This year, we’ve had some fantastic podcast episodes with topics ranging from NSA surveillance and journalism to parents taking control of their childrens’ education and more. Here are some of our favorite podcasts from 2021. Enjoy! 

Highlights: 

1. Tucker Carlson: Big Tech, The NSA, And The State Of Journalism


In this episode, host Beverly Hallberg talks with Tucker Carlson on a wide variety of topics, including the censorship of Big Tech; the Biden Administration’s fight against what they think is the biggest threat to the U.S. today, white supremacy; his claim that the NSA is spying on him and trying to cancel his show; and more.

2. Ben Shapiro – On The Dangers Of The Authoritarian Left And Why A Bigger Welfare State Won’t Solve Our Atomization Crisis


Host Inez Stepman and Ben Shapiro discuss how the authoritarian left has garnered the institutional backing their counterparts on the far right could never dream of, and how that fact stands as a rebuttal to some liberal left types who try to argue that the dangers are equivalent. Shapiro also defends capitalism against critiques from the new right, including that in its exaltation of the individual, capitalism itself creates forces that tear apart family and community.

3. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers Takes On Big Tech


Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rogers joins host Julie Gunlock to discuss kids and technology, Rogers’ efforts to explore and expose how Big Tech is affecting children’s mental and emotional wellbeing, and the launch of her new Big Tech Accountability Platform which seeks greater transparency and accountability from Big Tech companies. Julie and the congresswoman also discuss their shared experience as mothers of special needs kids, school closures, and how Congress can (and should!) do more to help special needs kids succeed in the public school setting.

She Thinks: 

1. The State Of Big Tech In Broadband And Censorship 


Katie McAuliffe joins the podcast to discuss broadband expansion efforts in the U.S., including how new 5G technologies offer more choices for personal use. They also delve into the implications of new tech regulations aimed at stopping tech censorship.

2. Policy Focus: Technology’s Potential Revealed In The Pandemic 


Simone Barron joins the podcast to discuss the May policy focus: Technology’s Potential Revealed in the Pandemic. They discuss how innovation changed the landscape of medicine, work, and education and what it means post pandemic.

3. Policy Focus: Putting Parents In Control Of Their Children’s Education


Ginny Gentles joins the podcast to discuss the August policy focus: Putting Parents in Control of Their Children’s Education. They discuss why school districts abandoned their educational mission during the pandemic, how parents are engaging in local school board elections, and detail what some states are doing to expand educational options.

High Noon:

1. Melissa Chen – On The Strengths And Weaknesses Of An Open Society


Inez Stepman talks with Melissa Chen about how to grapple with a geopolitically rising China, and about how the country goes into this civilizational clash hobbled by domestic insecurities about our open society. Chen and Stepman also discuss the balance between individualism and community, and how many are now seeking or actively creating political identities to replace more traditional ones.

2. John McWhorter – On The Evolution Of Language And How Identity Has Become Our New Religion


Inez Stepman talks with Professor John McWhorter, a professor of linguistics at Columbia University and host of a podcast on his subject of expertise called Lexicon Valley. He is also a co-host of the popular Glenn Show, along with Glenn Loury on Bloggingheads TV, as well as an important and valued commentator on matters of race and identity.

Stepman and McWhorter discuss the subjects of two different books he has out right now. The first, on the history of English profanities, is Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter, Then, Now and Forever. The second, The Elect, lays out how the ideology surrounding race and identity has moved from mere political commitment to unquestionable religion, and how damaging that is to our ability to think, respect one another, and have adult conversations.

3. Heather Mac Donald – On Uncomfortable Truths About Policing And Crime


Inez Stepman speaks with Heather Mac Donald of the Manhattan Institute, who almost certainly has more police community meetings under her belt than any reporter at The New York Times, about rising crime in America’s cities.

Stepman and Mac Donald discuss the reality of who is most often victimized by high crime rates, lay out a defense of meritocracy, and address critiques of the Enlightenment from the left and right.

Bespoke:

1. Kids And Phones: Yes, No, Hell NO!, Maybe?


Host Julie Gunlock jumps behind the scenes to talk to the man who makes it all possible—Bespoke Producer Tim Burg. Julie and Tim—both parents of teens—talk about the choices (and lack of choices) parents have in tech for kids, compare the challenges they’ve each had with this issue, offer advice on tracking apps for parents, and discuss why, when it comes to your kids and phones, sometimes being a helicopter parent is the right thing to do.

2. Climate Alarmism: How Climate Activists Scare Children, Turn Off Parents, And Fail To See Innovation As A Viable Solution


Host Julie Gunlock talks to Danielle Butcher of the American Conservation Coalition about climate change, global warming, and “the end of the world as we know it.” They discuss the combination of conservatives and environmentalism, climate alarmism and kids, and American innovation.

3. From Parent To Parent-Activist: How One Mom Launched A Movement Of Parents Demanding Better Public Schools


Host Julie Gunlock talks to PR professional and founder of Do Better FCPS (which stands for Fairfax City Public Schools) Sue Zoldak about the unwillingness of public school officials in her community to listen to parents, the slow process of fully opening public schools in her state, the anti-Asian “equity” policy changes happening in her school district, and why she and other parents have had to become activists to demand better public education.