The Nation Podcasts

On his latest trip to the Middle East, Donald Trump is making big news. He’s indicating a receptiveness to making a deal with Iran trading normalization for nuclear non-proliferation. He ended the bombing campaign against Yemen and is also pushing for normalization with Syria. Further, the White House has sidestepped Israel in order to have direct talks with Hamas. These moves have angered some hawks in the GOP as well as the Israeli government. But will Trump’s attempt to shift America’s policy in the Middle East pay off, especially given his record of erratic attention to details and sudden shifts in direction?  To assess the situation I spoke with Trita Parsi of The Quincy Institute, who recently wrote about these matters for The American Conservative. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Alex Jordan rejoins the show to see if he can impersonate Danny as well as he impersonated Derek a couple of weeks ago. He and Derek discuss the India-Pakistan ceasefire, Donald Trump’s big Persian Gulf tour (filled with Deals, Bribes, and announcements about Syrian sanctions and Iranian nuclear talks), the latest developments in Gaza, the US-China tariff pause, the PKK’s major disarmament announcement, a new round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks, major clashes between militias in Libya, the arrival of the first group of Afrikaner refugees to the US, Luis Arce’s decision to quit the Bolivian presidential race, the sacking of US National Intelligence Council staff for daring to contradict President Trump, and whether or not the US is still going to have habeas corpus for much longer.You can watch Alex Jordan on the Quincy Institute’s inaugural episode of the YouTube program “Always at War," which he co-hosted with Courtney Rawlings.Topics:01:23 India-Pakistan ceasefire announcement.04:18 Trump's Persian Gulf tour and deals.07:49 Trump's announcement regarding Syria sanctions.10:40 Efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal.15:28 Israeli efforts to displace Palestinians in Gaza.17:24 New US-led humanitarian foundation for Gaza.21:27 Release of American-Israeli hostage by Hamas.26:46 US-China trade war detente.29:13 PKK announces major disarmament.32:19 Diplomatic efforts to end Russia-Ukraine war.35:45 Major clashes between militias in Libya.39:33 Arrival of the first group of Afrikaner refugees to the US.41:17 Luis Arce’s decision to quit the Bolivian presidential race.43:09 Sacking of US National Intelligence Council staff for contradicting President Trump.46:04 Potential suspension of habeas corpus in the US.48:47 Habeas corpus suspension and executive power.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this episode of Tech Won't Save Us, Paris Marx is joined by Tim Fernholz to discuss how Elon Musk’s influence in the White House is shaping the US Space Program, why he’s pushing NASA toward Mars instead of the Moon, and whether the Starship rocket is in trouble.Tim Fernholz is a senior reporter at Payload Space and the author of Rocket Billionaires: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the New Space Race.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What obligations do colleges and universities have to protect students from antisemitism and Islamophobia? What obligations do they have to let students speak freely about issues they care about? David Cole just testified before Congress about that—he’s the former National Legal Director of the ACLU, and The Nation’s legal affairs correspondent. Also: Trump’s partnership in Washington with his biggest donor, Elon Musk, is coming to an end. The richest man in the world, who made the biggest campaign contribution in history, is going home the clear loser in this affair. Historian David Nasaw comments. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this episode of The Nation Podcast, abortion access correspondent Amy Littlefield joins D.D. Guttenplan to discuss the reality of later-term abortions—and how, even though Roe v. Wade may have been overturned, the conservative crusade to eliminate abortion access rages on.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Kevin Schultz, Chair of the Department of History at the University of Illinois-Chicago, returns to the program to continue the discussion of his new book⁠ ⁠Why Everyone Hates White Liberals (Including White Liberals): A History⁠. In this second part of the discussion, Danny, Derek, and Kevin get into the origins and power of the "radical chic" and "limousine liberal" criticisms, the concept of "positive polarization" as championed by figures like Spiro Agnew, the perceived abandonment of the white working class by the Democratic Party, the role of Nixon in this political shift, the influence of Phyllis Schlafly and George Wallace, George McGovern and the "acid, amnesty, and abortion" label, Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s attempt to redefine liberalism, the transition of some Cold War liberals to neoconservatism, the Democratic Party's embrace of neoliberalism and the rise of "Atari Democrats," the cultural phenomenon of "owning the libs," the association of the professional managerial class with contemporary liberalism, and potential new political vocabularies beyond the "liberal" label, and more.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this episode of The Time of Monsters, Jacob Silverman on why it’s hard to regulate the high tech ponzi economics.Over the last few years, crypto-currency has emerged as a political powerhouse, thanks to tens of billions in campaign donations. As Jacob Silverman reports in a recent feature in The Nation, “crypto, despite being a relative flop commercially, has infiltrated American politics.” This is most bluntly obvious in Donald Trump, who has become a crypto king in corrupt schemes that have enriched him and his family in billions of dollars. But almost as corrupt are the members of congress, of both parties, reluctant to regulate crypto. I talked to Jacob about the dangers crypto poses to the American economy and to American democracy. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Though Jake is absent for the week, Danny and Derek remain steadfast in their dedication to bring you news. They discuss the U.S.-Houthi ceasefire; the Israeli government's plans for Gaza; Trump’s push for a Gaza ceasefire and Saudi deal on his upcoming Middle East trip; new clashes between India and Pakistan as well as more details from Wednesday morning's strikes; the possibility of U.S.-China trade talks; the reality of a U.S.-U.K. trade deal; drone strikes on Port Sudan; peace talks in the DRC; Vladimir Putin's V-E Day ceasefire; Friedrich Merz’s chaotic chancellor election and the AfD’s potential classification as an extremist group; the European Union’s effort to poach U.S. academics; and finally, the Trump administration’s push for countries to adopt Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service.Then, after the show, Danny and Derek speak with Trevor Beaulieu and Josh Olson about their new podcast, "White Canon."⁠⁠Check out White Canon here!Topics:02:04 The US-Houthi ceasefire.06:49 Israel's plans for Gaza.12:46 Donald Trump's planned visit to the Persian Gulf and his goals.16:34 Tthe new clashes between India and Pakistan.20:21 Potential US-China trade talks.22:41 The US-UK trade deal.23:44 The recent Australian elections.25:50 The RSF attacking Port Sudan.27:59 The advancing peace talks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.30:44 Putin's VE Day ceasefire and its effectiveness.32:51 Friedrich Merz needing a second ballot to become German chancellor.34:37 The AFD party in Germany.36:34 The EU's efforts related to academics.39:17 US pushing countries to adopt Starlink.42:30 Discussuin w/ Trevor Beaulieu and Josh Olson about their new podcast, "White Canon."Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this episode of Tech Won't Save Us, Paris Marx is joined by Julia Carrie Wong to discuss Elon Musk’s recent opposition to empathy, how it comes out of the Christian right, and the relationship it has to previous discussions of longtermism. Julia Carrie Wong is a features writer at The Guardian.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

After serving 18 years in the Senate, and losing last November, Sherrod Brown analyzes what it will take for Democrats to recover from the defeats of 2024, and comments on his own political future – he could run for senator or for governor in 2026.Also on this episode: Dahlia Lithwick explains three key court cases where Trump suffered major defeats, which, she argues, are likely to have an “exponential effect” on other judges. Meanwhile we are seeing a rising tide of activism in the streets. Dahlia writes about the law and the courts for Slate and hosts the ‘Amicus’ podcast.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy