WSJ Opinion: Free Expression

U.S. elections now seem routinely dogged by allegations of fraud and outside interference. Not just in 2020, but in several of the most recent presidential contests the losing candidates had cried foul. And so the security of this year’s contest may be more controversial than ever. Are our electoral systems safe - and what about the threat of “misinformation”? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince explains how his company is trying to "build a better internet," how tech companies are trying to fight both hackers and widespread organized attacks and responds to criticism of the company’s internal management processes after a video of an employee being fired went viral.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Iowa Caucuses are just a few days away and the New Hampshire primary follows a week after. Donald Trump maintains a big lead in the Hawkeye State and a smaller one in the Granite State. But does Nikki Haley have the momentum? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, WSJ columnist Kimberly Strassel joins Gerry Baker to discuss what’s behind Haley’s apparent advance, what chance Ron DeSantis has of finishing strong and what margin of victory Trump needs in Iowa to declare a decisive victory heading into New Hampshire.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first two contests of the 2024 presidential election, the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, are just days away. So do any of Donald Trump's rivals have a chance to overtake him, and is Joe Biden a strong enough candidate to win reelection? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, veteran pollster Frank Luntz tells Gerry Baker why Iowa and New Hampshire residents are two completely different voter blocs, why Donald Trump should not refuse to debate Joe Biden, and why a third-party candidate has the potential to win electoral votes in 2024, and who that candidate might be.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Free Expression podcast revisits Gerry Baker's conversation with Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Catholic archbishop of New York. The two discuss how Pope Francis is leading the church worldwide, the importance of the separation of church and state, and how a lack of religion and moral conviction is to blame for our toxic cultural environment.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As 2023 draws to a close, the war between Ukraine and Russia is approaching the two-year mark in what appears to be a stalemate, while the war between Israel and Hamas rages on. What have we learned? What can we expect in 2024? And how is the U.S. dealing with these challenges? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, former CIA director General David Petraeus tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker why the Israel/Hamas battlefield is the most “fiendishly difficult” in recent memory, why the U.S. needs to take more robust action against the Red Sea attacks by Houthi forces backed by Iran, how the withdrawal from Afghanistan contributed to Vladimir Putin’s invasion, and how modern warfare has changed since World War II. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is a long overdue change finally coming to America's universities? With the resignation of Penn president Elizabeth Magill, and the controversial decision to keep Claudine Gay as the president of Harvard, the concerns over liberal indoctrination on campus have reached a fresh peak. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, University of California, Santa Cruz Professor Emeritus of German Literature John M. Ellis tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker why the testimony of the three Ivy League presidents on Capitol Hill exposed the intellectual inadequacy, hypocrisy and extremism of the academic leadership of the universities, highlighted the danger caused by the tyranny of diversity, equity and inclusion policies, and how conservatives have been harassed to the point of leaving the university system, leading to a new search for reforms as the backlash continues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Israel to Ukraine, 2023 has been a year of spreading violent conflict, increasing instability and posing stiff challenges to U.S. global strategy, all within the context of the developing new Cold War with China and its allies, Russia and Iran. It seems likely that our adversaries will probe further in 2024, and with a presidential election in the U.S., geopolitical uncertainty will only intensify. On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, historian Niall Ferguson tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker about the dangers that could come with a Russian victory in Ukraine, why Israel would benefit from a second Donald Trump administration, although it could lead to the end of NATO, and how the election in Taiwan next month will be a time of great danger as China plans its next move. The two also discuss how pro-Hamas protests on campuses have left American universities in a parlous state.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unseating a sitting Democratic president, Rep. Dean Phillips discusses Biden's weaknesses, his lawsuit against the Democratic Party of Florida, misdeeds by Hunter Biden, the Iran deal and its impact on the conflict with Israel. They also talk about the culture of fear and silence in politics, foreign affairs including the war in Ukraine and support for Israel, and the importance of unity in facing challenges.

BlackRock's CEO discusses ESG and financial returns. George Magnus highlights challenges in China's economic model. The podcast explores US assistance to Ukraine and the challenge of China. The severity of criminal cases against Donald Trump is analyzed. Likelihood of legal cases being brought to trial before the election is discussed.

Off year elections in Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio went the Democratic Party's way this week but does that presage a second term for Joe Biden in 2024? On this episode of the Free Expression Podcast, political scientist Ruy Teixeira and co-author of a new book, "Where Have All the Democrats Gone?" tells Wall Street Journal editor at large Gerry Baker that the Democrats have lost touch with their core voters over economic and cultural issues, how some Democratic activists’ support for Palestinian terrorists underscores their extremism and how the party risks forfeiting the votes of many of its former supporters to the Republicans.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices