The Back Room with Andy Ostroy

Radio Free Rhinecliff
  • 4.2 (213)
  • News Commentary
  • Updated Weekly

The Back Room with Andy Ostroy presents a humorous, honest take on politics and pop culture featuring notable guest interviews, a shit-ton of righteous indignation, and rip-roaring repartee with co-producers Matty Rosenberg and Jen Hammoud. We're havin' a ball, and so will you! 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 Music by Andrew Hollander Design by Cricket Lengyel

  1. 1d ago

    Alisyn Camerota on Life, Loss, Grief and Reinvention

    Alisyn Camerota is an award-winning journalist, author and former CNN New Day anchor. Before CNN, she was an anchor and correspondent at the FOX News Channel. In her three+ decades in journalism, Alisyn has covered major stories nationally and internationally, earning two Emmy Awards, the Edward R. Murrow Award, and a DuPont-Columbia Award. Alisyn’s debut novel, Amanda Wakes Up, was selected by National Public Radio as one of the best books of 2017, and by Oprah Magazine as “a must read.” Her 2024 memoir Combat Love was an instant Amazon bestseller. On her Substack she writes about the process of having to reinvent life after leaving legacy media and the death of her beloved husband Tim. She now hosts a weekly interview show on the Scripps News network called, “Connected with Alisyn Camerota.” Alisyn's had quite the storied life so far, full of incredible highs and lows. She takes us back to her turbulent childhood; her 'badass adjacent' teenage punk-rock period at CBGB's; when she realized she wanted to be a journalist; the tough decision to leave her coveted CNN anchor position; Tim's illness and eventual death; navigating through unfathomable loss and grief; the power of friendship; and reinventing herself professionally. I'm confident you'll find this conversation as engaging and inspiring as I have. 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

    1h 2m

  2. 3d ago

    Keisha Lance Bottoms on her Campaign for Georgia Governor and her New Memoir, The Rough SIde of the Mountain

    Keisha Lance Bottoms has served as senior advisor to former President Joe Biden, leading the transformation of the White House Office of Public Engagement, and acting as a liaison and media surrogate. Before joining the White House, she worked with CNN as a political commentator based in Atlanta, Georgia, where she served in all three branches of government, as judge, council member, and mayor. She is now running for governor and recently released her new memoir, The Rough Side of the Mountain. Keisha joins me for an inspiring conversation about her life, campaign, and overcoming challenges on the road to success. 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

    43 min

  3. 4d ago

    Danielle Crittenden on her Terrific New Book Dispatches from Grief: A Mother’s Journey Through the Unthinkable

    Danielle Crittenden is a journalist, author, and former host of the The Femsplainers Podcast and Substack, known for her incisive commentary on women and modern life. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and more. She is the author of five books, including What Our Mothers Didn’t Tell Us: Why Happiness Eludes the Modern Woman, and her new memoir, Dispatches from Grief: A Mother’s Journey Through the Unthinkable, which chronicles the sudden loss of her 32-year-old daughter Miranda in 2024, and the two interminable years of pain, love, and life since then. Losing a child is a parent's worst nightmare. Danielle joins me to discuss her terrific new book and the profound grief journey she and her family have been navigating following Miranda's death. It's a raw, honest and at times humorous conversation. 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

    59 min

  4. 6d ago

    MI State Sen. Mallory McMorrow on her U.S. Senate Campaign

    Mallory McMorrow is a Michigan State Senator who in 2018 flipped a district that had previously voted Republican by 16 points, then helped Democrats take control of the Michigan Senate for the first time in 40 years. She’s stood up to extremists to repeal Michigan’s abortion ban, expand voting rights, and pass sweeping gun safety laws, and refuses corporate PAC or AIPAC money. She was thrust into the national spotlight in April 2022 over her incredible viral speech on the Michigan Senate floor in response to being accused of being a “groomer” by a Republican Senator. Last year she released her first book, a follow up to that speech, Hate Won't Win. Mallory is back with us to discuss her U.S. Senate campaign, the economy and affordabilty, Israel and Gaza, Artificial Intelligence, the midterms and the threats to this critical election. 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

    30 min

  5. May 31

    Asha Rangappa on the Iran War, Trump's Autocratic Overreach and DOJ/FBI Weaponization, the Administration's Incompetence, and How Democrats Need to Fight Back and Win in November

    Asha Rangappa is a lawyer, scholar, and media commentator. She’s held senior administrative and teaching roles at Yale University for nearly two decades, where her work including advising deans on governance and strategy helped guide institutional growth during periods of transition, and teaches courses on national security law, Russian information warfare, and leadership and ethics. Prior to Yale, Asha served as a Special Agent in the New York Division of the FBI, specializing in counterintelligence investigations. She's the author of The Freedom Academy, a bestselling online Substack publication that explores how to create democratic resilience in America’s social fabric, and the co-host of the legal podcast, It’s Complicated, with Renato Mariotti. Her next book, UNCOMPROMISED: Activating Your Moral Compass in an Age of Complicity, will be published in 2028. She’s a former legal and national security analyst for CNN and ABC News, and her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and other outlets. She is an editor for Just Security, a member of the Council of Foreign Relations, and a Security Fellow with the Truman National Security Project. Asha and I discuss the Iran War, Trump's autocratic overreach and DOJ/FBI weaponization, the overall incompetence of the administration, and how Democrats need to fight back and win in November 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

    45 min

  6. May 26

    Ruth Ben-Ghiat on Trump, Orban, Xi/China and Whether She's Still Optimistic About American Democracy

    Ruth Ben-Ghiat is Professor of History at New York University. She writes about fascism, authoritarianism, and propaganda. She is the recipient of Guggenheim and other fellowships; an advisor to Protect Democracy; an MSNBC opinion columnist and television commentator; and publishes Lucid, a newsletter on threats to democracy. Her latest book, Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present, looks at how illiberal leaders use propaganda, corruption, violence, and machismo - and how they can be defeated. Ruth's back with us again for a discussion on Trump's second-term autocratic overreach, including his latest brazen act of corruption, the $1.776-billion 'Anti-Weaponization' slush-fund and his IRS immunity 'settlement'. So is Ruth as optimistic as she was back in December? Tune in to see where Ruth currently stands on Trump's threats to democracy; her takeaways from his recent China summit; Viktor Orban's defeat and it's impact on Trump and American politics; and more. 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

    36 min

  7. May 23

    Kristy Greenberg on Trump's $1.776 Slush-Fund and IRS Immunity Deal, Blanche, Bondi, Comey, Epstein...and the KNICKS!

    Kristy Greenberg is the host of "Courtside with Kristy Greenberg" on YouTube, and an MS NOW Legal Analyst. Kristy was a former SDNY Criminal Division Deputy Chief, where she oversaw the work of SDNY's Criminal Division and prosecuted fraud, cybercrime, and sex trafficking cases of national significance. Kristy and I discuss the legality of Trump's $1.776 slush-fund and IRS immunity deal; Todd Blanche's corrupt DOJ; Pam Bondi's upcoming testimony; the Comey indictment; the courts, the midterms; the Epstein cover-up; and...the KNICKS! 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

    55 min

  8. May 21

    Jonathan Jordan on his Terrific New Book IKE AND WINSTON: World War, Cold War, and an Extraordinary Friendship

    Jonathan W. Jordan is a historian and an award-winning author of five books, including the New York Times bestseller Brothers, Rivals, Victors: Eisenhower, Patton, Bradley, and the Partnership That Drove the Allied Conquest in Europe. He is a regular book critic for The Wall Street Journal and the author of nearly two dozen articles appearing in MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History, World War II magazine, Military History, and World War II History magazine. He has made numerous live, televised, podcast, and radio appearances. Jonathan joins me to discuss his terrific new book, IKE AND WINSTON: World War, Cold War, and an Extraordinary Friendship, and how the events and leadership of that era can be applied to the current international political landscape. 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 Design by Cricket Lengyel

    55 min
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4.2
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About

The Back Room with Andy Ostroy presents a humorous, honest take on politics and pop culture featuring notable guest interviews, a shit-ton of righteous indignation, and rip-roaring repartee with co-producers Matty Rosenberg and Jen Hammoud. We're havin' a ball, and so will you! 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 Music by Andrew Hollander Design by Cricket Lengyel

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