In the Room with Peter Bergen

Fareed Zakaria discusses the dangerous decline of democracy globally, citing populist leaders challenging liberal democracy. Topics include historical vulnerabilities of democracy, comparison between leaders like Modi and Trump, struggles of Zionism in Israel, role of luck in success, and human desire for freedom.

Discover the controversial Project 2025 plan by the Heritage Foundation to revamp the government if Trump wins again, as experts discuss replacing diplomats to shake up the State Department and its impact on national security.

When the CIA got started in 1947 it recruited women for one type of job: typing and filing. Very few women were out in the field gathering intelligence and recruiting foreign agents. But once they finally got the chance, they proved instrumental to obtaining secret codes and tracking down terrorists - despite sometimes facing discrimination and harassment. Women also found ways to use gender stereotypes to their advantage in their spycraft. Peter speaks with a former agent who entered the CIA in 1968, another who got her start just before 9/11, and the author of The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA.Go to audible.com/news where you'll find Peter Bergen's recommendations for other news, journalism and nonfiction listening.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Prime Minister Modi of India, the world's most popular leader, discusses his embrace of religious nationalism and India's democratic future. The podcast delves into the shift towards a Hindu-centric ideology, Modi's upbringing, RSS origins, Gandhi's assassination, Modi's election strategies, rising nationalism, and youth perceptions of Modi's leadership.

Retired Admiral James Stavridis and retired Marine Captain Elliot Ackerman discuss potential US conflicts with China, extreme political divisions, and the impact of A.I on national security. They wrote novels to show possible disastrous futures and solutions to avoid them.

Mina Al-Oraibi, editor of The National, discusses the Middle East news landscape post-October 7th, highlighting perspectives on Hamas, Iran's threat level, and calling the conflict in Gaza 'Joe Biden's war'. They delve into challenges faced by journalists, repercussions of the Abraham Accords, and the emotional toll of conflict. The conversation navigates complexities in the Middle East conflict, emphasizing the need for peace efforts amidst intricate relationships.

RFK, Jr.’s views on vaccines and his penchant for questioning official narratives have kept him on the fringes of American politics for years. But now, as a third-party presidential candidate he is polling around 10% — enough to affect the outcome of an election that is expected to be decided on a razor-thin margin. In this lengthy sit-down, first published in September, 2023, Peter probes Kennedy’s unrelenting skepticism about a wide range of issues, from the war in Ukraine to the fentanyl epidemic — and whether he buys the official narratives about 9/11 and the moon landing.Go to audible.com/news where you'll find Peter Bergen's recommendations for other news, journalism and nonfiction listening.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

America's top national security reporter, David Sanger, discusses the return of superpower conflicts and the underestimated ambitions of Russia and China. He explores the limitations of economic interdependence in preventing conflict and the need to counter the 'grand delusion.' They touch on Putin's strategic vision, Taiwan's semiconductor dominance, and the challenges of cutting off key technologies to China.

Busloads of migrants have been arriving in northern cities for the past two years, testing the patience of some residents and bringing out empathy in others. We go to Chicago to find out what the real, local effects of this surge are — not just what the politicians with their megaphones say they are. And we explore some solutions to a problem that has become the number one issue on voters' minds in this crucial election year.Go to audible.com/news where you'll find Peter Bergen's recommendations for other news, journalism and nonfiction listening.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Explore the Venezuelan exodus, challenges of migrants seeking asylum, US strategy towards Venezuela, and personal journey of Julio settling in Chicago amidst the migrant crisis. Touches on heated debates in Chicago and book recommendations.