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On this edition of Hayden's History Hour, Federalist Staff Editor Hayden Daniel and Federalist Elections Correspondent Brianna Lyman discuss the days that led up to July 4, 1776, including the people, motivations, and circumstances that made Independence Day one of the most consequential moments in all of history. The Federalist Foundation is a nonprofit, and we depend entirely on our listeners and readers — not corporations. If you value fearless, independent journalism, please consider a tax-deductible gift today at TheFederalist.com/donate. Your support keeps us going.
Civil War, the Ides of March, and the Spiritual Godfather. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. Cicero eventually returned to Rome, but the republic was sliding toward civil war between Caesar and Pompey. Although Cicero tried to remain neutral, he eventually joined Pompey's side but was pardoned by Caesar after the latter's victory. Cicero was present in the Senate on the day Julius Caesar was assassinated. While he was not part of the conspiracy, he celebrated the act and was famously hailed by Brutus as a spiritual "godfather" of the plot. The aftermath was chaotic, as the assassins' hope for celebration was met with a swift popular reaction against them. This shift was largely due to Mark Antony, who gave a dramatic funeral eulogy and displayed Caesar's blood-spattered toga to the crowd. Cicero recognized that Antony's genius utilized the same rhetorical techniques he had mastered: demonstrating feelings rather than just talking about them. This moment locked Cicero into a final, deadly contest with Antony over the future of the republic. He began writing and delivering the Philippics, a series of speeches designed to destroy Antony's political standing. 71450 VIRGIL
The Fragility of the Union and the Dismantling of the Republic. Guests in Londinium, 92 AD: Gaius and Germanicus. Reflecting on the anniversary of Gettysburg, the speakers suggest that the "sacred" unity and mission established by Lincoln and later reinforced by D-Day are being abandoned. The current leadership is depicted as "whipsawed" between a desire to be a "peace president" and the political risk of appearing defeated on the world stage. The "imperial court" in Washington is described as oblivious to the citizenry, continuing foreign adventures despite widespread domestic opposition. Ultimately, Gaius and Germanicus posit that the United States is an arbitrary construct now in the process of being "dismantled" by endless political warfare and a growing disconnect between the leadership and the people.
Justice and the Allegory of the Philosophic King. Guest Author: Professor James Romm. Plato spent his final decades in Athens, completing The Republic. He categorized governance, placing tyranny at the bottom as a system driven by base appetites. He argued that a true king must be a philosopher to perceive the absolute "form of justice." Using the Allegory of the Cave, he described the philosopher's duty to lead those still in the shadows. The work concludes with the Myth of Er, a vision of reincarnation and the soul's journey. Souls drink from the River of Heedlessness, with the wise retaining subconscious memories of the perfect universe. 7
Mona Charen and FT columnist Ed Luce dig into Giorgia Meloni's public dressing down of Trump, the UK's political chaos, and the fallout from Trump's Iran war—including the case that the U.S. is now paying Iran reparations and Israel is boxed into an impossible corner. Plus: Luce's surreal Sunday phone calls with Trump himself.Upcoming: Mona will interview presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky about her book, Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic.
Newt talks with legal scholar Jonathan Turley about his bestseller, Rage and the Republic. Turley reveals why Thomas Paine — flawed, brilliant, nearly impossible to like — was the most fascinating figure he's ever researched, and traces Paine's improbable rise from failed Englishman to "penman of the revolution" under Benjamin Franklin's wing. The conversation turns to the French Revolution's unbound passions versus America's structured path to liberty, drawing uneasy parallels to today's unrest in cities like Minneapolis. Turley and Newt dig into socialism's resurgence among young Americans and Europeans, the EU's bureaucratic unraveling, and the coming disruption from AI and robotics. They close on America's 250th anniversary and what it truly means to be American in a revolutionary age.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Of all the countries in the world, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, more commonly known as North Korea, might just be the most mysterious. Nicknamed ‘The Hermit Kingdom', it's famous for its isolation and independence, but also for its shocking lack of human rights. Because it exists under the iron-fisted rule of a dictatorship, headed by Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un, its laws are some of the most extreme in the world. So, with that in mind, let's expose some of the craziest laws that've ever been enforced here, that we know of… Our Sponsors:* Check out BetterHelp and use my code betterhelp.com for a great deal: https://www.betterhelp.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Ancient Rome is often thought of as an ideal society where toga-clad men debated democracy while eating grapes. But in fact, the Roman Empire and Republic couldn't have existed without slavery. What were these enslaved people's lives like? Pretty awful, actually! Historian Emma Southon joins us to talk about slavery in Ancient Rome: what it was like, why people like to pretend it wasn't so bad, and what did Spartacus have to do with it all? Buy a copy of Emma's new book Not Built In A Day (affiliate link) — Listen to our new podcast NeferTV, where we are discussing the TV show Spartacus: Blood and Sand! — Buy a copy of Ann's book Rebel of the Regency — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at commonera.com/vulgar or go to commonera.com and use code VULGAR at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at vulgarhistory.com/store (best for US shipping) and vulgarhistory.redbubble.com (better for international shipping) — Vulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Emmy-winning soap star Martha Byrne is in the midst of her most challenging role yet — starring in a real-life spy drama.BOOK LINK https://tinyurl.com/25vyrn46A seemingly routine job taken by her husband, former NYPD cop Michael McMahon, 57, unraveled into an almost 10-year nightmare, resulting in him becoming the first private investigator convicted of spying for the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the US. / martha-byrne-100057013008500 https://x.com/MarthaByrne10https://www.instagram.com/marthabyrne... / martha-byrne-277579286 FOLLOW RON SWANSON / PROJECT ROOQ
Star Wars Legends deep dive continues! In Part 2 of our Cuy'val Dar episode, we put names and faces to "those who no longer exist" — the individual instructors Jango Fett hand-picked to train the Republic's clone commandos on Kamino. We profile Mandalorian legends like Kal Skirata , Walon Vau, Mij Gilamar, Rav Bralor, Vhonte Tervho, plus non-Mandalorian trainers Cort Davin and Kligson and the Death Watch-aligned extremists Dred Priest and Isabet Reau. From paternal mentors and battlefield medics to brutal survivalists and ideological zealots, discover how these Expanded Universe figures shaped clone identity, Mandalorian culture, and the elite soldiers of the Clone Wars. Become a patron to get access to the bonus episodes or support the show through Paypal and bitcoin! You can also check out our merch on Redbubble. Don't forget to also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, X.com and Discord! Find all of our links here: https://doras.to/starlores Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Over the past decade, China sought to deepen its ties with the Pacific Islands. This includes an effort to expand its footprint in the region's media landscape. Guest Biographies Heidi Holz is a Senior Research Scientist in CNA's China Studies Program. Her research focuses on People's Republic of China (PRC) strategic communications, propaganda, disinformation, and other global influence efforts. Genevieve Collins is a Senior Research Specialist in CNA's China Studies Program. Further Reading CNA Report: Understanding China's Footprint in the Pacific Islands' Media Landscape
In this episode of State of the Republic, we break down Sacramento Republic FC's tough 1–0 home loss to New Mexico United. Despite one of the best saves you'll see from Danny Vitiello, a costly mistake proved decisive in a tightly contested match. We discuss the key moments, what went right, what went wrong, and how Sacramento can respond moving forward. We also include the post-match press conference, featuring reactions and analysis following the match. Plus, we preview Republic's upcoming Fourth of July showdown against FC Tulsa, review recent and upcoming matches involving local Central Valley clubs in the USL W League and USL League Two, and spend a few minutes talking World Cup action as hosts United States, Mexico, and Canada all recorded clean sheets in their second matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Intro/Outro Music: "The Descent" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Podcast Winner Dinner Music: The following music was used for this media project: Fliegen by Sascha Ende Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/2936-fliegen License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Golazos of Gratitude Music: The following music was used for this media project: Music: Nice Light Of Happiness by MusicLFiles Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7421-nice-light-of-happiness License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Image: Sac Republic Support State of the Republic by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/state-of-the-republic
This week (slightly delayed due to illness) we are discussing a man who found a way to profit from the upheaval of the English Civil War via the most partisan of journalism. Marchamont Nedham was a gifted writer who became the most influential journalist of his day. Though not the most reliable.Never one for consistency, Marchamont was willing to switch sides if he felt it would benefit him personally, or at least keep him out of prison. A pragmatic approach that eventually resulted in him being welcomed into the innermost circles of the new Republican leadership...... which was perfect as long as the Republic didn't suddenly implode.Guest Host: Oliver Green Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
fWotD Episode 3336: Battle of Trapani Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Tuesday, 23 June 2026, is Battle of Trapani.The Battle of Trapani took place on 23 June 1266 off Trapani, Sicily, between the fleets of the Republic of Genoa and the Republic of Venice, as part of the War of Saint Sabas (1256–1270). During the war, the Venetians held the upper hand in naval confrontations, forcing the Genoese to resort to commerce raiding and avoiding fleet battles. In the 1266 campaign, the Genoese had an advantage in numbers, but this was not known to the Genoese commander, Lanfranco Borbonino. As a result, the Genoese tarried at Corsica until the end of May. The Venetian fleet under Jacopo Dondulo was left to sail back and forth, awaiting the appearance of the Genoese fleet in the waters around southern Italy and Sicily. Fearing that the other side had more ships, both sides reinforced their fleets with additional ships, but the Genoese retained a small numerical advantage.The two fleets met near Trapani in Sicily on 22 June. After learning of the Venetian fleet's smaller size, the Genoese war council resolved to attack, but during the night Borbonino reversed the decision and instead ordered his ships to take up a defensive position, bound together with chains, near the shore. As the Venetian fleet attacked the next day, many of the Genoese crews, mostly hired foreigners, lost heart and abandoned their ships. The battle was a crushing Venetian victory, as they sank or captured the entire Genoese fleet. On their return to Genoa, Borbonino and most of his captains were tried and fined large sums for cowardice. Despite the loss, Genoa continued the war, in which neither side was able to gain a decisive advantage, until it was ended through French mediation in 1270.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:00 UTC on Tuesday, 23 June 2026.For the full current version of the article, see Battle of Trapani on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Stephen.
This episode features "The Floating Republic" written by Rebecca Campbell. Published in the June 2026 issue of Clarkesworld Magazine and read by Kate Baker. The text version of this story can be found at: https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/campbell_06_26 Support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/clarkesworld/membership
In this episode of The Right Side, Doug Billings explores one of the most important questions facing America today:What does it mean to be an American?The debate over non-citizen voting in Los Angeles raises a much bigger question than most commentators are asking. What happens when citizenship begins to lose its meaning?For generations, people from around the world sacrificed, waited, studied, and worked to earn American citizenship because it represented something unique—freedom, self-government, opportunity, and the belief that our rights come from God, not government.Doug examines the difference between residency and citizenship, why republics require citizens, how the Founders understood self-government, and why the American Dream continues to inspire millions around the world today.This isn't really a conversation about voting.It's a conversation about America itself.What binds us together?What makes us a nation?And what responsibilities come with the privilege of citizenship?If America is going to remain America, those questions matter now more than ever.We're in this together. Believe it.For the Republic!Cheers. #TheRightSide #DougBillings #Citizenship #AmericanDream #WeThePeople #Constitution #AmericanCitizen #Patriotism #Republic #FoundingFathers Support the show
Eliot reviews the week's jackassery and offers his thoughts on Juneteenth and the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He then welcomes Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, distinguished professor at Emory University and prolific author. She explains her background as a historian of the Holocaust, her work documenting Holocaust denial, and her experience being sued by British Holocaust denier David Irving. They discuss her work as Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism from 2022 to 2025, which included efforts to bring Saudi Arabia into the Abraham Accords and creating the Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism. They explore the political and ideological forces behind the current global rise in antisemitism before pivoting to the threat it poses to democracy and the state actors exploiting it to sow division in the United States.David Irving v. Penguin Books Ltd. and Deborah Lipstadt:hdot.orgINSS Report on China's online campaign to sow division in America:https://www.inss.org.il/publication/china-usa-influence/George Washington to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island:https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-06-02-0135Letter from the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island to President George Washington:https://www.gwirf.org/files/moses_seixas_letter.pdfShield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.
As Ryan McMaken recently pointed out, the original constitutional republic created in 1787 no longer exists. Joseph Solis-Mullen asked if the US is now in its Sixth Republic.Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/sixth-republic
Eric Metaxas is an author, speaker, and host of The Eric Metaxas Show. He believes America cannot move forward unless we remember where we came from.In this episode of The Resilient Show, Chad sits down with Eric to talk about the American Revolution, the Christian foundation of our country, the courage of our Founding Fathers, and why the story of America is not just for history books, it's vital knowledge for every American.So why does it seem the core of our history has been rewritten?Eric breaks down why the views of the current political landscape are not what this country was founded on, why virtue and faith were essential to the founding, and why this moment in America requires courage, conviction, and a willingness to fight for what is true.Links discussed in todays episode:Revolution: https://ericmetaxas.com/books/revolution/Socrates In The City: https://socratesinthecity.com/Eric Metaxas Show: https://ericmetaxas.com/Follow Eric on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericmetaxas00:56 Welcome Eric Metaxas02:13 Eric's New Book: Revolution03:14 Why Americans Must Know Their Story08:34 The Clash of Worldviews Behind the Revolution13:02 America Has Forgotten Who We Are17:01 The Christian Foundation of America's Founding24:24 The Founders Signed a Death Sentence32:34 George Washington, Prayer, and Providence37:32 Faith Must Be Lived Out43:57 Freedom Is Not Normal47:42 A Republic, If You Can Keep It53:57 Immigration, Assimilation, and America's Future01:01:04 Eric's Biggest Takeaway From Writing Revolution01:11:30 Closing Thoughts and Where to Find Eric——Stay up-to-date with all things Resilient by subscribing to our Resilient Times Newsletter: https://resilienttimes.substack.comRESILIENT:Follow Us On Patreon: https://patreon.com/theresilientshowFollow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resilientshowFollow Us On Twitter: https://twitter.com/resilientshowFollow Us On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@resilientshowLIVE RESILIENT STORE:https://shop.theresilientshow.comFollow Chad: https://www.instagram.com/chadrobo_officialhttps://x.com/ChadRoboSPONSORS:Smith & Wesson: https://www.smith-wesson.comVortex Optics: https://vortexoptics.comGatorz Eyewear: https://www.gatorz.comAllied Wealth: https://alliedwealth.comBioPro+: https://www.bioproteintech.com/CHAD30BioXCellerator: https://www.bioxcellerator.comCore Medical: https://coremedicalgrp.com/chadpodcastcmg------The Resilient Show is a proud supporter of military and first responder communities in partnership with Mighty Oaks Foundation.
As Ryan McMaken recently pointed out, the original constitutional republic created in 1787 no longer exists. Joseph Solis-Mullen asked if the US is now in its Sixth Republic.Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/sixth-republic
In this episode of Hunger for Wholeness, Ilia Delio speaks with scholar Robert Geraci about apocalyptic AI, robotics, transhumanist hope, and the religious stories embedded in technological imagination. Geraci traces how his study of robotics led him to notice strikingly religious themes in the writings of engineers and futurists: immortality, resurrection, salvation, and the future transformation of humanity.Together, Ilia and Robert explore the mid-20th-century roots of computer intelligence, the shadow of world war, and the deep eschatological hopes and fears that shaped early conversations about machines, minds, and human destiny. They consider how figures such as Hans Moravec, Ray Kurzweil, J. B. S. Haldane, Julian Huxley, Norbert Wiener, and Alan Turing reveal the religious imagination at work within technological culture.Later in the episode, the conversation turns toward technology, ecology, and responsibility. Rather than treating technology as the enemy, Ilia and Robert ask how human beings might reclaim the deeper narratives, values, and forms of belonging needed to guide technological development toward the flourishing of the whole Earth community.ABOUT ROBERT GERACIRobert M Geraci is the Knight Distinguished Chair for the Study of Religion & Culture at Knox College. His research explores religion, science and technology in the contemporary world. He is the author of Apocalyptic AI: Visions of Heaven in Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Virtual Reality (Oxford 2010), Virtually Sacred: Myths and Meaning in World of Warcraft and Second Life (Oxford 2014), Temples of Modernity: Nationalism, Hinduism, and Transhumanism in South Indian Science (Lexington 2018), Futures of Artificial Intelligence: Perspectives from India and the U.S. (Oxford 2022), and Futureproofing Humanity: Existential Risk and the Technomyths of Human Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, and Our Future among the Stars (self 2026). He has been a visiting researcher at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute, the Indian Institute of Science and the National Institute for Advanced Studies in Bangalore, India. His research has been supported by the US National Science Foundation, the Republic of Korea National Research Foundation, the American Academy of Religion and two Fulbright-Nehru research awards. He enjoys kayaking, hiking, videogames, and Dungeons & Dragons but doesn't really have time for any of it. Join us for the Center's 10th Anniversary Conference, November 9–11 in Villanova, Pennsylvania, with a virtual option available. In a time of deep political, social, ecological, and spiritual division, this gathering explores how love can become a compass for transformation. Learn more and register at christogenesis.org/conference. We are currently in the midst of our summer fundraiser, From Fear to Hope: Change and the Perpetual Growth of Life. As the Center marks its tenth anniversary, your support sustains our conferences, webinars, publications, and emerging global learning platform. Please consider making a generous contribution at christogenesis.org/donate.Support the showA huge thank you to all of you who subscribe and support our show! Support for A Hunger for Wholeness comes from the Fetzer Institute. Fetzer supports a movement of organizations who are applying spiritual solutions to society's toughest problems. Get involved at fetzer.org.Visit the Center for Christogenesis' website at christogenesis.org/podcast to browse all Hunger for Wholeness episodes and read more from Ilia Delio. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for episode releases and other updates.
“The Gross National Product measures everything except that which makes life worthwhile.” — Robert F. Kennedy, University of Kansas, March 18, 1968 It is June 5, 1968. An eleven-year-old English boy is watching the assassination of Bobby Kennedy on his black and white television. That little boy is Tim Jackson — now one of Britain's most influential critics of capitalism. He had no idea then that RFK would change his life. It happened years later, when Jackson discovered a speech Kennedy gave in Kansas in the spring of 1968. It was a speech that changed the way Tim Jackson thought about economics. The March 1968 speech, one of the first of RFK's presidential campaign, was delivered at Phog Allen Fieldhouse, University of Kansas. It opened with a joke at the expense of rival Kansas State University. Then Bobby turned deadly serious. For the first time (at least for a Presidential candidate), he attacked the very idea of the Gross National Product itself. RFK argued that GDP quantifies all the worst stuff including air pollution, cigarette advertising and jails. But it doesn't measure the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It quantifies everything except that which makes life worthwhile. Then fetishizes the data. Worse than wrong, Bobby Kennedy suggested, GDP makes data evil. For Jackson, who has spent his career mulling over the idea of economic growth, RFK's Phog Allen Fieldhouse speech came as a revelation. Indeed much of his later thinking, including his 2021 award-winning book Post Growth: Life After Capitalism, is indebted to this March 1968 speech. Almost sixty years later, in our ever-more-quantifiable age of data-centres, it's a speech that appears uncannily prescient. Both Tim Jackson and Bobby Kennedy are right to remind us that there is an alternative to quantifying progress. There is, indeed, life after GDP. And it can't be measured. Five Takeaways • An 11-Year-Old Watching the Assassination on His Birthday: Tim Jackson was born on June 4. On the night of June 4–5, 1968, after the California primary, RFK was shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Jackson — watching on a black and white television in the UK — remembers thinking: oh no, not again. His aunt had just sailed for America from Southampton. Is this the country she is going to? Two high-profile assassinations. Violence as a condition of American political life. He had no idea then that RFK would become important to him professionally two or three decades later. • The Kansas Speech: GDP Measures Everything Except What Makes Life Worthwhile: The speech RFK gave at Phog Allen Fieldhouse, University of Kansas, March 1968 — one of the first of his presidential campaign — opened with a joke at the expense of rival Kansas State University and became one of the most prescient political speeches of the 20th century. Kennedy attacked GDP directly: it counts air pollution, cigarette advertising, and the jails for the people who break the law. It does not count the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile. • The Two Wrong Turns of Post-War Capitalism: Jackson's account: fossil fuels made mass production possible; the Great Depression revealed the danger of overproduction; the post-war solution was to persuade people that having more stuff is what matters. Two big mistakes were embedded in that solution. First: material consumption is not all we are — we have social, relational, spiritual needs that GDP ignores. Second: more production does more environmental damage. Both wrong turns are what Kennedy was already diagnosing in Kansas in 1968. Both are what we are now living with in extremis. • The Trillionaire and the 2 Billion: The interview is recorded the day after the world's first trillionaire arrived on the scene. Jackson's response: this is an obscene amount of money for one person to have, while 2 billion people lack access to clean water and electricity. The same structural observation could be made about the 1850s: monarchs parading luxury while the people around them starved. The trillionaire is not a new phenomenon. He is the latest expression of an economic system that was always building toward this endpoint. • They Created a Desert and Called It Peace: In the Kansas speech, RFK quoted Tacitus on Rome: “they created a desert and called it peace.” Jackson applies it directly to today's America: what is it to be a citizen of the affluent West only on the back of a flattened Gaza, a distant war, the creation of violence to preserve a failing hegemonic empire? Bobby was saying: we have values around social justice. We have a fragile planet. These are what matter. Bernie Sanders said the same things. AOC picked up the mantle. The message is unchanged. It is still Kansas, 1968. About the Guest Tim Jackson is Professor of Sustainable Development at the University of Surrey and Director of the Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP). He is the author of Post Growth: Life After Capitalism (Polity Press, 2021; winner of the 2022 Eric Zencey Prize for Economics) and Prosperity Without Growth (2009/2017; Financial Times book of the year). He is also an award-winning BBC radio dramatist. He lives in Guildford, Surrey. References: • Post Growth: Life After Capitalism by Tim Jackson (Polity Press, 2021). • RFK's University of Kansas speech, March 18, 1968 — delivered at Phog Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, Kansas. • Tacitus, Agricola — “they created a desert and called it peace,” quoted by RFK in the Kansas speech. • Kerry Kennedy, Ripples of Hope — referenced in the conversation. • Andrew Keen's forthcoming book: Where Have You Gone, Bobby Kennedy? My Search for a Lost America — the RFK book this conversation feeds directly into. About Keen On America Nobody asks more awkward questions than the Anglo-American writer and filmmaker Andrew Keen. In Keen On America, Andrew brings his pointed Transatlantic wit to making sense of the United States — hosting daily interviews about the history and future of this now venerable Republic. With nearly 3,000 episodes since the show launched on TechCrunch in 2010, Keen On America is the most prolific intellectual interview show in the history of podcasting. 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In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq discuss the idea that the People's Republic of China has mobilised its influence operations against the construction of US data centres and its build out of AI capacity. This episode is also available on YouTube. Show notes Red Rap Two Sessions Get on the Beers
Vor mehr als 3000 Jahren beschließt eine Gruppe bronzezeitlicher Siedler, sich auf einem Hügel nahe des Tibers niederzulassen. Die Lage ist günstig und so wird aus kleinen Siedlungen nach und nach eine Stadt - Rom ist geboren. Die ewige Stadt ist anfangs noch eine unbedeutende Regionalmacht. Doch als Rom zur Republik wird, seine Institutionen begründet und eine einzigartige Mentalität aufbaut, beginnt ein unwiderstehlicher Aufstieg, der die Welt verändern wird……..Das Folgenbild zeigt die berühmte Figur der Wölfin, die Romulus und Remus säugt (entstanden im Mittelalter).…..LITERATURGehrke, Hans-Joachim; Schneider, Helmuth: Geschichte der Antike. Ein Studienbuch, Berlin 2019.Bradley, Guy: Early Rome to 290 BC. The Beginning of the City and the Rise of the Republic, Edinburgh 2020.……PREMIUMHis2Go unterstützen für tolle Vorteile - über Steady!Klick hier und werde His2Go Hero oder His2Go Legend……WERBUNGDu willst dir die Rabatte unserer weiteren Werbepartner sichern? Hier geht's zu den Angeboten!…….UNTERSTÜTZUNGFolgt und bewertet uns bei Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podimo oder über eure Lieblings-Podcastplattformen.Wir freuen uns über euer Feedback, Input und Vorschläge zum Podcast, die ihr uns über das Kontaktformular auf der Website, Instagram und unsere Feedback E-Mail: kontakt@his2go.de schicken könnt. An dieser Stelle nochmals vielen Dank an jede einzelne Rückmeldung, die uns bisher erreicht hat und uns sehr motiviert.…….COPYRIGHTMusic from https://filmmusic.io: “Sneaky Snitch” by Kevin MacLeod and "Plain Loafer" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: Creative Commons CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mona Charen welcomes military analyst Andrew Fox for a conversation on Trump's Iran ceasefire, whether America squandered its leverage against Tehran, the growing influence of Qatar and Turkey, Israel's military and political mistakes, Hamas's strategy in Gaza, and the battle over public opinion that could shape the future of the Middle East.show notes:Bulwark Book Club: Mona will interview presidential historian Lindsay Chervinsky about her book, “Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic.”
In this episode of The Right Side, Doug Billings examines a horrifying scandal in Great Britain has shocked the world. But the real story isn't simply about evil people committing evil acts.The real story is about what happens when institutions lose the courage to tell the truth.How did police look away? How did politicians remain silent? How did social workers, bureaucrats, and entire institutions fail to protect innocent children?This story isn't really about Britain. It's about a lesson every nation must learn.Civilizations aren't judged by whether monsters exist. Monsters have always existed. Civilizations are judged by whether good people possess the courage to stop them.the devastating consequences of institutional cowardice, the collapse of trust, and why protecting children must always matter more than protecting organizations, narratives, or political agendas.Truth matters.Courage matters.Leadership matters.And the future of every civilization depends upon whether enough people are willing to defend the innocent before reality forces them to.We're in this together.Believe it.For the Republic!Cheers. #TheRightSide #DougBillings #TruthMatters #CourageMatters #ProtectTheInnocent #LeadershipMatters #WesternCivilization #InstitutionalFailure #FreeSpeech #HumanityIssue #Podcast #ConservativePodcast #NewsAnalysis #CommonSense #ForTheRepublic #fyp Support the show
Send us Fan MailEpisode 254 of Nerdery & Murdery is live!On the Nerdery side, Zig returns to his ongoing journey through the Star Wars universe, this exploring the saga in chronological order based on the timeline inside the galaxy itself. From the rise of the Republic to the fall of the Jedi and the growing shadow of the Empire, we look at how the story unfolds when you follow the events as they actually happen in that universe.On the Murdery side, our A–Z Across America series takes us to Hawaii and the mystery of the Honolulu Strangler.Between 1985 and 1986, five women were found murdered on the island of Oahu. Each victim had been sexually assaulted and strangled, and the killer was never officially identified. Investigators explored multiple suspects over the years, including Christopher Wilder, the so called Beauty Queen Killer, but the case ultimately went cold.A galaxy far, far away on one side. An unsolved mystery in paradise on the other.Just another week of the Nerd and the Murd.Support the show
“Just 25 literary agents represent more than half of all prizewinning novelists in the 21st century. The agent is the unacknowledged legislator of the literary field.” — Laura McGrath We think of publishers and editors as the ultimate tastemakers. As those godlike gatekeepers controlling what we read. But if you're looking for literary gods, Laura McGrath argues, then you need to look at literary agents rather than publishers or editors. Her ten-year project, Middlemen: Literary Agents and the Making of American Fiction, is the first serious scholarly account of the literary agent's astonishingly powerful role in shaping what America reads. Except, of course, the Middlemen are actually Middlewomen — since 80% of literary agents are women. The numbers are striking. Just 25 literary agents represent more than half of all prizewinning novelists in the 21st century. McGrath interviewed 75 of them over ten years. Shelley called poets the unacknowledged legislators of the world. McGrath's agents are the unacknowledged legislators of the literary field. They shaped postmodernism (Candida Donadio and Pynchon, Heller, Gaddis). They launched the debut novel as a literary form. They made the short story collection viable. And 25 of them control more than half of the prizes. So will AI replace the agent? In operations, perhaps, McGrath acknowledges — the slush pile is overwhelming and smart machine assistance is welcome. But in creative work — in the business of writing, editing, translation, cover design, and above all taste — she thinks not. No algorithm will ever learn the Catch-22 of publishing — separating the Thomas Pynchon or Joseph Heller from all the dross. And no bot (male or female) is ever going to host a three-martini lunch in Manhattan. Five Takeaways • The Literary Agent as the New Gatekeeper: Replacing the Publisher: In the early 20th century, publishing was shaped by the taste of individual publishers: Bennett Cerf at Random House, Alfred and Blanche Knopf at their imprint, Max Perkins at Scribner's. Those days are over. Publishers are now conglomerates where individual editors may have excellent taste but no single figure shapes the house. Into that vacuum has come the literary agent — who now operates, McGrath argues, exactly as the great publishers once did: as the primary tastemaker, the person whose aesthetic and commercial judgment shapes what America reads. • 25 Agents, Half the Prizes, 80% Women: The Numbers: McGrath's most striking statistical finding: just 25 literary agents represent more than half of all prizewinning novelists in the 21st century. Twenty-five people. The field is 80% women — hence the tongue-in-cheek title — and 73% white. Agents tend, McGrath found, to represent authors who resemble themselves. One answer to the question “why is contemporary literary fiction so white?” is: because agents are. And agents, because they work on contingency fees rather than salaries, face severe financial pressures that concentrate power at the top of the profession. • The Unacknowledged Legislators: Agents Shaped American Literary History: McGrath's book is full of literary history rewritten from the agent's perspective. Sterling Lord persisted past dozens of rejections to place On the Road for Kerouac. Candida Donadio — Pynchon's, Heller's, Gaddis's, and early Philip Roth's agent — championed maximalist, experimental writers whom no one was interested in, and built the social network of editor relationships that made postmodernism possible. The debut novel as a cultural form, the persistence of the short story collection despite poor sales, the rise of the New York novel — all are, in McGrath's account, partly agent-made. • Can White Male Writers Not Get Published? No: Andrew raises the complaint he hears from white male writers: that they can no longer get published because of diversity initiatives. McGrath's answer is flat. No. She thinks it's silly. The number of books published each week is staggering. Being able to see some success on the part of writers of colour does not diminish the work white men are doing. The complaint, she notes, circulates every ten years, typically after a boom in support for writers of colour. We are in another round of this cycle. There will be another one in a decade. • Will AI Replace the Literary Agent? In Operations, Maybe. In Taste, No: Andrew's closing question: will AI replace the middlemen? McGrath draws the distinction she heard at the US Book Show: AI in operations (slush pile management, contract tracking), yes, possibly. AI in creative work — writing, editing, translation, cover design, and above all taste — she hopes not. An algorithm is built on priors. It narrows the window of possibility endlessly, replicating itself. That is not what a good literary agent does. A good literary agent is looking for books that surprise, frustrate, and thrill. No algorithm has learned to take an author out for a three-martini lunch. About the Guest Laura McGrath is an assistant professor of English at Temple University and a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow. She was formerly the associate director of the Literary Lab at Stanford University. She is the author of Middlemen: Literary Agents and the Making of American Fiction (Princeton University Press, April 28, 2026). She writes the textCrunch Substack on literary and publishing culture. References: • Middlemen: Literary Agents and the Making of American Fiction by Laura McGrath (Princeton University Press, April 28, 2026). • Earlier on KOA: Gayle Feldman on Nothing Random: Bennett Cerf and the Publishing House He Built — the companion episode referenced at the opening. • Sterling Lord (agent for Kerouac), Candida Donadio (Pynchon, Heller, Gaddis, Roth), Andrew Wylie — agents profiled in the book. • Andrew Keen, Cult of the Amateur (2007) — referenced as Andrew's own defence of gatekeepers. About Keen On America Nobody asks more awkward questions than the Anglo-American writer and filmmaker Andrew Keen. In Keen On America, Andrew brings his pointed Transatlantic wit to making sense of the United States — hosting daily interviews about the history and future of this now venerable Republic. With nearly 3,000 episodes since the show launched on TechCrunch in 2010, Keen On America is the most prolific intellectual interview show in the history of podcasting. WebsiteSubstackYouTube
The World Economic Forum's 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2026 will be held in Dalian, People's Republic of China, on 23-25 June. The meeting will bring together more than 1,700 leaders from over 90 countries to explore how innovation can be scaled and unlock wider economic growth. Radio Davos is covering AMNC26 daily during the meeting. On this preview episode, Forum Managing Director Mirek Dusek tells us what to expect. And we hear a clip from a recent Radio Davos discussion about the impact of the Strait of Hormuz crisis on the global energy transition. Catch up on all the action from World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2026 at wef.ch/amnc26 and across social media using the hashtag #AMNC26. Links: AMNC26: https://www.weforumasia.cn/meetings/annual-meeting-of-the-new-champions-2026/ Related podcasts: A "fundamental shift" in energy thinking: the Energy Transition Index 2026: https://www.weforumasia.cn/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/energy-transition-index-2026/ Chief Economists Outlook: counting the cost of the Hormuz crisis, with Maersk's Ilaria Maselli: https://www.weforumasia.cn/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/chief-economists-outlook-maersk-ilaria-maselli/ The rise of industrial policy - why governments are back in the business of business: https://www.weforumasia.cn/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/industrial-policy-trade-choke-points/ Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wef Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – Trump recently said he would only sign the renewal of another unconstitutional bill, the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, if it included the SAVE Act. He wants Congress to pass not just one unconstitutional infringement on the rights of the people and their states, but two...
Barack Obama famously spoke of "fundamentally transforming" America.But what exactly does that mean?And why does that vision stand in direct contrast to the principles established by America's Founders?In this episode of The Right Side, Doug Billings explores one of the most important philosophical debates in modern American politics. Is America fundamentally broken and in need of transformation? Or is America fundamentally good and in need of restoration?The Founders were not perfect men. They never claimed to be. But they established principles that proved powerful enough to inspire Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr., and generations of Americans who worked to bring the nation closer to its ideals.America's greatest achievements didn't come from abandoning its founding principles. They came from returning to them.Join Doug Billings as he examines the difference between transformation and remembrance, and why the future of the Republic may depend upon understanding that distinction.The Right Side with Doug BillingsWe're in this together. Believe it. For the Republic!Cheers. #TheRightSide #DougBillings #Obama #Founders #FoundingFathers #Constitution #DeclarationOfIndependence #AmericanHistory #AmericanExceptionalism #Freedom #Liberty #Republic #MartinLutherKingJr #FrederickDouglass #AmericaFirst #fypSupport the show
“AI companies are taking advantage of our natural tendency to ascribe an inner life to our interlocutors. They profit when you think the chatbot cares.” — Kate O'Neill If we don't like someone, we call them a fascist. And if we like them, we say they are a humanist. The F and H words. Both meaningless in our sloppy, bot-infested age. But maybe I'm just a cranky anti-humanist. Even anti-human — whatever that means. Or maybe I'm being harsh (moi?). Humanism certainly is all the rage in our AI age. Corporate consultant Kate O'Neill likes the word so much that she has built her brand around it. The self-styled “Tech Humanist” is the author of Tech Humanist, the host of the Tech Humanist Show, and a frequent speaker on the TED circuit. So how to use the H word without sounding like Claude or ChatGPT? O'Neill argues that what makes us human is our quest for meaning. The M word. That's what distinguishes us from the bots. But as Kazuo Ishiguro warns in Klara and the Sun, we are fast arriving at a point when the bots are better than us at extracting meaning from the world. So did Kate O'Neill pass the Keen Test (reverse of Turing)? Did the Tech Humanist say anything that would have eluded Claude? Or have we already arrived at Ishiguro's bleak terminus where the bots are more skilled at infusing the H word with meaning than we are? Five Takeaways • What Is Tech Humanism? Aligning Business and Human Outcomes: O'Neill's definition: technology shapes human experiences at scale, and it does so almost always in service of a business objective that is accelerating its advance. The purpose of tech humanism is to find the business objectives that need to be met and align them with human outcomes that are rewarding and fulfilling for people. This means using technology to amplify the alignment between business and human outcomes — rather than simply making the business more successful. It is, she acknowledges, not the habit of most business leaders. But it is a habit that can be developed. • You Sound Like a Bot: Andrew's Challenge: Andrew's opening challenge: O'Neill sounds exactly like a well-prompted language model. She uses the h word (humanism) and the m word (meaning). What is she saying that Claude couldn't say? O'Neill's answer: meaning is not a word but a phenomenon. It is what emerges from the combination of embodied sensory experience and language — the way humans encode meaningful experiences with language in their brains. As far as we know, this is a uniquely human capability. Machines process information statistically. Humans process it meaningfully. That distinction is, she argues, precisely the gap that matters. • AI Companies Profit When You Think the Chatbot Cares: O'Neill's sharpest observation: we are constituted to look for inner life in the things we interact with. We give nicknames to our cars and talk to our toasters. At this early stage of interacting with large language models, it is entirely natural to assume there is a consciousness on the other side. The problem: AI companies are actively taking advantage of that natural tendency. They profit from it. The more people believe the chatbot genuinely understands them, the more they use it. That manipulation is real and it is working. Developing critical thinking about AI interactions is, O'Neill argues, now a form of self-defence. • The Intersection of Meaning and Scale: O'Neill's key contribution to the tech humanism conversation: the problem with technology is not technology itself but the scale at which it operates. A single interaction with a biased algorithm is annoying. A billion such interactions, aggregated and accelerated by a business objective, reshapes society. The tech humanist's job is to ensure that when we deploy technology at scale, the outcomes remain aligned with human meaning rather than with the extraction of human attention. This, she says, is both a business problem and a civilisational one. The two are, in her view, inseparable. • A Message to 2126: What We Valued About Ourselves: Andrew asks O'Neill: it is 2126. Humans and machines are indistinguishable. What do you say to whoever is listening? O'Neill's answer: hello from the past. What we valued about ourselves was our ability to understand each other — intellectually, emotionally, sympathetically, empathetically. We could come into our interactions by holding space for what the other person feels and cares about. And we could, even when we disagreed, create more shared understanding by virtue of having the conversation. That is a beautiful thing, she says, whether we are distinctly human and distinctly machine or increasingly a blend of both. About the Guest Kate O'Neill is founder and CEO of KO Insights and is widely known as “the Tech Humanist.” She was one of the first 100 employees at Netflix and has held roles at Toshiba and founded the analytics firm [meta]marketer. She is named to the Thinkers50 global ranking of top management thinkers. She is the author of What Matters Next: A Leader's Guide to Making Human-Friendly Tech Decisions in a World That's Moving Too Fast (Wiley, January 2025), Tech Humanist (2018), A Future So Bright (2021), and Pixels and Place (2016). She advises Google, IBM, Microsoft, the United Nations, Harvard, and Yale. She hosts The Tech Humanist Show on YouTube. References: • What Matters Next: A Leader's Guide to Making Human-Friendly Tech Decisions in a World That's Moving Too Fast by Kate O'Neill (Wiley, January 2025). • Kazuo Ishiguro, Klara and the Sun (2021) — the novel discussed in the conversation's closing section. • Victoria Hetherington, The Friend Machine — referenced by Andrew in the conversation on AI companionship. About Keen On America Nobody asks more awkward questions than the Anglo-American writer and filmmaker Andrew Keen. In Keen On America, Andrew brings his pointed Transatlantic wit to making sense of the United States — hosting daily interviews about the history and future of this now venerable Republic. With nearly 3,000 episodes since the show launched on TechCrunch in 2010, Keen On America is the most prolific intellectual interview show in the history of podcasting. WebsiteSubstackYouTube
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – Trump recently said he would only sign the renewal of another unconstitutional bill, the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, if it included the SAVE Act. He wants Congress to pass not just one unconstitutional infringement on the rights of the people and their states, but two...
¿Vale la pena contratar una wedding planner? ¿Cuánto cuesta una boda sencilla en República Dominicana? ¿Por qué cada vez más parejas deciden invertir en una coordinadora de bodas para evitar estrés, errores y gastos innecesarios? En este episodio 227 de Dominicanamente conversamos con Daniela, wedding planner certificada internacionalmente y fundadora de Rústico Event Planner, quien comparte su experiencia organizando bodas, manejando presupuestos, resolviendo emergencias de último minuto y ayudando a parejas a convertir sus sueños en realidad. Hablamos sobre costos reales de una boda en República Dominicana, fotógrafos, videógrafos, decoración, techos para eventos, bodas destino, bodas en la playa, bodas en la Zona Colonial, tendencias actuales, errores que cometen los novios y todo lo que ocurre detrás de una boda perfecta que los invitados nunca llegan a ver. Además, Daniela revela anécdotas increíbles sobre proveedores, cambios de wedding planner a pocas semanas de una boda, presupuestos ajustados, bodas de más de un millón de pesos y por qué la tranquilidad es una de las mejores inversiones para el día más importante de una pareja. Si estás planeando casarte, eres wedding planner, trabajas en eventos o simplemente te da curiosidad conocer cómo funciona esta industria, este episodio es para ti.Un podcast de Cooltura.
Commemorate Juneteenth and reflect on its origins, history, meaning, and traditions.Learn about the prevalence and acceptance of slavery in world history (such as in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Athens, Rome, Britain, England, and Europe) and its development in the colonies and the United States. Examine the cruel and barbaric slave trade and Middle Passage across the ocean from first hand accounts.Explore how some Founding Fathers such as Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Alexander Hamilton opposed slavery, and George Washington emancipated his slaves. Learn how Thomas Jefferson trembled for the future of the country because of slavery, and how he banned slavery in the Northwest Territory and signed the law banning the slave trade in America. Learn how the opposition to slavery led to sharp divisions in the country, eventually exploding into the Civil War.Review how President Abraham Lincoln shifted his original position and supported the emancipation of the slaves as a wartime measure, and implemented emancipation through the first and final Emancipation Proclamations. Learn how the final Emancipation Proclamation only freed those enslaved by the Confederate States of America.Learn how many enslaved first learned of the Emancipation Proclamation for the first time on June 19, 1865 by virtue of Union General Gordan Granger General's Order No. 3 issued in Galveston, Texas after the Union army occupies the city, but only after the 25th Army Corps — primarily composed of African American Union troops — liberate Galveston.Review how slavery was finally abolished through the ratification of the 13th Amendment and treaties with Native American tribes (who held slaves) such as the Cherokee, Creek, and Chickasaw.Explore how June 19 becomes a new celebration - called Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, and finally Juneteenth - and the celebration spread across the nation, and was finally recognized as a federal holiday in the wake of the George Floyd killing in 2021. Listen to several Juneteenth Presidential Proclamations by Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.Focus on how commercialism is starting to creep into the Juneteenth celebrations.Highlights include Christina Snyder's book Slavery in Indian Country, The Changing Face of Captivity in Early America, Olaudah Equiano (Gustavus Vassa), the Great Awakening, chattel slavery, Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery, Eli Whitney & the cotton gin, Missouri Compromise, Bleeding Kansas, Lincoln Douglas debates, "A House Divided" Abraham Lincoln speech, presidential election of 1860, Declaration of Independence, abolitionists, Fort Sumter, Civil War, Grand Army of the Republic, Horace Greeley, Gideon Wells, William Seward, Antietam, Gettysburg Address, Lincoln First Inaurual Address, Lincoln Second Inaugural Address, Richard Hofstadlter's American Political Tradition, bill of lading, General Robert E. Lee, Appotomattox Court House, CSS Shenandoah, Union General Gordan Granger General Order No. 3, and much more.To learn more about America & Patriot Week, visit www.PatriotWeek.org. Our resources include videos, a TV series, blogs, lesson plans, and more.Check out Judge Michael Warren's new book, The Revolutionary Words that Forged America - The Definitive Guide to the Declaration of Independence (Republic Books 2026).
“I considered it elder abuse. She put him through the paces, not only before the debate, but after. She should have gotten him out of there immediately.” — Sally Quinn on Jill Biden and the debate Today's guest is amongst America's most verbal octogenarians. No, not you-know-who. Sally Quinn is the illustrious Washington DC hostess, writer and commentator. The almost 85-year-old does improv comedy every Sunday, ballroom dancing every week and Zen Buddhist meditation every Monday night. Her novel, Silent Retreat, is now out in paperback. And she's working on her memoir, tentatively entitled Never Invite Sally Quinn. Certainly Jill Biden won't be inviting Sally Quinn any time soon to one of her tête-à-têtes. Quinn's account of what went wrong with the Biden presidency is sharply personal. Her late husband, legendary Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee, had dementia. She watched his cognitive decline from inside, and the parallels with what she observed in Biden were, she tells me, too close for comfort. Jill Biden's decision to keep Joe running after the debate, when she privately suspected he'd suffered a stroke, was, in Quinn's word, “elder abuse.” Silent Retreat, set at a monastery in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, is about the sexiness of silence. A prize-winning reporter and the venerable Archbishop of Dublin fall in love in enforced silence. Anything but elder abuse. But autobiographical? Probably not. As Ben Bradlee used to tease her over breakfast, it's always been hard for not-silent-Sally to keep her mouth shut. Five Takeaways • The Army Brat Who Became Washington's Most Powerful Hostess: Quinn grew up as an army brat, moving from posting to posting with her military father. She arrived in Washington after college, did a stint as social secretary to the Algerian ambassador, and was then hired by Ben Bradlee to write for the Washington Post's new Style section — the first style section in the history of American journalism. She and Bradlee eventually married. Their home in Georgetown became the hub of Washington's social and political life for decades. She describes herself not as a powerhouse but as someone who “really lucked out.” An army brat who knew how to work a room. • Gerontocracy Is Real — But People Who Keep Going Are Different: Quinn agrees with Samuel Moyn that American gerontocracy is a genuine problem: people who lose their cognitive sharpness should not be running organizations or countries, and the tragedy is that no one can know in advance who will lose it and who won't. But she draws a distinction: the problem is not old people, it's old people who have stopped growing. She surrounds herself with younger people, particularly younger journalists, because of their energy, idealism, and optimism. She is still working full time. The issue is not age. It's vitality. • Biden and Jill: Elder Abuse: Quinn's account of the Biden presidency is the most personal Andrew has heard. Her husband Ben Bradlee had dementia. She knows the signs. She watched Biden lose it, got a knot in her stomach every time he spoke publicly. The debate was her worst nightmare. Everyone in the White House knew what was happening and wasn't telling the truth. And Jill Biden — who now admits she thought he had had a stroke after the debate — raised his arm in a victory salute the next day and took him off to campaign in North Carolina. Quinn's verdict: “I considered it elder abuse.” • Silent Retreat: A New Yorker Writer and an Archbishop Fall in Love in Enforced Silence: The novel grew from Quinn's own annual visits to a Trappist monastery in Virginia's Berryville. She is a woman who once failed to stay quiet for three days — or so her husband thought — and who found to her surprise that she loved it. The novel: a prize-winning reporter whose marriage is falling apart, and an Archbishop of Dublin whose faith is in crisis, check into the same monastery for a silent retreat. They can't speak to each other. They speak to the monk instead. The novel is told through those confessions. Kirkus: “an unholy brew of lust and faith.” Airmail: “a bodice ripper with a fillip of Roman Catholic ritual.” • Improv, Ballroom Dancing, Zen Buddhism, and Dinner by Candlelight: Quinn's account of how she stays alive at 84 is the most energetic thing in this conversation. Improv comedy every Sunday for two and a half hours — performances after the class, with people half her age. Ballroom dancing every week. Zen Buddhist meditation every Monday night for two hours. Working out every day. Writing her Washington memoir. And hosting small dinner parties — six or eight people, candlelight, good food, a lot of wine — as a form of community-building in what she calls the toxic environment of today's Washington. The memoir's title: Never Invite Sally Quinn. Andrew has already secured an invitation to the next dinner party. About the Guest Sally Quinn is a longtime Washington Post journalist, columnist, television commentator, Washington insider, and one of Washington's legendary social hostesses. She is the author of Silent Retreat (Simon & Schuster), Finding Magic, The Party, Happy Endings, Regrets Only, and We're Going to Make You a Star. She was the founder and moderator of On Faith, the Washington Post's religion website. She lives in Georgetown, Washington DC. References: • Silent Retreat by Sally Quinn (Simon & Schuster). In paperback. • Episode 2945: Samuel Moyn on Gerontocracy in America — referenced at the opening. • Ben Bradlee — Quinn's late husband, executive editor of the Washington Post during Watergate, referenced throughout. About Keen On America Nobody asks more awkward questions than the Anglo-American writer and filmmaker Andrew Keen. In Keen On America, Andrew brings his pointed Transatlantic wit to making sense of the United States — hosting daily interviews about the history and future of this now venerable Republic. With nearly 3,000 episodes since the show launched on TechCrunch in 2010, Keen On America is the most prolific intellectual interview show in the history of podcasting. WebsiteSubstackYouTubeApple PodcastsSpotify Chapters:...
Are the Empire's Rebels just yesterday's Separatists in new clothes? The Confederacy of Independent Systems wasn't driven by ideology so much as by corporate interests, trade unions, and Outer Rim frustrations with a bloated Republic. But what really pushed entire systems to break away? Why fight so fiercely for independence while simultaneously aligning with a new power rising in the shadows? And what was the Separatists' true endgame?In this episode, Mark, Brian, and Garrett dig into the political, philosophical, and moral tensions behind the Separatist movement—its motivations, its contradictions, and its lasting impact on the galaxy.
"Death by Lightning" is an American historical drama miniseries created by Mike Makowsky and based on the 2011 book "Destiny of the Republic" by Candice Millard. It stars Michael Shannon as United States President James A. Garfield and Matthew Macfadyen as his assassin, Charles J. Guiteau. The four-episode series premiered on Netflix on November 6th, 2025, and received widespread acclaim from critics, with particular praise for the performances, writing, and direction, and was named one of the best television programs of the year by the American Film Institute. Creator, Executive Producer, and Writer Mike Makowsky was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience making the miniseries, which you can listen to below. Please be sure to check out the show, which is available to watch on Netflix and is up for your consideration for this year's Emmy Awards in all eligible categories. Thank you, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Each summer, we preview the teams on the Texas Longhorns' schedule, starting with Week 12 and working backward toward the start of the season. We start with the Texas A&M Aggies, who are coming off a historic season and a trip to the College Football Playoff, the most successful season in modern history for the team. They return a ton of high-level skill talent but are rebuilding on the offensive line, hoping to be buoyed by a stout, experienced defensive unit. What are the expectations for the Aggies in Year 3 under Mike Elko with a new offensive coordinator and an experienced quarterback? And what A&M tradition would Jay sacrifice for a National Championship? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“Age is the modality in which class is lived in America today.” — Samuel Moyn Yesterday we had 91-year-old Mordecai Kurz on the show. Tomorrow, it will be 84-year-old Sally Quinn. But today's guest, the Yale legal historian Samuel Moyn, has a bit of a problem with old people. His new book, Gerontocracy in America, argues that the old folks are hoarding power and wealth in America. For Moyn, Dylan's Sixties anthem of “Forever Young” has soured into today's reality of “Forever Old.” In some ways, it's hard to argue with Moyn's thesis. Donald Trump is the oldest elected US president in history. Congress has been ageing for decades — and several Democratic members died in the run-up to the One Big Beautiful Bill vote, thereby facilitating its passage. The progressive heroine Ruth Bader Ginsburg stayed on the Supreme Court through a pancreatic cancer diagnosis and died in office, handing the right a supermajority and the end of abortion rights. Clarence Thomas, the RBG of nutcase conservatism, is on track to become the longest-serving Supreme Court justice in US history. And then there's that alte kaker Joe Biden, former dodder-in-chief, the only pol who gives Trump a youthful glow. Even Bob Dylan — who I saw in all his morbid brilliance in Berkeley last week (“but me, I'm still on the road”) — just celebrated his 85th birthday. Forever old, America. Happy 250th. Five Takeaways • What Is Gerontocracy? Not a Problem With Old People: Moyn is careful to distinguish gerontocracy from old people. He is in his mid-fifties and can't attack old people generally. His target is the system: the structural overrepresentation of old people in power, and the structural disadvantaging of the young that results. Old people can be great. Some are, some aren't — just like everyone else. The problem is that when we defer to old people automatically — as a system rather than as a judgement about individuals — we replicate their mistakes alongside their wisdom. And cognitive decline is real, as Biden proved. “Age is the modality in which class is lived in America today,” Moyn writes, riffing on Stuart Hall's formulation about race. • The Congress, the Courts, and the Deaths That Passed the Bill: Trump is the oldest elected US president in history — and if JD Vance were to succeed him, Vance would be the youngest president since Teddy Roosevelt. But Moyn's focus goes beyond the presidency. Congress has aged dramatically: the average senator and representative are significantly older than at any point in US history, and there is now only one member of Congress in their thirties. Several Democratic members of the House died in the months before the One Big Beautiful Bill vote, facilitating its passage. The gerontocracy is quite literally voting itself into power through death. • The RBG Problem: Selfishness and the Supreme Court: Moyn's account of Ruth Bader Ginsburg is unsparing. She had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer — one of the deadliest — and allegedly survived it. She had become a progressive icon, “Notorious RBG.” But she chose to stay on the court rather than retire under Obama, and she died in office in 2020, allowing Trump to appoint Amy Coney Barrett and hand the right a supermajority that ended abortion rights. Moyn's verdict: she was selfish. He is also careful to note that the system should not depend on individual virtue — there will always be selfish people. The system must be reformed so that selfish choices are no longer possible. • The Framers Designed Gerontocracy Into the Constitution: One of Moyn's most striking historical arguments: the framers deliberately empowered old people. The age minimums for federal office (35 for the presidency, 30 for the Senate) excluded 70% of the population at the time. The Senate was named after the Roman senatus — literally “old men” — and the concept went back to the Spartan council of elders. Alexander Hamilton argued in the Federalist Papers that federal judges should serve until they were “dodering” because the alternative was too much popular power. The gerontocracy is not an accident. It was designed. • The Solutions: Vote at Six, Retire at Sixty, Tax the Family Home: Moyn's solutions are deliberately radical. On voting: lower the age, as David Runciman advocates to six, and reduce the number of elections because evidence shows the more elections, the greater the elder dominance. On political office: age limits, youth cohorts. On the courts: mandatory retirement — this requires creative interpretation of the constitution rather than amendment. On the economy: higher taxes on inherited wealth and housing assets — an incremental tax for staying in a large house you no longer need. On the title of the paperback: Andrew suggests “Forever Old.” Moyn will credit him if it's chosen. About the Guest Samuel Moyn is the Kent Professor of Law and History at Yale University. He is the author of Gerontocracy in America: How the Old Are Hoarding Power and Wealth — and What to Do About It (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, June 16, 2026), Humane: How the United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War, Not Enough: Human Rights in an Unequal World, and The Last Utopia: Human Rights in History. He is co-host of the Digging a Hole podcast and a frequent contributor to The Nation, The New Republic, and The New York Times. He lives in New Haven, Connecticut. References: • Gerontocracy in America: How the Old Are Hoarding Power and Wealth — and What to Do About It by Samuel Moyn (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, June 16, 2026). • Samuel Moyn, “The Old Guard: Confronting America's Gerontocratic Crisis,” Harper's Magazine, May 2026 — the excerpt from the book referenced at the opening. • David Runciman — referenced for his advocacy of lowering the voting age to six. • Stuart Hall — referenced for the formulation that class is lived through race, which Moyn repurposes for age. About Keen On America Nobody asks more awkward questions than the Anglo-American writer and filmmaker Andrew Keen. In Keen On America, Andrew brings his pointed Transatlantic wit to making sense of the United States — hosting daily interviews about the history and future of this now venerable Republic. With nearly 3,000 episodes since the show launched on TechCrunch in 2010, Keen On America is the most prolific intellectual interview show in the history of podcasting. 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The Toscanini Conspiracy – Arturo Toscanini, Fascism, and the Italian Resistance with Filippo IannaroneIn this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by Italian author Filippo Iannarone to discuss his acclaimed crime novel, The Toscanini Conspiracy – a story that weaves together a real‑life cold case, the anti‑fascist resistance of conductor Arturo Toscanini, and the author's own family history of heroic opposition to Mussolini and Hitler.The novel began with a chance encounter. While travelling in Val d'Orcia, Filippo discovered a small inn called Locanda Toscanini and asked the host why it bore the name of the legendary conductor. The answer opened a door to a forgotten story: the murder of Dr. Rinaldi, a physician and friend of Toscanini, in 1935 – the same year Mussolini invaded Ethiopia. The case was never solved. But as Filippo dug through newspaper archives and court documents, he found that it exposed a hidden world of anti‑fascist activity in a small Tuscan village.That village became a gathering place for intellectuals, artists, and dissidents – including the explorer Umberto Nobile, fashion designer Salvatore Ferragamo, and Anita Garibaldi – all resisting the tightening grip of Mussolini's regime. At the centre of it all was Arturo Toscanini, the most famous conductor in the world, who had already been beaten by fascist thugs for refusing to play the regime's anthem. Later, he would reject a personal invitation from Adolf Hitler to conduct at Bayreuth – a decision that carried immense symbolic weight.But Filippo's story is also deeply personal. His uncle, Major General Michele Iannarone, was a hero of the Italian Resistance. A monarchist officer who served on the Eastern Front and developed contacts with German officers opposed to Hitler, he became one of the commanders of Rome's clandestine military resistance after the fall of Mussolini in July 1943. When Rome was occupied by the Nazis, his network of thousands of partisans coordinated with the Allies, saved Jewish families, and kept the German army occupied until the Americans arrived.We discuss the brutal civil war that raged in Italy from 1943 until well after the war's end, the forgotten role of monarchist partisans, the trauma of the "years of lead" in the 1970s, and the uncomfortable continuities between fascism and today's far‑right movements across Europe and America. Filippo also reflects on what Toscanini would make of our current moment – and why telling these stories matters more than ever.Topics covered:The real‑life cold case that inspired the novelArturo Toscanini's anti‑fascist activismThe 1935 Italian invasion of Ethiopia and its domestic consequencesThe alternative community of dissidents in Spiazza, TuscanyMajor General Michele Iannarone and the monarchist partisansThe military clandestine front in occupied RomeThe Via Rasella bombing and the Ardeatine massacreItaly's post‑war civil war and the "years of lead"The erasure of monarchist partisans from official historyParallels between 1930s Italy and today's far‑right movementsFilippo Iannarone's The Toscanini Conspiracy is available now in English. Please consider buying from an independent bookshop or directly from the publisher.If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting us – we are migrating from Patreon to Substack. Details in the show notes.Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Historically Thinking: Conversations about historical knowledge and how we achieve it
“This is a book about a cruel and ruthless war—a war without mercy—in which those caught up in it believed they had nothing to lose by fighting without regard for the rules of so-called ‘civilized warfare.' It was the War for American Independence. At its grimmest level, this was a confrontation in which military restraint was more the exception than the rule, a struggle in which combatants believed their very existence was in question.”Those are the words of my guest Mark Lender and his co-author, the late James Kirby Martin, from their book War Without Mercy: Liberty or Death in the American Revolution. While a growing number of historians have shown that the Revolutionary War was often far more brutal than Americans like to remember, few have attempted to explain why it became so brutal. Lender and Martin argue that the answer lies in understanding the Revolution as an existential war: a conflict in which participants believed defeat threatened not merely political loss, but the destruction of their families, communities, and way of life.Mark Lender is Professor Emeritus of History at Kean University and most recently served as advisor to the 250th Anniversary Exhibit at the National Museum of the United States Army. He and James Kirby Martin also co-authored A Respectable Army: The Military Origins of the Republic, 1763-1789.
- [Live] President Trump's Bilateral Meeting with the Prime Minister of Republic of India, Modi - [Replay] President Trump's Bilateral Meeting with the Arab Republic of Egypt - [Live] President Macron speaks at the end of the G7 summit in France - [Live] President Trump's G7 Press Conference President Trump opens with a warm meeting alongside Indian Prime Minister Modi before delivering the most detailed press conference yet on the Iran agreement from the G7 summit in France. He reaffirms that Iran will never produce, procure, or buy a nuclear weapon, explains the buried enriched uranium situation under Space Force surveillance, and repeats the now familiar contrast with Obama's JCPOA and its infamous cash filled Boeing aircraft. Trump details the economic fallout of the conflict, including oil prices plummeting and the stock market notching new records, then covers Ukraine peace efforts, the Ebola response in Africa, AI energy infrastructure, and a series of new G7 declarations on immigration and drug trafficking. He closes by floating the idea of sending JD Vance to the Friday signing ceremony instead of attending himself, reasoning that credit and blame can be assigned more conveniently from a distance.
What if the biggest story in America isn't politics at all?In this episode of The Right Side: After watching the massive UFC event associated with President Trump, Doug Billings realized the real story wasn't the fights, the celebrities, or even Trump himself.The story was the crowd.Why do America's media elites, Hollywood elites, and political elites seem perpetually shocked by election results, cultural trends, and the values of ordinary Americans?Doug explores the growing disconnect between the people who shape America's culture and the people who actually live in America.Drawing on his experiences growing up in Kansas City, years in education, and conversations with thousands of listeners across the country, Doug explains why millions of Americans are rediscovering confidence in their own values, their own observations, and their own common sense.This isn't really a story about UFC.It's a story about family, faith, patriotism, personal responsibility, culture, and why ordinary Americans are no longer willing to let elites define reality for them.Topics include:• The cultural significance of Trump's UFC event• Why media elites keep misreading America• The disconnect between Hollywood and Main Street• Family, faith, and traditional American values• Why ordinary Americans are pushing back• The Great American Pushback and the future of the RepublicThe story isn't politics. The story is culture. And culture always comes first.Contribute to The Right Side with Doug Billings at: www.DougBillings.usWe're in this together. Believe it.For the Republic!Cheers. #DougBillings #TheRightSide #AmericaFirst #MAGA #ConservativePodcast #Patriot #AmericanCulture #Trump #UFC #MediaBias #PoliticalCommentary #CultureWar #FaithFamilyFreedom #Podcast Support the show
In the setting of Londinium, 92 AD, Gaius and Germanicus contrast the Roman "triumph"—a sacred ritual bonding the citizenry to the sacrifice of war—with the failing 2026 American way of war. Germanicus argues that for a republic to remain healthy, war must function as "theater" that allows the people to embrace the experience and sacrifice of their soldiers vicariously. He notes that while World War II and even the initial stages of the Iraq War utilized media and film to create this vital national connection, current conflicts have become opaque "vanity projects." This lack of transparency has severed the sacred bond between the leadership and the people, leaving an isolated "imperial court" to pursue its own interests disconnected from the republic. (1)1965 VIETNAM
With Eric on vacation, Eliot welcomes Kenneth Pollack, VP for Policy at the Middle East Institute, to the show. Ken outlines MEI's mission before providing analysis on the current state of the Iran war. They discuss the difficulty of ending a conflict when both sides believe they are winning, and whether we are on the cusp of significant concessions or escalation. They explore whether the war was a good idea badly executed or a bad idea badly executed. The pair also speculate about what a successfully prosecuted war effort would have looked like before turning to the likely trajectory of the Iranian regime in the future. Ken explains the broader implications of the war for the Gulf States, Israel, China, Russia, and Turkey before closing with a conversation about why the United States cares about the region and why it presents such an enduring challenge.Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.
Michael McFaul and John Batchelor discuss the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis as a pivotal moment of near-nuclear obliteration that underscores the necessity of modern crisis management. McFaul emphasizes that a critical failure during this era was the lack of direct communication and a tendency to guess the adversary's intentions. While the Soviet Unionwas the primary threat in 1962, today the People's Republic of China has emerged as a major, revolutionary power player. McFaul argues that modern diplomacy must prioritize clear information and established prevention mechanisms to stabilize relations with both Russia and China. (1)1902
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – America's republic faces pressure from citizens, courts, and federal agencies that disregard constitutional limits. From FBI misconduct to appliance regulations and sweeping Google data demands, Richard Mack argues that liberty survives only when officials honor their oaths and citizens defend the Constitution against corruption, judicial overreach, and centralized power...
What did it take to rule an empire that was never meant to have an emperor?In this second episode of our series on the Roman Empire, we're joined by classicist Mary Beard to trace how Roman leadership evolved over a thousand years - from the competitive power-sharing of the Republic, to the carefully constructed one-man rule of Augustus. Why did the republican system buckle under its own success? And what set the empire on the path to fragmentation?Make sure to join us for our third episode next week, when Peter Heather will explain how and why the Roman Empire fell apart.Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.We need your help! Let us know what you want from Dan Snow's History Hit by filling in our anonymous survey here: https://forms.gle/PvgayWLkWGjYT4St6Dan Snow's History Hit is now available on YouTube! Check it out at: https://www.youtube.com/@DSHHPodcastSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
California's election laws are so absurd that it doesn't really matter if there is fraud or not — nobody can trust what their results say. If such a cancer spreads, how can the republic survive? Walter Kirn joins for the entire first hour to talk about that, the racialization of American justice as shown by the Karmelo Anthony case, and more. Eric Metaxas comes in-studio to show off his tremendous new book on the American founding. Tom Fitton explains his unfortunate clash with the Trump FBI and asks why we're still waiting on 75,000 pages of files. Watch every episode ad-free on members.charliekirk.com! Get new merch at charliekirkstore.com!Support the show: http://www.charliekirk.com/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.