The Back Room with Andy Ostroy

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Rep. Dean Phillips Dec 11, 2023

Show notes

Rep. Dean Phillips is a third-term Democratic Congressman from Minnesota’s 3rd District and is running for president against Joe Biden. He serves on the House Foreign Affairs and Small Business Committees, and the Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. Known for his bipartisan approach to governing, he is a current member of the House Problem Solvers Caucus and served as vice chair.

We discuss his childhood and background, his early inspirations, his business success, his decision to enter politics in 2018, and why he's decided to take on Biden in an unorthodox primary bid against an incumbent president. It's a conversation you don't want to miss...

Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Music by Andrew Hollander Design by Cricket Lengyel

Tom Nichols Dec 09, 2023

Show notes

Tom Nichols is an author, staff writer at The Atlantic, and an expert on international security issues who taught national security affairs for 25 years at the U.S. Naval War College, as well as at the Harvard Extension School, Dartmouth College, and Georgetown University. He is the author of several books on Russia, the Cold War, and international politics. His most recent book is Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault From Within on Modern Democracy.

Tom joins me for an insightful, compelling conversation about Donald Trump's continuing existential threat to democracy, and his chilling new piece in The Atlantic's 'all-Trump' issue, "A Military Loyal to Trump". He also shares some entertaining anecdotes about his days as a five-time Jeopardy! champion 30 years ago!

Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Music by Andrew Hollander Design by Cricket Lengyel

Chris Cuomo Dec 05, 2023

Show notes

Chris Cuomo is host of the nightly news show "Cuomo" on NewsNation and The Chris Cuomo Project podcast. Join us for this insightful, entertaining chat as Chris and I discuss what's good, bad and ugly in the world, including his thoughts on the Jets, Knicks, Taylor Swift, Public Enemy, The Beatles and more!

Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Music by Andrew Hollander Design by Cricket Lengyel

Dr. Alexander Vindman and Rachel Vindman Dec 02, 2023

Show notes

Dr. Alexander Vindman is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel who most recently served on the National Security Council. He was thrust into the national spotlight in October 2019 when he testified before Congress during former president Donald Trump's first impeachment hearing. He is currently a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute, and leads the national security think tank, the Institute for Informed American Leadership. He’s an executive board member for the Renew Democracy Initiative and a senior advisor for VoteVets. He frequently appears on NPR, MSNBC, and CNN and is the author of the book "Here, Right Matters: An American Story".

Rachel Vindman is an opinion columnist at USA TODAY and a member of the USA Today Board of Contributors. She's an activist and political commentator and also co-hosts the Suburban Women Problem podcast.

Join me and this dynamic power-couple as we discuss the Israel-Hamas war; the hostage crisis; the failure of the Netanyahu government; the rise in rabid antisemitism; the 'forgotten' Ukraine-Russia war; the continued threat to our democracy from Donald Trump and Trumpism; the 2024 election and Alex's twin brother Eugene's candidacy for Virginia's 7th Congressional district seat; and more.

Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Music by Andrew Hollander Design by Cricket Lengyel

Zelda Roland, Ph.D. Nov 30, 2023

Show notes

Zelda Roland is the Founding Director of the Yale Prison Education Initiative at Dwight Hall, which brings access to Yale classes and other campus programming to incarcerated students in Connecticut. A Yale alumna (BA 08, PhD16), she also serves as the inaugural director of University of New Haven’s Prison Education Program and its partnership with YPEI, through which incarcerated students earn degrees in prison and receive support when released from confinement. She is a Lecturer in Yale’s Education Studies Program, a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Communications at the University of New Haven, an affiliated faculty of the Arthur Liman Center for Public Interest Law at Yale Law School, and a fellow of Jonathan Edwards College.

Zelda and I discuss the genesis of the program, how it works, its success and why programs like these are critically important to society.

Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Music by Andrew Hollander Design by Cricket Lengyel

Bess Freedman Nov 28, 2023

Show notes

Bess Freedman is CEO of Brown Harris Stevens, one of the largest privately held real estate companies in the United States. She draws upon her law background and passion for helping people to drive change within the company and the larger real estate industry. She’s declared Juneteenth a company-wide holiday, made Election Day a paid day off, partnered with the Human Rights Campaign in support of legislation protecting rights of the LGBTQ+ community, and provides travel expenses for employees seeking to obtain legal and safe abortions.

An advocate for social change, Bess is on the Board of The Bridge, an organization focused on the needs of homeless and housing-insecure, and an advocate for Sanctuary for Families. She also supports the mentorship program at YJP (Young Jewish Professionals), the Leadership Now Project--a corporate initiative to protect democracy--and the Kalief Browder Foundation. Before entering real estate, she practiced law as an Assistant State's Attorney in Montgomery County, Maryland, and worked at Legal Aid as an attorney fighting for the rights of under-served youth in NYC.

This is a truly compelling conversation about Bess's successful business career and what lies ahead for real estate market; her important, inspirational advocacy work; and what it means to be a passionate and proud Jew in these turbulent times rife with rabid antisemitism and war.

Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Music by Andrew Hollander Design by Cricket Lengyel

Miles Taylor Nov 25, 2023

Show notes

Miles Taylor is a national security expert who served in the Trump administration as chief of staff at the US Department of Homeland Security, where he published an “Anonymous” essay in The New York Times, blowing the whistle on presidential misconduct. He later published the #1 national bestseller A Warning, revealed himself to be the author, and launched a campaign of ex-officials to oppose Donald Trump’s reelection. He’s worked as an advisor in the George W. Bush administration, on Capitol Hill, and as a CNN contributor. He is the author of the New York Times bestselling book, Blowback, and the host of the “The Whistleblowers” podcast.

Miles is a true patriot, is full of great stories and anecdotes, and is a pretty funny guy (come for his Trump impression, stay for the 'spooning'!)...all of which makes for an insightful, entertaining conversation. Miles takes us back through the surreal, chaotic, dysfunctional and dangerous Trump White House; the emotional and physical toll it took on him personally; and the existential threat the 4x-indicted GOP front-runner continues to pose to our democracy, especially should he become president again.

Miles also answers the one question no one else has asked him, and he reveals his favorite musical artists of all time!

Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Music by Andrew Hollander Design by Cricket Lengyel

Kevin Krim Nov 22, 2023

Show notes

Kevin Krim is President and CEO at EDO, the TV outcomes company, a leading platform measuring predictive behaviors driven by Convergent TV advertising, and co-founded over 8 years ago with actor and filmmaker Edward Norton and Daniel Nadler. Prior to EDO, Kevin was the General Manager & SVP of CNBC Digital and previously held leadership positions at Bloomberg, Yahoo, and LookSmart, and began his career with McKinsey & Co. He is the co-founder and chairman of the non-profit Lulu & Leo Fund and its flagship Choose Creativity initiative.

Kevin is also one of my 'tragedy buddies'. On the afternoon of October 25, 2012, his wife Marina returned to their Upper West Side Manhattan home with their 3-year-old daughter Nessie to the gruesome discovery that their two other children Lucia and Leo, 6 and 2, had been murdered by their nanny. Kevin shares their inspiring journey through the healing process and their efforts to build the children's legacies through their amazing education non-profit, which can be supported at choosecreativity.org.

Kevin is also an accomplished digital media entrepreneur, and we close out the conversation with a discussion about his company's work, the latest trends in television advertising, and what the future holds for how people view and experience content.

Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Music by Andrew Hollander Design by Cricket Lengyel

Julianna Margulies Nov 21, 2023

Show notes

Julianna Margulies is an Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award winner currently starring as Laura Peterson on Apple TV+'s The Morning Show. She previously starred as Alicia Florrick on the long-running hit CBS show The Good Wife, which she also produced, and was one of the original cast members of ER. More recently, Julianna’s starred on critically acclaimed series including Billions and The Hot Zone...and is the author of her memoir, Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life. She’s been involved with Project ALS, Erin's Law, is also a board member of the New York City-based MCC Theater company, and is the founder of the The Holocaust Educator School Partnership at the Museum of Jewish Heritage.

After a brief chat about this Season's The Morning Show, Julianna and I have a brutally honest in-depth conversation about the barbaric October 7 attack on Israel by terrorist organization Hamas; the ensuing war; the outbreak of rabid antisemitism; the mis/disinformation being spread; and the frustration and anger felt by Jews that too few are standing up for us here and abroad.

Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Music by Andrew Hollander Design by Cricket Lengyel

Mark Chiusano Nov 20, 2023

Show notes

Mark Chiusano covered George Santos as a columnist and editorial writer at New York Newsday. His new book, "The Fabulist: The Lying, Hustling, Grifting, Stealing, and Very American Legend of George Santos", comes out November 28th.

Join us for this insightful, entertaining chat about wild and wacky world of George Santos!

Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy

Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Music by Andrew Hollander Design by Cricket Lengyel

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