Rephonic
Artwork for Central Air
Donald Trump
Immigration
Federal Reserve
Jeffrey Epstein
Democratic Party
Trump Administration
Jay Powell
Billionaires
Inflation
Immigration Policy
Epstein Files
Shutdown
Monetary Policy
Nimbyism
Elon Musk
Republican Party
Venezuela
Zohran Mamdani
ICE
Identity Theft

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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes41Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsPoliticsSociety & Culture

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Artwork for Central Air

Latest Episodes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.centralairpodcast.com

This week: the case for AI regulation and what it would look like, with Dean Ball, who helped to shape AI policy in the Trump White House and is soon to join Ope... more

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.centralairpodcast.com

This week: Andrew Sullivan joins us from Provincetown to assess the emergent Iran deal. Paying subscribers also get our discussion of racial unrest and immigrati... more

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.centralairpodcast.com

This week: Matt Yglesias joins us to recap WelcomeFest and discuss “dog-whistle moderation," and why the factional forces seeking to drag the Democratic Party to... more

Listen to two conversations Josh, Ben and Megan had at WelcomeFest, the center-left organizing conference: one with San Francisco DA Brooke Jenkins, and the other with Tejano singing legend-turned-congressional candidate Bobby Pulido.

More next week... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Brooke Jenkins
District Attorney, San Francisco
San Francisco District Attorney's Office
Episode: Central Air Live at WelcomeFest
Bobby Pulido
Congressional candidate and Tejano musician
Candidate, Texas 15th District
Episode: Central Air Live at WelcomeFest
Reihan Salam
President of the Manhattan Institute, urban policy expert
Manhattan Institute
Episode: Urban Centers
Sam Bowman
Founding editor at Works in Progress magazine
Works in Progress magazine
Episode: Europe Needs Central Air
Robinson Meyer
Executive editor of the Climate and Energy News site, Heatmap News
Heatmap News
Episode: Central Heat (w/ Robinson Meyer)
Gary Leff
Airline industry analyst, writes The Indispensable View From the Wing blog
The Indispensable View From the Wing
Episode: Major Podcast Incoming
Sean Trende
Senior elections analyst for Real Clear Politics; lecturer in political science at The Ohio State University
Real Clear Politics; Ohio State University
Episode: No Rules, Just Fight (w/ Sean Trende)
Alex Thompson
National Political Correspondent for Axios, co-author of Original Sin
Axios
Episode: This Podcast Is Going to the Dogs
Patrick Ruffini
Co-founder of Echelon Insights; author of Party of the People Inside the Multiracial Populist Coalition Remaking the GOP
Echelon Insights
Episode: Party of the People?

Hosts

Joshua Barro
Host of Central Air; commentator on politics and policy; long-running presence contributing centrist perspectives.
Megan McArdle
Co-host and columnist with a focus on policy analysis, economics, and media literacy.
Benjamin Dreyfuss
Co-host and commentator with an emphasis on political satire, media critique, and policy discussion.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 696 ratings
  • Strangely aimed at a slender segment of Americans, namely those who are wealthy and working in/adjacent to the political machinery of NYC or DC.

    Policy and guests brought up on the show only agree with the hosts' views. There's no exploration of how Americans of different stripes think or can come together.

    Obsessed with preserving current USA at all costs from a material consumption and world power standpoint.

    Only listen if you're comfortable on your high horse and view others as stupid.

    Podcast Addict
    2
    Will B
    18 days ago
  • Who is this show for?

    This show used to be great. I’m a huge fan of Josh. But now that’s they pay walled the hell out of it I don’t understand their mission anymore. Who is going to add another subscription to their lives for a show that is more medicine than entertainment. Come on guys do better.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    StarRyder89
    United States18 days ago
  • Fanbase Demonym Suggestion!

    Q: What do you call paying subscribers to “Central Air”?

    A: Airheads!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Paul Alcott
    United Statesa month ago
  • these people live in a bubble

    I was happy to hear this would be a podcast about people in the middle. Instead, they spend all of their time talking about wokeness and how much we need to be anti-woke. Guess what? In real life outside the bubble, nobody talks about wokeness or being woke. It's just not a thing. I have a hard time taking these people seriously because they clearly don't know what it's like to live like most of us do.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    RaymondVV
    United Statesa month ago
  • Boo

    This podcast sucks

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Dave Hotdog
    Canada2 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Guests bring sharp, data-driven perspectives on politics and policy.
Audience appreciates balanced discourse and nuanced takes, with room for humor.
Some critics seek more strong disagreements or deeper debates on policy.
Overall, listeners describe the show as a refreshing antidote to partisan talking points.
The show combines sane, thoughtful analysis with engaging hosts.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#202
United States/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#133
Hong Kong/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#153
Argentina/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#179
Finland/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#223
South Korea/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#243
Netherlands/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Urban Centers
Q: What is your view on Mandani's approach to urban policy and the balance between incumbency welfare and a left-right reform coalition?
Salam contends that Mandani represents a genuine attempt at center-left to center-right reform, emphasizing private capital, smart zoning, and selective privatization to accelerate development while maintaining public services. He cautions that the political challenge is building durable coalitions and delivering tangible results without losing base support.
Urban Centers
Q: Reihan, how would you evaluate Mom Donnie's early months in office and where does he need improvement?
Reihan Salam argues that while Momdani has shown charm and political skill, his governance lacks depth in substance, particularly on fiscal structure and aggressive reform. He notes a need for clearer growth strategies, more disciplined budget planning, and a credible plan to balance competing welfare and development goals without stifling investment.
Central Heat (w/ Robinson Meyer)
Q: How do data centers influence electricity markets, and what policy responses could address potential rate pressures for consumers?
Experts explain that data centers create demand spikes and can push capacity prices higher; potential policy responses include targeted rate structures, better siting rules, and improving grid reliability, while noting the lack of a cohesive national plan to manage this growth.
Central Heat (w/ Robinson Meyer)
Q: What are the prospects for permitting reform to unlock energy and infrastructure projects, given the political and legal obstacles?
The guests describe the Freedom Act as a mechanism to impose deadlines and penalties on agencies blocking routine authorizations, potentially enabling faster permitting while balancing environmental and national security concerns; Democrats see value in reform, but there are internal disagreements about the scope and tools used.
Central Heat (w/ Robinson Meyer)
Q: Robinson, what do you make of the current oil market dynamics given the surprise volatility and high prices elsewhere?
Robinson emphasizes the unusual lag between supply disruptions and price movements, noting strategic inventories, floating storage, and China's reserve activity as key buffers that keep prices from spiking as expected, while acknowledging the global nature of the shock and regional price disparities.

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 centrist-leaning roundtable that blends political analysis with candid banter across current events, policy debates, and media dynamics. Regular discussions cover elections, polling, redistricting, energy policy, and technology regulation, often warmed by personal anecdotes and pop-culture tangents. Guests range from data-driven political analysts to policymakers and journalists, providing a mix of market-aware perspectives and practical implications for law, governance, and public opinion. The show stands out for its thoughtful, sometimes provocative takes from three well-known hosts who aim to balance skepticism with accessible insight, plus guests who bring specialized expertise across politics, economics, and media. Potential listener... more

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How many subscribers and views does Central Air have?

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Which podcasts are similar to Central Air?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Central Air:

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

How many episodes of Central Air are there?

Central Air launched 5 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?

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What guests have appeared on Central Air?

Recent guests on Central Air include:

1. Brooke Jenkins
2. Bobby Pulido
3. Reihan Salam
4. Sam Bowman
5. Robinson Meyer
6. Gary Leff
7. Sean Trende
8. Alex Thompson

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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