Worldly

Jan 4/2021

In the very! last! episode! of the Worldly podcast, Zack interviews renowned economic historian Adam Tooze about his forthcoming book, Shutdown — an early history of the year 2020, one that felt to many like the end of the world as they knew it. Zack and Adam discuss what the fateful year taught us about[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Jen Kirby look at how authoritarianism has become internationalized, through the lens of two recent news stories: 1) Fox News host Tucker Carlson choosing to broadcast his show from Hungary this week; and 2) a Belarusian Olympian in Tokyo seeking asylum out of fear of punishment by the Lukashenko regime after she[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Jen Kirby discuss the political crisis gripping Tunisia following the president’s decision to fire the prime minister and suspend parliament. Tunisia was the big “success story” of the Arab Spring: the one country whose revolution produced a real, albeit rocky, transition to democracy — a democracy that is now in crisis. The[...]
Zack Beauchamp, Jenn Williams, and Jen Kirby discuss the explosive revelations that a number of governments around the world, from Saudi Arabia to Hungary to India, have been using military-grade spyware made by an Israeli firm to secretly hack into the phones of journalists, activists, and political opponents. They explore what we know about the[...]
Worldly guest co-host Jen Kirby talks to Michael Bustamante, professor of Latin American history at Florida International University and the author of Cuban Memory Wars: Retrospective Politics in Revolution and Exile (2021), about Cuba’s recent protests, the largest in decades. They discuss the origins of the current crisis and what it means for thousands of[...]
Frequent Worldly guest cohost Jen Kirby talks Turkey with NBA player and activist Enes Kanter. Kanter was born in Switzerland to Turkish parents and raised in Turkey, but his criticism of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ongoing human rights crackdown has made Kanter persona non grata in that country. They discuss how President Joe Biden[...]
A special repost from the folks at Today, Explained! While the Worldly team is out enjoying the holiday weekend in the States, TEX host Sean Rameswaram helps walk you through what’s going with Brexit right now — chatting with The Atlantic’s Tom McTague about where things are at right now in the UK/EU divorce. They explain[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the European soccer dustup over Hungary’s new anti-LGBTQ law. They explain what the Hungarian law does, how the country’s increasingly authoritarian leader Viktor Orbán is using it — and soccer — to further his anti-democratic political aims, why the EU opposes the measure so strongly, and how all of this[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss President Joe Biden’s big trip to Europe, where he met with the other leaders of the G7 and NATO countries as well as with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The gang examine what Biden actually accomplished on his trip, discuss the furor that erupted on Political Science Twitter over a comment[...]
Now & Then is a new podcast from CAFE hosted by award-winning historians Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman. Every Tuesday, Heather and Joanne use their encyclopedic knowledge of US history to bring the past to life. Together, they make sense of the week in news by discussing the people, ideas, and events that got[...]
Zack and Jenn talk about the horrifying discovery of the remains of 215 children at a so-called “residential school” in Canada. They talk about the history of these schools, which were a centerpiece of Canada’s long-running effort to wipe out Indigenous culture and identity, and how the discovery of the children’s bodies is forcing a[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the political earthquake happening in Israel that could soon see longtime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ousted from power by a shaky coalition of far-right, centrist, leftist, and Islamist parties. They explain how this unlikely coalition came together, why it could easily fall apart, and what the possible end of the[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex explain why WWE wrestling superstar John Cena issued an apology to China this week over a comment he made about Taiwan while promoting his new Fast & Furious 9 movie — and what it says about China’s increasing efforts to use its economic might to censor statements it doesn’t like from[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex take a look at how, after more than a week of fighting, the war between Israel and Hamas is already reshaping the contours of the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict — deepening entrenched political realities, shaking up alliances, and reframing how the various players view their roles in the fight and the prospect[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the ongoing fighting between Israelis and Palestinians — the worst violence the conflict has seen in seven years. They explain how the fighting arose out of tensions in Jerusalem, how the militant group Hamas escalated things, and the cycle of violence that keeps pushing Israel and Hamas toward war. Then[...]
On a special bonus Worldly, Zack interviews Rep. Ro Khanna — the vice-chair of the House’s India Caucus — on the covid crisis in that country. They talk about how things got so bad in India and what it says about the state of India’s political institutions and democracy. Then they talk about the US response, where[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the political implications of the ongoing Covid-19 catastrophe in India, where cases are skyrocketing, overwhelming the country’s health care system. They look at how much Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is to blame for the crisis and the degree to which it’s creating political problems for Modi both at home[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex are joined by special guest Julia Belluz, Vox's senior health correspondent, to talk about how Vietnam has managed to keep its total coronavirus deaths to just 35 — yes, you read that right, 35 — in part by completely sealing its borders with one of the world’s strictest travel bans. The[...]
Twelve of Europe’s richest soccer teams tried, and failed, to create their own elite tournament in a naked money grab. Worldly’s Alex Ward, arguably Vox’s top soccer fan, explains why the move angered basically everyone and the scheme failed — for now. References: Alex wrote an explainer on the Super League and how the fans killed it.[...]
In a very special Earth Month episode, Zack, Jenn, and Alex use Nigeria as a case study to uncover the deep reasons why it’s so hard for the world to quit fossil fuels. Nigeria is a country deeply threatened by climate change, but it’s also one with a major oil industry that hopes to lift[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about President Joe Biden’s announcement that all remaining US troops will withdraw from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021 — the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks that launched the war. They discuss what the US withdrawal means for the near-term future of Afghanistan, why Biden finally made the tough call[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the royal drama that has roiled the normally quiet kingdom of Jordan this week: The king has accused his half-brother, the former crown prince, of a vague conspiracy against the crown and has put him under house arrest. The Worldly crew lays out what we actually know about what[...]
Zack, Alex, and returning guest Jen Kirby talk about the potential for a “bloodbath” in Myanmar. Since the military deposed the democratic government in a February 1 coup, pro-democracy protesters and armed ethnic groups have risen up against the junta. They’ve been met with extreme violence, leading to more than 500 dead and concerns from[...]
In a very special Worldly episode, Zack, Jenn, and Alex answer YOUR questions! From the many great listener questions sent in over the last several weeks, the gang picked four to answer in this week’s episode: What is “the Quad” and how does it fit into geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific; what’s driving migration to the[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the raft of problems stymying Europe’s vaccine rollout, which has been slower and messier than expected, given some of the earlier successes the continent had controlling infection rates. They talk about why some countries decided to pause administering the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and how the EU’s decision to negotiate for vaccines[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the huge news out of Brazil this week, where a judge annulled the corruption conviction of the country’s former leftist president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, opening the door for him to possibly run for president in 2022. The gang talks about what Lula was accused of, the debate about[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex debate whether the US should continue to treat Saudi Arabia as a close partner given its atrocious human rights abuses and the declining US dependence on Middle Eastern oil. In the second half of the show, Jenn interviews Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) about his proposed strategy for a new US approach[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down why the Biden administration hasn’t yet reentered the Iran nuclear deal. They explain that the process of rejoining is more complicated than it might seem, but that it’s still likely the deal will come back eventually. They then debate the pros and cons of rejoining the accord and how[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down one of the DC foreign policy world’s hottest new catchphrases: “great power competition.” It’s the idea that international politics in the 21st century will be dominated by a struggle for influence between the US, China, and (to a lesser extent) Russia. The gang talks about what the concept actually[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the huge farmers’ protests in India. They explain the very real policy debate over new agricultural reform laws that sparked the protests, and how that debate has now been obscured by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist politics, international celebrity activism, and online trolls. Oh, and they talk about Rihanna.[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the recent coup in Myanmar, in which the Myanmarese military deposed the country’s quasi-democratic government and detained its civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, along with hundreds of members of her political party. They look at why this happened, explain why both sides in this fight are morally compromised, explore[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the nationwide demonstrations in Russia in support of dissident opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who returned to the country this week from Germany, where he was recuperating from a poisoning believed to be an assassination attempt directed by the Kremlin. Navalny was immediately arrested upon his arrival, sparking protests across the[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex host the first Worldly episode of the Biden administration, the show’s first-ever episode when Donald Trump is not president. They discuss how US foreign policy will differ under Biden — and surprising ways it might stay the same — on topics ranging from China to Middle Eastern alliances to climate change.[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss how the US Capitol insurrection fits into the broader spectrum of far-right political violence in the US. They debate whether the incident should be considered an act of terrorism, and if so, what that means in terms of how to craft policy responses to the threat. They end by looking[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Jen Kirby discuss the assault on the US Capitol by a pro-Trump insurrection that has shaken America to its core. They look at the intelligence and law enforcement failures that allowed a mob to so easily seize one of the pillars of American government despite the US having spent billions on national[...]
Jenn, Alex, and Jen wrap up 2020 by discussing the biggest stories that flew under the radar this year because of, well, everything. They talk about the war in Ethiopia, a major leadership change in Japan, and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s constitutional amendments that allow him to stay in power basically for life. Then they[...]
Jenn, Alex, and Jen talk about how Brexit is for real — for real! — happening on January 1, but it won’t be so easy. Three sticking points stand between a UK-EU trade deal: fishing, keeping a level economic playing field, and a mechanism to dispute rule breaking. These may seem simple on the surface,[...]
Jenn, Alex, and Jen talk about the diplomatic spat between China and Australia that erupted this week after a Chinese official tweeted a fake image of an Australian soldier threatening a young Afghan child with a knife. Though the image was fake, it highlighted real war crimes allegedly committed by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan. The[...]
Alex and Jen discuss President Trump’s decision to draw down the number of US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. They explain the slapdash announcement and rushed plan, and the inherent tensions between wanting to end a long war and America’s responsibility to the people of the countries it has invaded. The gang also turns to[...]
Jenn, Alex, and Jen talk about the stalled transition process from President Trump to President-elect Biden. They discuss the possible national security implications and what Trump’s refusal to accept the election results says — and doesn’t say — about American exceptionalism. They conclude with how the world has reacted to the results, including Canadian Prime[...]
Jenn, Alex, and guest host Jen Kirby — who will be filling in for Zack while he’s on paternity leave — talk about what a Joe Biden victory would mean for the world. At the moment of taping, Biden is on the cusp of winning the presidency and Republicans look likely to hold on to[...]
Jenn and Alex discuss the recent terror attacks in France that have occurred amid a national and international uproar about cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed and President Emmanuel Macron’s stance toward Islam in the country. They discuss what Macron’s push for an “Islam of France” really means, the complexities for Muslims to fully integrate into[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex put the upcoming American elections in global context. They explain why long polling lines and gerrymandered districts are very much not the norm among advanced democracies and how other countries avoid them. Then they dissect the latest news about Russian, Iranian, and other foreign interference in the 2020 election — and[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about two huge ongoing protest movements: demonstrations against police violence in Nigeria and against monarchical privilege in Thailand. The team breaks down the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), the violent police unit at the heart of the Nigerian protests, and talk about the problems with policing in that country in general[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex explain the fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh — a contested region inside Azerbaijani borders but populated largely by ethnic Armenians. They break down the Soviet-era origins of the conflict, discuss why the fighting has flared up in a particularly scary way this summer and fall, and then zoom out[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about Amnesty International’s decision to suspend operations in India — the only other country in which the human rights watchdog has done so besides Russia. They explain the pressure campaign from the Indian government, centering on an obscure anti-money laundering law, that forced Amnesty into this move and talk about[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the “peace deals” between Israel and two Gulf states, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. They explain what’s in the agreements, how they happened, and why Trump is using the agreements to sell himself as a peacemaker. Then they zoom out and explain what the agreements tell us about[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex are joined by a special guest — eminent energy politics expert Daniel Yergin — to talk about the way that the shale revolution and rise of renewables are changing global politics. In the first half, the hosts discuss the big picture: America’s shift from a net importer to a net exporter[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss a striking new whistleblower complaint about US intelligence under Trump from DHS official Brian Murphy. They run through a series of examples of twisting intelligence, including at least one potentially criminal offense, on topics ranging from immigration to Russian election interference to white nationalist terrorism — and zoom out to[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the second Covid-19 wave hitting Spain — and to a lesser extent, Europe in general. They break down the specifics of what happened in Spain: how too-fast reopenings and a decentralized political system helped the virus come roaring back. Then they analyze a strange fact about the European second[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex move from Biden’s foreign policy to Trump’s — examining the record the incumbent president has racked up in his first term and what might happen if he wins a second. They debate what accomplishments the president can claim (if any) and discuss the ways his reelection could transform the world. Come[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex take the Democratic National Convention as an opportunity to talk about Joe Biden’s foreign policy. They go deep into his long and seemingly contradictory record as a policymaker, discuss what he’s said he’s going to do if elected, and contrast his worldview with the views of Trump and Obama. Ultimately, it[...]
Alex and returning guest Jen Kirby talk about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claim that Moscow has developed a coronavirus vaccine. They discuss how Russia skipped several safety steps and how the announcement highlights the troubling problem of “vaccine nationalism.” Basically, it’s every country for itself when creating a Covid-19 vaccine instead of working together —[...]
To mark the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about an alarming series of recent US withdrawals from nuclear arms control agreements. They explain the history of nuclear arms control, why the US has turned against them (especially in the Trump era), and why this makes the small but[...]
Jenn and Alex discuss the Trump administration’s controversial decision, formally announced this week, to move forward with a plan to withdraw nearly 12,000 troops from Germany. Critics from both parties say it’s a gift to Russia, while the Pentagon argues it’s a necessary repositioning of forces to better deter Russia in Eastern Europe. President Trump,[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the Chinese government's systematic detention of tens of thousands of Uighur Muslims in concentration camps, where many are subjected to torture, brainwashing, and other human rights abuses. They get into the disturbing details of what China is actually doing in these camps, what’s motivating the Chinese leadership to engage[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the stalled Israeli plan to unilaterally annex parts of the West Bank. The deeply controversial move was supposed to take place on July 1, but at the last minute Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided not to go through with it — for now, at least. The Worldly crew looks at[...]
Zack and Jenn talk about China's new national security law in Hong Kong, a ploy by Beijing to seize more control of the semi-autonomous city. They explain how the law vacates Hong Kong’s democratic freedoms and how Hongkongers have been responding. Then they zoom out to talk about what the world can do to address[...]
Zack and Jenn break down the growing scandal surrounding intelligence reports that Russia paid bounties to the Taliban to attack US troops in Afghanistan. They walk through the evidence so far that Russia did this and what Vladimir Putin’s motivations might have been. Then they talk about the evidence that Trump knew about it and[...]
Zack and Alex cope with Jenn’s absence by talking about one of their favorite topics: North Korea. In recent weeks, North Korea ramped up military tensions with South Korea and literally blew up the latter’s de facto embassy in the country. It seems that the US-led negotiating process with North Korea, ongoing since 2018, has[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex go through the published excerpts from and quotes of John Bolton’s new book — a tell-all about his time as Trump’s national security adviser. They talk about the most shocking moment in the text, Trump’s alleged support for China putting Uighur Muslims in concentration camps, and run through some of the[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex continue last week’s conversation about the ongoing global reckoning surrounding race, this time focusing on the movement to remove controversial statues. In several Western countries — including the United States, Belgium, and the United Kingdom — people are demanding that statues of historically notable slave traders and imperialists be taken down.[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the global impact of the anti-police violence protests in America. They talk about large solidarity protests across Europe, explaining why and how they’re such a big deal, and how police violence against foreign journalists is affecting relationships with key allies like Australia. They also talk about how hostile dictatorships, like[...]
Alex and Jenn are joined by returning guest Jen Kirby to discuss the political scandal roiling the UK, in which a top political adviser to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Dominic Cummings, got caught taking a 260-mile road trip while the rest of the country was on lockdown due to the coronavirus. The Worldly crew discusses[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the global spread of the idea that hydroxychloroquine can treat coronavirus. Americans know it as Trump’s favorite drug, but the idea actually started with a famous contrarian doctor in France — and its most fervent acolyte in politics is the Brazilian president, not the American one. They talk about[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the idea of a US-China “cold war” — a notion that’s been around for a while, but has become super popular since the coronavirus has turned into a blame game between the world’s two leading powers. They discuss what it would mean for the countries to be in such[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the bonkers story of a botched invasion attempt of Venezuela, reportedly led by a group of US-based mercenaries. They explain the truly bizarre backstory of the head merc, former Green Beret Jordan Goudreau; discuss how a slapdash plan to topple President Nicolás Maduro reportedly came together in partial coordination with[...]
The Worldly team takes a break from the coronavirus doom and gloom to talk about some other big news: the Pentagon’s confirmation this week that it has, in fact, filmed at least three instances of unidentified flying objects (UFOs). They break down the footage, debate what the videos might actually show, talk about the Cold[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the coronavirus situation in sub-Saharan Africa and South America, two regions that have so far been mostly spared the worst of the virus. They explain why experts say there could soon be major outbreaks on both continents, and discuss the structural reasons why the social distancing policies that have[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about Trump’s plan to freeze US funding for the World Health Organization (WHO), ostensibly in retaliation for its failures in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak. The team discusses the very real problems with the organization’s response and why cutting global health funding during a pandemic is both dangerous[...]
The Worldly team looks at efforts at reopening in East Asia, including Wuhan, China, and argues that the early data suggests this might be premature — that Singapore and Hong Kong are experiencing a rough second wave of coronavirus infections, indicating that social distancing didn’t end the disease but merely put its spread on pause.[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex explain how coronavirus is causing a global crisis for democracy — starting with Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orbán assumed dictatorial powers thanks to a legislature controlled by his party, effectively suspending democracy for an indefinite period of time. They explain the background necessary to understand what happened in Hungary and[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss a striking pattern in countries around the world — their leadership’s denial about the threat posed by coronavirus. They show how denial helped the disease spread out of China and contributed to serious outbreaks in places like Iran and the United States, and note that — despite everything that happened[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss Trump’s offensive insistence on calling the coronavirus the “Chinese virus” — why it’s both an attempt to deflect domestic political blame and part of a much broader geopolitical war with the Chinese government over who should be held responsible for the pandemic. They then run through the competition for global[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex record an episode on coronavirus from their respective homes, under self-isolation. They talk about the politics of Trump’s ban on European travel to the US and explore why the European Union seems to be neglecting to help Italy in its time of need. They also explain how the virus has led[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the historic US-Taliban peace agreement that was just signed as a first step toward ending the war in Afghanistan. They discuss the terms of the deal, the serious obstacles that remain to actually achieving peace in the country, and why, even if it is shaky and possibly already unraveling,[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about perhaps the single worst humanitarian crisis in Syria’s civil war — the ongoing situation in Idlib, where 3 million people are trapped in a province under assault by Bashar al-Assad and his allies. They explain how we got to this point, why the situation is so dangerous, and what[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the 2020 Democratic field’s positions on foreign policy — which were weirdly under-discussed in the most recent debate. They set up a spectrum, with Bloomberg on the (far) right flank and Bernie on the left, situate the other candidates along this line, and discuss the things that distinguish each[...]
Zack and Alex talk about the politics of the coronavirus outbreak in China — why the Chinese government botched the initial response, why Chinese citizens are so angry about it, and the reasons why the problems with this response are inherent to the current Chinese governance model. They then debate the claim from many analysts[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the Trump administration’s decision to put a mini nuclear weapon on a US submarine for the first time. They explain what a mini-nuke actually is, the reasons for this decision, the cases for and against doing it, and how to think about the future of nuclear weapons policy in a[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex are joined by the Middle East Institute’s Khaled Elgindy to discuss the Trump administration’s new Israel-Palestine peace plan. They break down what’s actually in the proposal, the ways in which its provisions are profoundly skewed toward the Israeli side, and how it could change the reality for both sides even if[...]
Zack and Alex are joined by Weeds cohost Matt Yglesias to talk about the Saudi crown prince’s seemingly brazen hack of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos — by personally texting him a video that cybersecurity experts think contained advanced spyware. They explain the evidence that the Saudis are responsible (despite their denials), try to explore why[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the recent resignation of Russia’s entire government — yes, you read that right. Guest Andrea Kendall-Taylor, a Russia expert at the Center for a New American Security, helps the team get a hold on what Putin’s play is: how he’s reorganizing the government to prepare for his own departure[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the US killing of Qassem Suleimani — why it happened, what the Iranian response means, and what the long term consequences might be. Zack and Jenn get into a lengthy debate over whether killing Suleimani was wise, and Alex gets a behind-the-scenes look at the debate over reining in[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex do a 2019 year in review — each one of them making a choice for biggest US foreign policy story of 2019, while the whole team debates just how important each of these events were. Then, after the break, they do the same for 2020 — making predictions about what the big[...]
Zack and Alex are joined by Vox reporter Sigal Samuel to talk about two recent measures in India that, when combined, amount to a plan for stripping citizenship from hundreds of thousands of Muslims. They explain what the laws actually do, the scary Hindu supremacist ideology motivating Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the impact Modi’s[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the viral video of world leaders making fun of Trump at the NATO summit — explaining how Trump’s antics threatened the meeting and, somewhat more surprisingly, why they didn’t derail it. They then zoom out to talk about NATO’s more fundamental existential crisis — whether it makes sense to[...]
Spain's far-right party just won more than 50 seats in its parliament, reminding some of the country's fascist past. Yes, the party is called "VOX". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It’s a very special Worldly today, as Zack hosts Sen. Michael Bennet — the first Democratic presidential candidate to appear on Worldly. Their conversation ranges from big picture conversations about the global threat to liberal democracy to policy details on America’s troubled alliances with Israel and Saudi Arabia to why Sen. Bennet thinks Facebook should[...]
Jenn, Alex, and special guests Ivan Rebolledo and Zeeshan Aleem talk about whether there was a coup in Bolivia or not. While the military asked President Evo Morales to step down, he had taken steps to maintain power after his term in office ended. It's a dangerous moment for the country, and it speaks volumes[...]
Apple removed an app that had been used by pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong. Turns out that has broad implications for democracy globally. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Reset for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or your favorite podcast app to get new episodes every week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the massive protests in Iraq and what connection, if any, they might have with similar uprisings in Lebanon and Egypt. While there are major differences, they all share one thing in common: people just want their own functioning government. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth),[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about Trump’s new Syria policy — sending US troops to protect oil fields and potentially selling the oil to the highest bidder. It’s a really bad idea! Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), national security reporter, Vox More to[...]
Zack and Alex are joined by Vox Brexit expert Jen Kirby to talk the latest on what’s going on in London. Due to some parliamentary “shenanigans” (Jen’s word choice), Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s drive to crash out of the EU by October 31 looks like it’s going to fail. The Worldly team breaks down exactly[...]
This was the week of confessions. Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney admitted to a Trump administration quid quo pro with Ukraine, with cameras rolling. EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland confirmed that President Trump made Rudy Giuliani the hinge of America’s Ukraine policy. And then the administration announced that the location for the upcoming[...]
Worldly continues its series on progressive foreign policy with one of its leading proponents, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT). A member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Murphy has strongly criticized the way both Republicans and Democrats have conducted world affairs for decades and proposes a completely new path. In his chat with Alex, Murphy also[...]
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), one of the leading minds advocating for a radical rethinking of US foreign policy, sits down with Jenn for a conversation about what a “progressive” foreign policy would look like and how it would actually be applied in tough conflicts from Yemen to Iran to China. Links to resources discussed: We[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the latest news in the Trump-Ukraine scandal — the emergence of related allegations about inappropriate administration requests to the governments of Britain, Italy, and Australia. They explain what happened in each case, look at the bizarre conspiracy theories behind all of this, and draw out the implications of a[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex dive into the just-released whistleblower report about Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. They explain what exactly it alleges about Trump and his administration — and the wider coverup operation it reveals. Bottom line? It sure looks like the president deliberately abused his powers of office for political gain —[...]
Zack and Jenn are joined by Matt Yglesias to talk about the worrying fallout of an attack on Saudi oil facilities this weekend. The United States has blamed Iran for the attack, and President Trump tweeted that America is “locked and loaded” to retaliate — but so far, there hasn’t been a military response. The[...]
Zack and Alex are joined by Ben Pauker, Vox’s managing editor for news and a longtime foreign correspondent, to talk about the war in Afghanistan — and why the US can’t seem to win it. They discuss the reasons that Afghanistan is fertile ground for an insurgency, why the Taliban has become a particularly effective[...]
In this special crossover episode, Weeds host Matt Yglesias talks to Emma Ashford, Research Fellow in Defense and Foreign Policy at the Cato Institute. It's a wide ranging discussion covering everything from China to the middle east, our relationship with Russia since the cold war, and the defense budget. They also explore the difference between[...]
Zack and Jenn are joined by Vox foreign writer Jen Kirby to talk about UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to “prorogue” Parliament — meaning suspend it for five weeks — during the runup to the October 31st Brexit deadline. They explain how this is an obvious maneuver to prevent Parliament from blocking a no-deal[...]
In Jenn’s and Alex’s absence, Zack is joined by Umair Irfan, a climate change reporter at Vox, to talk about the wildfires raging in Siberia, Greenland, and — most worryingly — the Amazon rainforest. They explain why preserving the health of the massive rainforest is vital to addressing climate change, and how the policies of[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the recently deceased Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty — a Cold War-era agreement that was supposed to stop the US and Russia from putting destabilizing missiles too close to each other. They explain where the treaty came from, why it mattered, and why Trump pulled out of it — and cap[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about India’s decision to revoke Article 370 of its constitution, the provision giving special status to the majority-Muslim state of Jammu and Kashmir, a decision that has sparked a political crisis with Pakistan. The Worldly team explains why Kashmiri autonomy is so sensitive, the ideological reasons why Indian Prime Minister[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the tension between the US and one of its major NATO allies, Turkey. The most recent fight is over Turkey’s purchase of a Russian missile system, but that’s emblematic of a much deeper rift relating to the Turkish government’s drift towards authoritarianism and the two ally’s diametrically opposed policies[...]
Zack and Jenn are joined by Jen Kirby, Vox’s chief Brexit correspondent, to discuss the UK’s new prime minister: Boris Johnson. They trace his rise to power, his political persona that is both funny and troubling, and his distinct lack of political conviction. They also discuss why we should be skeptical that Johnson can make[...]
Alex Ward joins The Weeds' Jane Coaston and Matt Yglesias to explain Trump's more-tedious-than-it-sounds plan for military domination of the final frontier. Recommended reading: “Trump really, really wants troops in space” by Alex Ward “Trump wants a ‘Space Force.’ We have many questions.” by Alex Ward “Trump’s call for a Space Force, explained” by Alex[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the saga of Kim Darroch, the recently-resigned UK Ambassador to the US. Some of Darroch’s private cables back home, where he referred to President Trump as “inept” (among other things), were leaked and published in a British tabloid — leading to a sequence of events that led to Darroch’s resignation[...]
The long-awaited Worldly live episode is here! In a taping at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Zack, Alex, and Jenn discuss the notion of “maximum pressure” — a phrase coined to describe Trump’s North Korea policy that has turned out to describe the closest thing we have to a Trump doctrine. They discuss[...]
It’s a Democratic debate special! Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the big foreign policy issue dividing the candidates: whether the liberal international order the United States set up after World War II is working, and what reforms are necessary if it isn’t. They examine the views of four leading candidates — Joe Biden, Pete[...]
Zack and Alex break down the past few weeks of worrying news about Iran. They discuss (what seem to be) Iranian attacks on oil tankers, Iran announcing that it was thinking about breaking the terms of the nuclear deal, and the US sending more troops to the region. Then they discuss what it all means:[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the huge protests in Hong Kong that erupted over a controversial amendment to the city’s extradition law — and why the fight is really about protecting the city’s freedoms from Beijing’s attempts to repress them. They play audio clips recorded and sent to the show by protesters in Hong Kong[...]
Nice Try! is a new podcast from Curbed and the Vox Media Podcast Network that explores stories of people who have tried to design a better world, and what happens when those designs don't go according to plan. Season one, Utopian, follows Avery Trufelman on her quest to understand the perpetual search for the perfect[...]
Jenn and Alex explain how months-long protests to oust a brutal dictator in Sudan, once so hopeful, have fallen victim to a bloody repression campaign. After initial peaceful talks, a government-linked paramilitary group decided to attack demonstrators, killing as many as 100 people and dumping bodies in the Nile River. The worry now is that[...]
Jenn, Alex, and special guest Jen Kirby (who goes by Kirby in our shows) explain the shocking results of the European parliamentary elections. The world's second-largest exercise in democracy produced big wins for Europe's left-wing Green Party, some gains for far-right politicians, and a collapse of traditional centrist parties. The gang breaks down what these[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down how a six-hour video of a far-right party leader drinking in Ibiza brought down Austria’s government. The story involves a fake Russian oligarch’s niece, a far-right party founded by former Nazis, and a plot to subvert the country’s independent media. The Worldly hosts make sense out of this sprawling[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex examine Trump’s trade war with China, which appears to be back on after negotiations failed to produce a deal. They run through how we got here, what’s happened so far in terms of escalating tit-for-tat tariffs, and what the costs of economic tensions between the world’s two largest economies are for[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about a scary rise in tensions between the US and Iran in the past week — a (possibly inflated) Iranian plot against American troops in the Middle East, and an Iranian announcement of plans to stop abiding by the terms of the nuclear deal. National Security Adviser John Bolton, who[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the strange non-coup in Venezuela this week. Juan Guaidó, the parliament leader the US considers the country’s legitimate president, claimed the military was about to overthrow actual President Nicolás Maduro in a Tuesday video — and then nothing happened. The Worldly crew discusses how we got here, what this could[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the recent violence in Libya — where a militia led by strongman Khalifa Haftar is threatening to topple the internationally recognized government. They explain how we got to this point, and the depressing role President Donald Trump is playing in all of this. On Elsewhere, they talk about a[...]
Ezra Klein joins Zack, Jenn, and Alex in a crossover episode with The Weeds on Robert Mueller’s just-released report. They explain the special counsel's main findings on collusion with Russian election interference and on obstruction of justice and why they aren’t good for Trump. Then they zoom out and talk about what this whole episode[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the results of Tuesday’s election in Israel, which are set to give incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a fifth term in office. They explain why his end-of-campaign promise to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank is such a big deal and how his desperation to wriggle out of corruption[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the wealthy authoritarian nation of Brunei’s horrific new criminal code, in which men who have sex with men can be executed by stoning. They delve into the possible reasons Brunei’s sultan is adopting this code, explain how it’s rooted in a very particular and regressive interpretation of Islamic law, and[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the latest round of fighting between Israel and militants based in the Gaza Strip. They run through how it started, the reasons why it may or may not escalate, and what it tells us about the perpetual state of instability on the Israel-Gaza frontier. On Elsewhere, they talk about[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex delve into the dark far-right echo chamber that seemingly motivated the New Zealand mosque shooter. They talk about the French origins of apocalyptic theories about nonwhites and Muslims overrunning the West, how those ideas went global, and how Islamophobic nationalists are locked in a cycle of violence with jihadists. On Elsewhere,[...]
Vox takes culture seriously. Our coverage seeks to understand how our cultural touchstones work -- and what they reveal about who we are. That's why we’re excited to introduce you to Switched on Pop. It's a podcast that digs into the cultural context and musical theory of pop music, and it's now part of the[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the big-deal political developments in Algeria — where longtime ruler Abdelaziz Bouteflika has decided not to run for a fifth presidential term. The decision was a big victory for a protest movement in the authoritarian country, but now nobody knows who’s going to be running Algeria in the near future.[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the major political scandal rocking Canada in which top officials, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, may have pressured the attorney general to rule in favor of a powerful Canadian company facing criminal charges. For Elsewhere, the crew answers some of your burning questions about Brexit: What happens if there’s[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the week’s big nuclear news — the US-North Korea summit in Vietnam and the recent round of hostilities between India and Pakistan. They go over the nitty-gritty of Trump’s somewhat surprising failure to strike a deal with Kim Jong Un, explaining how the talks collapsed, and what it means[...]
This week’s show takes all four of our popular Elsewhere music segments and puts them together in one special episode! Zack, Jenn, and Alex take you through a range of different acts: pioneering K-pop artists, a dissident Turkish Marxist band, one of Zack’s favorite British indie artists, and a Nigerian spin on Childish Gambino’s “This[...]
Zack and Jenn are joined by Jen Kirby, one of Vox’s foreign affairs reporters, to discuss what has emerged as the biggest hurdle to the Brexit process: the border between the Republic of Ireland and British-controlled Northern Ireland. They go back in time, starting with the 1920s and going forward to the Northern Irish conflict[...]
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Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down a new intelligence report that directly contradicts President Trump’s views on key policy issues from ISIS to climate change. The report caused Trump to blast his own spies on Twitter, writing that “Perhaps Intelligence should go back to school!” — a shockingly public attack that illustrates just how broken[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the political crisis in Venezuela — a country in economic free fall where two men are each claiming to be the sole legitimate president. They run through 20 years of Venezuelan history, explaining how a unique economic-political ideology called “Chavismo” brought us to this point, and discuss what could[...]
This week, Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the UK parliament’s very big, very bizarre week of voting. On Tuesday, Parliament rejected Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal by a huge margin; on Wednesday, they voted to keep May in office despite having just shot down her central policy. The Worldly team breaks down how[...]
This week, Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the burgeoning protest movement against Sudan’s longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir. Bashir, who was responsible for the Darfur genocide and once sheltered Osama bin Laden, did not face a major uprising during the 2011 Arab Spring — but now is dealing with something similar, an uprising that could topple[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss what President Donald Trump’s surprise decision to withdraw US troops from Syria means for that country, ISIS, and Iran. After all, nobody — including leading US officials and America’s allies — really wants Trump to do this. For Elsewhere, the crew kicks off a four-part series on how musicians around[...]
In this re-run Jenn, Zack, and Alex Ward discuss Europe’s political meltdown over migration, which Zack got a firsthand look at during a trip to Hungary last week funded by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. They start by airing Zack’s interview with Ibrar Hussein Mirzai, a young migrant who made the harrowing journey to[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex wrap up 2018 by looking back at three of the most dramatic foreign policy decisions President Trump made in 2018 — and whether, in retrospect, they turned out to be as dramatic as we’d initially thought. For Elsewhere, Zack pushes back on the fundamental premise of the conversation in the first[...]
Zack and Jenn discuss the massive hack of Marriott, in which the information of as many as 500 million people was stolen. China appears to be the culprit — part of a broader cyber assault on US institutions that amounts to a massive Chinese intelligence coup against America. On Elsewhere, they discuss British Prime Minister[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the protests currently raging in France. They began as a reaction to President Emmanuel Macron’s gas tax hike, but have evolved into a much wider rebuke of his allegedly elitist, out-of-touch presidency. For Elsewhere, they break down the late President George H.W. Bush’s hugely consequential foreign policy legacy — both[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the Senate’s historic War Powers vote on Wednesday, the first step toward reining in US participation in Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen. The US has been supporting Saudi Arabia with weapons and intelligence for years, but the Senate just took a major — unprecedented, in fact — step toward stopping[...]
On Future Perfect, Vox’s Dylan Matthews tackles provocative ideas with the potential to radically improve the world – ideas like opening up our borders. One of the most reliable, best-documented ways to lift someone in a poor country out of poverty is to let them come to the US (or another rich country). That’s the[...]
Zack and Alex are joined by James Palmer, an editor at Foreign Policy magazine, to discuss a terrible and under-discussed humanitarian crisis: China’s repression of its Uighur Muslim minority. In Xinjiang province, where most Uighurs live, China has set up a series of concentration camps designed to brainwash Uighurs and stamp out their culture and[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the implications of President Donald Trump firing Attorney General Jeff Sessions, both for the Russia investigation and for the rule of law. On Elsewhere, they discuss how the Democratic takeover of the House could result in some much-needed scrutiny over America’s role in Saudi Arabia’s vicious war in Yemen.[...]
Jenn, Alex, and returning special guest Alina Polyakova discuss what a presidential election in Brazil and a stunning political announcement in Germany have in common: the collapse of centrist leadership worldwide. The center-left and center-right have broadly governed world affairs since World War II, but a mix of economic problems and growing immigration have led[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex address one of the world’s biggest threats: nuclear war. There’s a small but still very real chance that nuclear weapons will be used in our lifetimes; the gang discusses how that could happen — and what it would look like if the bomb actually went off. For Elsewhere, they end the[...]
On a special episode of Worldly with two main segments, Zack talks with Alex about the latest in the Jamal Khashoggi saga and then interviews Vox health writer Julia Belluz on the worrying Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Zack and Alex examine how the US political system is responding to the mounting[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi dissident-in-exile and Washington Post columnist. Khashoggi went into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to get some paperwork, and then never came out; it’s looking like the increasingly repressive Saudi government either kidnapped or killed him, and is now having to face the[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the state of Brexit: The United Kingdom’s ongoing negotiation over the terms of its departure from the European Union. The process has involved months of turmoil between UK Prime Minister Theresa May and hardline members of her party, and the UK and EU are still far apart — and if[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss President Trump’s massive new escalation in his trade war with China — new tariffs that mean half of all imports from China are now being taxed. They break down how these tariffs will actually affect Americans, Trump’s overall strategy of hurting the Chinese economy, and why this isn’t likely to[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the debate over the legacy of the 9/11 attacks: Did al-Qaeda get what it wanted? On Elsewhere, we look at Russia’s latest bizarre attempt to deflect blame for the UK spy poisoning by posting a questionable interview with the supposed suspects. Zack makes an epistemology joke, Alex negs Salisbury,[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex dissect the looming crisis in Idlib, the last big rebel stronghold in Syria, which will soon be the target of a vicious Assad regime offensive. The roughly three million people in the region, many of whom were displaced from previous rounds of fighting, are in dire straits — and it’s not[...]
Zack and Alex are joined by a special guest — Weeds host Dara Lind — to discuss the way President Trump makes deals with foreign countries. They break down the big news of the week on nuclear negotiations with North Korea and NAFTA talks with Mexico and Canada, and point to a common thread: Trump[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about Trump’s late-night tweet about the alleged persecution of white South African farmers. They explain what’s actually happening in South Africa, how Trump’s take on the situation has its roots in an international white nationalist movement, and how Fox News is helping turn these extreme ideas into actual US foreign[...]
Zack, Jenn, and special guest Matt Yglesias discuss the economic crisis crippling Turkey — and how its feud with the Trump administration over a detained American pastor is making things even worse. On Elsewhere, Jenn and Zack examine the very real and very disturbing pirates of the Caribbean. Zack demonstrates his thorough mastery of Turkish[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex explore the utterly bizarre diplomatic fight between Saudi Arabia and Canada — and why it has everything to do with the ruthless ambition of Saudi’s young new crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. On Elsewhere, they discuss a big scoop Alex got on what the US is asking from North Korea in[...]
On this week’s episode, Zack, Jenn, and Alex look at the economics behind Trump’s offer to sit down with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. The Iranian economy is in trouble after the US withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, due to the impending threat of new sanctions; Trump hopes this will pressure the Iranians to come[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex dig into the heat wave wreaking havoc across the Northern Hemisphere, spreading a wildfire in Greece so hot that cars are melting on city streets. They get special science guest Umair Irfan to explain the connection between this heat wave and climate change, and then talk about what we’ve seen this[...]
Zack, Jenn, and Alex examine the evidence of Russian meddling in the 2016 election — and how much of it President Donald Trump had already been shown before his meeting in Helsinki with Russian President Vladimir Putin. They dig into the Justice Department’s indictment of 12 Russian military intelligence operatives, which came out just before[...]
Jenn, official new Worldly co-host Alex Ward, and special guest Dr. Alina Polyakova discuss President Trump’s big NATO summit this week and his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump has openly criticized the NATO military alliance and said he wants a better relationship with Russia. But Alina, an expert who studies Europe and[...]
Jenn, Zack, and recurring guest Alex Ward discuss Europe’s political meltdown over migration, which Zack got a firsthand look at during a trip to Hungary last week funded by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. They start by airing Zack’s interview with Ibrar Hussein Mirzai, a young migrant who made the harrowing journey to Hungary[...]
Jenn sits down with returning guest Alex Ward and special guest Loren DeJonge Schulman, a defense expert at the Center for a New American Security, to talk about why the hell the Pentagon keeps getting caught off guard by big decisions coming from the White House. From Trump canceling military exercises with South Korea to[...]
On a special goodbye Worldly — it’s Yochi’s final episode, sadly — he, Jenn, and Zack talk about President Donald Trump’s looming trade war with China, which could soon make it more expensive to buy everything from an iPhone to an air conditioner. The US has imposed tens of billions of dollars worth of tariffs[...]
On an all-summit episode of Worldly, Zack and Jenn are joined by actual North Korea expert Jeffrey Lewis (host of the Arms Control Wonk podcast) for an in-depth analysis of how the Trump-Kim meeting actually went. They talk about how the US didn’t get very much, while North Korea got exactly what it wanted and[...]
Zack, Jenn, and returning guest Alex Ward talk about the possibilities — and perils — of President Trump’s upcoming nuclear summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12. On Elsewhere, they discuss the wild story of how Iceland’s soccer team went from being one of the world’s worst to qualifying[...]
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack dive into the nuclear standoff between India and Pakistan, one of the most dangerous but least known military conflicts in the world. On Elsewhere, they look at the mysterious case of a Russian journalist who was reportedly murdered at the hands of the Kremlin only to suddenly turn up alive and[...]
On a special all-North Korea episode of Worldly, Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about President Trump’s surprise cancellation of his planned summit with Kim Jong Un — a decision Trump announced literally as the Worldly crew was sitting down to record the podcast. Trump scrapped the meeting in a strangely personal letter to Kim that[...]
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack discuss Israel's killings of dozens of Palestinian protesters in Gaza and why many Arab countries seem willing to give Israel a pass and instead focus on what they see as a growing threat from Iran. On Elsewhere, they look at Vladimir Putin's recent opening of a $4 billion bridge between Russia[...]
On a special episode of Worldly, Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about President Trump's historic and dangerous decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, a move that angered America's closest allies and potentially set the stage for a new Mideast war. Israel and Iran started trading blows within a day of Trump's decision,[...]
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s over-the-top media blitz designed to sway President Trump to nix the Iran nuclear deal and about how Israel’s shadow conflict with Iran is threatening to explode into a new Mideast war. On Elsewhere, they discuss the Ukrainian government’s abrupt decision to stop cooperating with[...]
Yochi, Zack, and special guest Dara Lind discuss Monday's bloody terror attack in Toronto, which was carried out by a member of a fringe anti-woman movement called "incel," short for "involuntary celibate." On Elsewhere, they talk about how French President Emmanuel Macron used an official visit to Washington to charm President Trump in private and[...]
On a special all-North Korea episode, Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about CIA Director Mike Pompeo’s secret meeting with Kim Jong Un, the clearest sign yet that the Trump administration is serious about setting aside the belligerent rhetoric and having a historic face-to-face summit between Donald Trump and Kim. There’s no guarantee the meeting will[...]
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about President Trump’s threats to bomb Syria after a brutal chemical weapons attack there — and why a US military strike won’t have much impact on the country’s civil war. On Elsewhere, they talk about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who just cruised to reelection despite (or perhaps because of)[...]
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about the growing crisis on the Gaza-Israel border, where Israeli troops killed 19 Palestinians during violent clashes with protesters, sparking fears of all-out war. On Elsewhere, they turn to Malaysia, which just passed the world’s first law banning “fake news” — clearing the way for journalists to be imprisoned if[...]
It’s Part 1 of a special crossover with Vox’s The Weeds. On this week’s Worldly, Yochi, Zack, and Weeds host Dara Lind discuss Trump’s national security cabinet reshuffle — and whether the appointment of incoming National Security Adviser John Bolton increases the risks of war with North Korea and Iran. Trump spent his first year[...]
Yochi, Zack, and special guest Alexia Underwood talk about why President Trump's top aides begged him not to congratulate Vladimir Putin for winning this week's sham Russian election -- and why Trump ignored them and did so anyway. On Elsewhere, they talk about Venezuela's decision to take a page from the Bitcoin playbook and develop[...]
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about the poisoning of a former Russian spy in the UK with a deadly nerve agent. The British government says Russia was behind the startling attack, but it’s not clear how far they — or the Trump administration — are willing to go in response. On Elsewhere, they talk about[...]
On a special bonus episode of Worldly, Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about President Trump finally firing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson after publicly and privately mocking him for months. The good news: world leaders will know that Tillerson’s replacement, CIA Director Mike Pompeo, actually speaks for the president. The bad news: Pompeo has lied[...]
Yochi, Jenn and Zack talk about how Italy's elections may have paved the way for a far-right prime minister who sees Vladimir Putin as a role model, wants to close mosques, and openly talks about deporting 500,000 migrants. On Elsewhere, they talk about the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's decision to revoke a human rights award[...]
Yochi, Zack and Jenn talk about China's decision to allow President Xi Jinping to rule the country indefinitely, a move that means the world's biggest country will likely grow even more repressive at home and aggressive abroad. On Elsewhere, they discuss a bizarre legal fight in Panama that erupted when the owners of a Trump-managed[...]
Yochi, Zack, and special guest Alexia Underwood talk about the evolution of Syria’s civil war and how a conflict that once pitted Syrian against Syrian has now drawn in at least six outside countries. Just this past week, Israel carried out waves of airstrikes inside Syria, US troops battled Russian mercenaries, and Iranian operatives in[...]
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about a controversial new law in Poland that makes it illegal to accuse the "Polish nation" of being complicit in the Holocaust, a change that has infuriated the US, Israel, and Jewish communities around the world. The anger comes from a simple fact: Poland suffered when it was occupied by[...]
Zack, Jenn, and returning guest Alex Ward discuss the controversial prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and President Trump’s announcement this week that he’s keeping it open and may send ISIS fighters there. On Elsewhere, the gang looks at a bizarre and hilarious story out of Spain involving a police chase, a car filled with thousands[...]
Jenn, Zack, and special guest Alex Ward discuss President Trump’s decision to escalate America’s military involvement in Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, and beyond — despite having campaigned on an “America First” agenda that promised to reduce US military intervention overseas. On Elsewhere, they look at a story out of Germany, where a member of a popular[...]
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack discuss the horrific war in Yemen, which has become a battleground in a shadow war between Iran and Saudi Arabia — and where there are real reasons to worry that the US is complicit in war crimes. On Elsewhere, they look to a rare bit of potential good news from Korea,[...]
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about the state of play in Robert Mueller’s Russia probe — and why obstruction of justice, not collusion, may pose the biggest legal and political threat to President Trump. On Elsewhere, they look at Israel’s “Strippergate” scandal, in which recordings of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son and several of his[...]
On the first Worldly of 2018, Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about what the massive protests in Iran say about the future of the country — and about its tense relationship with the US. The protests have demonstrated a remarkable degree of public anger at both the country’s moderate president and its conservative theocratic government,[...]
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack bid a fond farewell to 2017 by looking at what Donald Trump's first year in office says about his approach to the presidency and how he's likely to handle Iran, North Korea, and China in the future. The biggest takeaway is that Trump's words often have little to do with his[...]
In a special Olympics-themed episode of Worldly, Yochi, Jenn, and Zack look at how global politics will shape next year’s Winter Olympics in South Korea in a way that hasn’t been seen since the height of the Cold War. The International Olympic Committee has already banned Russia because of a massive doping scandal, and the[...]
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack look at President Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a move that breaks with decades of US foreign policy -- and that tells us a lot about how Trump makes decisions and how often his actions don't match his tough-guy rhetoric. When it came to the Jerusalem[...]
Yochi, Jenn, and special guest Alex Ward talk about President Trump’s apparent decision to fire Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who will go down as arguably the worst secretary of state in American history. Tillerson will leave the department after cutting large numbers of senior diplomats, ignoring many of those who remained, and being part[...]
Yochi, Zack, and special guest Loren DeJonge Schulman discuss President Trump's trip to Asia, where his warm feelings for foreign autocrats and refusal to discuss human rights abuses raise real questions about whether the leader of the world's biggest democracy actually cares much about democracy. Those concerns are magnified by Trump's ongoing calls for a[...]
Yochi, Jenn and Zack talk about the shocking purge in Saudi Arabia, where the country's young and ambitious crown prince has abruptly begun arresting his relatives and seizing billions of dollars of their money. The move is a clear sign that 32-year-old Mohammed bin Salman, the heir apparent to the Saudi throne, is consolidating power[...]
Jenn is back, and she joins Yochi and Zack to talk about what the terror attack in New York says about the true ISIS threat to the US. With ISIS on the run in Iraq and Syria, the sad reality is that the group will double down on its efforts to find would-be terrorists who[...]
Yochi, Zack, and special guest Loren DeJonge Schulman of the great podcast Bombshell talk about the deaths of four US soldiers in Niger in October, a tragedy at the center of a nasty political fight between President Trump and a grieving military widow. They discuss what those troops were doing there, why no one in[...]
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack look at why Washington’s two biggest allies in the fight against ISIS are squaring off over the future of Kirkuk, an oil-rich city in northern Iraq. Kurdish fighters took control of Kirkuk three years ago and have held it ever since — until this week, when the Iraqi central government sent[...]
Jenn, Zack, and special guest Matt Yglesias talk about the Iran nuclear deal and the looming Sunday deadline for President Trump to recertify that Iran is in compliance with the terms of the deal. They discuss why, contrary to the advice of nearly all of his top advisers, Trump is probably not going to recertify,[...]
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack look at how the Trump administration’s bungled response to the crisis in Puerto Rico reflects the longstanding challenges facing an island that is neither a full US state (with all the benefits that brings) nor a fully independent country (which can more easily ask for, and receive, financial aid). That leaves[...]
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack look at Sunday’s landmark elections in Germany, which were simultaneously reassuring and deeply alarming. German Chancellor Angela Merkel won a fourth term, which means she’ll still have the power to let in refugees, challenge Vladimir Putin, and defend the international order in all the ways President Trump refuses to. At the[...]
On a special episode of Worldly, Yochi, Jenn, and Vox defense reporter Alex Ward look at Donald Trump’s big first speech to the UN, where the president said the US would “totally destroy” North Korea if war breaks out and hinted that he’d rip up Washington’s nuclear deal with Tehran. The speech was also notable[...]
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack look at the growing human rights catastrophe in Myanmar, where Nobel Peace Prize-winner Aung San Suu Kyi is doing nothing to stop her country's military from mounting a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing against its Muslim minority. Burma had long been seen as a democratic success story; now it may be[...]
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack look at why decades of US economic sanctions haven’t stopped North Korea’s nuclear program — and why the Trump administration’s new ones probably won’t, either. They examine how such a devastatingly poor country has managed to develop an advanced nuclear weapons program, how Kim Jong Un stays so rich while his[...]
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack ease out of the summer with a look at the one of the most complicated, explosive, and genuinely fascinating issues in the world: the decades-long fight between Israel and the Palestinians. They look at Israel’s promise this week to hold onto its West Bank settlements forever, why Donald Trump may have[...]
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack look at Trump’s decision to send more troops to Afghanistan despite spending years calling for a US withdrawal, why it’s impossible to truly defeat the Taliban, and the sad reality that America’s longest war will now continue well into the future. On Elsewhere, they look at whether the Cuban government used[...]
Zack and Jenn are joined by Worldly’s first guest host, Vox senior reporter Dara Lind, to discuss President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines — an abrasive populist leader whose year-long war on drugs has already killed over 7,000 people. They explore what he's doing, why he's still so popular at home, and what his rise[...]
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack discuss whether Kim Jong Un is more rational and easier to predict than Donald Trump, the dangers of having senior administration officials openly contradicting each other on whether the US would actually use force against North Korea, and why decades of academic research about how nuclear-armed countries can avoid war may[...]
On the newest episode of Worldly, Vox.com’s foreign policy podcast, Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about how worried we should be about North Korea’s nukes, what it means that one of the most reclusive countries on earth has a missile that can hit the US, and why the Trump administration can’t get on the same[...]
On the newest episode of Worldly, Vox.com’s foreign policy podcast, Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about why President Trump is at war with his own attorney general and national security adviser, what it means when the people that are supposed to keep Trump’s worst instincts in check start heading for the exits, and how Trump’s[...]
On this episode of Worldly, Vox.com’s new foreign policy podcast, Yochi Dreazen, Jennifer Williams, and Zack Beauchamp talk about why President Trump won’t rip up the Iran nuclear deal that candidate Trump spent months attacking, what Trump gets right about Iran’s threat to the Middle East and beyond, and why a nuclear arms race in[...]
On the fourth episode of Worldly, Vox.com’s new foreign policy podcast, Yochi Dreazen, Jennifer Williams, and Zack Beauchamp focus on the fight against ISIS, what will happen now that it’s losing its last strongholds in Iraq and Syria, and whether we overestimate the actual threat posed by ISIS and other terrorist groups. They also look[...]
On the third episode of Worldly, Vox.com’s new foreign policy podcast, Yochi Dreazen, Jennifer Williams, and Zack Beauchamp dig into the high stakes and high risks surrounding President Trump’s historic first meeting with Vladimir Putin, what each leader will ask for, what each leader is likely to actually get, and why Moscow’s interference in the[...]
On the second episode of Worldly, Vox.com’s new foreign policy podcast, Yochi Dreazen, Jennifer Williams, and Zack Beauchamp dig into the tragic case of Otto Warmbier, the US citizen who died after being detained for 17 months in North Korea, and why it's so hard to stop North Korea from doing awful things (be it[...]
On the first episode of Worldly, Vox.com’s new foreign policy podcast, Yochi Dreazen, Jennifer Williams, and Zack Beauchamp dive into the potential for a US-Russia conflict in Syria, the dangers of giving too much power to the Pentagon, and how Trump’s least favorite European leader just got much, much stronger. Learn more about your ad[...]
We live in a confusing time, bombarded every day with news stories from around the world that can be hard to follow, or fully understand. Let Worldly be your guide. Every Thursday, senior writer Zack Beauchamp, senior foreign editor Jennifer Williams, and staff defense writer Alex Ward give you the history and context you need[...]

We live in a confusing time, bombarded every day with news from around the world that can be hard to follow, or fully understand. Let Worldly be your guide. Every Thursday, senior writer Zack Beauchamp, senior foreign editor Jennifer Williams, and staff defense writer Alex Ward give you the history and context you need to make sense of the moment and navigate the world around you. Produced by Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

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