Off The Record With Paul Hodes

Apple's decision this week to clamp down on how apps to track your behavior and movements online has reignited a debate about privacy and the information we share, both willingly and unwittingly, in the digital age.  What is often overlooked is just how much we make decisions, sometimes without even realizing it, about how much information we share about our kids. This is a deep, fraught, and complicated topic that too many of us have not really thought about. One of the world leading experts on it is Leah Plunkett, the author of "Sharenthood: why we should think before we talk about our kids online," and an very accomplished legal scholar with positions at the University of New Hampshire School of Law and the Berkman Klein center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. She makes the case that there are many consequences to every piece of information we share--some we know about, and some that go in unknown and disturbing directions

What does Apple's big privacy release mean for Facebook's business and the broader "free" economy?  Also, the hottest investment opportunity is...house paint?

Sean Carberry, the former Kabul correspondent for NPR and the lead on Department of Defense Inspector General reports on Afghanistan, walks through what has happened in Afghanistan, whether the US could have done anything differently, and ultimately whether President Biden made the right decision to withdraw US troops once and for all. 

The Senate is a mess.  All legislative roads lead there, and usually it’s a dead end. When Presidents take executive action, it’s usually to work around the Senate. It’s the site of national catharsis over judges. And when something actually does get passed, it’s major news. But now, things might...just might... be changing. Democrats have used special senate "reconciliation" rules to pass the massive American Rescue Plan. More bills like that may be on the way. And there's a possibility of striking deals with a group of 10 Republican senators to pass actual bipartisan bills on important issues in American society. Its never been been more valuable to understand the dynamics of the Senate, the people, the rules, and the politics. Ryan McConaghy is one of the country’s absolute top notch experts on the Senate, and he joins the show to break down the prospects for legislation, progress, and making things work in Congress. Photo by Matthew Bornhorst on Unsplash

As more signs emerge of an impending surge in the economy, Chris and Matt explore how we can think about what those signs are telling us about investing and business in the near term, and also how to think beyond them to what the longer term future looks like.  Photo by Tomasz Frankowski on Unsplash

The big news on Covid last week was the decision by the CDC and FDA to call for a nationwide halt to delivering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine while they investigate a rare blood-clotting disorder. Our guest, Dr. Angela Rasmussen, is a virologist and one of the most well-known and oft-quoted scientists on Covid vaccines.  She has written for Forbes, Foreign Affairs, Slate, the Guardian, and Leapsmag, and appeared many times in media outlets including the New York Times (including an op-ed last week), the Washington Post, National Public Radio, ABC, NBC, CNN, CBC, and BBC.  And last week, she appeared in a really good explanatory article on the Johnson and Johnson vaccine by Katherine Wu in The Atlantic. So we invited her to walk us all through what we need to know about the J&J pause and the fight against Covid in general. 

Matt joins legendary West Virginia radio host Howard Monroe on his morning show to discuss the arguments around statehood for Washington D.C., why the arguments against should remind you of "My Cousin Vinny," and what the real holdup is. Also, what the government should actually do to keep people from migrating out of rural states. 

And other tantalizing bread crumbs for investors from Chris Hill of Motley Fool Money. Photo by Georgia Vagim on Unsplash

Pia Carusone is the managing director at SKDKnickerbocker (SKDK), a top national communications and political consulting firm. She was Chief of Staff for Congresswoman Gabby Giffords during 2011 shooting that left six dead and injured Congresswoman Giffords and 12 others. Carusone helped to start Giffords’ organization that advocates for solutions to prevent gun violence, and later served as the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security. She talks about how Americans views on gun safety and gun violence have changed in the last two decades, how gun safety advocates are making slow progress, and what the future of the issue might look like. We also touch on Democratic messaging and whiskey, and Pia's role in creating both... Photo by Roman Poberezhnik on Unsplash

Today, we've got a wild story for you. It’s definitely Beyond Politics...but trust us on this one, it'll make you think. Our guest Dr. Brandy Schillace is the Editor-in-Chief for BMJ’s Medical Humanities Journal and the author of MR. HUMBLE AND DR. BUTCHER: A Monkey’s Head, the Pope’s Neuroscientist, and the Quest to Transplant the Soul, which the New York Times called “delightfully macabre.” A fascinating look at what makes us...us...and whether we could ever move ourselves to another body.  Photo by Syed Ahmad on Unsplash

Matt joins legendary West Virginia radio host Howard Monroe on his morning show to discuss the Georgia voting law jockeying, why the Dems' legislative strategy shifted this week, why Joe Manchin is even more in the catbird seat, and what Mary Poppins has to do with passing laws in Congress.

Chris Hill, the host of Motley Fool Money, the #1 stock investing radio show in America, discusses the Atlantic article arguing that the growth of index funds could be changing everything: the way companies behave, people invest, and the whole market operates.  Also, why is good economic news in the Great Reopening a mix bag for many companies?  And what can Godzilla teach us about the entertainment industry right now?

2020 was not a great year for pollsters, at least the ones who release their work to the public: in the final three weeks of the election, national surveys of the presidential race were wrong by an average of more than six points, the same as 2016. Is something fundamentally wrong here? And what do we do if there’s problem with one of the major tools we use to understand public opinion and guide election campaigns in our democracy? Recently, the think tank Third Way convened a panel of top experts to address this question. That panel was presented mostly to political insiders…but one of those top experts joins us to bring the discussion to our listeners. Angie Kuefler is Senior Vice President of Research at the Global Strategy Group. She has done extensive political research for local, state, and federal candidates, including many members of congress, governors, and issue advocacy campaigns.

In the 1970s, conservatives began to believe that the places where people in government got their information - their basic facts -- were inherently liberal. They didn’t like the answers they were hearing from universities, scientists, and research groups on what government should do…what policies we should follow. So some of them decided that they needed a whole different regime of knowledge and analysis – a different way of looking at the world – that would justify the policies that they wanted to see. They started new institutions – led by the Heritage Foundation – that would be the vanguard of a new, conservative ecosystem of ideas all aimed at explicitly justifying conservative policy. Eventually, as these institutions grew more successful, liberals followed suit. Today, we live a world of deep polarization. Our two political tribes don’t seem to agree on anything, and nowadays, they sometimes can’t even agree on what is reality is.  Can we trace it, or at least a big part of it, back to this moment

Building the stuff we rely on in America -- roads, broadband, the electric grid -- is something that both parties say is important.  Donald Trump pushed a giant investment in it for years. So why were Republicans dead set against the Biden Administration's infrastructure plan even before it was released?   Also, is the media full of it these days, why vaccine passports won't work in America, and what to make of Deborah Birx and other Trump administration health officials sudden finger-pointing campaign on Covid.  Photo by Denys Nevozhai on Unsplash

Would the answer "Appalachia" surprise you? Maybe...but consider that the senior-most Republican leader in America is from Kentucky, while the Democrat who wields the most power in the Senate is Joe Manchin of West Virginia.  They come from a region that is often misunderstood...and too often looked down on.  But Appalachian issues are American issues -- and the priorities of Appalachian leaders echo throughout our country.  Today, we welcome the hosts of the outstanding podcast Appodlachia onto the show to share some insights into the region's politics, economy, and lessons for America.  Check it out, and subscribe to their show (and ours!) if you want more of their great content.

Dan Adcock of the National Committee to Protect Social Security and Medicare explains what's the Covid Rescue bill for Social Security recipients.  Also, why his organization opposes the TRUST act -- a bill that would try to address shortfalls in Social Security funding. For the opposing view on that, check out Bob Bixby of the Concord Coalition in the Great Ideas podcast.

Also, more incidents of shocking gun violence in America, what does a media ratings plunge mean, and is Donald Trump launching his Republican vendetta campaign?

Federal law forces a lot of marijuana-related businesses that are legal int heir home states to operate in piles of cash.  The problem: that can lead to a pile of crime. Congressman Ed Perlmutter joins the show to explain how his new bill would help fix that problem.  And why does space matter? As a member of the congressional committee that oversees US Space policy, Congressman Perlmutter explains what's in it for all of us.

This episode posted in the Great Ideas Podcast earlier this week, and it's gotten such a reaction that we wanted to make it available in this feed as well for anyone who hasn't subscribed to both (but please do!!).   Many experts argue that the modern filibuster has ruined Congress: it allows a small minority to run roughshod over the majority, and stops important things that the American people need and want. Others say that even with its flaws, getting rid of the filibuster could be dangerous and even destructive.  Norman Ornstein is one of the nation's leading experts on American government.  He explains what's going on and more important, how we might make it better without causing a Congressional meltdown.