The Dispatch Podcast

Sarah, Steve, and Jonah rank the winners and losers of Wednesday's GOP primary debate and vent about the embarrassing failure of the elite university presidents to denounce calls for genocide against the Jews. Also: -Kevin McCarthy’s retirement -The loser caucus -Trump's plans for a second term -Contemplating the end of America -Sarah explains the first rule of apologies -University presidents smirk at genocide -The value of challenging views at colleges Show Notes: -McCarthy's strange retirement video -G-File: Antisemitism Is Just a Symptom -Kash Patel: "We're going to come after you." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shadi Hamid is a member of the Washington Post editorial board, co-host of Wisdom of Crowds, and author of The Problem of Democracy: America, the Middle East, and the Rise and Fall of an Idea. He joins Jamie to debate whether the United States should pressure Israel to push for a ceasefire, if there's hope to rebuild Gaza with Hamas still in power, and what the realistic paths are for a lasting solution between Israelis and Palestinians. Show Notes: -Shadi Hamid's profile at the Washington Post -Shadi's vision for a ceasefire Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah, Steve, and Jonah take a break from the typical roundtable punditry to get a little more big picture. How do we fix Congress? What does the Israel-Hamas hostage swap mean for the future of the war? Should you lie to your kids for the sake of certain holiday traditions? Has feminism cost us Thanksgiving? All that and: —Congressional term limits —Expanding the House of Representatives —Repealing Citizens United —Easy answers to the Israel-Hamas War —Biden’s endorsement of a ceasefire —Elf on the shelf: literally 1984? Show notes: -Thursday's Morning Dispatch -George Will: Restoration: Congress, Term Limits and the Recovery of Deliberative Democracy -Jonah: George Will Called Me An Idiot -Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy -Jay Cost on The Remnant -Jonathan Martin: To Departing House Members -Guido Sarducci - Pay For Your Sins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What would be the foreign policy of a Chris Christie administration? The GOP candidate and former governor joins Jamie to discuss Israel's war with Hamas, Henry Kissinger's influence, the threat of China invading Taiwan, and whether Donald Trump is going to prison. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author and journalist Matti Friedman was working for the Associated Press when he noticed a persistent bias in coverage: For the Western media, the story of the region was a simple narrative of good and evil, and Israel was cast as villain. Matti joins Jamie to discuss how this narrative formed and whether there's hope for serious journalism in such a conflict. Show Notes: -An Insider’s Guide to the Most Important Story on Earth -What the Media Gets Wrong About Israel -You're All Israel Now Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Egger is joined by Patrick Ruffini, a Republican pollster and co-founder of Echelon Insights. The two discuss the shift in non-white voting habits, how Trump activated the populist coalition on the right, and the role of pro-life politics in that coalition. Show notes: -New York Times/Siena Poll -Patrick Ruffini's profile at Echelon Insights Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The New York Times political correspondent Maggie Haberman tells Jamie that a second Trump will be defined by unfettered score settling. -Trump's social media strategy -Bannon friction -Trump/Carlson 24? -Trump's totalitarian rhetoric -The trials are happening -Mass deportation and other policy agenda Show Notes: -New York Times Sienna Poll Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Osama Bin Laden’s manifesto justifying 9/11 went viral on social media and on today’s Dispod, Sarah, Jonah, and Mike discuss how we got here before turning to: -Xi Jinping’s trip to San Francisco -China’s social media pysop -The pandas on loan -Reports from the IDF hospital siege in Gaza -Power tools, yay or nay? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonathan Karl saw the chaos, vengeance, and factional warfare bubbling within Donald Trump's political empire and reported it in his new book Tired of Winning, which is out today. Declan, who worked on research for the book, meets up with Jonathan to discuss the internecine drama, Bannon gossip, the dangers of 2024, and the process of reporting on Trump world. Show Notes: -Buy Tired of Winning on Amazon -Karl's Dispod interview on Trump's Final Days -Karl's Dispod interview on Front Row Seat -"I Am Your Retribution" speech -Trump as a wedding crasher Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jamie is joined by Ben Judah, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Europe Center and the author of This is Europe: The Way We Live Now. The two discuss the future of Saudi Arabia and it's royal family, the crown prince's attempts to modernize the House of Saud, and the future for Jews in Europe. Show notes: -Ben Judah's profile at the Atlantic Council -This is Europe: The Way We Live Now -Judah: Sauda Arabia's empire of sand -Roger Cohen: For Europe’s Jews, a World of Fear -The Atlantic: Is It Time for the Jews to Leave Europe? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this inebriated live recording, Jonah and Steve take over a Manhattan bar to talk Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, and the unhinged candidate making good on his promises. The two go back and forth on whether the GOP debates actually matter, and Steve gives Jonah a rare compliment. For the full discussion which include a Q/A portion with members, subscribe to The Skiff CLICK HERE to get your personal feed. How to subscribe to The Skiff: To follow The Skiff on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you catch your podcasts, please follow these instructions: Choose which device you prefer to listen on (Mac, iOS, Android…). Click here to get your personal feed. (Make sure you’re logged in as a Dispatch member!) Select The Skiff. Select your device and podcast player (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, etc.): this will let you subscribe to the feed for direct updates! Note: If your preferred podcast player asks you to subscribe by RSS feed you’ll need to copy and paste a URL link. To get that link, go back to the menu with all of the options to subscribe (the page with all of the player logos), scroll to the bottom, and copy the link you see there. Then, go back to your player and paste it in the field. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Graeme Wood is in Israel to report on the aftermath of the October 7 atrocities for The Atlantic. He joins Jamie to share his impressions of Israel from before and after the attack, including: -records (and recordings) of the pogrom -the alienation between the Israeli state and the Israeli people -the participation ultra-Orthodox Jews in the war effort -the Hamas/ISIS comparison -civilian deaths in Gaza Show Notes: -Graeme Wood's profile at The Atlantic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah, Steve and Jonah welcome Jamie Weinstein, who'll be taking over the Monday Dispatch Podcast. They discuss: -Pence’s dazzling personality -2024 GOP check-in -Mike Johnson’s speakership win -Dems for Dean? -The death of the social justice movement -Antisemitism on the rise Show Notes: -Sarah and Steve interview Mike Pence Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jamie Weinstein begins his tenure as host of Monday Dispatch Podcasts with a discussion with Jeremy Rabkin. Rabkin, a professor of law at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, explains what exactly international law is and how it's relevant (or irrelevant) to Israel's war against Hamas. -Law without Nations?: Why Constitutional Government Requires Sovereign States -Rabkin's profile at GMU Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Disclaimer: In this episode, which was recorded Thursday morning, we speculated about the delay in U.S. military response to provocations from Iran. By the time the episode released, news broke that the U.S. forces had struck Iranian targets in Syria. The House finally has a speaker ... and he’s one of the architects of Trump’s attempt to steal the 2020 election. Sarah is joined by Steve and Mike Warren to explain who Rep. Mike Johnson is and what his speakership means for Trump’s hold on our politics. Also: -Plea deals for Trump associates -Joe Biden has a challenger? -Pro-Hamas Democrats -Jewish students harassed at Cooper Union -“Reproductive freedom means Palestinian freedom” -Qatar’s influence on college campuses -Why institutions matter -Iran’s real escalation Show notes: -Collision newsletter -Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show -Video of Jewish students harassed at Cooper Union -The Free Press: Qatar’s War for Young American Minds -Twitter thread on Jake Sullivan's Foreign Affairs essay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How did the 10/7 massacre change the Middle East? What's Israel hoping to achieve in a ground invasion of Gaza? Are the Israel-Saudi normalization talks dead? Are we giving enough thought to the day after the war? Dr. Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington Institute and its Howard P. Berkowitz chair in U.S. Middle East Policy, joins Dispatch senior producer Adaam to talk Middle East geopolitics. Also: an aside on "from the river to the sea." Show Notes: -Dr. Robert Satloff on Twitter/X (highly recommended to all you geopolitics fiends) -Satloff: Regime Change, Israeli Style -Satloff: thoughts on a post-Hamas Gaza -Hamas' from-the-river-to-the-sea "solution" (MEMRI) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve and Sarah sit down at Dispatch HQ with McKay Coppins, a staff writer at The Atlantic and author of the forthcoming Romney: A Reckoning, a biography of Mitt Romney's political career. Coppin's unique access to the soon-to-be-retired Senator turns a traditional political biography into a near-psychological thriller covering Romney's torment after losing the 2012 presidential election, the psychic currency of a senate seat, and his vote to convict Donald Trump. Show notes: -Get The Skiff feed to listen to Steve's extra question -Steve's extra question -McKay Coppins profile at The Atlantic -Romney: A Reckoning Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adva's sister, Tamar, was at the Nova music festival in southern Israel. Tamar is still missing after the 7/10 massacre. Adva generously spoke to The Dispatch about her efforts to get more information, the shock, and life after the horror. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah, Steve, Chris, and David French discuss the war an Israel as a ground invasion of Gaza seems imminent and Western media spreads disinformation about a deadly blast in a Gaza hospital. The roundtable then turns to the House speaker race, this time giving the topic appropriately-lengthed shrift. Also: -Illusion of Israel’s invincibility -Information warfare -The power of confirmation bias -Trump's praise of Hezbollah -Can Republicans be united? -Matt Gaetz and the Seven Dwarves -Worth Your Time (?): Zero-turn lawnmowers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Economy, energy, and national security are the three major platforms Governor Doug Burgum is running on for his GOP presidential bid. Burgum joins David on The Dispatch Podcast to talk about the state of his campaign and: -Israel-Hamas war -Regimes going nuclear -World War III prospects -Pulling out of Afghanistan -Containing China and US policy to help Taiwan -Energy policy -State of Burgum’s campaign -Ignore national polls? -Trump lost the election -January 6th outlook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's day six since the massacre in Israel and Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and David French are in it for a somber episode. They discuss: -Bad allies -Two-state solutionism -What is Hamas' goal? -Biden's Iran hostage deal -Anti-zionism vs. antisemitism -The left's cultural credibility -America's role -The ethics of sharing snuff videos -The House is a mess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In between voting for House speaker, Representative Ken Buck joins Steve and Declan to talk about House politics, GOP reluctance to acknowledge who won the 2020 election, and whether an honest speaker can yet be found. Plus: -Buck’s relationship with GOP colleagues -Scalise not wanting to bring wrath of MAGA base -Jordan and Scalise voted to decertify elections -Why Buck voted for McCarthy in the 15-round melee in January -Will colleagues support reform? (Spoiler: no) Show Notes: -Watch this episode on YouTube -Sarah Isgur: It's Time to Amend the Constitution Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Melissa Kearney, a professor of economics at the University of Maryland joins Assistant Editor Luis Parrales to talk about her new book, The Two-Parent Privilege: How Americans Stopped Getting Married and Started Falling Behind. The two discuss the decline in married households over the past decades, how that decline has exacerbated inequality and negatively impacted parents and children, and why it’s so controversial to talk about marriage as a policy matter in the first place. Show notes: -Melissa’s profile at the University of Maryland -Melissa’s profile at Brookings -A Driver of Inequality That Not Enough People Are Talking About -Male Earnings, Marriageable Men, and Nonmarital Fertility: Evidence from the Fracking Boom -The Puzzle of Falling US Birth Rates Since the Great Recession -Race and Economic Opportunity in the United States: An Intergenerational Perspective Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah left The Dispatch Podcast and now there's no speaker of the House. What went wrong? Steve and Jonah join the flagship host's return to discuss the speakership battle, Joe Biden's Trump-era border wall, and corruption writ large. Also: -Small dollar donor problems -Democratic blame game -Anti-transparency in government -There's a secret speaker?? -Trump and Menendez corruption inquiries -The return of Not Worth Your Time Show notes: -Jonah's G-File on government transparency -Rep. Matt Gaetz on ABC This Week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jon Schweppe, policy director at the American Principles Project, joins Andrew to discuss the state of the pro-life movement: political uncertainty, mixed messaging, states rights, and next steps. Show Notes: Jon's profile at the American Principles Project Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A sneak peek from our regular members-only Dispatch Live discussion: Kevin, Chris, and Jonah discuss elites versus elitism and America's increasing decline from authenticity. The conversations was spurred by Chris' piece on America's classless society. If you want to join our live discussions, support the work we're doing, and help us do a lot more: become a Dispatch member. https://thedispatch.com/join -If you're a member, you can watch the full live discussion here: https://thedispatch.com/article/video-mccarthy-cant-keep-his-house-in-order/ -Sign up to "The Skiff" to get all Dispatch members-only content here: https://members.thedispatch.com/account/feeds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Making sense of the latest carnival of inanity posing as a presidential debate is a task too great for Steve and Jonah. So they have summoned the fabled (and bingo'd) Yuval Levin, director of social, cultural and constitutional studies at AEI, to help them analyze the GOP primary debate, rank pre-government shutdown asininity, and determine whether we should even be paying attention at all. Show Notes: -Yuval Levin's profile at the American Enterprise Institute -Watch our pre-debate discussion featuring Kevin, Jonah, and Chris (Members only) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GOP hardliners aren’t negotiating with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, as government shutdown looms. Government Relations Strategist Liam Donovan joins The Dispatch to break down how we got here and: -Ukraine’s funding -Senate pushing a Continuing Resolution to stave off a shutdown -McCarthy’s House resistance -Gaetz pushing for a betrayal Show Notes: -Watch this episode on YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The general incompetence of GOP's leadership has prompted a Dispatch Politics coup of today's Dispod. Mike hosts as David and Andrew join to discuss the shutdown fiasco, voters perceptions of GOP candidates, and John Fetterman's depression wear. Show Notes: -Watch this episode on YouTube -Real Clear Politics 2024 Iowa Republican Presidential Caucus -CNN Poll: Trump leads in New Hampshire while Ramaswamy, Haley, Christie and DeSantis battle for second -Wednesday's Dispatch Politics newsletter -Real Clear Politics General Election: Trump vs. Biden -62% of New Yorkers say Biden unfit for another term -Biden takes on Trump and age questions in new fundraiser speech -Drucker's interview with Senator Tom Cotton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sen. Tom Cotton joins The Dispatch Podcast and pushes back against the growing GOP opposition to sending aid to Ukraine. David Drucker also asks Cotton his thoughts on: -U.S.-China policy -Dealing with Iran -McConnell's current aptitude Show Notes: -Watch this episode on YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A quick preview from our regular members-only Dispatch Live discussion: Kevin, Steve, Drucker, and Grayson discuss the right's embrace of violent rhetoric and the disputed value of Mike Pence's last-minute anti-populist turn. (Steve, a few Spanish wine glasses in, gets extra ranty... you've been warned.) If you want to join our live discussions, support the work we're doing, and help us do a lot more: become a Dispatch member. https://thedispatch.com/join -If you're a member, you can watch the full live discussion here: https://thedispatch.com/article/video-mccarthy-launches-impeachment-inquiry/ -Sign up to "The Skiff" to get all Dispatch members-only content here: https://members.thedispatch.com/account/feeds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A perfect storm of congressional battles has formed over the upcoming legislative session, just as the grown ups are leaving. Mike is joined by Steve and Jonah to discuss the impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden and: -Biden’s problematic Iranian prisoner deal -Kim Jong Un and Putin now BFFs? -Biden needs a nap Show notes: -The Morning Dispatch: A Rogue State Visit -Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns: This Will Not Pass -The Dispatch Podcast with Martin and Burns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been dodging accusations of malfeasance for years, but now they might be catching up with him. Show Notes: -Kel Seliger's biography -Oprah sued for defamation in Amarillo -Food libel laws -Kevin's article on Paxton impeachment Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many polls are telling the same story: Americans don’t want either Joe Biden or Donald Trump for president. And yet a rematch seems all but inevitable. Mike Warren is joined by Steve, Jonah, and Chris Stirewalt to commune in despair. Plus: -Pence’s overdue attack on populism -Great white sharks with Hitler’s brain -Eric Adams: migrant issue ‘will destroy New York City’ -9/11 anniversary and easy explanations Show notes: –CNN Polling on a Biden vs. Trump rematch –You need to calm down, Democratic pollsters argue – Semafor –Most Americans say Biden is too old – The Washington Post –TMD: The Election Nobody Wants –Kevin Williamson’s piece on Mike Pence Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve and Jonah join Mike as he takes over the host’s chair in this week’s Dispod. The trio discuss China’s version of manifest destiny and: -Biden’s economic outreach -Big dollar donors desperately scanning the Republican field -Kari Lake being a loser (and proud of it) -Mob rule of institutions -Vivek: worth voters' time? Show Notes: -Jonah's China piece for The Dispatch -Scott Lincicome’s newsletter on China -Poll: Georgia Republicans are unusually skeptical of Trump’s 2020 actions -David Brooks NYT column Nikki’s the one -Steve's Animal Spirits moment -"Not Donald Trump" NBC Poll Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South Korea, Japan, and the US are facing growing tensions against North Korea and China. The trilateral relationship was on full display in a show of strength at Camp David on August. 18th. TMD Reporter Mary Trimble speaks with Michael Beckley, an associate professor of political science at Tufts University and a non-resident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, to explore the threats towards this alliance and the possible escalating conflicts in the Indo-Pacific region. Show Notes: -Watch this conversation on our YouTube channel -Michael Beckley's profile -Mary's report for The Morning Dispatch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah, fully ready for her hiatus, is joined by Steve, Jonah, and Dispatch Politics reporter Audrey Fahlberg for a dispiriting recap of the first GOP primary debate. Also: -Vivek Witherspoon's moment -A crummy night for DeSantis -Death of Wagner leader Prigozhin -Biden's response to Maui -Not Worth Your Time (?): Jonah's writing Show notes- -G-File: Who Will Stop Him? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial intelligence has become a common weapon in political information warfare. The Morning Dispatch reporter, Grayson Logue, is joined by Darrell M. West, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the co-editor-in-chief of TechTank, to explain the unique threat that A.I. poses. -West's profile at Brookings -TechTank Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris joins Sarah and Jonah to discuss the upcoming GOP primary debate. How much will the candidates praise the guy they're primarying? Will there be anything to talk about besides the hedonic treadmill of indictments? Can any candidate successfully be a gateway drug out of Trump? Also: -Biden's shrinking incumbent advantage -Republican Party as a suicide pact -Jonah goes Schlappian on third parties -Eric Adams vs. Joe Biden -"Rich Men North of Richmond" Show notes- -Jonah's attack on small donors -Nick Catoggio's defense of Jonah in Boiling Frogs -Sarah's interview with No Labels on The Dispatch Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not since Abraham Lincoln has a 3rd party candidate been successful, but political nonprofit No Labels thinks the time for change is near. No Labels chief political strategist Ryan Clancy joins Sarah Isgur to discuss why he thinks there's a moderate majority in America that's ready to bust the two party system. Show notes - -No Labels' website -No Labels on North Carolina ballot Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A "reserve army of voters" rejected a proposal to change the constitutional amendment process in an Ohio special election. What does the abortion proxy war for mean pro-life politics and the legacy of Dobbs? Sarah is joined by Steve and Jonah to discuss. Also: -DeSantis campaign reset -Will the GOP debates matter? -Revisiting the Dean Scream -Are adult sites worth your time? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Israel is undergoing a sea change. The battle over a judicial overhaul hides much deeper national schisms. The Times of Israel Senior Political Analyst Haviv Rettig Gur joins Senior Producer Adaam James Levin-Areddy to try and make sense of the mess. Will the reform fix or break Israeli democracy? Why doesn't Israel have a constitution? Why are elite military volunteers joining the protest? Does Benjamin Netanyahu have a plan? Is the Israeli left dead? Is the Israeli right broken? And what does "right and left" even mean? (Not what it means in the U.S, that's for sure!) Show notes: -Gur's profile at the Times of Israel -The Morning Dispatch's latest coverage of the overhaul -Who is Itamar Ben Gvir? (A Dispatch Podcast explainer) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah, Steve, and Jonah discuss Trump's indictment for the listeners not privy to niche legal podcasts. Can special counsel prove Trump's intent? Will Trump voters care? Also: -Addressing stupid arguments -Jonah's grudge against lawyers -NYT Siena Poll on Trump indictment -Fitch downgrades our credit score -(Not?) Worth Your Time extended Show notes: -The Collision newsletter -David Brooks: What if We're the Bad Guys Here? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve is back to monitor the Dispod as the Sarah, Mike, and David discuss Hunter Biden plea deals and GOP primary wackiness, but the conversation eventually derails into UFO territory. Tune in to hear the four discuss: -The wackiness of the GOP primary field -Ron DeSantis going bonkers with RFK Jr. potential appointments -UFO marketing campaign for skeptics Show Notes: -Check out Mike and Sarah's Collision newsletter for The Dispatch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s the never-ending story with Trump’s ongoing legal battles, but how exactly will the latest investigation impact Trump’s 2024 campaign? Kevin Williamson and Mike Warren join Sarah Isgur to break down the latest in MAGA land and: -Kevin McCarthy’s lack of self-respect -Ron DeSantis, so hot right now? -The trouble with RE-words -Nerds throwing punches -Barbie’s CCP map Show Notes: -Sarah and Mike's joint project Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Tyler, senior policy advisory for New Direction, joins Dispatch executive editor Adam O’Neal to sample the different flavors of the European right. -America the good, America the bad -Is Italy's Meloni fascist? -Fusionism and the Czech Republic -Brexit and deregulationLike what we're doing? Please consider becoming a member of TheDispatch.com. You'll be getting a suite of newsletters (including Kevin Williamson's Wanderland, our news-breaking Dispatch Politics, and our flagship daily newsletter The Morning Dispatch), access to additional podcast episodes and exclusive shows, and be invited to members-only live Dispatch events. But most importantly: you'll be helping us keep the lights on. So if you believe in our mission, we hope you'll consider joining us. Show Notes: -Robert Tyler for The Dispatch -About New Direction Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sorry, Steve Hayes. Sarah, Jonah and Mike start with Ukraine’s request for cluster munitions and the state of NATO. Jonah cynically uses Steve's absence to flex his juvenile humor chops. Spanish wine is wildly overrated. Then: -Pence campaign prognosis -A scavenger hunt to get on the debate stage -Ramaswamy's Mary Kay pyramid scheme -Sarah on Sesame Street -War of words and farting at RFK Jr. press dinner -GOP leads in midterm turnout -56% of voters think Biden took bribes -Not worth your time (?): Zuck vs. Musk cage match Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund, joins Executive Director Adam O'Neal to discuss how the U.S. and China manage their differences over Taiwan. Also: -Taiwan’s relationship with Trump and Biden -China’s military transformation -The significance of 2049 Show Notes: -Bonnie Glaser's profile for the German Marshall Fund -U.S.-Taiwan Relations: Will China's Challenge Lead to a Crisis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger joins Steve Hayes and Sarah Isgur in a special interview recorded from The Times' building in New York. They discuss Sulzberger's recent CJR piece on objectivity in journalism (and its discontents), digging into the historically hostile relationship between right wing media and The Times, the challenges of fighting "bias" in news, and the possible paths to rebuilding public trust in institutional journalism. Show Notes: -A.G Sulzberger's article for the Colombia Journalism Review Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A deadly police shooting in Paris last week sparked days of riots across the country. Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, joins Dispatch Executive Editor Adam O’Neal to explain what led to the violence and where France will go from here.Show Notes: -Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry's profile for at The Ethics and Public Police Center -Reuters: France riots: Shot teenager's grandmother says violence must stop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices