book, Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress — and How to Bring It Back, uncovers the real reasons why America has lost its ability to build and manufacture. The culprit? A fundamental shift in progressive thinking itself. Dunkelman reveals how a deep distrust of and

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48:49

Why America Can’t Do Big Things

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/05/07

America once built highways and reached the moon. Now we can’t even fix a bridge. The reason? The reforms meant to improve government have paralyzed it.In this recent WhoWhatWhy podcast I talk with Marc Dunkelman, whose recent book, Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress — and How to Bring It Back, uncovers the real reasons why America has lost its ability to build and manufacture.The culprit? A fundamental shift in progressive thinking itself.Dunkelman reveals how a deep distrust of and “cultural

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28:33

Does Hollywood Have A Next Act?

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/05/03

On this recent California Sun podcast I talk with Ben Fritz, who covers the entertainment industry for The Wall Street Journal. We explore Hollywood’s perfect storm of existential threats — empty theaters, streaming wars, production flight, artificial intelligence. If that wasn’t enough, as Fritz has reported: audiences today seem to be rejecting both franchise tentpoles and original films. He discusses whether Hollywood can reinvent itself as it has done in the past and adapt to technological

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46:48

Is China On Borrowed Time?

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/05/01

In this WhoWhatWhy podcast, I talk with China expert Dinny McMahon who explains how Beijing is desperately racing to innovate its way out of demographic disaster — replacing construction-led growth with advanced manufacturing and automation. But as the collapsing property market exposes mountains of municipal debt, and rising global trade barriers threaten China’s export-driven strategy, the sustainability of this economic pivot hangs in the balance.As factories across China operate in darkness —

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29:26

Humor as our Democratic Lifeline

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/04/30

My guest Christine Wenc was present at the creation, asThe Onion evolved from a Madison coupon delivery vehicle to America's finest news source. In a world drowning in existential threats, political polarization, and assaults on truth, humor and satire aren't just entertainment—they're essential lifelines for our collective sanity and democracy. For over 35 years, The Onion has masterfully wielded satire as a weapon of mass enlightenment, helping Americans process tragedy and revealing deeper truths

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47:03

Is China On Borrowed Time?

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/04/26

In this WhoWhatWhy podcast, I talk with China expert Dinny McMahon who explains how Beijing is desperately racing to innovate its way out of demographic disaster — replacing construction-led growth with advanced manufacturing and automation. But as the collapsing property market exposes mountains of municipal debt, and rising global trade barriers threaten China’s export-driven strategy, the sustainability of this economic pivot hangs in the balance.As factories across China operate in darkness —

en

43:28

Eminent Jews

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/04/25

David Denby, long time New York Magazine film critic and acclaimed New Yorker writer, joins me to discuss his captivating new book "Eminent Jews." He examines how Leonard Bernstein, Mel Brooks, Betty Friedan, and Norman Mailer—all born within eight years of each other—wielded their Jewish heritage as a creative weapon in post-WWII America. In our conversation, Denby reveals how these boundary-breaking figures transformed American culture with their bold, unapologetic genius while embodying a new

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43:29

Eminent Jews

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/04/23

David Denby, long time New York Magazine film critic and acclaimed New Yorker writer, joins me to discuss his captivating new book "Eminent Jews." He examines how Leonard Bernstein, Mel Brooks, Betty Friedan, and Norman Mailer—all born within eight years of each other—wielded their Jewish heritage as a creative weapon in post-WWII America. In our conversation, Denby reveals how these boundary-breaking figures transformed American culture with their bold, unapologetic genius while embodying a new

en

29:41

Could Trump Buy His Own Private Army?

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/04/17

In this recentWhoWhatWhy podcast, I talk with John Lechner, author of Death Is Our Business. He details how private armies increasingly blur the lines between state power and mercenary force. The prospect of billionaires and politicians commanding their own military forces is no longer just a dystopian idea.John Lechner’s five-year investigation into Russia’s notorious Wagner Group reveals a disturbing template for what privatized warfare could mean for America and the world.

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28:53

California's high-stakes dance amid trade and tech...

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/04/17

Why is California the first state to file suit against the Trump administration over trade? Olaf Groth, a futurist and professor at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, examines how global trade tensions, artificial intelligence advancements, and economic shifts are reshaping California’s position in the world economy.Groth explores AI’s transformative effects on employment, the emerging defense-tech ecosystem, and California’s strategic challenges as it navigates global trade pressures and

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29:42

Could Trump Buy His Own Private Army?

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/04/12

In this recentWhoWhatWhy podcast, I talk with John Lechner, author of Death Is Our Business. He details how private armies increasingly blur the lines between state power and mercenary force. The prospect of billionaires and politicians commanding their own military forces is no longer just a dystopian idea.John Lechner’s five-year investigation into Russia’s notorious Wagner Group reveals a disturbing template for what privatized warfare could mean for America and the world. Get full access to Talk

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44:08

O Canada, Our Home Is Under Threat…

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/04/09

Americans see Canada as that friendly neighbor up north. Canadians now see America as their greatest threat. How did we get here, and what does it mean for both nations?Joining me on this week’s WhoWhatWhy podcast is veteran political analyst and Globe and Mail columnist Andrew Coyne. Trump’s talk of annexation and punitive tariffs has profoundly transformed Canada’s relationship with the US, creating a mixture of bewilderment, fear and, unexpectedly for Canadians, fierce national pride. For

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44:08

O Canada, Our Home Is Under Threat…

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/04/09

Americans see Canada as that friendly neighbor up north. Canadians now see America as their greatest threat. How did we get here, and what does it mean for both nations?Joining me on this week’s WhoWhatWhy podcast is veteran political analyst and Globe and Mail columnist Andrew Coyne. Trump’s talk of annexation and punitive tariffs has profoundly transformed Canada’s relationship with the US, creating a mixture of bewilderment, fear and, unexpectedly for Canadians, fierce national pride.For Coyne,

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27:58

Democracy vs. Constitution

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/04/08

For over two centuries, the American experiment has weathered crises that would have toppled lesser democracies — a resilience celebrated as uniquely American. But what if this story of perpetual reinvention through adaptation has reached its limits, our Constitution stretched too thin by the democratic achievements we cherish most? In this WhoWhatWhy podcast, Yale professor Stephen Skowronek talks to me about his “adaptability paradox” theory: Our constitutional system functioned for centuries

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28:08

Joan Didion’s cool detachment and Eve Babitz’s raw...

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/04/05

Lili Anolik, author of the new book “Didion & Babitz,” delves into the complex and largely unexplored relationship between literary icons Joan Didion and Eve Babitz in 1960s Los Angeles.Anolik explains how these contrasting personalities — Didion’s calculated reserve and Babitz’s uninhibited sensuality — shaped our understanding of them and the era. Their story illuminates broader themes about women’s voices in American letters, the nature of literary persona, and the price of artistic ambition

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27:58

Democracy vs. Constitution

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/04/02

For over two centuries, the American experiment has weathered crises that would have toppled lesser democracies — a resilience celebrated as uniquely American. But what if this story of perpetual reinvention through adaptation has reached its limits, our Constitution stretched too thin by the democratic achievements we cherish most?In this WhoWhatWhy podcast, Yale professor Stephen Skowronek talks to me about his “adaptability paradox” theory: Our constitutional system functioned for centuries

en

32:59

Moving Nowhere Fast: How Housing Froze the American...

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/04/01

There was a time when geographic mobility defined America — one-third of the population relocated each year, chasing better jobs and brighter futures. But today, historian and journalist Yoni Appelbaum argues in his new book, Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity, that America’s once-robust engine of upward mobility is grinding to a halt.Appelbaum challenges the long-held belief that income alone dictates housing choices. Instead, he reveals how

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21:21

Robber Barons 2.0: Trump, Musk, and America’s New...

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/04/01

What if Donald Trump’s strange fixation on William McKinley isn’t just historical trivia, but the key to understanding what happens next? On this WhoWhatWhy podcast, long-time journalist and author Chris Lehmann argues we’re not necessarily headed for authoritarian collapse — we’re rewinding to the Gilded Age. How might McKinley’s transformation from economic nationalist to global imperialist more than a century ago foreshadow Trump’s second term? Lehmann explores the forces that shaped

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32:01

Coastal Access

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/03/29

Elsa Devienne takes us behind the iconic beaches of Los Angeles to reveal a hidden history of transformation, conflict, and reinvention. The author of “Sand Rush,” Devienne talks to me about how L.A.’s shores went from eroding, polluted strips in the 1920s and ’30s to expansive public spaces that defined the city’s image and culture. It was a time when government could actually change a city.With echoes of “Chinatown,” Devienne also offers insights into today’s wealth-driven fights over coastal

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32:59

Moving Nowhere Fast: How Housing Froze the American...

Talk Cocktail ·

2025/03/28

There was a time when geographic mobility defined America — one-third of the population relocated each year, chasing better jobs and brighter futures. But today, historian and journalist Yoni Appelbaum argues in his new book, Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity, that America’s once-robust engine of upward mobility is grinding to a halt.Appelbaum challenges the long-held belief that income alone dictates housing choices. Instead, he reveals how

en

1,369 results

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