Prevail with Greg Olear

For 26 years, Rone Tempest was the national and foreign correspondent for the LA Times, based in Paris, New Delhi, Beijing, and Hong Kong, as well as the craziest capital city, Sacramento. After his retirement, he worked for Pro Publica and was the co-founder of the Wyoming nonprofit public policy news site, Wyofile. He’s taught journalism at Berkeley, his alma mater, and has won numerous awards. He’s also the author of two books, including “The Last Western: The Unjustified Killing of Michael Rosa by Ed Cantrell.” Now in Salt Lake City, he lived for many years in the foothills of the Wind River Mountains outside of Lander, Wyoming.   In this discussion with Greg Olear, Tempest discusses his experiences as a foreign correspondent in China, Afghanistan, and Paris; Liz Cheney’s demise and the enigma of Wyoming politics; and his Wyofile profile of Kevin Roberts, head of the Heritage Foundation, thought leader behind Project 2025, and Tempest’s erstwhile Wyoming neighbor. Plus: Amazing Mace!Follow Rone:https://twitter.com/RoneTempestHis website:https://www.ronetempest.com/bioThe Roberts profile at Wyofile:https://wyofile.com/wyomings-catholic-cowboy-could-remake-government-if-trump-wins/Buy his book:https://www.amazon.com/Last-Western-Unjustified-Killing-Cantrell/dp/B08NWWY984 Make America Great Gatsby Again!https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-great-gatsby-four-sticks-press-centennial-edition/e701221776c88f86?ean=9798985931976&next=tSubscribe to The Five 8:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0BRnRwe7yDZXIaF-QZfvhACheck out ROUGH BEAST, Greg’s new book:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D47CMX17ROUGH BEAST is now available as an audiobook:https://www.audible.com/pd/Rough-Beast-Audiobook/B0D8K41S3T Would you like to tell us more about you? http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short

Francine Prose is the author of over 30 books. Her 12 novels include My New American Life, A Changed Man and Blue Angel, a finalist for the National Book Award. Her nonfiction works include the indispensable Reading Like a Writer; Caravaggio: Painter of Miracles; and The Lives of the Muses: Nine Women and the Artists They Inspired, a New York Times Notable Book for 2002. She’s a contributing editor at Harper's, and her essays, reviews, and criticism have appeared in New York Times Book Review, Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian, among other publications. She’s a past president of PEN America, a distinguished writer in residence at Bard College, and a recipient of the 2008 Edith Wharton Achievement Award for Literature. Her latest book—and first memoir—is called 1974: A Personal History.In this conversation, Greg Olear talks to Francine Prose about her new memoir, 1974. They discuss the challenges of writing about oneself, the impetus for the book, Tony Russo and the Pentagon Papers, whistleblowers, “Vertigo,” the role of literature in society, the bias against women writers, the state of fiction writing, the impact of AI, the dangers of self-censorship, the current political climate, and more.Plus: a new Zoom!Buy her book:https://www.harpercollins.com/products/1974-francine-prose?variant=41105435459618Her Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/FrancineProseAuthor/Her Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/prose.francine/ Make America Great Gatsby Again!https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-great-gatsby-four-sticks-press-centennial-edition/e701221776c88f86?ean=9798985931976&next=tSubscribe to The Five 8:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0BRnRwe7yDZXIaF-QZfvhACheck out ROUGH BEAST, Greg’s new book:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D47CMX17ROUGH BEAST is now available as an audiobook:https://www.audible.com/pd/Rough-Beast-Audiobook/B0D8K41S3T Would you like to tell us more about you? http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short

In this, the penultimate episode of Season 7 of the PREVAIL podcast, Greg Olear discusses (for a solid 20 minutes, which is probably too long, if we’re being honest) the events of the week: Donald’s earsay, Joe’s departure, Kamala’s ascension.Then, he welcomes Jessica Cale, the host of the DIRTY SEXY HISTORY podcast, to talk about her background as a novelist and historian, the castles of Wales, piracy, syphilis, medieval penitentials, the Oneida colony, the Comstock Act vis a vis Project 2025, the history of abortion, and more. Plus: the safety is off.Jessica Cale is the host of Dirty Sexy History, a podcast that looks beyond the sanitized and the idealized to the dirty reality of human history. She’s the author of ten works of historical fiction, including the Southwark Saga, and numerous nonfiction pieces. She earned degrees in Ancient History, Medieval Studies, and Creative and Media Writing at Swansea University while climbing castles and photographing mines for BBC History magazine. She appears in Netflix’s The Lost Pirate Kingdom.Follow Jessica:https://x.com/DrtySexyHistoryListen to DIRTY SEXY HISTORY:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dirty-sexy-history/id1568066159About her podcast:https://dirtysexyhistory.com/welcome/Buy her books:https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00PVDV9EW/ Make America Great Gatsby Again!https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-great-gatsby-four-sticks-press-centennial-edition/e701221776c88f86?ean=9798985931976&next=tSubscribe to The Five 8:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0BRnRwe7yDZXIaF-QZfvhACheck out ROUGH BEAST, Greg’s new book:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D47CMX17ROUGH BEAST is now available as an audiobook:https://www.audible.com/pd/Rough-Beast-Audiobook/B0D8K41S3T Would you like to tell us more about you? http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short

Tom McGrath, former editor-in-chief of Philadelphia magazine, talks about his new book on the Yuppie movement, Reagan, and Jack Welch. They discuss media issues and Gen Z's potential. Topics include the broken media landscape, fixing it, and the generational shift. They also touch on nostalgia and media songs.

Greg Olear opens with his thoughts on Project 2025, Trump’s odd fascination with Hannibal Lecter and his bromance with Jeffrey Epstein, and the Democratic palace coup, led by Danny Ocean.Then, Greg welcomes the Ukrainian journalist Illia Ponomarenko for a discussion about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Putin, Zelensky, and his new book, “I Will Show You How It Was: Yhe Story of Wartime Kyiv.”llia Ponomarenko is a Ukrainian journalist known as a former defense and security reporter at the Kyiv Post and subsequently a co-founder of the Kyiv Independent. He has covered the war in eastern Ukraine since the conflict's earliest days, as well as Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine since 2022. He has also had deployments to Palestine and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as an embedded reporter with UN peacekeeping forces. Ponomarenkowon the Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellowship and was selected to work as USA Today's guest reporter at the U.S. Department of Defense. He lives in Bucha outside Kyiv.Plus: dictator disco!Prevail is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/gregFollow Illia:https://x.com/IAPonomarenkoBuy his book: https://www.amazon.com/Will-Show-You-How-Was/dp/1639733876Subscribe to The Five 8:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0BRnRwe7yDZXIaF-QZfvhA Make America Great Gatsby Again!https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-great-gatsby-four-sticks-press-centennial-edition/e701221776c88f86?ean=9798985931976&next=tSubscribe to The Five 8:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0BRnRwe7yDZXIaF-QZfvhACheck out ROUGH BEAST, Greg’s new book:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D47CMX17ROUGH BEAST is now available as an audiobook:https://www.audible.com/pd/Rough-Beast-Audiobook/B0D8K41S3T Would you like to tell us more about you? http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short

In this, the first episode of PREVAIL in three weeks, Greg Olear opens with his thoughts on the debate, the immunity ruling, the Kamala option, and the politically suicidal push to replace Biden at the top of the ticket.Then, Greg welcomes “Bad” Brad Berkwitt, a veteran who served for more than 20 years in the U.S. Navy, including 16 and a half in Naval Intelligence. After retiring from the military, he served as a government contractor for the Dept of Homeland Security. He also hosted a boxing show, Ringside Reporter. And he’s now the host of the Bad Brad Berkwitt Show, where he interviews key figures in the fight for democracy. In this conversation, Greg talks to Brad about his career, intelligence services, the Gulf War, Gitmo, and how to take on MAGA. Plus: a new executive search firm!Follow “Bad” Brad:https://x.com/BadBradRSRWatch his show:https://www.youtube.com/@TheBadBradBerkwittShowThanks AURA. Go to  AURA.com/PROTECTION for a 14 day trial plus a check of your data to see if your personal information has been leaked online, all for FREE. Make America Great Gatsby Again!https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-great-gatsby-four-sticks-press-centennial-edition/e701221776c88f86?ean=9798985931976&next=tSubscribe to The Five 8:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0BRnRwe7yDZXIaF-QZfvhACheck out ROUGH BEAST, Greg’s new book:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D47CMX17ROUGH BEAST is now available as an audiobook:https://www.audible.com/pd/Rough-Beast-Audiobook/B0D8K41S3T Would you like to tell us more about you? http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short

Billy Ray is a screenwriter and director. His writing credits include Color of Night, Captain Phillips, Richard Jewell, and The Hunger Games. He wrote and directed Shattered Glass, Breach, The Last Tycoon, and The Comey Rule. Since 2016, he’s been the messaging consigliere for the Democratic Party, helping scores of politicians and candidates with issue framing, speechwriting, debate prep, and rapid response.In this discussion, Billy Ray discusses his political “origin story” and his tips on Democratic Party messaging, reveals the secret to communicating with conservatives, and lauds the achievements of President Biden. They talk about reproductive rights, the Supreme Court, the 2024, how the Dems should frame trump’s criminality, and more. Plus: the Sam Alito blues.Follow Billy:https://x.com/BillyRay5229Thanks AURA. Go to  AURA.com/PROTECTION for a 14 day trial plus a check of your data to see if your personal information has been leaked online, all for FREE. Make America Great Gatsby Again!https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-great-gatsby-four-sticks-press-centennial-edition/e701221776c88f86?ean=9798985931976&next=tSubscribe to The Five 8:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0BRnRwe7yDZXIaF-QZfvhACheck out ROUGH BEAST, Greg’s new book:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D47CMX17ROUGH BEAST is now available as an audiobook:https://www.audible.com/pd/Rough-Beast-Audiobook/B0D8K41S3T Would you like to tell us more about you? http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short

This week, Greg Olear shares 34 thoughts on 34 felony counts. Then, there is a reprise of the May 31 episode of “The Five 8,” in which Greg and LB try, and fail, to remember all of Donald’s crimes. Plus: blowing!Subscribe to The Five 8:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0BRnRwe7yDZXIaF-QZfvhA  Make America Great Gatsby Again!https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-great-gatsby-four-sticks-press-centennial-edition/e701221776c88f86?ean=9798985931976&next=tSubscribe to The Five 8:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0BRnRwe7yDZXIaF-QZfvhACheck out ROUGH BEAST, Greg’s new book:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D47CMX17ROUGH BEAST is now available as an audiobook:https://www.audible.com/pd/Rough-Beast-Audiobook/B0D8K41S3T Would you like to tell us more about you? http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short

Jason Pack is the Founder of Libya-Analysis LLC, and the co-host of Disorder, a geopolitics podcast co-produced with Goalhanger Podcasts. He is a Senior Analyst for Emerging Challenges at the NATO Defence College Foundation in Rome. In partnership with NDCF, Jason leads a project entitled NATO and the Global Enduring Disorder, which produces a range of content (including the Disorder podcast and series of publications) attempting to sketch out a ‘unified field theory’ of our current era of geopolitics while proposing actionable solutions to our most pressing collective action challenges. His most recent book, Libya and the Global Enduring Disorder (Hurst, Oxford University Press) is a ‘cross-over’ academic book that explores what Libya’s dysfunctional economic structures and its ongoing civil war reveal about our era of 21st-century geopolitics. Jason’s concept – that we no longer inhabit the post-Cold War World, but have entered a new era – the ‘Enduring Disorder’ – was conceived to describe the collective action failures that have come to define international politics.In this discussion, Jason Pack talks to Greg Olear about the death of Raisi in Iran, the situation in Ukraine, Biden’s policy in Gaza, and why a Labor victory in the UK elections would be good for Joe Biden. Plus: a Republican Party game!Listen to the DISORDER podcast:https://linktr.ee/disorderpodMore about jason:https://www.jasonpack.org/Check out ROUGH BEAST, Greg’s new book:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D47CMX17 Make America Great Gatsby Again!https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-great-gatsby-four-sticks-press-centennial-edition/e701221776c88f86?ean=9798985931976&next=tSubscribe to The Five 8:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0BRnRwe7yDZXIaF-QZfvhACheck out ROUGH BEAST, Greg’s new book:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D47CMX17ROUGH BEAST is now available as an audiobook:https://www.audible.com/pd/Rough-Beast-Audiobook/B0D8K41S3T Would you like to tell us more about you? http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short

In this special “Rough Beast” book launch episode, the PREVAIL podcast is turned upside-down: Greg Olear is the guest, and the host is his wife, Stephanie St. John Olear. They talk about the new book, confirmation bias, and Biden’s chances of winning in November. Plus: Scar-Jo!  Make America Great Gatsby Again!https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-great-gatsby-four-sticks-press-centennial-edition/e701221776c88f86?ean=9798985931976&next=tSubscribe to The Five 8:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0BRnRwe7yDZXIaF-QZfvhACheck out ROUGH BEAST, Greg’s new book:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D47CMX17ROUGH BEAST is now available as an audiobook:https://www.audible.com/pd/Rough-Beast-Audiobook/B0D8K41S3T Would you like to tell us more about you? http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short