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In the very! last! episode! of the Worldly podcast, Zack interviews renowned economic historian Adam Tooze about his forthcoming book, Shutdown — an early history of the year 2020, one that felt to many like the end of the world as they knew it. Zack and Adam discuss what the fateful year taught us about the global economic system, the rise of China, and the stability of the US-led world order. And don't miss goodbye messages from Jenn and Zack (at the start and end of the show). We love you, listeners! References: Preorder our guest Adam Tooze's new book, Shutdown, the subject of the conversation. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Jen Kirby (@j_kirby1), foreign and national security reporter, Vox Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly's work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox's daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Jen Kirby look at how authoritarianism has become internationalized, through the lens of two recent news stories: 1) Fox News host Tucker Carlson choosing to broadcast his show from Hungary this week; and 2) a Belarusian Olympian in Tokyo seeking asylum out of fear of punishment by the Lukashenko regime after she criticized her coach on social media. They discuss what happened in both of those cases, as well as what the events tell us about the ways authoritarian governments are expanding their international reach, by developing ties with like-minded influential figures in other countries and by threatening — and, in some cases, kidnapping or even assassinating — dissidents abroad. References: Zack on why Tucker Carlson's trip to Hungary matters. Why US conservatives admire Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. How Hungary's democracy died. The Belarusian Olympian who would not go home. Here's the transcript of Belarusian officials pressuring Olympic sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya. Freedom House's report on the rise of “transnational repression.”   Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Jen Kirby (@j_kirby1), foreign and national security reporter, Vox   Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly's work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts   More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox's daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Jen Kirby discuss the political crisis gripping Tunisia following the president's decision to fire the prime minister and suspend parliament. Tunisia was the big “success story” of the Arab Spring: the one country whose revolution produced a real, albeit rocky, transition to democracy — a democracy that is now in crisis. The gang explains what's going on, what it all means for Tunisia's future, and how — or whether — the international community should respond. References: Tunisia's president fired its prime minister and suspended parliament Is what happened in Tunisia a coup? A helpful timeline outlining Tunisia's democratic transition Tunisia's imperfect democracy was still a model, wrote Sarah E. Yerkes in 2019  Foreign Policy on the problem with calling Tunisia the Arab Spring's “lone success story” Bloomberg's Hussein Ibish on why this crisis is testing Tunisia's political divisions  The US secretary of state's Tunisia tweets   Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Jen Kirby (@j_kirby1), foreign and national security reporter, Vox   Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly's work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox's daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Zack Beauchamp, Jenn Williams, and Jen Kirby discuss the explosive revelations that a number of governments around the world, from Saudi Arabia to Hungary to India, have been using military-grade spyware made by an Israeli firm to secretly hack into the phones of journalists, activists, and political opponents. They explore what we know about the NSO Group, the Israeli company who sold this software; what the technology does; how governments may have used it to spy on critics; and what all of this tells us about the rise of digital authoritarianism. References: The Pegasus Project uncovers the potential abuse of NSO Group spyware The major takeaways from the investigation, according to the Washington Post  And the revelations keep on coming Hungarian journalists had spyware on their phones And so did a top rival of India's prime minister The Pegasus investigation puts Israel in an uncomfortable position US and EU officials suspect links between NSO Group and Israeli intelligence Israel's defense ministry says “appropriate action” will be taken if NSO violated export permits Steven Feldstein's book, The Rise of Digital Repression (and listen to Zack's interview!) Israel considered using NSO Group to help track the coronavirus Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Jen Kirby (@j_kirby1), foreign and national security reporter, Vox   Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly's work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox's daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Worldly guest co-host Jen Kirby talks to Michael Bustamante, professor of Latin American history at Florida International University and the author of Cuban Memory Wars: Retrospective Politics in Revolution and Exile (2021), about Cuba's recent protests, the largest in decades. They discuss the origins of the current crisis and what it means for thousands of Cubans to take to the streets to resist the country's regime. They also talk about the US-Cuba relationship and how the US should — and shouldn't — respond. References: Here's why Cubans are protesting. This is a brief explainer on Cuba's currency devaluation. Vox wrote about the Biden administration's Cuba dilemma. You can find Bustamante's latest book on Cubans' memories of the revolution here. Learn about the artists behind the song “Patria y Vida.” (And listen to the song here!) Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Jen Kirby (@j_kirby1), foreign and national security reporter, Vox   Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly's work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox's daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Frequent Worldly guest cohost Jen Kirby talks Turkey with NBA player and activist Enes Kanter. Kanter was born in Switzerland to Turkish parents and raised in Turkey, but his criticism of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ongoing human rights crackdown has made Kanter persona non grata in that country. They discuss how President Joe Biden has handled Turkey so far; the troubling kidnapping of a Turkish-Kyrgyz schoolteacher, part of Erdogan's campaign of renditions against perceived political enemies; the personal consequences of Kanter's activism; and why he's excited to become an American citizen soon. References: A recap of President Erdoğan's political purge Enes Kanter's op-ed in the Spectator World urged Joe Biden to get tough on Erdoğan A brief overview of the Biden-Erdoğan meeting Erdoğan claims the US and Turkey have opened a “new era” in relations Kanter condemns Turkey's kidnapping campaign in the Washington Post Turkey kidnapped Orhan Inandi — and now Erdoğan is bragging about it The New York Times on Erdoğan's troubling record of kidnappings Who is Fethullah Gülen? And for more on Kanter, read Vox's 2019 profile Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Jen Kirby (@j_kirby1), foreign and national security reporter, Vox   Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly's work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox's daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the European soccer dustup over Hungary's new anti-LGBTQ law. They explain what the Hungarian law does, how the country's increasingly authoritarian leader Viktor Orbán is using it — and soccer — to further his anti-democratic political aims, why the EU opposes the measure so strongly, and how all of this spilled over into Europe's marquee soccer tournament. Also, the Worldly team says goodbye to Alex. References: The Guardian explains Hungary's anti-LGBTQ law. Alex wrote for Vox about how the Germany-Hungary soccer match highlighted the European fight over the law. The Conversation notes that Orbán's government is pushing anti-LGBTQ issues to shore up support for next year's election. The New York Times writes that the ongoing continental spat over the law is turning into a culture war. You can find out more about what George Orwell said about sports and politics at the Orwell Foundation. Here's the Washington Post piece piece Zack read from. And this is the Hungarian Conservative article Zack cited. Jenn recommends listening to this On Point episode about Hungary and the decline of democracy. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), senior reporter, White House, Vox Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly's work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox's daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss President Joe Biden's big trip to Europe, where he met with the other leaders of the G7 and NATO countries as well as with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The gang examine what Biden actually accomplished on his trip, discuss the furor that erupted on Political Science Twitter over a comment Biden made during a press conference, and debate whether the Putin meeting was as important as the media hype made it out to be. Also, Worldly makes an important announcement. References: If you want to look at all the fact sheets from Biden's Europe trip, it's worth perusing the White House's Briefing Room website. Alex wrote about the perils of the Biden-Putin summit and the big bet Biden made. And here's the tweet Alex sent, where you can then see the reactions from political scientists. It's worth looking back at this past Vox piece on the 2018 G7. Back in 2018, Zack wrote a good Vox piece on America's alliances. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), senior reporter, White House, Vox Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly's work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox's daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Zack and Jenn talk about the horrifying discovery of the remains of 215 children at a so-called “residential school” in Canada. They talk about the history of these schools, which were a centerpiece of Canada's long-running effort to wipe out Indigenous culture and identity, and how the discovery of the children's bodies is forcing a political reckoning with this history among white Canadians. Then they compare how Canada is handling this issue to the way that other countries like the US, Germany, and Japan have dealt with their own histories of atrocity — and how that shapes both politics inside those countries and their relations with other states today. References: You can read the final report from Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission here or on the Commission's website, where you can find additional information and resources on the commission and the residential school system, including more about the Missing Children Project. And here are the 94 “calls to action” from the report, if you want to check those out in particular.  This is the op-ed by Jody Wilson-Raybould that Zack mentioned. This is the infamous 1892 “Kill the Indian...save the man” speech by Richard Pratt, the US military officer who founded the Indian Industrial School at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, which became a model for similar forced-assimilation schools in the US and Canada. Here's more on the lawsuit seeking reparations for the cultural impact of the residential schools, which the Canadian government is currently fighting against. And here's more on the Pope's comments about the discovery at the Kamloops school, which notably do not include an apology for the Catholic church's role in running that and many of the other residential schools. Jenn mentioned the “birth alerts” that were only ended in British Columbia in 2019. You can read more about that here.  This is a good article contrasting Germany's and Japan's national approaches to reconciling with their past atrocities.  And here's more about the ongoing tensions between Japan and South Korea over Japan's wartime use of Korean sex slaves known as “comfort women.”   You can read the full text of the bill apologizing “to all Native Peoples on behalf of the United States,” which President Barack Obama quietly signed into law in 2009, here, and read more about why many were disappointed by it here and here.  And you can read the report from the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth & Reconciliation Commission here.  Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), White House reporter, Vox Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly's work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox's daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the political earthquake happening in Israel that could soon see longtime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ousted from power by a shaky coalition of far-right, centrist, leftist, and Islamist parties. They explain how this unlikely coalition came together, why it could easily fall apart, and what the possible end of the Netanyahu era means for the future of Israel and its conflict with the Palestinians. References: Zack wrote a piece for Vox in 2020 about the war on Israeli democracy. You can find the Yair Lapid quote Alex read over at Foreign Policy. The Times of Israel has a good (and short!) profile of Naftali Bennett. The Associated Press reports the coalition wants a quick vote to confirm the government. Haaretz has a smart piece on how Netanyahu unwittingly sowed the seeds of his political demise. Politico featured a piece by experts detailing what the new Israeli government could mean for US President Joe Biden. The Jerusalem Post features the comment Jenn mentioned, where Bennett talks about killing Arabs. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), White House reporter, Vox Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly’s work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex explain why WWE wrestling superstar John Cena issued an apology to China this week over a comment he made about Taiwan while promoting his new Fast & Furious 9 movie — and what it says about China’s increasing efforts to use its economic might to censor statements it doesn’t like from American celebrities and companies. In the second half of the show, the gang answers listener questions about global shipping, Iran, and book recommendations about international affairs. References: The Los Angeles Times explains why John Cena had to apologize after his Taiwan comment. The Guardian has the Weibo video of Cena’s apology in Mandarin. Alex wrote a longer feature for Vox on the historical tensions between China, Taiwan, and the US. The Council on Foreign Relations has an easy-to-read guide on Hollywood censorship in China. The Wall Street Journal reported on LeBron James’s Hong Kong comments from 2019. The Council on Foreign Relations also has a good primer on US-Iran relations. The OECD has statistics on shipping and trade. You can find Jenn’s book recommendation here, Zack’s here, and Alex’s here. Here’s Today, Explained’s episode on Belarus. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), White House reporter, Vox Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly’s work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex take a look at how, after more than a week of fighting, the war between Israel and Hamas is already reshaping the contours of the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict — deepening entrenched political realities, shaking up alliances, and reframing how the various players view their roles in the fight and the prospect of finding a peaceful solution to the decades-long conflict. References: Zack wrote for Vox about whether the US-Israel alliance is doomed. Alex’s Vox story is on why Biden won’t push Israel harder on Gaza. Alex also has Vox pieces on why the Abraham Accords didn’t solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the growing Democratic Party split on Israel. The New York Times has a smart piece on the Palestinian strikes. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), White House reporter, Vox Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly’s work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the ongoing fighting between Israelis and Palestinians — the worst violence the conflict has seen in seven years. They explain how the fighting arose out of tensions in Jerusalem, how the militant group Hamas escalated things, and the cycle of violence that keeps pushing Israel and Hamas toward war. Then they discuss what, if anything, could be done to improve the situation — and why the US seems so impotent despite all of the leverage it has over Israel. References: Read Zack’s great piece on Vox about the Gaza doom loop. Alex detailed for Vox on the split between Democrats and Biden on Israel. Alex also wrote on Vox about how the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a test for Biden. Neri Zilber penned a good summary of the conflict’s dynamics for Newlines Magazine. Anshel Pfeffer explains how rudderless the conflict is for Haaretz. The Guardian made clear the conflict caught the Biden administration by surprise. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), White House reporter, Vox Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly’s work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the political implications of the ongoing Covid-19 catastrophe in India, where cases are skyrocketing, overwhelming the country’s health care system. They look at how much Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is to blame for the crisis and the degree to which it’s creating political problems for Modi both at home and abroad. In the second half, they talk about the recent local election in West Bengal, how it does and doesn’t relate to the Covid-19 outbreak, and the complex story it tells about the direction of Indian politics right now. References: Here’s Zack’s piece for Vox on the West Bengal elections. Vox’s Jen Kirby and Umair Irfan wrote about what more the world could do to help India. And this is Alex’s Vox story on what seemed like a looming India crisis last year. The New Yorker had an excellent piece on India under Modi back in 2019. The Diplomat reports on Modi’s political predicament. The Associated Press notes how India’s outbreak is ruining Modi’s image. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), White House reporter, Vox Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly’s work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex are joined by special guest Julia Belluz, Vox's senior health correspondent, to talk about how Vietnam has managed to keep its total coronavirus deaths to just 35 — yes, you read that right, 35 — in part by completely sealing its borders with one of the world’s strictest travel bans. The gang discusses what led Vietnam to take such drastic measures, why they seem to have worked so well, and whether replicating that approach in other countries currently experiencing outbreaks is feasible now that the virus is so widespread. Then they zoom out to look at whether we can take lessons from Vietnam’s experience when thinking about how to deal with the next pandemic. References: Here’s Julia’s excellent piece for Vox on how Vietnam handled Covid-19. Vietnam has long been a Covid-19 success story. Vox wrote about it here and here. Check out Vox’s “Pandemic Playbook” series, featuring work from friend-of-the-show Jen Kirby on Senegal. The Hindustan Times notes that the farmers’ protest didn’t lead to India’s second wave. Here’s Kirby’s piece for Vox on India and its second wave. The Atlantic published a piece in 2020 about why the pandemic meant the post-9/11 era was over. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), White House reporter, Vox Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly’s work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a very special Earth Month episode, Zack, Jenn, and Alex use Nigeria as a case study to uncover the deep reasons why it’s so hard for the world to quit fossil fuels. Nigeria is a country deeply threatened by climate change, but it’s also one with a major oil industry that hopes to lift millions out of poverty — a feat that has never been done without some degree of reliance on dirty energy. The team explains how these barriers affect the prospects for mitigating climate change in both Nigeria and globally, and talk about what solutions might help overcome these barriers. References: Check out all of Vox’s Earth Month podcasts. This is Nigeria’s national climate action plan. Reuters reports on how Nigeria’s minister of environment said the country must be ready for oil’s decline. Science magazine explains how fighting poverty makes it harder to fight climate change. Amnesty International details the Shell controversy Zack mentioned. Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò wrote about the African case for carbon capture for Africa Is A Country. Zack read from this smart paper on home energy needs in Nigeria. Here’s Private Empire, the book on ExxonMobil by Steve Coll that Alex referenced. Learn about the problem with “degrowth.” Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), White House reporter, Vox Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly’s work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts   More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down one of the DC foreign policy world’s hottest new catchphrases: “great power competition.” It’s the idea that international politics in the 21st century will be dominated by a struggle for influence between the US, China, and (to a lesser extent) Russia. The gang talks about what the concept actually means and whether it’s a useful framework for understanding international politics today and in the future. References: Dan Nexon’s Foreign Affairs article inspired the Worldly crew to record this episode. The Atlantic had an excellent piece explaining how “great power competition” became a DC buzzword. The National Interest had an op-ed detailing why great power competition could be a problem. Matthew Kroenig wrote in Foreign Policy on how the US should outline goals for its competition with China. The Congressional Research Service has a comprehensive report on what “great power competition” has meant in recent years. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), White House reporter, Vox   Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly’s work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts   More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram.   About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.   Follow Us: Vox.com  Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the huge farmers’ protests in India. They explain the very real policy debate over new agricultural reform laws that sparked the protests, and how that debate has now been obscured by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist politics, international celebrity activism, and online trolls. Oh, and they talk about Rihanna. Yes, that Rihanna. References: Vox’s Jariel Arvin explains the Indian farmers’ protest. And he also writes about why India’s government is mad at Rihanna. Plus, Vox has a smart video on the protests. The India Forum has an excellent deep dive into India’s three farming reforms. Scientific American lays out the environmental problems with farming in India. The New Yorker in 2019 had an excellent feature on Modi’s Hindu nationalism. The Times of India looks into the rise of internet trolls. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), White House reporter, Vox   Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly’s work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts   More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram.   About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.   Follow Us: Vox.com  Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss how the US Capitol insurrection fits into the broader spectrum of far-right political violence in the US. They debate whether the incident should be considered an act of terrorism, and if so, what that means in terms of how to craft policy responses to the threat. They end by looking at President Donald Trump’s role in uniting disparate far-right groups, from white supremacists to eco-fascists to anti-government militias, into a loose but dangerous coalition that may persist long after he leaves office. References: Jenn has a Vox story on what constitutes “domestic terrorism” Zack wrote that “Republicans own this” Vox’s Fabiola Cineas says that “Donald Trump is the accelerant” Here’s Vox’s explainer on the Proud Boys And here’s Vox’s explainer on the QAnon conspiracy theory Lawfare has a smart piece on how the far-right is fractured Vice wrote about how neo-Nazis use imagery of Osama bin Laden Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), White House reporter, Vox   Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly’s work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts   More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram.   About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.   Follow Us: Vox.com  Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mary Cunningham, vice president of Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy at the Urban Institute, joins Matt for part two of homelessness week to discuss the causes and potential solutions of homelessness. They dive deep into the data surrounding the issue, and take a look at President Trump's claim that homelessness is on the rise. More to explore: Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com Facebook group: The Weeds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special crossover episode of Vox's Future Perfect series, The Way Through, Co-host Sean Illing talks to David Wolpe, senior rabbi at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, about God and how to make sense of suffering in human life. Relevant resources:  Making Loss Matter : Creating Meaning in Difficult Times by Rabbi David Wolpe Religion without God: Alain de Botton on "atheism 2.0." by Sean Iling Featuring: David Wolpe (@RabbiWolpe), senior rabbi at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles Host: Sean Illing (@Seanilling), senior interviews writer, Vox More to explore: Subscribe to Vox’s Future Perfect newsletter, which breaks down the big, complicated problems the world faces and the most efficient ways to solve them. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Please consider making a contribution to Vox to support this show: bit.ly/givepodcasts. Your support will help us keep having ambitious conversations about big ideas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Co-host Sean Illing talks to Robert Zaretsky, professor of French history at the University of Houston, about Albert Camus’s novel The Plague. Relevant resources:  The Plague, by Albert Camus Simone Weil: An Anthology, by Simone Weil Albert Camus: Elements of a Life, by Robert Zaretsky  Featuring: Robert Zaretsky, professor of history at the University of Houston Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), senior interviews writer, Vox  More to explore: Subscribe to Vox’s Future Perfect newsletter, which breaks down the big, complicated problems the world faces and the most efficient ways to solve them. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Please consider making a contribution to Vox to support this show: bit.ly/givepodcasts. Your support will help us keep having ambitious conversations about big ideas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Co-host Sigal Samuel talks to Omid Safi, professor of Islamic Studies at Duke University, about the benefits of solitude and suffering, according to Sufis like Rumi. Relevant resources:  Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition, by Omid Safi  Featuring: Omid Safi (@ostadjaan), professor of Islamic Studies at Duke University Host: Sigal Samuel (@SigalSamuel), staff writer, Vox  More to explore: Subscribe to Vox’s Future Perfect newsletter, which breaks down the big, complicated problems the world faces and the most efficient ways to solve them. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Please consider making a contribution to Vox to support this show: bit.ly/givepodcasts. Your support will help us keep having ambitious conversations about big ideas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Co-host Sean Illing talks to David Wolpe, senior rabbi at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, about God and how to make sense of suffering in human life. Relevant resources:  Making Loss Matter : Creating Meaning in Difficult Times by Rabbi David Wolpe Religion without God: Alain de Botton on "atheism 2.0." by Sean Iling Featuring: David Wolpe (@RabbiWolpe), senior rabbi at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles Host: Sean Illing (@Seanilling), senior interviews writer More to explore: Subscribe to Vox’s Future Perfect newsletter, which breaks down the big, complicated problems the world faces and the most efficient ways to solve them. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Please consider making a contribution to Vox to support this show: bit.ly/givepodcasts. Your support will help us keep having ambitious conversations about big ideas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Co-host Sigal Samuel talks to Valerie Brown, a mindfulness teacher with a racial justice lens, about how to use Buddhist spiritual teachings not just to soothe us as individuals, but to tackle broader inequality, especially racial inequality. Relevant resources:  "A New Paradigm For Racial Justice and the Global Pandemic" by Valerie Brown and Marisela Gomez, Order of Interbeing "It’s okay to be doing okay during the pandemic" by Sigal Samuel, Vox "“Our calm is contagious”: How to use mindfulness in a pandemic" by Sigal Samuel, Vox Featuring: Valerie Brown (@Valeriebrown951), Principal, Lead Smart Coaching Host: Sigal Samuel (@SigalSamuel), Staff writer, Vox  More to explore: Subscribe to Vox’s Future Perfect newsletter, which breaks down big, complicated problems the world faces and the most efficient ways to solve them. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Please consider making a contribution to Vox to support this show: bit.ly/givepodcasts Your support will help us keep having ambitious conversations about big ideas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the global impact of the anti-police violence protests in America. They talk about large solidarity protests across Europe, explaining why and how they’re such a big deal, and how police violence against foreign journalists is affecting relationships with key allies like Australia. They also talk about how hostile dictatorships, like China and Iran, are exploiting racial tensions to hurt America’s global image and deflect criticism from their own human rights abuses — a tactic with deep Cold War roots. References: Here’s Vox’s story on the Lafayette Square attack by federal officials. Friend of the show Jen Kirby has a great piece on how the Floyd protests have gone global. The decolonization statistics Jenn cited come from the State Department. You can read more about the European cases Alex listed here. Alex wrote on the US-Australia rift over the attack on two Australian journalists. Here’s Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pausing for 21 seconds after fielding a question on events in the US. Time magazine had a good piece on US adversaries using the protests to criticize America. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), national security reporter, Vox   Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly’s work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts   More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram.   About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.   Follow Us: Vox.com  Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex and Jenn are joined by returning guest Jen Kirby to discuss the political scandal roiling the UK, in which a top political adviser to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Dominic Cummings, got caught taking a 260-mile road trip while the rest of the country was on lockdown due to the coronavirus. The Worldly crew discusses why a seemingly trivial violation has become a huge political firestorm, and what it says about the US that something like this wouldn’t even register as a blip on the radar screen of Trump administration scandals. References: The BBC has a great timeline of the Cummings scandal. There’s a smart, short explainer of the whole ordeal at Slate. You can watch the whole interview with the Scottish woman here. Vox’s Jen Kirby has an excellent profile of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Yes, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner really did skirt coronavirus guidelines to drive to New Jersey. Vox also has a thorough explainer on Trump accusing Joe Scarborough of murder. Hosts: Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), national security reporter, Vox   Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly’s work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts   More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram.   About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines.   Follow Us: Vox.com  Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about perhaps the single worst humanitarian crisis in Syria’s civil war — the ongoing situation in Idlib, where 3 million people are trapped in a province under assault by Bashar al-Assad and his allies. They explain how we got to this point, why the situation is so dangerous, and what could happen next. References: Our colleague Jen Kirby wrote a great explainer on the conflict in Idlib. Jen mentioned the book Assad, or We Burn the Country, which you can find here. Alex reported on Assad’s “siege, starve, and surrender” strategy as his forces overtook Eastern Ghouta. Turkey does want to send Syrian refugees to a “safe zone” in northern Syria. Turkey invaded northern Syria to fight US-allied Kurds near its border. Charity Navigator has a guide on the best places to donate support to people in Syria. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), national security reporter, Vox More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com  Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the 2020 Democratic field’s positions on foreign policy — which were weirdly under-discussed in the most recent debate. They set up a spectrum, with Bloomberg on the (far) right flank and Bernie on the left, situate the other candidates along this line, and discuss the things that distinguish each candidate on the issues. Zack comes out as a free trader, Jenn heaps love on Biden’s detailed foreign policy answers, and Alex gets feisty. References: Alex wrote about the foreign policy splits among the frontrunners, as well as Buttigieg dodging questions. Here are the Council on Foreign Relations and New York Times foreign policy surveys. Alex conducted foreign policy interviews with Tom Steyer and Julián Castro. Biden has some explaining to do on his Iraq War stance, as does Bloomberg. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), national security reporter, Vox More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com  Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack and Alex talk about the politics of the coronavirus outbreak in China — why the Chinese government botched the initial response, why Chinese citizens are so angry about it, and the reasons why the problems with this response are inherent to the current Chinese governance model. They then debate the claim from many analysts that this is the most serious crisis for China’s regime since the 1989 Tiananmen Square uprising — and the (low) probability that this could trigger another revolution-minded uprising. References: Our colleague Julia Belluz has you covered on the coronavirus. Read her work here, here, and here. Read the nice things Chinese people have said about the late Li Wenliang after his death. Here’s the full clip of Bill Bishop speaking on coronavirus’ impact on China. Zack read an academic paper on the show on “symbolic legitimacy” and China.  This piece in the Guardian titled “If China valued free speech, there would be no coronavirus crisis” is worth your time. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), national security reporter, Vox More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com  Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the Trump administration’s decision to put a mini nuclear weapon on a US submarine for the first time. They explain what a mini-nuke actually is, the reasons for this decision, the cases for and against doing it, and how to think about the future of nuclear weapons policy in a world of renewed great power politics and weakening arms control agreements. Zack confesses his fascination with pre-modern warfare, Jenn coins a Ringo Starr theory of nuclear policy, and Alex describes himself as an “end of the world enthusiast.” References: This is a really great summary of the debate on putting mini-nukes on submarines. Here’s a link to the Trump administration’s Nuclear Posture Review. Zack talked about Vipin Narang’s War on the Rocks piece on the discrimination problem when using low-yield nukes. Alex discussed Russia’s “escalate to de-escalate” strategy. Jenn mentioned the idea of a “nuclear taboo” and also referenced the book Thinking about the Unthinkable.  Here’s a link to the “mineshaft gap” scene in Dr. Strangelove. Alex broke the story about the Trump administration’s new landmine policy, and also wrote a great (and terrifying) feature on how nuclear war could kill us all. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), national security reporter, Vox More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com  Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex are joined by the Middle East Institute’s Khaled Elgindy to discuss the Trump administration’s new Israel-Palestine peace plan. They break down what’s actually in the proposal, the ways in which its provisions are profoundly skewed toward the Israeli side, and how it could change the reality for both sides even if its provisions are never implemented. References: Here’s a link to our special guest Khaled Elgindy’s excellent book Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians, from Balfour to Trump. You can read Alex’s explainer on the peace plan and his Q&A on what the Palestinians are likely to do now. Here’s Zack’s piece arguing the peace deal is a con. This is the Washington Post op-ed Zack read from in the episode. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), national security reporter, Vox More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com  Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack and Alex are joined by Weeds cohost Matt Yglesias to talk about the Saudi crown prince’s seemingly brazen hack of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos — by personally texting him a video that cybersecurity experts think contained advanced spyware. They explain the evidence that the Saudis are responsible (despite their denials), try to explore why Mohammed bin Salman would do something so obviously inflammatory, and suss out the implications for the future of the US-Saudi alliance. References: Here’s the UN report on the Bezos hack and FTI Consulting’s technical analysis of Bezos’s phone. Vox’s Sara Morrison notes that the Bezos hack could happen to anyone. Vox’s Jen Kirby also wrote up the Bezos news when it broke. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), national security reporter, Vox More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com  Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the recent resignation of Russia’s entire government — yes, you read that right. Guest Andrea Kendall-Taylor, a Russia expert at the Center for a New American Security, helps the team get a hold on what Putin’s play is: how he’s reorganizing the government to prepare for his own departure from the presidency, and what this means in the big picture for Russia’s future. They also talk about one of Zack’s weird dreams and the proper way to cook brussels sprouts. References: Check out our special guest Andrea Kendall-Taylor’s podcast “Brussels Sprouts,” her piece for Foreign Affairs titled “The New Dictators,” and her book “Democracies and Authoritarian Regimes.” Jen Kirby’s Vox writeup on the Russia shake-up is here. Reid Standish, the Moscow-based reporter Alex mentioned, wrote a great piece on Putin’s decision for Foreign Policy (and quotes Andrea). Zack wrote a piece in 2018 about the problems personalist authoritarian regimes have, linking it to Putin’s election that year. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), national security reporter, Vox More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com  Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the US killing of Qassem Suleimani — why it happened, what the Iranian response means, and what the long term consequences might be. Zack and Jenn get into a lengthy debate over whether killing Suleimani was wise, and Alex gets a behind-the-scenes look at the debate over reining in Trump’s Iran war powers in a Worldly exclusive interview with Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM). References: Here’s Alex’s piece with inside details on the disastrous Iran briefings for the House and Senate. Jenn and Zack offered the pro and con arguments for killing Qassem Soleimani. Vox has two interviews with experts making the cases for and against. Both Zack and Alex felt Trump’s Iran speech from the White House could’ve been better. And here’s Sen. Tom Udall announcing his support for the War Powers Resolution as well as his own Prevention of Unconstitutional War with Iran Act of 2019. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), national security reporter, Vox More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com  Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex do a 2019 year in review — each one of them making a choice for biggest US foreign policy story of 2019, while the whole team debates just how important each of these events were. Then, after the break, they do the same for 2020 — making predictions about what the big stories will be. References: Here’s Alex’s great piece on how the Baghdadi raid went down:  Alex interviewed Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó about his failed push to overthrow Nicolás Maduro  Vox's Umair Irfan explained Trump’s formal withdrawal from the Paris climate accords Here’s a phenomenal feature on what Afghans think about US-Taliban peace talks and the possible withdrawal of US troops Zeeshan Aleem explained the latest in the US-China trade war for Vox  Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), national security reporter, Vox More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com  Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack and Alex are joined by Vox reporter Sigal Samuel to talk about two recent measures in India that, when combined, amount to a plan for stripping citizenship from hundreds of thousands of Muslims. They explain what the laws actually do, the scary Hindu supremacist ideology motivating Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the impact Modi’s premiership is having on Indian democracy. They then zoom out to put India in global context, comparing democratic backsliding there to what we’re seeing in the West and its persecution of Muslims to what you’ve seen in two other nearby countries (China and Myanmar). References: Sigal’s piece on the India laws is here. Read Dexter Filkins’ brilliant longread on India under Modi in the New Yorker. Zack’s piece on Hungary’s democratic backsliding is really worth your time. If you need a quick brush-up on the Kashmir crisis, Alex explains it for you in under 600 words. Netflix’s Hasan Minhaj talked about being barred from the “Howdy Modi” event, even though he was celebrated at it. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Sigal Samuel (@SigalSamuel), staff writer, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), national security reporter, Vox More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com  Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the viral video of world leaders making fun of Trump at the NATO summit — explaining how Trump’s antics threatened the meeting and, somewhat more surprisingly, why they didn’t derail it. They then zoom out to talk about NATO’s more fundamental existential crisis — whether it makes sense to be protecting post-Communist European states against Russia — and the problems facing the alliance down the line. Jenn talks about her recent visit to Poland and how NATO looks on the ground there, Zack confesses his love for khachapouri, and Alex falsely claims that he hates to bring up Spain. References: You can read about the “mocking Trump” video on Vox here. NATO’s website explains it policy of enlargement. Zack’s piece on Hungary’s democratic backsliding is really worth your time. Zack also has a piece on how Trump is killing US alliances. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), national security reporter, Vox More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com  Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a very special Worldly today, as Zack hosts Sen. Michael Bennet — the first Democratic presidential candidate to appear on Worldly. Their conversation ranges from big picture conversations about the global threat to liberal democracy to policy details on America’s troubled alliances with Israel and Saudi Arabia to why Sen. Bennet thinks Facebook should be understood as a national security threat.  Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox References: Here’s Sen. Michael Bennet’s presidential campaign website. Watch Bennet’s speech at the Council on Foreign Relations this week. Bennet spoke about his Facebook concerns on a previous Vox podcast. More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com  Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenn, Alex, and special guests Ivan Rebolledo and Zeeshan Aleem talk about whether there was a coup in Bolivia or not. While the military asked President Evo Morales to step down, he had taken steps to maintain power after his term in office ended. It's a dangerous moment for the country, and it speaks volumes about new political dynamics sweeping Latin America. Hosts: Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), national security reporter, Vox More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com  Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the massive protests in Iraq and what connection, if any, they might have with similar uprisings in Lebanon and Egypt. While there are major differences, they all share one thing in common: people just want their own functioning government. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), national security reporter, Vox More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com  Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about Trump’s new Syria policy — sending US troops to protect oil fields and potentially selling the oil to the highest bidder. It’s a really bad idea! Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), national security reporter, Vox More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com  Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack and Alex are joined by Vox Brexit expert Jen Kirby to talk the latest on what’s going on in London. Due to some parliamentary “shenanigans” (Jen’s word choice), Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s drive to crash out of the EU by October 31 looks like it’s going to fail. The Worldly team breaks down exactly what happened and what could happen next — ranging from long-lasting limbo to another fateful election. Alex analogizes Brexit to a divorce, and Zack gives a heartfelt goodbye to their producer Byrd Pinkerton — who makes a little cameo at the end! Links to resources discussed:  What to know about Boris’s new Brexit deal  Parliamentary shenanigans, part 1 and part 2 The EU’s expected Brexit extension decision On Boris Johnson’s decent election outlook -- and Jeremy Corbyn’s dismal one Zack referenced a tweet by Nick Cohen Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), national security reporter, Vox Jen Kirby (@j_kirby1), foreign and national security reporter,, Vox More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com  Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Worldly continues its series on progressive foreign policy with one of its leading proponents, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT). A member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Murphy has strongly criticized the way both Republicans and Democrats have conducted world affairs for decades and proposes a completely new path. In his chat with Alex, Murphy also blasts Trump's Syria policy, but he notes that America's failures there extend far beyond the president himself. Oh, and a 1988 Ford Taurus comes up. Links to resources discussed:  A piece that provides more background on the Syrian situation Senator Murphy’s Atlantic article Senator Murphy speaking at CFR Guest: US Senator Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) Host: Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), national security reporter, Vox More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com  Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), one of the leading minds advocating for a radical rethinking of US foreign policy, sits down with Jenn for a conversation about what a “progressive” foreign policy would look like and how it would actually be applied in tough conflicts from Yemen to Iran to China. Links to resources discussed: We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here. Rep. Khanna referenced  Alexis De Tocqueville’s Democracy in America Francis Fukuyama’s The End of History?John Quincy Adams’ Warning Against the Search for “Monsters to Destroy”Adam Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments And the writings of Katrina vanden Heuvel Here are two pieces that provide more background on Yemen More on Kissinger and realpolitik The NYT op-ed by Masuda Sultan that Khanna referenced Guest: US Congressman Ro Khanna (@RepRoKhanna), representing Silicon Valley's CA17 Host:Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox More to explore:Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us:Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pete Buttigieg joins Matt to discuss his latest prescription drug plan policy rollout and his broader thinking on health care. Hosts: Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox Jane Coaston (@cjane87),  Senior politics reporter, Vox Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica More to explore: Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research. About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us:Vox.com Facebook group: The Weeds We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dara, Jane, and Matt answer your questions on the impeachment inquiry. Related pieces: "What’s wrong with a President Pence?" by Jane Coaston, Vox "9 scenarios for how the Trump-Ukraine impeachment process could end" by Matthew Yglesias, Vox White paper Hosts: Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox Jane Coaston (@cjane87),  Senior politics reporter, Vox Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica More to explore: Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research. About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us:Vox.com Facebook group: The Weeds We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mary Cunningham, vice president of Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy at the Urban Institute, joins Matt for part two of homelessness week to discuss the causes and potential solutions of homelessness. They dive deep into the data surrounding the issue, and take a look at President Trump's claim that homelessness is on the rise. More to explore: Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com Facebook group: The Weeds We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the latest news in the Trump-Ukraine scandal — the emergence of related allegations about inappropriate administration requests to the governments of Britain, Italy, and Australia. They explain what happened in each case, look at the bizarre conspiracy theories behind all of this, and draw out the implications of a world in which US foreign policy is being increasingly enlisted in both the pursuit of falsehoods and the president’s reelection campaign. Links to resources discussed: If you want to listen to our last episode on the Trump-Ukraine scandal as a refresher, please do so. We mentioned Alex’s two pieces: one on Pompeo and another on how these four countries got embroiled in Trump’s conspiracy mess Zack wrote about how Trump’s Ukraine scandal is part of the president’s attack on democracy Here’s the Politico piece on a potential scandal whereby even a foreign government buys hotel rooms at Trump properties but has no one stay in them Trump is hoping his more politically allied leaders abroad will help him in the conspiracy investigations Here’s the Times of London piece about Trump and Boris Johnson discussing inquiries into the Mueller probe Zack mentioned George Conway’s piece in the Atlantic on why Trump is “unfit for office” MORE LINKS HERE We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here. Hosts:Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), national security reporter, Vox More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re live from the Texas Tribune Festival! Jane, Dara, and Matt take the stage to discuss the strange revival of interest in punitive approaches to the housing crisis and answer questions from the audience. References: "The New American Homeless" by Brian Goldstone, The New Rupublic "The most cost-effective way to help the homeless is to give them homes" by Matthew Yglesias, Vox White paper: "Ideology Justifies Morality: Political Beliefs PredictMoral Foundations" by Peter K. Hatemi, Charles Crabtree, & Kevin B. Smith, Hosts: Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox Jane Coaston (@cjane87),  Senior politics reporter, Vox Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica More to explore: Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research. About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us:Vox.com Facebook group: The Weeds We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lyman Stone of the Institute for Family Studies joins Matt to discuss why Americans have fewer kids than they say they want. More to explore: Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research. About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com Facebook group: The Weeds We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack, Jenn, and Alex dive into the just-released whistleblower report about Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. They explain what exactly it alleges about Trump and his administration — and the wider coverup operation it reveals. Bottom line? It sure looks like the president deliberately abused his powers of office for political gain — and then the White House engaged in a systematic, corrupt effort to hide his misconduct from the world. Links to resources discussed: The full text of the whistleblower complaint, with some context More background on the Ukraine scandal We read some key passages from the complaint that Alex highlighted on Twitter, namely this one, this one, this one, and this one. Zack’s close read of the “transcript” We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here. Hosts:Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), Senior Foreign Editor, VoxZack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), Senior Correspondent, VoxAlex Ward (@AlexWardVox), National security reporter, Vox More to explore:Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us:Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jane, Dara, and Matt break down the scandal that seems to have set Trump on the road to impeachment. Links to resources discussed: “To beat Trump, try running an outsider” by Matthew Yglesias, Vox “The timeline of Trump’s decision to withhold aid to Ukraine is increasingly suspicious” by Sean Collins, Vox “A wave of moderate House Democrats are suddenly eager for an impeachment investigation” by Ella Nilson, Vox “Segregation and Violence Reconsidered: Do Whites Benefit from Residential Segregation?” By Michael T. Light & Julia T. Thomas (white paper) Hosts: Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox Jane Coaston (@cjane87),  Senior politics reporter, Vox Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica More to explore: Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research. About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us:Vox.com Facebook group: The Weeds We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The New York Times' Binyamin Appelbaum joins Matt to explain his new book, The Economists' Hour. More to explore: Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research. About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us:Vox.com Facebook group: The Weeds We are conducting an audience survey to better serve you. It takes no more than five minutes, and it really helps out the show. Please take our survey here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dara, Jane, and Matt explore how Trump “fixed” the asylum crisis. Links to resources discussed: “Trump's Asylum Policies Sent Him Back to Mexico. He Was Kidnapped Five Hours Later By a Cartel.” by Emily Green, Vice “Letter to the Orlando Sentinel” by Zora Neale Hurston “Student-Teacher Racial Match and Its Association With Black Student Achievement: An Exploration Using Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling” by Lisa M. Yarnell & George W. Bohrnstedt (white paper Matt referenced toward the end) “School Desegregation and Black Teacher Employment” by Owen Thompson (white paper) Hosts: Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox Jane Coaston (@cjane87),  Senior politics reporter, Vox Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica More to explore: Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research. About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us:Vox.com Facebook group: The Weeds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vox climate reporter David Roberts joins Jane and Matt live in Seattle to break down the 2020 candidates' climate change plans. Hosts: Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox Jane Coaston (@cjane87),  Senior politics reporter, Vox David Roberts (@drvox), Writer, Vox More to explore: Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research. About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us:Vox.com Facebook group: The Weeds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack and Alex are joined by Ben Pauker, Vox’s managing editor for news and a longtime foreign correspondent, to talk about the war in Afghanistan — and why the US can’t seem to win it. They discuss the reasons that Afghanistan is fertile ground for an insurgency, why the Taliban has become a particularly effective bunch of militants, and why the US’ ultimate goal — building up an Afghan government and military that can sure the country in its absence — is so hard to achieve. Come for the policy pessimism, stay for Zack’s oblique reference to a dril tweet. Read this interview Alex did with warfare expert Dominic Tierney on why the US has trouble winning wars. The New York Times has a good history (with pictures!) of why many have tried and failed to win in Afghanistan. Here’s how the US “won” in Iraq Alex wrote about how the Taliban has very slightly moderated its stances towards women and minorities in recent years. Yes, a Taliban fighter really did say “You have the watches. We have the time.” Here’s what you need to know about the US-backed president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai A US government report from this August found that the size of the Afghan army fell by 42,000 soldiers — mostly they had been paying 42,000 people who don’t actually exist.  Zack mentioned that the US even put treadmills in bases  Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), Senior Correspondent, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), National security reporter, Vox Guest: Ben Paulker (@benpaulker), Managing Editor, Vox More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox :Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SEIU President Mary Kay Henry joins Matt to explain her push for sectoral bargaining. Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox Mary Kay Henry (@MaryKayHenry) , International President, Service Employees International Union (@SEIU) More to explore: Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com Facebook group: The Weeds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Data for Progress co-founder Sean McElwee explains his strategy for a left-wing takeover of American politics, and the data-driven path to winning elections. Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox Sean McElwee (@SeanMcElwee) , Co-founder, Data for Progress More to explore: Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research. About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us:Vox.com Facebook group: The Weeds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special crossover episode, Weeds host Matt Yglesias talks to Emma Ashford, Research Fellow in Defense and Foreign Policy at the Cato Institute. It's a wide ranging discussion covering everything from China to the middle east, our relationship with Russia since the cold war, and the defense budget. They also explore the difference between restraint and realism, and whether or not Trump is an isolationist. Guest Host: Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) Guest Emma Ashford (@emmamashford) More to explore: Subscribe for free to The Weeds. On Vox’s twice-weekly policy and politics podcast, Matthew Yglesias is joined by Ezra Klein, Dara Lind, Jane Coaston and other Vox voices to dig into important national issues, including healthcare, immigration, housing, and everything else that matters. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jane, Dara, and Matt talk about Donald Trump’s potential 2020 presidential primary challengers — Joe Walsh, Bill Weld, Justin Amash, and others, and what their bids mean for the post-Trump future. We also ruminate on a white paper exploring potentially racist hiring practices. Links to resources discussed: “Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld explains why he’s primarying Donald Trump” by Jane Coaston, Vox “The problem with primarying Trump” by Jane Coaston, Vox “Former Rep. Joe Walsh, once a Trump supporter and conspiracy theorist, is running for president” by Jane Coaston and Sean Collins, Vox “Decades before Trump, Marion Barry fooled D.C.” by Jane Coaston, MTV News “Ex-Newark Mayor Is Accused of Misusing Campaign Funds” by Richard Pèrez-Peña, New York Times White paper Hosts: Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox Ezra Klein (@ezraklein),  Editor-at-large Vox Jane Coaston (@cjane87),  Senior politics reporter, Vox Dara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica More to explore: Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research. About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us:Vox.com Facebook group: The Weeds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emma Ashford, a research fellow in defense and foreign policy at the Cato Institute, joins Matt for a wide-ranging discussion on China and the Middle East, the United States’ relationship with Russia since the Cold War, and the defense budget. They also explore the difference between restraint and realism, and whether or not President Donald Trump is an isolationist. More to explore: Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research. About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us:Vox.com Facebook group: The Weeds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zack and Jenn are joined by Vox foreign writer Jen Kirby to talk about UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to “prorogue” Parliament — meaning suspend it for five weeks — during the runup to the October 31st Brexit deadline. They explain how this is an obvious maneuver to prevent Parliament from blocking a no-deal Brexit, and then break down what Parliament could do in response, and how all of this represents a serious challenge for British democracy. Here’s Jen Kirby’s explainer on the whole proroguing controversy. We mentioned that the UK government’s own analyses suggest a no-deal Brexit would be a disaster for the UK. And here’s a link to our past episode “The looming Brexit catastrophe” on what a no-deal Brexit could mean for Britain. The UK House of Commons Library has a good summary of how proroguing normally works. Here’s more on how the opposition Labour Party was planning to thwart Johnson before all this happened. Here’s a member of Johnson’s Conservative Party, Dominic Grieve, calling Johnson’s move "tantamount to a coup against Parliament." We referenced this BuzzFeed article about possible ideas Johnson has floated to try to force Brexit through. Business Insider has a good piece explaining the debate about how involved the queen should get in all this. Hosts:Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), Senior Foreign Editor, VoxZack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), Senior Correspondent, VoxAlex Ward (@AlexWardVox), National security reporter, Vox More to explore:Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us:Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ezra, Jane, and Matt talk about Trump's approach to China and what his critics get right and wrong. Links to resources discussed: “Making China Great Again” by Evan Osnos, The New Yorker “The past 3 wild days in Trump’s trade war with China, explained” by Matthew Yglesias, Vox “Trump’s puzzling trade war with China, sort of explained” by Matthew Yglesias, Vox “Why Elizabeth Warren is declaring war on an obscure trade policy” by Danielle Kurtzleben, Vox “Elizabeth Warren’s vision for changing America’s trade policy, explained” by Matthew Yglesias, Vox “The progressive case for free trade” by Hilary Matfess, Vox “The weak defenses of Elizabeth Warren’s trade plan” by Daniel W. Drezner, Washington Post White paper Hosts: Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias), Senior correspondent, Vox Ezra Klein (@ezraklein),  Editor-at-large Vox Jane Coaston (@cjane87),  Senior politics reporter, VoxDara Lind (@DLind), Immigration reporter, ProPublica More to explore: Subscribe for free to the Ezra Klein Show, a Vox podcast where Ezra brings you far-reaching conversations about hard problems, big ideas, illuminating theories, and cutting-edge research. About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us:Vox.com Facebook group: The Weeds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices