Pod Save the World

Tommy and Ben talk about President-elect Biden’s win, Trump’s refusal to start the transition, how world leaders reacted and who Biden should talk with first, why British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is a shapeshifting creep, some bizarre 11th hour Trump admin personnel moves and weapons sales, good news for science, civil war in Ethiopia, a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Iran and elections in Burma. Then former Mexican Ambassador to the US Arturo Sarukhan talks to Ben about the future of US-Mexico relations under a Biden administration.

Tommy and Ben talk with British Member of Parliament David Lammy about how the world views the US election. Then they talk about protests over abortion rights in Poland, fears of civil war in Ethiopia, reports about US cyber attacks against hackers to prevent election interference, how social media companies handled election disinformation and reports of a Royal covid coverup.

On the final Pod Save the World before the election, Tommy and Ben talk to Biden foreign policy advisor Tony Blinken about what Joe Biden’s foreign policy will look like, and how he will approach everything from getting America back in the Iran nuclear deal to how Biden will build momentum in the global fight against climate change. Then, they dig into the latest failed ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the latest wave of coronavirus in Europe, protests over police brutality in Nigeria, Chile’s vote to write a new constitution, Trump’s failed Venezuela policy, the normalization of relations between Sudan and Israel, and how Trump is making tensions between Ethiopia and Egypt worse.

Tommy and Ben break down what we know about the connection between foreign disinformation and the latest allegations about Hunter Biden, Russia’s proposal to extend the New START treaty, Sudan getting taken off the state sponsored terrorism list, and a win for Evo Morales’ party in Bolivia. They also talk about the future of escalation between China and Taiwan, attacks on American diplomats, the White House sending officials to negotiate with the Assad regime in Syria, and a blowout electoral win for Jacinda Ardern in New Zealand. Then Belarusian journalist Hanna Liubakova joins Ben to talk about what she has seen when reporting on the anti-Lukashenko protests in Belarus and why people have been so willing to stay in the streets.

The Trump administration argues with itself about troop withdrawal timelines in Afghanistan, Trump’s covid drug cocktail restarts a debate about the president’s unchecked nuclear authorities, K-pop stars BTS are criticized by China, questions about the New York Times’s reporting on terrorism, refugee policy, corruption in Angola, Facebook (finally) bans Holocaust denial, a Belarus update and new marijuana laws in Mexico. Then nuclear nonproliferation expert Jeff Lewis joins to explain what we should make of the gigantic new missile North Korea debuted over the weekend.

The foreign policy implications of Trump catching Covid, erosion of democracy in India, a possible coup in Kyrgyzstan, an update on fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a major dam project in Ethiopia, then weird military music videos, Subway subs and soccer. Then former CIA Director John Brennan joins to talk about Russia’s 2016 election interference, Saudi Arabia, the CIA’s darker history and his new book, Undaunted.

Trump’s taxes reveal foreign income and liabilities, why Armenia and Azerbaijan are at war, the White House’s efforts to bribe Sudan, politically-charged corruption charges in Pakistan, Europe’s Covid spike, the US threatens to close its embassy in Baghdad, new sanctions on Iran and Cuba, Bibi Netanyahu’s dirty laundry, why Yelp reviews are dangerous in Thailand and the story of a heroic rat. Then Ben’s interview with Ayad Akhtar, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright and author of the new novel Homeland Elegies, about what it means to be an American, and how global attitudes about the United States are affected by its foreign policy.

Tommy and Ben discuss the latest on Russian election interference, the case for dismantling DHS, a setback for LGBTQ+ rights and US military accountability in the Philippines, domestic terrorism in Australia, the new interim government in Mali, reports that Trump considered assassinating Bashar al-Assad, and much more. Then, Washington Post Afghanistan and Pakistan bureau chief Susannah George joins to break down the latest on the Afghan Republic-Taliban peace talks.

Tommy and Ben discuss the so-called “peace” deals between the UAE and Israel and Bahrain, the US/Taliban/Afghan peace talks, disturbing allegations from a whistleblower at the Department of Homeland Security, what needs to be done globally to combat climate change, the ongoing refugee crisis in Europe and an Iranian assassination plot. Then former US Ambassador to Russia Mike McFaul joins to talk about the protests in Belarus and how Biden should approach Russia if he wins.

Tommy and Ben discuss reports that Trump routinely denigrates American servicemembers and veterans, including those killed in battle, an update on the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, trouble for Brexit, the BLOB biting back, another Mulan controversy, a Twitter troll briefing the WH press corps, updates on Belarus and the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, why German nationalists and conspiracy theorists are rallying behind Trump, and a climate change scandal.