The Back Room with Andy Ostroy

R.J. Cutler is an award-winning director and producer who has been making documentary film and television series for over thirty years. Cutler’s work has been nominated for an Academy Award, and he is the recipient of numerous other awards including three Emmys, two Peabody Awards, and a GLAAD Award. In 2009, the Museum of Television and Radio held a four-day retrospective of R.J.’s work. In 2021, he was the recipient of the Critic’s Choice Awards Pennebaker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Documentary Film. In 2020, Cutler launched This Machine, a production company focused on developing and producing documentary projects for film and television, which is now a part of Sony Pictures Television. R.J.’s film’s include THE WAR ROOM, BELUSHI, BILLIE EILISH: THE WORLD’S A LITTLE BLURRY, MARTHA and ELTON JOHN: NEVER TOO LATE. His television work includes Freshman Diaries, 30 Days, Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium, Murf the Surf, Big Vape, Nashville, If I Stay, and The Oval Office Tapes. Join me for a fun, fascinating chat with R.J. about his early life and inspirations and his stellar career as a producer and director. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Christopher Cox is a Senior Scholar in Residence at the University of California, Irvine, a Life Trustee of the University of Southern California, Chair of the Rhodes Scholarship selection committee for Southern California and the Pacific, and a member of several nonprofit and for-profit boards. Between two decades as a practicing lawyer, he served as chair of the Homeland Security Committee in the US House of Representatives, chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, and senior associate counsel to the President. He has written for Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, The Detroit News, The Denver Post, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and dozens of other publications. His new book is Woodrow Wilson: The Light Withdrawn. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Juanita Tolliver is an MSNBC Political Analyst, an Opinion Contributor for theGrio, and a Contributor for SiriusXM Progress. Previously, she served as the Director of Campaigns at the Center for American Progress. She is a graduate of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her new book, A More Perfect Party: The Night Shirley Chisholm and Diahann Carroll Reshaped Politics, is on sale January 14th. Join us as Juanita takes us in riveting detail through the fascinating life and historic career of Shirley Chisholm. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Michael Steele is the co-host of MSNBC’s ‘The Weekend’ and host of ‘The Michael Steele Podcast.’ Prior to joining MSNBC as a political analyst, he was elected Lt. Governor of Maryland in 2003. Following his time as Lt. Governor, he served as Chairman of the Republican National Committee from 2009 to 2011. He was the first African-American to hold either office. He has appeared on Meet the Press, Face the Nation, Real Time with Bill Maher, and The Daily Show and is also the author of two books. The always insightful and entertaining Michael is back in The Back Room pulling no punches on Trump, the GOP, Democrats, and the challenging road ahead. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Jill Wine-Banks is an attorney, author, speaker, MSNBC Legal Analyst, and co-host of the award-winning #SistersinLaw podcast. She also hosts the YouTube show, Just The Facts. Her 2020 memoir is The Watergate Girl: My Fight for Truth and Justice Against A Criminal President, about her life and work as a Watergate prosecutor, and a film adaptation of the book is in discussion. Jill is a frequent op-ed contributor to various publications including the Chicago Tribune, the Washington Post, and Politico. She’s also appeared in films including Watergate—Or: How We Learned to Stop an Out of Control President; All the President's Men Revisited; and Fahrenheit 11/9. Given her experience as a former Watergate prosecutor, I'm sure you'll find Jill's insights and perspective into Donald Trump, the Republican Party and the current political landscape as compelling as I did. Join us as we explore what's to come in Trump 2.0. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Andrew McCarthy is an award-winning travel writer, television director, and actor. He’s appeared in over two dozen films including such iconic 80s movies as PRETTY IN PINK and ST. ELMO’S FIRE. His recent documentary, BRATS, debuted at #1 on Hulu. He’s directed nearly 100 hours of television, including Orange Is the New Black and The Blacklist. Andrew’s also been named Travel Journalist of the Year by the Society of American Travel Writers, and for a dozen years served as an editor-at-large at National Geographic Traveler magazine. He is the author or four New York Times Best Selling books, including, most recently, WALKING WITH SAM. Join us for the fun, honest, insightful in-depth chat about Andrew's life and career, and of course, his documentary BRATS, which he directed and produced. It’s a poignant, captivating journey through this pivotal era of his life as a member of the legendary Brat Pack. The film includes interviews with former castmates, producers and other key figures associated with the beloved 1980’s coming of age films which include THE BREAKFAST CLUB, ST ELMOS’S FIRE, PRETTY IN PINK and MANNEQUIN. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Helen Ouyang is an emergency physician, associate professor at Columbia University, and contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine. She is also a fellow at the Type Media Center. She has written for The Atlantic, Harper’s, Los Angeles Times, New York, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and others. Her writing has been a finalist for the National Magazine Award, anthologized in The Best American Science and Nature Writing, and funded by The Pulitzer Center. Join us for this important conversation about the state of our nation's healthcare and insurance industries. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Dawn Porter has emerged in the entertainment industry as a leader in the art of storytelling; directing and producing critically acclaimed films and series. A two-time Sundance film festival director, her work has been featured on HBO, Netflix, CNN, PBS, MSNBC, ESPN, Discovery, National Geographic and others. Dawn’s films include GIDEON’S ARMY, THE LADY BIRD DIARIES, THE WAY I SEE IT, SUPREME, BOBBY KENNEDY FOR PRESIDENT and JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE. Her latest film is LUTHER: NEVER TOO MUCH, about the public and private life and music career of Luther Vandross, which premieres New Year’s Day on CNN. Dawn joins me in The Back Room to discuss her terrific new film LUTHER which tells the story of this iconic, multi-faceted yet complicated musical genius. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Christine C. Quinn is the President and CEO of Win, the largest provider of shelter and supportive housing for families experiencing homelessness in New York City and the nation. Win has also been at the forefront of the city's response to the ongoing migrant and homelessness crisis. She was also the first female and openly gay Speaker of the NYC Council, ran for NYC mayor in 2013, and is a political contributor on CNN and MSNBC. Chris joins me in The Back Room for a conversation about homelessness in New York City, the migrant crisis, and her organization's work to provide family shelter and supportive housing. We also discuss her concerns for the LGBTQ+ community under the incoming Trump administration; the health risks to New Yorkers under an RFK Jr-led HHS; and whether or not she's planning to run for NYC mayor next year. We close out the chat with Chris sharing her top 5 musical artists of all time! Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Eric J. Segall is a constitutional law scholar, professor, and author of the books Originalism as Faith, and Supreme Myths: Why the Supreme Court is not a Court and its Justices are not Judges. His articles on constitutional law have appeared in, among others, the Harvard Law Review Forum, the Stanford Law Review On Line, the UCLA Law Review, the George Washington Law Review, the Washington University Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law, the Northwestern University Law Review Colloquy, and Constitutional Commentary among many others. His op-eds and essays have appeared in the New York Times, the LA Times, The Atlantic, SLATE, Vox, Salon, and the Daily Beast, among others and his television appearances include CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and France 24. Eric's back with us to share his thoughts on the Donald Trump and his cabinet nominations and the threats they pose to the rights of Americans, our rule of law, and the future of our democracy. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel