Épisodes

  • A Turning Point in Middle East History

    A Turning Point in Middle East History
    Jun 17 2025
    Israel’s air assault on the heart of Iran’s nuclear program has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East. Iran’s bid for regional hegemony and the survival of the Islamic regime itself is now under serious threat. But can Israel finish the job on its own or does it need the U.S. to tighten the vise on Teheran? While Donald Trump still says he wants to see a deal made, his administration is also weighing whether to join Israel’s assault. As the conflict continues, who will eventually define the future of the Middle East? On this episode of Free Expression, Middle East policy analyst Marc Reuel Gerecht tells Gerry Baker how much more assistance the U.S. should provide Israel, how Russia and China are reacting to the conflict, and how Iran’s future might look. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    37 min
  • Barry Diller on a Life in Hollywood

    Barry Diller on a Life in Hollywood
    Jun 10 2025
    Few people have lived the entertainment world like Barry Diller. Over 60 years in the business, he has run movie studios and TV networks and most recently built a portfolio of digital media properties. In the process he has seen the sector move from a studio-and producer-driven model to the increasingly tech-dominated business it is today. On this episode of Free Expression, Diller speaks with Gerry Baker about his life in the entertainment business, how modern tech domination has diminished the value of creativity and why Hollywood went woke and progressive. Discussing his newly published memoir, “Who Knew?,” he also reveals what he calls the “sexual nuance” of being gay while being married to a woman, his wife of 25 years, the fashion designer, Diane Von Furstenberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    33 min
  • Can the U.S. Avoid an Oncoming Debt Crisis?

    Can the U.S. Avoid an Oncoming Debt Crisis?
    Jun 5 2025
    The House of Representatives has passed Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” and now the Senate is pondering its version. Chief among the concerns for some senators is how much it will add to the federal debt. Already at $36 trillion, how much is too much? Are we on the brink of a major fiscal crisis? On this episode of Free Expression, Bridgewater founder and investor Ray Dalio talks to Gerry Baker about the risks of a debt calamity if bond markets take fright. They also talk about his new book, “How Countries Go Broke: The Big Cycle”, which chronicles the history of governments with unsustainable debt and offers his “3%”, three-part solution for ensuring fiscal health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    38 min
  • Newt Gingrich on Donald Trump’s Not-So-Conservative Triumph

    Newt Gingrich on Donald Trump’s Not-So-Conservative Triumph
    May 30 2025
    Improbable as it would have once seemed, Donald Trump is the dominant political figure of the first quarter of the 21st century, creating a populist movement not seen in recent American history. But is he really a conservative, and what are the defining characteristics of the way he has bent the Republican party to his will? On this episode of Free Expression, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich talks to Gerry Baker about his new book, “Trump’s Triumph: America’s Greatest Comeback,” why the lack of coverage of Joe Biden’s cognitive decline is one of history’s greatest scandals, and why the courts should not have the power and authority over Donald Trump’s executive power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    34 min
  • Kelsey Grammer Discusses his Sister’s Tragic Death, its Meaning and the Role of Faith in his Life

    Kelsey Grammer Discusses his Sister’s Tragic Death, its Meaning and the Role of Faith in his Life
    May 22 2025
    Actor Kelsey Grammer is known for his many acting roles, most notably as radio psychiatrist Frasier Crane in the long running TV sitcom “Frasier.” But behind the comic mask lies a lifelong story of pain and grief. Fifty years ago, his beloved sister Karen was abducted, raped and murdered. In a new memoir, “Karen: A Brother Remembers,” he writes of how the tragedy shaped his own life. On this episode of Free Expression, Grammer speaks with Gerry Baker about his sister as a source of joy in his life, his spiritual reunion with her and his evolving Christian faith. A rare conservative in Hollywood, Grammer also discussed the current political climate in America and how the pursuit of individual freedom remains his guiding philosophy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    32 min
  • Tariffs, Taxes and ‘The Big, Beautiful Bill’

    Tariffs, Taxes and ‘The Big, Beautiful Bill’
    May 14 2025
    This week, Donald Trump celebrated a “reset” with China, lowering tariffs and signaling a major thaw in the trade war between the two countries. Meanwhile, as the President traveled to the Middle East, House Republicans announced their framework for the “big, beautiful” spending bill looking to make changes to Medicaid and reduce the budget deficit. Where does Donald Trump's wider economic agenda now sit? On this episode of Free Expression, Harvard economics professor Greg Mankiw tells Gerry Baker why the President has to stop thinking the U.S. is an economic “loser,” and how the U.S. under Trump is starting take on some of the appearances of an unstable emerging market and gives his perspective on academic freedom on the Harvard campus and elsewhere after the administration's unprecedented campaign against institutions of higher learning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    34 min
  • Choosing the Next Pope

    Choosing the Next Pope
    May 7 2025
    The conclave of Cardinals to choose the 267th pope, bishop of Rome and leader of the Catholic Church opened Wednesday at the Vatican. Whoever is chosen by the 133 voting Cardinals from all over the world will follow Pope Francis, the first Jesuit Pope who died last month. What kind of leader are the cardinals looking for and where is the church headed? On this episode of Free Expression, theologian, author and commentator George Weigel talks to Gerry Baker about what goes on in the conclave, why he thinks the Cardinals will choose a different character than the autocratic Francis, and how the growth of the Catholic faithful outside its traditional heartland of Europe could be changing the church. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    44 min
  • The Economic Outlook: The View from The White House

    The Economic Outlook: The View from The White House
    May 3 2025
    It’s been a month since Donald Trump celebrated his “Liberation Day,” announcing a wide range of what he called reciprocal tariffs on a number of countries, with China facing the steepest. Since then matters have been on a roller coaster ride as the President first fiercely defended the plan and then paused it for most countries except China. While fears about the impact on the U.S. and the world have escalated, the economy seems to be toddling along. But great uncertainty remains - not just on tariffs but on the scope and scale of Republican tax plans and the budget. On this episode of Free Expression, Director of the National Economic Council of the United States Kevin Hassett discusses the latest job numbers to come out, how the tariffs began as a place of negotiation, and how the tax plan is progressing through Congress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    36 min