American Prestige

Subscribe now for the full episode. Joel Christensen, professor of classics at the CUNY Graduate Center, joins Danny and Derek for a discussion about Christopher Nolan's adaptation of The Odyssey. They talk about the scholarly debate over Homer as an idea rather than an individual; the mythic Trojan War; guilt and moral responsibility in Homer's Odysseus vs. Nolan's; the roles of Penelope, Telemachus, and Agamemnon; the film's monsters, casting choices, and depictions of the gods; and how Nolan's ending departs from that of the original.  Be sure to check out Joel's book Why Odysseus? Survivor, Scoundrel, Anti-Hero. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now to skip the ads and get all episodes. American Prestige HQ continues to roll the dice on iceberg lettuce. In this week's news: Iranian strikes kill four U.S. service members in Jordan and Iraq, and the Pentagon conceals dozens of additional casualties (2:09); Trump threatens to hit an Iranian nuclear facility and warns of attacks on civilian infrastructure (6:32); the Houthis blockade Saudi Arabia and strike two oil tankers in the Red Sea (14:20); the U.S. and Saudi Arabia announce a civilian nuclear deal (18:23); in Lebanon, the IDF begins a “pilot” withdrawal from three southern villages (23:48); Hamas elects Khalil al-Hayya as its new political leader (25:48); Ebola deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo top 1,000 (27:44); the Trump administration considers military action against jihadists in Mali (30:09); Volodymyr Zelenskyy fires Ukraine's top general, Oleksandr Syrskyi (32:29); Andy Burnham becomes prime minister of the United Kingdom (35:17); Trump imposes new tariffs on Brazil and Canada (36:53); and the State Department releases a report that names Cuba a top security threat (40:46). Don't forget to watch a replay of last night's livestream with special guest Alex Aviña. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now to skip the ads and get more episodes. Danny and Derek speak with historian Andrew Preston about the origins and development of the American national security state as we know it. They discuss the original meaning of “national security” in the early days of the republic; the idea of free security; the New Deal and the relationship between social security and national security; World War II, the Cold War, and the expansion of the security state; liberalism and American empire; and what national security looks like moving forward. Be sure to grab a copy of Andrew's book on the subject, Total Defense: The New Deal and the Invention of National Security. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for the full episode. Danny speaks with writer Ann Manov about the right's attempts to reshape the humanities and the crisis facing American higher education. They discuss Republican-backed civics programs, the Great Books model, falling academic standards, campus culture wars, the bleak prospects for students, the economics of higher education, and AI's impact on the future of universities. Read Ann's piece for Harper's, ⁠"Republican Machines."⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for an ad-free experience. Canada's wildfires rage on, so Danny and Derek are here to be your breath of fresh air. This week's news: In Iran, the U.S. reimposes its blockade and intensifies strikes (2:04), Trump announces and then backs off a Hormuz toll (5:44), and the White House issues threats of further escalation (9:17); in Yemen, the Houthis/Ansar Allah and Saudi Arabia trade strikes (13:37) as the former might become involved in the Iran war (16:28); Lebanese-Israeli talks talks wrap up, but progress is uncertain (17:45); in Israel, a date is set for an election (19:18), plus the ethnic cleansing in Gaza is given a new euphemism (21:15); Southeast Asian countries appear to normalize relations with Myanmar (22:23); the U.S. touts a “new” peace plan for Sudan (24:13); the Ebola outbreak in the DRC continues and may be much larger than official figures suggest (26:35); Zelenskyy replaces Ukraine's prime minister and defense minister (29:43); Andy Burnham is to become the UK's PM (33:32), plus a UK-EU deal on Gibraltar is reached (35:22); Marco Rubio is reportedly running Venezuela as a U.S. viceroy (36:34); the U.S. is attempting to destroy the ICC (38:35) as it also takes aim at “left-wing terrorism” (41:23); and a Pew poll finds China more popular than the U.S. for the first time (43:01). ⁠Watch last night's weekly livestream⁠ if you missed it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for an ad-free experience. Danny and Derek welcome to the show journalist and author Robert Wright to talk about the potential and pitfalls of the AI revolution. They discuss how neural networks learn, the differences between predictive and generative AI, machine consciousness, job displacement, the environmental costs of data centers, how capitalism is shaping the AI race, and the need for international regulation. Read Robert's new book The God Test: Artificial Intelligence and Our Coming Cosmic Reckoning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for the full episode. Danny and Derek welcome to the show historian Matt Avery Sutton to talk about evangelical support for Donald Trump and the power of the religious right in U.S. politics. They discuss Trump as a religious figure, the religious right's ascendance, race and abortion in Republican politics, Christian apocalypticism, fears of the Antichrist, conservative Catholic converts, Christian Zionism, and whether an alliance with Trump will weaken the evangelical movement. Read Matt's book Chosen Land: How Christianity Made America and Americans Remade Christianity. Note: This episode was recorded May 15, 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for an ad-free experience. Danny and Derek's FIFA officiating careers have been tragically cut short since Javier Milei's checks started bouncing. In this week's news: the NATO summit ends on a high note (4:46); in Iran, new fighting erupts as Trump declares the end of the ceasefire (12:01), plus estimates of the war's cost increase (16:49); in Gaza, Hamas dissolves its government (18:22) as the Board of Peace prepares a “humanitarian zone” (20:37); Trump appears ready to sell Turkey F-35s (23:47); Syria is officially removed from the state sponsors of terrorism list (28:17); in Sudan, civilians flee fighting in El Obeid (29:32); rebels coordinate a new joint offensive in Mali (33:00); the U.S. licenses domestic Patriot missile production in Ukraine (34:18); Roberto Sanchez concedes the Peruvian presidential election (38:15); Colombia's presidential transition breaks down (39:09); and the U.S. drops the “Indo-Pacific” construct (40:14), prompting strategic discussions on the future of America's position in the Pacific (45:23). Join the Discord. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The AP-NonZero collaboration continues! Subscribe now to AP to get a discounted membership to NonZero! 0:00 Sneak peek: Danny finds flaw in Bob's AI book 1:18 Is the Iran war fully back on? 5:59 What the war means for the future of US power 18:52 The problem with blaming Bibi 23:09 The push to intertwine the US and Israeli militaries 35:09 What's Israel's endgame for the Palestinians? 39:27 The Gulf States' new reality 45:20 Iran's plans for the Strait of Hormuz 51:54 Bob's pitch to Derek—and his other pitch to listeners ⁠Watch it on YouTube⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for an ad-free experience. Danny and Derek are joined by Jake Nabel, Tombros early career professor of classical studies and assistant professor of classics and ancient Mediterranean studies at Penn State, to talk about Roman-Parthian relations in antiquity. The group discusses the geopolitical landscape of the ancient Mediterranean and Near East, the rise of the Parthian Empire and the Arsacid dynasty following the fall of the Achaemenids and Alexander the Great, and the inherent challenges of relying on Greco-Roman historiography. They also delve into how Iranian and Armenian sources reshape our understanding of the period, the deep cultural misunderstanding between Roman hostage-taking and Parthian cliental fosterage, the cultural barriers preventing intermarriage, and the modern Iranian reception of pre-Islamic empires, including contemporary parallels to Reza Pahlavi. Read Jake's book The Arsacids of Rome: Misunderstanding in Roman-Parthian Relations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for the full episode. Danny and Derek are joined by Curt Mills, executive director of the American Conservative, and Andrew Day, senior editor of the American Conservative, to talk about the potential for a left-right anti-war alliance. The group discusses the ongoing war with Iran and its impact on U.S.-China relations, the future of the MAGA movement and whether Donald Trump might take an off-ramp to end the conflict, and structural realities surrounding capitalism, financialization, and the AI-driven deindustrialization of white-collar work. They also touch on the Israel lobby's influence on American foreign policy, the rhetoric of right-wing figures like Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes, culture war divides surrounding the COVID-19 response, and whether a cross-partisan coalition against the foreign policy establishment is actually viable in Congress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for an ad-free experience. Danny and Derek are joined by historian Andrew Shankman to talk about the road to U.S. independence from Great Britain. They discuss differences between Spanish and British colonization strategies, the intellectual and philosophical origins of the American Revolution, the Stamp Act crisis, distinctions in racial conceptions between the American colonies and the West Indies, key revolutionary figures, the early American republic, the unique economic situation of Boston and Massachusetts, and post-revolution relations with Britain and indigenous peoples.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for an ad-free experience. Sina Azodi, assistant professor of Middle East politics and director of the Middle East Studies program at George Washington University, returns to the show to talk about Iran's nuclear program. The group discusses the Shah's nuclear agenda, Atoms for Peace, Iran's signing of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, how the Iran-Iraq War influenced Iran's nuclear policy, missed opportunities for diplomacy after 9/11, Trump's withdrawal from the JCPOA and why Biden didn't revive the deal, and the recent war with Iran. Grab a copy of Sina's book Iran and the Bomb: The United States, Iran, and the Nuclear Question. And contribute to GiveDirectly's campaign to help survivors of the earthquake in Venezuela. Note: In lieu of a news episode this week, we will be posting an interview about the holiday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for the full episode. Aziz Rana, J. Donald Monin SJ University Professor of Law and Government at Boston College, is back on the podcast to talk about Trumpism, American political stagnation, and the future of U.S. power. They discuss the (presumed) end of the Trump era, the importance of supermajorities and why we haven't seen them in recent years, what the left got right and wrong in its analysis of Trump, the “Trump Doctrine” as an extension of existing U.S. politics, multipolarity, and the possibility of a more democratic international order. Read Aziz's piece with Aslı Ü. Bâli in Boston Review, “The Path to the Trump Doctrine,” plus his piece in Dissent, “The American Revolution in Global Retreat.” Also, please contribute to GiveDirectly's Venezuela earthquake campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for an ad-free experience. Danny and Derek's promise ring ceremony regrettably must be relocated from MSG due to a scheduling conflict. In this week's news: The Iran negotiations show signs of progress (1:26) despite disputes over the agreement (5:20), plus conflicting reports over the status of the Strait of Hormuz* (9:24); Lebanon sees a reduction in fighting and another round of talks (12:31); in Gaza, Israel is targeting children (15:38), plus a Board of Peace update (16:48); Keir Starmer resigns as PM of the UK (18:40); the DPRK/North Korea appears to be back on Trump's radar (21:18); a battle over El Obeid, Sudan, still looms (22:53); Trump is again angry with NATO and has a spat with Italian PM Meloni (25:07); in Russia-Ukraine, an update on the war (27:40), Poland strips Zelenskyy of an award (30:21), and the Russians are again displeased with Trump (32:40); election updates in Colombia (34:25), Peru (36:08), and Ethiopia (37:27); and Trump unveils the new Air Force One (39:23). *After the time of recording, the initiative to rescue stranded ships in the Strait of Hormuz was paused due to a vessel being attacked.  Check out the replay of Wednesday's livestream.  Join the Discord. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for an ad-free experience. Omer Bartov, Dean's Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University, joins the program to talk about Zionism's transformation from an emancipation movement into a form of ethno-nationalism. They delve into Zionism's formation alongside European colonialism, how settler encroachment influenced Palestinian nationalism, comparisons with European settler colonialism, whether Zionism's “wrong turn” was in the formation of the State of Israel itself, the meaning of “never again,” how the historical memory of the Holocaust is used to justify Israeli expansion, Israel's lack of a constitution, and liberal Zionism in the United States. Be sure to get a copy of Omer's book Israel: What Went Wrong?  Don't forget to tune into our weekly livestream, Wednesday night at 8pm ET on our YouTube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Danny and Derek speak with Jasper Craven, a reporter covering the military and veterans' issues, about masculinity and the military. They talk about Trump's time in military school, how his relationship with masculinity has affected his approach to business and politics, Pete Hegseth and his military identity, soldiers' “honor codes” and subverting the rules, how notions of masculinity change between Trump and Hegseth's generations, Graham Platner and how his military service affected him, the emergence of the “warrior ethos,” how the liberal left's denunciations of Platner relate to the military, and the White House UFC fight. Be sure to grab a copy of Jasper's book ⁠God Forgives, Brothers Don't: The Long March of Military Education and the Making of American Manhood⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for an ad-free experience. Danny and Derek are in backchannel talks with the reflecting pool algae. In this week's news: the United States and Iran sign a Memorandum of Understanding (1:26), which addresses sanctions, the Strait of Hormuz, reconstruction, sovereignty, and the nuclear program (6:46); Israel continues its attacks on and occupation of Lebanon despite the MoU dictating otherwise (26:12); Gaza is excluded from the MoU (30:25) as West Bank annexation continues (31:46); in Sudan, RSF forces appear to be preparing for a major battle (34:27); in Ukraine, Russia makes advances (35:58) while Crimea is hit hard (37:26); the G7 is relatively uneventful, but does express support for Ukraine (39:24); the U.S. announces plans for a military drawdown in Europe (41:21); in Peru, Keiko Fujimori leads the vote count in the presidential election (42:57); and a UNAIDS report shows the dire effect of DOGE cuts (44:37). A reminder: we are changing our release schedule! The bonus will now drop on Monday, the public feed interview on Wednesday, and the news will remain on Friday.  Check out our episode with Caitlin Tulloch on the fallout from ending USAID. Join the Discord. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for all episodes and no ads. Historian Patrick Wyman returns to the show to talk about the deep history of human societies and how they can inform the current moment. The group discusses new ways of studying prehistory, the origins of agriculture, climate adaptation, the Clovis people, the long Neolithic, early farming societies, states and security, the Bronze Age collapse, and more. Listen to Patrick's ⁠Past Lives ⁠podcast.  And grab a copy of his new book ⁠Lost Worlds: How Humans Tried, Failed, Succeeded, and Built Our World⁠. Don't forget the AP livestream, this Wednesday at 8pm ET on ⁠our YouTube channel⁠. ⁠Join our Discord⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for the full episode. Danny and Derek give us the latest on today's ceasefire deal. Note: Iran has since confirmed the deal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for the full episode David Roth and Tom Ley of Defector join the program for a discussion on the World Cup and the politics around the tournament. They get into FIFA corruption; Trump's FIFA Peace Prize; the administration's petty moves like denying a Somali referee entry to the U.S. and similar restrictions on Iran's team; sportswashing; the burden on host cities; the growth of soccer in the United States; the explosion of youth sports as an industry; and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for the ad-free experience. The World Cup is upon us, so Danny and Derek are showering visiting players with crocheted NATO flags. In this week's news: Israel and Iran exchange fire (0:59), with Netanyahu possibly defying Trump (3:16); Iran and the U.S. also trade blows as the ceasefire comes into question (6:11); the IDF is preparing a new Gaza offensive (14:56); Afghanistan and Pakistan engage in more border clashes (17:11); Mali's junta is pressured by a jihadist-rebel alliance (18:36); Ukraine uses a new cruise missile, targeting infrastructure in and around Crimea (21:50); Germany kills Europe's Future Combat Air System program (24:40); Bolivia's anti-austerity protests approach a turning point (27:25); Armenia elects Pashinyan's party and Peru sees a tight presidential runoff count (29:03); the U.S. considers buying the Chagos Islands (33:19); Trump threatens the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal (36:27); the American president also looks to downsize the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (37:53); and the Pentagon raises its Israel counterintelligence threat level (40:26). Note: After recording, Trump backed out of further Iran strikes. Don't forget to join our Discord. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now⁠ for an ad-free experience. Danny and Derek welcome to the show José Luis Granados Ceja, head of the Latin America desk at DropSite News, for a conversation about the Hondurasgate scandal and U.S. policy in Latin America. They talk about the leaked audio files of the scandal, Juan Orlando Hernandez's pardon, Marco Rubio's influence, Cuba, Israel's role in the region, Honduras's place in U.S. empire, the Latin American right, and more. Read José's piece “Hondurasgate: Key Leaked Audio Files, Revealing U.S. Intervention in Honduras, Found Authentic "With Moderate Confidence." Don't forget about our weekly livestreams over on ⁠our YouTube channel⁠, every Wednesday at 8pm ET. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now⁠ for the full episode. Danny and Derek talk about Iran's strike on Israel and the risk of a wider regional war, covering Israel's bombing of Beirut, Iran's retaliation, Trump's effort to prevent Israeli escalation, the U.S.-Iran negotiations, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now⁠ for the full episode. Danny and Derek welcome to the podcast sociologist Dylan Riley for a conversation about political capitalism, Trumpism, and the crisis of American capitalism. They talk about debates over the falling rate of profit and the long downturn; what shapes the capitalist crisis; the rise of asset price inflation, monopolization, and financialization; whether AI and data center investment represent a new bubble; corruption in the second Trump administration and how it fits into political capitalism; and more. Read Dylan's piece co-authored with Robert Brenner in New Left Review, “The Long Downturn and Its Political Results.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now⁠ for an ad-free experience. There's too much Knickerbocker news to fit here, but we do have other stories to report. This week: Iran and the U.S. exchange fire in the Gulf (2:00), plus peace talks stall after Trump adds new demands (4:29); Israel escalates its Lebanon campaign despite ceasefire talks (08:33); Cambodia takes a Thailand maritime dispute to the UN (15:19); in Sudan, tribal clashes kill dozens in South Darfur (17:38); Ukraine strikes St. Petersburg during the city's International Economic Forum (20:13); Germany loses a UN Security Council vote (21:54); Colombia's first-round election results see the right gain momentum (24:04); U.S. sanctions hit Cuba-linked hotels (26:36); and Tulsi Gabbard resigns as the DNI faces a CIA feud (29:11).  Then, Kate Mackenzie and Tim Sahay , co-editors of The Polycrisis, join the show to explain how the climate crisis, Chinese clean-tech, U.S. policy, and the Iran war are accelerating a global shift away from fossil fuels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We unlocked this episode so that everyone could hear this great interview with Jake Werner on China. To get more AP discussions like this, subscribe now! Danny and Derek are once again joined by Jake Werner, director of the East Asia Program at ⁠the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft⁠, this time to talk about the development of the U.S. consensus on China. They delve into the neoliberal engagement with China, the 2008 financial crisis, Xi Jinping's response, Trump's first-term China policy, and the Biden administration's approach. They then analyze Trump's meeting with Xi Jinping, tariffs, rare earths, Taiwan, Iran, and the prospects for stabilizing U.S.-China relations. Read Jake's piece “An Opening for a New US–China Economic Relationship.” Follow Quincy on YouTube. And, of course, subscribe to our YouTube channel! Originally released May 17, 2026 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now⁠ for the full episode. Danny and Derek speak with Roland Betancourt, Chancellor's Professor of Art History at UC Irvine, about Disneyland and the rise of automation in the U.S. They talk about Walt Disney's move from animation to theme parks, the relationship between amusement parks and industrial production, Cold War technology and Southern California, Disney's use of automation and control, labor in the theme park, Disney World and Epcot, and more. Grab your copy of Roland's book Disneyland and the Rise of Automation: How Technology Created the Happiest Place on Earth. Don't forget about our weekly livestream, tomorrow night at 8pm ET over on our YouTube channel! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

⁠Subscribe now⁠ for the full episode. Danny and Derek welcome back to the show Trita Parsi, co-founder and executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, to talk about U.S.-Iran negotiations and the status of the war. They delve into ceasefire talks, Israel's attack on Lebanon, Iranian concerns about U.S. reliability, sanctions relief, the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's regional position, the Abraham Accords, and Tom Barrack's newly expanded role in Syria and Iraq. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for the full episode. Danny speaks with Anusar Farooqui about the finer points of the emerging multipolar world. They discuss the idea of Iran as a great power, spheres of influence, China and the future of East Asia, the role of India and the European Union in global politics, and more. Follow Anusar's work at ⁠Policy Tensor⁠. Read Danny's piece that they debated, ⁠“Power Without Ideology.”⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now⁠ to skip the ads and get more content. The AP UFC dome is regrettably being held up by Producer Jake's HOA. In this week's news: an update on the U.S.-Iran talks and U.S. airstrikes near Bandar Abbas (1:11); Trump demands new Abraham Accords signatures and threatens Oman over Strait of Hormuz fees (4:46); Israel escalates attacks and pushes displacement further north in Lebanon (11:39); Israel kills Hamas commander Mohammed Odeh (14:38); Gaza's Board of Peace lacks pledged funds (15:31); Trump pauses a Taiwan arms sale due to the Iran war depleting stockpiles (16:43); the RSF prepares an offensive in North Darfur, plus Sudan's military prepares an offensive in Blue Nile (18:37); U.S. airstrikes kill civilians in Somalia (20:28); Russia threatens new strikes on Kyiv (22:03); Bolivia faces a protest crackdown (24:18 ); Tulsi Gabbard resigns as director of national intelligence (26:12); and Derek speaks to Anthea Gordon, GiveDirectly's country director for the Democratic Republic of Congo, about the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo and the challenges complicating the response (28:56). ⁠Help Ebola-affected families in the DRC⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The bi-monthly podcasting crossover to end all bi-monthly podcasting crossovers is back! Danny, Derek, and Robert Wright of the ⁠⁠NonZero Newsletter⁠⁠⁠ once again set the record straight. Subscribe now to AP to get a discounted membership to NonZero! Part One Video 0:00 Is NonZero or American Prestige the better podcast? AI weighs in4:14 The state of the US-Iran war. Or is it peace?17:52 Has Trump already lost the midterms? Does he care?24:16 The Russia-Ukraine war (and Eric Schmidt)29:23 What the latest Iran war strikes signal31:04  Overtime preview: Nuland's “monsters,” zombie blobsters, Barak Ravid, Bari Weiss, “killzones,” and the Pope vs AI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now to get an ad-free experience and more episodes. Don't forget about our weekly livestreams on our YouTube channel, every Wednesday at 8pm ET.  Danny and Derek welcome to the show John Fugelsang, host of Tell Me Everything and author of Separation of Church and Hate, to talk about the rise and influence of right-wing Christianity in the United States. They discuss Christian nationalism; the political weaponization of scripture; Jesus's teachings vs authoritarian Christianity; the apostle Paul's role in shaping the faith; issues like abortion, immigration, and sexuality; white supremacy; Donald Trump; and arguing with conservative Christians. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for the full episode. ظDanny and Derek speak with Caitlin Tulloch, a former USAID economist and GiveDirectly's head of research, about the destruction of USAID and the future of humanitarian aid. They talk about her work as an economist, USAID's relationship to American power, the agency's internal dynamics, the Trump administration's dismantling of USAID, the legal and institutional consequences, the impact on global health and humanitarian programs, the loss of response capacity, transactional aid policy, GiveDirectly, and Project Resource Optimization. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for all episodes and no ads! Danny and Derek have reconciled with their disappointment in the new Star Wars film and can now bring you the news roundup. This week: in Iran, talks stall as Trump weighs continuing the war (2:00), the Islamic Republic attempts to institutionalize control over the Strait of Hormuz (8:49), and fuel protests spread around the world (13:09); the IDF continues daily bombardments in Lebanon while Hezbollah drones restrict IDF ground operations (15:10); Trump considers a call with Taiwan's president Lai Ching-te (18:32); Xi and Putin stage an uneventful summit in Beijing (21:47);Sudanese forces gain ground in Blue Nile State (23:23); a U.S.-Nigerian operation kills an Islamic State leader (25:26); Ebola spreads from northeastern DRC (27:45); in NATO news, the U.S. reduces its forces in Europe (30:25); Labour challengers emerge against Keir Starmer (33:36); Peru confirms a Fujimori-Sanchez runoff in its presidential election (35:23); Washington manufactures new pretexts against Cuba (36:49); Trump seeks a permanent U.S. presence in Greenland (41:15); and “Golden Dome” costs are estimated to reach $1.2 trillion (43:55). Note: After the time of recording, Donald Trump ⁠walked back his decision to reduce US troops in Poland⁠. Additionally, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz has changed due to Oman's interest in collecting "tolls." Don't forget to ⁠subscribe to our YouTube channel⁠, now featuring livestreams with Danny and Derek every Wednesday at 8pm ET. Join the Discord (paid subscribers get access to all channels). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now to skip the ads. Danny and Derek welcome back to the show political scientist Thea Riofrancos to talk about the politics of extraction in the global energy transition. They explore the contradictions of green capitalism, the debate over degrowth and abundance, China's role in lithium battery production, the history of lithium batteries, green industrial policy, U.S. oil and gas power, popular resistance to data centers and mining, where the Global South falls in renewable supply chains, and the environmental costs of green development. Be sure to grab a copy of Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism. Don't forget that our weekly livestream is ⁠on our YouTube channe⁠l tomorrow, Wednesday, at 8pm ET! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for the full episode. Danny and Derek are once again joined by Jake Werner, director of the East Asia Program at ⁠the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft⁠, this time to talk about the development of the U.S. consensus on China. They delve into the neoliberal engagement with China, the 2008 financial crisis, Xi Jinping's response, Trump's first-term China policy, and the Biden administration's approach. They then analyze Trump's meeting with Xi Jinping, tariffs, rare earths, Taiwan, Iran, and the prospects for stabilizing U.S.-China relations. Read Jake's piece “An Opening for a New US–China Economic Relationship.” Follow Quincy on YouTube. And, of course, subscribe to our YouTube channel! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and more episodes. Danny and Derek fight fake news as they fight their allergies. This week: Trump and Xi meet; Trump rejects Iran's ceasefire terms (3:09); Gulf states continue strikes against Iran-linked targets (5:53); U.S. intelligence estimates show Iran retains most missiles (8:48); Asian economies cut energy use with fertilizer shortages threatening crops (10:24); Gaza ceasefire plans appear to proceed without Hamas disarmament (12:58), Israel moves toward an early election (15:47), and Netanyahu publicizes a UAE visit as Abu Dhabi denies it (17:40); Lebanon and Israel pursue talks as Israeli attacks continue (20:03); jihadist attacks intensify in Mali (24:37); Russia and Ukraine resume attacks after a brief ceasefire (27:45); Wes Streeting quits while Labour pressure builds on Starmer (30:09); CNN reports the CIA's involvement in cartel killings in Mexico (32:20); and U.S. military activity raises fears of a Cuba operation (34:02). Don't forget to listen to our latest miniseries, Marx Prestige. And join us for our livestream every Wednesday at 8pm ET. Enjoy the replay of this week's. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now to skip the ads and get all of our episodes. Danny and Derek speak with David Sirota, founder and EIC of The Lever, about journalism, independent media, and the consolidation of presidential power. They discuss the difference between journalism and media, the attention economy, capitalist media, audience capture, the decline of local news, the Powell Memo, the unitary executive theory, war powers, and Donald Trump's use of executive power.Be sure to listen to The Kingmakers, the second season of David's investigative podcast Master Plan. Don't forget that AP's new, weekly livestream is back this Wednesday at 8pm ET on our YouTube channel. And keep your eyes peeled for Season 2 of Welcome to the Crusades. Recorded 4/27/26 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for the full episode. Keep your eyes peeled for Season 2 of Welcome to the Crusades, our crossover series with Eleanor and Luke, coming soon. For now, enjoy Season 1. Happy Mother's Day! Danny and Derek reunite with Eleanor and Luke of We're Not So Different to talk about the life and legacy of Eleanor of Aquitaine. They discuss Eleanor's power and wealth, her marriage to Louis VII, the Second Crusade, her relationship with Henry II, failsons Richard and John, her several success daughters, political influence, patronage of troubadours, courtly love, and Eleanor's place in medieval and popular memory. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first part of our Mother's Day festivities, we're unlocking our Mother's Day episode from 2023 with Eleanor Janega. A new one on Eleanor of Aquitaine is out tomorrow for subscribers, so subscribe now. Enjoy! Happy Mother's Day! Danny and Derek welcome Eleanor Janega, co-host of the We're Not So Different podcast and author of The Once and Future Sex: Going Medieval on Women's Roles in Society, to talk about one of the great mothers of history: The Virgin Mary. They discuss what actually makes Mary the ultimate medieval mother (despite being from ancient times), how her story is fan fiction for the Middle Ages, conceptions and the reality of motherhood in the medieval era across different classes, the sexualization of Mary, her treatment in different Christian sects, and more.  Look out for the second season of our Welcome to the Crusades series with Eleanor and Luke of We're Not so Different. In the meantime, get season 1 here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Producer Jake regrettably had his pet rat confiscated after an ill-fated cruise. In this week's news: Iran considers a U.S. peace proposal (1:37), Project Freedom fails in the Strait of Hormuz (7:45), and new details emerge about damage by Iranian strikes on U.S. military sites (11:25); Israel kills civilians in Lebanon (14:53) and targets Gaza police (16:24); U.S.-China tensions rise before Trump's summit (18:10); Sudan accuses Ethiopia of drone strikes while Ethiopia accuses Sudan of arming Tigray rebels (23:19), plus Tigray's ruling party reinstates the regional legislature (25:39); the United States prepares to lift sanctions on Eritrea (27:08); JNIM besieges Bamako, Mali as Mali's junta leader appoints himself defense minister (28:41); Trump pulls U.S. soldiers from Germany (30:24); Russia and Ukraine reject rival ceasefires (31:38); Trump expands sanctions on Cuba (33:53); and the White House broadens its counterterrorism strategy (35:29). Follow us on YouTube and join our livestreams every Wednesday at 8pm ET! And don't forget to listen to our Marx Prestige miniseries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now to skip the ads and get all of our episodes. Danny and Derek welcome to the show Alex Zakaras, professor of political science at the University of Vermont, to talk about the history and future of radical liberalism. They discuss liberalism's relationship to republicanism, the American liberal tradition, equal freedom, defensive liberalism after 2016, neoliberalism, Cold War liberalism, socialism, racial hierarchy, labor power, democratic crisis, and whether liberalism can still offer a politics of freedom and equality. Be sure to grab a copy of Alex's book Freedom for All: What a Liberal Society Could Be. Don't miss our livestream this Wednesday, May 6, at 8 pm ET on our YouTube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for the full episode. Danny and Derek speak with Judah Grunstein, World Politics Review's editor-at-large, about American power and what a post-unipolar future might look like. They discuss the meaning of the liberal international order, U.S. empire and legitimacy, Trump challenging American primacy, the role of middle powers, China and the European Union, climate change and development, strategic autonomy, and the possibility of Washington not ushering in a new order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now to skip the ads and get all of our episodes.  King Charles paid his respects at AP HQ, but was put off by Danny's pet ferrets. In this week's news: Iran talks collapse as Trump weighs a blockade and strikes (1:56); the UAE leaves OPEC (7:45); Mali rebels and jihadists seize Kidal (16:49); Derek interviews Alex Thurston about Mali's escalating rebel offensive and the implications for the junta government (18:08); Israel kills civilians and expands evacuation zones in Lebanon (33:43) as the U.S. and Israel demand a Hezbollah disarmament plan from Lebanon (35:25); Israel adds an orange line to its Gaza map (37:08); Afghanistan and Pakistan exchange border fire (38:59); China blocks the sale of AI startup Manus to Meta (40:46); Sudan's Blue Nile faces a humanitarian crisis (44:23); King Charles visits the United States and addresses Congress (46:27); Trump and Putin discuss a Ukraine ceasefire (48:53), plus Ukraine accuses Israel of procuring stolen grain (48:53); and the United States charges Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha (52:18). Don't forget to download our latest miniseries Marx Prestige. All episodes out now! And paid subscribers will get access to the full interview with Alex Thurston. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now to skip the ads and get all of our episodes. Derek speaks with Danny and Mike Brenes about Cold War liberalism, its shaping of the American empire, and more from their new co-edited volume. They talk about the meaning of “Cold War liberalism,” the book's essays, the relationship between liberalism and mass democracy, emergency politics, the continuity between New Deal liberalism and Cold War liberalism, military Keynesianism, U.S. empire, neoconservatism, Joe Biden, and the persistence of Cold War liberal ideas in long after the end of the Cold War itself. Buy the volume Cold War Liberalism: Power in a Time of Emergency and use discount code BESSNER26  Don't forget to download our Marx Prestige miniseries. Final episode out today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now for the full episode. Danny and Derek welcome back to the show Becca Lewis, researcher of right-wing politics in Silicon Valley and online, to talk about the politics of artificial intelligence and Silicon Valley. They discuss AI as a marketing term, large language models, automation and white-collar labor, Silicon Valley's relationship to the military, Palantir and Peter Thiel, AI targeting, Gaza and apartheid technologies, tech elites' right-wing politics, the AI bubble, and left organizing among tech workers. Don't forget to check out our miniseries Marx Prestige. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now to skip the ads and get all of our episodes. Danny and Derek will livestream from Route 3 as they take to the World Cup on foot. This week's news: in Iran, Trump extends the ceasefire after talks fail (1:02), Iran reimposes its Strait of Hormuz blockade (6:05), the Islamic Republic's leadership rejects unilateral concessions (9:11), and Persian Gulf mines and oil spills threaten commerce (13:13); the UAE seeks a currency swap after the Iran war's economic shocks (16:28); Israel violates the Lebanon ceasefire amid extension talks (18:11) while the IDF punishes soldiers over crucifix desecration (21:00); Gaza's reconstruction costs cause problems, plus governance delays (24:13); the U.S. offers to send Afghan refugees to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (26:33); Japan lifts its lethal arms export ban (28:59); the Sudanese army retakes Moja from the RSF (30:22); the TPLF reasserts control over the Tigray government (32:55); Ukraine reopens the Druzhba pipeline for an EU loan (34:51); CIA deaths expose the United States' role in Mexico drug raids (37:55); and boat strike survivors allege mistreatment in U.S. custody (40:59). Be sure to subscribe to our newest miniseries, Marx Prestige. And check out our series on Christian Zionism with Daniel Hummel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now to skip the ads and get all of our episodes. Danny and Derek welcome to the show Oren Ziv to talk about Israeli settlement expansion and political changes in the West Bank. They discuss the legal and political structure of Areas A, B, and C; the proliferation of settler outposts; displacement of Palestinian communities; state support for settlers; Bezalel Smotrich's sovereignty plan; new settlement approvals; the weakening of the Palestinian Authority; and potential future scenarios for the territory. Read Oren's article in The Nation, “Erasing the Lines.” Don't forget to subscribe to our Marx Prestige miniseries. New episodes on Tuesdays! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

⁠Subscribe now⁠ for the full episode. Danny welcomes back to the show historian ⁠Anton Jäger⁠ to talk about the decline of mass politics and the rise of hyperpolitics across Europe and the United States. They explore the collapse of parties and unions, the neoliberal turn of the 70s and 80s, the 2008 financial crisis and the decade of protest that followed, social media and political expression, the far right's ascendance and liberalism's failure, why Trumpism lacks sustainable organization, the Democrats' inability to build a governing coalition, and whether new political institutions can come out of the current chaos. Grab your copy of Anton's book ⁠Hyperpolitics: Extreme Politicization without Political Consequences⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe now to get lots of bonus content (and no ads). Danny and Derek are considering attending the Met Gala. In this week's news: Iran talks amble along despite U.S. forces building up in the region (1:55); the U.S. blockade restricts oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz (9:49); Lebanon and Israel declare a 10-day ceasefire (12:23); Hamas meets U.S. officials in Cairo to advance the talks over Gaza (19:37); Iraq's parliament elects Nizar Ahmed as president (21:52); Sudan's war enters its fourth year as Berlin pledges aid (25:21); Libya's rival governments approve a joint national budget (27:20); Hungary's opposition defeats Viktor Orbán in parliamentary elections (30:28); Britain suspends the Chagos handover after Trump objects (33:39); Peru's election continues into a second day and heads to a runoff (36:39); Trump and J.D. Vance feud with Pope Leo over the Iran war (39:39), leading Italian PM Giorgia Meloni to distance herself from Trump (43:49); and the Trump administration prepares military plans for an operation in Cuba (46:17). Check out our Marx Prestige miniseries— new episodes drop on Tuesdays! And join our Discord. Subscribers get access to all channels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices