Joe Bishop-Henchman, Executive Vice President of the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, joins Andrew Langer for a deep dive into taxpayer rights, tax enforcement and the legal battles shaping tax policy across the country.

Bishop-Henchman discusses NTUF’s long-running lawsuit challenging IRS fees imposed on paid tax preparers, why taxpayers can face enormous obstacles when challenging the government, and the work of NTUF’s Taxpayer Defense Center. He also examines how artificial intelligence could change IRS enforcement and why protecting donor privacy remains an important legal issue.

The conversation then turns to the states, including the lawsuit that helped spur reform of Louisiana’s complicated local sales tax system and the legal fight over Maryland’s first-in-the-nation digital advertising tax.

Bishop-Henchman explains why Maryland’s tax has faced years of litigation, the arguments against taxing digital advertising differently from traditional advertising, and what the latest court ruling could mean for the future of the tax.

00:00 — Introducing Joe Bishop-Henchman
02:30 — Taking the IRS to Court
05:00 — The IRS Tax Preparer Fee
08:12 — Why Tax Cases Can Take Years
10:09 — Defending Taxpayer Rights
13:16 — AI & the Future of IRS Enforcement
18:06 — Why Taxpayers Often Settle
19:33 — The Fight Over Donor Privacy
24:37 — Reforming Louisiana's Sales Tax System
31:12 — Using Litigation to Change Tax Policy
33:21 — Maryland's Digital Advertising Tax
38:57 — The Legal Battle Over Maryland's Tax
41:28 — Why the Court Struck It Down
44:05 — What Happens Next?
45:08 — Closing Thoughts

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Tariffs dominate the trade debate—but what about the barriers American companies face after entering a foreign market?

On this episode of the Lunch Hour podcast, host Andrew Langer sits down with Matt Mowers, President of Valcour and Executive Director of the U.S.-Asia Fair Market Alliance, to examine the non-tariff barriers facing American businesses across Asia.

Mowers discusses regulatory restrictions, market access, digital trade and enforcement practices that he argues can put U.S. companies at a disadvantage even when tariff rates appear fair. He explains why these issues are particularly important in countries such as South Korea, Japan, India and China—and how restrictions on American businesses can create opportunities for Chinese competitors.

The conversation also explores China’s growing economic influence, international standards-setting, the Belt and Road Initiative, intellectual property and the competition for leadership in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and biotechnology.

Finally, Mowers discusses the connection between economic strength and American foreign policy, and why he believes ensuring fair access for U.S. companies abroad is increasingly important to both economic competitiveness and national security.

00:00 — Introducing Matt Mowers
02:18 — What Are Non-Tariff Trade Barriers?
04:37 — The U.S.-Asia Fair Market Alliance
05:53 — How Trade Barriers Can Benefit China
07:12 — American Tech Companies & Asian Regulations
09:07 — China's Influence Across Asia
12:59 — Free Trade, Tariffs & a Level Playing Field
16:21 — The WTO & Bilateral Trade Negotiations
17:44 — U.S.-South Korea Relations
19:15 — China, Market Access & American Companies
20:42 — China's Influence on International Standards
23:00 — The Belt and Road Initiative
26:45 — AI, Technology & the Competition With China
28:18 — Pharmaceuticals, IP & American Innovation
30:29 — What's Next for the U.S.-Asia Fair Market Alliance?
32:30 — Chinese Technology, Data & Security
34:13 — Mowers' Background in Foreign Policy
37:12 — Closing Thoughts

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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 Jennings
02:00 — America’s Natural Gas Revolution
03:13 — Natural Gas & U.S. Electricity Generation
07:30 — Pipelines, Infrastructure & Energy Transportation
09:50 — Data Centers & Rising Power Demand
11:06 — Natural Gas in American Homes
15:23 — U.S. Natural Gas Production & Energy Security
18:11 — Why Permitting Reform Matters
20:24 — New England’s Natural Gas Problem
23:26 — How Natural Gas Is Processed
25:49 — LNG Exports & Global Energy Markets
28:29 — Europe’s Dependence on Imported Energy
31:10 — Strait of Hormuz & U.S. Energy Security
32:04 — API’s American Energy Security Framework
34:23 — Getting to Know Rob Jennings
36:11 — Where to Learn More

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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 Singer
01:40 — How American Medicine Has Changed
03:28 — Patient Autonomy & the MAHA Movement
07:16 — When Should Government Intervene?
11:07 — Right to Try, CBD & Conflicting Health Policies
14:10 — The Debate Over Ultra-Processed Foods
20:11 — Government's Role in American Healthcare
25:24 — Giving Pharmacists More Freedom to Practice
29:13 — Certificate-of-Need Laws & Healthcare Competition
34:06 — America's Physician Shortage
37:35 — Medical Licensing & Foreign-Trained Doctors
40:34 — Psychedelics & a Different Approach to Drug Regulation
44:26 — Your Body, Your Health Care
44:43 — Closing Thoughts

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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

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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

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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

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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

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