Podcasts about carnegie corporation

The World Cup is finally here — and it's coming to North America. This week, Kelly and Tristen take a lighter-than-usual look at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, kicking off June 11th across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Where there's a major global event, there's geopolitics. From Iran's visa saga to sky-high ticket prices, heat waves in Kansas City, and FIFA's delicate dance with the White House, this tournament is anything but simple. Plus: a quick Iran update, World Cup predictions, and a story involving vuvuzelas and Trafalgar Square. Chapters: 0:05 – Intro & Housekeeping  3:45 – Iran Update 5:57 – World Cup Overview & Geopolitics 9:49 – Iran at the World Cup 16:39 – Ticket Prices  21:27 – Heat & Logistics  23:50 – Predictions & Wrap-Up   Diplomatic Immunity is produced by the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Views expressed reflect only those of the participants.

On this week's episode of the podcast, Sina Azodi of the George Washington University joins Marc Lynch to discuss his book, Iran and the Bomb: The United States, Iran, and the Nuclear Question. The book shows that because the strategic logic of the nuclear program transcends the regimes type, dismantling the Iranian nuclear program is not viable policy option for the United States. Instead, the US must learn to live with a nuclear threshold state and make it a priority to keep Iranian capacity as far away from the bomb as possible. Music for this season's podcast was created by Feras Arrabi. You can find more of his work on his website Music and Sound at www.ferasarrabi.com. POMEPS, directed by Marc Lynch, is based at the Institute for Middle East Studies at the George Washington University and is supported by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

On this week's episode of the podcast, Samuel Helfont of the Naval War College at the Naval Postgraduate School joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new edited volume, Ba‘thist Iraq through Archives: Reflections, Explorations, and Opportunities (co-edited with Lisa Blaydes). This volume brings together leading scholars to take stock of what we have learned from over a decade of research using the Ba'thist archives, contributing to a new understanding of Iraq's history, with wider implications for understanding authoritarianism in general. They also discuss Helfont's book, The Iraq Wars: A Very Short Introduction.  *Please note that the Samuel Helfont joins the podcast in a personal capacity as an academic and not as a representative for the Navy or the US Government.* Music for this season's podcast was created by Feras Arrabi. You can find more of his work on his website Music and Sound at www.ferasarrabi.com. POMEPS, directed by Marc Lynch, is based at the Institute for Middle East Studies at the George Washington University and is supported by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Episode 235: La disparition des communs en Tunisie : Un long processus de construction de la dépendance alimentaire Ce podcast essaie de dessiner les liens structurels et de causes à effets entre les processus et dynamiques de destruction ou de désintégration des « communs » particulièrement le foncier agricole et l'eau d'irrigation et la construction de la dépendance alimentaire. Par le terme « communs » j'entends l'ensemble des biens communs matériels et immatériels exclusivement « gérés » par une communauté d'usagers (tribus, sous tribus et grandes familles, communautés locales, …) à travers ses représentants et à partir d'un ensemble de mécanismes de gestions et de résolution de conflits entre les différents membres de la communauté. Ainsi, toute perte totale ou partielle de l'exclusivité de la gestion se traduit automatiquement à plus ou moins longs termes par une désintégration du « commun ». L'intervention de l'État depuis la période coloniale jusqu'à aujourd'hui dans l'organisation et la gestion du foncier agricole et des ressources hydrauliques s'est progressivement traduite par une déstructuration des communs. C'est ainsi que les communautés locales ont été progressivement dépossédées de leurs ressources locales (notamment la terre et l'eau agricoles) au profit de l'État, des colons pendant l'époque coloniale et/ou des divers acteurs de l'agrobusiness. Le résultat est une dépendance alimentaire du pays qui dépasse les 50 % des besoins de base, une destruction de la biodiversité et de l'environnement, une marginalisation de l'agriculture paysanne et du pastoralisme et un épuisement dramatique des ressources naturelles. Le « commun », jadis au cœur de la vie sociale et économique du pays, n'est plus qu'un lointain souvenir pratiquement imperceptible pour les jeunes générations. Habib Ayeb est docteur en géographie et Doctorat Honoris Causa de l'université de Ghent/Gand en Belgique. Il est géographe, chercheur et professeur émérite à l'Université de Paris 8 à Saint Denis, France et réalisateur indépendant de documentaires libres et engagés. Spécialiste de la géographie sociale, ses domaines de recherche couvrent les questions liées à la souveraineté alimentaire, l'environnement, les questions paysannes, le changement climatique, la marginalité et la pauvreté, le changement social, et le rôle de l'environnement dans le développement de la souveraineté alimentaire ... Un de ses projets de recherche en cours s'intitule Histoire orale de la production intellectuelle en Afrique du Nord : Maroc, Algérie, Tunisie (2023-2025). Vous trouverez ici le lien vers l'Étape 1 (2023). L'Étape 2 (2026) est en cours de réalisation. Ce podcast a été enregistré le 17 juin 2025 et s'inscrit dans le cadre du programme « Le Maghreb vu des périphéries : Conflit et coopération autour des communs » soutenu par le CAORC et Carnegie Corporation of New York et réalisé par le CEMA et le CEMAT. Nous remercions notre ami Mohammed Boukhoudmi pour son interprétation de l'extrait de nouba "Dziriya" par Dr. Noureddine Saoudi pour l'introduction et la conclusion de ce podcast. Production et montage : Lena Krause, AIMS Development and Digital Resources Liaison.

On this week's episode of the podcast, Jason Brownlee of University of Austin-Texas joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book, Force Without Authority: America's Wars in the Middle East and South Asia. The book explores why the United States' costliest military operations since Vietnam came up short and pushed Republican and Democratic leaders toward withdrawal and retrenchment. The book delivers a bracing audit of America's unipolar moment and a compelling case for statecraft over bluster. Music for this season's podcast was created by Feras Arrabi. You can find more of his work on his website Music and Sound at www.ferasarrabi.com. POMEPS, directed by Marc Lynch, is based at the Institute for Middle East Studies at the George Washington University and is supported by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

King Charles visited the White House — and it went exactly as planned. But did it actually matter? In this episode of Diplomatic Immunity, we break down King Charles's state visit to the United States, what it reveals about how the British government has learned to work with Trump, and why the royal charm offensive doesn't necessarily translate into real policy wins for the UK. We also cover: Trump's upcoming visit to China and what's at stake The latest from the US-Iran conflict The growing political crisis facing Keir Starmer back home The special relationship is alive — but is it useful? Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Mislav Majcan. Recorded on 13 May, 2026.   Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Follow and Support our work: https://isd.georgetown.edu/    / gudiplomacy     / institute-for-the-study-of-diplomacy     / gudiplomacy    

In this episode of Diplomatic Immunity, our host Kelly McFarland sits down with Dr. Amy Greenberg, professor at Penn State and author of A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln, and the 1846 U.S. Invasion of Mexico, to explore one of the most consequential — and least remembered — wars in American history. We trace the origins of the Mexican-American War from the Texas Revolution and the annexation debate, through James K. Polk's deliberate provocation of conflict, to the rogue diplomacy of Nicholas Trist, whose defiance of presidential orders ultimately shaped the modern American Southwest. Topics covered: How US settlers in northern Mexico set the stage for Texas independence Why Texas remained unannexed for nearly a decade James K. Polk: the first "dark horse" president and the architect of Manifest Destiny The deliberate start of war — and Polk's lies to Congress Abraham Lincoln's spot resolutions and the rising anti-war movement The forgotten figure John Hardin and his connection to Lincoln's rise The US occupation of Mexico City and the "All of Mexico" movement Nicholas Trist's defiant negotiation of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Why there is no monument in Washington, DC to this war — and why America forgot it

Episode 233: La question foncière au Maghreb. Un essai de rétrospective historique Dans ce podcast, Dr Omar Bessaoud vise à initier les écouteurs aux politiques foncières mises en œuvre dans les pays du Maghreb. Il présente un essai d'histoire foncière restituant les formes de propriété durant les périodes précoloniale, coloniale et postindépendance. Au-delà des histoires spécifiques à chaque pays du Maghreb, il tente, d'une part, de mettre l'accent sur les convergences observées au cours de ces différentes périodes, et d'autre part, sur les configurations sociales dans les campagnes maghrébines résultant des politiques foncières. Professeur Omar Bessaoud est titulaire d'un doctorat és-sciences économiques (1994), d'un diplôme d'études approfondies en sciences politiques (1983) de l'Université de Montpellier I, et d'un diplôme d'études supérieures en sciences économiques, de l'Université d'Alger (1976). Il a occupé le poste d'Administrateur civil - chargé de mission attaché au cabinet du wali de Sétif (Algérie) (octobre 1973 - septembre 1975). Il a exercé les fonctions d'enseignant à l'Institut des sciences économiques (ISE) de l'Université d'Alger (1976-1993), d'attaché de recherche au Centre de Recherche en Économie Appliquée (CREA) à Alger (1976-1980), ainsi qu'enseignant-chercheur au Centre International des Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes (CIHEAM)-Montpellier (France), (1994 à September 2017). Sa spécialité porte sur les politiques publiques agricoles et rurales méditerranéennes. Omar Bessaoud est également membre de la Revue Insaniyat (CRASC-Oran), membre du Conseil scientifique du Plan Bleu, chevalier dans l'ordre du mérite agricole (France, 2012) et membre élu de l'Académie d'Agriculture de France. Section 10, Économie et politique agricole (depuis janvier 2018). Ce podcast a été enregistré via Zoom le 10 juillet 2025 et s'inscrit dans le cadre du programme « Le Maghreb vu des périphéries : Conflit et coopération autour des communs » soutenu par le CAORC et Carnegie Corporation of New York et réalisé par le CEMA et le CEMAT. Pour consulter les diaporamas associés à ce podcast, cliquez ici. Podcasts en relation : Épisode 192 : Entretien avec l'économiste Omar Bessaoud Épisode 168 : Les politiques publiques de modernisation agricole au Maghreb : enjeux et défis pour le futur Nous remercions infiniment Mohammed Boukhoudmi d'avoir interprété un morceau musical de « Elli Mektoub Mektoub » pour les besoins de ce podcast. Production et montage : Lena Krause, AIMS Development and Digital Resources Liaison.

In this episode of Diplomatic Immunity, host Kelly McFarland sits down with presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky, executive director of the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon, to explore one of the most consequential partnerships in American foreign policy history: James Monroe and his Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams.   They dig into the origins of the Monroe Doctrine, why Adams famously turned down a British alliance offer, and what it actually meant to declare the Western Hemisphere off-limits to European imperial expansion in 1823. From the Adams-Onís Treaty to the Greek War of Independence, this conversation reveals just how much of early American foreign policy was shaped by Adams' extraordinary global experience — and why his vision remains remarkably relevant today.   Topics covered: The Monroe-Adams partnership and the post-War of 1812 landscape The Adams-Onís Treaty and the acquisition of Florida The origins and three components of the Monroe Doctrine Why did Adams reject the British alliance offer Adams' famous July 4th address: "America does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy" John Quincy Adams' presidency and his forward-thinking approach to Latin American alliances Why the Monroe Doctrine keeps coming back — and why context matters   Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Mislav Majcan. Recorded on 20 April, 2026.   Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.   For more, visit our website, and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram @gudiplomacy  

The social impact sector has made community co-creation almost sacred. Design with people, not for them. Give everyone a voice. But what happens when the loudest voices aren't the most informed, and the planning process stalls because nobody can make a call? Taylor Stuckert, CEO of Lead for America, has lived this tension from every angle. Eric and Taylor dig into the question nobody in social impact wants to ask out loud: can too much community input actually be a problem?Episode Highlights:[00:01:30] Wilmington, Ohio and the day DHL disappeared[00:06:30] The guerrilla flyer campaign that drew hundreds to a town hall[00:08:30] When community input becomes a double-edged sword[00:14:00] Stop trying to please everyone[00:17:30] There is no "the community"[00:28:00] Why the brain drain narrative misses the bigger story[00:37:00] Why AI will widen the divide we never closedNotable Quotes:Taylor Stuckert [00:17:40]: "We act as if the community is this unified object that has complete consensus and you're either engaging them or you're not. And that's just so inaccurate to reality."Taylor Stuckert [00:14:10]: "We have to get away from this notion that we're going to make perfect decisions. You're not going to please everyone — but that shouldn't take away from how we engage everyone."Resources & Links:- Lead for America — https://www.leadforamerica.org/- American Connection Corps — https://www.leadforamerica.org/- Carnegie Corporation of New York — https://www.carnegie.org/Hosted by Eric Ressler, Founder & Creative Director of Cosmic, with co-host Jonathan Hicken, Executive Director of the Seymour Marine Discovery Center. New episodes every Tuesday.→ Subscribe: designingtomorrow.show→ Work with Cosmic: designbycosmic.comListeners, now you can text us your comments or questions by clicking this link.*** If you liked this episode, please help spread the word. Share with your friends or co-workers, post it to social media, “follow” or “subscribe” in your podcast app, or write a review on Apple Podcasts. We could not do this without you!We love hearing feedback from our community, so please email us with your questions or comments — including topics you'd like us to cover in future episodes — at podcast@designbycosmic.comThank you for all that you do for your cause and for being part of the movement to move humanity and the planet forward.

In this episode, Kelly and Tristan break down two major stories shaping the world right now - Iran and Hungary. Topics covered: U.S.-Iran nuclear talks collapse — why a deal may leave America worse off than before the war The U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and the China wildcard Viktor Orbán voted out after 16 years — what it means for the EU and Ukraine Is the global backlash against right-wing populism growing? Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Mislav Majcan. Recorded on 14 April, 2026. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram @gudiplomacy

In this episode of Diplomatic Immunity, host Kelly McFarland sits down with Dr. Tyson Reeder, assistant professor of history at Brigham Young University and author of Serpent in Eden: Foreign Meddling and Partisan Politics in James Madison's America (Oxford University Press, 2024 — winner of the 2025 George Washington Prize). Together, they explore the presidency of James Madison as part of our 2026 Road to 250 series, examining key turning points in American foreign policy. Topics covered: Who was James Madison and how did he shape early American foreign policy? The Embargo of 1807 — Madison's brainchild and spectacular failure The causes of the War of 1812: Impressment, westward expansion, and partisan politics How foreign powers like Britain and France manipulated American domestic politics The war's inconclusive end and what the U.S. actually gained The road from Madison to the Monroe Doctrine How this destructive cycle of foreign meddling nearly left the founding charters in ashes  Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Mislav Majcan. Recorded on 3 March, 2026.  Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram @gudiplomacy

Episode 230: Les communs (en matière foncière) en Tunisie à l'époque moderne : à l'épreuve des normes en vigueur et des stratégies des acteurs sociaux L'essentiel des écrits sur les questions foncières en Tunisie, mais aussi dans tout le reste du Maghreb, est le produit du savoir colonial. Ce dernier a fondé toute une manière de voir des réalités totalement en faveur d'une politique de spoliation des terres au profit des colons. D'où la nécessité de réviser ce savoir et surtout de l'indigéniser en le déconstruisant totalement si l'on veut réellement se libérer de ce fardeau handicapant. La question de l'appropriation des mawât ne devient constamment posée que durant la période précoloniale (16e – 19esiècles). A l'époque hafside, c'est-à-dire avant l'installation du pouvoir turc en 1574, la gestion des terres mawât se faisait, selon la norme islamique. L'action de leur vivification est soumise à l'autorisation préalable du Bayt al-mâl si la terre mawât en question est située dans la zone occupée (al-‘amara), moyennant le paiement d'une taxe de vivification. En revanche, si la terre mawât se trouve loin de la zone occupée, l'action de vivification n'exige aucune autorisation préalable. Elle est soumise, quand même, au paiement d'une taxe de vivification. C'est à partir de l'époque ottomane, en 1574, que la gestion des terres mawât commence réellement à faire objet de débats, sans cesse renouvelés, entre les différents protagonistes, et ce jusqu'à la veille de la colonisation en 1881. Avec la colonisation, leur gestion prend d'autres dimensions encore plus sophistiquées, justement pour satisfaire à la demande de la colonie française installée en Tunisie.  Abdelhamid Henia est Professeur émérite de l'Université de Tunis, fondateur et ancien Directeur du Laboratoire ‘‘DIRASET'' études maghrébines, ancien Directeur du Département d'histoire à Doha Institute For Graduate Studies, membre de l'Académie tunisienne des sciences, des lettres et des arts - « Beit al-Hikma », et Président du Département des sciences humaines et sociales dans cette même institution. Il a publié de nombreux ouvrages : Le Jérid : ses rapports avec le Beylik de Tunis (1676-1840) (1980), Propriété et stratégies sociales à Tunis (XVIe-XIXe siècles) (1999), La recherche au Laboratoire DIRASET études maghrébines sur la base de l'interdisciplinarité et de la diversité des méthodes : pour une indigénisation de la recherche (en arabe) (2012), Le frère, le sujet et le citoyen. Dynamique du statut politique de l'individu en Tunisie (2015), et La Tunisie ottomane. Construction de l'Etat et du territoire (en arabe : Tûnis al-‘uthmâniyya. Binâ' al-dawla wa-l-majâl) (2024). Il a coordonné et publié onze ouvrages collectifs, et il a quatre-vingts articles publiés en arabe, en français et en italien. Ses recherches ont porté principalement sur les aspects de la modernité en Tunisie et au Maghreb en général, sur le processus de leur construction, notamment celui de l'État moderne, le rapport entre le religieux et le politique, le processus d'individuation de la société et la question de l'indigénisation du savoir. Ce podcast a été enregistré via Zoom le 29 mai 2025 et s'inscrit dans le cadre du programme « Le Maghreb vu des périphéries : Conflit et coopération autour des communs » soutenu par le CAORC et Carnegie Corporation of New York et réalisé par le CEMA et le CEMAT. Nous remercions Bacem Affès, compositeur de musique et soliste de oud, pour son interprétation de « Isteftah » dans l'introduction et la conclusion de ce podcast. Production et montage : Lena Krause, AIMS Development and Digital Resources Liaison.

In this episode of the Road to 250 series, our host Kelly McFarland sits down with Professor Frank Cogliano of the University of Edinburgh to explore Thomas Jefferson's foreign policy and its lasting impact on America's role in the world. Topics covered: The Federalist vs. Democratic-Republican divide over foreign policy Jefferson's "Empire of Liberty" — how he reconciled expansion with Republican ideals The Barbary Wars and Jefferson's willingness to use military force The Haitian Revolution and Jefferson's contradictions on liberty and slavery The Louisiana Purchase and the constitutional debate it sparked The Embargo Act of 1807 and economic statecraft as an alternative to war Jefferson's foreign policy legacy: idealism, pragmatism, and the origins of American multilateralism About the guest: Frank Cogliano is a professor at the University of Edinburgh specializing in early American history and the age of Thomas Jefferson. He is the author of Emperor of Liberty: Thomas Jefferson's Foreign Policy (Yale University Press, 2014). Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Mislav Majcan. Recorded on 11 March, 2026. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram @gudiplomacy

On this week's episode of the podcast, Fırat Bozçalı of University of Toronto joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book, Smuggling Law: Unsettled Sovereignties in Turkey's Kurdish Borderlands. Taking readers from border villages, mountain passes, and road checkpoints to courtrooms, law offices, and forensic laboratories, Fırat Bozçalı examines how Kurdish smugglers, with the help of their lawyers, legally disrupt state sovereignty in criminal courts. The book holds profound relevance in today's world, where ever-expanding regimes of surveillance, oppression, and dispossession unfold in the broader contexts of the global war on terror and data-driven capitalism. Music for this season's podcast was created by Feras Arrabi. You can find more of his work on his website Music and Sound at www.ferasarrabi.com. POMEPS, directed by Marc Lynch, is based at the Institute for Middle East Studies at the George Washington University and is supported by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Two weeks into Operation Epic Fury, we break down what's happening, what went wrong, and where this is all heading.  In this conversation: The unclear end goals: regime change, nuclear disarmament, or ballistic missile elimination? Who's really driving this — the U.S. or Israel? The Strait of Hormuz crisis and why the economic fallout was entirely predictable How Gulf States like Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE are caught in the crossfire Rising oil and food prices hitting pocketbooks worldwide The Houthi wildcard and potential Red Sea disruptions Why this war may actually push Iran closer to a nuclear weapon What Putin gains while the world looks away from Ukraine Can Trump just declare victory and walk away? Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Mislav Majcan. Recorded on March 17, 2026. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram  @gudiplomacy 

On this week's episode of the podcast, Daniel Neep of the Arab Center Washington DC joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book, Syria: A Modern History. Modern Syria has seen violence, repression, and autocracy, suffering through tragedy after tragedy over the past century. In the book, Neep offers a gripping narrative of how Syrians have navigated these events. Never losing sight of the fates of ordinary people, it provides a comprehensive account of how a nation born in conflict nevertheless sustained a rich, complex, and diverse society that will now chart its own path into the uncertain future. Music for this season's podcast was created by Feras Arrabi. You can find more of his work on his website Music and Sound at www.ferasarrabi.com. POMEPS, directed by Marc Lynch, is based at the Institute for Middle East Studies at the George Washington University and is supported by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

What happens when ordinary people try to build a democracy from scratch in the middle of a civil war — and what happens when it falls apart? In this episode, our host Kelly McFarland sits down with journalist and author Anand Gopal, a three-time Pulitzer finalist, to discuss his new book Days of Love and Rage: A Story of Ordinary People Forging a Revolution. The book follows six individuals in the northern Syrian city of Manbij, where residents overthrew the Assad regime in 2012 and launched a remarkable 18-month experiment in participatory democracy, before inequality, economic crisis, and the rise of ISIS tore it apart. In this conversation: How 50 protesters grew into a citywide movement that toppled a dictatorship The assemblies, newspapers, and civic organizations that emerged from 40 years of authoritarian silence Why economic inequality — not just tyranny — proved to be democracy's greatest threat How ISIS recruited ordinary, secular Syrians through populist rhetoric, not just ideology The role of women in the revolution and the double battle against both the regime and patriarchal norms What Syria's story tells us about radicalization, democratic fragility, and the long arc of revolution Lessons from comparing Syria's struggle to the French Revolution About the Guest: Anand Gopal is a journalist and author who has covered Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria for over a decade. His new book Days of Love and Rage is based on eight years of reporting and nearly 2,000 interviews. It was published on March 3rd. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Mislav Majcan. Recorded on March 9, 2026. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @gudiplomacy  

On this week's episode of the podcast, Mohammed Soliman of the Middle East Institute joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book, West Asia: A New American Grand Strategy in the Middle East. In the book, Soliman argues that it is time for the United States to move decisively away from nation-building and get back to the business of order-building. To do so will require zooming out, in both geographical and historical terms, to build a new regional order across 'West Asia' – from the Middle East to South Asia, connecting Europe to the Indo-Pacific via the Mediterranean and Red Seas.  Music for this season's podcast was created by Feras Arrabi. You can find more of his work on his website Music and Sound at www.ferasarrabi.com. POMEPS, directed by Marc Lynch, is based at the Institute for Middle East Studies at the George Washington University and is supported by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

The Alliance for Civics in the Academy hosts "What Counts as Success? Assessing the Impact of Civics in Higher Ed" with Trygve Throntveit, Rachel Wahl, Joseph Kahne, and Peter Levine on February 18, 2026, from 9:00-10:00 a.m. PT. As higher education renews its commitment to civic education, questions about how to define and measure success have become increasingly urgent. This webinar examines the strengths and limitations of common metrics and considers how different measures reflect competing visions of civic purpose in higher education. Participants explore emerging frameworks for assessing civic learning and engagement, and discuss how institutions can align assessment practices with their educational missions and democratic goals. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Rachel Wahl is an associate professor in the Social Foundations Program, Department of Educational Leadership, Foundations, and Policy at the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia. She also serves as Director of the Good Life Political Project at the UVa Karsh Institute of Democracy. Her research focuses on learning through public dialogue between people on opposing sides of political divides. Her most recent book is Keeping Our Enemies Closer: Political Dialogue in Polarized Democracies (University of Pennsylvania Press, forthcoming October 2026). Her prior research focused on efforts by community activists to change police officers' beliefs and behavior through activism and education, which is the subject of her first book, Just Violence: Torture and Human Rights in the Eyes of the Police (Stanford University Press, 2017). Her research has been funded by donors such as the Educating Character Initiative, the Spencer Foundation and National Academy of Education, the Carnegie Corporation, and the federal Institute of International Education.  Joseph Kahne is the Ted and Jo Dutton Presidential Professor for Education Policy and Politics and Director of the Civic Engagement Research Group (CERG) at the University of California, Riverside. Professor Kahne's research focuses on the influence of school practices and digital media on youth civic and political development. For example, with funding from the Institute of Educational Sciences (IES), and in partnership with scholars from Ohio State, Brown, and UCR, CERG has launched and is studying the impact of Connecting Classrooms to Congress (CC2C). CC2C is a social studies curricular unit that enables students to learn and deliberate about a controversial societal issue and then participate in an online townhall with their Member of Congress. In addition, Kahne and CERG are currently studying the Educating for American Democracy Roadmap. This work takes place through a partnership with reformers and school districts in NM, OK, and LA. In addition to studying the impact of these curricular experiences on young people's civic development, with John Rogers, we are currently devoting particular attention to the politics of democratic education. We are examining ways the political contexts of school districts shape possibilities for democratic education and the varied ways educators respond.  Professor Kahne was Chair of the MacArthur Foundation's Youth and Participatory Politics Research Network. Kahne was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship. He currently chairs the Educating for American Democracy Research Task Force. Professor Kahne is a member of the National Academy of Education and a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association. He can be reached at jkahne@ucr.edu and his work is available at https://www.civicsurvey.org/ Trygve Throntveit, PhD, was appointed Research Professor in Higher Education and Associate Director of the Center for Economic and Civic Learning (CECL) at Ball State University in August of 2025. During the previous five years, he served as Director of Strategic Partnership and Civic Renewal Programming at the Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC), and as Global Fellow for History and Public Policy at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. At MHC, Dr. Throntveit expanded the Third Way Civics (3WC) initiative for undergraduate civic learning--which he first developed with partners at Ball State and Southeastern Universities in 2019--into a multi-state program, training dozens of faculty in Minnesota, Indiana, Florida, Missouri, and Montana to infuse student-centered, active civic learning into their regular courses and helping several colleges and universities build the original, US history and politics version of 3WC into their general curricula. As a result of his work on Third Way Civics, was selected by Campus Compact and the Civic Learning and Democracy Engagement coalition to co-author an upcoming guide to designing and implementing rigorous civic learning opportunities across the undergraduate curriculum, and has delivered presentations and workshops on 3WC and civic learning more generally across the United States as well as Austria, Germany, Japan, and Korea. Trained as a historian, Dr. Throntveit is an active scholar in the fields of history and political theory as well as civic learning, having published articles and books examining past and present developments in US politics, foreign policy, and social thought and served for eight years as editor of The Good Society, the journal of the transdisciplinary Civic Studies field. He has taught at Harvard University, Dartmouth College, and Minnesota State University-Mankato, and has overseen public humanities programs bringing communities into productive conversation across their differences on issues as diverse as election integrity, US-Tribal relations, and water use. Dr. Throntveit lives and works in Minneapolis, where oversees the increasingly national 3WC initiative and also directs the Twin Cities-based Institute for Public Life and Work, which he co-founded with Harry C. Boyte and Marie-Louise Strom in 2021.  Moderator Peter Levine is a philosopher and political scientist who specializes on civic life and has helped to develop Civic Studies as an international intellectual movement. In the domain of civic education, Levine was a co-organizer and co-author of The Civic Mission of Schools (2003), The College, Career & Citizenship Framework for State Social Studies Standards (2013) and The Educating for American Democracy Roadmap (2021). He is also the author of eight books, including most recently We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For: The Promise of Civic Renewal in America (Oxford University Press, 2013) and What Should We Do? A Theory of Civic Life (Oxford University Press, 2022).

In this episode, we break down the major takeaways from the Munich Security Conference, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a notably softer speech than last year's JD Vance address—but the underlying message remains the same. We analyze speeches from Emmanuel Macron, Chancellor Scholz, and others as Europe grapples with its "vacation from history" and debates its future role on the world stage. We also discuss the first Board of Peace meeting in Washington, Trump's claim that it will "look over the United Nations," and what this means for international institutions. Finally, we examine the US military buildup in the Persian Gulf as a potential strike on Iran looms—is this a negotiating tactic or the prelude to regime change?  Topics Covered: • Munich Security Conference: Rubio, Macron, Scholz & the future of Europe • Board of Peace: Gaza reconstruction or UN replacement? • Iran: Analyzing the armada and what comes next  Produced by Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 24, 2026. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @gudiplomacy  

On this week's episode of the podcast, Mohammed M. Hafez of the Naval Postgraduate School joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new article, “A Waning Crescent: Why The Era of Islamism is Coming to an End.”  In the episode, Hafez argues that "Islamism, in all its forms, has failed in achieving the major goal: which is empowering Muslims through Islamic renewal, and providing good governance and military empowerment in the face of adversaries."  Please note that the views expressed in the episode are those of the article author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or the position of the Naval Postgraduate School, the US Navy, or the US Government. Music for this season's podcast was created by Feras Arrabi. You can find more of his work on his website Music and Sound at www.ferasarrabi.com. POMEPS, directed by Marc Lynch, is based at the Institute for Middle East Studies at the George Washington University and is supported by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

In this episode, our host Kelly McFarland sits down with Ambassador Robert Blackwill, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, who previously served on the National Security Council and as U.S. Ambassador to India, to discuss his new report "America Revived: A Grand Strategy of Resolute Global Leadership." What We Cover: The five historical schools of American grand strategy: primacy, liberal internationalism, restraint, American nationalism, and Trumpism Why Ambassador Blackwill proposes a sixth approach: "Resolute Global Leadership" The rise of China as a peer competitor and what it means for U.S. strategy The critical importance of alliances in an increasingly dangerous world Defense spending, military superiority, and procurement reform The risks of withdrawal and security vacuums in the Indo-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East Why values matter in American foreign policy What should the next administration prioritize to restore American leadership The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 18, 2026. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @gudiplomacy  

This week, Kelly talks with former US Diplomat Joel Wit, author of the new book Fallout: The Inside Story of America's Failure to Disarm North Korea. Joel was a diplomat negotiating with North Korea in the 1990s and 2000s, and has researched and published on the DPRK ever since.  The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 12, 2026. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

This year, Kelly takes you on a road to 250 in American Diplomacy. First up is Professor Kathryn Statler, University of San Diego Professor and expert on early American foreign policy. She takes Kelly through the Revolutionary War and America's earliest days. How did Americans think of their role in the world? How did they juggle their alliance with France while seeking national autonomy? Most importantly, what did "entangling alliances" really mean? The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 2, 2026. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

On this week's episode of the podcast, Sean Yom of Temple University joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book, Jordan: Politics in an Accidental Crucible. In the book, Yom provides a concise yet authoritative synthesis of the Hashemite Kingdom's development from its founding over a century ago to the present. He explores Jordan's government, society, economy, and foreign policy in a systematic manner, offering an immersive tour of this vital Arab country. Uniquely, he combines theoretical work from political science, sociology, and other scholarly fields with firsthand knowledge of Jordan garnered over decades of study. His insights show how Jordan's political experiences form a microcosm for understanding the entire Middle East. This year, in addition to the book conversations, POMEPS Director and podcast host Marc Lynch will be providing more context on the book itself or topics related to the book. Each week you'll hear about published academic research and other interesting material on the topic that Marc wants to share. You'll be able to find all of the citations and links at the end of the weekly podcast post. Music for this season's podcast was created by Feras Arrabi. You can find more of his work on his website Music and Sound at www.ferasarrabi.com. POMEPS, directed by Marc Lynch, is based at the Institute for Middle East Studies at the George Washington University and is supported by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

This week, Kelly and Tristen dissect Trump's Board of Peace: who's in, who's out, and who has declined. Can the board supersede the United Nations' peacebuilding efforts? The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on January 28, 2026. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

Santa Cruz Public Libraries have received a grant from the Carnegie Corporation to mark the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. And, California Democrats introduce new legislation aiming to regulate Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

On this week's episode of the podcast, Killian Clarke of Georgetown University  joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book, Return of Tyranny: Why Counterrevolutions Emerge and Succeed. Clarke explains both why counterrevolutions emerge and when they are likely to succeed. He forwards a movement-centric argument that emphasizes the strategies revolutionary leaders embrace both during their opposition campaigns and after they seize power. Movements that wage violent resistance and espouse radical ideologies establish regimes that are very difficult to overthrow. By contrast, democratic revolutions like Egypt's are more vulnerable, though Clarke also identifies a path by which they too can avoid counterrevolution. By preserving their elite coalitions and broad popular support, these movements can return to mass mobilization to thwart counterrevolutionary threats. In an era of resurgent authoritarianism worldwide, Return of Tyranny sheds light on one particularly violent form of reactionary politics. You can listen to this week's podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or SoundCloud: Music for this season's podcast was created by Feras Arrabi. You can find more of his work on his website Music and Sound at www.ferasarrabi.com. POMEPS, directed by Marc Lynch, is based at the Institute for Middle East Studies at the George Washington University and is supported by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

This week, Kelly talks with Jimmy Story, the last US Ambassador to Venezuela. Prospects for democracy look bleak, but what does 2026 hold for the country? The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on January 16, 2026. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

For the first episode of 2026, Kelly and Tristen dive deep into the Trump administration's renewed efforts to acquire Greenland. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on January 15, 2026. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

Welcome to Season 15 of the POMEPS Middle East Political Science Podcast! On this week's episode of the podcast, Rana Khoury of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign joins Marc Lynch to discuss her new book, Civilizing Contention: International Aid in Syria's War. Khoury asserts that to understand civilian and refugee activism in war, we must regard the international actors and organizations that enter the scene to help. When these organizations respond to crises, they work with local actors. In so doing, they facilitate the activists' participation in something like a civil society even in the depths of war. Yet as aid imposes its structures and routines, it also leaves activists unprotected from the violence of war and its aftermaths. This year, in addition to the book conversations, POMEPS Director and podcast host Marc Lynch will be providing more context either on the book itself or the topic of the book. Each week you'll hear about related published academic research on the topic or any other interesting material Marc comes across and wants to share. You'll be able to find all of the citations and links at the end of the weekly podcast post. Music for this season's podcast was created by Feras Arrabi. You can find more of his work on his website Music and Sound at www.ferasarrabi.com. POMEPS, directed by Marc Lynch, is based at the Institute for Middle East Studies at the George Washington University and is supported by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Kelly and Tristen wrap up 2025's foreign policy: the highlights (and lowlights), what went under the radar, and what they'll be watching for in 2026. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on December 2, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

This week, Kelly talks with Professor Michael Kimmage about Russia's war in Ukraine and current efforts towards a ceasefire. Michael Kimmage is a Professor of History at Catholic University, specializing in U.S.-Russia relations and cold war history, and is director of the Kennan Institute in Washington D.C. He worked on U.S.-Russia relations from 2014 to 2016 on the Secretary of State's Policy Planning staff. He is the author of five books, the latest being Collisions: The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability, published by Oxford University Press in 2024. Michael has also been writing profically on the Russia Ukraine war since 2022.  Read Michael's latest article in Foreign Policy Magazine here: https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/20/russia-putin-drones-airspace-europe-nato-war/  Michael's most recent book: https://www.amazon.com/Collisions-Origins-Ukraine-Global-Instability/dp/B0CYQWJQ28/  The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on December 2, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

This week, Kelly and Tristen talk through recent COP and G20 summits, and what US absence meant for the world's biggest international fora. They also provide updates on US allies' reactions to boat strikes in the Caribbean, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's meetings with Trump at the White House. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.  Recorded on November 24, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Major UBI study finds the more cash you give to the poor, it just makes them quit and not want to work. The debt is out of control 24 cents of every dollar goes to interest. The [CB] is collapsing. The [CB] mission is to destroy their old system and bring the people to a new system. Trump is helping them destroy their old system. The [DS] is desperate, Trump is ushering in peace and they know if this happens they will lose even more leverage to start a war. The [DS] is trying to divide the people this country and the movement that elected Trump. The know that arrests are coming and they are trying to break the counterinsurgency so the people are not behind Trump. This is already failing, nothing can stop what is coming, nothing. Economy https://twitter.com/profstonge/status/1993658495468728570?s=20 (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); https://twitter.com/zerohedge/status/1993526341665542237?s=20 https://twitter.com/ultrapepemqtter/status/1990938476666048584?s=20 https://twitter.com/JoeLang51440671/status/1993692907115524320?s=20 Political/Rights Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Takes Victory Lap Over ‘First Rebuilt House' in Pacific Palisades After Fires – There's Just One Little Problem Los Angles Mayor Karen Bass recently did a little victory dance about the ‘first rebuild' of a house in the Pacific Palisades after the wildfires. Hey, it has only been almost a year, right? There is one little problem with the house that Bass is celebrating, however. It was a developer project that was in the works before the fires even happened. That's right, this house wasn't even one of the average homes destroyed by fires and her incompetence. What a surprise. The New York Post reports: https://twitter.com/austinbeutner/status/1992983832640073862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1992983832640073862%7Ctwgr%5E1948d10752ca8b2e751627587116d657aa7f9737%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2025%2F11%2Flos-angeles-mayor-karen-bass-takes-victory-lap%2F. Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/ElectionWiz/status/1993619585392853496?s=20 https://twitter.com/FBISanAntonio/status/1993324194008875091?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1993324194008875091%7Ctwgr%5E6ff9acc0b508c58b2c0e326d3b42fe771bbb42d2%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Fwardclark%2F2025%2F11%2F25%2Fnew-san-antonio-sweep-nets-51-confirmed-tda-criminals-n2196559 https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1993341609824731480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1993341609824731480%7Ctwgr%5Ea663c448b933df11eb2c62c9f899610bb785a839%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2025%2F11%2Fag-bondi-gives-update-memphis-safe-streets-task%2F https://twitter.com/nayibbukele/status/1993419780108550293?s=20 DOGE https://twitter.com/epaleezeldin/status/1993404838596792723?s=20 ZILCH! If Ed Malarkey wants the EPA to release any more funding to Massachusetts for lead pipe replacement, he will have to tell his state to submit a plan to us ASAP on how it is going to spend what it has received previously and is still sitting on. The Trump EPA isn't messing around when it comes to TOTAL ACCOUNTABILITY of precious U.S. taxpayer dollars. Geopolitical https://twitter.com/AAGDhillon/status/1993535086462152800?s=20 The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is establishing a new office within its Civil Rights Division specifically dedicated to enforcing and protecting Second Amendment rights, which guarantee the right to keep and bear arms under the U.S. Constitution. Named the Second Amendment Rights Section, this office is set to open on December 4, 2025, and will focus on investigating and challenging local or state laws, policies, or practices that the DOJ deems as infringing on gun rights.  This move is part of a broader shift in priorities under the Trump administration, reallocating resources to emphasize conservative-leaning civil rights issues, such as gun ownership, over traditional areas like racial discrimination or police misconduct oversight. The initiative stems from a February 2025 executive order by President Donald Trump, which instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to review and address any federal, state, or local infringements on Second Amendment rights.  The office will operate using existing DOJ funding and personnel, without needing new congressional approval, though Congress was notified of the plans.   former DOJ officials, argue that this emphasis on gun rights dilutes the division’s core mission of safeguarding the rights of marginalized groups, especially amid ongoing gun violence issues in the U.S. (with 378 mass shootings reported as of November 25, 2025).  https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1993654295263350864?s=20 SHAME: Brazil Descends Into Tyranny, as Supreme Court Justice Moraes Orders Bolsonaro To Start Serving His Unjust 27-Year Prison Sentence for Fake ‘Coup' Bolsonaro, man of the people. The fakest coup ever. Liberty-loving people in Brazil and around the world are saddened, as a major injustice has taken place. Out-of-control Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a sanctioned human rights abuser, has ordered that former President Jair Bolsonaro begin serving his 27-year prison sentence for plotting an ‘attempted coup'. Under socialist Lula da Silva, the rogue Judiciary is persecuting right-wingers – and no target was more valuable than Bolsonaro. Sanctioned Justice Moraes is still running the country unopposed. CNN reported:   Source: thegatewaypundit.com War/Peace https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1993435854480539753?s=20   despite Trump's January directive to restore all troops forced out under Biden's Covid shot mandate. Officials blame Stephanie Miller, the DoW undersecretary controlling personnel systems, who designed and enforced the original mandate and previously served as the Pentagon's DEI chief. Her husband's work as a defense and pharmaceutical lobbyist adds further conflict concerns. Hegseth and senior Trump deputies have spent months fighting internal resistance to comply with the order. https://twitter.com/ColonelTowner/status/1993459007978172629?s=20   schools/homes repeatedly Russia decides to protect the Ukrainians in the Donbas and therefore according to the CIA: it’s Putin’s war. Trump Says No Firm Deadline for Ukraine, Russia to Reach Peace Deal Trump, speaking to reporters on board Air Force One as he flew to Florida for the Thanksgiving holiday, said U.S. negotiators were making progress in discussions with Russia and Ukraine, and Moscow had agreed to some concessions. He did not detail them. A U.S.-based framework for ending the war, first reported last week, prompted fresh concerns that the Trump administration might be willing to push Ukraine to sign a peace deal heavily tilted toward Moscow. Trump said his envoy Steve Witkoff would be traveling to Moscow soon to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and that his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who helped negotiate the Gaza deal that brought about an uneasy ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, was also involved. Trump in recent days had set the Thanksgiving holiday as the day when he wanted to see Ukraine agree to a deal to bring about an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. But he and his aides have backed away from a firm deadline and now say they would like an agreement as soon as possible. Trump said it appeared that Russia had the upper hand in the war and that it would be in Ukraine’s best interests to reach an agreement. Source: newsmax.com https://twitter.com/kadmitriev/status/1993424275592954337?s=20 https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/1993448542397251701?s=20   President Putin in Moscow and, at the same time, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll will be meeting with the Ukrainians. I will be briefed on all progress made, along with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. I look forward to hopefully meeting with President Zelenskyy and President Putin soon, but ONLY when the deal to end this War is FINAL or, in its final stages. Thank you for your attention to this very important matter, and let's all hope that PEACE can be accomplished AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!   DONALD J. TRUMP PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Medical/False Flags BREAKING: Government Accountability Office Director Reveals Covert Effort Inside GAO to Defy RFK Jr., Preserve Vaccine Data Deleted by HHS (VIDEO)  A Government Accountability Office Director was caught on undercover video revealing a covert effort to defy RFK Jr. and preserve vaccine data deleted by the HHS. The O'Keefe Media Group posted video of GAO director Steven Putansu admitting to possible violations of federal records and theft laws. Per OMG: Putansu admitted on hidden camera GAO staff “stole and backed up” federal data to keep it outside RFK Jr. led HHS control – a potential violation of several federal statutes, including: – Unauthorized Removal or Destruction of Public Records (18 U.S.C. § 2071) – Theft or Conversion of Government Property (18 U.S.C. § 641) – Computer Fraud & Abuse Act – CFAA (18 U.S.C. § 1030) for accessing or copying government data without authorization. “We've stolen and backed those things up so that someday they can come back to government,” he said to the undercover OMG journalist. Putansu trashed the ‘vaccine deniers' in the HHS. “I'd watch out for the vaccine denying HHS who's going to ruin health care in this country even more than it already is,” he said. “It limits the amount of permanent damage… research he's trying to delete is stored outside his control,” he said. WATCH: The GAO released a statement in response to OMG's undercover video operation: “Regarding your inquiry, GAO collects & retains data for requested audits & engagements in accordance with GAO's statutes & agency protocols. GAO is committed to meeting the highest level of independence, nonpartisanship, & professional standards while conducting audits, evaluations, & investigations & we take seriously any suggestion otherwise.” Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/AwakenedOutlaw/status/1993477109831119259?s=20  prohibited from removing, copying, or concealing official records without authorization, especially to interfere with executive branch operations or policy implementation.’ ~ Grok All told, because sentencing would run concurrently those involved could easily get a 10-year sentence. However, if the DOJ and judge decide to make an example of him/them, they could get more—along with an 8 to 9 figure for restitution + multi-million-dollars fines, effectively bankrupting them and taking everything they owned. Enjoy, shitbirds!  https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1993372507043242297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1993372507043242297%7Ctwgr%5Ea7086b8f00b98d794a84ab5935e8ccda69f80d81%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Fkatie-jerkovich%2F2025%2F11%2F25%2Fone-guess-why-worlds-strongest-female-winner-was-stripped-of-title-n2196553 https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1993374918315319533?s=20 https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent/status/1993411604520505719?s=20   for contributions to qualifying Scholarship Granting Organizations, marking the first time a federal tax credit directly supports private donations for K-12 education. Treasury is working with states now to ensure readiness for implementation. Education is the first step to financial freedom, and the Trump Administration is committed to providing pathways to support students nationwide. [DS] Agenda Democrat Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Surrenders to Authorities After Allegedly Laundering $5 Million in FEMA Funds — Allegedly Bought 3.14-Carat Yellow Diamond Ring A sitting Democratic member of Congress from Broward County, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, surrendered to federal authorities Tuesday in Miami amid explosive allegations that she orchestrated a scheme to steal and launder $5 million in FEMA COVID-19 disaster relief funds, and used a portion to bankroll her 2021 congressional campaign and purchase a luxury yellow diamond ring. “The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to steal that $5 million and routed it through multiple accounts to disguise its source. Prosecutors allege that a substantial portion of the misappropriated funds was used as candidate contributions to Cherfilus-McCormick's 2021 congressional campaign and for the personal benefit of the defendants. According to the Miami Herald, the money trail reveals a stunning web of alleged financial abuse and deception: $2.4 million transferred into the bank account of Cherfilus-McCormick's consulting company. $1.2 million routed to relatives. $830,000 moved into an account where the congresswoman was an authorized signer. $334,000 sent to a co-defendant, Nadege Leblanc, to orchestrate straw donor contributions. $190,000 transferred to a company associated with her brother, Edwin Cherfilus. $109,000 allegedly used to purchase the now-infamous 3.14-carat Fancy Yellow Diamond ring. The indictment alleges that more than $1.14 million was then funneled into her campaign account in September and October 2021, just in time for her congressional race, funds prosecutors say were “illegally sourced and misrepresented” on campaign reports and tax returns. Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/ZohranKMamdani/status/1993107017100304653?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1993107017100304653%7Ctwgr%5E271a9bb4777a48bf3973b6303388944477019e08%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailysignal.com%2F2025%2F11%2F25%2Fmamdani-names-radical-cop-hating-professor-to-community-safety-post%2F https://twitter.com/thestustustudio/status/1993111704629395961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1993111704629395961%7Ctwgr%5E271a9bb4777a48bf3973b6303388944477019e08%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailysignal.com%2F2025%2F11%2F25%2Fmamdani-names-radical-cop-hating-professor-to-community-safety-post%2F   humanity. This is the worldview Mamdani is bringing into city government. https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1993689427940426054?s=20 https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1993491221902418137?s=20 https://twitter.com/CynicalPublius/status/1993497362451296263?s=20  context, as people need to understand certain precedents that illustrate the following points: 1. What the Sedition 6 have done is unprecedented since the Civil War. 2. Historic U.S. military success in some cases may never have happened had the Sedition 6 had a say at the time. 3. The exercise of lethal force we are seeing again the invading drug boats is both legal and consistent with past US actions by some of our greatest Presidents, and is consistent with the Monroe Doctrine. 4. The act of undermining a nation's military through perfidious information ops is a classic behavior of fascists and communists. History speaks, and should be our guide. Links: THREAD President Trump's Plan https://twitter.com/DataRepublican/status/1993590807002333358?s=20  n Without War to advertise seditious-adjacent behavior on billboards. And Win Without War has multiple Congressional liaisons on their “About” page. National Lawyers Guild is an infamous supporter of antifa per @MrAndyNgo , which of course is now a foreign terrorist organization. cc: @CynicalPublius https://twitter.com/DataRepublican/status/1993668483125576071?s=20   Lawyers Guild (NIPNLG) is a fiscally sponsored project of the Alliance for Global Justice (AfGJ), and the NLG as a whole is widely recommended as the primary legal contact and support provider for participants in pro-Palestine and immigration protests. Win Without War is a fiscally sponsored project of the Center for International Policy (CIP), as disclosed on CIP's 2019 IRS Form 990. The Center for International Policy (CIP) is a progressive think tank advocating for a non-militaristic U.S. foreign policy centered on diplomacy, transparency, human rights, and solutions to war, corruption, inequality, and climate change.  CIP's major funders include Open Society Foundations (George Soros), Carnegie Corporation of New York, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Charles Koch Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation and McKnight Foundation, among others (per Cause IQ and public 990 filings). https://twitter.com/mrddmia/status/1993720894020063590?s=20  presidential election, which is allowed by the Electoral Count Act of 1887 and the First Amendment. That's why Democrats didn't face charges for objecting to Republican presidential wins in 1968, 2000, 2004, and 2016. Fani Willis took our country https://twitter.com/julie_kelly2/status/1993418873127805086?s=20   allegations that she had placed the explosive devices outside Democratic and Republican party offices. ODNI officials said the agency received a tip from a person affiliated with a media organization about potential criminal wrongdoing by an individual believed to be working at an intelligence agency and set about documenting it in a memo. A short time after the unfinished memo began to circulate, the conservative news outlet, Blaze News, published details similar to those in the draft, including the woman’s full name. CBS News was not shown the memo, but sources said McNamara had accessed confidential files to obtain details about the woman for the draft memo, including her place of work and Social Security number. The federal security officer cooperated with the FBI, sources close to the matter said. Her lawyer said publicly she had done nothing wrong. Both the woman and her lawyer declined to comment. She returned to work after being placed on a brief leave, one of the sources said.” Another “Seven Ways from Sunday” Effort Against DNI Tulsi Gabbard – The J6 Pipe Bomber Was Wrongly Identified  CBS is writing a narrative through the background story of how the wrong identity was originated, and that tracks back to Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard.  In essence, a hit against Tulsi Gabbard emerges, and the details end up showing a transparent intelligence operation for those who have paid close attention. According to CBS an anonymous “whistleblower” originally contacted the ODNI, Tulsi Gabbard's office, with information about who the J6 pipe bomber was.  Subsequently, “a unit overseen by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard drafted a memo identifying the woman and describing allegations.” As the article is written, “Several sources told CBS News that the classified draft memo, which was on ODNI letterhead, was written by Paul McNamara, who is in charge of Gabbard's Director's Initiatives Group, which is tasked with providing “transparency and accountability” and executing President Trump's intelligence-related executive orders.” Shortly thereafter, Steve Baker at Blaze News then wrote an article naming the accused pipe bomber, using information that directly paralleled the report within the DNI's office. The accused woman was cleared during an FBI investigation that stemmed from the memo and The Blaze report.   The woman provided an alibi and recordings of her activity timestamped during the time when she was accused of walking through the streets of Washington DC.  CBS narrative doesn't focus on The Blaze or the reporting of Steve Baker, instead the media hit shifts responsibility to Tulsi Gabbard who is operating outside her intelligence oversight lane and conducting independent investigations which includes information from “outside sources.” Having followed the operations of these embed “intel officials” the motive for this operation against the office of the DNI is clear.  You, me, all of us can see with clear non-pretending eyes, the intent of this op was to change the way Tulsi Gabbard is receiving information and to block the delivery of external sunlight. Source: theconservativetreehosue.com https://twitter.com/SenRonJohnson/status/1993418804794474815?s=20   eliminating political opposition. These records are only the tip of the iceberg. https://twitter.com/DC_Draino/status/1993425046849692155?s=20   totally false. Come on Kash, let's take a picture to show them you're doing a great job!” Do not believe the Fake News! https://twitter.com/TheChiefNerd/status/1993489608034693365?s=20 TAKE A LISTEN https://twitter.com/drawandstrike/status/1993455727718060348?s=20  (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");

Interview with Decland Walsh on Sudan: 31:30 This week, Kelly and Truisten talk through Hungary's new attempt to start up an anti-Ukraine bloc in the EU as well as Victor Orban's meeting with President Trump. They then turn to recent elections in the Netherlands and to President Trum's trip to Asia and the APEC summit. Chief NYT Africa Correspondent Declan Walsh then joins Kelly for a deep-dive into recent developments in the Sudanese civil war. Watch Declan's lecture on Sudan here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2UQ1_Cp2UQ See more of his reporting here: https://www.nytimes.com/by/declan-walsh  The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.  Recorded on November 11, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

This week, Kelly talks with Johns Hopkins Professor Francis J. Gavin about his new book, Thinking Historically: A Guide to Statecraft and Strategy (Yale University Press, 2025). The book looks at how history could be utilized to improve policy and enable better decision-making. It argues for a "historical sensibility" as a practical discipline—one that captures the real constraints decision-makers face, complicates easy assumptions, and trains us to see the unexpected by understanding others on their own terms. In doing so, it bridges the gap between historians and practitioners, showing how careful engagement with the past can sharpen statecraft and strategy in the present. Francis J. Gavin is the Giovanni Agnelli Distinguished Professor and the inaugural director of the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins SAIS. Previously, he was the first Frank Stanton Chair in Nuclear Security Policy Studies at MIT. He is a contributing editor at War on the Rocks and has authored or edited eight books. Link to the book: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300278361/thinking-historically/ The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.  Recorded on 03 November, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

Conway County Library gets gift from Carnegie Corporation to use to celebrate USA's 250th; Hart announces candidacy for reelection as county judge; Morrilton High School recognized for firefighter program; Green light for Highway 60 improvements in Perry County; Sacred Heart splits with White County Central, Wonderview sweeps St. Joseph; we visit with Cindy Lucariello of the Conway County Care Center.

This week, Kelly talks with Carolina Jiménez Sandoval about the state of play between the United States and Venezuela amid increasing tensions, military strikes, and continued economic upheavel in the country. Carolina Jiménez Sandoval is the President of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA). She holds over 20 years of experience in research and advocacy for human rights in the Americas and throughout the world.As a leader in the field with extensive experience in the region and Washington, she guides WOLA's team to achieve strategic impact in social justice and human rights. Read more about Carolina's work with WOLA here: https://www.wola.org/ She is a frequent contributor in English and Spanish to media outlets and publications across Latin America, the US and Europe, including the Washington Post, the New York Times, PBS, CNN, BBC, The Guardian, El País, Deutsche Welle, various academic journals, among others. She is a national of Venezuela and Mexico. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.  Recorded on October 24, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

Episode 218: La loi est là mais qu'en est-il de mon droit ? Devenir du mouvement des Soulaliyates Cet épisode explore l'évolution du Mouvement des Soulaliyates à la lumière des récentes réformes introduites par la loi 62-17, relative à la tutelle administrative sur les communautés Soulaliyates et à la gestion de leurs biens, promulguée en 2019 au Maroc. Elle met en évidence les contraintes auxquelles les femmes sont confrontées pour négocier l'accès à une part de la terre collective, ainsi que les stratégies qu'elles élaborent pour y faire face. L'analyse de ces enjeux à travers le prisme de la sociologie juridique, qui articule droit et du fait, révèle un écart entre la loi promulguée et son application concrète sur le terrain. L'analyse de ces enjeux à travers le prisme de la sociologie juridique, qui articule droit et réalité sociale, met en évidence un écart entre la promulguée et son application concrète sur le terrain. Par ailleurs, loin de mettre fin à l'action collective des femmes, la promulgation de la loi a entraîné une restructuration du Mouvement afin de s'adapter aux nouvelles contraintes rencontrées par les Soulaliyates. Hind Ftouhi est enseignante chercheuse à l'Institut National d'Aménagement et d'Urbanisme de Rabat (INAU-Rabat). Elle est docteure en sociologie rurale et ingénieure agronome. Ses recherches portent sur les rôles et la contribution des jeunes ruraux aux dynamiques agraires et territoriales. Elle s'intéresse également à l'accès et à la gestion des ressources naturelles dans une perspective de genre. Ce podcast a été enregistré le 15 septembre 2024 dans le cadre du programme « Le Maghreb vu des périphéries : Propriété, contestation, et ressources naturelles en Afrique du Nord » soutenu par le CAORC et Carnegie Corporation of New York et réalisé par le Centre d'Études Maghrébines en Algérie (CEMA) et le Centre d'Études Maghrébines à Tunis (CEMAT). Pour consulter les diaporamas associés à ce podcast, veuillez visiter notre site web www.themaghribpodcast.com Montage : Hayet Yebbous Bensaid, Bibliothécaire / Chargée de la diffusion des activités scientifiques (CEMA).   

Interview with Mona Yacoubian on Gaza: 28:20 This week, Kelly and Tristen unpack NATO's defense ministers meeting in Brussels and the Trump–Zelenskyy visit to the White House—what it means for Ukraine aid, European drone-defense plans, and the Tomahawk debate. They then turn to political turbulence in Cameroon and Peru, give a quick update on Madagascar's military-led transition, and close with with CSIS's Mona Yacoubian on the Gaza ceasefire, the Sharm el-Sheikh declaration, and the risks of a post-conflict security vacuum. Mona Yacoubian is director and senior adviser of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). She has more than thirty years of experience working on the Middle East and North Africa, with a focus on conflict analysis, governance and stabilization challenges, and conflict prevention. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on October 21, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

This week, Kelly talks with Stanford University professor and author Dan Edelstein about his new book, The Revolution to Come: A History of an Idea from Thucydides to Lenin, (Princeton University Press, 2025). The book looks at how political thinkers from Plato to John Adams saw revolutions as a grave threat to society and advocated for a constitution that prevented them by balancing social interests and forms of government. He traces how evolving conceptions of history ushered in a faith in the power of revolution to create more just and reasonable societies. Dan Edelstein is the William H. Bonsall Professor of French and (by courtesy) professor of political science and of history at Stanford University. His many books include On the Spirit of Rights and The Terror of Natural Right: Republicanism, the Cult of Nature, and the French Revolution. Link to the book: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691231853/the-revolution-to-come The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on October 7, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

Interview with Ambassador Kent Logsdon on Moldova: 33:25 This week, Kelly and Tristen break down President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu's 20-point Gaza peace plan and what it signals for U.S.-Israel relations, as well as the ongoing ceasefire negotiations. They then look at the Gen-Z-led protests spreading across Morocco and Madagascar — echoing Nepal's youth uprising weeks ago — and close with Europe's efforts to rein in Russia's growing “shadow fleet” of sanction-dodging oil tankers. Finally, Kelly talks with former U.S. Ambassador to Moldova (2021 - 2024) Kent D. Logsdon about the country's recent elections and its path toward Europe amid ongoing Russian pressure.  Ambassador Kent D. Logsdon was the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova from 2021 to 2024. He previously served as the Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment and prior to that was Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Energy Resources. He was also the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, Germany, serving as Chargé d'Affaires, from January 2017 to May 2018. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.  Recorded on October 07, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

This week, Kelly talks with Reuters reporter and author Ernest Scheyder about critical minerals and his new book: "The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power Our Lives." Ernest Scheyder is a senior correspondent with Reuters covering critical minerals and the global energy transition. "The War Below: Lithium, Copper, and the Global Battle to Power our Lives," was published in early 2025 by One Signal Publishers/Atria Books. It was longlisted for the 2024 National Book Award and was named the American Energy Society's Energy Book of the Year. He previously wrote about the U.S. shale revolution – drawing on a two-year stint based in oil-rich North Dakota – as well as politics and the environment.  Find the book on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/War-Below-Lithium-Copper-Global/dp/1668011808/ Find more of Ernest's work here: https://www.reuters.com/authors/ernest-scheyder/  The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.  Recorded on September 30, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

Interview with Pranaya Rana on Nepal: 26:50 This week, Kelly and Tristen talk through Trump's speech at the UN General Assembly, his visit last week to the UK, and the administration's recent strikes on suspected Venezuelan cartels. They also provide some brief updates since the last episode: on Jair Bolsonaro's conviction in Brazil and the new Saudi-Pakistan defense agreement.  Kelly then talks with independent journalist Pranaya Rana about recent protests and political change in Nepal, where Gen-Z-led protests have upended the country's politics. Pranaya Rana writes Kalam Weekly, a current affairs newsletter from Kathmandu, Nepal. He was Chief Editor of The Record, and Features Editor and Opinions Editor at The Kathmandu Post. Rana is also a professional translator. Read his substack here: https://kalamweekly.substack.com/  The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.  Recorded on September 23, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

Kelly talks with Emma Ashford about her new book, First Among Equals: U.S. Foreign Policy in a Multipolar World (Yale University Press, 2025), where she proposes a return to a more pragmatic, realist set of strategic principles, ones better suited for the emerging multipolar world, that would pursue narrower U.S. interests, cultivate the capabilities of friendly states, and emphasize room for maneuver over rigid alliances. Emma Ashford is a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, where she is part of the Reimagining U.S. Grand Strategy Program. She is also an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and a columnist at Foreign Policy.  Link to First Among Equals: U.S. Foreign Policy in a Multipolar World: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300279542/first-among-equals/ Link to New Visions of Grand Strategy: https://www.stimson.org/project/new-visions-for-grand-strategy/ The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.  Recorded on September 17, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

Interview with Sameer Lalwani — 27:32 This week, Kelly and Tristan cover Israel's unprecedented strike on Hamas leaders in Doha and the diplomatic fallout for Qatar and the Gaza ceasefire talks, the historic trial of Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro and what it means for democratic resilience, and Beijing's memory-politics summit—complete with a military parade and a guest list signaling China's preferred world order. Kelly is then joined by Sameer Lalwani for a deep dive on U.S.–India relations—why the partnership soared over the past decade, how new U.S. tariffs, the India-Pakistan war, and Modi's optics-heavy outreach to Beijing and Moscow have strained ties, and what to watch ahead of a potential Quad leaders' summit. Sameer Lalwani is a Senior Fellow with the German Marshall Fund's Indo-Pacific Program, a Senior Advisor to the Special Competitive Studies Project, a Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, and a research affiliate with MIT's Security Studies Program. His work focuses on deterrence, conventional military competition, technology alliances, and Indo-Pacific security, and he is a contributing editor at War on the Rocks. Read more about Lalwani's work: https://www.gmfus.org/find-experts/sameer-lalwani  The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.  Recorded on September 10, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

This week, Kelly talks with former assistant administrator of USAID, Erin McKee, in light of the department's gutting in recent months. She is now serving as the CEO of Nova Ukraina, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine and raising awareness about Ukraine in the United States and throughout the world. Erin McKee is a career US diplomat who served as assistant administrator of the US Agency for International Development for Europe and Eurasia from 2022 to 2025. She also served as the United States ambassador to Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu from 2019 to 2022 under both Presidents Trump and Biden. Her long career in USAID has spanned missions in Kazakhstan, Iraq, Peru, Bolivia, Israel, and Russia, and as Mission Director in Indonesia. Read more about Erin's work with Nova Ukraine here: https://novaukraine.org/category/press/ The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.  Recorded on August 28, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

Interview with Liam Karr — 28:50 This week, Kelly and Tristan cover the recent rounds of summit diplomacy between Presidents Trump and Putin and subsequent meetings with European leaders, the recent moves in Somaliland's quest for recognition, and the new settlements in the West Bank approved by Israel's finance minister. Kelly is then joined by Liam Karr of the Critical Threats Project for an update on the DRC-Rwanda peace process. Liam Karr is the Africa Team Lead at the Critical Threats Projects at the American Enterprise Institute. His team uses open-source intelligence to closely map the status of various conflicts from the Sahel and West Africa through to Sudan and the current conflict between Rwanda-backed rebels, known as M23, and the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. See more of Liam's work at the Critical Threats Project here: https://www.criticalthreats.org/team/liam-karr The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Abdalla Nasef and Freddie Mallinson.  Recorded on August 26, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown