
Competing Infrastructure Plans, Explained
Michael talks about the latest budget movements in Congress, offering insight into the competing infrastructure plans between Democrats and Republicans. Original air date 25 August 2021.
25 Aug 202119min

Three and (hopefully) Done: A Tale of Technical Difficulties
No microphone, no A/C, no power, and that's just from one story: Listen to this tale of Michael's wild weekend of technical difficulties. Original Air Date 24 August 2021.
24 Aug 202120min

The Case of Walter Ogrod
A horrific murder and a wrongful conviction are at the center of Michael's conversation with Thomas Lowenstein, author of "The Trials of Walter Ogrod: A Story of Murder, Coercion, and a Notorious Prison Snitch in Philadelphia." Original air date 20 August 2021.
20 Aug 202126min

Hands Off the Wheel? Tesla & Autopilot Safety
A tragic case involving a car in self-driving mode has put cars with autopilot features in the spotlight. This episode, Michael picks the brain of Jason Levine, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, to learn about what these types of cars do, misconceptions about autopilot, and where the industry is moving. Original air date 19 August 2021.
19 Aug 202117min

US Withdraws. Kabul Collapses. Who Knew What & When?
When it came to the prospect of a Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, who knew what and when? Ken Dilanian, national security correspondent for NBC News, joins Michael to detail the CIA's advance analysis of an American withdrawal. Original air date 18 May 2021.
18 Aug 202119min

NYT's Tom Friedman: Could It All Work Out for Biden in Afghanistan?
Tom Friedman, foreign affairs op-ed columnist for the New York Times, joins Michael to provide an expert counterpoint to the narrative of an Afghan debacle: President Biden's withdrawal of US troops could actually end well. Original air date 17 August 2021.
17 Aug 202119min

The Case Against an Afghan Withdrawal
Afghanistan is in chaos, Kabul is in Taliban hands, and American troops and diplomats are scrambling to evacuate. Michael O'Hanlon, senior fellow and director of research in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution, joins Michael Smerconish to lay out why he thinks the American exit from Afghanistan was deeply misguided.
16 Aug 202119min

Taliban Takeover: Is the US Wrong to Exit Afghanistan?
With US intelligence predicting Kabul could fall within 90 days, Michael poses a deceptively simple question: does a rapid Taliban takeover mean the US was wrong to pull out of Afghanistan?
13 Aug 202118min