The Political Orphanage

Latest Episodes:

Hahaha! Warrant? What Warrant?! Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

Naomi Brockwell is the President and Founder of the Ludlow Institute, a non-profit dedicated to advancing freedom through technology. She is a privacy advocate and expert, who has come on to scare us about online privacy, and how the government can bypass the Constitution through private companies' data.

Your Friends Are Wrong About the Supreme Court: Sarah Isgur Apr 22, 2026

Show notes

The Supreme Court is significantly less partisan than advertised. And there are three blocs in it, not two parties. In her new book "Last Branch Standing" Sarah Isgur demystifies the Supreme Court, gives a basic primer on everything from certiorari to judicial philosophies, and identifies the threats to the courts independence, and possible solutions.

War Without Coffins Apr 15, 2026

Show notes

Why now? Why did the United States go to war with Iran this year, as opposed to last year, or ten years ago? Michael Tint is a data scientist and aerospace expert, and is here to talk about the Iran War–and why it's a different sort of conflict.

The Travails of Afroman and Lindy West (WSPN) Apr 09, 2026

Show notes

The World's Smartest Podcast Network returns to discuss:

Universities dumping peripheral majors in favor of practical ones
The trials, tribulations, and musical comeback of Afroman
Lindy West, and Millennial Feminism

TURNER'S COMEDY SPECIAL, "Turner Sparks: Buttoned Up and Unhinged: https://www.angel.com/watch/shared/f0106e78-f95b-4aad-91dd-65c43cf80c38

How To Deal with Political Lizard People Apr 01, 2026

Show notes

Sociopaths and narcissists are both drawn to politics. How do we spot folks with faulty moral compasses before they get elected, and what do we do when they slip by?

Bill Eddy is a therapist, lawyer, and mediator. He is the Director of Innovation at the High Conflict Institute. He is the author of over twenty books on high-conflict behavior and how to manage it, but we will be discussing the most pertinent of these works, "Why We Elect Narcissists and Sociopaths and How We Can Stop."

Interview with the Mega Warden Mar 27, 2026

Show notes

Randall Liberty is the Commissioner for Maine's Department of Corrections, overseeing the state's entire prison system, after previously serving as a warden, and a sheriff. He's largely responsible for implementing the "Maine Model," and shifting the state's prison resources away from punitive emphases to rehabilitation.

Part V of Prison Week

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www.thepoliticalorphanage.com

What's Prison Hooch Taste Like? Mar 26, 2026

Show notes

What's prison wine taste like? How's trade work? Where do people get the ink for prison tattoos? If someone sees you cry in the slammer, do you get beaten up? If they beat you up, can you whittle your toothbrush down and shank 'em later? And, crucially, how is prison debate different than high school debate, if at all?

Parenting Behind Bars Mar 25, 2026

Show notes

How hard is it to raise kids when you're inside a penitentiary? How do you maintain relationships in general? In this episode, Part III of Prison Week, we head to the Maine Correctional Center's Women Prison to interview a resident.

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www.patreon.com/andrewheaton

www.thepoliticalorphanage.com

Maine is Smarter Than Your State about Prison Mar 24, 2026

Show notes

In Part II of Prison Week, we meet prison teachers, visit the computer lab, and check out Anime in the prison library. The "Maine Model" is focused on rehabilitation and trying to get residents prepped for life on the outside. It's a method contrasted to older penitentiary models in the United States, which focus primarily on punishment and deterrence.

Heaton Goes to Prison Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

In this special, host Andrew Heaton visits the Maine Correctional Center for a day to speak with residents, corrections officers and administrators. About life in prison in general, and the "Maine Model," focused on rehabilitation specifically.

Part I of "Prison Week"

SUPPORT THE SHOW!

www.Patreon.com/andrewheaton

www.thepoliticalorphanage.com

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