I actually don’t mind him talking to his staff so much as long as it is regarding a news topic or news of the day. When it is about Ninjas and dog surgery it gets to be a bit much. The show is much better than say 2012, IMHO. I literally couldn’t listen then.
The best thing he did with his show is add Jamie Dupree. The guy is neither left or right (at least he keeps his political leanings out of his reporting) but reports the congressional news the way it should be reported.