Pod Save the World

Tommy and Ben discuss the normalization of foreign interference in US elections, the Chinese hack of US telecoms that could be putting millions of Americans’ communications at risk, concerns around potential post-election day violence stemming from right wing groups, and Bill Clinton’s unhelpful Gaza messaging. They also talk about Benjamin Netanyahu firing his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, allegations that a Netanyahu staffer leaked classified information, reports that Russia planned to ship explosive devices on planes headed to the US, an update on the election in Moldova, and a massive political shakeup in Botswana. Finally, they cover a report about how North Korean soldiers sent to Russia are spending their free time, a time limit on hugs at a New Zealand airport, and Russia’s historically massive fine on Google. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

In this special episode of Pod Save the World, Ben looks at the most existential issue of our time, and one that gets little attention on the campaign trail: climate change. He examines both Harris and Trump’s records, the domestic and global benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act, the dire circumstances for small island nations and vulnerable communities, and what’s at stake if the US abandons climate leadership. Ben is joined by Brian Deese, former Director of the White House National Economic Council in the Biden administration, Leah Stokes, an Associate Professor of Environmental Politics at UCSB, and Rueanna Haynes, the Head of Diplomacy, Climate Analytics, and Director of Climate Analytics, Caribbean. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Tommy and Ben discuss why North Korea deployed 10,000 special forces troops to Russia, reports that Elon Musk likes to chat on the phone with Vladimir Putin, and a Trump campaign memo suggesting that if elected, he should do away with FBI background checks normally required before staff can access classified information. They also talk about new Israeli laws that would cripple aid deliveries into Gaza, the muted response from Iran after Israeli airstrikes near Tehran, increasingly sophisticated election interference from Russia, Iran, and China, the consequences of elections in Georgia and Japan, and a giant feces geyser near Moscow. Then, Tommy interviews NBC correspondent Jacob Soboroff about the new documentary based on his book “Separated” that details the inhumane family separation policy enacted during the Trump administration, and the chances of it happening again if he wins. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

In this special episode of Pod Save the World, Ben looks at the most important bilateral relationship in the world today: the new era of competition between the U.S. and China. Will the U.S. drift into outright conflict with China, or can we balance competition and cooperation? He reviews China’s attempt to reshape the global order, how the Biden administration has tried to get tougher on China through its trade policy, and how tensions over Taiwan could impact both our economic and military future. Ben is joined by Evan Medeiros, Professor of Asian Studies at Georgetown University, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, and Ryan Hass, Chair of Taiwan Studies at the Brookings Institution. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Tommy and Ben discuss the biggest foreign policy debates on the 2024 campaign trail, like Trump blaming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the war in Ukraine, Kamala Harris campaigning with Liz Cheney, speculation about who would serve in Harris’s foreign policy cabinet, and Gaza policy. Then they talk about the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the devastating humanitarian situation in Northern Gaza, continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon, the BRICS summit in Russia, Moldova’s razor thin vote to pursue EU membership, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleging that right wing personalities Tucker Carlson and Jordan Peterson are financed by the Russian government, the electrical grid collapse in Cuba, and a shady pizza operation in Germany. Then, Tommy speaks to Casey Michel, Director of the Combating Kleptocracy Program at the Human Rights Foundation and author of the new book, “Foreign Agents”. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

In this special episode of Pod Save the World, Ben looks at the expanding conflict in the Middle East and how either a Harris or Trump electoral victory could impact the actions or motivations of countries in the region. He also looks at the growing rift among Democrats on the issue of Israel, anti-semitism in the US, the Palestinian perspective on the ongoing destruction in Gaza, and the broader regional dynamic. Ben is joined by Peter Beinart, Editor-at-Large of Jewish Currents and author of the forthcoming book “Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza”, as well as foreign policy analyst Rula Jebreal, and The Economist’s Middle East correspondent, Gregg Carlstrom. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Tommy and Ben discuss the Israeli military’s plan to seal off and lay siege to Northern Gaza, the Biden administration’s demand that Israel improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza or else the US will (maybe?) cut off weapons shipments, the IDF’s expanding military campaign in Lebanon, and new details about how Israel might respond to Iran’s ballistic missile attack. They also talk about a “hit list” of Trump administration officials being targeted by Iran, North Korea blowing up roads connected to South Korea and sending troops to Russia, Canada and India expelling diplomats over the assassination of a Sikh activist, and Viktor Orbán getting dunked on in the European Parliament. Then Ben speaks to Saad Mohseni, author of “Radio Free Afghanistan” about running a media company in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

In this special episode of Pod Save the World, Ben looks at how the war in Ukraine will be impacted by a Harris or Trump victory. Speaking to guests from Ukraine, Russia, and Europe, we hear different perspectives on American leadership, the future of the war, and the stakes for Ukrainians, Russians and NATO. Ben is joined by Senator Chris Murphy, Ukrainian journalist Illia Ponomarenko, Nina Krushcheva, Professor of International International Affairs at the New School, and Célia Belin, Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Tommy and Ben discuss the anniversary of the October 7th attack in Israel and how the war has expanded across the Middle East in the year since, they play reflections from a Palestinian journalist in Gaza and an Israeli woman whose relatives were taken hostage, and discuss the heavy fighting this week in both Northern Gaza and Lebanon. Then they talk about how the war has become a major issue on the campaign trail, Trump’s bizarre claim to have visited Gaza and support for Israel attacking Iranian nuclear infrastructure, Kamala Harris’s frosty comments about Benjamin Netanyahu on 60 Minutes, Macron’s call to stop arming Israel, and Netanyahu’s ominous message to the Lebanese people. They also talk about Bob Woodward’s new book, the Tunisian election and the end of the Arab Spring, the dangers of the far-right surge in Austria, and a Qantas Airlines experience of in-flight entertainment gone horribly wrong. Then, Ben speaks to Ta-Nehisi Coates about his new book, “The Message”, that digs into the Israeli and Palestinian conflict and how victims can become victimizers. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

In this special episode of Pod Save the World, Ben looks at how this November’s election will impact global democracy. From the rise of autocracy and the far right, to U.S. efforts to support (or undermine) democratic values around the world, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump represent a stark choice. He’s joined by Senator Chris Murphy, USAID administrator Samantha Power, Sarah Margon, the US Foreign Policy Director at the Open Society Foundations, and Zack Beauchamp, Vox reporter and author of “The Reactionary Spirit”. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Tommy and Ben discuss the escalating war between Israel, Hezbollah and Iran after Iran launched 200 ballistic missiles towards Israel on Tuesday in retaliation for the Israeli strike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. They also talk about Nasrallah’s importance and the prospects for his replacement, the Israeli ground invasion into Lebanon, the Biden administration’s muddled message on the Middle East, and how Trump is using the Iranian strikes to attack Kamala Harris. Then, Tommy speaks with Leila Molana-Allen, who is covering the conflict in Beirut as Special Correspondent for PBS News Hour, about the war’s devastating impact on civilians in Lebanon. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. 

Tommy and Ben discuss the escalation of violence between Israel and Hezbollah into all-out war, the shuttering of Al Jazeera in the West Bank, the importance and futility of the United Nations General Assembly, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s trip to the US with a “victory plan” and a swing state ammunition plant visit. Then they discuss new polling that reveals where American voters stand on foreign policy issues, another troubling local election in Germany with high turnout for the far-right, a Socialist candidate’s victory in Sri Lanka’s election, Elon Musk caving on free speech in Brazil, the potential national security implications of a sunken luxury yacht, a proposal in Albania to create a liberal Muslim micro-state, and painted dogs displayed as pandas in a Chinese zoo. Then, Ben speaks with Lebanese journalist and author of Black Wave, Kim Ghattas, about the situation on the ground in Beirut after the last week of pager attacks and strikes have caused panic, as well as the degree of damage to Hezbollah’s power. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Tommy and Ben discuss reports that Israel sent thousands of explosive pagers to members of Hezbollah and whether this signals the beginning of a larger Israeli military operation in Lebanon, what people who have been in national security meetings with Kamala Harris say about her leadership style and new polling about the politics of foreign policy in this election, and the growing pressure on the US and UK to allow the Ukrainian military to use western weapons to hit targets inside Russia. They also discuss why the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia has become a major issue in Georgia’s upcoming election, the new Prime Minister of France, Iran hiring Hells Angels and other criminal networks to target critics abroad, and why Americans were sentenced to death in the Democratic Republic of Congo for a coup attempt. Finally, they touch on the trial against Manchester City for financial breaches in the Premier League, the NSA’s new podcast, and whether Pokémon GO was a western intelligence tool. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Tommy is joined by Colin Kahl, Biden’s former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, to discuss multiple conflicts and hot spots around the world including the ongoing efforts against ISIS in Iraq, the hard lessons being learned in the war in Ukraine, Republican attempts to blame Kamala Harris for the Afghanistan withdrawal, extremist attacks in western Africa, and the futility of trying to defeat Hamas militarily in Gaza. Then, Tommy is joined by Vera Bergengruen, Senior correspondent for TIME Magazine, to discuss her cover stories on President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador and President Javier Milei of Argentina, why they’re popular at home and with Republicans in the US, the DOJ indictment that disclosed the Russian government paid huge sums to American right-wing influencers, and why Russian influence operations work best in smaller countries. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. 

Tommy and Ben discuss the discovery of six Israeli hostages killed by Hamas, protests in Israel demanding Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu agree to a ceasefire and hostage release deal, how Biden’s rhetoric about Gaza gives Netanyahu political cover, and the challenges of the UN’s Polio vaccination rollout in Gaza. They also talk about what an election win for Germany’s far-right AfD party means for the country’s political future, why a former aide to NY Governor Kathy Hochul is being charged with working as a foreign agent for China, why X (Twitter) was blocked in Brazil, a controversial effort to reform Mexico’s judicial system, the shooting of Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine, and the Taliban’s ban on women speaking in public in Afghanistan. Then, Ben speaks to Tom Perriello, the US Special Envoy to Sudan about the negotiations he led to address the world’s worst hunger crisis.  For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Tommy and Ben discuss Telegram founder Pavel Durov’s arrest in France, the debate over free speech, social media, and CEO accountability, as well as why the Russian government finds the app so useful. They also talk about strikes between Hezbollah and Israel and the lonely optimism of the US on a ceasefire deal, a change in US nuclear strategy that refocuses on China, the spread of mpox, protests in India over the rape and murder of a doctor, and some troubling insider knowledge about former Trump officials. Then Tommy speaks to Senator Peter Welch about how Kamala Harris could take a stronger stance on Gaza and what Tim Walz’s gym habits were when they were in Congress together. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Tommy and Ben discuss the lack of foreign policy discussion in speeches at the DNC in Chicago, protests over Gaza happening outside of the convention, and reports that Trump could be influencing Netanyahu’s decision to hold off on agreeing to a ceasefire deal. They also talk about Ukraine’s incursion into Russia causing a pause in negotiations to stop attacks on energy infrastructure, the anti-democratic nature of Thai politics as they welcome a new Prime Minister, and Ramzan Kadyrov’s tricked out Tesla Cybertruck. Then Ben speaks to Alsu Kurmasheva, the Radio Free Europe reporter who was recently freed in a historic prisoner exchange with Russia. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Tommy and Ben discuss the impact of Ukraine’s shocking military incursion into Russian territory, how the US and Israel are preparing for a possible retaliatory military strike by Iran and Hezbollah, how activists are trying to influence Kamala Harris’s position on Gaza, and the latest details on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and ceasefire negotiations. Then they talk about Iran hacking the Trump campaign, reports that the US offered Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro amnesty in exchange for stepping down, terror threats at Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna, and outrage over a celebrity event in Pompeii. Then, Ben speaks to Sahar Halaimzai, Director of the Afghanistan Initiative at the Malala Fund about the gender apartheid that exists in Afghanistan three years after the Taliban’s return. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Ben and guest host Alyona Minkovski discuss how Harris’s pick of Tim Walz as a running mate represents a new generation of US foreign policy, the anticipation of an attack from Iran and Hezbollah in retaliation for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, and a historic prisoner exchange between the US and Russia that included journalists, dissidents, and an FSB assassin. Then they talk about the resignation of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, the Venezuelan opposition’s proof of victory, the role of AI and disinformation in the far-right riots in the UK, and favorite moments from the Paris Olympics. Then, Ben speaks to Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor to President Biden, about how the prisoner exchange came together and what it could mean for the prospect of negotiations on the war in Ukraine and the effort to reach a ceasefire in Gaza. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Tommy and Ben discuss Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro’s attempt to hold on to power after losing Sunday’s election, the political debate over whether the US should sanction Venezuela, and what Vice President Harris should do in the next 100 days to pass the “Commander-in-Chief test.” They also talk about the escalating war between Israel and Hezbollah, Netanyahu’s disgraceful speech to Congress, Kamala Harris’s meeting with Netanyahu, far-right protests in Israel over an investigation into abuse of Palestinian detainees, and reports of a polio outbreak in Gaza. Then they go over evidence of UAE boots on the ground in Sudan, reports of an ambush of Wagner Group fighters in Mali, favorite moments from the Paris Olympics so far, and FOX news outrage over a misconstrued clip from the opening ceremony. Finally, Ben speaks to Phillip Gunson of the International Crisis Group about the situation on the ground in Venezuela following the election. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.