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Just Asking Questions

Just Asking Questions

97 episodes — Page 1 of 2

Freddie deBoer: Charlie Kirk's Murder Reveals a Cultural Sickness

Writer Freddie deBoer discusses the assassination of Charlie Kirk and his theory of "spectacular acts of public violence" on the final episode of Just Asking Questions.

Sep 18, 20251h 17m

Michael Tracey: Cutting Through the Jeffrey Epstein Fog

Journalist Michael Tracey discusses problems with what he call the "Epstein mythology" on the latest episode of Just Asking Questions.

Sep 12, 20252h 50m

Bob Murphy: Are We Flirting with Fascism?

Economist Bob Murphy discusses the mounting pressure on the Federal Reserve, the implications of the government taking Intel equity, and capitalism under siege on the latest episode of Just Asking Questions.

Aug 28, 20251h 12m

Megan McArdle: Trump's D.C. Takeover Is Just the Beginning

The Washington Post columnist joins the show to discuss crime in D.C. and Trump's deployment of federal troops.

Aug 21, 20251h 14m

Deb Fillman: Why Do We Send Kids to School?

Education writer and entrepreneur Deb Fillman joins Just Asking Questions to discuss the tenuous relationship between school and education.

Aug 14, 20251h 34m

Rob Henderson: Why Elites Still Worship Socialism

The author and psychologist joins the show to breakdown the Zohran Mamdani campaign, among other fads.

Aug 7, 20251h 28m

Patrick Eddington: How to 'Tyranny-Proof' America

The former CIA analyst and Cato scholar discusses Palantir, Trump's new national database, and the sordid history of federal law enforcement on Just Asking Questions.

Jul 31, 20251h 13m

Gary Taubes: MAHA, Ultra-Processed Foods, and Bad Science

Science journalist Gary Taubes discusses the MAHA Report, new dietary guidelines, and bad nutrition science on the latest episode of Just Asking Questions.

Jul 24, 20251h 20m

Scott Lincicome: How Much Will You Pay To 'Buy American'?

What is the relationship between Trump's tariffs and the rest of the economy?

Jul 18, 20251h 26m

Curt Mills: Is Trump Still 'America First'?

The executive director of The American Conservative discusses Trump's meeting with Netanyahu, support for Ukraine, MAGA schisms, and the president's "grand strategy" on the latest episode of Just Asking Questions.

Jul 11, 202552 min

Inez Stepman: How Socialism Seduced New Yorkers

How did Zohran Mamdani’s rise happen, and what does it tell us about the future of the Democratic Party?

Jul 3, 20251h 20m

Ro Khanna: Congress Must Take Back Its War Powers

Rep. Ro Khanna (D–Calif.) discusses the War Powers Resolution he co-sponsored with Rep. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.), the Israel-Iran conflict, and why the antiestablishment left and right must work together.

Jun 25, 202543 min

Paul Pillar: America Should Not Fight Israel's War

A veteran CIA analyst says Israel's attack on Iran was unjustified and that America should not support its war on the latest Just Asking Questions episode.

Jun 19, 20251h 13m

Laura Powell: Who's Most To Blame for the Latest L.A. Riots?

Attorney Laura Powell of Californians for Good Governance joins the show to discuss the civil unrest in Los Angeles following federal immigration raids.

Jun 10, 20251h 7m

Debating the Science and Ethics of IVF: Emma Waters vs. Ruxandra Teslo

A genomics PhD and conservative bioethicist debate the ethics of in vitro fertilization and discuss recent scientific advancements in reproductive medicine.

Jun 6, 20251h 37m

David Stockman: Trump Is a 'Faker' on the Debt

Reagan's budget chief warns that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could balloon the national debt to $60 trillion, risking a catastrophic bond market crisis.

May 29, 20251h 9m

Gary Winslett: The American Dream Has Migrated South

Middlebury professor Gary Winslett argues the South—not China—poached the Rust Belt’s manufacturing base by out-competing it on policy.

May 22, 20251h 5m

Noah Smith: I Owe Libertarians an Apology

The econ blogger explains why libertarians might have been (kind of) right all along—and why our ideas are more necessary than he thought in the age of Trump.

May 15, 20251h 17m

Do These Libertarians Regret Voting for Donald Trump?

Three libertarians—Dave Smith, J.D. Tuccille, and Liz Wolfe—revisit their reluctant votes for Trump, weighing the promises, chaos, and consequences of his second term so far.

May 9, 20251h 28m

Ross Douthat: Why Digital Life Threatens Freedom and Family

The New York Times columnist warns that digital life may be eroding the cultural foundations needed to sustain meaning, family, and community.

May 1, 20251h 3m

Glenn Greenwald: Americans' Liberties Are in Danger

The journalist joins the show to discuss due process, immigration enforcement, and the growing tensions between the courts and the executive branch.

Apr 24, 20251h 28m

Michael Beckley: China Is Dangerously Weak

The Danger Zone co-author joins the show to discuss China's peaking power, and why that actually makes them more dangerous.

Apr 17, 20251h 18m

Derek Thompson: Democrats Must Change

The Atlantic's Derek Thompson urges Democrats to embrace more libertarian, pro-growth policies in his new book.

Apr 11, 20251h 7m

Rand Paul: Why I Oppose Trump's Tariffs

The Kentucky senator joins Just Asking Questions to explain why he's fighting against the president's unilateral tariffs.

Apr 9, 202523 min

Batya Ungar-Sargon: The Case for MAGA Leftism

The author and columnist joins the show to discuss immigration, deportations, and being a "MAGA leftist."

Apr 2, 20251h 17m

Phil Magness: The Problem With Trumponomics

Economic historian Phil Magness on the real history of tariffs and why Trump is so wrong about them.

Mar 27, 20251h 9m

Kelsey Piper: A Reasonable Approach to AI

Vox's Kelsey Piper joins the show to discuss the drastic differences between the Biden and Trump administrations on AI—and what it all means for the future of humanity.

Mar 20, 20251h 19m

Just Answering Questions: Live Q&A

Reply to this post with questions for Reason's Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe, who will address listener comments.

Mar 14, 202547 min

Tom Woods: The COVID Lessons We Can't Forget

The historian and podcaster joins us on the five-year anniversary of the COVID-19 emergency to relive all the pandemic policy failures.

Mar 13, 20251h 33m

James Pogue: What Ukraine Reveals About MAGA

Vanity Fair's James Pogue dives into the dissident right, his personal experiences with MAGA, and how Ukraine policy is unfolding.

Mar 6, 20251h 31m

Matt Taibbi: The Collapse of the Censorship Regime

The award-winning journalist discusses the collapse of a post–World War II consensus, online speech police, and the legacy media on the latest episode of Just Asking Questions.

Feb 27, 20251h 21m

Randy Barnett: How Legal Is Trump's Agenda?

Georgetown constitutional law professor Randy Barnett discusses the legality of DOGE, Trump's executive orders, and birthright citizenship.

Feb 20, 20251h 16m

Aaron Sibarium: Is DEI Over?

The Washington Free Beacon's Aaron Sibarium discusses the various slashes the Trump administration has made to DEI projects and USAID.

Feb 13, 20251h 22m

John Cochrane: How Will DOGE 'Disrupt' the Government?

Stanford economist John Cochrane discusses DOGE, tariffs, and what it will take to prevent a debt crisis.

Feb 6, 20251h 9m

Julia Gelatt: What Happens if Trump 'Seals the Border'?

Demographer Julia Gelatt of the Migration Policy Institute joins Just Asking Questions to discuss the likely effects of the president's executive orders on immigration.

Jan 30, 20251h 18m

Angela McArdle: What Role Did the Libertarian Party Play in Freeing Ross Ulbricht?

The Libertarian Party national chair talks about the role the party played in securing a presidential pardon for Ulbricht on the latest episode of Just Asking Questions.

Jan 22, 202520 min

Mike Pesca: How Will Trump 2.0 Transform America?

Mike Pesca reacts to Trump's inauguration and slate of executive orders on the latest Just Asking Questions.

Jan 21, 20251h 22m

Meghan Daum: After the Fires, What's Left of L.A.?

Author and podcaster Meghan Daum lost her home in one of the wildfires affecting the Greater L.A. area. She joins the show to discuss what the city is like right now, and how it got this way.

Jan 16, 20251h 4m

Tyler Cowen: Why Do We Refuse To Learn From History?

Economist Tyler Cowen on historical lessons, populism today, and the philosophical debates within libertarianism.

Jan 10, 20251h 6m

Isabelle Boemeke: Time for the Nuclear Option?

Isodope founder Isabelle Boemeke discusses the ongoing potential renaissance of nuclear energy.

Jan 4, 20251h 12m

Byrne Hobart: What happened to progress?

Finance and tech writer Byrne Hobart discusses how bubbles are a good thing, overcoming stagnation, and the religiosity of space exploration.

Dec 26, 20241h 17m

Guillaume Verdon: Should We Have a 'Second Amendment for AI'?

Based Beff Jezos, co-founder of Extropic, discusses AI safety, decentralization, and going analog.

Dec 19, 20241h 27m

Brianna Wu and TafTaj: How Have Trans Issues Scrambled Our Politics?

Brianna Wu and TafTaj discuss the role of transgender issues in the 2024 election, "centrist" trans politics, and their own personal stories.

Dec 12, 20241h 9m

Nic Carter: Did Bitcoin Win the Election?

Crypto podcaster, writer, and infrastructure investor Nic Carter discusses the role digital assets played in Trump's election, the persecution of Polymarket, and the "enormous spiritual chasm between the right and the left."

Dec 5, 20241h 9m

Vinay Prasad: What Does RFK Jr. Get Right and Wrong?

YouTuber Dr. Vinay Prasad joins Just Asking Questions Live on Tuesday November 26 at 1 p.m. EST.

Nov 25, 20241h 25m

Yuval Levin: What is Trump's "Mandate"?

A.E.I.'s Yuval Levin discusses Trump's mandate (or lack thereof), building coalitions, and how the classic divide between Edmund Burke and Thomas Paine remains relevant.

Nov 21, 20241h 0m

Lee Fang: Will Democrats Ever Recover From 2024?

Independent journalist Lee Fang discusses why the Democrats lost so badly and whether or not the party has the ability to course correct anytime soon.

Nov 14, 20241h 19m

Patrick Ruffini: Why Did Trump Win?

Author and GOP strategist Patrick Ruffini discusses Trump's re-election and the ways in which the party is changing.

Nov 7, 20241h 10m

Dave Smith, David Stockman, and Jacob Grier: Who Is The Lesser Evil?

Dave Smith is for Trump. Jacob Grier is for Harris. David Stockman says we're screwed either way.

Oct 31, 20241h 50m

Thierry Malleret: Is the Great Reset Underway?

Great Reset co-author Thierry Malleret discusses stakeholder capitalism, libertarianism, and his new book satirizing the World Economic Forum on Just Asking Questions.

Oct 24, 20241h 2m