The Back Room with Andy Ostroy

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Fred Guttenberg Feb 18, 2023

Show notes

Fred Guttenberg is a leading gun reform and political advocate and father of 14-year-old Jaime, who was murdered in the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass-shooting in Parkland, Fla., in which 16 other students and teachers were killed. He is the founder of the non-profit Orange Ribbons For Jaime and author of the books Find The Helpers and American Carnage: Shattering the Myths That Fuel Gun Violence.

My friend Fred is a relentless warrior and American hero who despite the odds and through years of personal pain and grief has successfully battled the powerful gun lobby, NRA and lawmakers to help pass historic gun-safety legislation. He is a true inspiration.

Please join us for this very important, deeply emotional conversation as Fred shares his feelings on the recent 5th anniversary of Jaime's murder; the proliferation of deadly mass-shootings; his new book which shatters the myths about guns and gun violence; and what the future holds for him and his family as they struggle to find the healthy balance between moving forward with life, continuing to honor Jaime and what she stood for, and the ongoing fight for gun reform.

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

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

Matt Friend Feb 16, 2023

Show notes

Matt Friend is an incredibly talented comedian and impressionist headlining and appearing at clubs across the country. His television and radio appearances include The Howard Stern Show, the Today Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, NBC's New York Live TV, Good Day LA and Good Day NY. He's also recently voiced characters on The Simpsons and Family Guy.

This is Matt's second trip to The Back Room...and he's with us for almost an hour! Don't miss this marathon of hilarious political and celebrity impressions including his amazing Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Ron DeSantis, Chuck Grassley, Mitch McConnell, Tucker Carlson, Chuck Schumer, Al Franken, Michael Cohen, Howard Stern, Patrick Stewart, Patrick Mahomes, Elon Musk, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Harry Styles! Plus, a killer Sarah Huckabee Sanders!

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

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

Rep. Pat Ryan (NY-18) Feb 14, 2023

Show notes

Pat Ryan is the Democratic Representative serving New York's 18th congressional district. He's a member of the Armed Services Committee and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Prior to his election last Fall he served as the representative for New York's 19th congressional district after winning a special election in 2022. He previously served as the county executive of Ulster County, NY. Pat is a West Point graduate and former Army Captain and combat veteran who served two tours in Iraq and earned two Bronze Stars.

Join us as we unpack critical issues of geopolitical, national and New York significance including national security, relations with China, President Biden's and Democrats' leadership and legislative successes, the GOP House chaos, George Santos, toxic partisanship, the SALT Caucus fight to fully preserve the state and local tax deduction, the Central Hudson billing fiasco and New York's new status as a congressional battleground state.

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

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

Reed Galen Feb 11, 2023

Show notes

Reed Galen is a co-founder of The Lincoln Project and host of The Lincoln Project Podcast. Join us as Reed shares his childhood/family involvement in politics and his early political inspirations, as well as his thoughts on everything from Trump and Trumpism to Kevin McCarthy and the House chaos, George Santos, Biden's State of the Union address, the '24 presidential race and third-party candidates, and his new media venture, Resolute Square, which he launched with other Lincoln Project key players Rick Wilson and Stuart Stevens as well as Democratic strategist Joe Trippi.

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

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

Rick Wilson Feb 07, 2023

Show notes

Rick Wilson is a renowned political strategist, infamous ad-maker, writer, speaker, political commentator, co-founder of the political action committee the Lincoln Project and the media company Resolute Square, a 2x New York Times best-selling author and host of The Enemies List podcast.

The always insightful, hilarious and inimitable wordsmith Rick shares his wit and wisdom on a range of subjects in the news including Trump and Trumpism, Kevin McCarthy and the GOP House chaos, George Santos, the 2024 campaign and whether Marjorie Taylor Greene's Jewish Space Lasers are an effective Balloon Defense System!

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

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

Rep.Ted Lieu Feb 04, 2023

Show notes

Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-36) is serving in his fifth term in Congress and currently sits on the House Judiciary, Foreign Affairs, and Science, Space, and Technology Committees. He was also elected by his colleagues to serve as Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, making him the highest ranking Asian American to have ever served in House Leadership. He is a veteran, having served on active duty and then in the Reserve for the Air Force. He retired from the Reserve in 2021 with the rank of Colonel.

Join us as Ted shares his family and childhood background, his early political aspirations and his thoughts and concerns about the Bill Barr/Durham/Russia-Trump inquiry, AI and super-computing, Trump, Trumpism, the GOP House chaos and the 2024 election.

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

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

Shannon Watts Jan 31, 2023

Show notes

Shannon Watts is the founder of Moms Demand Action, a grassroots group fighting against gun violence. With 10-million supporters and a chapter in every state, Moms Demand Action and its partner, Everytown for Gun Safety, have stopped the NRA's priority legislation and passed hundreds of gun safety laws across the country, most notably the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first gun safety bill in 26 years. Shannon is also an active board member of Emerge America, which recruits and trains women to run for office, and Advance Peace, a community-based organization that works to end cyclical and retaliatory gun-violence in American urban neighborhoods. She was named one of Glamour’s 2022 Women of the Year and her book, Fight Like a Mother: How a Grassroots Movement Took on the Gun Lobby and Why Women Will Change the World, was released in May of 2019.

Please join us for an incredibly important conversation about America's gun epidemic, the the recent spate of deadly mass-shootings and the continued fight for gun-reform legislation.

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

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

Kara Swisher Jan 28, 2023

Show notes

Kara Swisher is host of On with Kara Swisher and co-host of the Pivot podcast. She’s also editor-at-large of New York Magazine…and the former host of the Sway and Recode Decode podcasts and the co-founder of the technology website, Recode. Kara has been reporting on the tech industry since the early 1990s. Once called “Silicon Valley's most feared but revered journalist," she’s established herself as the oracle of the tech world with unrivaled access to the industry's most significant leaders.

Fans of Kara, as well as those just getting to know her, will really love this conversation. It's about more than just the usual suspects like Elon Musk, Twitter and tech. We learn so much about Kara herself...from the impact of losing her father at the age of 5 to her love of Air-fryers, Yellowstone, Johnny Cash and the Frozen soundtrack. And why her Instapot yells "fuck you" to her!

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

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

Aaron Rupar Jan 24, 2023

Show notes

Aaron Rupar is an independent journalist and the publisher of the Public Notice newsletter covering US politics and media. He previously worked at Vox, where he covered Trumpism and the Trump administration. Most recently he was notably involved in a controversial dust-up with Twitter’s 'Chief Twit' Elon Musk, who ‘temporarily’ permanently suspended him last month before lifting the suspension after much public outcry and a truly bizarre online poll.

Join us for a fascinating chat as Aaron gives us the skinny on what went down with Musk; his overall take on Twitter; and his thoughts on a range of political subjects including Trump, Kevin McCarthy, George Santos and the House drama, and the Biden/Trump mishandled classified documents scandals. You'll also learn whether those mop-topped lads from Liverpool made into Aaron's Top 5! 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 and Matty Rosenberg @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Associate producer Jennifer Hammoud Music by Andrew Hollander Design by Cricket Lengyel

Joe Walsh Jan 21, 2023

Show notes

Joe Walsh is a former Tea Party Congressman from Illinois and a former nationally syndicated far-right talk-radio host who ran for President in 2020 against Donald Trump. He's the author of the 2020 book "F-ck Silence: Calling Trump Out for the Cultish, Moronic, Authoritarian Con Man He Is" and is host of the podcast, "White Flag With Joe Walsh". He is Chairman of non-partisan "Center Street PAC", a board member of bi-partisan gun safety group "97Percent" and is a frequent commentator on CNN and MSNBC.

But most notably, Joe was a lifelong Republican who left the party three years ago, became an independent and is one of the most outspoken conservative critics of Trump, Trumpism and the dangers of the MAGA cult.

I love talking with Joe. We disagree on many political and social issues, but he's a straight-shooting right-winger who's chosen to be on the right side of history. Take a listen to our truly insightful, brutally honest, fun, funny chat. You'll be glad you did!

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

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

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