Q & A, Hosted by Jay Nordlinger

Casey Michel is an expert on a shadowy world: financial corruption, around the globe. Where do the oligarchs get their dough? How do they hide it? How do they invest it? Where do they park it? Have Americans, and others, aided and abetted them? With Casey Michel, Jay gets into this critically important subject. Mr. Michel is the author of a new book, “American Kleptocracy: How the U.S. Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Teng Biao is a prominent lawyer, human-rights activist, and democracy leader from China. He comes from a small, poor village and went to the country’s leading university: Peking University. He earned a Ph.D. in legal philosophy. His life took a turn, though: he entered dissidence, wanting to defend people’s rights and speak for the voiceless. He was therefore imprisoned and tortured several times. Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Kateryna Yushchenko was born and raised in Chicago. Her parents were Ukrainian refugees, who had been through many storms. Kateryna worked in the Reagan State Department — on issues of democracy and human rights — and then in the White House. She moved to Ukraine and became First Lady of the country. Her husband, Viktor Yushchenko, was president from 2005 to 2010. He survived a poison attack — a... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Francis Fukuyama is one of the most influential political thinkers of our times. He teaches at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, at Stanford. He is chairman of the editorial board at American Purpose. With Jay, he talks about his upbringing and education. His paternal grandfather came to America from Japan in 1905. His father was born and raised in Los Angeles. Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Myroslava Luzina is a political analyst and consultant in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. She is also a book translator and other things. She is someone, as Jay says, from whom you can learn a great deal. Jay asks her about the situation in Ukraine now: What does it feel like? Are people making preparations (for a further Russian invasion)? Are Ukrainians becoming more nation-minded? Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

As in 2008, the Chinese government will soon host Olympic Games. Talking about the issues with Jay is Perry Link, the estimable China scholar. Should the U.S. be boycotting? Is a diplomatic boycott enough? How about Peng Shuai, the tennis player? Should Elon Musk be doing business in Xinjiang Province, or East Turkestan, where the Uyghurs are being persecuted? And so on and so forth. At the end... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Vladimir Kara-Murza is a Russian democracy leader, writer, documentary-maker, etc. He has long been admired by Jay and many others. Kara-Murza worked with Boris Nemtsov, the Russian opposition leader murdered in 2015. He himself has been subject to two murder attempts (by poison). In this “Q&A,” Kara-Murza and Jay discuss Russian civil society; the relationship between the current government and... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Togo is a West African country, of about 8 million. Since 1967, it has been ruled by two dictators, father and son. An outstanding—and outstandingly brave—opposition leader is Farida Nabourema. Jay wrote about this young woman in 2018: “Daughter of Togo.” He also did a “Q&A” with her. She is back, now, with the latest: the latest about her country. Although her remarks are specifically about Togo... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

The college-football playoffs are coming up. On hand to discuss them are David French, Vivek Dave, and Rahul Danak. Also, should coaches just up and leave, before bowl games? Should athletic departments fire them mid-season? At the end of this podcast, Vivek and Rahul discuss the Concession Call. When their schools play each other, in football or basketball, the alum of the losing school has to... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Josh Kraushaar, of National Journal, is one of the best political reporters and analysts in America. His handle, on Twitter, is “Hotline Josh,” for reasons he explains in this conversation with Jay. He and Jay jaw over some of today’s politics: Biden—is he all there? Harris—does she have what it takes? Trump—are he and the GOP at one? Josh also provides assessments of the four big leaders on the... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe