Episodes

  • News - Sudan Rival Government, US Pushing Ukraine-Russia Deal, US-Saudi Nuclear Tech Talks

    News - Sudan Rival Government, US Pushing Ukraine-Russia Deal, US-Saudi Nuclear Tech Talks
    Apr 18 2025
    Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and much more content! One last news roundup without Derek, but Danny and Alex Jordan of the Quincy Institute are on the case! This week: the RSF announces plans to form a parallel government in Sudan (1:33); US-Iran nuclear negotiations continue in Oman (7:21); the US and Saudi Arabia discuss giving the Kingdom access to nuclear technology (14:19); the Trump trade war continues despite him dialing back certain tariffs (18:40); Xi Jinping tours Southeast Asia (22:44); President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador visits the White House amid the controversy of Kilmar Ábrego García’s deportation (27:15); ICE is ramping up the arrest of pro-Palestine voices in the US (31:14); center-right candidate Daniel Noboa wins the presidential election in Ecuador (32:56); American envoy Steve Witkoff says a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia is imminent (34:36) and President Vladimir Zelenskyy appears on 60 Minutes (40:42); and the Israeli government announces that it will escalate its attack on Gaza (43:13). Danny then speaks with Afeef Nessouli, a volunteer currently in Gaza working with Glia, a medical organization that “empowers low-resource ​communities to build sustainable, locally-driven healthcare projects.” Please consider donating to Glia to help Afeef and Palestinians doing medical work in Gaza. Afeef also works with Shabab Gaza, a local project that provides food and sometimes produce for victims of the genocide. I have personally backed boxes of rice for families. You can donate if you DM them @shababgaza1 on Instagram. And Catch Alex Jordan on X/Twitter @alexjordanatl and on the Quincy Institute’s upcoming YouTube program “Always at War, which he will co-host with Courtney Rawlings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • E207 - The Sino-Soviet Split, Pt. 1 w/ Jeremy Friedman

    E207 - The Sino-Soviet Split, Pt. 1 w/ Jeremy Friedman
    Apr 15 2025
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Unlocked: The Sino-Soviet Split Primer w/ Jeremy Friedman

    Unlocked: The Sino-Soviet Split Primer w/ Jeremy Friedman
    Apr 14 2025
    In anticipation for our two-part conversation on the Sino-Soviet split, we're reposting the episode we did laying the groundwork. Danny and Derek welcome Jeremy Friedman, Marvin Bower associate professor at Harvard Business School, for a discussion about the Sino-Soviet split. They talk about the early days of the revolutionary states’ relationship, the differences in their ideologies, the external forces shaping each nation’s trajectory, the heyday of their cooperation, and the beginning of the fissure in the mid-1950s. Grab a copy of Jeremy’s great book Shadow Cold War: The Sino-Soviet Competition for the Third World! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 mins
  • Bonus - South Africa: Land Policies, Musk, and a Crumbling Coalition w/ Ben Fogel

    Bonus - South Africa: Land Policies, Musk, and a Crumbling Coalition w/ Ben Fogel
    Apr 13 2025
    Subscribe now for the full episode! Danny and Derek welcome back to the program Ben Fogel, head of publishing at the Alameda Institute and contributing editor at Jacobin, to chat about South Africa. They get into the struggling coalition government, the stories of “white genocide” stemming from eminent domain policies, Musk and how South Africa helped make him the man he is today, the roles of neoliberal and racialized ideologies there, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    10 mins
  • Special - The Mahmoud Khalil Ruling w/ Branko Marcetic (Preview)

    Special - The Mahmoud Khalil Ruling w/ Branko Marcetic (Preview)
    Apr 12 2025
    Subscribe now for the full episode and access to all breaking news specials. Danny sits down with Jacobin’s Branko Marcetic to talk about yesterday's ruling that Columbia organizer Mahmoud Khalil may be deported for his political views. They discuss precedents, the use of Cold War anti-communist laws as a means to arrest and deport people, whether Trump actually cares about Israel, the power of the judiciary, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    5 mins
  • News - Tariff Chaos, US-Iran Talks, Trump Considers Drones Against Cartels

    News - Tariff Chaos, US-Iran Talks, Trump Considers Drones Against Cartels
    Apr 11 2025
    We reluctantly approved Derek’s vacation time, but the news marches on, so Danny welcomes back to the show Alex Jordan of the Quincy Institute to help bring you headlines from around the world. They first take some time to catch up about where things stand with Trump 2.0 and critique what they see as premature analyses of this administration before getting into the news. This week: Trump goes back and forth on massive tariffs (16:47); US and Iranian officials are set to meet in Oman for direct nuclear talks (24:22); the US appears to be considering a ground invasion of Yemen (29:51); the Israeli government and military seem to be moving on to a new stage in preparation for annexing Gaza (34:43); the US and the Philippines carry out military exercises in the South China Sea (40:47); South Korea’s Yoon leaves office as the country prepares for a snap election (44:30); Trump might be considering using drones against Mexican drug cartels (48:48); and Ukrainian president Zelenskyy has accused Russia of recruiting Chinese nationals to fight (52:26) as negotiators visit DC to discuss the so-called “mineral deal” (56:36). Catch Alex on X/Twitter @alexjordanatl and on the Quincy Institute’s upcoming YouTube program “Always at War”, which he will co-host with Courtney Rawlings. Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and much more content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • E206 - Alternative Media, Trump 2.0, and the Moment in Politics w/ Katrina vanden Heuvel

    E206 - Alternative Media, Trump 2.0, and the Moment in Politics w/ Katrina vanden Heuvel
    Apr 8 2025
    Danny and Derek welcome to the show Katrina vanden Heuvel, editorial director and publisher of The Nation, for a wide-ranging discussion on this moment in politics. They delve into the radicalization that led to Trump, the Democrats’ devotion to the Third Way, the need for a coherent leftwing media structure, Ukraine, NATO, the “Pivot to Asia”, the US empire, and what comes next. Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and much more content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    57 mins
  • Bonus - Trump, Xi Jinping, and Tariffs w/ Andy Liu (Preview)

    Bonus - Trump, Xi Jinping, and Tariffs w/ Andy Liu (Preview)
    Apr 6 2025
    Danny and Derek welcome to the show Andy Liu, professor of history at Villanova, for a discussion on Trump, Xi, their respective histories, and the current trade situation between the US and China. They explore Trump’s relationship with Japan in the 80s and how that helped shape his idea of trade and tariffs, the US security apparatus emboldening Trump’s “dealmaking”, Xi’s own background as a “nepo baby” in the transformative era of Deng Xiaoping, he and the Chinese government’s effort to move China from exporting mostly cheap goods to higher-end products, the current Trump administration’s actions and (lack of) communication with Beijing, and more. Subscribe now to listen to the full episode. Note: this episode was recorded in mid-March, i.e. before the latest round of tariffs. Read Andy’s piece for n+1, “Back to the ‘80s?”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    10 mins
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