Rephonic
Artwork for Central Air
Donald Trump
Democratic Party
Immigration
Trump Administration
Shutdown
Epstein Files
Immigration Policy
Inflation
House Of Representatives
Jeffrey Epstein
Holiday Cocktails
Identity Theft
Poverty Line
Elon Musk
Republican Party
Tariffs
Polling
Republicans
Biden Administration
Political Messaging

Central Air, the show where the temperature is always just right. Join Josh Barro, Megan McArdle and Ben Dreyfuss every week for a well-centered conversation on American politics. www.centralairpodcast.com

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes41Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CulturePoliticsNews

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Artwork for Central Air

Latest Episodes

On this week's show: Marc Caputo, White House Correspondent for Axios, joins the podcast to help us understand how Trump and his advisers are deciding what to do with the Iran war, and how they are preparing (or not) for the domestic political blowba... more

On this week's show Tyler Austin Harper joins to talk about his reporting on the Mellon Foundation and its role in pushing humanities academia in the direction of progressive social activism, his on-the-ground take from Maine on Graham Platner’s Sena... more

On this week's show: congressional candidate Alex Bores — he’s a New York state representative and author of the controversial AI regulation law, the RAISE Act — joins us to talk about the fight between the Department of Defense and Anthropic, and ab... more

On this week's show: Mike Solana of Pirate Wires joins us to talk about Silicon Valley. He’s been talking with lots of billionaires who are taking steps to exit California in anticipation of a proposed wealth tax. We discuss how credible those threat... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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People also subscribe to these shows.

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Recent Guests

Alex Bores
Candidate for Congress, New York's 12th District; tech policy advocate
Independent candidate, raised AI regulation profile
Episode: The Gay of Hormuz
Mike Solana
Founder of Pirate Wires, CMO at Founders Fund
Pirate Wires; Founders Fund
Episode: Revolt of the Billionaires
Jesse Singal
Co-host of Blocked and Reported; Substack writer
Substack; The New York Times
Episode: Real Accounts (feat. Jesse Singal)
Tim Miller
Host of the Bulwark podcast
Bulwark
Episode: No Audience Capture at Central Air (feat. Tim Miller)
Donald J. Trump
Former President of the United States
Episode: Presidentmaxxing
Natasha Sarin
Professor at Yale Law School and co-director of The Budget Lab
Yale Law School
Episode: This Podcast Is Affordable
Ross Douthat
Columnist for The New York Times and host of the Interesting Times podcast
The New York Times
Episode: We're All in the Epstein Files (feat. Ross Douthat)
Peter Suderman
Features Editor and host of the Reason Roundtable
Reason Magazine
Episode: Bring Your Husband to Work Day
Nate Silver
Author of the book On the Edge, The Art of Risking Everything
Writes the Silver Bulletin newsletter
Episode: Shutdown Fold 'Em, with Nate Silver

Hosts

Josh Barro
Host with a long-running involvement in Central Air, known for centrist viewpoints and policy analysis.
Megan McArdle
Columnist with a focus on economics and policy, frequently contributing rigorous takes on affordability and public policy.
Ben Dreyfuss
Co-host and writer known for humorous but pointed takes; contributes to policy and culture discussions with a distinctive voice.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 686 ratings
  • Central Air or Fresh Air? BOTH!

    It’s a genuine delight each week when a new episode drops. I laugh, I learned something new, and I feel like they engage with ideas in a way I don’t get from other podcasts all while having fun. I also enjoy that they discuss serious things without being too precious about anything, but I acknowledge that style isn’t for everyone.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jlee8806
    United States20 days ago
  • Pot Complains about Kettle

    I like Josh Barro, but this podcast is turning out to be pretty insufferable. It’s three people complaining about how the left and the right don’t listen to opposing views, while simultaneously never engaging with opposing opinions themselves. Even their guests agree with them on everything. Josh Barro was really good in his previous roles because he pointed out holes in people’s arguments and pushed them to explain their positions. But on this podcast, it’s mostly them laughing at each other’s ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Hotsexypants
    United Statesa month ago
  • CHH was a great guest

    I don’t know what people were talking about. Her Trump impression was the highlight of the Central Air Cinematic Universe thus far.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    piesnotcakes
    United Statesa month ago
  • Margaret Thatcher

    Francois Mitterrand (who would know) said Dame Thatcher had the “eyes of Caligula.”

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Aidan Finley
    United States2 months ago
  • Nauseating

    Podcasting’s most nauseating personalities, all in one place. Simultaneously glib, shallow, unctuous, small-minded and smug.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Scooter1910
    United States2 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The show is considered a reliable source for thoughtful political discourse by a dedicated audience.
Guests and topics are seen as timely but polarizing depending on the episode.
Listeners praise thoughtful, sane centrism and balanced discussion.
Some reviews criticize delivery or perceived bias or repetitiveness.
Audience enjoys nuanced policy analysis paired with humor and host camaraderie.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#128
United States/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#162
Canada/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#129
Argentina/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#133
Singapore/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#203
Chile/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#208
Taiwan/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

No Audience Capture at Central Air (feat. Tim Miller)
Q: Can you describe for us a little bit about what things look like on the ground now?
Tim discusses his experiences in Minnesota, noting the ongoing tensions surrounding ICE operations and the feelings of local activists.
Presidentmaxxing
Q: Do you think he's a loser?
A lot of people who like me are losers, quite frankly, I can say it.
Presidentmaxxing
Q: Are you concerned that Republicans might be at risk of being mogged rather than doing the mogging?
I do think it's a problem. I think it's a tremendous problem because Gavin Newsom is a handsome man.
Presidentmaxxing
Q: Should the secret service be looks maxing?
It's a very good question. I mean, don't you want like an attractive looking guard?
We're All in the Epstein Files (feat. Ross Douthat)
Q: So Ross, you have a column this week saying that we need to pay more attention to AI, which I broadly agree with, but I don't know what to do with the instruction. Do you want to explain what Malt Book is?
Mold Book is a good case study where it is essentially, to put it in the crudest possible terms, it was a website where AI agents were communicating with one another. It was a social network for artificial intelligence.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Central Air

What is Central Air about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A politics-focused show that centers centrist to center-left perspectives on current American policy, economics, and culture. Episodes frequently cover immigration, inflation, federal policy, and political strategy, often featuring spirited debates among three regular hosts and a rotating string of guests. Notable strengths include a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom with nuanced takes, sharp humor, and a mix of policy analysis with cultural commentary. The format tends to balance rigorous discussion with accessible banter, making it appealing to listeners who want thoughtful but approachable political discourse and perspectives from established columnists and policy minds.

Where can I find podcast stats for Central Air?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Central Air. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Central Air and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Central Air get?

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What are the audience demographics for Central Air?

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How many subscribers and views does Central Air have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Central Air has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Central Air?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Central Air:

1. Serious Trouble
2. Politix
3. The Argument
4. The Dispatch Podcast
5. KCRW's Left, Right & Center

How many episodes of Central Air are there?

Central Air launched 4 years ago and published 41 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Central Air?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Central Air?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Central Air from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Central Air?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Central Air. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Central Air?

Recent guests on Central Air include:

1. Alex Bores
2. Mike Solana
3. Jesse Singal
4. Tim Miller
5. Donald J. Trump
6. Natasha Sarin
7. Ross Douthat
8. Peter Suderman

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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