The James Finochio Show

James Finochio
  • 4.9 (16)
  • Personal Journals

The James Finochio Show is a long-form conversation podcast hosted by James Finochio. Each episode, James sits down with guests who have fascinating inner lives and something real to say — exploring topics across faith, science, philosophy, culture, history, human experience, and beyond. The show's edge isn't the topic list — it's James's genuine curiosity and commitment to going deeper than the surface, every single time. If you're tired of shallow content and echo chambers, you're in the right place. New episodes weekly on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.  Guest Application: https://tinyurl.com/3psz2xn7

  1. 11h ago

    Trump’s Not on the Ballot | Blair County GOP Chair Matt Zupon

    Send us Fan Mail Six days before Election Day, Matt Zupon, chairman of the Blair County Republican Committee, sits down with James to make his case: Trump isn’t on the ballot, and this election comes down to local races. They get into the March special election and its low turnout, the Garrity–Shapiro debate, gas prices and the regional power grid, why young people leave Blair County, skill games, and why bills keep stalling in Harrisburg. James also presses Matt on affordability and on what he’d say to Trump voters who feel left behind and are thinking about staying home. Matt also thanks the poll workers who make election day happen, and confirms that on November 3rd, everyone is back at their regular polling place. Support the show

    Trump’s Not on the Ballot | Blair County GOP Chair Matt Zupon

  2. 4d ago

    The Great Debate | Andrea Verobish vs Caleb McCoy | PA 79th District State Representative Candidates

    Send us Fan Mail PA House 79th District Debate | Sunday, October 18 at 2 PM Andrea Verobish and Caleb McCoy, the candidates for Pennsylvania’s 79th House District, answer questions and debate the issues that matter most to people who live here. More than 40 community members sent in questions, and those submissions shaped what the candidates are asked today. Topics include: • Jobs and keeping young people in Blair County • Wages • Housing • Child care • Utility bills • Skill games • Police and privacy • Data centers The 79th District includes: • The City of Altoona • Allegheny Township • Logan Township • The Blair County portion of Tunnelhill Borough This event is made possible by a collaboration of The James Finochio Show, Kid Careers, Mind Over Media Studios, Railroad City Culture Company, and ActiveAltoona.com, as a public service to the residents of the 79th District. Not registered yet? The deadline for the November 3 election is October 19. Register at vote.pa.gov More on the debate: www.jamesfinochioshow.com/vote #PAHouse #Altoona #BlairCounty #Election2026 Support the show

    The Great Debate | Andrea Verobish vs Caleb McCoy | PA 79th District State Representative Candidates

  3. Sep 18

    It Will Be What It Will Be: Todd Hinkle on DIY Festivals, Grief, and Why AI Isn't Your Enemy

    Send us Fan Mail Todd Hinkle returns for his second appearance to talk about pulling off the Harvest Jam Music Revival—a five-band festival happening September 26th at the Patton Sportsman's Club. We dive deep into the challenges of organizing a DIY event, the economics of live music, and Todd's philosophy of "letting it develop into what it's gonna be." James also opens up about losing his father in April, how grief is fueling new songwriting, the unexpected gift of therapy, and why catastrophizing doesn't change outcomes. Plus: a surprisingly nuanced conversation about AI, synthesizers, auto-tune, and why the tools themselves aren't the problem—it's how we use them. Features five killer bands: The Balladeers, Forrester Gray, Spaces in Between, One Sock Ollie, and Owen Garrison.  Support the show

    It Will Be What It Will Be: Todd Hinkle on DIY Festivals, Grief, and Why AI Isn't Your Enemy

  4. Sep 3

    $4.3 Trillion Wasted: Why Chronic Disease Requires a Different Approach | Dr. Kevin Smith

    Send us Fan Mail America spends $4.3 trillion annually on healthcare—and 90% of it goes toward managing chronic disease, not curing it. Dr. Kevin Smith explains why the conventional medical model is broken and what actually works for long-term health. In this eye-opening conversation, we explore the reductionist vs. holistic approach to medicine, why your insurance company controls your treatment plan, and the six pillars of wellness doctors overlook. Plus, real talk on food toxins, glyphosate, why kids are hitting puberty at 7, and when surgery is actually worth the risk. Support the show

    $4.3 Trillion Wasted: Why Chronic Disease Requires a Different Approach | Dr. Kevin Smith

  5. Aug 24

    He's Scoring Politicians Against the Constitution | Joel Rakow

    Send us Fan Mail Joel Rakow spent most of his life as a registered, generational Democrat — socially liberal, fiscally conservative, and, by his account, never a party-line voter. That changed when he resigned from the Democratic Party, a decision he says came down to feeling the party no longer represented the middle class or the values he'd always held. Joel's background is a lot: postdoctoral work at Harvard, a stint as a cybersecurity advisor to the Secret Service (where he identified building-management systems as the entry point for roughly 60% of national-actor breaches), a former national park ranger, a software entrepreneur who sold millions of instructional app guides, and — perhaps most personally — a longtime court-appointed special advocate (CASA) for foster children. That last role directly shaped his new novel, "Life in Woke America," which follows a young man named Xavier King and is loosely inspired by a real congressional investigation into a biological research facility in Reedley, California. In this conversation, Joel and I talk through: Why he left the Democratic Party, and why he thinks the "socially liberal, fiscally conservative" middle is politically homeless right nowHow he says media and NGOs shape the perception of how many Americans are actually "progressive"Stories from inside university administrations, including a writing assignment at USC and a library at UCLA that Joel says has been stripped down to a single genre of bookJordan Peterson's take on whether traditional universities can be savedShadow banning, deplatforming, and Joel's own experience trying to get his book's website indexed by search and AI toolsThe Liberty Index — an AI tool Joel built (using Grok) that scores politicians, school boards, and institutions on alignment with the Constitution and Bill of RightsMoney in politics, ESG/DEI in corporate boardrooms, and how Joel says NGOs are used to influence corporate leadershipThe real Reedley, CA case that partly inspired his novel, and how he built the story from congressional documents and firsthand interviewsHis decades of work as a CASA advocate for kids in the foster system, and how those experiences shaped his main characterJoel doesn't claim to have all the answers — he's upfront that this is one perspective, shaped by his own experience. But it's a conversation about institutional trust, free speech, and what it feels like to no longer recognize a party you grew up in, whichever side of the aisle you're on. Find "Life in Woke America" in hardcover, paperback, and ebook at lifeinwokeamerica.com, and on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Support the show

    He's Scoring Politicians Against the Constitution | Joel Rakow

  6. Aug 15

    The Free Resource Every Blair County Business Owner Needs | Carter Cerully

    Send us Fan Mail Blair County has 62,000 open jobs and only 57,000 people looking for work. Carter Cerully from PA CareerLink joins the show to explain the free resources every Blair County business owner should be using — and most aren't. In this episode: Why Blair County has more jobs than workersFree hiring help, internships, and job fairs for local businessesTax credits for hiring second-chance workersHow local businesses are using AI (and how you can too)The CDL driver shortage nobody's solvingHow to reach PA CareerLink: 814-410-9053Whether you're starting a business or already running one, this episode shows you where the free help is. #BlairCounty #SmallBusiness #Hiring #Workforce #PACareerLink Support the show

    The Free Resource Every Blair County Business Owner Needs | Carter Cerully

  7. Aug 2

    Money Is a Promise, Taxation Is Theft

    Send us Fan Mail Dan Behrman changed his middle name to "Taxation Is Theft"—and he's serious about why. In this episode, we dig into his philosophy on money, government, and freedom. Dan breaks down why money is fundamentally a promise (he's writing a book about it), why that promise is broken, and how taxation works as systematic theft. He shares his experience running for president on the Libertarian ticket, why voting alone can't fix the system, and why he's moved beyond party politics entirely. We also explore fiat currency, crypto, gold standards, government spending parallels with HOAs, and the real odds of IRS enforcement. Perfect for anyone questioning the financial system, interested in libertarian philosophy, or wondering what money actually is. Support the show

    Money Is a Promise, Taxation Is Theft

  8. Jul 18

    Dr. Robert Wolf: My Father's Four Escapes From Nazi and Communist Hungary

    Send us Fan Mail Dr. Robert Wolf is a retired radiologist and the son of Hungarian Jewish parents who survived forced labor camps, Nazi occupation, and life under Hungarian communism before escaping to the United States in 1956. His father was a four time escape artist, twice from a forced labor camp and twice from communist Hungary, once as a medical student and once during the Hungarian Revolution. In this conversation Rob talks about reading his father's manuscript years after it was written, what it took to turn that story into the book Not a Real Enemy: The True Story of a Hungarian Jewish Man's Fight for Freedom, and why he thinks apathy, not hate, is the real opposite of love. We also get into what antisemitism actually looks like today, how his parents' experience shaped the way he sees the current moment, and what he hopes readers and listeners take from it. Book: Not a Real Enemy, available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart  Website: robertjwolfmd.com  YouTube: Not a Real Enemy by Robert Wolf Support the show

    Dr. Robert Wolf: My Father's Four Escapes From Nazi and Communist Hungary
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4.9
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About

The James Finochio Show is a long-form conversation podcast hosted by James Finochio. Each episode, James sits down with guests who have fascinating inner lives and something real to say — exploring topics across faith, science, philosophy, culture, history, human experience, and beyond. The show's edge isn't the topic list — it's James's genuine curiosity and commitment to going deeper than the surface, every single time. If you're tired of shallow content and echo chambers, you're in the right place. New episodes weekly on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.  Guest Application: https://tinyurl.com/3psz2xn7

Information

  • Creator
    James Finochio
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    48
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The James Finochio Show
  • Show Website
    The James Finochio Show