Something's Off With Andrew Heaton

Student loan debt is at a cool $1.7 trillion and growing. Should we forgive all the debt? Why can't we discharge it through bankruptcy? Policy deep dive episode! 

In 1950 you could basically go to college for free if you promised to wear a necktie. Today, you need to hostage multiple children for a four-year communications degree. Why is college tuition skyrocketing? SUPPORT THE SHOW: Patreon.com/andrewheaton Venmo: @andrew-heaton-1 PayPal: andrew@mightyheaton.com CHAT WITH FELLOW ORPHANS: www.mightyheaton.com/discord

The World's Smartest Podcast Network reassembles for a roundtable discussion, featuring Turner Sparks, Michael Ira Kaplan, and Andrea Jones-Rooy.   Topics include: Chinese social engineering, red governors in blue states, private security, and space dust.

When we look at world metrics annually or on a ten-year basis, it turns out... everything is getting better. Literacy, poverty, the prospects of nuclear war, women's rights, children's rights, and so forth. Ron Bailey, co-author of "Ten Global Trends Every Smart Person Should Know: And Many Others You Will Find Interesting" joins to discuss the upswing, what's causing it, and what could derail it.

Comedians Mike Larsen (writer for "The Drew Carey Show" and "Real Time with Bill Maher) and Travis Irvine join the show to discuss the best, least covered-headlines of the week.

What are Nordic countries up to and should we emulate or invade them? What policies might we plagiarize or rebuff? Anu Partanen is the author of "The Nordic Theory of Everything: In Search of a Better Life," and comes to discuss the relationship between families and the state, individualism, and safety nets in a Scandinavian context. You can download her book and others discussed on the show at www.mightyheaton.com/featured Support the Orphanage! www.patreon.com/andrewheaton

Comedians Max Gieser and LaGina Hill join the show to discuss the week's best, underserved headlines, including: a teddy bear hitchhiking the length of California, high school hackers, and a mayor's genius plan to aid the vaccine rollout. 

Steve Krakauer writes Fourth Watch, a media newsletter, and is a television producer with experience ranging from CNN to Megyn Kelly. He joins the show to describe the current media landscape, it’s problems, and their source. This episode is sponsored by Ground News - The world's first news comparison platform. Download Ground News for free here: https://ground.news/orphanage

Chad Prather and Josh Jennings return to discuss the best, underserved headlines of the week, including: why Russia is faking Yeti sightings; poor fashion makes for good burgling; criminal advice on banking errors.

Robert Jackman, writer and certified Englishman, joins the show to discuss how liberty manifests in America differently than the United Kingdom, and what it looks like from across the pond.   If you know of a novel example of American personal freedom Robert can visit upon his return, email him at robertjackmanfreedom@protonmail.com

Bill Schulz and Kourtni Beebe join the show to discuss the week's best, underserved headlines. Including: Official Australian deliberations on mullet propriety; kidnapping the world's biggest rabbit; and why you should generally avoid stealing an ambulance.

Old politics: small government conservatives against big government progressives. New politics: Dive Bar Republicans against the Democratic Party's Managerial Class. Musa al-Gharbi is the Paul F. Lazarsfeld fellow in Sociology at Columbia University, and joins to discuss what the new Managerial Class is, and how it thinks. This episode is sponsored by Ground News - The world's first news comparison platform. Download Ground News for free here: https://ground.news/orphanage

Sarah Rose Siskind, headwriter of "Mostly Weekly" and comedy writer extraordinaire joins Heaton to explore the best, underserved headlines of the week including: how nudity can improve Romanian news shows, 15,000 bees in a car, and a religion designed by pubescent boys.

Logical fallacies are great for making arguments frustrating and clear thinking deranged. James Harrigan and Antony Davies of the “Words & Numbers” podcast join the show to catalogue the logical fallacies which bloat political discourse. This episode is sponsored by Ground News - The world's first news comparison platform. Download Ground News for free here: https://ground.news/orphanage

Republicans are tinkering with state election laws across the country, most notably in Georgia. Meanwhile, Democrats passed HR 1 in the House, which tinkers with election laws at a national level. Let's explore just exactly what they're up to. For more bonus episodes go to Patreon.com/andrewheaton

The World's Smartest Podcast Network reconvenes to discuss the week's best underserved headlines, including: Australian mice plagues, raven pickpockets, and how to use zoning ordinances to banish sex. WSPN includes: Turner Sparks, Michael Ira Kaplan, Dr. Andrea Jones-Rooy, and Andrew Heaton

Dominic Frisby is a British humorist and financial writer. He joins the show to discuss his new book, "Daylight Robbery: How Tax Shaped Our Past and Will Change Our Future." Patreon.com/andrewheaton

Mary Jo Pehl (Mystery Science Theater 3000 writer) and actor/comedian/jewel thief Nicholas Sperdute join to discuss the week's best underserved headlines, including: the film "Alien" as performed exclusively by English bus drivers, and how to save your favorite restaurant using only tattoos and beans.

Scott Lincicome of The Dispatch and the Cato Institute joins to discuss the nature of social trust and social capital, how government can facilitate or strangle it, and the dire consequences of when it dries up.

Matt Sienkiewicz and Andrea Jones-Rooy join the show to discuss the week's best, underserved headlines.   Including: a scrupulous car thief, stealing playground components, and hopes of sending human body fluids to the moon.