Episodes

  • News - Venezuela-US Escalation, Myanmar Airstrike, France’s Political Crisis

    News - Venezuela-US Escalation, Myanmar Airstrike, France’s Political Crisis
    Oct 10 2025
    Subscribe now to skip the ads and get more content! Yes, we will be releasing 25 subtle variations of this news roundup in order to catapult ourselves to the top of the podcast charts, and no, we are not sorry. This week: a ceasefire agreement was reached for Gaza, but there was too much information for us to cover in the news, so please check out our special here. Syria’s interim government handpicks a new “parliament” under tight presidential control (1:01); Iran debates moving its capital from Tehran as drought and other ecological issues worsen (3:24); Myanmar’s junta carries out a deadly airstrike on civilians celebrating a Buddhist festival (6:32); Japan’s ruling LDP turns to hard-right Takahichi to become Japan’s first female prime minister (9:03); Sudan’s RSF shells Al-Fashir’s last functioning hospital amid a deepening siege (12:22); Ethiopia accuses Eritrea and the TPLF of funding militias in the Amhara region, raising fears of another war (14:23); Rwanda-DRC peace efforts stall over mineral deals and a lingering occupation (17:31); Trump muses on sending Tomahawks to Ukraine while cutting a drone-tech swap with Kyiv (20:05); another French prime minister resigns (24:24); the U.S. sinks another “narco-boat” of the coast of Venezuela, then cuts diplomatic ties with Maduro (28:27), and moves to expand the president’s war powers at home and abroad (32:54; and Donald Trump flirts with invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act (35:14). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    41 mins
  • Special - Hamas Accepts the Ceasefire Deal

    Special - Hamas Accepts the Ceasefire Deal
    Oct 9 2025
    Subscribe now for the full episode and access to all breaking new specials. Danny and Derek break down the first stage of the ceasefire deal reached between the U.S., Hamas, and Israel. They talk about the phased releases, Israel’s partial withdrawal, and the question of whether Marwan Barghouti will be freed. They also discuss Trump’s role in pushing the agreement, Gaza’s future under “reconstruction,” Netanyahu’s political calculus, and the shifting U.S. political landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    5 mins
  • LAST CALL: Vote for American Prestige in the 2025 Signal Awards!

    LAST CALL: Vote for American Prestige in the 2025 Signal Awards!
    Oct 8 2025
    Greetings Everyone, There's just one more day to vote for American Prestige in the 2025 Signal Awards for best News & Politics program (viewer's choice). If you can take a second, please go there now and do so! Jon Stewart is gaining on us! You'll have to confirm the vote via your email, but we promise it's a quick and easy process. It'd be great to show the fat cats what's what! Again, voting is open through tomorrow, Thursday, October 9, and that's it! Thank you as always for your support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    Less than 1 minute
  • E229 - How The Simpsons Reshaped American Comedy w/ Alan Siegel

    E229 - How The Simpsons Reshaped American Comedy w/ Alan Siegel
    Oct 7 2025
    Subscribe now to skip the ads and get much more content. Don’t forget to vote for AP in the 2025 Signal Awards! In a break from the (overtly) political, Derek and Danny are joined by The Ringer’s Alan Siegel to talk about his new book Stupid TV: Be More Funny, a cultural history of The Simpsons and how it changed American comedy. They discuss how a bunch of Harvard Lampoon alumni turned the show into art, the role of Fox and Rupert Murdoch in promoting a show that mocked them both, how Bart Simpson once terrified America’s parents (and George H.W. Bush), the show’s postmodern worldview, and the moment The Simpsons went from anti-establishment to establishment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    57 mins
  • Special - The Gaza Negotiations w/ Sami Al-Arian (Preview)

    Special - The Gaza Negotiations w/ Sami Al-Arian (Preview)
    Oct 5 2025
    Derek speaks with Sami Al-Arian, Public Affairs Professor and Director of the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) at Istanbul Zaim University, about the forthcoming Gaza talks and the prospects for a ceasefire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    27 mins
  • Bonus - The Death of the Iran Deal w/ Esfandyar Batmanghelidj (Preview)

    Bonus - The Death of the Iran Deal w/ Esfandyar Batmanghelidj (Preview)
    Oct 5 2025
    Subscribe now for the full episode. Don’t forget to vote for AP in the 2025 Signal Awards! Derek welcomes back to the show Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, founder of the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation and professor at Johns Hopkins, to talk through the slow demise of the Iran nuclear deal. They delve into Europe’s decision to trigger the UN “snapback” mechanism, factors that lead to this moment, from Trump’s withdrawal and Biden’s hesitation to Europe’s impatience and Iran’s deepening ties with Russia and China, the effects of sanctions being imposed without diplomacy, and why the JCPOA’s collapse is a symptom of a wider breakdown in the international order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    10 mins
  • Special - The Gaza Ceasefire w/ Mohammad Alsaafin and Dalia Hatuqa

    Special - The Gaza Ceasefire w/ Mohammad Alsaafin and Dalia Hatuqa
    Oct 4 2025
    Subscribe now for the full episode! Vote for us in the 2025 Signal Awards! Danny and Derek update everyone on what we know about the Gaza ceasefire that Hamas just accepted and where things go from here. Then, for subscribers, they speak with Mohammad Alsaafin, journalist at AJ+, and Dalia Hatuqa, a journalist specializing in Israeli/Palestinian affairs and regional Middle East issues, to unpack the finer details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    13 mins
  • News - Trump’s Gaza “Peace Plan,” UN Reimposes Sanctions on Iran, "Gen Z Protests" in Madagascar and Morocco

    News - Trump’s Gaza “Peace Plan,” UN Reimposes Sanctions on Iran, "Gen Z Protests" in Madagascar and Morocco
    Oct 3 2025
    Subscribe now to skip the ads and get more content. Don’t forget to vote for AP in the 2025 Signal Awards! Danny is back on American soil and joins Derek to bring you the news. This week: Trump circulates a Gaza ceasefire proposal with Hamas’ response pending (2:39), Israel issues its final evacuation notice for Gaza City (9:30), and the Samud flotilla is intercepted (11:04); Trump forces Netanyahu to apologize to Qatar while also giving Doha a NATO-style defense pledge (14:06); the UN reimposes sanctions on Iran (16:55); Trump pushes to retake Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan as the country briefly loses internet access (20:49); starvation worsens in Sudan’s al-Fashir (27:02); “Gen Z protests” erupt in Madagascar and Morocco (29:56); Trump declares Ukraine can retake all lost territory (33:13) while the EU eyes frozen Russian assets (37:04); Argentina’s Milei seeks a U.S. bailout (39:51); Washington considers strikes inside Venezuela (42:51); and Pete Hegseth’s generals’ rally falls flat as Trump muses about using the military in U.S. cities (44:01). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    51 mins