Podcasts

Night owls

John Ellis and Joe Klein

Joe Klein and John Ellis on what's happening and what happens next. Joe Klein is the author of seven books and "Sanity Clause," a Substack newsletter. John Ellis is the founder and editor of two Substack newsletters — News Items and Political News Items. The two friends have covered American politics for a combined 95 years.


Episode 66 (with Marc Dunkelman): A conversation with Brown University’s Marc Dunkelman who has written an important book: Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress—and how to Bring it Back.” Dunkelman has written an alternative history of the Democratic Party, a 150 year struggle between top-down and bottom-up progressivism that has led to stagnation. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 65 (with Daniela Rus): We interviewed Daniela Rus, Director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at MIT. She talks about the marriage of robotics and AI; what she calls "physical intelligence." It's a fascinating hour. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 64 (with Wolfgang Munchau Part 2): The last part of our interview with the brilliant Wolgang Munchau. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 63 (with Wolfgang Munchau Part 1): The 2nd in our series where we interview Wolfgang Munchau. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 61 (with Larry Summers): Larry Summers on Team Trump's economic policies, the attack on academia and the future of artificial intelligence. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 60: Capitulation Week A major liberal law firm capitulates to Trump pressure. A major Ivy League University capitulates to Trump pressure. Zelensky capitulates to Trump pressure. In Israel, Bibi Netanyahu tries to replicate Trump pressure…and the Dems best response is yesterday’s Bernie singing yesterday’s song. John and Joe revisit last week. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 59 (with Martin Wolf): A conversation with Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator at the Financial Times, London. We discuss his recent book -- The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism -- and recent events. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 58 (with Sen. Tom Cotton): Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) talks about his new book -- "Seven Things You Can't Say About China" -- and says most of them. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 57: A world in disarray. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 56 (with Al From): Al From, the founder of the Democratic Leadership Council, talks about how to rebuild the Democratic Party—and how he did it last time. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 55: Inauguration Week in Review! Joe and John on the ascendant Trump, the triumph of the Tech Bros, Dems in disarray, the Lars Anderson Bridge and the whereabouts of Philip K. Howard. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 54 (with Susan Mulcahy): Nobody knows the New York Post like Susan Mulcahy. She wrote the book. She talked about it with us. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 53 (with David Barboza Part 4): Episode Four: A dream assignment: David moves to Shanghai and begins covering China. He goes from "Sock City" to Apple, to the extraordinary changes in China's economy, politics and culture. The final episode covers everything from Wuhan to Taiwan, fentanyl to semiconductors, quantum computing to cyberhacking, to Xi's political standing and how much (and how many of) China's most successful people dislike and distrust Xi. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 52 (with David Barboza Part 3): Episode Three: The not-a-partnership partnership of one of the world's greatest entrepreneurs and one of the world's richest men is a case study in modern China. David describes the "partnership" that became the subject of an extraordinary report co-produced by The New York Times and David's news magazine, The Wire China. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 51 (with David Barboza Part 2): Episode Two: We begin our conversation with David about China and whether the "Thucydides Trap" can be avoided. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 50 (with David Barboza Part 1): Episode One: David Barboza, former Shanghai Bureau Chief for The New York Times, is building a new kind of media company. Call it Bloomberg for China. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 49 (with Deb Roy): In the final episode of our Cortico trilogy, we talked with the company's founder and CEO, Deb Roy, about the future of "building civic muscle" and his roadmap for a national Cortico network. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 48 (with Deb Roy and Alex Kelly Berman): Part two of our conversations with the senior management of Cortico, the platform for "deeper conversations". Featuring Deb Roy and Alex Kelly Berman. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 47 (with Deb Roy and Kathy Cramer): Cortico, in collaboration with the MIT Center for Constructive Communication (CCC), has built a platform that connects rather than divides communities, and in so doing, helps create a healthier society. We talked to its CEO and co-founder, Deb Roy, and one of its Directors, Prof. Kathy Cramer, about how it works and how it's working. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 46 (with Jane Metcalfe Part 2): Part Two of our interview with Jane Metclafe, a woman who saw the future clearly. Twice. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 45 (with Jane Metcalfe Part 1): Part One of our interview with Jane Metclafe, a woman who saw the future clearly. Twice. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 44 (with Barbara Walter): An interview with University of California San Diego Professor Barbara Walter, whose book -- "How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them" -- examines the risk factors that presage civil wars. Those factors are "anocracy," factionalism, loss of power and loss of hope, all hyper-linked by social media. The U.S. has been on her watch list for civil war for some time. She's keeping it there. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 43: A last look at the 2024 presidential campaign. A disagreement about Jeff Bezos. A watershed moment in Germany. And more!  Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 42 (with Rita Singh): Rita Singh is one of the leading voice forensics scientists in the world. In this podcast, she discusses her work at length; what our voices tell us about our physical stature, our ethnicity, our age, our health, our honesty, our intentions and our mental states. It's riveting.  Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 41 (with General David H. Petraeus Ret.): General David Petraeus (Ret.) talks about the paperback edition of his book, Conflict, written with Andrew Roberts—and brings us up to date on the state of war in Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon and potential wars in Iran and Taiwan.  Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 40: Three topics -- the VP debate, the Middle East and Hurricane Helene -- in 30 minutes. Joe's experience covering the Middle East is on full display.   Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 39 (Interview with Daron Shaw Part 2): Part 2: John talked with Daron Shaw, one of the nation’s best pollsters who most people have never heard of. They talked about polling, politics and the presidential election.  Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 38 (Interview with Daron Shaw Part 1): John talked with Daron Shaw, one of the nation’s best pollsters who most people have never heard of. They talked about polling, politics and the presidential election.   Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 37 (Post-Debate Analysis): John and Joe discuss yesterday's presidental debate. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 36 (with Paul Vallas): John and Joe welcome Paul Vallas to the show! Paul Vallas is best known for his innovative work in public education — as superintendent of schools in Chicago and in the all-charter school system in New Orleans — and (most recently) his impressive campaign for Mayor of Chicago (he got 48% of the vote, running against the mighty machine of the Chicago Teachers Union). Joe Klein, who has been campaigning in print against teachers unions for the better part of four decades, conducted the lion's share of the interview.  Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 35 (with Zoe Liu): Joe and John interview Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Maurice R. Greenberg senior fellow for China studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), about her recent article in Foreign Affairs, "China's Real Economic Crisis." Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 34: Joe and John assess the Democratic National Convention, the collapse of RFK Jr.'s presidential campaign, and the rising political influence of the crypto-currency "industry."  Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 33: Joe and John discuss volatility in the markets and the Middle East...and Kamala Harris's running mate: "Coach" Walz.  Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 32 (A Conversation with Ann Selzer.): Joe and John talk with Ann Selzer, the great Iowa pollster. It's a smart, interesting conversation about the 2024 presidential campaign, because she knows what she's talking about.  Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 30: Is Trump the the one to beat as the polling suggests? What does VP Kamala Hariss's ascent to the to the presidential nominee mean for her chances? Joe and John discuss.  Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 29: The last days of the Biden campaign? Joe and John go back and forth.  Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 28 (With Rebecca Patterson): Rebecca Patterson, the former chief investment strategist at Bridgewater Associates, gave us a guided tour of the global economy. She's very smart and very articulate; the perfect podcast guest.  Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 27 (With Philip K. Howard): Why is government stuck in the muck? Philip K. Howard tells Night Owls how to make schools, infrastructure projects and environmental regulations work better.  Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 26: John and Joe discuss the concern of Joe Biden's age. Plus, they talk about Biden's investigation of monopolistic tech companies; new demographic data that suggests too many boys are sitting at their parents' houses; and the results of the Mexican election.  Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 25 (With Daniel Finkelstein): Joe Klein chats with an old friend, member of the House of Lords Daniel Finkelstein, about the complicated legacy of Brexit, the state of populism, and his new book Two Roads Home. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 24 (With epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina): Q. What do you do when you need a public health weather report? A. You talk to Katelyn Jetelina. That's what we did and this podcast is the result.  Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 23 (With Cade Metz): Our interview with New York Times tech correspondant Cade Metz, author of 'Genius Makers: The Mavericks Who Brought AI to Google, Facebook, and the World.' We talk all things AI.  Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 22: Joe praises Tom Friedman and ponders RFK Jr. John is all worked up about 7 EV chargers. Biology is being transformed by Google DeepMind. And more.  Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 21: There is only one Jim Cramer. We talked to him about everything.  Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 20: Joe and John talk to veteran Democratic Party campaign manager Joe Trippi about why Trump might lose and what Biden has to do to beat him.  Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 19: Joe and John talk to Mark Tercek about the changing climate and the challenges it presents. Mark is well-qualified to discuss the "issue," having served as CEO of the Nature Conservancy for over a decade. It's a very informative discussion, entirely due to Mark's encyclopedic knowledge of the subject matter. Listen and learn. You'll learn a lot.   Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 18: John and Joe consider the Arizona Supreme Court decision on abortion. Joe unpacks five potential threats to President Biden this fall. Plus, a discussion of NPR's integrity in light of a bombshell essay about its inherent bias.  Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 17:
Joe and John interview Jane Perlez, former New York Times Beijing bureau chief, about her upcoming 8-part podcast series: "Face-Off, The U.S. vs. China." Once friends, now foes, the question is: what happens next?   Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 16 (Part 2): Part Two of a two-part interview with Nicole Perlroth, author of "This is How They Tell Me The World Ends: The Cyber-Weapons Arms Race." It's the future coming at you.  Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 16 (Part 1): Part One of a two-part interview with Nicole Perlroth, author of "This is How They Tell Me The World Ends: The Cyber-Weapons Arms Race." It's the future coming at you. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 15: Trump's mighty cash crunch, Larry Summers' persuasive  inflation research, Carville and Hunt's Politics War Room and the future coming at you: a $10,000 BYD EV from China called "Seagull." All that and more from an undisclosed location in Key West, Florida.  Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 14: Chuck Schumer puts Bibi on the clock. Systems of weapons, not weapon systems. GM is watching you drive, all the time, and selling your data to auto insurers. This and more in Episode 14 of 'Night Owls.' Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 13: A busy week in American politics….Super Tuesday, the Supreme Court, the State of the Union and…..perplexity.ai. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 12: A lengthy interview with Steve Coll, author of the just-released "". Mr. Coll is the David Halberstam of his generation. You'll understand why we say that after you listen to this episode. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 11: A walk around the news neighborhood. Joe surveys a political culture going off the rails.  John bangs on about deep fakes and the possibility of a "hacked" election. More important:  the pace of scientific discovery accelerates, advancing hope around the world. Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 10: Joe Klein talks to Elaine Ciulla and William Galston, co-authors of the seminal paper The Politics of Evasion: Democrats and the Presidency, about immigration, Trump, the challenges facing the Democratic Party and more. Listen on Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 9: Joe thinks Trump may have peaked. John thinks Trump has a ceiling. We taped on Wednesday, so the Biden age issue will have to wait. Listen on Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 8: John and Joe discuss ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. John unspools a brief history of American far-right extremism. Joe considers the political power of Taylor Swift. Listen on Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 7: Joe and John ruminate on New Hampshire, Nikki Haley, deep fakes, cyberhacking and Mark Zuckerberg in the latest episode of 'Night Owls'. Listen on Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 6: Joe and John discuss the Iowa results. Joe is unnerved by some of the exit poll results. John expects DeSantis to endorse Trump before South Carolina. If the exit poll data are accurate, Haley has no chance of winning the GOP nomination. Listen on Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 5: Joe and John talk Iowa and New Hampshire, Bobby Kennedy and Donald Trump, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, immigration and Ecuador, Tiger Woods and Nike. Mostly. Listen on Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 4: John and Joe discusses Trump's chances ahead of the Iowa caucuses and his appeal of a Colorado Supreme Court decision barring him from the state's ballot. John offers an idea for the new president of Harvard. Listen on Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 3: A Look Back, A Look Ahead. Joe thinks 2024 most closely resembles 1924, when the Democratic National Convention needed 103 ballots to arrive at a presidential nominee. John thinks a third party is being born and that Bob Gates would make No Labels more than a wild card in the 2024 election. Listen on Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 2: Joe's extensive experience reporting on the Middle East is evident. John's obsession with the property crisis in China is (briefly) unleashed. Listen on Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Episode 1: John and Joe (mostly) talk American politics in the inaugural edition of Night Owls. Listen on Spotify, Apple, Audible, or iHeart.

Host Bruce Carlson talks with John Ellis of News Corp, NBC, Boston Globe and currently at news-items.com, to discuss his theory on today's politics. Jacksonians, a group of people who behave in ways the media has misjudged are the force beyond today's polls numbers. We also took a bit about calling states for networks in elections, something Ellis had a role in in the 2000 election.

Bulwark host Charlie Sykes talks with Joe Klein and John Ellis about MAGA putting Taylor at the top of its enemies list, Greg Abbott inviting another Jan 6 at the border, and GOP governors coming out for just ignoring the Supreme Court — plus these potential tech disruptors in the election will set your hair on fire.

For this edition of "The Takeout," Major Garrett speaks to political analysts and hosts of the "Night Owls" podcast, Joe Klein and John Ellis. Ahead of the Super Tuesday primaries, the trio discuss all things politics, from President Biden's age, to the war in Gaza, to the happenings on the 2024 campaign trail.

Joe Klein and John Ellis sit down with Jim Haskel of Bridgewater Associates to discuss the 2024 presidential election campaign.

In this newest episode “Trump Beat Rupert Murdoch” Taegan Goddard, the founder and publisher of Political Wire, and John Ellis discuss Rupert Murdoch’s retirement, Fox News’s unsuccessful effort to make Donald Trump disappear and, on the eve of the second debate, where things stand in the GOP presidential nomination campaign.

In this fascinating conversation, John Ellis and Grant Williams discuss Code Inequality and the dangers it poses to society as well as the implications for governments as the rise of AI continues. We also discuss the lack of understanding in mainstream media about the level of threat posed by the financialization of everything.

John Ellis and Jim Haskel of Bridgewater Associates speak with  Karen Karniol-TambourBridgewater Associates’ co-Chief Investment Officer. They cover a wide range of topics, from markets to geopolitics to climate. It's said that energy and intelligence are what make a great podcast, Ms. Karniol-Tambour is a podcaster’s dream.

In this episode, we go one-on-one with news media industry veteran John Ellis about his 40+ year journey from NBC News, columnist for the Boston Globe and LA Times, leadership roles in the 21st century at CNBC, and FOX News. We also chat with Ellis on how he sees journalism and news publishing in general have changed over the decades, where the industry is today and how he feels it will evolve in the years to come.

News Items Podcast

BYJOHN ELLIS AND REBECCA DARST

Ninety percent of the news out there tells you nothing about where the world is going — ten percent of it tells you everything. Every afternoon on the News Items Podcast with John Ellis, John and Rebecca Darst focus on that ten percent — news that’s interesting, important or both. The podcast is based on John Ellis’ News Items, an email newsletter that goes out to organizations including the Council on Foreign Relations, Samsung Next, and the Wall Street Journal. Tune in every Monday through Thursday afternoon to hear decades of journalistic experience packed into 20 or so minutes of insight, plus guest interviews on finance, U.S. politics, foreign affairs, science and technology.