Something's Off With Andrew Heaton

Sebastian Junger is a decorated war correspondent and author of books like “The Perfect Storm” and “Tribes: On Coming Home and Belonging.” Heaton was going to interview him about his last book, “Freedom,” but then Junger very nearly died, and they decided to talk about that instead. His most recent book is "In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife" Prior interview on “Tribes” https://omny.fm/shows/something-s-off-with-andrew-heaton/ep-50-what-your-hunter-gatherer-genes-really-want?in_playlist=something-s-off-with-andrew-heaton!podcast

Mahmoud Khalil has been detained, and will be potentially deported, by the Trump administration. Attorney Anna Gorisch joins to discuss the implications of this case, in terms of national security, immigration law, and the difference between protected and unprotected speech. Unabridged: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12QlJl8QgTKBffGXgtUjzMfLIrndTf3mW/view?usp=sharing

Andrea Jones-Rooy is a data scientist and former DEI consultant. She joins to discuss what DEI is, what DEI is not, and where it goes wrong.

What would happen if the Trump administration tried to abolish or defund the Department of Education? What does it do, and is it a net positive or net negative in terms of tax dollars and dispensing knowledge? 

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.

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  

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.

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

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.

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/

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 Pledge.

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/ Charity Week: www.mightyheaton.com/charity Episodes Pertaining to Homelessness:  “Homelessness, And Our Stupid Solutions” https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/homelessness-and-our-stupid-solutions “The Best Tiny House Village in America” https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-tiny-house-village-in-america/id1439837349?i=1000549032659  

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.    LINKS:  Morgan's Wonderland https://morganswonderland.org/

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: www.mightyheaton.com/charity  

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  

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.

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. 

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 - https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/snuffys-explosion-proof-christmas  A Rather Snuffy's Christmas - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-political-orphanage/id1439837349?i=1000545755269  A Grander Snuffy's Christmas - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a-grander-snuffys-christmas/id1439837349?i=1000503286243 Another Snuffy's Christmas - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/another-snuffys-christmas/id1439837349?i=1000460559897  A Very Snuffy's Christmas - https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/ep-30-a-very-snuffys-christmas-0

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.  

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.