R Street Launches New Podcast: Red Tape
WASHINGTON (May 24, 2023)—Today, the R Street Institute launched Red Tape, a new podcast about the country’s biggest problems and the surprising ways that governments (and regular people) often get in the way of solving them.
Did you know that you commit up to three felonies on an average day? Do you wonder why clean energy hasn’t been widely adopted yet? Or why you can’t just make TikToks all day?
Americans are in constant need of real solutions that fit the real world. But more often than not, bureaucratic red tape keeps change from happening. That’s where we come in.
Listen along with co-hosts Kelli Pierce and Shoshana Weissmann as they dive deep into pressing public policy issues, including:
- What we get wrong about cash bail;
- Why we must expand contraception access;
- How we can harness more clean energy (rain or shine);
- The good news about artificial intelligence (if we don’t mess it up); and
- Everything you wanted to know about the federal budget but were afraid to ask without a few beers.
But that’s not all. Each episode features R Street’s expert scholars and trademark humor, including South Park jokes, a new game show called Bureaucracy or B.S. and more from the nation’s top think tank known for utilizing SpongeBob memes in its quest for real public policy solutions.
Listen to Red Tape wherever you find podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more. The problems might be more absurd—and the answers far simpler—than you think. The first season releases one episode every two weeks, including the following:
Episode 1 (with transcript): “You’re not as free as you think”
Episode 2 (with transcript): “It ain’t easy being clean”
Episode 3 (with transcript): “Ban it all!”
Episode 4 (with transcript): “South Park explains why we’re trillions in debt”
Episode 5 (with transcript): “They took our jobs!”
Episode 6 (with transcript): “Where’s the lie?”
Episode 7: “It’s 230. Do you know where your children are?”
Episode 8: “Build high where it’s dry”
Episode 9: “Humble Beginnings”
About the Hosts
Kelli Pierce is an award-winning journalist who manages R Street’s website as part of the communications team. When she’s not relaxing in Utah, she can be found chasing her toddler son and helping address the U.S. infant formula crisis. Follow Kelli on Twitter.
Shoshana Weissmann is R Street’s digital director. When she’s not tweeting memes at elected officials, she can be found researching and writing technology and occupational licensing policy as a fellow or hiking around the world for weeks at a time. Follow Shoshana on Twitter.
About R Street Institute
The R Street Institute is a think tank for the modern age. We focus on deep scholarship and pragmatic policy solutions that many groups tend to neglect. Our goal is to publish timely, relevant research and analysis that advances a market-oriented society and limited, effective government. To that end, our motto is: “Free Markets. Real Solutions.” Learn more about R Street.
About Pod People
Pod People is a content and marketing studio for award-winning podcasts and social creative products. Red Tape is produced by the R Street Institute, in partnership with Pod People. Special thanks to the production teams at Pod People (producer Chris Jacobs and senior production manager Bryan Rivers) and R Street (executive producer Ann Phelan, with support from Alexa Cunniff and Addyson Garner). Album art by Ashley Blackwell. Learn more about Pod People.
