The DSR Network

At a recent fundraiser, Donald Trump promised big tax cuts to some of the richest donors in the country. He also suggested he wants more immigrants from countries like Norway—hint, hint—while blasting Latin American migrants as criminals and worse. This corrupt bargain—offer huge giveaways to wealthy elites so they embrace far right governance—is an old story. In today’s episode, Harvard professor Daniel Ziblatt—who studies what happens when conservative elites ally with authoritarian movements—explains why it’s extraordinarily reckless for corporate leaders to calculate they can work with Trump despite his promise of a lawless second term. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A year ago, our biggest fear was the next Trump. Now that our candidates are locked in for the 2024 election, our biggest fear is Trump himself. Miles Taylor joins David Rothkopf to discuss his book “Blowback: A Warning to Save Democracy from Trump’s Revenge” and why the threat Trump poses is even greater than ever — whether he wins or loses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Investigative journalism is difficult enough, but studying Russia and the intelligence community is on another level. Michael Weiss is one of the journalists up to the task. Michael joins Marc Polymeropoulos to break down his latest reporting on Havana Syndrome and takes us on a tour of his investigation and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Tuesday edition of the DSR Daily, we discuss Netanyahu’s announcement that a date has been set for the invasion of Rafah, Haiti’s plan for a transitional government, a landmark climate ruling in Europe, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Mike Johnson finally appears set to decide whether to hold a House vote on funding military aid to Ukraine. If so, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has threatened to try to oust him as Speaker. Yet something funny has happened: A lot of House Republicans want to vote on Ukraine aid. Is there any chance it might pass? How will Donald Trump react? We talked to Julia Ioffe, a journalist for Puck and a leading voice on Russia-U.S. relations, who shed light on the brutal road ahead for Ukraine and explained how the MAGA-Putin alliance really works. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Monday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the reduction of Israeli troops in Gaza, the pro-Russian president-elect in Slovakia, a Brazilian investigation into Elon Musk, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a new trend: GOP legislatures are advancing bills that place onerous new kinds of restrictions on public and school libraries in states like Idaho, Alabama, Georgia and others. On the front lines of taking on this trend is Emily Drabinski, the president of the American Library Association, who also grew up in Idaho and is openly gay. So we invited Drabinski on to the show to shed light on what it takes to battle the book banners targeting LGBTQ materials in states like her own, and what sort of toll this is taking on communities across the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: April 5, 2023 Note: this podcast was taped prior to the announced indictments of Donald Trump. The absence of real indictments against Donald Trump allows him to set the narrative. That's not a good thing. So maybe prosecutors should consider drinking a little more Red Bull, having a few more cups of coffee. This is getting ridiculous. We discuss with Dr. Kavita Patel, Norm Ornstein and David Rothkopf. We also discuss who will be the GOP candidate for president when Trump and DeSantis flame out. And we consider the imponderable: Why is George Santos still a member of Congress. Join us for answers to all the most pressing political questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: March 21, 2023 America's politicians have become more hawkish on China but is that the only path forward? David Rothkopf debates this issue with Dmitri Alperovitch of the Silverado Policy Accelerator and Josh Rogin of the Washington Post. Is China willing to compete and cooperate? How does Taiwan play into all of this? Can America not tilt completely into a militaristic framing of the competition? Find out during this argumentative conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pulitzer-prize finalist and New York Times best selling Author Annie Jacobsen joins Jon and Heather to discuss her ground-breaking and compelling new book “Nuclear War: A Scenario” The volume looks at how dangerous our nuclear world has become, and how a nuclear war would actually be conducted, including its terrifyingly short time scale. Based on exhaustive research with the nuclear operators, leaders and scientists, it is an episode and a publication not to be missed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Investigative journalists Christo Grozev, Roman Dobrokhotov and Michael Weiss have been looking into the Havana Syndrome since 2020. They initially approached the topic skeptically, questioning the capability of any government to carry out such a mass global attack. However, they discovered a document linking a Russian military unit to the Havana weapon, which sparked their investigation. They have been gathering evidence of overlaps between the travel of members of this unit and incidents related to the Havana Syndrome. The journalists have presented a prosecution case, highlighting motive, means, and opportunity, and are calling for the U.S. government to act as a defense attorney for the accused criminals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Biden administration’s policy towards Israel has been controversial to say the least. As the conflict grinds on and the election approaches, it is clear that the conflict will loom large in the voting booth. Norm and Kavita break down the key issues that Biden faces, and why the administration desperately needs a new strategy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Friday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Israel’s new concessions after a call with Biden, No Labels abandoning its efforts to field a presidential candidate, rescue efforts underway in Taiwan, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, The New York Times reported that Donald Trump recently spoke privately with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Trump’s team won’t say word boo about what was discussed, and we can guess why: His private business dealings with the Saudis are going gangbusters even as he’s locking up the GOP presidential nomination, creating all kinds of opportunities for corruption. We talked to Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, who explained why the Trump-Saudi relationship is absolutely crying out for serious scrutiny. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump’s latest schemes are some of his shadiest yet, and that’s saying something. Between the rejection of his bond in the NY civil fraud case and the greatly inflated value of Truth Social, Trump is coming up with all sorts of schemes to pay his dues. Allison Gill joins David Rothkopf to give a run-down on his various cases, and what Jack Smith and others can do to ensure that Trump faces justice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Thursday edition of the DSR Daily, we discuss the rejection of Trump’s request to delay his hush-money trial, aid groups halting their work in Gaza, Russia blaming Ukraine and the West for a deadly terrorist attack, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, special counsel Jack Smith made a surprise move in his prosecution of Donald Trump for stealing classified documents. He called on Judge Aileen Cannon to make a quick decision on a key matter, flaunting his frustration with her over numerous rulings putting the thumb on the scale for Trump. We chatted with Philip Rotner, a veteran lawyer who has written a series of pieces for The Bulwark arguing that Cannon is killing the case against Trump right in broad daylight. Rotner explains in unsettling terms why her interventions for Trump are likely to get uglier. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Israel’s shocking strike on World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza has amplified calls for the Biden administration to step in. Yet a big question remains: What can President Biden actually do to stop the bloodshed? Noga Tarnopolsky, Rosa Brooks, and Ed Luce join David Rothkopf to analyze what the Biden administration has done so far and how it needs to respond at this critical point. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Wednesday edition of the DSR Daily, we discuss the 7.2 magnitude quake in Taiwan, Biden and Xi holding their first talks since November, NATO considering a plan for long-term Ukraine aid, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of Donald Trump’s central campaign promises has been to pardon untold numbers of rioters who attacked the Capitol—people he’s described as martyrs, victims and “hostages.” Now, an important new analysis finds that many of the inmates Trump has referred to are ones who violently attacked law enforcement officers. We talked to Tom Joscelyn, lead author of that analysis and a former senior Jan. 6 committee staffer, who explains how his findings blow apart a lot of Trump-MAGA propaganda about that dark and terrible day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some elements of US intelligence and special operations are so secretive, we don’t even know their names. Adam Gamal lived that life and his new book “The Unit” pulls back the curtain on America’s most secret military unit. Adam joins Marc Polymeropoulos to discuss what is a true American Dream story from Alexandria, Egypt to the pinnacle of the special operations world, and why diversity is a necessary component in defense and intelligence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Tuesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the Israeli strike that killed World Central Kitchen workers, Trump posting his $175 million bond, Ukrainian drone attacks deep in Russian territory, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GOP members of Congress facing tough races are suddenly worried that having Donald Trump at the top of the ticket might present them with a problem, according to new reports. They fear having to answer for Trump’s degeneracy and extremism, even as the GOP’s small donor base is not delivering at the very moment as Trump is siphoning off party money for legal fees. What explains this sudden GOP epiphany about Trump? How likely is it that these fears will materialize? We chatted with Tim Persico, a top Democratic operative involved in House races in 2022, who provided insights into how this Trump effect really works. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Monday edition of the DSR Daily, we discuss the massive protests against the Netanyahu government in Israel, the stunning performance of Turkey’s main opposition party, massive political rallies in India, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump’s announcement that he is now peddling something called the “God Bless the USA Bible” drew outrage from some religious figures, but one group that’s been conspicuously quiet about it are evangelical leaders. Why? Perhaps because Trump is making subtle promises to give them what they want. We talked with Katherine Stewart, a journalist who covers the religious right, about all the ways Trump is signaling a second term shaped around ideals of Christian Nationalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: March 17, 2023 Silicon Valley Bank collapsed in spectacular fashion last week but the Biden administration stepped in to save its depositors. Was that the right thing to do and what can prevent things like this happening in the future? Norm and Kavita discuss during this thoughtful conversation. Members get a bonus conversation about Ron DeSantis and his views about the war in Ukraine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: March 27, 2023 On this special edition of DSR, former diplomat and advisor to Israeli leaders Alon Pinkas provides an insight from Israel into that country's current democracy crisis. He provides insights into the state of affairs at the moment and why the crisis that has brought hundreds of thousands of Israelis into the streets is far from over. He also discusses why this unprecedented Israeli drama is so directly relevant to the United States. Join Pinkas and host David Rothkopf for this in-depth and timely conversation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why travel the world when you can get all the existential dread you could want on WAGD Radio? Jon Wolfsthal and Heather Williams are here to give us a world tour of the biggest news in nuclear weapons this week and a breakdown of just what Putin and Kim Jong Un’s coalition of cronies is up to now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Friday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the Ukrainian foreign minister’s visit to India, Sam Bankman-Fried’s 25 year sentence, the ICJ ordering Israel to allow aid into Gaza, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’ve probably heard someone say we’re in the midst of a “racial realignment.” The idea is that Donald Trump is surprisingly strong among nonwhite voters, helping explain why head-to-head polling looks rough for President Biden. But political analyst Ron Brownstein has written an important new piece that adds sorely needed nuance, finding that the flipside to Trump’s strength among nonwhites is Biden’s unexpected support among white voters. We chatted with Brownstein about why his thesis shows that Trump’s position is more precarious than it seems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump isn’t the only threat that Joe Biden and the Democrats are fighting ahead of the election. Fox News continues to be a thorn in the side of our democracy, despite the networks stumbles in recent years. Journalist Nina Burleigh joins David Rothkopf to explain how Rupert Murdoch’s network still plagues the airwaves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Thursday edition of the DSR Daily, we discuss Ireland’s intentions to intervene in Israel’s genocide case at the ICJ, the passing of Joseph Lieberman, Sam Bankman-Fried’s impending sentencing, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two days after a major bridge collapsed in Baltimore when a cargo ship rammed into it, we still know little about six bridge workers who are presumed dead after an intensive search. Little by little, we’re learning that police were just about to alert the workers about the crash but were a hair too late, and that they were immigrants who were supporting children and families. Who were these workers? Could they have been saved? We talked to Maximillian Alvarez, editor in chief of the Baltimore-based Real News Network, about what this horror tells us about immigrant life in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Though US efforts to help Ukraine have been stymied by political infighting, thousands of individuals and organizations continue to provide much-needed aid. One such individual is Nate Mook, former CEO of World Central Kitchen and now active in several humanitarian initiatives in Ukraine since 2022. Nate joins David Rothkopf to share his work in Ukraine, the ways in which we can all lend a hand, and why Ukrainian resolve remains unbroken. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Wednesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the new details from the Baltimore bridge collapse, Secretary Austin’s concerns over civilian casualties in Gaza, the Supreme Court’s seeming inclination to protect mifepristone, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All of a sudden Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene seems to be attacking House Speaker Mike Johnson almost daily over all kinds of things, especially his promise to find a way to pass military aid to Ukraine. Does that mean Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans will successfully thwart that effort? Why is the House GOP in such chaos, anyway? We chatted with GOP lobbyist Liam Donovan, a Twitter virtuoso and shrewd observer of Republican politics, who helped demystify all the crazy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court recently commenced hearings on a case that could restrict access to mifepristone, and the results were surprising. Only Justices Alito and Thomas appeared inclined towards supporting the ban on the drug, raising questions about the court's future direction. Norm and Kavita delve into the nuances of the hearing and the significant influence of women on the case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Tuesday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the NY appeals court reducing Trump’s bond, friction between Biden and Netanyahu after the US allowed a ceasefire vote, a major bridge collapsing in Baltimore, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NBC News is reeling over its decision to hire former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel as a political analyst. McDaniel actively participated in Donald Trump’s effort to steal the 2020 election, pressuring state officials not to certify the outcome, and personalities like Joe Scarborough and Chuck Todd have been harshly critical. We chatted with New York University’s Jay Rosen, one of our most incisive media critics, about whether the uproar will prompt the media to grapple more deeply with its struggle to capture the true threat Trump and MAGA pose to our democracy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Believe it or not, international intelligence is a lot harder to predict than March Madness. From the attack in Moscow to the issue of emerging technologies, challenges both old and new will play a significant role in the coming years. Intelligence and security expert Amy Zegart joins Marc to break down the recently released Annual Threat Assessment and the challenges on the horizon for US intelligence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Monday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover the charging of four suspects in connection to the deadly attack in Moscow, the shelving of a key EU climate plan, Trump’s impending payment deadline, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent days, Donald Trump opened the door to cutting Social Security, and he’s also threatened to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would throw millions off health insurance. All this comes as President Biden’s economy is doing quite well by many metrics. Yet Trump is favored on the economy, and his MAGA support remains solid, even though his policies would badly sell out his base. We talked to New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, author of a series of columns about the economies under Trump and Biden, who helps us make sense of all these disconnects. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: August 21, 2023 Maintaining alliances isn’t easy; they must be nurtured on a regular basis, which takes skill and acumen. Yet even with challenges both domestically and internationally, the US’s allies are some of its greatest assets. Since World War 2, the true brilliance of US strategy is to build genuine and sturdy alliances, politically, militarily, and in intelligence, with partners across the globe. Marc is joined by former senior CIA operations officer Jerry O’Shea, a four time station chief, to discuss why alliances are so critically important. Don’t miss it. For more like this, follow the Above Average Intelligence feed: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/above-average-intelligence/id1731208065 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Original Air Date: May 25, 2023 Recent election results are giving hope to many thoughtful analysts that Democrats might not just be able to eke out a victory in 2024, they might be able to win by substantial margins in the presidential election and in key Senate and House races. On this episode of DSR Politics, we talk to Missouri Senate Candidate Lucas Kunce and Democratic analyst and advisor Simon Rosenberg about how Kunce can defeat Josh Hawley next year and how that race resonates with other big national trends. Don't miss this insight-rich discussion. For more like this, follow the DSR Politics show feed: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dsr-politics-and-law/id1731231459 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world has lived in the nuclear age for nearly 79 years. In that time, bombs have multiplied and gotten bigger, but has the debate over nuclear weapons, use, arms control and how technology affects security changed? Joe Cirincione joins Jon Wolfsthal for a look at how the US has grappled with nuclear policy and other key issues over time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s an open secret that Congress is broken. Between extremism from House Republicans to an inability to pass a budget, there is something deeply wrong on the Hill. Norm and Kavita discuss the ways in which we can fix our ailing system, and why some solutions even have the ever elusive support of Republicans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Friday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover a US draft resolution calling for an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza, the DOJ suing Apple for monopolistic practices, Senegal heading to the polls on Sunday, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Donald Trump’s fundraising badly trailing that of President Biden, the RNC’s new “election integrity” lawyer, Christina Bobb, is emerging as an important player in the Trump-MAGA campaign apparatus. Bobb, who was deeply involved in Trump’s Stop-the-Steal efforts, will help reassure the MAGA faithful, perhaps firing up the small-dollar donations that Trump desperately needs. We chatted with Andrew Egger, who has a great new piece for The Bulwark about Bobb’s role, about why she’s so pivotal for Trump and how she’s become the face of the new MAGA establishment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump may have been hit with multiple steep fines from the E. Jean Carroll suits and the NY fraud case, but he’s still managed to avoid accountability in a plethora of legal battles. How does he keep getting away with it? Legal expert Kimberly Atkins Stohr joins David Rothkopf to break down the latest from Trump’s many trials. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Thursday edition of the DSR Daily, we cover Congress’s $1.1 trillion spending package to avert a shutdown, the surprise resignation of Irelands Prime Minister, Secretary Blinken’s impending visit to Israel, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices