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PODCAST

The Political Orphanage

Politics minus bile plus jokes. Comedian and avowed independent Andrew Heaton interviews authors and thought leaders about policy and big thinky stuff.

news politics

All Episodes

58:37

Jeff Maurer: Revenge of the Low-Flow Toilets

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/02/27

What is the government doing which is irritating, and what is irritating that the government can assist with? Topics covered today include: paper straws, low-flow toilets, pennies, nickels, mail, and quitting gym membership. Jeff Maurer, author of “I Might Be Wrong” on Substack joins to discuss.

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01:07:32

Jonathan Rauch: Christianity Dropped the Ball on...

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/02/19

Jonathan Rauch asserts that as the American Church has become increasingly concerned with the culture war and politics, it has become secularized and unappealing to its members, who are abandoning it. The result is a country increasingly spiritually adrift, churches distracted from their core missions, and a nation turning to politics as a substitute. He is the author of Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Promise with Democracy

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01:16:13

Sex by the Numbers

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/02/12

Who’s having sex, and how much of it are they having? Who’s getting married and who’s getting divorced? Does money, somehow, possibly, effect any of this? Cathy Reisenwitz of “Sex & The State” joins to discuss.

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55:00

TRADE WAR! (Probably)

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/02/06

Trump erected, then delayed, tariffs on Canada and Mexico, but has levied tariffs on China–which is apt to escalate things shortly. What happens in a trade war and why are they bad? And what is happening now, specifically, in whatever’s going on with Canada? Heaton breaks down the macroeconomics, and James Thatcher explains the unfolding situation. Discord: www.mightyheaton.com/discord

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47:47

Trump's Whack-A-Mole with Federal Employees

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/01/30

The Trump administration is reclassifying federal workers as Schedule F, making them easier to fire, and put a stop to remote work. In hopes of compelling federal employees to quit, and thereby shrink the government workforce. Heaton makes the case that if your goal is to shrink government, this is a counter productive way to do it.

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01:05:03

Death Row Pen Pals

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/01/24

Kirsten Brink is pen pals with prisoners who have been sentenced to death in Texas, as well as other people currently incarcerated in our penitentiaries. She joins to discuss how she got into the program, what it’s like having friendships with people inside the klink, and how others can get involved and help. Write A Prisoner: https://writeaprisoner.com/ Wire of Hope: https://wireofhope.com/inmate-penpal-listings/ The Justice Network: https://www.thejusticenetwork.com/

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01:17:03

How Billionaires Think About Philanthropy

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/01/23

Laura and John Arnold are the founders and co-chairs of Arnold Ventures. Started in 2008, Arnold Ventures is a self-funded philanthropy hyper-focused on pinpointing the root causes of our country’s most pressing ills, whether that be disparities in health care and education, or dysfunction in our public finance systems. They advocate for evidence-based policy proposals that yield the kind of transformative change really only possible at the government level. They’re also signatories of the Giving

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01:07:08

We’ll Watch Your Dog While You’re in Rehab

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/01/22

Pause for Paws is a charity in Tulsa, OK that fosters dogs on behalf of owners who need to seek help at a homeless shelter, rehab clinic, or mental health services. By giving people piece of mind with their pets during their absence, Pause for Paws takes care of two things–the pets in that moment, but also the people trying to get their affairs in order, to return to normal life. Evan Taylor and Cindy Webb join to discuss their organization. LINKS: Pause for Paws: https://www.pause4pawsok.org/

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01:19:12

A Theme Park for Kids with Disabilities (And Everyone)

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/01/21

Morgan's Wonderland is an ultra-accessible amusement park in which all of the rides have been engineered so that no one is excluded, no one is ever sitting on the sidelines. If your child has special needs, is in a wheel chair, is Autistic, has hearing or vision loss, or some other issue--take them to Morgan's Wonderland. Gordon Hartman is Morgan's dad and the founder of Morgan's Wonderland. He joins to discuss.

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57:43

The Alzheimer's Choir

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/01/20

Love Notes Chorus in Austin, Texas is a choir for people with Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or their caregivers. Directors Edie Elkjer and Susie Higley join to discuss how music effects people with cognitive issues, and how their organization assists. Links: Love Notes Austin: www.lovenoteschorus.com The Giving Voice: https://minnesotajcc.org/art-culture/giving-voice/#:~:text=GIVING%20VOICE%20CHORUS%20is%20a,adaptive%20methods%20and%20structured%20direction. Charity Week:

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01:06:39

The Pragmatist's Guide to Politics

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/01/15

In an effort to challenge some of my priors, I bring Justin Robert Young to discuss stadium subsidies, and political action oriented around effectiveness and maximizing happiness, instead of focusing on what the government should or shouldn’t do. Tickets to We’re Not Wrong: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/were-not-wrong-inauguration-special-live-tickets-1135133608179?aff=oddtdtcreator

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01:07:22

The Library of Mistakes

The Political Orphanage ·

2025/01/08

Russell Napier is the Keeper of the Library of Mistakes, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Napier has worked in the investment business for 30 years and has been advising global institutional investors on asset allocation since 1995. He also is the author of the book “Anatomy of The Bear: Lessons From Wall Street’s Four Great Bottoms” and he is founder and course director of The Practical History of Financial Markets course that is part of the Edinburgh Business School MBA.

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01:31:59

Black People and White People Advice

The Political Orphanage ·

2024/12/31

Turner Sparks and Phil Duckett are comedians who host the "Black and White Advice" podcast. They come on to crack jokes and talk about racial friction, and what to do about it.

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56:25

Heaton and Monkey: Yuletide Crimesolvers (1987)

The Political Orphanage ·

2024/12/24

Rebroadcast of the cult classic 1987 Christmas special of “Heaton and Monkey: Crimesolvers,” a groundbreaking police drama. Cast: Andrew Heaton, Andrew Young, Josh Jennings, Brian Sack, Jack Helmuth, Justin Robert Young, Anna Gorisch, Hilary Mann, Austin Bragg, Brett Weaver, and Brian Brushwood. Previous Specials: A Rugged Snuffy’s Christmas - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-rugged-snuffys-christmas/id1439837349?i=100063936198 Snuffy's Explosion-Proof Christmas -

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01:03:37

The Original War on Christmas

The Political Orphanage ·

2024/12/17

Jeff Belanger is a journalist, historian, and paranormal investigator. He’s the author of “The Fright Before Christmas: Surviving Krampus and Other Yuletide Monsters, Witches, and Ghosts.” He joins to discuss the history of Christmas, and why we put trees in our living room to celebrate Jesus.

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01:19:11

Crime or Punishment in “A Clockwork Orange” (ATA)

The Political Orphanage ·

2024/12/13

Crossover episode from my other podcast, Alienating the Audience: Brian Brushwood and I discuss the ethics of punishment and rehabilitation in "A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess.

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01:10:28

Life After Prison

The Political Orphanage ·

2024/12/12

Syrita Stieb was incarcerated between ages 19 and 29. Today she’s the executive director of Operation Restoration, an organization designed to eradicate the roadblocks people leaving incarceration face as they re-enter society. She joins to discuss how we can help or hinder people’s reintegration.

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01:12:07

Chimp Politics

The Political Orphanage ·

2024/12/05

Dr. Sarah Brosnan is a primatologist and Director of the Primate Cognition, Evolution and Behavior Program at Georgia State University. She joins to discuss what we can learn about human society by observing primate behavior.

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01:40:17

What Sparked the Great Awokening

The Political Orphanage ·

2024/11/27

Musa al-Gharbi is the author of “We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite.” He join to discuss Elite Overproduction, and how it results in mass movements. Book at: www.mightyheaton.com/featured

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01:10:29

What Can the President Actually Do on Trade?

The Political Orphanage ·

2024/11/20

James Thatcher (a.k.a “Big Jim”) is a trade and logistics expert. He joins the program to discuss what the president can and cannot do when it comes to trade policy, and what we might reasonably expect to happen under the forthcoming Trump administration.

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591 results

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