American Prestige

Danny and Derek, the greatest news anchors since Lennon/McCartney. This week: Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan calls for the group’s disarmament (0:32); Syria hosts a “National Dialogue” conference to work through the country’s transition (6:34); Israel and Hamas salvage a hostage deal, but the end looms on Saturday (10:07); Yoon’s impeachment trial concludes in South Korea (20:46); in Sudan, increased fighting rages around Al-Fashir (23:27), the military makes gains in the country’s south (25:13), and the RSF and military set up dueling governments (26:43); Ukraine and the US potentially agree on a minerals deal (29:42); the results of the German election (34:41); Austria’s government attempts to form a coalition (38:17); Trump ends a sanctions waiver for Venezuela (40:35); the Trump admin muses kicking Canada out of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network (42:29); the US announces tariffs on the EU, potentially Canada, and maybe even Mexico (44:20); Trump announces the “gold card” visa plan (46:45); and Trump’s attempts at a humanitarian aid blockade continue (48:45).Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and much more content.Join the Discord! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

William Hartung, a senior research fellow focusing on the arms industry and US military budget at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, joins the program to discuss reports that the Trump administration is planning “sweeping budget cuts” for the Pentagon. They talk about these “cuts” being more accurately termed “reinvestments” into other areas, the enormous amount of defense spending and the culture that engendered this, how the defense industry has changed in the past 20 years, actual moves that could meaningfully reduce the military budget like reducing bloated systems (F-35s, aircraft carriers) and overseas bases, whether there exists an influential constituency to support military budget cuts, and more.Read William’s recent piece on this, “Hegseth orders 8% cut to Pentagon budget. Not so fast.”           Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The conversation dives into Elon Musk's controversial role in the U.S. government and its implications for public discourse. The speakers dissect the unprecedented merger of Silicon Valley and politics, revealing how tech moguls like Musk wield power over federal agencies. They discuss the self-delusion of tech billionaires and the shifting media landscape that allows them to shape narratives. The episode also raises alarms over the risks of unvetted influence in governance and the potential rise of technofascism.

Danny and Derek are back with the news, but without much of a choice. This week: the US and Russia meet in Riyadh to discuss future bilateral discussions to end the war in Ukraine (0:38); Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump feud in public comments (3:38); The Daily Telegraph reports on a US mineral rights deal that Zelenskyy rejected (8:22); in Israel-Palestine news, Saturday’s hostage exchange was successful (12:55) and Hamas offers an expedited hostage release schedule (15:08); Israel decides to ignore the withdrawal deadline in Lebanon (19:32); the US State Department decides to change the wording on a fact sheet about Taiwan and China responds negatively (22:03); in South Korea, former president Yoon goes on trial (24:48); the RSF militia in Sudan attempts to form a government and controversy ensues (26:40); in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, M23 (supported by Rwanda) takes Bukavu while continuing to advance north and south (31:16); Argentinian president Milei is accused of a rug pull after the cryptocurrency he endorsed collapses (33:40); and in the United States, Trump and Musk fire National Nuclear Security Administration workers without understanding what their jobs meant (35:40), and Trump proposes cutting the defense budget (39:15).Subscribe now for much more content and an ad-free experience! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Danny and Derek are joined by Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute, and Aslı Bâli, professor of law at Yale Law School and nonresident fellow at Quincy, to talk about the Institute’s Better Order Project, a collaboration between over 130 people from more than 40 countries creating proposals for a stable, multipolar world. They talk about the vision of moving beyond the current “rules-based” order in favor of an inclusive, global one rooted in international law, the major variables around which the project’s proposals and reforms are organized, how to address great powers prioritizing short-term, political thinking, the atmosphere in the worlds of think tanks, nonprofits, and elite law as we begin Trump 2.0, how these communities have been reckoning with the US policy on Gaza, and more.Subscribe now for much more content and an ad-free experience!Join our Discord (subscribers get more channels)! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Danny and Derek speak with Matthew Ellis, professor of literature and film at Portland State University, about how to understand the right in this particular moment. They talk about Elon Musk’s infamous Roman salute at Trump’s inauguration, how the right engages with these symbols, media literacy among liberals and the left, the business model around outrage, the end of mass culture, Trump’s rhetorical similarities to fascists, lost opportunities to reform liberalism over the last 20 years, and more. Subscribe now to hear the full episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This discussion kicks off with Trump and Putin initiating peace talks about Ukraine, stirring up speculation on their implications. In the Israel-Palestine conflict, tensions rise as Hamas threatens to halt hostage releases. Meanwhile, Sudan's military gains ground against rival forces, and the Islamic State resurges in Somalia. The complexities of Lebanon's new government are explored, alongside potential Israeli strikes on Iran. Lastly, new tariffs on steel and aluminum spark debates over U.S. trade policies and corruption within the government.

Peter Beinart speaks with Danny and Derek about his book Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning, American Jews’ conception of and relationship with Israel, and how things have changed since the start of the genocide in Gaza. They explore why Peter centers being Jewish at this moment, what he’s seen happen in the Jewish community since October 7, Palestinian dehumanization among American Jews, liberal Zionism and the two-state solution, the loss of agency for Palestinians, American Jewish institutions, and more.  Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and much more content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Danny and Derek welcome to the program Nathan J. Robinson, editor of Current Affairs, to talk about the state of the left as well as the book he recently co-authored with Noam Chomsky, The Myth of American Idealism: How U.S. Foreign Policy Endangers the World. They explore what role the myth plays, the international turn in history, understanding propaganda and the American polity, the left’s rejection by the liberal coalition in the US, what we can do in terms of strategy and tactics, and whether a new labor movement can contend with the massive new billionaire class aligned behind the right.Subscribe now for the full episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week: Donald Trump proposes the US take over the Gaza Strip (0:32), prompting mixed responses at home (9:16) as well as abroad (15:18); the US vows to return to a "maximum pressure" Iran policy (17:08); in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the M23 ceasefire fizzles out (20:04); Trump threatens to cut off funding to South Africa over certain land policies (22:10); Ukraine offers minerals in exchange for Trump's support (25:02); Secretary of State Marco Rubio travels to Latin America, addressing tension over the Panama Canal (28:37), entertaining an offer from El Salvador to take in US convicts (30:44), as well as an offer from Guatemala to aid in deportations (32:14); China responds to Trump's tariffs (36:43); and the Trump Administration rigs Google searches concerning deportation cases (38:37). Subscribe now for much more content and an ad-free experience! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices