The Nation Podcasts
Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the week in news. Hosted by Jon Wiener and presented by The Nation Magazine.
Episodes
Israel’s Escalating Conflict with Turkey w/ Adam Weinstein
The current conflict in the Middle East might escalate on a new front. In recent weeks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjaman Netanyahu has been touting Turkey as a potential threat on par with Iran. This conflict is partly spurred by the fact that Syria, currently rebuilding after a brutal civil war, is becoming a battleground for competing projects of regional hegemony. To discuss this as well as the
News — Israel Strikes Syria, Trump Escalates the Economic War on Iran, Potential US-North Korea Diplomacy / American Prestige
Danny and Derek must disclose that they have had Hasan Piker on this program. They are listening and learning from him. In this week’s news: Israel bombs a Syrian airbase, potentially moving closer to a conflict with Turkey (1:22); Jared Kushner and Benjamin Netanyahu agree to scrap the Gaza Board of Peace's Hamas disarmament plan (7:09); the Iran MOU expires as Trump escalates the economic wa
Tech Fascism Has Come for American Democracy w/ Gil Durán / Tech Won't Save Us
A cult of fascist ideology has gripped Silicon Valley, and the tech industrial complex is threatening US democracy. Gil Durán joins Paris Marx to discuss the radical billionaire cabal that is hellbent on the consolidation of corporate and political power, including the visions they have for the future and the strategies they’re using to drive us there.Gil Durán is the author of The Nerd Reich: Sil
American Austerity in the Philippines w/ Lisandro Claudio / American Prestige
Danny and Derek welcome historian Lisandro Claudio back to the program to talk about how austerity, first imposed by the U.S. during its colonial rule of the Philippines, continues to influence the Filipino political economy. They discuss the colonial gold standard, dollar diplomacy, Miguel Cuaderno and the Central Bank of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos being forced to depreciate the peso, the
Protecting the Midterms—at the Grassroots and in the Courts / Start Making Sense
Indivisible’s 2,500 local volunteer-led groups are preparing for a rapid response to any threats to free and fair voting around election day, starting with plans to promote early voting, and including preparations to mobilize large-scale protests if there are attempts to undermine the results. Leah Greenberg, co-founder and co-executive director, explains.Also: Vanita Gupta reviews the massive leg
How to Close a Camp w/ John Washington / Fighting Fascism
“The first and crucial step to closing a camp is being against the camp. Not a camp, not that camp, not a newly proposed camp or this particularly atrocious camp. But against camp as concept, against camp as practice—against all camps. Against locking people up because of where they were born or where they are.”This is the thesis of How to Close a Camp: Dispatches from the Fight Against Immigrant
Trump’s Chaotic Foreign Policy w/ David Klion / The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
There’s an ongoing feud in the Trump administration between restrainers (advocates of a less hawkish foreign policy) and neoconservatives (advocates of militarism on multiple fronts). David Klion wrote about this conflict for the Nation but notes that the ideologies are less important than the fact that Trump is an impulsive bully who often changes his mind. I talked to David about this conflict a
News—US-Iran Hormuz Standoff, Saudi-Pakistan-Turkey Alliance, Israeli Settlers Besiege West Bank Community
Danny and Derek bring you the headlines against their better judgment. In this week’s news: Western Europe and the U.S. set new temperature records (2:05); in Iran, the Islamic Republic demands reparations and sanctions relief before reopening the Strait of Hormuz (4:22), Trump declares that the U.S. will keep control of the Strait (8:20), and Iran makes a wave of hardline appointments (10:25); in
Government Is Putting AI Before People and the Planet w/ Matt Haugen / Tech Won't Save Us
Governments are prioritizing data centers and AI at the expense of communities and the planet, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Matt Haugen joins Paris Marx to discuss the AI First report, which examines how national strategies are dismantling environmental protections and enacting market policies that allow a handful of megacorporations to abscond with billions of dollars, and what an alternat
The History of the Jewish Bund w/ Molly Crabapple / American Prestige
Danny and Derek speak with artist and writer Molly Crabapple about her book on the history of the Jewish Labor Bund, Here Where We Live Is Our Country. They discuss Molly's personal connection to the story, the Pale of Settlement and Jewish emancipation, the founding of the Bund in 1897, the Bund's armed self-defense against pogroms, its fraught relationship with Lenin and the Bolsheviks,
Election Protection: The ACLU’s $25M Project, plus Howard Zinn’s Life and Work
The ACLU is organizing thousands of volunteers, preparing to respond to 25 different ways Trump could try to subvert or sabotage the midterms. Deirdre Schifeling explains—she’s the ACLU’s Chief Political and Advocacy Officer. More info at https://www.aclu.org/campaigns-initiatives/people-power.Also: Howard Zinn’s book A People’s History of the US has sold four million copies—and now we have a biog
Chud of the Rings w/ Bret Devereaux / Fighting Fascism
We all love making fun of fascists. But Dr. Bret Devereaux makes an art of it. Bret is a historian of antiquity and a Tolkien scholar, and he doesn’t suffer fools. He’s been going at it with the world of online chud “historians” — the fascists who say they’re fighting to defend “Western Civilization,” something they’ve never bothered to actually try to understand. And he has similarly choice words
How Abdul El-Sayed Can Win Michigan, Plus an Election Protection Test Case / Start Making Sense
The Michigan Democratic senate primary provided a test of the power of AIPAC and big money. John Nichols has our analysis.Also: a rehearsal for the election protection groups: the California sherriff who seized 650,000 ballots from November’s referendum, claiming he needed to recount them. Zach Roth of Democracy Docket will explain how the Chad Bianco case provides a test of one key Republican str
Shopify’s Leaders Are Pushing Right-Wing Politics in Canada w/ Rachel Gilmore / Tech Won't Save Us
Canada has tech bros too, like Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke who has a new idea to link voting rights to how much income tax you paid. Rachel Gilmore joins Paris Marx to discuss how Canadian tech companies like Shopify are pushing terrible right-wing policy ideas while influencing Mark Carney’s agenda.Rachel Gilmore is an award-winning independent journalist and creator of the Bubble Pop newsletter.Adver
Imperialist Realism w/ Danny Bessner / American Prestige
Derek welcomes back to the show his very own co-host, Danny Bessner, to talk about his new book, Imperialist Realism: Politics and Culture at the End of the American Century, and how we see imperialist realism in American foreign policy and popular culture. They talk about the concept’s inspiration from the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, the end of mass politics, the decline of grand
Is Animal Welfare the Next MAHA? w/ Astra Taylor / Fighting Fascism
Something weird is happening on the far right. MAGA influencers are calling out the pork industry. RFK Jr. is taking credit for militant animal rescue actions. And the animal welfare movement is taking notice. Astra Taylor joins us again to talk about a forthcoming article she and Aaron co-authored on the shifting political terrain around animal rights. The core question: Could this be the new MAH
The Return of McCarthyism w/ Chris Lehmann / The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
Republicans are plummeting in the polls in the lead-up to the midterm thanks to the unpopularity of the Iran War and the attendant inflation. As my Nation colleague Chris Lehmann has noted, in an attempt to shore up their fracturing base, the GOP has decided to label all Democrats as communist, a weird rhetorical move now being made by Donald Trump and his supporters. I talk to Chris about this st
US-Iran Air War Resumes, Sudanese Army Secures Kordofan Highway, Fujimori Takes Office in Peru / American Prestige
AP headquarters is seriously considering upgrading the video content to IMAX. In this week’s news: the U.S. and Iran resume strikes after a brief pause (3:25); Gaza talks are close to an agreement on Hamas disarmament and an Israeli withdrawal (10:59); Saudi-Ansar Allah/Houthi attacks escalate (13:37); the U.S. and Saudi Arabia strike Iraqi militia sites (17:10); a drone strike hits two gas ships
How Cloud Giants Wield Their Power Against Us All w/ Cecilia Rikap / Tech Won't Save Us
As the power of big tech continues to grow, it's more important than ever to understand how these companies use infrastructure and intellectual monopolies to shape more than just the digital world. Cecilia Rikap joins Paris Marx to discuss how these networks of corporate power operate, including how they are systematically used to influence global politics, the economy, and how society views t
Who’s Allowed Self-Determination? w/ Brad Simpson / American Prestige
Danny and Derek speak with historian Brad Simpson about the history and evolving meaning of self-determination in international politics and law. They talk about the Wilson-Lenin debate, the Atlantic Charter, the Nazi appropriation of ethno-nationalist self-determination, the decolonization movements of the mid-20th century, the failure of the new international economic order, and the idea's c
Election Protection for the Midterms, plus ‘The Odyssey’ for Filmgoers
An impressive alliance of groups have been preparing for months to counter Trump’s threats to Democrats in the midterms. Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward and a member of The Senate Democrats’ Election Protection Tast Force, explains why “we are going to have free and fair elections” in November. Also: Elon Musk calls Christopher Nolan’s film “The Odyssey” “part of a left-wing
The People Versus Big Oil w/ Jamie Henn / Fighting Fascism
In recent weeks, we’ve seen our skies engulfed in dystopian haze. We’ve had lethal heat waves ruin our Fourth of July cookouts. States have announced emergency water rationing due to record-breaking droughts. Tens of thousands of Europeans have been killed by extreme heat so far this summer; hundreds of thousands are being evacuated by apocalyptic wildfires. And we know it’s just the beginning—thi
Iran War Heats Up w/ Matt Duss / The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
The purported ceasefire in the Iran War was always tenuous and now the war is not only heating up but entering a dangerous new phase. The Iranians have closed the Strait of Hormuz and the Houthis are firing on the Red Sea while Donald Trump promises a new wave of attacks on Iran’s civilian infrastructure. I talk about the state of the Middle East and related matters with Matt Duss, vice president
Iran War Kills US Troops, US-Saudi Arabia Strike Nuclear Deal, Zelensky Fires Top General / American Prestige
American Prestige HQ continues to roll the dice on iceberg lettuce. In this week’s news: Iranian strikes kill four U.S. service members in Jordan and Iraq, and the Pentagon conceals dozens of additional casualties (2:09); Trump threatens to hit an Iranian nuclear facility and warns of attacks on civilian infrastructure (6:32); the Houthis blockade Saudi Arabia and strike two oil tankers in the Red
Librarians Are Helping the Public Ditch AI w/ Hannah Cyrus & Alison Macrina / Tech Won't Save Us
Librarians are working harder than ever to support their neighborhoods—including by teaching and promoting digital literacy. Hannah Cyrus and Alison Macrina join Paris Marx to discuss the role of library workers in the digital landscape, including how they’re helping patrons navigate privacy basics and artificial intelligence, and how the tech industry is making their jobs harder.Hannah Cyrus is a
How the New Deal Invented the National Security State w/ Andrew Preston / American Prestige
Danny and Derek speak with historian Andrew Preston about the origins and development of the American national security state as we know it. They discuss the original meaning of “national security” in the early days of the republic; the idea of free security; the New Deal and the relationship between social security and national security; World War II, the Cold War, and the expansion of the securi
The Plan for November—and After / Start Making Sense
How are we going to defeat Trump and the Republicans and win control of Congress in the midterms? How are we going to win the White House in two years? Ben Wikler has a plan – he’s published a book with the title This is the Plan. Ben was chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin for six years, ending in 2025, where he shaped what became the most powerful and effective state political party in th
Borderlands w/ Ken Salazar / Fighting Fascism
This one’s a little different. Aaron, Matt, and Jonathan talk with Ken Salazar—former US Senator from Colorado, Secretary of the Interior under Obama, and Ambassador to Mexico under Biden—about why Democrats need to rethink their approach to the US-Mexico border and start treating immigration not as a liability to be managed, but a genuine opportunity to be seized. We also discuss the politics of
Fighting Monopoly Power w/ Zephyr Teachout / The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
Donald Trump is practicing crony capitalism on an unprecedented scale, with the government greenlighting major mergers that benefit the president’s friends (most notably the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger). I spoke to Zephyr Teachout, who teaches constitutional law at Fordham, about this worrying development. We take up the long history of anti-monopoly politics going back to the American revolutio
US Resumes Iran War, DRC Ebola Outbreak Surges, Burnham Becomes UK PM / American Prestige
Canada’s wildfires rage on, so Danny and Derek are here to be your breath of fresh air. This week’s news: In Iran, the US reimposes its blockade and intensifies strikes (2:04), Trump announces and then backs off a Hormuz toll (5:44), and the White House issues threats of further escalation (9:17); in Yemen, the Houthis/Ansar Allah and Saudi Arabia trade strikes (13:37) as the former might become i
Tech Refusal Has a Very Long History w/ Thomas Dekeyser / Tech Won't Save Us
We are often told that resisting technological development is impossible and ‘progress’ is inevitable, but history says otherwise. Thomas Dekeyser joins Paris Marx to discuss how understanding radical resistances of the past can help us rethink our modern relationship with technology and reshape our vision of the future.Thomas Dekeyser is a lecturer in human geography at the University of Southamp
The Need for Responsible AI w/ Robert Wright / American Prestige
Danny and Derek welcome to the show journalist and author Robert Wright to talk about the potential and pitfalls of the AI revolution. They discuss how neural networks learn, the differences between predictive and generative AI, machine consciousness, job displacement, the environmental costs of data centers, how capitalism is shaping the AI race, and the need for international regulation.Read R
Trump’s Renewed War, More ICE Killings, and Teaching American History / Start Making Sense
It’s been another bad week for Donald Trump – from the Strait or Homuz to the streets where ICE has killed more people, to the scheduled Senate hearings on Todd Blanche. Harold Meyerson comments.Also: Trump believes the teaching of history really matters—that’s why on July 4 he issued a 162-page attack on the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Yale historian Beverly Gage comments –
Maine After Platner w/ Eoin Higgins / The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
Graham Platner is withdrawing as the Democratic Senate nominee in Maine after a credible rape allegation was made against him (Platner denies the allegation). I spoke to Maine writer Eoin Higgins about Platner’s rise and fall, the progressive politics that animated his campaign, and the upcoming scramble by the Democratic Party of Maine to find a new candidate. Advertising Inquiries: https://redci
Dope Popes w/ Matt Sitman / Fighting Fascism
Back in May, Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas”—a surprisingly forceful call-out of dehumanizing technology, Big Tech oligarchs, and an economic order that casts the few as gods and the many as disposable. To talk about this work (and Aaron’s growing Catholicism-envy, and the utterly pathetic “faith” of J.D. Vance), we invited Matthew Sitman, co-host of the great Kno
US-Iran Ceasefire Collapses, Hamas Dissolves Gaza Government, Sudan’s El-Obeid Braces for RSF Assault / American Prestige
Danny and Derek’s FIFA officiating careers have been tragically cut short since Javier Milei’s checks started bouncing. In this week’s news: the NATO summit ends on a high note (4:46); in Iran, new fighting erupts as Trump declares the end of the ceasefire (11:59), plus estimates of the war’s cost increase (16:45); in Gaza, Hamas dissolves its government (18:15) as the Board of Peace prepares a “h
Rome and Ancient Iran w/ Jake Nabel / American Prestige
Danny and Derek are joined by Jake Nabel, Tombros early career professor of classical studies and assistant professor of classics and ancient Mediterranean studies at Penn State, to talk about Roman-Parthian relations in antiquity. The group discusses the geopolitical landscape of the ancient Mediterranean and Near East, the rise of the Parthian Empire and the Arsacid dynasty following the fall of
Jamie Raskin: How to Fight Trump; plus Dems after Platner / Start Making Sense
Jamie Raskin, Democrat from Maryland, talks about Congress reforming the Supreme Court, and the House challenging Trump’s corruption. His article in the current issue of The Nation magazine is “We Must Restore Congress as the Predominant Branch of Government.”Also: John Nichols assesses the Democrats’ Senate candidates in the wake of the replacement of Graham Platner in Maine.Advertising Inquiries
Founding Myths w/ Tad Stoermer / Fighting Fascism
To celebrate the 250th, we’re looking back at the founding with Tad Stoermer, author of the NYTimes bestseller “A Resistance History of the United States.” Why did the same people who kicked off the American Revolution actively oppose the adoption of the Constitution? Was Rhode Island always a mob state? What can we learn from the musical 1776, starring Mr. Feeny? All this and more on this special
Bonus - How the British Empire Lost America w/ Andrew Shankman / American Prestige
Danny and Derek are joined by historian Andrew Shankman to talk about the road to US independence from Great Britain. They discuss differences between Spanish and British colonization strategies, the intellectual and philosophical origins of the American Revolution, the Stamp Act crisis, distinctions in racial conceptions between the American colonies and the West Indies, key revolutionary figures
The RAM Crisis is Coming for All Your Tech w/ Chris Person / Tech Won't Save Us
Public ire toward AI keeps growing as the data center boom continues to hit people’s pockets. Chris Person joins Paris Marx to discuss the soaring cost of consumer electronics, including why prices are unlikely to fall anytime soon, and how people can experiment with homespun cyberpunk tech.Chris Person is a co-founder of Aftermath and makes Highlight Reel.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.
The History of Iran’s Nuclear Program w/ Sina Azodi / American Prestige
Sina Azodi, assistant professor of Middle East politics and director of the Middle East Studies program at George Washington University, returns to the show to talk about Iran’s nuclear program. The group discusses the Shah’s nuclear agenda, Atoms for Peace, Iran’s signing of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, how the Iran-Iraq War influenced Iran’s nuclear policy, missed opportunities for dipl
What Trump Lost–and Won–with the Supremes; plus Haitians after TPS / Start Making Sense
Trump biggest losses in the Supreme Court rulings announced this week were on birthright citizenship—widely anticipated—and the voting rights case where the majority ruled states could count ballots mailed but not received by election day. His biggest win was abolishing independent agencies except for the Federal Reserve. David Cole has our analysis—he’s the former legal director of the ACLU.Also:
For the Union Makes Us Strong w/ Sara Nelson / Fighting Fascism
Sara Nelson is the President of the Association of Flight Attendants, and one of the most badass leaders in the labor movement today. But that doesn’t mean we don’t conduct a hard-hitting, critical interview of her. Well, actually, that’s exactly what it means. Hear Sara lay out the challenges and opportunities that unions face right now, and the role of organized labor in fighting fascism. And he
The Triumph of Mamdani and the DSA w/ Ross Barkan / The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani had a very good night on Tuesday: a slate of candidates he endorsed won in Democratic primaries in both state and congressional races. This victory was shared by the Democratic Socialists of America, which is now clearly replacing the old political machines in its ability to get out the vote. Ross Barkan wrote about these elections for The Nation and joins the po
Iran Talks Advance, Starmer Resigns, Israel Targets Children in Gaza / American Prestige
Danny and Derek’s promised ring ceremony regrettably must be relocated from MSG due to a scheduling conflict. In this week’s news: The Iran negotiations show signs of progress (1:26) despite disputes over the agreement (5:20), plus conflicting reports over the status of the Strait of Hormuz* (9:24); Lebanon sees a reduction in fighting and another round of talks (12:31); in Gaza, Israel is targeti
Data Center Opposition Is Uniting Communities w/ Saul Levin / Tech Won't Save Us
As tech companies race to build hyperscale data centers, communities are coming together to push back. Saul Levin joins Paris Marx to discuss how rising opposition to data center construction is uniting people across party lines and prompting broader conversations around what infrastructure people want instead.Saul Levin is a community organizer and host of The Hum.Advertising Inquiries: https://r
How Zionism Failed w/ Omer Bartov / American Prestige
Omer Bartov, Dean’s Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University, joins the program to talk about Zionism’s transformation from an emancipation movement into a form of ethno-nationalism. They delve into Zionism’s formation alongside European colonialism, how settler encroachment influenced Palestinian nationalism, comparisons with European settler colonialism, whether Zionism’s
Norm Eisen: Fighting Trump’s Threats to Voting; plus Protest Success Stories / Start Making Sense
Election protection: defending Ohio’s biggest voter registration group, and blocking Trump’s attacks on voting by mail: Norm Eisen, co-counsel on the first Trump impeachment, comments.Also: how protest pushed ICE to abandon most of its warehouse detention center plans, and pressured Georgia Republicans to abandon their redistricting plans – John Nichols explains.Advertising Inquiries: https://redc
US-Iran MoU Takes Effect, West Bank Settlement Expansion, Fujimori Leads Peru Election Count / American Prestige
Danny and Derek are in backchannel talks with the reflecting pool algae. In this week’s news: the United States and Iran sign a Memorandum of Understanding (1:26), which addresses sanctions, the Strait of Hormuz, reconstruction, sovereignty, and the nuclear program (6:46); Israel continues its attacks on and occupation of Lebanon despite the MoU dictating otherwise (26:12); Gaza is excluded from t
A Practical Guide to Messing with Big Tech Oligarchs w/ Cory Doctorow / Fighting Fascism
Cory Doctorow, guy who coined the term enshittification, has been eviscerating Big Tech oligarchs for many years. He’s now turning his razor-sharp mind onto one of our most/least favorite topics: AI. His new book, The Reverse-Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI, is in many ways a practical guide for how to resist (actually resist, not just feel-good resist) the biggest financial scam in human history
Matt Taibbi and the New Threat to Free Speech w/ Eoin Higgins / The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
Journalist Eoin Higgins was recently sued for defamation by a fellow journalist Matt Taibbi, who is subject on criticism in Higgins’ book Owned: How Tech Billionaires on the Right Bought the Loudest Voices on the Left. The case was briskly dismissed by a judge and is now on appeal. The lawsuit was manifestly frivolous and is filled with irony, since Taibbi likes to present himself as a free speech
Canada’s Government Is Rushing AI Adoption w/ Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood / Tech Won't Save Us
The Canadian government is going all in on AI, without understanding the real effects of the technology. Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood joins Paris Marx to discuss Mark Carney’s push for large-scale investment in AI, despite being unable to describe how adoption will work, how Canadians will benefit, and what policies will be implemented to mitigate growing risks and harms.Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood senio
Why Harvard Won’t Settle; plus Struggles of Supermarket Workers / Start Making Sense
In his campaign against elite universities as centers of resistance, Trump hasn’t been able to force Harvard to submit. And it seems less likely now that they will settle. Harvard law professor Randall Kennedy has our analysis.Also: the essential workers at our supermarkets: Ann Larson talks about poverty wages and worker solidarity. Her new book is Cleanup on Aisle Five: Essential Work, Poverty W
Human Prehistory and How Societies Rise and Fall w/ Patrick Wyman / American Prestige
Historian Patrick Wyman returns to the show to talk about the deep history of human societies and how they can inform the current moment. They explore new ways of studying prehistory, the origins of agriculture, climate adaptation, the Clovis people, the long Neolithic, early farming societies, states and security, the Bronze Age collapse, and more.Listen to Patrick’s Past Lives podcast. And gra
Trumpism Abroad w/ American Prestige / Fighting Fascism
That’s right, friends... it’s another crossover episode! We were joined by Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison from American Prestige, a podcast that offers a left analysis on international affairs. Which… we got to eventually (Iran, Israel, USAID, what Democrats’ foreign policy should look like, all the hits)… but only after Daniel and Aaron ended once and for all the age-old debate of: Is Trumpism
Is Bari Weiss Winning? W/ David Klion / The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
Bari Weiss has become a flashpoint of controversy in her position running CBS News. She’s fired half a dozen senior producers and correspondents at 60 Minutes, the network’s flagship news program. With tumbling ratings and staff revolts, she’s been accused of ruining CBS. But perhaps this accusation doesn’t quite describe her actual goals, which is not running a successful network news operation b
US and Iran Exchange Fire, Pentagon Raises Israeli Spy Threat, Jihadist-Rebel Alliance Pressures Mali / American Prestige
The World Cup is upon us, so Danny and Derek are showering visiting players with crocheted NATO flags. In this week’s news: Israel and Iran exchange fire (0:59), with Netanyahu possibly defying Trump (3:16); Iran and the US also trade blows as the ceasefire comes into question (6:11); the IDF is preparing a new Gaza offensive (14:56); Afghanistan and Pakistan engage in more border clashes (17:11);
Silicon Valley Is Turning Nurses Into Gig Workers w/ Katie J. Wells / Tech Won't Save Us
The Uber model is finally coming for healthcare. Katie J. Wells joins Paris Marx to discuss how much the healthcare gig apps resemble Uber’s rollout, why they aren’t being properly regulated, and the effects they’re having on staff and patients alike.Katie J. Wells is a Senior Fellow at AI Now Institute and a co-author of Disrupting D.C.: The Rise of Uber and the Fall of the City.Advertising Inqu
Primary Elections from LA to Maine, plus AI "Poetry" / Start Making Sense
Democratic strength, and Democratic divisions, in primaries from L.A. to Maine—Harold Meyerson has our analysis of the week’s political developments.Also: Can AI write poetry? Good poetry? Katha Pollitt decided to find out. She’s an award-winning poet herself, and a columnist for The Nation.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
HondurasGate US Power in Latin America w/ José Luis Granados Ceja / American Prestige
Subscribe now for an ad-free experience.Danny and Derek welcome to the show José Luis Granados Ceja, head of the Latin America desk at DropSite News, for a conversation about the HondurasGate scandal and US policy in Latin America. They talk about the leaked audio files of the scandal, Juan Orlando Hernandez’s pardon, Marco Rubio’s influence, Cuba, Israel’s role in the region, Honduras’s place in
An Antifascist Guide to the World Cup w/ Alex Shephard / Fighting Fascism
We swear to god, we haven’t turned into a sports podcast (despite all Matt’s efforts). But it turns out there’s a not-insignificant intersection between the World Cup, democracy, and authoritarianism. So we invited Alex Shephard—a senior editor and writer at the New Republic and founder of Golden Goal, a literary magazine about the 2026 World Cup—to walk us through the dramas, controversies, and p
Fighting Trump’s Corruption w/ Chris Lehmann / The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
Donald Trump is corrupt on a scale that puts all other criminal presidents, including Richard Nixon, to shame. One recent example is the so-called Anti-Weaponization fund of $1,776,000,000, being deployed to reward convicted criminals who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump and his cronies are also profiting from billion-dollar deals with foreign governments and engaged in stock market t
US-Iran Escalations, Israel Expands Lebanon Campaign, CIA Feuds With Intelligence Chief / American Prestige
There’s too much Knickerbocker news to fit here, but we do have other stories to report. This week: Iran and the U.S. exchange fire in the Gulf (2:00), plus peace talks stall after Trump adds new demands (4:29); Israel escalates its Lebanon campaign despite ceasefire talks (08:33); Cambodia takes a Thailand maritime dispute to the UN (15:19); in Sudan, tribal clashes kill dozens in South Darfur (1
The SpaceX IPO Gives Elon Musk Even More Power w/ Sean O’Kane / Tech Won't Save Us
SpaceX is finally going public, and it’s bad news for anyone who wants to rein in Elon Musk. Sean O’Kane joins Paris Marx to discuss the flimsy sci-fi ideas Elon Musk is using to justify the company’s massive valuation and the way corporate governance rules are shifting to give him even more power.Sean O’Kane is a senior reporter at TechCrunch.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPri
The Dems After Tuesday’s Primaries, plus Elmore Leonard’s Bad Guys / Start Making Sense
On this episode of Start Making Sense, John Nichols analyzes this week’s primary results in California and elsewhere, and, from the archives, Elmore Leonard talks about where his characters and plots came from.California’s jungle primary on Tuesday set the stage for the next Democratic governor of the state, and primaries in Iowa, New Jersey and elsewhere tested the strength of progressives in the
The Dems After Tuesday’s Primaries, plus Elmore Leonard’s Bad Guys / Start Making Sense
California’s jungle primary on Tuesday set the stage for the next Democratic governor of the state, and primaries in Iowa, New Jersey and elsewhere tested the strength of progressives in the party. John Nichols has our analysis.Also: from the archives: Elmore Leonard, who died in 2013 at age 87, was unpretentious about his massive accomplishments: 45 novels, more than a dozen turned into movies, a
Disneyland: Cold War Factory w/ Roland Betancourt / American Prestige
Danny and Derek speak with Roland Betancourt, Chancellor's Professor of Art History at UC Irvine, about Disneyland and the rise of automation in the US. They talk about Walt Disney’s move from animation to theme parks, the relationship between amusement parks and industrial production, Cold War technology and Southern California, Disney’s use of automation and control, labor in the theme park,
Monopoly v. Democracy w/ Matt Stoller & Zephyr Teachout / Fighting Fascism
We often think of democracy as a political issue, rather than an economic one. Matt Stoller and Zephyr Teachout, two leaders in the anti-monopoly movement, believe that’s a fundamentally false division. They joined us to explain why, as they see it, economic concentration is causing the loss of freedom we are experiencing across so many aspects of our lives, and why this country needs a great “re-
Why Big Oil Wants to Splinter Canada w/ Nora Loreto / The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
The issue of Canada’s national unity is heading towards the ballot box as Alberta is having a referendum on the issue of separatism. I spoke with Canadian journalist Nora Loreto about the background to this dispute, the backing the referendum is receiving from right-wing US political actors such as Steve Bannon and lobbyists connected to the oil industry. The discussion also takes up the role of P
Israel Escalates Lebanon Strikes, Taiwan Arms Sale Stalls, US Stockpiles Run Low / American Prestige
The AP UFC dome is regrettably being held up by Producer Jake’s HOA. In this week’s news: an update on the U.S.-Iran talks and U.S. airstrikes near Bandar Abbas (1:11); Trump demands new Abraham Accords signatures and threatens Oman over Strait of Hormuz fees (4:46); Israel escalates attacks and pushes displacement further north in Lebanon (11:39); Israel kills Hamas commander Mohammed Odeh (14:38
Do Chatbots Really Belong in Schools? w/ Tom Mullaney / Tech Won't Save Us
Generative AI is making its way into many parts of society, and schools are no different. Tom Mullaney joins Paris Marx to discuss how generative AI has been adopted in K-12 education and the many concerns it presents for students and teachers.Tom Mullaney is a high school social studies teacher in the suburbs of Philadelphia.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: ht
Stopping Trump’s Slush Fund, plus the Transformations of Bill Gates / Start Making Sense
Trump’s Billion Dollar Ballroom is a familiar kind of corruption, but his slush fund to pay the insurrectionists and paramilitary groups that commit violence in his name is an unprecedented attack on democracy. Rob Weissman of Public Citizen explains, and also talks about the immense, and immnsely unpopular, proposed Arc d’Trump.Also: Bill Gates was once the country’s youngest billionaire and the
It's the Corruption, Stupid w/ David Sirota
You may have noticed that corruption is legal in our country. At this point, it’s almost like the air we breathe or the water we swim in—it’s everywhere, and so it almost feels natural, like something we just have to accept. But that’s horseshit, according to David Sirota, investigative journalist and editor-in-chief of The Lever. David has spent his career uncovering and opposing corruption. So w
The Christian Right Weaponizing Scripture w/ John Fugelsang / American Prestige
Danny and Derek welcome to the show John Fugelsang, host of Tell Me Everything and author of Separation of Church and Hate, to talk about the rise and influence of right-wing Christianity in the United States. They discuss Christian nationalism; the political weaponization of scripture; Jesus’s teachings vs authoritarian Christianity; the apostle Paul’s role in shaping the faith; issues like abort
The Crackdown in Bahrain w/ Aamer | The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
The US/Israel war against Iran is not only a conflict between states but also within states. This is most visible in Gulf states such as Bahrain, which are technically US allies but where wide swaths of the population are against the war. The new website North South Notes published an enlightening article on this topic by Kareema Abbas and Aamer (two writers who are working under pseudonyms). I sp
Iran Talks Stall, Hezbollah Drones Limit IDF, Cuba Pretexts Build / American Prestige
Danny and Derek have reconciled with their disappointment in the new Star Wars film and can now bring you the news roundup. This week: in Iran, talks stall as Trump weighs continuing the war (2:00), the Islamic Republic attempts to institutionalize control over the Strait of Hormuz (8:49), and fuel protests spread around the world (13:09); the IDF continues daily bombardments in Lebanon while Hezb
Prediction Markets Want to Financialize Everything w/ Jathan Sadowski / Tech Won't Save Us
Polymarket and Kalshi are everywhere. But what are they doing to society? Jathan Sadowski joins Paris Marx to discuss the rise of prediction markets and their negative social effects as they push the global economy closer toward the financialization of everything.Jathan Sadowski is an Associate Professor at Monash University. He is the author of The Mechanic and the Luddite and co-hosts This Machi
Winning State Legislatures and Winning Midterm Elections / Start Making Sense
State legislatures have a lot of power in America—the States Project focuses on expanding that. Daniel Squadron explains. His new book is The Fourth Branch: How State Government can Save Our Union.Also: this week’s polls and this week’s primaries have nothing but bad news for Trump and his followers.John Nichols has our analysis.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out:
Extraction Behind the Green Transition w/ Thea Riofrancos / American Prestige
Danny and Derek welcome back to the show political scientist Thea Riofrancos to talk about the politics of extraction in the global energy transition. They explore the contradictions of green capitalism, the debate over degrowth and abundance, China’s role in lithium battery production, the history of lithium batteries, green industrial policy, U.S. oil and gas power, popular resistance to data ce
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