Life and Loss | Roundtable

The Dispatch Podcast

The Dispatch

News, Politics

4.6 • 3.3K Ratings

🗓️ 16 December 2025

⏱️ 80 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Megan McArdle joins Steve Hayes, Jonah Goldberg, and Mike Warren to tell the story of her mother’s deathbed confession and how it informed her opinions on abortion. Then, a brief discussion on the failed redistricting attempt in Indiana and a reflection on Rob Reiner's filmography. The Agenda:—Megan’s Monday Essay: The Brother I Lost—Megan’s thought experiment on abortion—Childhood and regrets—Do the dead have rights?—Emotional toll of adoption—Redistricting in Indiana—Favorite Rob Reiner movies Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode of The Dispatch podcast is brought to you by Pacific Legal Foundation.
0:04.0	Since they were founded in 1973, PLF has won 18 Supreme Court cases defending the rights of ordinary Americans from government overreach nationwide,
0:13.0	including landmark environmental law cases like Sackett v. EPA.
0:18.0	Now, PLF is doubling down and launching a new environment and natural resources practice.
0:23.9	They're on a mission to make more of America's land and resources available for productive use
0:28.2	and to make sure freedom drives our environmental and natural resource policy, not fear.
0:33.7	To learn more, visit pacificlegal.org slash flagship.
0:39.6	This episode is brought to you by Vanta.
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0:47.3	That's Vanta.
0:48.5	For startups, Vanta acts as your first security hire, using AI to get you compliant fast.
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0:59.2	From startups like Cursor to enterprises like Snowflake, top companies choose Vantor.
1:04.0	Do security and compliance right.
1:05.9	Get started today at Vantor.com.
1:08.7	Welcome to the Dispatch podcast.
1:14.6	I'm Steve Hayes. On today's roundtable, we talked with Megan McCartle about her Monday essay for the dispatch, about life and death and everything in between.
1:22.1	Then we move to a brief discussion of the Indiana Republicans defying Donald Trump, and finally, some thoughts on
1:30.1	Rob Reiner and his best movies. I'm joined today by my dispatch colleagues Michael Warren and Jonah
1:36.4	Goldberg and the aforementioned Megan McArdle, a dispatch contributor with The Washington Post.
1:55.0	Thank you. with The Washington Post. Welcome, everyone, and a special welcome to you, Megan.
	...

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