Episodes

  • News - Trump-Xi Summit, Iran Ceasefire Breakdown, CIA Mexico Strike

    News - Trump-Xi Summit, Iran Ceasefire Breakdown, CIA Mexico Strike
    May 15 2026
    Subscribe now for an ad-free experience and more episodes. Danny and Derek fight fake news as they fight their allergies. This week: Trump and Xi meet; Trump rejects Iran’s ceasefire terms (3:09); Gulf states continue strikes against Iran-linked targets (5:53); U.S. intelligence estimates show Iran retains most missiles (8:48); Asian economies cut energy use with fertilizer shortages threatening crops (10:24); Gaza ceasefire plans appear to proceed without Hamas disarmament (12:58), Israel moves toward an early election (15:47), and Netanyahu publicizes a UAE visit as Abu Dhabi denies it (17:40); Lebanon and Israel pursue talks as Israeli attacks continue (20:03); jihadist attacks intensify in Mali (24:37); Russia and Ukraine resume attacks after a brief ceasefire (27:45); Wes Streeting quits while Labour pressure builds on Starmer (30:09); CNN reports the CIA’s involvement in cartel killings in Mexico (32:20); and U.S. military activity raises fears of a Cuba operation (34:02). Don’t forget to listen to our latest miniseries, Marx Prestige. And join us for our livestream every Wednesday at 8pm ET. Enjoy the replay of this week’s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    41 mins
  • E248 - Journalism in the Age of Oligarchy w/ David Sirota

    E248 - Journalism in the Age of Oligarchy w/ David Sirota
    May 12 2026
    Subscribe now to skip the ads and get all of our episodes. Danny and Derek speak with David Sirota, founder and EIC of The Lever, about journalism, independent media, and the consolidation of presidential power. They discuss the difference between journalism and media, the attention economy, capitalist media, audience capture, the decline of local news, the Powell Memo, the unitary executive theory, war powers, and Donald Trump’s use of executive power. Be sure to listen to The Kingmakers, the second season of David’s investigative podcast Master Plan. Don’t forget that AP’s new, weekly livestream is back this Wednesday at 8pm ET on our YouTube channel. And keep your eyes peeled for Season 2 of Welcome to the Crusades. Recorded 4/27/26 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Bonus - Eleanor of Aquitaine, Mother of Failsons and Success Daughters w/ Eleanor Janega and Luke Waters (Preview)

    Bonus - Eleanor of Aquitaine, Mother of Failsons and Success Daughters w/ Eleanor Janega and Luke Waters (Preview)
    May 10 2026
    Subscribe now for the full episode. Keep your eyes peeled for Season 2 of Welcome to the Crusades, our crossover series with Eleanor and Luke, coming soon. For now, enjoy Season 1. Happy Mother’s Day! Danny and Derek reunite with Eleanor and Luke of We’re Not So Different to talk about the life and legacy of Eleanor of Aquitaine. They discuss Eleanor’s power and wealth, her marriage to Louis VII, the Second Crusade, her relationship with Henry II, failsons Richard and John, her several success daughters, political influence, patronage of troubadours, courtly love, and Eleanor’s place in medieval and popular memory. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    10 mins
  • Re-Post - Mother Mary’s Day w/ Eleanor Janega

    Re-Post - Mother Mary’s Day w/ Eleanor Janega
    May 9 2026
    In the first part of our Mother’s Day festivities, we’re unlocking our Mother’s Day episode from 2023 with Eleanor Janega. A new one on Eleanor of Aquitaine is out tomorrow for subscribers, so subscribe now. Enjoy! Happy Mother’s Day! Danny and Derek welcome Eleanor Janega, co-host of the We’re Not So Different podcast and author of The Once and Future Sex: Going Medieval on Women's Roles in Society, to talk about one of the great mothers of history: The Virgin Mary. They discuss what actually makes Mary the ultimate medieval mother (despite being from ancient times), how her story is fan fiction for the Middle Ages, conceptions and the reality of motherhood in the medieval era across different classes, the sexualization of Mary, her treatment in different Christian sects, and more. Look out for the second season of our Welcome to the Crusades series with Eleanor and Luke of We're Not so Different. In the meantime, get season 1 here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    57 mins
  • News - Iran Talks Near Deal, Israel Ignores Ceasefires, Cuba Sanctions Expand

    News - Iran Talks Near Deal, Israel Ignores Ceasefires, Cuba Sanctions Expand
    May 8 2026
    Producer Jake regrettably had his pet rat confiscated after an ill-fated cruise. In this week’s news: Iran considers a U.S. peace proposal (1:37), Project Freedom fails in the Strait of Hormuz (7:45), and new details emerge about damage by Iranian strikes on U.S. military sites (11:25); Israel kills civilians in Lebanon (14:53) and targets Gaza police (16:24); U.S.-China tensions rise before Trump’s summit (18:10); Sudan accuses Ethiopia of drone strikes while Ethiopia accuses Sudan of arming Tigray rebels (23:19), plus Tigray’s ruling party reinstates the regional legislature (25:39); the United States prepares to lift sanctions on Eritrea (27:08); JNIM besieges Bamako, Mali as Mali’s junta leader appoints himself defense minister (28:41); Trump pulls U.S. soldiers from Germany (30:24); Russia and Ukraine reject rival ceasefires (31:38); Trump expands sanctions on Cuba (33:53); and the White House broadens its counterterrorism strategy (35:29). Follow us on YouTube and join our livestreams every Wednesday at 8pm ET! And don’t forget to listen to our Marx Prestige miniseries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    40 mins
  • E247 - Radical Liberalism w/ Alex Zakaras

    E247 - Radical Liberalism w/ Alex Zakaras
    May 5 2026
    Subscribe now to skip the ads and get all of our episodes. Danny and Derek welcome to the show Alex Zakaras, professor of political science at the University of Vermont, to talk about the history and future of radical liberalism. They discuss liberalism’s relationship to republicanism, the American liberal tradition, equal freedom, defensive liberalism after 2016, neoliberalism, Cold War liberalism, socialism, racial hierarchy, labor power, democratic crisis, and whether liberalism can still offer a politics of freedom and equality. Be sure to grab a copy of Alex’s book Freedom for All: What a Liberal Society Could Be. Don't miss our livestream this Wednesday, May 6, at 8 pm ET on our YouTube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr
  • Bonus - After the Liberal International Order w/ Judah Grunstein (Preview)

    Bonus - After the Liberal International Order w/ Judah Grunstein (Preview)
    May 3 2026
    Subscribe now for the full episode. Danny and Derek speak with Judah Grunstein, World Politics Review’s editor-at-large, about American power and what a post-unipolar future might look like. They discuss the meaning of the liberal international order, U.S. empire and legitimacy, Trump challenging American primacy, the role of middle powers, China and the European Union, climate change and development, strategic autonomy, and the possibility of Washington not ushering in a new order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    11 mins
  • News - Iran Talks Collapse, UAE Leaves OPEC, Mali Rebels Seize Kidal

    News - Iran Talks Collapse, UAE Leaves OPEC, Mali Rebels Seize Kidal
    May 1 2026
    Subscribe now to skip the ads and get all of our episodes. King Charles paid his respects at AP HQ, but was put off by Danny’s pet ferrets. In this week’s news: Iran talks collapse as Trump weighs a blockade and strikes (1:56); the UAE leaves OPEC (7:45); Mali rebels and jihadists seize Kidal (16:49); Derek interviews Alex Thurston about Mali’s escalating rebel offensive and the implications for the junta government (18:08); Israel kills civilians and expands evacuation zones in Lebanon (33:43) as the U.S. and Israel demand a Hezbollah disarmament plan from Lebanon (35:25); Israel adds an orange line to its Gaza map (37:08); Afghanistan and Pakistan exchange border fire (38:59); China blocks the sale of AI startup Manus to Meta (40:46); Sudan’s Blue Nile faces a humanitarian crisis (44:23); King Charles visits the United States and addresses Congress (46:27); Trump and Putin discuss a Ukraine ceasefire (48:53), plus Ukraine accuses Israel of procuring stolen grain (48:53); and the United States charges Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha (52:18). Don’t forget to download our latest miniseries Marx Prestige. All episodes out now! And paid subscribers will get access to the full interview with Alex Thurston. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    59 mins