

Central Air
Josh Barro, Megan McArdle & Ben Dreyfuss
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
Episodes
Mentioned books

26 snips
Oct 29, 2025 • 1h 13min
Deciding to Win, with Liam Kerr
Liam Kerr, co-founder of Welcome and co-author of 'Deciding to Win,' dives into strategies for modernizing the Democratic Party. He discusses the importance of building local candidate brands to create a centrist identity. Kerr argues against rapid rebranding efforts, emphasizing the need for credible, long-term strategies. The conversation also touches on the primary system's challenges for centrists and offers insights from Argentina's economic reforms. Tune in for a blend of political strategy and intriguing case studies on party image!

20 snips
Oct 22, 2025 • 1h 22min
Immigration, with Matt Yglesias
Matt Yglesias, a prominent policy writer and commentator, dives into the complexities of immigration policy under the Biden administration. He explores how mixed signals and poor decision-making have led to public mistrust. Discussion includes the balance between enforcing humane asylum policies and maintaining order. Yglesias also critiques the influence of advocacy funding on immigration strategies and addresses the broader issues of negativity in media shaping political discourse.

31 snips
Oct 15, 2025 • 1h 31min
Welcome to Central Air!
In this engaging discussion, the hosts tackle the surprisingly muted government shutdown and its real impact on services like Medicare. They delve into the Democrats' efforts to link the shutdown to expiring Obamacare subsidies for political leverage. Drawing attention to Trump’s immigration tactics, they debate how centrists can effectively respond. The conversation also explores the controversy surrounding Bari Weiss at CBS, media bias, and the curious plot of Die Hard's bearer bonds — including a deep dive into their historic implications and practical absurdities.


