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 the global economic system, the rise of China, and the stability of the US-led world order. And don’t miss goodbye messages from Jenn and Zack (at the start and end of the show). We love you, listeners! References: Preorder our guest Adam Tooze’s new book, Shutdown, the subject of the conversation. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Jen Kirby (@j_kirby1), foreign and national security reporter, Vox Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly’s work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 criticized her coach on social media. They discuss what happened in both of those cases, as well as what the events tell us about the ways authoritarian governments are expanding their international reach, by developing ties with like-minded influential figures in other countries and by threatening — and, in some cases, kidnapping or even assassinating — dissidents abroad. References: Zack on why Tucker Carlson’s trip to Hungary matters. Why US conservatives admire Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. How Hungary’s democracy died. The Belarusian Olympian who would not go home. Here’s the transcript of Belarusian officials pressuring Olympic sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya. Freedom House’s report on the rise of “transnational repression.”   Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Jen Kirby (@j_kirby1), foreign and national security reporter, Vox   Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly’s work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts   More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 political reckoning with this history among white Canadians. Then they compare how Canada is handling this issue to the way that other countries like the US, Germany, and Japan have dealt with their own histories of atrocity — and how that shapes both politics inside those countries and their relations with other states today. References: You can read the final report from Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission here or on the Commission’s website, where you can find additional information and resources on the commission and the residential school system, including more about the Missing Children Project. And here are the 94 “calls to action” from the report, if you want to check those out in particular.  This is the op-ed by Jody Wilson-Raybould that Zack mentioned. This is the infamous 1892 “Kill the Indian...save the man” speech by Richard Pratt, the US military officer who founded the Indian Industrial School at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, which became a model for similar forced-assimilation schools in the US and Canada. Here’s more on the lawsuit seeking reparations for the cultural impact of the residential schools, which the Canadian government is currently fighting against. And here’s more on the Pope’s comments about the discovery at the Kamloops school, which notably do not include an apology for the Catholic church’s role in running that and many of the other residential schools. Jenn mentioned the “birth alerts” that were only ended in British Columbia in 2019. You can read more about that here.  This is a good article contrasting Germany’s and Japan’s national approaches to reconciling with their past atrocities.  And here’s more about the ongoing tensions between Japan and South Korea over Japan’s wartime use of Korean sex slaves known as “comfort women.”   You can read the full text of the bill apologizing “to all Native Peoples on behalf of the United States,” which President Barack Obama quietly signed into law in 2009, here, and read more about why many were disappointed by it here and here.  And you can read the report from the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth & Reconciliation Commission here.  Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), White House reporter, Vox Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly’s work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 bunch of militants, and why the US’ ultimate goal — building up an Afghan government and military that can sure the country in its absence — is so hard to achieve. Come for the policy pessimism, stay for Zack’s oblique reference to a dril tweet. Read this interview Alex did with warfare expert Dominic Tierney on why the US has trouble winning wars. The New York Times has a good history (with pictures!) of why many have tried and failed to win in Afghanistan. Here’s how the US “won” in Iraq Alex wrote about how the Taliban has very slightly moderated its stances towards women and minorities in recent years. Yes, a Taliban fighter really did say “You have the watches. We have the time.” Here’s what you need to know about the US-backed president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai A US government report from this August found that the size of the Afghan army fell by 42,000 soldiers — mostly they had been paying 42,000 people who don’t actually exist.  Zack mentioned that the US even put treadmills in bases  Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), Senior Correspondent, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), National security reporter, Vox Guest: Ben Paulker (@benpaulker), Managing Editor, Vox More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox :Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 restraint and realism, and whether or not Trump is an isolationist. Guest Host: Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) Guest Emma Ashford (@emmamashford) More to explore: Subscribe for free to The Weeds. On Vox’s twice-weekly policy and politics podcast, Matthew Yglesias is joined by Ezra Klein, Dara Lind, Jane Coaston and other Vox voices to dig into important national issues, including healthcare, immigration, housing, and everything else that matters. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Brexit, and then break down what Parliament could do in response, and how all of this represents a serious challenge for British democracy. Here’s Jen Kirby’s explainer on the whole proroguing controversy. We mentioned that the UK government’s own analyses suggest a no-deal Brexit would be a disaster for the UK. And here’s a link to our past episode “The looming Brexit catastrophe” on what a no-deal Brexit could mean for Britain. The UK House of Commons Library has a good summary of how proroguing normally works. Here’s more on how the opposition Labour Party was planning to thwart Johnson before all this happened. Here’s a member of Johnson’s Conservative Party, Dominic Grieve, calling Johnson’s move "tantamount to a coup against Parliament." We referenced this BuzzFeed article about possible ideas Johnson has floated to try to force Brexit through. Business Insider has a good piece explaining the debate about how involved the queen should get in all this. Hosts:Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), Senior Foreign Editor, VoxZack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), Senior Correspondent, VoxAlex Ward (@AlexWardVox), National security reporter, Vox More to explore:Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily news podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox:Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow Us:Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Brazil’s right-wing populist president, Jair Bolsonaro, have helped cause the wildfires and jeopardized the Amazon rainforest’s very survival. Umair tells stories from his recent visit to Brazil, while Zack recalls a sweaty walk to work. Links! Here’s Umair’s piece on all the fires raging around the world right now. Vox’s Jen Kirby explained Bolsonaro 101. Some background on Bolsonaro’s environmental policy. It’s very bad! Bolsonaro has gone after indigenous rights since literally the first day of his presidency. São Paulo’s drought problem has been really serious. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s big new report on land use and climate change. Information on one of several international initiatives to protect the Amazon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 it off with a discussion of whether the treaty’s demise was a good thing or not. Zack does his best (worst?) Yaakov Smirnoff impression, Jenn breaks down the song “99 Red Balloons” at length, and Alex laughs at Mikhail Gorbachev’s jokes. Alex’s recent INF treaty explainer US President Reagan and Soviet leader Gorbachev sign the INF in 1987 Here’s the full text of the treaty if you want to read it yourself. The Worldly hosts prefer this cover of “99 Red Balloons” by Goldfinger, but their producer Byrd maintains that the Nena version is best. Editorial director Liz Nelson, meanwhile, recommends this version from the punk band 7 Seconds. Zack mentioned that there were several times we came close to nuclear war thanks to misinterpretations or accidents. If you want to know even more, we recommend reading the chilling book Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety. Here’s more background on the Obama administration’s policy toward the INF treaty and Russia’s apparent violation of it. And here’s then-US Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats in November 2018 laying out the evidence the intelligence community has showing that Russia violated the terms of the treaty. Oh, and here’s Russia’s government denying it did so, and instead accusing the US of having violated the treaty. Also, more on the “missile gap” Here is a smart op-ed laying out the case for pulling out of the treaty and building more of these missiles, and here’s a smart op-ed laying out the case against pulling out of the treaty. Here’s some more background on National Security Adviser John Bolton’s well-known loathing of arms control agreements.  And we mentioned that China recently warned the US that it would take unspecified “countermeasures” if the US were to deploy these missiles near China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Narendra Modi chose to do something so destabilizing and provocative, and what this could mean for the always-volatile India-Pakistan relationship. Alex has an explainer about India’s Kashmir power grab. The New Yorker has a good piece on the India-Pakistan partition. Vox also has an explainer on the violence between Pakistan and India earlier this year. A part of Article 370 of India’s constitution reads: “[T]he President may, by public notification, declare that this article shall cease to be operative or shall be operative only with such exceptions and modifications and from such date as he may specify.” India’s home minister said Modi’s government would give Jammu and Kashmir its statehood back once normalcy returned to the area, but also that Modi’s government still lays claim to Pakistan’s part of Kashmir. People, including Pakistan’s prime minister, are afraid there will be ethnic cleansing. Pakistan’s army chief said his nation would “go to any extent” to protect Kashmir’s residents, and Imran Khan, the prime minister, warned that a fight could break out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 in Syria. They also then venture some guesses about whether this could get better — but since this is Worldly, you probably know where our hosts are going to come down on that. Links! Alex explains the background on the S-400 missile situation. Turkey’s bid to join NATO was approved in 1951 (though it was technically effective in 1952). Here’s a diplomatic cable from 1964 on how the Johnson administration’s handling of Cyprus shaped the US-Turkey relationship (wasn’t good!) Alex’s piece also has a good short explanation on Gulf War tensions between the US and Turkey. Here’s a Zack piece on the complicated US-Turkey-Kurdish tensions in Syria. And another Zack piece on Turkey’s conflict with Kurdish separatists inside its borders. Pastor Andrew Brunson, explained. And here’s some solid background on how Turkey and Russia are growing closer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 a Brexit deal by October 31, as he’s suggested he would — and what could happen if he doesn’t. Here’s Boris, explained. And Boris explained, again, just in a lot fewer words. In the Guardian, Jennifer Rankin and Jim Waterson examine the impact of Johnson’s journalism. Jenn Williams explains Johnson’s offensive comments. The Guardian describes the zipline malfunction seen ’round the world. Jen Kirby writes on how Brexit finally brought Theresa May down. The future of Brexit under Boris ... maybe. Boris Johnson says Britain’s can-do spirit can solve Brexit, in the Daily Telegraph. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Ward Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 and reveals quite a lot about Britain’s post-Brexit standing in the world and the US-UK relationship. For elsewhere, they discuss the Women’s World Cup — why some countries are much better than others at women’s soccer and the surprisingly deep socio-political reasons that the US is particularly dominant. References! Here’s the Daily Mail’s piece on the leaked cables. The Atlantic has a good piece on how Boris Johnson effectively sank Kim Darroch’s chances of keeping his job. This is the “Love Actually” scene Alex talked about. Yes, a British parliamentarian called Johnson Trump’s poodle in a tweet WikiLeaks has already released thousands of diplomatic cables Political science shows more equality for women leads to better soccer teams The University of Rochester explains Title IX The US has the best infrastructure to nurture women’s soccer than anywhere in the world Here’s the Buzzfeed piece Jenn noted about young girls inspired by the US women’s national team Our sister podcast -- Today, Explained -- did an entire episode on the equal pay issue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Netanyahu era means for the future of Israel and its conflict with the Palestinians. References: Zack wrote a piece for Vox in 2020 about the war on Israeli democracy. You can find the Yair Lapid quote Alex read over at Foreign Policy. The Times of Israel has a good (and short!) profile of Naftali Bennett. The Associated Press reports the coalition wants a quick vote to confirm the government. Haaretz has a smart piece on how Netanyahu unwittingly sowed the seeds of his political demise. Politico featured a piece by experts detailing what the new Israeli government could mean for US President Joe Biden. The Jerusalem Post features the comment Jenn mentioned, where Bennett talks about killing Arabs. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), White House reporter, Vox Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly’s work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 what “maximum pressure” is, how effective (or not) it’s been, and which countries Trump has used it on. They also have a great time at the taping — well, Jenn and Zack do, because they make fun of Alex a whole lot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren — and analyze a really revealing exchange from Wednesday night’s debate. Here’s Alex’s piece describing the ideological split among 2020 Democrats. You can watch Biden’s speech here… …and Buttigieg’s here… ...and Warren’s here… ...and Sanders’s here. Zack’s beef with Bernie Sanders’s 2016 positions on trade. Vox explained the debate’s winners and losers. The Pentagon released the names of the two deceased soldiers. Zack has an explainer on Tulsi Gabbard’s fake pacifism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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: just how interested certain parts of the Trump administration are in war with Iran, the ways in which Iran’s actions are playing into their hands, and how similar this situation is to the Bush administration’s march to war with Iraq. Come see our live show on June 24! Alex’s most recent update on the drone attack. Here’s John Bolton’s original statement on Iran Alex has an explainer on the entire US-Iran standoff The Council on Foreign Relations has a detailed explainer on the Strait of Hormuz See the video and pictures of the oil tanker attacks released by the US military Both Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel say it looks as though Iran is behind the oil tanker attack Japan’s government won’t say Iran is responsible, even though a Japanese company owned one of the damaged vessels This Vox video explains the Iran nuclear deal in three minutes Here’s Alex again on the US sending 1,000 troops to the Middle East Yes, John Bolton has called for regime change in Iran  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 explaining why they’re demonstrating and what it’s like on the ground, and discuss the big-picture issues surrounding democracy and rights in China. Zack ends the show with a characteristic monologue, Alex makes the obligatory Guns N’ Roses joke, and Jenn declares herself “old.” Links: Alex’s explainer has the background on Hong Kong and the recent extradition law change. Jenn described this video in which protesters rushed to put out tear gas grenades as they rained down on the crowd. How Hong Kong remembers Tiananmen. This is a good article on the belief that economic liberalization in China would produce a shift toward democracy — and why that didn’t happen. The details on Xi Jinping’s historic power grab last year. A past episode on China’s “concentration camps” for Muslims in Xinjiang province. The Great Firewall, explained Vox’s Johnny Harris, who helped us with this show, did an episode of his YouTube show “Borders” on the Hong Kong-mainland divide. The Worldly live show taping is at 6:30 ET on June 24 at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy! Here’s the registration link. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 place. Enjoy this special preview of the first episode, Jamestown: Utopian for Whom, and subscribe to Nice Try! for free in your favorite podcast app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Sudan is turning into another Arab Spring-like horror story, meaning that another repressive regime may ultimately survive despite the will of the people. Jenn shows off her Middle East expertise, Alex hosts Worldly for the first time, and both hope the Sudanese protesters get justice. References: This piece from Vox’s Jen Kirby outlines how the military coup that ousted Bashir happened and why protesters still weren’t satisfied. And this piece from former Vox intern Salwa Sadek takes a look at the women who have been at the forefront of the protest movement in Sudan. Here’s more on what we know about the death toll so far and the reports of sexual assault against protesters. This is a great article about how the Rabaa Massacre in Egypt ended the Arab Spring. For a good primer on the Arab Spring more generally, check out The Arab Uprisings: What Everyone Needs to Know. Jenn also mentioned that this week was the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in China. The New York Times has a great collection of their recent coverage of that event here. And as promised, here’s the reservation link to our LIVE SHOW! bit.ly/link-worldly Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 results actually mean for the people of Europe, the European Union, and the rise of fringe parties around the world. The result, it seems, is that extremist parties may be more mainstream now than you think. Jenn shows off her hosting chops, Alex records under a hot blanket, and Kirby drops some sweet, sweet European politics knowledge. As promised, here’s the reservation link to our LIVE SHOW! bit.ly/link-worldly Here’s Jen Kirby’s fantastic piece explaining what happened in the elections. This has a good breakdown of the voter turnout in past elections and how much higher it was this time around. If you want to know more about the policy positions of European Green parties, you can read all about them here on their website. We quoted a political scientist who told Germany’s The Local about the Green parties capturing “the zeitgeist.” That’s from this article.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 drama, and explain what it tells us about the broader far-right movement across Europe. Alex tells us what it’s like on the ground in Austria (he’s actually there), Zack practices his German pronunciations, and Jenn manages not to curse for once. Alex wrote a fantastic explainer on the whole scandal. Der Spiegel, one of the two media outlets that viewed the secret video, has a great piece laying out everything that was on the tape. Here’s a selection of clips from the longer conversation, with subtitles.  This feature on Hungary from Zack explains why references to trying to build a media landscape like Viktor Orbán’s are so scary. Here is the anatomically implausible music video for the Vengaboys song that has become the anti-Strache anthem. Jenn mentioned this Vox article about the far-right parties in Europe joining forces to win seats in the European parliamentary elections. The head of Germany’s far-right party AfD said Austria’s scandal was “singular” and had nothing to do with them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 ordinary Americans, Chinese citizens, and the world. On Elsewhere, they discuss a disturbing story about a Malaysian teenager who died by suicide after polling her Instagram followers on whether she should live or die — and what this says about the problems of managing social media’s dark side worldwide. Links: Our colleague Matthew Yglesias has an explainer on Trump’s China trade war. Some recent research shows the complexity and murkiness of the debate over US job losses from trade with China. The New York Times has a great piece outlining the various ways China manipulates US companies that want to do business in China, including forcing them to hand over valuable intellectual property. The Peterson Institute for International Economics has a timeline of the US-China trade war. Here’s a really good episode of Marketplace from September 2018 that explains why prices on goods don’t go up immediately in a trade war. The IMF estimated that the trade war may cause a 0.2 percent slowdown in the global economy. Jessica Chen Weiss explains at the Washington Post how China is rolling out nationalist propaganda over the trade war. We played a CNN clip of a conversation with a farmer. A brief description of the Malaysia Instagram story. A list of international suicide prevention hotlines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 has long supported going to war with Iran, appears to be intentionally escalating the situation — and it’s not clear how much of an off-ramp there is. On Elsewhere, they discuss dictatorial Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s move to overturn the results of an election he doesn’t like, and what it says about the new model of authoritarianism in places like Turkey and Hungary. References! You can read Bolton’s entire Iran statement here. Alex has an explainer on the standoff. The Daily Beast reports that the Trump administration inflated Iran intelligence.  Iran declared that it wouldn’t abide by certain parts of the nuclear deal. Zack has you covered on Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran deal and what it means. Alex has a long feature on worsening US-Turkey ties that details many of Erdogan’s authoritarian actions. Here’s the Amnesty International statement on how Turkey jails tons of journalists. CNN has a good piece on the Istanbul mayoral elections and why the results were such a big deal. It’s worth watching two videos of protesters in Istanbul banging pots and pans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 American celebrities and companies. In the second half of the show, the gang answers listener questions about global shipping, Iran, and book recommendations about international affairs. References: The Los Angeles Times explains why John Cena had to apologize after his Taiwan comment. The Guardian has the Weibo video of Cena’s apology in Mandarin. Alex wrote a longer feature for Vox on the historical tensions between China, Taiwan, and the US. The Council on Foreign Relations has an easy-to-read guide on Hollywood censorship in China. The Wall Street Journal reported on LeBron James’s Hong Kong comments from 2019. The Council on Foreign Relations also has a good primer on US-Iran relations. The OECD has statistics on shipping and trade. You can find Jenn’s book recommendation here, Zack’s here, and Alex’s here. Here’s Today, Explained’s episode on Belarus. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), White House reporter, Vox Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly’s work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 mean, and the US role in all of this. On Elsewhere, they do the show’s first dive into art history, looking at a poster from Germany’s far-right party that prominently features a 19th-century Orientalist painting. Links: Alex has an explainer on how the Guaidó-Maduro standoff began. Here’s the Guaidó video with English subtitles, and the video of protesters being run over. Alex also explains the Guaidó video and how it kicked off a week of protest and chaos. The full Patrick Shanahan and John Bolton tweets, and Mike Pompeo on Fox Business. America’s spotty record in Latin America, briefly explained. Here’s why Trump’s Venezuela envoy, Elliott Abrams, doesn’t have the most trustworthy record. Anti-interventionists have lived in Venezuela’s embassy in Washington for weeks, and that’s led to clashes between them and ati-Maduro activists. An art publication explains the ins and outs of the AfD “Slave Market” saga. You can also read the booklet we cited about the painting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 major dustup between the Philippines and Canada over (literal) garbage. Zack has trouble defending Canada, Jenn breaks down the word “warlord,” and Alex refers to Muammar Qaddafi as a “sunglasses icon.” References: Here’s some background on the 2011 Libya intervention and why it went poorly. ISIS took over a city in Libya. As Jenn pointed out, the fighting over Tripoli has led to at least 220 deaths. Here’s the evidence that Haftar is implicated in atrocities and war crimes. This Council on Foreign Relations backgrounder highlights Haftar’s supporters. According to the White House, Trump spoke with Hafter. Bloomberg reports that Trump gave Haftar a green light to attack Tripoli (the White House denies this). The US has a long history of allying with rights-abusing governments. The US-Saudi alliance, explained. More on Canada’s trash. The HuffPost has a great longread on why the US and wealthy nations send their recycling to Southeast Asia. And here’s a good primer on the problems with waste shipping to East and Southeast Asia. Listen to more of Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte’s press conference. Duterte’s drug war has killed thousands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 reveals about the health of American democracy and how this gives a green light for Russia and other authoritarian powers to intervene in future US elections. Given how important this report is, and how early they got up to cover it, your intrepid hosts were too tired for jokes this week — sorry. The full text of the report, compiled by Alex for your reading pleasure A refresher on who's who in the Trump-Russia universe Here's a look at the collusion section of the report from Zack Here's another take from Zack on Attorney General William Barr's worrying role in all of this Ten examples of potential obstruction in Mueller's report How 11 legal experts evaluate the claims of obstruction Zack and Future Perfect's Dylan Matthews break down the big winners and losers from the report The Big Vox Explainer on the Mueller report If you liked this episode, we think you’ll like The Weeds and The Ezra Klein Show. Tap to learn more and subscribe for free to get new episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 charges could lead to this explosive proposal becoming a reality. Zack explains that people don’t like being in jail, Jenn’s disturbingly lengthy commute is revealed, and Alex compares the Israeli legislative process to player trades in fantasy baseball. References: Zack wrote about the Israeli election results and what it could mean. Vox also has a good explainer on the indictments threatening Netanyahu. Here’s Netanyahu promising to annex the West Bank. Netanyahu’s likely coalition could help repel indictment while he’s prime minister. Finally, take a look at Zack’s short explainer on the West Bank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 then zoom out to talk about the international reaction — both the necessary organizing to put pressure on the government of Brunei and the ways in which the law is being used in the West to tar Muslims as a whole. On Elsewhere, they talk about the potential closure of the island of Komodo to tourists because people keep stealing Komodo dragons, and then implore Worldly listeners not to keep massive poisonous lizards as pets. Jenn invents the phone number 1-800-Allah, Alex compares religions to apps, and Zack uses the word “dang.” The BBC has a great explainer on the Brunei law and what it all means. The New York Post goes into detail on the “sex-obsessed world” of Brunei (and yes, it mentions the yacht named “Tits”), and 60 Minutes did a great documentary on it. It’s worth noting, as this AFP report does, that Brunei hasn’t executed anyone for decades. As Zack mentioned, the LGBT community of Brunei has spoken out against the law and worries what it means for them. Celebrities like George Clooney and Ellen DeGeneres have called for a boycott of Brunei-owned hotels. The BBC has a very short explainer on Sharia law (but you should just listen to Jenn’s explanation again). If you want to learn more, though, there’s a really great (and accessible) book by two leading scholars called Shariah: What Everyone Needs to Know that’s basically a book-length explainer. Here’s the archival record of the Sean Hannity segment from 2014. This is Zack’s big feature on Islamophobia and the Trump administration. As Jenn mentioned, there are polls taken regarding Muslim views on Sharia law. They typically differ around the world. National Geographic has everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Komodo dragons. The Washington Post reported on the smuggling ring that stole more than 40 Komodo dragons for roughly $35,000 each. If you want to watch the full BBC Komodo dragon attack, it is very worth it.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 the EU’s move toward banning Daylight Saving Time — and yes, there is a Brexit tie-in. Jenn and Zack ask “who among us” hasn’t accidentally fired off a rocket, and Alex explains his abuela’s extremely strong opinions on time changes. Alex has an explainer on the recent fighting between Israel and Gaza. Rockets from Gaza usually target parts of Israel’s south. As Zack noted, the Israeli military assessed that the first rocket attack toward Tel Aviv was a mistake. Polling shows Gantz’s party has a slight lead over Netanyahu’s. Jenn noted the indictments plaguing Netanyahu. An expert told Alex that Netanyahu would respond forcefully but “within reason.” The Gaza Strip faces many problems, including protests against Hamas’s leadership. Jenn cited some reporting that Iran might have been involved. Listen to Vice President Mike Pence’s full speech at AIPAC. Jenn referenced her friend Lauren Mellinger’s research on Hamas as a hybrid organization. It’s true: European lawmakers voted to end clock shifts starting in 2021. Spain changed its own time zone decades ago to be in line with Nazi Germany. Listen Today, Explained’s great episode on Trump’s Golan Heights decision. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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, they answer some more listener Brexit questions — looking specifically at how Scotland and the broader EU are thinking about the UK’s impending break with Europe. Zack shows off his recollection of offensive Steve King quotes, Jenn continues her tradition of doing horrible accents from the UK, and Alex claims all Brexit questions can be answered in three words. Vox’s Jane Coaston has a great breakdown of the white nationalist rhetoric in the shooter’s manifesto. We discuss works by Jean Raspail and Renaud Camus in the context of the shooting. Our former Vox colleague Sarah Wildman also interviewed Camus. We referenced two specific tweets. First, one from Rep. Steve King. And then here’s then-candidate Donald Trump’s March 2016 tweet. The Daily Beast has a great piece on the little girl whose died in a 2017 terror attack in Sweden. YouTube and Facebook have both discussed why their efforts to take down the shooter’s video failed. Sean Illing's interview with a filmmaker who spent months interviewing both neo-Nazis and jihadists. And here’s the piece Zack referenced abouut how ISIS-linked media is already using the New Zealand attack in the group’s propaganda. Aja Romano explained how the New Zealand shooter’s manifesto was steeped in the far-right memes and rhetoric found on 8chan.    Here’s the NPR interview with former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd All Worldly’s past Brexit coverage, all in one place! Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon saying Brexit makes Scottish independence even more likely. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Vox Media Podcast Network. In this episode, you'll meet hosts Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding. You'll hear some of their favorite interviews, as they pull back the curtain on how pop hits work their magic. You can subscribe to Switched on Pop wherever you get your favorite shows.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. On Elsewhere, they continue answering listener questions about Brexit, this time focusing on questions about Russian interference and the real reasons why so many Brits wanted to leave the EU to begin with. Zack ponders European cheese regulations, Alex puns on the name Arron Banks, and Jenn talks about Britain’s (formerly) “rockin’ economy.” Links! Alex has an explainer on the Algerian protests which you can read here Bouteflika gave in to protesters by stepping down Protesters worry the canceled elections may be a stalling tactic You can follow updates of all the recent Brexit votes here Russia intervened in the Brexit election via Twitter bots US intelligence agencies openly detail how Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election Britain’s Channel 4 has all you need to know about the Arron Banks scandal Vox has a handy guide to Cambridge Analytica Zack mentioned — and has reviewed — the book Whiteshift Oxford University published a summary about migration in the UK Here’s an early Vox explainer on the refugee crisis in Europe More on the Nigel Farage billboard Enoch Powell’s “Rivers of Blood” speech Some research about the impact that immigrants have had on the UK economy  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 no deal, and why doesn’t Britain just have another vote on Brexit? Zack finds an optimistic lesson in the Canadian scandal, Jenn makes her French Canadian grandmother proud, and Alex can’t pronounce “SNC-Lavalin.” Our own Jen Kirby wrote a great explainer on the Canada scandal. Here’s another in-depth read on what a DPA is, and its history in Canada and abroad. Global News published a full transcript of Jody Wilson-Raybould’s testimony.  The CBC has a good breakdown of the key moments in Gerald Butts’s testimony. Here’s another good read about the case the prime minister’s team is making. Zack has written about Trudeau’s squeaky-clean image before.  The Trudeau press conference that happened right before our taping. More on the improved state of conservative poll numbers in Canada. Listeners who want to know what effects a no-deal Brexit might have will enjoy this comprehensive list. The article Zack really enjoyed about Canada's health democratic system. If you’d like to read more about Jeremy Corbyn changing tack on a second referendum, Jen Kirby has it covered. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 of finding a peaceful solution to the decades-long conflict. References: Zack wrote for Vox about whether the US-Israel alliance is doomed. Alex’s Vox story is on why Biden won’t push Israel harder on Gaza. Alex also has Vox pieces on why the Abraham Accords didn’t solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the growing Democratic Party split on Israel. The New York Times has a smart piece on the Palestinian strikes. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), White House reporter, Vox Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly’s work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 for the future. Then they talk about why the conflict over Kashmir is flaring up, and just how worried you should be about a war between these two nuclear-armed states. Zack powers through a cold, Alex powers through a North Korea-related lack of sleep, and Jenn makes a fantastic pun on the phrase “peace out.” Here are two articles Alex wrote explaining what happened at the summit. For background, here’s where we were in 2017 and how the first North Korea summit changed everything. Alex’s exclusive on what the deal could have looked like. A full transcript of the summit press conference. Alex mentioned that National Security Adviser John Bolton’s position is very hawkish.  The India-Pakistan escalating tensions, summarized. Our Worldly episode about Kashmir. More on Jaish-e-Mohammed and Daniel Pearl. Zack mentioned the party dynamics in India — here’s a deeper dig into those. We took a clip from this video of a captured Indian pilot. The Pentagon statement that the acting defense secretary was only calling American officials. Zack talked about the role the US played in the 2001 India-Pakistan crisis.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 is America.” They play a bit of each song and then talk about the important messages they contain about the country they hail from. It’s a little break from the headlines, and a chance to learn about international culture and politics from an angle that the show doesn’t usually take. The Suga song we played, “The Last 마지막” Check on Vox’s Netflix show, which has an entire episode dedicated to explaining K-pop. K-Pop stars are increasingly singing and talking about mental health. But it’s still unusual. Most K-Pop is sanitized after years of censorship. It’s fun, fluffy, romantic but chaste stuff, not things like, “I was afraid of people, so I hid in the bathroom and stared at myself.”  Vox has all you need to know about BTS, the world’s chart-topping K-pop band. Suicide ranks as the top cause of death among those ages 10 to 39 in South Korea. Grup Yorum are longtime sympathizers of a Marxists terrorist group in Turkey, DHKP-C. Here’s the song we played a short segment from. Currently, 11 members of the band are in jail; two have sought asylum in France. In October, the lawyer defending the arrested Grup Yorum members in trial was himself jailed.  “The Fall of Home” by Los Campesinos Falz’s adaptation of “This is America,” “This is Nigeria.” NPR did a deep dive on the song and discussed it with Nigerian scholars.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 known as “the Troubles,” to examine the reasons why keeping the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland open is so important. They explain how Brexit threatens to close the border, and how this issue is derailing the entire Brexit process. Zack notes that people don’t like walls, Jenn says the phrase “totes not renegotiate,” and Kirby blasts the “butterflies and unicorn” vision for Brexit. Jen Kirby recommends this wonky deep-read on the backstop. Here’s more on Gerry Adams’s role in the Troubles and the allegations that he was directly involved in the IRA’s violent activities … and here’s more on his forthcoming cookbook. Our explainer of the historic vote down that Jen Kirby mentioned … and our episode breaking down that historic vote. Jen’s piece on this comes out soon!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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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 US foreign policy is under Trump. On Elsewhere, the group runs through a medley of interesting topics they couldn’t cover during the month of music segments, a lightning round that ranges from Russian post offices selling beer to a rogue Japanese city mascot. Links: We talked a lot about the most recent Worldwide Threat Assessment report this episode. You can read it in full, or read Alex’s write-up. We dropped in clips of Trump on North Korea, Iran, climate change, Vladimir Putin, and ISIS. This oral history of how Obama and his intelligence officials talked about Osama bin Laden is worth your time. Yes, Trump basically called US spies Nazis one time. The evidence that both the intelligence community and the Bush administration screwed up Iraq intelligence before the 2003 war is quite overwhelming. The BBC has covered the new availability of beer at Russian post offices. Here’s the New York Times article about Chiitan that Zack referenced. The video of Chiitan stealing a baseball bat from a locker. Enjoy the full F-35 rollout rave experience for yourself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 happen next now that the Trump administration has backed one of the men's claims. On Elsewhere, they wrap up the music series with a breakdown of an ingenious Nigerian riff on Childish Gambino’s “This Is America.” Zack doesn’t totally hate something Trump did, Alex goes down a YouTube rabbit hole, and Jenn tries to chart a middle ground for what could happen next in Venezuela. Alex wrote a very thorough explainer on all the goings-on in Venezuela. This piece will give you even more backstory on Hugo Chavez, and the team recommended this explainer on how things went so terribly wrong with the Venezuelan economy.  For more on Maduro taking over after Chavez’s death in the controversial 2013 election, Jenn suggested this piece. We also have a piece diving into the elections from last year. And here are more examples of the effects that the economic downturn is having — from shortages of toilet paper to shortages of food. Zack said that most of the country is living under the poverty line as part of the worst depression anywhere on the planet. Here’s the analysis to back that claim.  Maduro’s approval rating is very low. Alex cited a Wall Street Journal op-ed written by Vice President Mike Pence. Here it is in full. We also played part of this address from Pence. Trump mentioned a military option in Venezuela at one point. More on that here. Jenn recommended this explanation of George H.W. Bush’s rhetorical support for the 1991 Iraqi uprising and the subsequent massacre that occurred when the US ultimately decided not to intervene to stop the government crackdown. She also mentioned the uprising in Egypt. Zack suggested this book for anyone who wants to read more about the history of US interventions in Latin America and South America. Alex and Jenn talked about a small, unsuccessful military mutiny in Venezuela. Zack talked about Vincent Bevins’ Twitter thread wondering what the future holds for Venezuela. On Elsewhere, we heard Falz’s adaptation of “This is America,” “This is Nigeria.” NPR did a deep dive on the song and discussed it with Nigerian scholars.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 could have happened, what it means, and what happens to Brexit next. On Elsewhere, they continue the music series with a focus on one of Zack’s favorite bands — the British indie group Los Campesinos! — and how one of their newer songs reveals some of the social divisions fueling right-wing populism in the West. Zack gets angry about Brexit, Jenn reveals some confusion about “economics,” and Alex cites well-known European politics scholar Katy Perry. Links! Brexit votes this week, explained Zack mentioned that the Bank of England predicts that a No Deal Brexit could be worse for the country than the Great Recession. Jenn mentioned that a second referendum was gaining popularity. Here’s Vox’s Jen Kirby’s Q&A with People’s Vote UK, the grassroots organization that’s leading the campaign to hold a second referendum. Zack mentioned that a leave claim proved false the day after the first vote. Specifically, it was a health care funding claim that turned out to be false. The BBC interview with a British woman about a second referendum. Zack’s piece arguing that there’s nothing May could have done.  “The Fall of Home” by Los Campesinos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 his regime. On Elsewhere, they continue the series on music, this time discussing a Turkish band called Grup Yorum that has gotten into major hot water with the country’s government. Zack has thoughts on the piccolo, Jenn breaks down Lindsay Lohan’s unlikely Turkish connection, and Alex quotes Heath Ledger’s Joker. References and further reading: If you want to dig deeper into Omar al-Bashir’s relationship with Osama bin Laden, Jenn recommends this book. For more on the Sudanese government’s role in the 1993 WTC bombing, page 121 of this book is a good place to start. The BBC has a very informative Q&A about Darfur. The official ICC page for al-Bashir. Jenn recommends this book for anyone who wants to understand the civil war that eventually led to South Sudan’s independence. This piece goes into more detail on the US decision to lift the sanction on Sudan. We played a small clip from this longer Al Jazeera segment on the Sudan protests, and Alex described this video of the protests. If you want to read more about the protests and the price of bread, the team recommends these three pieces. Jenn talked a little bit about “ghost troops,” but here’s more information on those.   Sudanese protesters were killed on Wednesday as part of the crackdown. A more in-depth read on Mubarak stepping down in Egypt. A guide to how the Syrian civil war started, which explains why people are worried about something similar in Sudan. Why Sudan didn’t get large Arab Spring protests back in 2011. Here’s why one Sudanese expert thinks the military might topple al-Bashir. Jenn mentioned a Daily Beast interview with a former CIA agent who talked about Sudan. Grup Yorum are longtime sympathizers of a Marxists terrorist group in Turkey, DHKP-C. Here’s the song we played a short segment from. Currently, 11 members of the band are in jail; two have sought asylum in France. In October, the lawyer defending the arrested Grup Yorum members in trial was himself jailed.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 the world are using their songs to illuminate serious issues in their countries. This week, they discuss a K-pop song that highlights South Korea’s growing mental health crisis. Zack compares a South Korean song to Linkin Park, Jenn blasts Obama, and Alex suggests a slogan for Trump. References: Here’s what you need to know about Trump’s decision to withdraw US troops from Syria. This BBC piece gives a good overview on Obama’s Syria strategy. The Trump administration said it would stay in Syria to keep Iran out. Oops. You can listen to the full clip of Pompeo’s remarks here. Vox made a video about the Kurds and their efforts to create their own state. As Zack noted, Turkey has attacked the Kurds in Syria before. It appears Turkey’s president told Trump that his country would defeat ISIS. Vox has Mattis’s resignation letter. Without US long-term protection, the Kurds have asked Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime for help. Jenn said Obama lost Syria, an argument many experts make. Many experts, including US officials and allies, say the withdrawal is a mistake. Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL Brett McGurk said soon before the withdrawal decision that the US would stay in Syria for the foreseeable future. The US military was in Syria without any real congressional authorization. Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu asked Trump for a slow withdrawal from Syria. Jenn recalls Trump blaming Obama for his withdrawal from Iraq, thereby giving ISIS the space to grow in power. Trump clearly views Syria as a land of “sand and death.” The Suga song we played, “The Last 마지막” Check on Vox’s Netflix show, which has an entire episode dedicated to explaining K-pop. K-Pop stars are increasingly singing and talking about mental health. But it’s still unusual. Most K-Pop is sanitized after years of censorship. It’s fun, fluffy, romantic but chaste stuff, not things like, “I was afraid of people, so I hid in the bathroom and stared at myself.”   Vox has all you need to know about BTS, the world’s chart-topping K-pop band. Suicide ranks as the top cause of death among those ages 10 to 39 in South Korea.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Hungary from Pakistan, and zoom out to explain how the anti-migration sentiment that made Ibrar’s journey miserable also produced serious political turmoil in Germany. Some parts of this episode are a little out of date. The original ran in July 2018. Links: The man we heard from in this episode, Ibrar, was also featured on NPR. You can hear more from him and see a picture of him in that story. An in-depth look at Merkel’s migrant deal from the New York Times. For more context on the Hungary-Germany relationship, Zack recommends this piece.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 they discuss what, if anything, could be done to improve the situation — and why the US seems so impotent despite all of the leverage it has over Israel. References: Read Zack’s great piece on Vox about the Gaza doom loop. Alex detailed for Vox on the split between Democrats and Biden on Israel. Alex also wrote on Vox about how the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a test for Biden. Neri Zilber penned a good summary of the conflict’s dynamics for Newlines Magazine. Anshel Pfeffer explains how rudderless the conflict is for Haaretz. The Guardian made clear the conflict caught the Biden administration by surprise. Hosts: Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), White House reporter, Vox Consider contributing to Vox: If you value Worldly’s work, please consider making a contribution to Vox: bit.ly/givepodcasts More to explore: Subscribe for free to Today, Explained, Vox’s daily podcast to help you understand the news, hosted by Sean Rameswaram. About Vox: Vox is a news network that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Follow us: Vox.com Newsletter: Vox Sentences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 part of the show and argues that, #actually, Trump’s decisions are still bad, regardless. Zack sings some Miley Cyrus, Jenn explains that the Gestapo were, in fact, Nazis, and Alex treats us to his adorably atrocious Southern accent. Links: Trump doesn’t believe his own government’s report that the climate is changing for the worse. Vox has done a lot of coverage on Trump’s policy toward Saudi Arabia after the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. It’s worth reading Trump’s statement on his final decision on what to do. Here’s a good explainer on Trump’s decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. Some analysts, including the New York Times editorial board, called Trump’s move a “failure.” The worry was moving the embassy would imperil US-Palestine relations. But they weren’t that good, even in previous administrations. The Saudi-Iran spat is now more central to Middle East issues than the Israel-Palestine one. Read the agreement between North Korea and the US signed in Singapore. A little explainer of the Jan meme Zack referenced. Despite what Trump says, North Korea is still a threat. As Jenn noted, North Korea at one point threatened to bomb Guam. North Korea greatly accelerated and improved its nuclear and missile programs in 2017. Yes, Trump actually said he and Kim Jong Un “fell in love.” It’s worth reading the full transcript of the Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki. Alex mentioned how Trump once invoked the Nazis when describing American intelligence agents. Watch this Vox video to understand how the US became the world’s superpower and stabilizing force. Trump, slowly but surely, has been increasingly tough on Russia. He’s even started a trade war with China to push back on its trading practices. And ISIS has lost the vast majority of its territory since Trump took office.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Theresa May’s uncomfortably close victory in a vote challenging her leadership of the Conservative Party, and what that means for the future of Brexit. Zack adopts some British vocabulary and Jenn vents about the many irritations of the security clearance process. The team cited this New York Times piece about the hacks throughout the episode.   The full Fox & Friends interview with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo can be found here. If you want to read more about the security clearance process, Jenn recommends this FAQ. Zack mentioned that the CFO of Huawei was arrested in Canada, but here's a much more in-depth look at what that means. And for more context on the no-confidence vote, Vox has two pieces you might enjoy.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 for good and for ill. Zack advises Macron not to act like a god, Jenn nerds out on Middle East history, and Alex tries his hand at French. Macron wants to increase the price of gas by 30 cents to $7.36 a gallon. France’s economy isn’t doing too hot, as Jenn mentioned. Macron fancies himself as a political centrist, which may explain why he’s berated from across the political spectrum. Macron has proposed many labor reforms, the source of the current controversy. Jenn and Alex note that people in the lower and middle classes don’t like “Macronomics.” Zack still can’t believe Macron compared himself to a god. Macron lambasts his citizens for not understanding why he wants to reform France’s economy, as Zack mentioned. Jenn referenced Alex’s piece with stunning photos of France during the protests. There will likely be a protest on Saturday that could turn more violent, a scary prospect since four people have already died. The riots in Paris are the worst since 1968, per Alex, when French students aimed to change the country’s culture. France said it would back down from the gas tax hike, for now. As Zack noted, some experts have called for a gas tax around the world to incentivize people to stop driving. Here’s a quick guide to former President George H.W. Bush and the Panama invasion, which Alex described. Some historians still criticize the invasion. Jenn talked about the First Gulf War. The State Department has a short history of it. Some people argue the Panama invasion led Bush to use military force against Iraq in Kuwait. Jenn mentioned the amazing fact that the US only needed 100 hours to defeat the Iraqis. Bush didn’t do anything about Saddam Hussein retaliating against Shiites and Kurds that opposed him. Kuwait put Bush’s face on towers to celebrate him after his death. Zack noted that Bush came into office at the tail end of the Cold War. Zack details how Bush proved instrumental in helping Germany to unify after the Cold War. Bush says he wasn’t really into the “vision thing.” Alex disagrees. Germany thought about leaving NATO, but Bush ensured it stayed in the alliance. Angela Merkel, the current German chancellor, attended Bush’s funeral in Washington.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices