The Lunch Hour with Washington Signal

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The Lunch Hour with Washington Signal covers wide-ranging discussions with the Capitol city's policy movers, shakers, and thinkers. The Lunch Hour provides a unique look at the people behind the policy debates that are moving in DC.

  1. 4d ago

    Ep. 204 - Natural Gas, LNG & America’s Energy Security w/Rob Jennings

    America has become the world’s largest producer of natural gas—but what does that mean for energy prices, electricity demand and U.S. energy security? On this episode of the Lunch Hour podcast, host Andrew Langer sits down with Rob Jennings, Vice President of Natural Gas Markets at the American Petroleum Institute, to discuss the transformation of America’s natural gas industry and its growing role at home and abroad. Jennings explains how the shale revolution dramatically increased U.S. natural gas production and helped reshape electricity generation, while providing a lower-cost alternative to coal. He and Langer also examine the surge in electricity demand from data centers and why natural gas-fired generation could play a major role in meeting those needs. The conversation turns to permitting reform, including API’s concerns with the National Environmental Policy Act and Clean Water Act, as well as the difficulties of building new pipelines and other energy infrastructure. Jennings discusses LNG exports, Europe’s reliance on imported natural gas, the importance of U.S. energy production during international conflicts and API’s American Energy Security Framework. Finally, Jennings shares how the United States can strengthen its energy infrastructure and maintain its position as a leading global energy producer. 00:00 — Introducing Rob Jennings02:00 — America’s Natural Gas Revolution03:13 — Natural Gas & U.S. Electricity Generation07:30 — Pipelines, Infrastructure & Energy Transportation09:50 — Data Centers & Rising Power Demand11:06 — Natural Gas in American Homes15:23 — U.S. Natural Gas Production & Energy Security18:11 — Why Permitting Reform Matters20:24 — New England’s Natural Gas Problem23:26 — How Natural Gas Is Processed25:49 — LNG Exports & Global Energy Markets28:29 — Europe’s Dependence on Imported Energy31:10 — Strait of Hormuz & U.S. Energy Security32:04 — API’s American Energy Security Framework34:23 — Getting to Know Rob Jennings36:11 — Where to Learn More Follow us on social media X: @TheLunchHourPod Instagram: the_lunchhour_pod LinkedIn: Lunch Hour Podcast TikTok: lunchhourpod Find more at Washington Signal Your source for policy, national security, and investigative journalism. https://washingtonsignal.com/

    Ep. 204 - Natural Gas, LNG & America’s Energy Security w/Rob Jennings

  2. Sep 7

    Ep. 203 - Patient Choice, Healthcare Reform & Government Regulation w/Dr. Jeffrey Singer

    How much control should the government have over the healthcare decisions of individual Americans? On this episode of the Washington Signal Lunch Hour Podcast, host Andrew Langer sits down with Dr. Jeffrey Singer, senior fellow at the Cato Institute and longtime general surgeon, to discuss patient autonomy, government regulation, and how America can expand competition and choice throughout the healthcare system. Singer explains the argument behind his book, Your Body, Your Health Care, and why he believes competent adults should ultimately make their own healthcare decisions. He and Langer examine the MAHA movement, the debate over ultra-processed foods, Medicare and government involvement in healthcare, and the consequences of allowing policymakers to determine which treatments and products people can access. The conversation also explores ways to increase the supply of healthcare in America, including expanding pharmacists' and other medical professionals' scopes of practice, eliminating certificate-of-need laws, reforming medical licensing and residency requirements, and making it easier for qualified foreign-trained physicians to practice. Finally, Singer discusses the emerging debate over psychedelic-assisted therapy and why psychedelics may require a different regulatory approach than conventional prescription drugs. 00:00 — Introducing Dr. Jeffrey Singer01:40 — How American Medicine Has Changed03:28 — Patient Autonomy & the MAHA Movement07:16 — When Should Government Intervene?11:07 — Right to Try, CBD & Conflicting Health Policies14:10 — The Debate Over Ultra-Processed Foods20:11 — Government's Role in American Healthcare25:24 — Giving Pharmacists More Freedom to Practice29:13 — Certificate-of-Need Laws & Healthcare Competition34:06 — America's Physician Shortage37:35 — Medical Licensing & Foreign-Trained Doctors40:34 — Psychedelics & a Different Approach to Drug Regulation44:26 — Your Body, Your Health Care44:43 — Closing Thoughts Follow us on social media X: @TheLunchHourPod Instagram: the_lunchhour_pod LinkedIn: Lunch Hour Podcast TikTok: lunchhourpod Find more at Washington Signal Your source for policy, national security, and investigative journalism. https://washingtonsignal.com/

    Ep. 203 - Patient Choice, Healthcare Reform & Government Regulation w/Dr. Jeffrey Singer

  3. Aug 31

    Ep. 202 - Property Rights, Energy & the Fight Against Regulatory Overreach w/Kole Kelley

    What happens when regulatory delays and federal land policies make it harder for farmers, ranchers, miners, and energy producers to use the land they depend on? On this episode of the Washington Signal Lunch Hour Podcast, host Andrew Langer sits down with Kole Kelley, Director and Senior Attorney of the Center for American Prosperity and Energy at Mountain States Legal Foundation, to discuss property rights, federal lands, agriculture, energy, and regulatory reform. Raised on his family’s cattle and show-pig farm in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, Kelley explains how growing up around agriculture, water rights, and land-use issues ultimately led him to law and his work defending farmers, ranchers, energy producers, and other property owners. The conversation covers: Private property rights and responsible land stewardship Federal land management, grazing, water, and multiple-use policies How regulatory and permitting delays can kill projects Mining, oil and gas, and American energy development The Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act Regulatory reform and the future of the administrative state Kelley also explains why regulatory certainty matters for American competitiveness, particularly for smaller businesses that may not have the resources to survive years of administrative delays. The episode closes with a look at his continued involvement in agriculture, livestock showing, and mentoring the next generation through Colorado’s farming and ranching community. 00:00 — Introducing Kole Kelley 04:07 — Growing Up in Agriculture & Learning Stewardship 06:31 — Private Property, Water Rights & the American West 08:40 — Mountain States Legal Foundation & CAPE 11:41 — Defending Farmers, Ranchers & Property Owners 15:01 — Federal Lands, Grazing & Government Regulation 17:02 — Natural Asset Companies & Multiple-Use Lands 20:31 — How Permitting Delays Kill American Projects 23:07 — Due Process & the Administrative State 27:42 — Regulatory Reform After Chevron 29:29 — Clean Water Act & Endangered Species Act Reform 34:54 — Mining, Energy & American Competitiveness 39:33 — Football, Agriculture & the Colorado State Fair 44:42 — Closing Thoughts Follow us on social media X: @TheLunchHourPod Instagram: the_lunchhour_pod LinkedIn: Lunch Hour Podcast TikTok: lunchhourpod Find more at Washington Signal Your source for policy, national security, and investigative journalism. https://washingtonsignal.com/

    Ep. 202 - Property Rights, Energy & the Fight Against Regulatory Overreach w/Kole Kelley

  4. Aug 24

    Ep. 201 - Online Speech, KOSA & the Push for Age Verification w/Elizabeth Nolan Brown

    Can laws designed to protect people online ultimately threaten privacy and free speech? On this episode of the Lunch Hour Podcast, host Andrew Langer sits down with Elizabeth Nolan Brown, Senior Editor at Reason, to discuss the growing debate over government regulation of online speech, social media, age verification, and internet privacy. Brown traces the debate back to government efforts targeting Craigslist and Backpage, explaining how controversies surrounding sex work and trafficking helped produce changes to Section 230. She argues that regulatory approaches initially applied to adult content have increasingly expanded toward social media, app stores, age-verification requirements, and other forms of online activity. The conversation covers: Backpage, FOSTA, and the history of Section 230 regulation Age verification, online privacy, and anonymous speech KOSA and efforts to regulate social media for minors Government access to phones and electronic devices at the border European and Australian approaches to social media restrictions The broader debate over government power and online speech Brown and Langer also discuss how moral panics can shape public policy, the dangers of creating large databases of personal identification, competing efforts from the political left and right to regulate technology, and why government powers created for one purpose can eventually be used for something very different. 00:00 — Introducing Elizabeth Nolan Brown 01:49 — How Sex Work Led to Tech Policy 05:16 — Backpage, FOSTA & Section 230 08:34 — From Adult Content to Broader Internet Regulation 11:12 — Age Verification, Privacy & Identity Databases 14:15 — Moral Panics and Government Regulation 17:56 — Conservatives, Feminists & the Politics of Sex Work 22:09 — Government Power, Phones & Border Searches 27:07 — Social Media Restrictions in Europe & Australia 29:09 — KOSA, Online Safety & Anonymous Speech 35:27 — Tech Regulation, Antitrust & Government Power 39:57 — Does Remote Work Make Us Miserable? 42:23 — Outside Interests & Closing Thoughts Follow us on social media X: @TheLunchHourPod Instagram: the_lunchhour_pod LinkedIn: Lunch Hour Podcast TikTok: lunchhourpod Find more at Washington Signal Your source for policy, national security, and investigative journalism. https://washingtonsignal.com/

    Ep. 201 - Online Speech, KOSA & the Push for Age Verification w/Elizabeth Nolan Brown

  5. Aug 17

    Ep. 200 - Lunch Hour 200th Episode: The Greatest Rock Bands of All Time

    For the 200th episode of the Lunch Hour Podcast, host Andrew Langer puts public policy aside for a special conversation with Tim Lee, Senior Vice President of Legal and Public Affairs at the Center for Individual Freedom, and Jerry Rogers, editor of RealClearPolicy and RealClearHealth and host of The Jerry Rogers Show on WBAL NewsRadio.  The three take on some of the great rock-and-roll debates: Were the Beatles better before or after they grew facial hair? Which era of the Rolling Stones was best? Are Led Zeppelin or The Who actually the greatest rock band of all time? And where do Elvis Presley and the Beach Boys fit into the history of popular music? Along the way, Andrew, Tim, and Jerry talk about the albums and artists that shaped their musical tastes, their first records, Casey Kasem and American Top 40, and what it was like discovering the music of the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s. It's a different kind of Lunch Hour as the show celebrates 200 episodes with music, memories, disagreements, and plenty of rock-and-roll arguments. 00:00 — Celebrating 200 Episodes 01:17 — Introducing Tim Lee & Jerry Rogers 03:01 — Were the Beatles Better Before or After Facial Hair? 09:28 — Sgt. Pepper, Revolver & the Beatles' Best Era 14:07 — Elvis, Led Zeppelin & the Greatest Rock Artists 22:17 — The Beatles' Breakup & Solo Careers 25:00 — How Influential Were the Beatles? 29:36 — The Best Era of the Rolling Stones 34:21 — Led Zeppelin, The Who & the Greatest Rock Songs 38:38 — Casey Kasem & American Top 40 40:32 — Growing Up with the Music of the '60s, '70s & '80s 47:19 — Final Verdicts & Celebrating Episode 200 Follow us on social media X: @TheLunchHourPod Instagram: the_lunchhour_pod LinkedIn: Lunch Hour Podcast TikTok: lunchhourpod Find more at Washington Signal Your source for policy, national security, and investigative journalism. https://washingtonsignal.com/

    Ep. 200 - Lunch Hour 200th Episode: The Greatest Rock Bands of All Time

  6. Aug 10

    Ep. 199 - SpaceX, Private Property & the Future of Space Capitalism w/Rainer Zitelmann

    Can capitalism take humanity farther into space than government ever could? On this episode of the Washington Signal Lunch Hour Podcast, host Andrew Langer sits down with historian, sociologist, journalist, and author Rainer Zitelmann to discuss his book New Space Capitalism and the dramatic transformation of space exploration from government-run programs to private enterprise. Zitelmann examines the economics of the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs, the rise of SpaceX, reusable rockets, and how changing NASA’s relationship with private companies helped dramatically reduce the cost of reaching space. He then tackles an even bigger question: If humanity is going to settle Mars and exploit resources in space, who gets to own them? The conversation expands into private property rights, entrepreneurship, and the role capitalism has played in reducing poverty around the world, with examples from Vietnam, China, Poland, and Sweden. Zitelmann also discusses the dangers of centralized economic planning and why he believes property rights will be essential to humanity’s future beyond Earth. The episode covers: How SpaceX transformed the economics of spaceflight Why reusable rockets changed the space industry Private property rights on Mars and other celestial bodies Capitalism’s role in reducing poverty and creating prosperity China’s growing private space industry The future of commercial space exploration From NASA and SpaceX to Mars, property rights, and economic freedom, Zitelmann makes the case that the next great era of human exploration may depend less on governments—and more on entrepreneurs. 00:00 — Introduction 02:45 — New Space Capitalism 04:53 — From government spaceflight to private enterprise 06:31 — The economics of the Space Shuttle 08:17 — NASA takes a chance on private companies 09:53 — The beginning of the second space age 12:18 — How SpaceX changed the economics of spaceflight 15:42 — What will drive the future of space exploration? 17:12 — The problem with property rights in space 21:04 — Who should own land on Mars? 23:31 — Property rights and the American frontier 26:12 — How capitalism helped Vietnam escape poverty 29:41 — Could the same model work on Mars? 32:19 — Property rights, socialism, and government power 36:21 — Germany’s energy policies 38:27 — SpaceX, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab & the new space economy 41:08 — China’s private space industry 43:24 — Zitelmann’s films and other work 47:28 — Closing thoughts Follow us on social media X: @TheLunchHourPod Instagram: the_lunchhour_pod LinkedIn: Lunch Hour Podcast TikTok: lunchhourpod Find more at Washington Signal Your source for policy, national security, and investigative journalism. https://washingtonsignal.com/

    Ep. 199 - SpaceX, Private Property & the Future of Space Capitalism w/Rainer Zitelmann

  7. Aug 3

    Ep. 198 - AI, Regulatory Dark Matter & the Administrative State w/Wayne Crews

    On this episode of the Lunch Hour Podcast, host Andrew Langer sits down with Wayne Crews, Fred L. Smith Fellow in Regulatory Studies at the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), for a wide-ranging discussion about regulation, government power, artificial intelligence, and the future of the administrative state. Crews explains the problem of “regulatory dark matter”—guidance documents, agency directives, and other actions that can shape policy outside the traditional rulemaking process—and discusses efforts to reduce the federal regulatory burden. The conversation also examines 10,000 Commandments, Crews' annual analysis of the federal regulatory state, and what recent deregulatory efforts are actually accomplishing. The discussion then turns to AI and a growing concern: while artificial intelligence can help businesses navigate regulations and reduce compliance costs, it could also dramatically increase the government's ability to enforce rules, conduct surveillance, and exercise administrative power. The episode covers: Regulatory reform and “regulatory dark matter” AI, government enforcement, and individual rights The Administrative Procedure Act and agency guidance The 10,000 Commandments report The difference between deregulation and simply making government more efficient Why Crews argues an “AI Bill of Rights” should constrain government power Crews and Langer ultimately explore a fundamental question for the AI era: Can technology help shrink the administrative state, or will it simply make government more powerful? 00:00 — Introduction 01:00 — Wayne Crews and regulatory dark matter 03:19 — Agencies, regulation, and unintended consequences 05:37 — Regulatory precedent and the Chevron doctrine 07:00 — Using “good cause” for deregulation 12:12 — Regulation, privacy, and individual rights 16:14 — Artificial intelligence and government power 20:12 — Federal involvement in AI 24:35 — Can AI make government more powerful? 26:43 — AI enforcement and the administrative state 30:01 — Protecting citizens from AI-powered government 32:18 — 10,000 Commandments and the regulatory state 38:20 — Deregulation, tariffs, and industrial policy 39:59 — Reforming the Administrative Procedure Act 44:21 — Wayne's summer plans and closing thoughts 45:59 — Where to follow Wayne Crews and CEI Follow us on social media X: @TheLunchHourPod Instagram: the_lunchhour_pod LinkedIn: Lunch Hour Podcast TikTok: lunchhourpod Find more at Washington Signal Your source for policy, national security, and investigative journalism. https://washingtonsignal.com/

    Ep. 198 - AI, Regulatory Dark Matter & the Administrative State w/Wayne Crews

  8. Jul 27

    Ep. 197 - AI, Constitutional Rights & the Future of American Law w/Margaret Hu

    As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms society, can America's constitutional framework keep pace? On this episode of the Washington Signal Lunch Hour Podcast, host Andrew Langer welcomes Margaret Hu, the Davison Douglas Professor of Law at William & Mary Law School, for a thoughtful discussion about artificial intelligence, constitutional law, civil liberties, and the future of democratic governance. Drawing on her experience in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice following 9/11 and her groundbreaking textbook AI Law and Policy, Professor Hu explains how emerging AI systems challenge long-standing constitutional principles, including due process, equal protection, federalism, privacy, and separation of powers. The conversation explores how lawmakers, courts, and citizens can preserve individual rights while embracing technological innovation. The episode covers: Artificial intelligence and constitutional law AI governance, civil liberties, and individual rights Federalism and the role of states in AI regulation Due process, surveillance, and government accountability AI's impact on intellectual property, privacy, and national security The future of AI law and public policy The discussion also examines lessons from post-9/11 government reforms, the importance of constitutional first principles, William & Mary's historic role in American legal education, and why thoughtful governance—not just technological innovation—will shape the future of artificial intelligence. 00:00 — Intro & Meet Margaret Hu 01:06 — Why AI law matters today 02:24 — Growing up in Kansas and choosing civil rights law 04:09 — DOJ after 9/11 and constitutional concerns 08:27 — AI, surveillance, and due process 12:24 — Government power and federalism 17:06 — AI regulation and constitutional guardrails 24:05 — Inside AI Law and Policy 30:03 — AI, governance, and constitutional philosophy 34:54 — AI personhood and legal responsibility 38:38 — Can America have this conversation? 43:14 — William & Mary, art, and the human element 45:43 — Closing remarks Follow us on social media X: @TheLunchHourPod Instagram: the_lunchhour_pod LinkedIn: Lunch Hour Podcast TikTok: lunchhourpod Find more at Washington Signal Your source for policy, national security, and investigative journalism. https://washingtonsignal.com/

    Ep. 197 - AI, Constitutional Rights & the Future of American Law w/Margaret Hu
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The Lunch Hour with Washington Signal covers wide-ranging discussions with the Capitol city's policy movers, shakers, and thinkers. The Lunch Hour provides a unique look at the people behind the policy debates that are moving in DC.

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