Beyond Politics

In the summer of 2014, Washington Post Tehran correspondent Jason Rezaian and his wife were arrested and held as hostages in order for the Iranian government to be able to exert leverage in its negotiations with the US. Ultimately imprisoned for 544 days, 100 longer than the US hostages seized in 1979, Jason has since continued his reporting and analysis on similar cases, including in his book “Prisoner: My 544 Days in an Iranian Prison.” Recently, he teamed with producer Kate Woodsome to create the powerful short documentary film “Bring Them Home” about the family of American citizen Emad Shargi who is currently held hostage in Iran. Jason and Kate join us to tell us about the film and what the US government and all of us can do to bring Americans held overseas home.  If you want to learn more or provide resources for students about this issue, there is lesson plan and viewing guide available through the Pulitzer Center. If you want to write directly in support of Americans held overseas, go to the documentary page and scroll down for resources.  And finally, if you want to support the James Foley Foundation mentioned in the episode, you can find them here. 

Isaac Saul left a career writing for some of the biggest media outlets - including Time Magazine, Vox, and The New York Daily News - to found Tangle, an independent, ad-free, nonpartisan newsletter that has been recognized by The New York Times, Forbes, and Substack as one of the most successful political newsletters on the internet with over 35,000 daily readers. Tangle breaks out of the usual partisan mold by giving readers a summary and the strongest arguments from each side of an issue, along with straight-shooting analysis. So why is this model growing so quickly, and is this the future of news? Check out Tangle here (https://www.readtangle.com/?ref=beyond) and judge for yourself. 

In a rare host-only episode, Paul and Matt dive into what's going on with Dem's maneuvers to boot Iowa from the early presidential nominating process, and whether the entire system should be blown up.  Also, are we fighting a war against autocrats both abroad and at home?  Remembering colorful Congressman Don Young. And should we make Daylight Savings Time permanent?

What happens to people who were deeply enmeshed in politics once they move "beyond politics?" What perspective do they gain working in our government and political system that applies to the normie world, and how does living in the rest of the world change their perspective on politics? Cicely Simpson served as the Legislative Director for two Congressmen on Capitol Hill, and then became Executive Vice President of Public Affairs at the National Restaurant Association, where she was recognized by the newspaper The Hill as one of Top Lobbyists in America in 2015, 2016, and 2017. But now she's focused everything she's learned into becoming a public speaker, leadership coach, author of the new book "Pull Up Your C.H.A.I.R," podcaster, and Founder / CEO of Summit Public Affairs.

In 1989, Elaine Kamarck wrote a blunt wake-up call to Democrats, saying: “Too many Americans have come to see the party as inattentive to their economic interests, indifferent if not hostile to their moral sentiments, and ineffective in defense of their national security.” That missive helped steer the party back Presidential success. She has now published a widely circulated and much discussed follow-up called “The New Politics of Evasion: How Ignoring Swing Voters Could Reopen the Door for Donald Trump and Threaten American Democracy.” Elaine Kamarck is a contributing author for the Progressive Policy Institute, the Director of the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution, and a Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. 

Chris Hill, host of Motley Fool Money, the #1 stock investing radio show in America, explains why the down market won't be like March 2020 this time around.  Also, why is Disney+ adding a subscription with ads, and are baseball owners the dumbest business leaders in America?

Max Bergmann (@maxbergmann) is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and a former senior State Department official who is an expert on US-Europe-Russia relations. He takes us inside what is probably going on in the State Department, the White House, and other agencies right now as they make major decisions on issues like the Russian oil ban, no fly zone, and other moves to counter Russia in its war with Ukraine.  How does the process work, who does what, and how much more have government leaders worked out behind the scenes than they let on to the public?

Jim Clyburn is the Majority Whip in the United States House of Representatives, the third-ranking Democrat, and one of the top leaders of our country.  In 2020, his decision to endorse then-candidate Joe Biden was probably more responsible than any other single act for Biden winning the nomination, defeating Donald Trump, and saving America.  Congressman Clyburn takes us behind the scenes of that dramatic moment and through some other great stories that you've never heard before. 

In 2017 Congressman Steve Israel left Capitol Hill – unindicted and undefeated – at the very pinnacle of politics. He was one of the top ranking Democrats in Congress, widely respected, and on a path to even greater influence. President Bill Clinton called him “one of the most thoughtful Members of Congress.”  So why did he give it up? And how did the reality of Congressional fundraising factor in? By the way, if you like what you hear, Congressman Israel’s latest literary venture is his new bookstore in Oyster Bay, Long Island called Theodore’s. You can order a range of great books online, including the two satires he penned since leaving Congress. 

Why this war? Why now? And are there fractures behind the scenes within the Kremlin? Sean Carberry served as NPR’s international correspondent based in Kabul, Afghanistan after reporting for NPR from more than two dozen middle eastern and African countries.  He shares what top analysts are thinking about the state of the war in Ukraine, what his colleagues on the ground are focusing on right now, and what the future might hold. A crossover episode with the Beyond Politics Podcast. Photo by Max Kukurudziak on Unsplash