The Dispatch Podcast

Author and journalist George Packer discusses the impact of George Floyd on American education. Topics include competitive elite pre-school admissions, rejection of nuance, teaching history and civics, cancel culture, and the culture wars influencing education.

Political analyst Steve, commentator Jonah, and host Sarah predict outcomes of the upcoming Biden-Trump debate. Topics include debate strategies, polling data, voting choices, media bias, and a lighthearted debate on whether tacos and burritos are sandwiches.

Former professor and co-founder of The Weather Underground, Bill Ayers, discusses the safety of Jews on college campuses, condemning Hamas, critiquing Israel's response to October 7, and debating a two-state solution. He challenges the perception of Israel as an apartheid state and talks about the monolithic thought on college campuses.

Megan McArdle from the Washington Post discusses Trump's trial, VP contenders, Tea Party downfall. Topics include vice presidential picks, Marco Rubio, FreedomWorks closure, third parties, RFK Jr.'s monsters, and the Man vs. Bear debate.

Robert Costa, CBS News correspondent, talks about Trump's influence on the GOP, pressure on leaders before Jan 6, Bannon's role, legal cases affecting campaign, and possible VP picks

Jonah and Steve debate the comparison of college protests to historical events like 1968, contrasting pro-Palestinian protests with January 6. They delve into party dynamics, campus protests, Trump's Time interview, and Ron DeSantis banning lab-grown meat. Topics include civil rights nostalgia, political violence, Trump's influence on the GOP, and the dangers of inflammatory rhetoric.

Jonathan Schanzer, Senior VP for Research at FDD, discusses Qatar's complex role in terrorism, financial influence in Washington, and Al Jazeera's ties. Insights on Qatar's contradictory alliances, support for terror groups, and strategic maneuvering in the Middle East are explored in-depth.

Derek Thompson from The Atlantic discusses the decline in face-to-face socializing in America due to smartphones, women turning to pets for companionship, challenges of raising kids in the digital age, and the fraternizing role of protests in creating temporary sense of community.

Discussion on passing Ukraine and Israel aid, intellectual history of the illiberal right, Heritage Foundation vs. Erick Erickson, defining conservatism, Columbia protests, genocidal language at Columbia, and exploring identity and stereotypes.

Israeli-born assistant professor at Columbia University, Shai Davidai, shares his experience of being denied entry to campus due to antisemitism. Discussions on Jewish student safety, administrative involvement in protests, and the challenges of navigating speech boundaries on college campuses.