American Prestige

Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and much more content. Derek makes his grand return to the AP newsroom. This week: Pope Francis dies (0:30); India sees the deadliest attack on civilians in Kashmir in years, prompting fallout on India-Pakistan relations (6:35); the US carries out its deadlines airstrike on Yemen to date (14:39); Qatar and Egypt propose a new ceasefire plan for Gaza (18:07); the US and Iran see progress in their nuclear talks, but the Trump administration continues to demand zero enrichment (21:27); Trump has once again changed course on tariffs (26:28); in Sudan, the RSF closes in on Al-Fashir (29:46); it is unclear whether peace talks for the DRC-M23 conflict are making progress (32:30); Russia’s operation in Kursk nears its end (35:10); Vladimir Putin offers to halt the war at the current front line, but this and Trump’s peace proposal meet resistance from Zelensky (36:33); the US State Department releases a reorganization plan (45:13); and more leaks and discord are apparent at the US Department of Defense under Pete Hegseth (48:01). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 25 April 2025

Subscribe today for an ad-free experience and much more content! Derek once again speaks with Mohammad Alsaafin, journalist at AJ+, this time to talk about where things stand in Gaza and the West Bank. They discuss the collapse of the January ceasefire, the blockade on Gaza aid, the push for outright ethnic cleansing in Gaza, what country would be willing to aid Israel in that effort, what it would mean for Hamas to disarm, Israel taking the same approach to Jenin and its environs in the West Bank as Gaza, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 22 April 2025

Subscribe now for the full episode! Danny and Derek welcome to the program Luke Savage, writer at Jacobin and host of the Michael and Us podcast, to talk about next week’s election in Canada. They delve into why Justin Trudeau resigned, Liberal Party candidate Mark Carney, how Pierre Poilievre and the Conservative Party are handling Trump, the US threatening Canada’s sovereignty, the political salience of Trump’s tariffs and how they might affect Canada’s economy, the state of the Canadian left, the Bloc Québécois, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 20 April 2025

Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and much more content! One last news roundup without Derek, but Danny and Alex Jordan of the Quincy Institute are on the case! This week: the RSF announces plans to form a parallel government in Sudan (1:33); US-Iran nuclear negotiations continue in Oman (7:21); the US and Saudi Arabia discuss giving the Kingdom access to nuclear technology (14:19); the Trump trade war continues despite him dialing back certain tariffs (18:40); Xi Jinping tours Southeast Asia (22:44); President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador visits the White House amid the controversy of Kilmar Ábrego García’s deportation (27:15); ICE is ramping up the arrest of pro-Palestine voices in the US (31:14); center-right candidate Daniel Noboa wins the presidential election in Ecuador (32:56); American envoy Steve Witkoff says a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia is imminent (34:36) and President Vladimir Zelenskyy appears on 60 Minutes (40:42); and the Israeli government announces that it will escalate its attack on Gaza (43:13).  Danny then speaks with Afeef Nessouli, a volunteer currently in Gaza working with Glia, a medical organization that “empowers low-resource ​communities to build sustainable, locally-driven healthcare projects.” Please consider donating to Glia to help Afeef and Palestinians doing medical work in Gaza. Afeef also works with Shabab Gaza, a local project that provides food and sometimes produce for victims of the genocide. I have personally backed boxes of rice for families. You can donate if you DM them @shababgaza1 on Instagram. And Catch Alex Jordan on X/Twitter @alexjordanatl and on the Quincy Institute’s upcoming YouTube program “Always at War,  which he will co-host with Courtney Rawlings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 18 April 2025

Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and much more content. Please listen to our Sino-Soviet primer episode for some background! Danny and Derek welcome back Jeremy Friedman, assistant professor in the Business, Government, and International Economy at Harvard, to talk about the Sino-Soviet Split. They lay out the state of play in the mid-1950s, the potential for détente, how the two powers are reconciling with their increasingly competing interests, the implications for the Soviet Union’s image among other communists in the wake of Khrushchev’s “secret speech”, theoretical transformations in what communism means during this period, how decolonization plays into the split, why Khrushchev pulled Soviet aid when China needed it most, and more through the mid-1960s. Grab a copy of Jeremy’s book Shadow Cold War: The Sino-Soviet Competition for the Third World! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 15 April 2025

In anticipation for our two-part conversation on the Sino-Soviet split, we're reposting the episode we did laying the groundwork. Danny and Derek welcome Jeremy Friedman, Marvin Bower associate professor at Harvard Business School, for a discussion about the Sino-Soviet split. They talk about the early days of the revolutionary states’ relationship, the differences in their ideologies, the external forces shaping each nation’s trajectory, the heyday of their cooperation, and the beginning of the fissure in the mid-1950s. Grab a copy of Jeremy’s great book Shadow Cold War: The Sino-Soviet Competition for the Third World! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 14 April 2025

Subscribe now for the full episode! Danny and Derek welcome back to the program Ben Fogel, head of publishing at the Alameda Institute and contributing editor at Jacobin, to chat about South Africa. They get into the struggling coalition government, the stories of “white genocide” stemming from eminent domain policies, Musk and how South Africa helped make him the man he is today, the roles of neoliberal and racialized ideologies there, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 13 April 2025

Subscribe now for the full episode and access to all breaking news specials. Danny sits down with Jacobin’s Branko Marcetic to talk about yesterday's ruling that Columbia organizer Mahmoud Khalil may be deported for his political views. They discuss precedents, the use of Cold War anti-communist laws as a means to arrest and deport people, whether Trump actually cares about Israel, the power of the judiciary, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 12 April 2025

We reluctantly approved Derek’s vacation time, but the news marches on, so Danny welcomes back to the show Alex Jordan of the Quincy Institute to help bring you headlines from around the world. They first take some time to catch up about where things stand with Trump 2.0 and critique what they see as premature analyses of this administration before getting into the news. This week: Trump goes back and forth on massive tariffs (16:47); US and Iranian officials are set to meet in Oman for direct nuclear talks (24:22); the US appears to be considering a ground invasion of Yemen (29:51); the Israeli government and military seem to be moving on to a new stage in preparation for annexing Gaza (34:43); the US and the Philippines carry out military exercises in the South China Sea (40:47); South Korea’s Yoon leaves office as the country prepares for a snap election (44:30); Trump might be considering using drones against Mexican drug cartels (48:48); and Ukrainian president Zelenskyy has accused Russia of recruiting Chinese nationals to fight (52:26) as negotiators visit DC to discuss the so-called “mineral deal” (56:36).      Catch Alex on X/Twitter @alexjordanatl and on the Quincy Institute’s upcoming YouTube program “Always at War”, which he will co-host with Courtney Rawlings.   Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and much more content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 11 April 2025

Danny and Derek welcome to the show Katrina vanden Heuvel, editorial director and publisher of The Nation, for a wide-ranging discussion on this moment in politics. They delve into the radicalization that led to Trump, the Democrats’ devotion to the Third Way, the need for a coherent leftwing media structure, Ukraine, NATO, the “Pivot to Asia”, the US empire, and what comes next.  Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and much more content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 8 April 2025

Danny and Derek welcome to the show Andy Liu, professor of history at Villanova, for a discussion on Trump, Xi, their respective histories, and the current trade situation between the US and China. They explore Trump’s relationship with Japan in the 80s and how that helped shape his idea of trade and tariffs, the US security apparatus emboldening Trump’s “dealmaking”, Xi’s own background as a “nepo baby” in the transformative era of Deng Xiaoping, he and the Chinese government’s effort to move China from exporting mostly cheap goods to higher-end products, the current Trump administration’s actions and (lack of) communication with Beijing, and more. Subscribe now to listen to the full episode. Note: this episode was recorded in mid-March, i.e. before the latest round of tariffs. Read Andy’s piece for n+1, “Back to the ‘80s?”.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 6 April 2025

Danny and Derek welcome to the show Vivek Chibber, editor of Catalyst and host of the Confronting Capitalism podcast, to talk about the widespread tariffs Trump announced this week, what it would mean to try and bring back manufacturing to the US, the leftist critique of this approach, neoliberalism and neomercantilism, and what we might expect to happen. Subscribe now for the full episode and much more content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 4 April 2025

This week on the news roundup: the US and Iran are making moves risking escalation to a conflict (0:43); Israel rejects another Gaza ceasefire as it plans to carve up the Strip (7:28); the IDF resumes bombing Beirut (11:41); Myanmar suffers a devastating earthquake (13:44); the South Korea supreme court will rule on Yoon’s impeachment today (17:16); the Sudanese military secures the capital, Khartoum (18:38); the African Union sends a mediation team to South Sudan (20:26); the US approves a UK-Mauritius deal on the Chagos Archipelago (22:42); President Trump is now displeased with both Putin and Zelenskyy (24:54); President Bukele of El Salvador is reportedly in direct talks with MS-13 (29:03); the Trump administration admits innocent people were among those deported to El Salvador (31:23); far-right influencer Laura Loomer appears to have influenced Trump into firing members of the National Security Council (33:08); and President Trump announces quite a few tariffs for what he calls “liberation day” (34:49). Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and much more content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 4 April 2025

Yoni Appelbaum, a deputy executive editor at The Atlantic, joins the program to talk about his book Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity. They discuss mobility in the US and how that might sacrifice community for opportunity, the “frontier” as a way of taking land and easing class antagonism, the birth of American zoning from anti-Chinese practices in 19th century California, the move toward the single-family home and it being a symbol of the American identity, how we can make homes accessible once more for working Americans, and more.  For an ad-free experience and much more content, subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 1 April 2025

Aziz Rana, J. Donald Monan, S.J., University Professor of Law and Government at Boston College, is back on the program to talk about the 20th and 21st century constitutional order leading to the current crisis under Trump. They delve into the attack on racial liberalism, the balance between the disavowed and embraced aspects of McCarthyism, the theory of the unitary executive, defending and regulating capitalism, the advent of the carceral state, and more. Read Aziz’s piece on the matter at New Left Review, “Constitutional Collapse”. Subscribe now for the full episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 30 March 2025

This week in the world: the IDF seizes more territory in Gaza (1:01) and the Israeli government forms a “voluntary emigration bureau” (5:19), while protests against Hamas break out in the Strip (7:53); there’s unrest in Turkey over the arrest of Istanbul’s mayor (10:27); a court in South Korea overturns the impeachment of PM Han Duck-soo (13:31); in Sudan, the military makes major gains in Khartoum and kills scores in a Darfur airstrike (15:17); South Sudan VP Riek Machar is arrested, stirring up further unrest (18:40); the proposed ceasefire is in limbo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (21:29); in Ukraine-Russia, talks make progress on matters including energy and the Black Sea (23:40); Trump pushes an expanded minerals deal with Ukraine (25:52); Canada schedules an April 28 election (28:20); Greenland is concerned by JD Vance’s visit (30:00); Trump unveils a “sixth generation” fighter, the F-47 (32:15); the Signal leak fallout involving Atlantic reporter Jeffrey Goldberg continues (34:37). Check out Danny’s newest piece in Jacobin, “This is America”. For an ad-free experience and much more content, subscribe today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 28 March 2025

Hugh Wilford, professor of history at California State University, Long Beach, is on the program for the first of two episodes on his book The CIA: An Imperial History. In this first part, they explore the historiography of intelligence today, how the CIA fits into an imperial lens of US history, whether the CIA is a liberal way of managing the world, the agency’s origins and shift from intelligence gathering to covert actions, gender relations among officers, their families, and agency partners, individuals like Kim Roosevelt, and whether CIA personnel truly believed in the threat of communism. Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and much more content! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 25 March 2025

Danny and Derek welcome back to the program Mark Ames, co-host of Radio War Nerd, to talk about where things stand in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. They discuss Trump and Putin's relationship, the state of the Russian economy, the situation on the ground in Ukraine, Zelensky and Trump's infamous meeting, the so-called "minerals deal", Trump potentially recognizing Crimea as Russian territory, and more. Subscribe now for the full episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 23 March 2025

In this week’s news: Israelis break the Gaza ceasefire (0:33); Trump resumes America’s war on Yemen’s Ansar Allah/Houthis (6:09); clashes break out on the border of Syria and Lebanon (10:15); a presidential candidate is arrested in Turkey (12:27); the South Sudan peace process continues to break down (16:02); calls for a ceasefire go unheeded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (18:16); the US expels the ambassador from South Africa (21:08); in Russia-Ukraine news, Trump and Putin talk by phone (23:24) while the Kursk operation is effectively over (26:32); Canada welcomes its new prime minister, Mark Carney (28:45); and Donald Trump ignores a court ruling in order to deport hundreds of Venezuelans (31:14).  Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and much more content! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 20 March 2025

Danny and Derek speak with Chicago-based historian and writer Charlotte Rosen about the end of so-called “Resistance history”, a particular strain of liberal historiography that emerged during the first Trump administration. They talk about Resistance history’s defining characteristics, how it might have been an overcorrection to defend liberal democracy against attacks by Trump, how historians who engaged in this form of history viewed it as political action, some of the movement’s biggest figures, the apparent elitism and self-promotion among its proponents, the AHA and the decline of the history profession, and more. Read Charlotte’s piece “The End of Resistance History” over at Protean Magazine.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 18 March 2025

Danny and Derek speak with Charli Carpenter, professor at UMass-Amherst, about US influence on the “rules-based order”. They discuss whether this “system” has become the US unilaterally delegating the rules, how the Biden administration undercut any remaining semblance of these norms, America’s cynical use of this concept in a context like Ukraine, the decline of mass politics in foreign policy decision-making, what mechanism might exist to stop rogue actors like Trump, and more.  Read Charli's article, "The Rules-Based Order Is Less Dependent on the U.S. Than Biden’s Critics Think". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 16 March 2025

This week on the news roundup: the Copernicus Climate Change Service reports that global sea ice fell to the lowest level ever recorded in February (1:18); Alawites in northwestern Syria have been massacred over several days (3:19) while the government and SDF cut a deal (6:49); Israel intensifies its blockade of Gaza (9:38) as the US proposes a new compromise for the Strip (10:55); Armenia and Azerbaijan look to be on the cusp of a peace agreement (14:31); the Philippines arrests former president Rodrigo Duterte on an ICC warrant (16:30); Trump and China’s Xi Jinping might hold a summit in June (19:23); the crisis in South Sudan continues to worsen (21:03); the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and M23 armed group look to hold peace talks (23:31); in Russia-Ukraine, the US and Ukraine produce a ceasefire proposal (25:15) while Russia retakes most of Kursk Oblast (29:46); Trump might be preparing to invade Panama (31:45); Canada elects a new prime minister (33:43); Trump continues to escalate the trade war (37:07); and former US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will become Harvard’s inaugural Kissinger Professor of the Practice of Statecraft and World Order (39:32). Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and much more content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 14 March 2025

Spencer Ackerman of Forever Wars joins the program to talk about the arrest by ICE of activist Mahmoud Khalil. Read Spencer's piece on the matter, "Mahmoud Khalil's Detention Is A War on Terror Milestone". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 12 March 2025

Chag Purim Sameach! Enjoy this discussion from 2022 where Danny speaks with Benjamin Balthasar, associate professor of English at Indiana University-South Bend, about the history of Jewish anti-imperialism from the 1930s until today. Subscribe today for more episodes like this and ad-free content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 12 March 2025

Independent journalist and lawyer Jessica Pishko sits down with Danny and Derek to talk about sheriffs and the power that they hold. The group explores the rise of sheriffs in the 1820s under Andrew Jackson, their unique position as both law enforcement officers and politicians, their relationship to militias, the rise of “constitutional sheriffs”, figures from Wyatt Earp to Joe Arpaio, sheriffs and border policy, and more. Be sure to pick up a copy of Jessica’s book The Highest Law in the Land: How the Unchecked Power of Sheriffs Threatens Democracy.     Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and much more content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 11 March 2025

Danny and Derek welcome back to the podcast Paul Reitter, professor of Germanic languages and literature at the Ohio State University, this time for a discussion on Karl Marx through the lens of his Judaism and how that might illuminate new elements of his work or reshape our thinking of it. They talk about Marx’s place among other radical Jewish thinkers from the Rhineland, ideas of Jewish masculinity in his era, Jewish intellectuals becoming prominent atheists, how Marx’s background might have inspired his focus on the proletariat, and more. Be sure to grab the new edition of Capital translated by Paul Reitter and edited by Paul North (on which we did an episode recently).     Subscribe now for the full episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 9 March 2025

The bi-monthly collaboration between AP and Nonzero Newsletter continues! Our dear paid subscribers also get access to the additional "Overtime" conversation and a discounted membership to Nonzero, so subscribe now for that and much more content! Video 0:00 What could go right with Trump’s foreign policy? 7:47 Trump’s Bibi-pleasing Middle East path   13:25 How would Europe-led defence of Europe work? 15:31 What most miss about the Oval Office blowup 19:20 Has relying on America doomed Ukraine? 26:29 Heading to Overtime Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 8 March 2025

This week in the news roundup: the Gaza truce expires and Israel resumes its blockade (0:29); the Arab League proposes a “day after” plan for the Strip which Trump rejects (5:53); the US is negotiating directly with Hamas (10:30); the PKK declares a ceasefire in Turkey (13:24); fighting breaks out on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan (15:10); a political crisis emerges in South Sudan (20:04); in Ukraine news, Zelensky embarks on a “repentance tour” while Trump suspends arms (22:00); the EU considers the “ReArm Europe” plan (28:59); BlackRock is buying up Panama Canal ports (31:08); and updates on the Trump tariff front (33:55). Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and much more content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 7 March 2025

Derek welcomes back to the program Gönül Tol, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, and Djene Bajalan, associate professor of history at Missouri State University, to talk about leader Abdullah Öcalan’s call last week for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to disarm and disband. They talk about Öcalan’s history in this conflict, the need to manage his constituencies when announcing this ceasefire, how this fits into Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s plans, whether this move could broaden rights and protections for Kurds in Turkey, the potential implications for Syria, what this means for Kurds elsewhere in the region, and more. Read Gönül’s book Erdoğan's War: A Strongman's Struggle at Home and in Syria.    Listen to Djene’s radio show/podcast Talking History. Note: this was recorded before the ceasefire was declared. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 5 March 2025

Jesse Robertson, writer and doctoral student in history at Harvard University, sits down with Danny to talk about the history of video games and their connection with the Pentagon. They explore the history going back to 1962’s Spacewar!, the army’s turn toward creating simulations in the 1970s and SIMNET, the neoliberal turn of more private companies developing military gaming, the Doom series, figures like Michael Zyda leading the connection between the Pentagon and the digital entertainment sector, the Call of Duty series, and more.    Subscribe now for the full episode! Read Jesse’s piece for The Nation, “Call of Duty: Pentagon Ops”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 2 March 2025

Danny and Derek talk about yesterday's hostile meeting between Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in front of the media and what that might signal for the two countries' relations going forward. Subscribe now for the full episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 1 March 2025

Danny and Derek, the greatest news anchors since Lennon/McCartney. This week: Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan calls for the group’s disarmament (0:32); Syria hosts a “National Dialogue” conference to work through the country’s transition (6:34); Israel and Hamas salvage a hostage deal, but the end looms on Saturday (10:07); Yoon’s impeachment trial concludes in South Korea (20:46); in Sudan, increased fighting rages around Al-Fashir (23:27), the military makes gains in the country’s south (25:13), and the RSF and military set up dueling governments (26:43); Ukraine and the US potentially agree on a minerals deal (29:42); the results of the German election (34:41); Austria’s government attempts to form a coalition (38:17); Trump ends a sanctions waiver for Venezuela (40:35); the Trump admin muses kicking Canada out of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network (42:29); the US announces tariffs on the EU, potentially Canada, and maybe even Mexico (44:20); Trump announces the “gold card” visa plan (46:45); and Trump’s attempts at a humanitarian aid blockade continue (48:45). Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and much more content. Join the Discord! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 28 February 2025

William Hartung, a senior research fellow focusing on the arms industry and US military budget at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, joins the program to discuss reports that the Trump administration is planning “sweeping budget cuts” for the Pentagon. They talk about these “cuts” being more accurately termed “reinvestments” into other areas, the enormous amount of defense spending and the culture that engendered this, how the defense industry has changed in the past 20 years, actual moves that could meaningfully reduce the military budget like reducing bloated systems (F-35s, aircraft carriers) and overseas bases, whether there exists an influential constituency to support military budget cuts, and more. Read William’s recent piece on this, “Hegseth orders 8% cut to Pentagon budget. Not so fast.”           Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 25 February 2025

Derek welcomes to the program Becca Lewis, postdoctoral scholar at the Stanford Department of Communication, and Eoin Higgins, journalist and author of Owned: How Tech Billionaires on the Right Bought the Loudest Voices on the Left, for a discussion about Elon Musk, his role in the new Trump administration, and how Silicon Valley has interacted with the government since the 1990s. They talk about what exactly Musk seems to be doing, how he is leveraging his new access for business interests, the precedent of unelected positions in the executive branch, the reactionary tech industry showing its true colors, the self-delusion of Silicon Valley oligarchs, the atomization of media allowing for opportunities to shape narratives around tech, and more.  Subscribe now for the full episode! Be sure to read Becca’s piece for The Guardian, “‘Headed for technofascism’: the rightwing roots of Silicon Valley”. Also subscribe to listen to our series with Margaret O’Mara “The Making of Silicon Valley”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 23 February 2025

Danny and Derek are back with the news, but without much of a choice. This week: the US and Russia meet in Riyadh to discuss future bilateral discussions to end the war in Ukraine (0:38); Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump feud in public comments (3:38); The Daily Telegraph reports on a US mineral rights deal that Zelenskyy rejected (8:22); in Israel-Palestine news, Saturday’s hostage exchange was successful (12:55) and Hamas offers an expedited hostage release schedule (15:08); Israel decides to ignore the withdrawal deadline in Lebanon (19:32); the US State Department decides to change the wording on a fact sheet about Taiwan and China responds negatively (22:03); in South Korea, former president Yoon goes on trial (24:48); the RSF militia in Sudan attempts to form a government and controversy ensues (26:40); in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, M23 (supported by Rwanda) takes Bukavu while continuing to advance north and south (31:16); Argentinian president Milei is accused of a rug pull after the cryptocurrency he endorsed collapses (33:40); and in the United States, Trump and Musk fire National Nuclear Security Administration workers without understanding what their jobs meant (35:40), and Trump proposes cutting the defense budget (39:15). Subscribe now for much more content and an ad-free experience! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 21 February 2025

Danny and Derek are joined by Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute, and Aslı Bâli, professor of law at Yale Law School and nonresident fellow at Quincy, to talk about the Institute’s Better Order Project, a collaboration between over 130 people from more than 40 countries creating proposals for a stable, multipolar world. They talk about the vision of moving beyond the current “rules-based” order in favor of an inclusive, global one rooted in international law, the major variables around which the project’s proposals and reforms are organized, how to address great powers prioritizing short-term, political thinking, the atmosphere in the worlds of think tanks, nonprofits, and elite law as we begin Trump 2.0, how these communities have been reckoning with the US policy on Gaza, and more. Subscribe now for much more content and an ad-free experience! Join our Discord (subscribers get more channels)! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 18 February 2025

Danny and Derek speak with Matthew Ellis, professor of literature and film at Portland State University, about how to understand the right in this particular moment. They talk about Elon Musk’s infamous Roman salute at Trump’s inauguration, how the right engages with these symbols, media literacy among liberals and the left, the business model around outrage, the end of mass culture, Trump’s rhetorical similarities to fascists, lost opportunities to reform liberalism over the last 20 years, and more. Subscribe now to hear the full episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 16 February 2025

Danny and Derek reveal their true faces. This week: Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin agree to start bilateral peace talks for the war in Ukraine (1:05), with anticipated fallout for the latter nation (6:17); Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth makes some frank comments on Europe, Ukraine, and NATO (8:06); an update on the situation in Israel-Palestine, including Hamas threatening to delay the next hostage release over Israeli transgressions (12:06) and Trump continuing to push a US takeover of Gaza (16:53); in Lebanon, a new government is formed (21:22) and the IDF seeks to extend its occupation there (23:28); a Washington Post report suggests Israel might be planning to strike Iran (25:33); in China news, Trump reinstates a de minimis tariff exemption, but there is still no sign of a meeting with Xi Jinping (28:46); the Sudanese military is close to driving the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) out of the Khartoum region (31:20); the so-called Islamic State group appears to be on the rise in Somalia (33:36); a regional summit demands a ceasefire in the Democratic Republic of Congo as M23 continues its advance (35:38); and back in the United States, Trump announces new steel and aluminum tariffs (39:03) in addition to presenting exciting new opportunities for corruption (40:57). News updates will also be on our YouTube channel going forward. Check out this week’s! Subscribe now for much more content and an ad-free experience. Join the Discord! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 14 February 2025

Peter Beinart speaks with Danny and Derek about his book Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning, American Jews’ conception of and relationship with Israel, and how things have changed since the start of the genocide in Gaza. They explore why Peter centers being Jewish at this moment, what he’s seen happen in the Jewish community since October 7, Palestinian dehumanization among American Jews, liberal Zionism and the two-state solution, the loss of agency for Palestinians, American Jewish institutions, and more.  Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and much more content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 11 February 2025

Danny and Derek welcome to the program Nathan J. Robinson, editor of Current Affairs, to talk about the state of the left as well as the book he recently co-authored with Noam Chomsky, The Myth of American Idealism: How U.S. Foreign Policy Endangers the World. They explore what role the myth plays, the international turn in history, understanding propaganda and the American polity, the left’s rejection by the liberal coalition in the US, what we can do in terms of strategy and tactics, and whether a new labor movement can contend with the massive new billionaire class aligned behind the right. Subscribe now for the full episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 9 February 2025

This week: Donald Trump proposes the US take over the Gaza Strip (0:32), prompting mixed responses at home (9:16) as well as abroad (15:18); the US vows to return to a "maximum pressure" Iran policy (17:08); in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the M23 ceasefire fizzles out (20:04); Trump threatens to cut off funding to South Africa over certain land policies (22:10); Ukraine offers minerals in exchange for Trump's support (25:02); Secretary of State Marco Rubio travels to Latin America, addressing tension over the Panama Canal (28:37), entertaining an offer from El Salvador to take in US convicts (30:44), as well as an offer from Guatemala to aid in deportations (32:14); China responds to Trump's tariffs (36:43); and the Trump Administration rigs Google searches concerning deportation cases (38:37).  Subscribe now for much more content and an ad-free experience! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 7 February 2025

Danny and Derek speak with Jonathan Guyer, program manager at the Institute for Global Affairs at Eurasia Group, about the Trump administration's attack on USAID. They then speak with Timothy Gill of the University of Tennessee about the organization's background. Subscribe now for the full episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 5 February 2025

Derek speaks with Marie-Rose Tshite, a peacebuilding advocate and Ph.D. student in Political Science with a concentration in Feminist Comparative and International Politics at the University of Cincinnati, about M23 and the situation in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). They explore the group’s origins, its ties with the Rwandan government, other external actors, the recent seizure of Goma, minerals and the economic factors driving the conflict, the humanitarian situation, and more. Read Marie-Rose’s recent article on Congolese women's experiences during the Second Congolese War between 1998 and 2003, “Capturing Congolese Women’s Memories of War and Peacemaking”. Subscribe today for an ad-free experience and much more content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 4 February 2025

Economist Marshall Steinbaum joins Danny and Derek to try and make sense of the tariffs Donald Trump is imposing on Canada, Mexico, and China. They succeed in part. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 2 February 2025

Danny and Derek welcome to the program Jeet Heer, national affairs correspondent for The Nation, to talk about his new piece “How Biden’s Foreign Policy Destroyed His Presidency”. They discuss Biden’s origins and FP grounding, his conception of himself as an FP specialist, his fondness for military Keynesianism, how his views changed in the Obama era, the sanctions regime, his policies toward Ukraine and Israel-Palestine, “democracy vs autocracy”, and more.  Subscribe now for the full episode!      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 2 February 2025

The paperboy has been laid off, but fear not, for Danny and Derek are here with the headlines. This week: in Israel-Palestine, detainees were exchanged on Thursday (0:31), the IDF continues its operation in the West Bank (6:05), an update on the humanitarian situation in Gaza (7:40), and Trump proposes the idea of ethnically cleansing the Strip (10:34); in Lebanon, the IDF ignores its withdrawal deadline (15:02); in Syria, the political transition continues (17:00), the IDF remains in the country’s south (19:04), and negotiations with Russia are underway over its bases in Syria as well as the fate of Bashar al-Assad (20:32); the rollout of China’s DeepSeek AI roils tech stocks (23:00); the Sudanese army sees a string of military successes around Khartoum (25:24); in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the M23 military group takes Goma while advancing south (27:59); Putin comments on peace talks regarding Ukraine (32:43); Colombia and the US get into a spat regarding deportation flights (34:12); and in US news, arms sales hit a new record in 2024 (37:16), Donald Trump vows to build a migrant detention facility at Guantánamo (38:20), and some details on the effects of his foreign aid freeze (39:35).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 31 January 2025

Lydia Walker, historian at Ohio State University, is back with Danny and Derek to conclude the conversation about her book States-in-Waiting: A Counternarrative of Global Decolonization. This time, the group explores post-colonial states following colonial borders, how business interests shaped things in states like Namibia, progressive capitalism, how the Cold War defined horizons of political possibility for nationalist actors, legitimacy as dictated by outside forces, and where decolonization stands in the modern day. Subscribe now for much more content and ad-free episodes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 28 January 2025

Alexander Aviña, associate professor of history at Arizona State University, and journalist Emily Tamkin join Danny and Derek for a final look at what Joe Biden leaves as his legacy, impressions of Trump's inauguration, and the current state of American politics as the executive branch makes this transition. Topics include the Democrats and what they believe in 2025 (if anything), discourse around immigration and the border, the multiracial coalition that brought Trump back to power, Musk's antics and the state of American Jewish politics, Trump's first executive orders, and more. Subscribe now for the full episode! Listen to our "Lessons of Guerrero" series with Alex, which largely covers his book Specters of Revolution: Peasant Guerrillas in the Cold War Mexican Countryside. Check out Emily's books Bad Jews: A History of American Jewish Politics and Identities and The Influence of Soros: Politics, Power, and the Struggle for an Open Society. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 26 January 2025

Danny and Derek plug into the mainframe. This week: in Gaza, the ceasefire takes effect (0:37), allowing a surge of humanitarian aid (3:51), the latter being partly facilitated by Hamas’s police force back in power (5:50). Meanwhile, an agreement on the second phase of the ceasefire remains to be seen (7:56); the IDF launches a new operation in the West Bank (14:38); negotiations between the government and SDF continue in Syria (17:11); Turkey hints at a possible thaw with the Kurdish PKK (20:13); Afghan refugees who’d already been granted asylum are stranded after Trump’s executive order (24:54); China brokers a new ceasefire in Myanmar (27:49); M23 makes a new advance in the Democratic Republic of Congo (29:31); Trump threatens myriad economic penalties against Russia if it doesn’t end the war in Ukraine (31:42); NATO’s defense spending might be on the rise (34:19); Colombia breaks off peace talks with the ELN (37:48); Mexico and Honduras react to Trump’s deportation plans (40:10); Oxfam releases a new report on the rise in inequality (42:44); and Donald Trump signed a flurry of executive orders only a few days into taking office (44:44).     Subscribe now at Supporting Cast! Be sure to listen to our post-election special with Alexander Aviña on Trump’s plans regarding immigrants and deportations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 24 January 2025

Danny and Derek speak with Lydia Walker, historian at Ohio State University, about her book States-in-Waiting: A Counternarrative of Global Decolonization. The group discusses narratives of decolonization that Lydia wanted to challenge before exploring the “transnational advocacy network” and non-state actors she features in the book like Naga nationalist leader Angami Zapu Phizo, Indian politician Jayaprakash Narayan, anti-apartheid minister Michael Scott, the latter two’s World Peace Brigade and “anti-Algiers” initiative, and more.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 21 January 2025