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The wisdom of former Secretary of State Dean Acheson inspires our podcast. It emphasizes clarity while examining the intricate global issues of today for a diverse audience. In a world where time is limited, this podcast aims to distill complex ideas into straightforward narratives, making them not just comprehensible but in Acheson’s words, “clearer than truth.” The podcast, much like other news-oriented shows, is committed to keeping listeners updated on breaking global events. Airing once every few weeks, it dissects the latest news, featuring insights from experts around the world. From discussions on significant geopolitical developments to the passage of controversial laws, this podcast provides concise yet comprehensive analyses.
55 Episodes
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Ravi Agrawal is the Editor-in-Chief of Foreign Policy and the host of FP Live. In this conversation, he discusses the implications of a new Middle East conflict and what it reveals about America’s evolving role in the global order. Agrawal explains the concept of a “world minus one”—a moment of transition where the United States appears to be stepping back from the international system it helped build. He examines the risks of military action taken without clear objectives, the precedent set ...
Benjamin Nathans is a Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement, an acclaimed work that explores the individuals and ideas behind resistance to Soviet authoritarianism. Nathans’s research focuses on Russian and Soviet history, political dissent, and the struggle for human rights under authoritarian regimes. Support the show
John Bolton is a veteran American diplomat and national security expert who served as the U.S. National Security Advisor from 2018 to 2019. He previously served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and held multiple senior roles in Republican administrations, shaping American policy on arms control, international security, and diplomacy. Known for his outspoken views on U.S. foreign policy, Bolton remains a prominent voice on global conflicts, great power competition, and America’s role i...
Yukon Huang is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a leading authority on China’s economy and global financial relations. He previously served as the World Bank’s Country Director for China and Russia, giving him firsthand insight into the economic transformations of two major global powers. Huang’s work focuses on China’s growth model, U.S.–China tensions, and the evolving role of emerging markets in the global economy, making him a key voice in debates over...
Edward Luce is the chief U.S. commentator and columnist for the Financial Times, where he covers American politics, foreign policy, and global power shifts. He is the author of several acclaimed books, including Zbig: The Life of Zbigniew Brzezinski, America’s Great Power Prophet, a definitive biography of one of the most influential strategic thinkers of the Cold War era. Luce is widely respected for his sharp analysis of U.S. leadership, geopolitics, and the future of the liberal internatio...
Brad Thor is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of the most prominent voices in the modern thriller genre. Best known for his long-running Scot Harvath series, Thor’s novels explore terrorism, intelligence, and global security with meticulous research and real-world insight. His latest work, Cold Zero, co-authored with Ward Larsen, continues his tradition of high-stakes storytelling grounded in contemporary geopolitical threats. Thor frequently consults with intelligence and milit...
Jeffrey Sachs is an economist, university professor, and influential author known for his work in sustainable development. He is the Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University and the President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. His notable roles at the United Nations include serving as a Special Advisor to three different UN Secretaries-General: Kofi Annan, Ban Ki-moon, and António Guterres. He currently serves as an SDG Advocate for the prese...
Dmitri Alperovitch is a cybersecurity expert, entrepreneur, and author of The World on the Brink: How the Hybrid World War Threatens Our Future. He is the co-founder and former CTO of CrowdStrike, a global leader in cyber threat intelligence and defense, and currently serves in senior advisory roles shaping how governments and organizations respond to digital conflict and nation-state cyber operations. Alperovitch’s work spans cyber risk, geopolitics, and emerging threats, making him a key vo...
Peter Pomerantsev is a best-selling author, journalist, and leading expert on propaganda, disinformation, and modern information warfare. He is the author of Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible and This Is Not Propaganda, widely regarded as essential books for understanding how authoritarian regimes manipulate media and reality itself. Pomerantsev has advised governments and institutions on counter-disinformation strategies and regularly contributes to major global outlets on democracy...
Nicolas Niarchos is a staff writer at The New Yorker covering foreign affairs, geopolitics, and global power dynamics. He’s the author of The Elements of Power: Gadgets, Guns, and the Struggle for a New Global Order, a deeply researched book that explores how control over critical elements like rare minerals, weapons, and technology shapes international politics. Niarchos’s work brings sharp insight into how resources and innovation influence statecraft in the 21st century, blending narrative...
Stephen M. Walt is a renowned columnist for Foreign Policy and the Robert and Renée Belfer Professor of International Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School. A leading scholar in foreign policy theory and U.S. grand strategy, Walt is best known for his work on realism, alliance politics, and international security. His influential books include The Origins of Alliances, Taming American Power, The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy, and International Relations: One World, Many Theories. Wal...
Tim Bouverie is a British historian, journalist, and bestselling author specializing in World War II and modern European history. His acclaimed debut, Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War, explores the diplomatic failures that paved the way for conflict, and his latest book, Allies at War, examines the fractious wartime relationship between Britain and the United States. A former political journalist for Channel 4 News, Bouverie brings deep research and sharp narrative...
Yaakov Katz is an Israeli-American author, journalist, and senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute in Jerusalem. He served as editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post from 2016 to 2023 and continues to write a popular weekly column while appearing regularly as an analyst on CNN and the BBC. Katz is the author of Shadow Strike: Inside Israel’s Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power, Weapon Wizards: How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower, and Israel vs. Iran: The S...
Max Boot is a senior columnist for The Washington Post and a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. A leading voice on U.S. foreign policy, national security, and military history, he has advised senior policymakers and served as a defense analyst for multiple administrations. Boot is also the author of several acclaimed books, including The Road Not Taken, Invisible Armies, and War Made New, and is a frequent commentator on global affairs and American strategy. Support the show
Ilan Berman is Senior Vice President of American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC) in Washington, D.C., and a leading expert on security issues in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Russia. He has consulted for the CIA and U.S. Defense and State Departments, and advised congressional offices on foreign policy and national security. Berman is also an adjunct professor at the Institute of World Politics and associated faculty at Missouri State University’s Department of Defense and Strategic Studie...
Edward Fishman is a leading scholar of economic statecraft and a former U.S. diplomat who helped design sanctions policies at the State Department and Treasury. He is currently a Senior Research Scholar at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and also teaches at its Center on Global Energy Policy. His book Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare (2025) offers a gripping, behind-the-scenes account of how the U.S. turned global finance, technology,...
Barry R. Posen is the Ford International Professor of Political Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Director Emeritus of its MIT Security Studies Program. A leading scholar in grand strategy and defense policy, his influential works include Restraint: A New Foundation for U.S. Grand Strategy and The Sources of Military Doctrine. Posen continues to shape debates on global power shifts, U.S. force posture, and military intervention through his teaching, research, and commentary...
Scott Kennedy is Senior Adviser and Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). A leading authority on Chinese economic policy and U.S.–China commercial relations, he has traveled to China for nearly four decades and focuses on China’s industrial policy, tech innovation, and global economic governance. His publications include The Business of Lobbying in China, The Fat Tech Dragon, and numerous policy reports on U.S.–China tens...
Don Bentley is a bestselling American thriller author and former FBI Special Agent, SWAT team member, and U.S. Army Apache helicopter pilot. He currently continues the legacy of Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp series, with his newest novel Denied Access, which takes fans back to Rapp’s early days as he battles threats to the CIA and a lover in peril. Bentley’s diverse writing portfolio also includes the Matt Drake series and Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan Jr. novels. Support the show
Jake Tapper is a prominent CNN anchor and chief Washington correspondent, and the author of Race Against Terror: Chasing an Al Qaeda Killer at the Dawn of the Forever War. His book uncovers the high-stakes global hunt to prosecute an al Qaeda operative who surrendered during the Arab Spring and sheds light on the challenges of delivering justice in the War on Terror. Tapper is also known for his political journalism, previously penning works like The Outpost and his bestselling novels. Suppor...
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