Best Dwight Baker Podcasts (2024)

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Episode 204: J. D. Vance Is the New Dwight Schrute 36:34

6d ago36:34

36:34

Kamala Harris announced her choice of running mate this week, but right now we need to talk about J. D. Vance. And who better to lead that chat than Andy Borowitz, who will explain why Mr. Hillbilly Elegy is so bad. Then Bruce Bozzi tells us about his recent sit-down with one of Hollywood’s most elegant and handsome men, George Hamilton. And finall…

1
Episode 203: The Scandal Episode! "Saltburn" on the Riviera, and More 33:01

12d ago33:01

33:01

This week, it’s all about scandals. First, John von Sothen reports from the French Riviera on what feels like a real-life Saltburn. Then Pippa Cuckson joins us from the U.K. with her insights into the news that’s rocked the Olympics—how one of the brightest stars of equestrianism was caught whipping a horse. And finally, Daphne Merkin looks at Nobe…

1
Episode 202: Understanding Your Baggage—What Your Canvas Tote Reveals About You 34:43

17d ago34:43

34:43

As summer hits high season and the global smart set decamps to Martha’s Vineyard, the Amalfi Coast, or Jeff Bezos’s yacht, Harrison Vail reveals what your media-branded canvas tote bag (The Paris Review? A24? How Long Gone?) says about you. Then we have a terrific story courtesy of Alan Cowell, who tells us about a rather curious distinction he hol…

1
Episode 201: Is Milano the New Monaco? Why the 1 Percent Are Moving to Italy 33:27

25d ago33:27

33:27

This week, Joseph Giovannini explains how Paris turned the requirement to build an Olympic Village into an opportunity to create a new, socially equitable and eco-friendly neighborhood that will be a shining legacy of the Games. Then, on the other side of housing, we have a report on what we call the “migration patterns of the very rich.” Elena Cla…

1
Episode 200: Who's to Blame for the Biden Mess? 34:52

1M ago34:52

34:52

This week, Todd S. Purdum, a longtime political reporter for The New York Times, explains why Democrats have only themselves to blame for the Mexican standoff they’re now locked in with a very stubborn octogenarian. Then, we all know how Ozempic and Wegovy have reduced millions of waistlines around the world in the last few years. But in Denmark, w…

1
Episode 199: Graydon Carter on Joe Biden's Future 40:11

1M ago40:11

40:11

This week, Graydon Carter joins us to talk about what’s next for Joe Biden. Then, if you find yourself longing to be like the super-wealthy, floating on a massive yacht in the Mediterranean, our colleague Jonathan Margolis has some bad news: the market for a new yacht is booming. Which means long waiting lists. He’ll tell us why. Then, if you don’t…

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Episode 198: Adolf Hitler and the Holy Grail—Crazier than Indiana Jones! 29:50

2M ago29:50

29:50

It’s summer and for some that means golf. Lots of it. And Andrew Zucker tells us why, in the super-wealthy enclave of Palm Beach, the ritzy residents who usually play at their exclusive and expensive country clubs are now teeing up at a municipal course that’s open to commoners. Then, not everyone is happy that summer travel season is here. We’re t…

1
Episode 197: Trump and His Wall Street and Silicon Valley Enablers 31:54

2M ago31:54

31:54

This week, Alessandra Stanley explains why prominent tech and finance tycoons are giving piles of money to Donald Trump—and why their behavior might be similar to that of certain German bankers and industrialists in the 1930s. Then Rachel Hodin joins us with her report on Rebecca Minkoff. For the past two decades she’s promoted herself as a designe…

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Episode 196: How Big Oil Uses the Arts to Make Us Forget About Climate Change 35:41

2M ago35:41

35:41

It’s summer and it’s travel season, and if you live on the East Coast of the United States, your travel will likely intersect with I-95, the great interstate that runs from Miami to Maine. Everybody knows it. Everybody hates it. And Rich Cohen explains why. Then Dana Brown will join us from New York to tell us about something that, unlike I-95, wil…

1
Episode 195: A #MeToo Scandal at the Art World's Most Prestigious Design Gallery 32:54

2M ago32:54

32:54

This week, Elena Clavarino takes us inside her story about a culture of alleged sexual harassment and alleged financial impropriety at the art world’s most prestigious design gallery. Then it’s election season … not just in the U.K. and the U.S. but also in the European Union, where the European Parliament is holding elections. For years, the parli…

1
Episode 194: The Sky-High Cost of Summer Travel 37:33

2M ago37:33

37:33

Ashley Baker has thoughts on summer travel. Then, for more than a century, being selected as a Rhodes scholar, and given the opportunity to study at Oxford University, was seen as a great validation of one’s strength as a student and a future leader. But, as James Kirchick reports this week, it seems that is no longer the case. Then it’s summertime…

1
Episode 193: What You Didn't Know About 90s Icon Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy 29:28

3M ago29:28

29:28

We have a frightening article this week courtesy of Clara Molot, a Senior Editor here at Air Mail. Many people are not aware that across the U.S. and around the world rates of cancer in young people are rising with no clear explanation. And Clara looks at a mysterious cancer surge among a group of twentysomething alumni from a college in Virginia. …

1
Episode 192: The Legendary Italian Playboy and His Secret American Daughter 33:29

3M ago33:29

33:29

The Cannes Film Festival is in full swing in the South of France, and one of the big stories everyone is following concerns Francis Ford Coppola. Forty-five years after he won the Palme d’Or for Apocalypse Now, he is back with his latest film, Megalopolis. He has spent more than $100 million of his own money on the film and is at the festival looki…

1
Episode 191: Is Your Partner Cheating on You with an A.I. Companion? 31:33

3M ago31:33

31:33

Is your partner cheating on you with an A.I. companion? As Flora Gill tells us this week, many people, in search of physical and emotional intimacy, are increasingly turning to what are known as “A.I.-companion sites.” Then Alyssa Choiniere takes us inside the protests at Columbia University and tells us where this all might be headed. And finally,…

1
Episode 190: The Crime That Scandalized New York's Bluebloods 37:13

3M ago37:13

37:13

For decades, the Eurovision Song Contest has been a source of fun for millions. This year, people are bracing for other possibilities. Jonathan Margolis tells us why. Then Michael Gross has a revealing look at the scandal that sent New York’s bluebloods buzzing: when the son of Brooke Astor, the long-reigning queen of New York society, was convicte…

1
Episode 189: Why the Idaho-Murders Suspect Could Walk Free 36:05

4M ago36:05

36:05

This week, Howard Blum, who has been following the story of the man accused of killing four students at the University of Idaho, has new revelations that could sink the case against Bryan Kohberger. Then Carrie Monahan reports on how the desire by one of New York City’s most notorious private clubs to open an outpost in East Hampton has local resid…

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Episode 188: "Boogie Nights," Liberace's Boy Toy, John Holmes, and a Murder That Rocked 70s Hollywood 39:39

4M ago39:39

39:39

This week, Spike Carter has the wild tale of a man known as “the Zelig of Awful,” who went from being the boyfriend of Liberace to a pivotal witness in one of Los Angeles’s most gruesome murders. Then Linda Wells looks at why men with graying hair get such bad dye jobs—and she names names. Later, Lea Carpenter tells us about a fascinating new book …

1
Episode 187: Kim Kardashian Gets Sued over Her (Alleged) Fakes 32:49

4M ago32:49

32:49

It’s a dirty little secret that interior designers to the rich and famous love to make knockoffs of museum-quality furnishings, often with no penalty. Well, no more. And you can thank—who else?—Kim Kardashian. Dan Rubinstein reveals why she now finds herself tangled up in a messy lawsuit over a dinner set. Then, speaking of messy, Jack Sullivan tel…

1
Episode 186: Gen Z and the New Sexual Revolution 34:21

4M ago34:21

34:21

This week, Kat Rosenfield explains how we are in the throes of a new sexual revolution. Yet where baby-boomers were obsessed with the practice of sex, Zoomers are more interested in the principle of it. Then the subject turns to Civil War, one of the most anticipated movies of the spring, from writer-director Alex Garland. It imagines what a second…

1
Episode 185: What the Hell Is Gwyneth Cooking Up Now? 35:57

5M ago35:57

35:57

This week, Jensen Davis reports on how Gwyneth Paltrow’s healthy-takeout restaurant chain—Goop Kitchen—is taking over Los Angeles. And even Gwyneth haters can’t get enough of it. Then John Arlidge reports from London to take us inside what might be called “A Tale of Two Royal Households.” How is it that Kate and William, the monarchy’s younger and—…

1
Episode 184: Why Italian Could Soon Be an Extinct Language 31:47

5M ago31:47

31:47

This week, Elena Clavarino has a fascinating and funny report on how English is conquering Continental Europe’s native languages. The problem is so pervasive that Germans can’t help but call it “ein shitstorm!” Then Louis Cheslaw joins from London with his report on the turmoil that has consumed one of the art world’s most influential publications,…

1
Episode 183: Princess Diana's Brother Lived His Own Special Hell 34:49

5M ago34:49

34:49

This week, Andrew Ryvkin shares his thoughts on the election in Russia being held for Vladimir Putin. Then Pico Iyer gives us his review of A Very Private School, a new book by Princess Diana’s brother in which he details his brutal tenure as a young boy at a British boarding school rife with sexual and emotional abuse. And finally, the acclaimed d…

1
Episode 182: Is a Porn Star All That Stands Between Trump and the End of Democracy? 35:43

5M ago35:43

35:43

This week, Jeffrey Toobin explains how Stormy Daniels may just be the unlikely savior of American democracy. Then Alexandra Marshall joins us from Paris. Yes, the rest of the world is dreaming of seeing the Olympics sparkle in the City of Light when the Games open on July 26, but as Marshall reports, the construction and chaos have left the city an…

1
Episode 181: Tales of Excess—What Happened to the Media Power Lunch? 35:57

5M ago35:57

35:57

This week, Dana Brown reports on how and why one of New York’s great institutions—the media power lunch—seems to have seen its last days. Then, Linda Wells, knower of all things beauty-and-wellness-related, looks at an extremely unhealthy behavior too many of us engage in: lying to our doctors. And finally, Johanna Berkman tells us about a woman at…

1
Episode 180: Why Do Today's Leading Men Dress Like Rent Boys? 34:09

6M ago34:09

34:09

This week, Katya V. joins us from Moscow with her report on how those inside Russia’s opposition plan to confront Putin in the wake of Alexei Navalny’s death. Then Nicholas Griffin has the inspiring story of Rachel Silverstein, a determined environmentalist who went full Erin Brockovich on some of Florida’s most powerful players, and beat them. And…

1
Episode 179: Meet the One Swan Truman Capote Did Not Betray 37:13

6M ago37:13

37:13

If you have been watching the limited series Feud: Capote vs. the Swans, you know the famed writer betrayed every one of his friendships with those women. Yet, as Joseph Rodota reveals, there was actually one woman Capote did not sell down the river; he tells us who she was and why. Then, speaking of feuds, Kurt Wagner has the untold story of the l…

1
Episode 178: Have You Flown Britney Spears Airlines? 31:56

6M ago31:56

31:56

It’s been a year of meltdowns in the media, and Brian Stelter has the scoop on how—and why—a start-up called the Messenger, which promised to re-invent journalism, burned through $50 million in funding in less than 12 months and went down the tubes. Then, we all know Vladimir Putin wants to win at all costs, but it’s not just with his troops in Ukr…

1
Episode 177: The True Story Behind Truman Capote's Feud with the Swans 34:18

6M ago34:18

34:18

The new mini-series about Truman Capote and his destructive feud with “the swans” is out. Who better to tell us about the gossip behind the feud than Sam Kashner, who details how Capote committed social suicide when he spilled the secrets of New York’s most powerful and beautiful women. Then, speaking of beautiful, hard-to-please women, Paul Campbe…

1
Episode 176: Is This the World's Most Annoying Nepo Baby? 33:24

7M ago33:24

33:24

If you hate lawyers, this week we have a story for you. Jeffrey Toobin will tell us how and why partners in New York City’s big law firms are now acting like players on George Steinbrenner’s New York Yankees. Then, if you are looking for a mid-winter-break destination that’s different from all the usual locales, Marcia DeSanctis has just the ticket…

1
Episode 175: A Very, Very British Scandal 36:36

7M ago36:36

36:36

This week, Alexandra Marshall joins us from France, to tell us about the dashing new prime minister who is 34 years old and why seemingly everyone in the country can’t stop talking about him—including the man who bullied him in high school. Then John Arlidge joins us from the U.K. with the shocking details about the worst miscarriage of justice in …

1
Episode 174: What Is Angelina Jolie Hiding? 30:18

7M ago30:18

30:18

If you’re suffering from withdrawal from the end of The Crown and are in need of some monarchy drama, Joseph Bullmore has just what you’re looking for, with not one but two stories about dysfunction among European royalty and aristocrats. Then, speaking of drama, let’s talk about Angelina Jolie. The always insightful Dana Brown tells us how he snea…

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Episode 173: #MeToo Comes for Gérard Depardieu 37:56

7M ago37:56

37:56

This week, Alessandra Stanley looks at how Vladimir Putin punishes women in order to crush dissent. Then, speaking of bad behavior by prominent men, Alexandra Marshall joins us from France to tell us why #MeToo allegations have finally caught up with the country’s most decorated miscreant, Gérard Depardieu. And continuing on the subject of miscrean…

1
Episode 172: Are You an Attention Whore? 32:34

8M ago32:34

32:34

If you are an avid reader of Air Mail, you are surely familiar with our Attention-Whore Index, where we rank the most offensive attention-seekers of the week. As 2023 draws to a close, the man who compiles that list, our own George Kalogerakis, reveals who takes the prize as the biggest windbag of the year. Then George Pendle tells us how he and El…

1
Episode 171: The Movie Nerd on Trial for Manslaughter 26:32

8M ago26:32

26:32

This week, Linda Wells tells us what you need to know about looking great in 2024 and why everyone seems to be very nosy these days. Then John von Sothen joins us from Paris with his report on a flamboyant Frenchman who rose to fame for saving and restoring lost film classics—but then found himself on trial for manslaughter. And finally, speaking o…

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Episode 170: Confessions of a Trump Ghostwriter 27:21

8M ago27:21

27:21

This week, Charles Leerhsen takes us back to the early 1990s and tells us what he learned while being a ghostwriter for a young (and friendless) Donald Trump. Then Alexander Lobrano joins us from Paris with a report on the reopening and rejuvenation of one of the city’s most treasured restaurants. And comedy writer Alan Zweibel has some thoughts on…

1
Episode 169: Life Lessons from an Italian Countess 35:16

8M ago35:16

35:16

This week, Johanna Berkman reports on the turmoil rocking Harvard. Then, Bill Keenan has the wild story of what happened when the Pittsburgh Penguins had the crazy idea to try to profit off of what remained of the vaunted Red Army hockey team following the collapse of the Soviet Union. And finally, Bob Colacello remembers Marina Cicogna, an Italian…

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Episode 168: A New York Power Player Reveals the Secret She Hid for Decades 34:24

9M ago34:24

34:24

This week, Christopher Mason has the amazing story of how (and why) a trusted confidante to New York’s most elite and powerful hid her true identity. Then Dan Raviv discusses his jaw-dropping report from Israel: how the men who led the country’s vaunted security forces ignored intelligence alerts—because the reports were from female soldiers. Final…

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Episode 167: A Family from Hell—the Shocking Story Behind a Child-Rearing Empire 31:36

9M ago31:36

31:36

This week, Jensen Davis takes us inside her shocking story about an evangelical-based parenting program that has been operating for 40 years and teaches parents that babies are morally corrupt and must be broken of their waywardness. Then, speaking of incredible stories, acclaimed screenwriter Scott Z. Burns tells us just what A.I. gets wrong about…

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Episode 166: It's the Divas Episode: Streisand! Kardashian! And ... Napoleon? 29:14

9M ago29:14

29:14

This week, Flora Gill discusses why all of us will soon be unable to avoid Kim Kardashian’s nipples. Then, while we’re on the subject of divas, it’s been impossible to avoid the new memoir by Barbra Streisand. Yet there’s one problem with the book, which clocks in at almost 1,000 pages: there’s no index. No way to find out if you are one of the tho…

1
Episode 165: It's the London Issue! With Graydon Carter 34:29

9M ago34:29

34:29

This week, Graydon Carter takes us inside a special edition of Air Mail that is all about London, and he shares the places he loves there. Then the acclaimed writer Will Self will share his version of “the Knowledge”—London cabbies’ ability to navigate their streets without a map—by sharing treasures he’s discovered over a lifetime of walking his n…

1
Episode 164: The Fight Between Millennials and Gen Z–ers 32:30

9M ago32:30

32:30

Gen Z–ers and millennials have grown up agreeing on where to stand on seemingly every social and political issue. But now they find themselves divided. Kat Rosenfield tells us how the fighting in Israel has become the first true wedge issue for those under 40. Then filmmaker Mickey Rapkin explains why he made a dark comedy about Anne Frank. And fin…

1
Episode 163: A Billion-Dollar Scandal Rocks the Art World 33:41

10M ago33:41

33:41

Can we all live to 100? The new Netflix hit Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones looks at areas on the planet where there are clusters of centenarians and makes it seem pretty easy. This week, the always funny Cazzie David reveals whether these secrets to living longer will (or will not) help her do so. Then John von Sothen reports on the court t…

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Episode 162: Why Crypto Bro Sam Bankman-Fried Is Going Down 32:09

10M ago32:09

32:09

This week, Jacob Silverman reveals why the chances of accused grifter/crypto bro Sam Bankman-Fried beating the government’s rap in his trial for fraud grow slimmer by the day. Then, speaking of revealing, William D. Cohan tells us about a rather curious law in France that he learned of the hard way. Let’s just say that it forbids men from wearing t…

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Episode 161: The Craziest Grifter Story. Ever 29:00

10M ago29:00

29:00

Here at Morning Meeting we love nothing more than a juicy grifter story. This week, our colleague George Pendle joins us to share a whopper of a tale that involves shifting identities and a shocking endgame. It’s a story we call “The Grift, the Prince, and the Twist,” and it needs to be heard to be believed. Then Jeffrey Toobin reveals how the key …

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Episode 160: The Idaho-Killer Case: Has a Victim's Father Found New Evidence? 32:20

10M ago32:20

32:20

It’s been 11 months since four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death in the middle of the night, and this week Howard Blum has a riveting story about how the grieving father of one of the victims has turned amateur sleuth and made a surprising discovery. Then Nancy Jo Sales has a report on Wellington, Florida, a place she describes as …

1
Episode 159: Could This Woman Replace Biden? 30:01

11M ago30:01

30:01

Trump is trouncing his Republican challengers; Democrats are fretting about Biden’s age. This week, Peter Osnos has a look at a woman who many believe is a future presidential candidate: Gretchen Whitmer. Then Flora Gill answers the question: Why do so many men think about the Roman Empire all the time? And she explains why this preoccupation among…

1
Episode 158: How Tom Wolfe Became the Master of the Universe of Literary Feuds 29:05

11M ago29:05

29:05

This week, Alexandra Wolfe, daughter of the writer Tom Wolfe, reveals why her father excelled at the literary feud, skewering everyone from Norman Mailer to Anthony Haden-Guest. Then Alessandra Stanley explains why the people who just might save humanity are also the most loathed people on earth: lawyers. And finally, J. Clara Chan reports from Los…

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Episode 157: The Rise of the Chefluencer: Social-Media Stars Cook Up New Ways to Eat 28:13

11M ago28:13

28:13

This week, Lynn Q. Yu has an enlightening report on the rise of “chefluencers”—food-based content creators who have generated billions of views on social media and are turning that clout into real-life restaurants. Then, speaking of influence, Stuart Heritage reveals how Britain’s foremost soccer star has built a podcast empire. And finally, the wr…

1
Episode 156: Jimmy Buffett's Life Lessons 25:51

11M ago25:51

25:51

September means school is back. But this year something’s very different. Nicolaia Rips reveals why so many teenage girls no longer sound like squeaky girls from the movie Clueless, and instead sound like raspy-throated lawyers from Staten Island. Then the always enlightening James Wolcott discusses a new book that details the kaleidoscopic cultura…

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Episode 155: A Love Gone Very Bad: Putin's Banker and the English Socialite 33:43

12M ago33:43

33:43

Every summer has its anthem, but this year it wasn’t a Beyoncé or Taylor Swift song that broke through; instead, it was a country ballad by a 31-year-old unknown that has already racked up 50 million views. Diana B. Henriques shares her thoughts on “Rich Men North of Richmond.” Then, on the subject of rich men, Joseph Bullmore comes to us from Lond…

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