Explore every episode of the podcast American Prestige

Derek once again speaks with translator and historian Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, this time to break down the ousting of Bashar Al-Assad from power in Syria. They discuss why the regime collapsed so quickly after this particular offensive, the armed groups at play, what this means for Syrian civilians, how support from outside actors factors into things, what kind of polity might emerge, and more. Subscribe now for the full episode. Check out Aymenn's forthcoming The Conquest of al-Andalus: a Translation of Fatḥ al-Andalus.

Danny and Derek welcome back to the show Ben Fong of Arizona State University for the second part of their discussion about his book Quick Fixes: Drugs in America from Prohibition to the 21st Century Binge. In this episode, they explore psychedelic drugs and their journey from CIA attempts at mind control to modern biohacking, the bourgeois, neoliberal drug of cocaine, the cultural connotations of its powder form vs crack, marijuana and the "green rush", and the quick fix of both using drugs and attempts at suppressing their usage. Check out more of Ben's work at his Substack on labor and logistics, On the Seams.

Danny and Derek once again combine powers to find that they have none. This week: an update on the "ceasefire" in Lebanon (0:29); the situation in Syria progresses as rebels take Hama (4:38); in Israel-Palestine, Amnesty accuses Israel of genocide (12:34) as parties make another push for a ceasefire (14:27); South Korea's President Yoon (briefly) declares martial law (17:05); the Zamzam displacement camp is shelled in Sudan (19:59); Chad's government breaks a military agreement with France (21:46); in Ukraine, Zelenskyy broaches territorial concessions, but demands NATO membership in return (24:53); the Barnier government in France falls in a no confidence vote (27:49); NATO makes a new push to ramp up defense spending amidst concerns over sabotage (30:48); and President Biden makes his first (and last) trip to Africa (34:21). Be sure to check out our special on South Korea with Eun A Jo.

Danny and Derek welcome to the podcast Eun A Jo to talk about this week's events in South Korea, where President Yoon declared martial law after accusing the opposition of “anti-state activities”. They discuss why Yoon made this move, the mobilization of Koreans against the attempted coup, regional responses, the imminent vote on Yoon's impeachment, and more. Eun A is an Edelson Fellow in international security at Dartmouth College’s Dickey Center for International Understanding and an incoming assistant professor of government at William and Mary. She works on questions of memory, democracy, and peace in East Asia, with a focus on South Korea and Taiwan. Check out Eun A's explainer of the events.

Derek is joined by translator and historian Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi to take a closer look at the past week's events in Syria. They delve into groups like Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, Turkey's role and its current goals, the timing of the offensive, the quick seizure of Aleppo, the mood on the ground, and more. Check out Aymenn's forthcoming The Conquest of al-Andalus: a Translation of Fatḥ al-Andalus.

Danny and Derek welcome to the show Ben Fong of Arizona State University for a two-part discussion of his book Quick Fixes: Drugs in America from Prohibition to the 21st Century Binge. In this episode, the group covers everything from coffee to opiates to antidepressants, how they interact with capitalist society, the CIA, commodity fetishism, licit vs. illicit as distinct from legal vs. illegal, and more. Check out more of Ben's work at his Substack on labor and logistics, On the Seams.

Danny and Derek update everyone on this week's advance by rebel factions in northwestern Syria wherein they took control of Aleppo.

Danny and Derek are back with Patrick Wyman, host of the Tides of History podcast and author of The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World, for the second part of their discussion about Ridley Scott's Gladiator films. This episode explores father-son relationships, Numidia, why the original film outshines the sequel and most depictions of Rome since, the military campaigns depicted in the movies, different types of gladiators, the Praetorian Guard, treacherous personal trainers, and more. Subscribe now for the full episode! Read Patrick's piece for Slate, "The Case for Gladiator II". Be warned, this is full of spoilers.

It's our bi-annual mailbag episode, where Producer Jake presents listener questions to Danny and Derek. Among the topics of this edition: If hierarchy is inevitable in human societies, how does status not based on wealth work? What would a US weapons embargo on Israel look like? Has neoliberal atomization led to a decline in the popularity of bands? What are Derek's bird feeding tips? Subscribe now for benefits like mailbag submissions, weekly bonus episodes, and our new Discord server! Speaking of the Discord, listeners have formed a book club that sends the following message: "PrestigeHeads are organizing a book club for AP subscribers around military historian Donald Stoker’s 2024 book Purpose and Power: U.S. Grand Strategy from the Revolutionary Era to the Present. It will likely be a critical reading given Stoker’s affiliations and ideology, but the book should provide ample fodder for discussion. The plan is to read at most 50 pages a week and have ongoing discussions on the AP Discord for each chapter. We have people on board to read the introduction and first chapter by Friday, December 6th."

Danny and Derek welcome David Silverman, professor of Native American, Colonial American, and American racial history at George Washington University, for a discussion of the historical Thanksgiving holiday. They get into the origin and proliferation of the holiday’s myth, the historical Pilgrims and Plymouth Colony, the Wampanoag Indians, their culture, politics, and relationship with the English settlers, who and what the holiday serves in modern America, and more. Be sure to grab a copy of David’s book This Land Is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving! Originally published November 22, 2022

Danny and Derek update us with what we need to know about Israel's ceasefire deal with Hezbollah. Subscribe now for the full episode.

Anton Jäger, historian of political thought, returns to the program to speak with Danny about "the big picture" in the wake of the US election. They discuss the crisis of liberalism, the state of the left, where capital is in its own historical cycle, how the reactions to this election compare with that of 2016, hyperpolitics, empire, the view from Europe, and more. Read Anton's latest piece in New Left Review, "Hyperpolitics in America". Further reading: Adam Tooze, "The Democrats' Defeat", The London Review of Books Subscribe now and listen to our episode with Anton on hyperpolitics from last year.

Patrick Wyman, host of the Tides of History podcast and author of The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World, is back on the program, this time to talk about Ridley Scott's Gladiator films. In this first part of the conversation, they largely focus on Gladiator II, delving into the actual historical merit of the movie, the figures it depicts, both films' commentary on modern masculinity vs the reality of ancient Rome, the political economy of gladiators, Ridley Scott's Orientalism, beast fights, differences in how the two movies portray ideas of democracy, and more. Subscribe now for the full episode! Read Patrick's piece for Slate, "The Case for Gladiator II". Be warned, this is full of spoilers.

One more news episode before us Yankees have a holiday. Note: Although we will not have a news roundup next week, we'll have other new content. This week: In Israel-Palestine, the ICC issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant (0:56) and the US vetoes another ceasefire resolution (6:11); US envoy Amos Hochstein is working on a ceasefire in Lebanon (8:50); in Sri Lanka, the leftist coalition wins a parliamentary majority (12:26); in Sudan, the RSF commits new atrocities (14:12) and Russia vetoes a ceasefire (16:33); in Russia-Ukraine, Biden gives Ukraine permission to use long-range US weapons in Russia (18:29), while Reuters reports that Putin is open to peace negotiations (23:19); the US recognizes opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez as president of Venezuela (24:55); a new armed group wreaks violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti (27:09); and we have a New Cold War update featuring the final Biden-Xi meeting (29:10) and Biden’s last G20 summit (31:06). Subscribe now for more content and features! Watch the new documentary from Al-Jazeera's Fault Lines program, "All That Remains", which follows a 13-year-old amputee from Gaza named Leyan as she seeks treatment in the United States.

Abby Mullen, assistant professor at the US Naval Academy, joins the program to talk about her book To Fix a National Character: The United States in the First Barbary War, 1800–1805. The group explores the conflict, American geopolitics in its infancy, the Barbary States and piracy committed on their behalf at the time, how US naval expeditions in an era without a global network of bases functioned, the myth of the war in "The Marines' Hymn", and more.

Danny and Derek welcome back to the program Stephen Wertheim, senior fellow in the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, this time to talk about foreign policy and the election. They discuss the professionalization of the Democrats, the Harris campaign's decision to ally themselves with the likes of the Cheney family, national security FP, Trump as the "peace candidate", how defense spending might exceed $1 trillion going forward, the fate of Ukraine, Israel/Palestine/Lebanon, and more. Subscribe now for the full episode and more content! Grab a copy of Stephen's book Tomorrow, the World: The Birth of U.S. Global Supremacy.

It's another edition of the bi-monthly collaboration between AP and Nonzero Newsletter continues! For the full version of this episode, subscribe now at Supporting Cast, where you'll also get a discounted subscription for Nonzero Newsletter! Part one video 0:00 Another high-synergy, brilliant collaboration 1:15 Is Elon our first true oligarch?  9:57 Trump assembles his Justice League of hawks 16:29 Biden’s awful foreign policy team 21:25 Trump’s plan to purge the military  33:06 Will Trump go full-on authoritarian? 40:21 Left-wing capitalists—and a discount offer

Your weekly news roundup from two happy warriors. This week: struggles at the UN COP29 climate change conference (1:48), not the least of which is the incoming climate denier president of the US (5:45); in Israel-Palestine, the US shockingly doesn't follow through on its 30-day humanitarian aid deadline (7:57), Trump appointments signal imminent formal annexation of Palestinian territories (12:24), and Qatar withdraws from ceasefire talks (16:48); in Lebanon, Israel is working on a ceasefire as a "gift" for Trump (18:33); Xi and Biden to meet in China (21:35); the Japanese government survives a confirmation vote (23: 45); a new report on horrifying death toll figures in the Sudan war (25:48); in Russia-Ukraine, Russia pushers to retake Kursk (28:01) while Europe and Ukraine show new flexibility to exchange land for a peace deal (30:25); Germany prepares for a snap election in February in the wake of the government coalition collapsing (32:38); in Haiti, the transitional council fires the PM (34:44) while the US bans flights there (36:15); and Trump announces a number of new appointments for his second term (37:35). Subscribe now at Supporting Cast for more content like our election-related specials: The 2024 US Presidential Election The U.S. Presidential Election, the Latino Vote, and the Deportation Regime w/ Alexander Aviña What Would Secretary of State Marco Rubio Look Like? w/ Steven Cohen

Danny and Derek speak with Steven Cohen, PhD candidate in history, working on drug war political economy in the Americas, about what we might see if, as expected, Marco Rubio is named as secretary of state in the new Trump administration. Subscribe now for the full episode!

Historian Benji Rolsky speaks with Danny about how others in their profession have thought about the far right, a subset of history which has expanded greatly in the last decade or so. They explore how the study of the far right might be "broken", anti-fundamentalism, Christian nationalism, the episodic nature of this field, and how Trump might have changed the historiography. Read Benji's piece "Why the Study of the Right is Broken": Part 1 and Part 2. Also check out his book The Rise and Fall of the Religious Left: Politics, Television, and Popular Culture in the 1970s and Beyond. Subscribe to the show for more episodes and content!

This is a re-post of an special episode we did for subscribers on Wednesday, November 6. Subscribe now for immediate access to breaking news specials and much more content. Danny and Derek jump on the mic to break down Donald Trump's decisive election victory. Topics include the crisis of liberalism, the end of the road for the Democrats' status quo, what Trump and Vance mean for American foreign policy, the Boomers and members of the Silent Generation holding onto power, and the profound alienation of our time.

Danny and Derek chat with Simon Willmetts, associate professor of intelligence studies at Leiden University, about his recent piece for Diplomatic History, "The CIA and Time Magazine: Journalistic Ethics and Newsroom Dissent". The group discusses the subfield of intelligence history, public awareness of intelligence organizations, why the scope Time and Life magazines in the mid-20th century and why the CIA would want to collude with such publications, the development of journalistic ethics in light of journalistic connections with the national security state, and more. Further reading: George Herkin, The Georgetown Set: Friends and Rivals in Cold War Washington Kathryn McGarr, City of Newsmen: Public Lies and Professional Secrets in Cold War Washington Hugh Wilford, The CIA: An Imperial History Subscribe now for the full episode!

Heads of state come and go, but not all of them make the news roundup with Danny and Derek. This week: in Palestine-Israel, Netanyahu fires defense minister Gallant (0:57), a leak scandal involving Netanyahu's office (6:36), an update on the humanitarian situation in northern Gaza (8:52), and the IDF appears to admit to committing ethnic cleansing (13:05); in Lebanon, the ceasefire push collapses (15:39), the IDF looks to create a "buffer zone" (17:46), and the Washington Post reports that Israeli evacuation warnings are misleading civilians (19:31); in Iran, Supreme Leader Khamenei threatens an attack on Israel (27:19); a new report details the mistreatment of migrant workers in Arabian Gulf states (30:35); the DPRK/North Korea conducts a new ICBM test (33:09); new RSF massacres in Sudan (36:41); in Russia-Ukraine, North Korean soldiers join combat operations (38:35), future concerns in the US about how the war will be conducted under Trump (41:38), and Russia floats the possibility of ending the war (44:36); the German government collapses (46:59); and in Bolivia, protesters supporting former president Evo Morales pause roadblocks amid clashes with the police (49:54). Subscribe now for more content, including our two post-election specials: Special - The 2024 US Presidential Election Special - The U.S. Presidential Election, the Latino Vote, and the Deportation Regime w/ Alexander Aviña

Alexander Aviña, associate professor of history at Arizona State University, joins Danny and Derek to talk about narratives forming around the election regarding a Latino shift to the right, Biden and Trump's respective records on the border, whether Trump will be able to carry out his threats of mass deportation, right-wing anti-migrant rhetoric vs. businesses that depend on that labor force, and more. Subscribe now for the full episode!

Danny and Derek jump on the mic to break down Donald Trump's decisive election victory. Topics include the crisis of liberalism, the end of the road for the Democrats' status quo, what Trump and Vance mean for American foreign policy, the Boomers and members of the Silent Generation holding onto power, and the profound alienation of our time. Subscribe now for the full episode! When you subscribe now, you'll get access to the AP Discord to connect with fellow subscribers and members of the AP team.

Danny and Derek welcome back to the program Eli Clifton, senior advisor and investigative journalist at large at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, to talk about the role of foreign policy in US presidential elections (namely tomorrow's). They talk about chatter on the ground regarding Palestine/Lebanon, whether the Democrats are capable of "learning lessons" from a loss, how to once again make FP relevant to American voters, the broken discourse around China, how money in politics defines the parameters of FP discussion in Washington, and more. Subscribe now at Supporting Cast Subscribers can check out our 2022 episode with Eli on think tanks.

Danny and Derek speak with Charles Kupchan, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and professor of international affairs at Georgetown University, about his essay for Foreign Affairs "The Deep Roots of Trump’s Isolationism". They define "isolationism" and whether Trump even knows what that is, then discuss the history of American intervention, the so-called rules-based order, anti-democratic liberalism, the necessity of maintaining American interests abroad, the implications of the Cold War triumph of capitalism, and more. Subscribe now for the full episode at Supporting Cast!

Nothing's spookier than the news, but Danny and Derek find their courage. This week: in Israel-Palestine, a new report of the Biden administration ignoring Israeli war crimes (0:30), the Knesset votes to ban UNRWA (2:43), and yet more ceasefire talks (8:12); in Lebanon, Hezbollah names a new leader (10:32) and a push for a ceasefire there (12:25); regarding Iran, the aftermath of the Israeli strikes (15:36) and reports of an imminent retaliation (19:10); North Korea/DPRK tests an ICBM (22:07); Japan's Liberal Democratic Party loses its parliamentary majority (24:33); in Sudan, a new massacre by the RSF (26:52) and a UN report on sexual violence in the conflict (29:18); Somalia kicks out another diplomat from Ethiopia (30:28); in Russia-Ukraine, North Korean soldiers in Kursk (32:49), Russia makes gains in Donetsk (34:50), and new talks on sparing energy sites (36:56), the results of Georgia's election (37:59); Venezuela withdraws its ambassador from Brazil over BRICS (41:07); and the annual UN General Assembly's vote over the embargo of Cuba (42:43). Subscribe now at Supporting Cast

Danny and Derek welcome back to the podcast Khalid Medani, associate professor of political science, director of the Institute of Islamic Studies, and chair of the African Studies Program at McGill University, to talk about the state of play in Sudan's civil war. They delve into the military stalemate between the Sudanese Army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the humanitarian crisis reaching 13 million displaced and 26 million on the brink of starvation, involvement from outside actors including Egypt and the UAE, the strategic importance of the besieged city El Fasher in Darfur, the defection of the RSF’s Gezira commander, Abuagla Keikal, over to the Sudanese military, and more. Note: After the recording of this episode, the RSF massacred 120 people in eastern Sudan. Subscribe now at Supporting Cast Don't forget to get your copy of Matt Christman’s Book ¡No Pasarán! here.

Séamus Malekafzali once again joins Danny and Derek, this time to talk about Iran's lack of a retaliation (so far) to Israel's strike this weekend, what Israel might be hoping to get out of that and its invasion of Lebanon, the effect of the latter on Lebanese Americans, Iran's grand strategy, and more. To hear the full episode, subscribe now at Supporting Cast.

Adam Tooze, the Shelby Cullom Davis chair of history at Columbia University and director of the European Institute, is back on the program, this time to talk about his recent piece for The Guardian, "Facing war in the Middle East and Ukraine, the US looks feeble. But is it just an act?". They get into the "post-Cold War order", how Biden's foreign policy compares with that of Trump's, US "allies" vs adversaries' "axes", US policy in Palestine, the state of "international law", Russian Keynesianism, and more. Subscribe now at Supporting Cast for the full episode. Don't forget to get your copy of Matt Christman’s Book ¡No Pasarán! here.

Danny and Derek talk about what we know so far regarding Israel's strikes on Iran last night, their apparent targets, to what extent they're performative, whether there will be a counterstrike, how this factors into domestic US politics, and more. Subscribe now at Supporting Cast for the full episode

This the full version of the special episode we posted last Friday after the death of Yahya Sinwar. Subscribe now for immediate access to all specials. Derek welcomes back to the program Mohammad Alsaafin, journalist at AJ+, to talk about the death of Yahya Sinwar, the Israeli offensive in northern Gaza, the potential for resettlement, IDF assassinations of Hezbollah leadership, where the Biden administration currently stands, and more. You can follow Mohammad on Twitter @malsaafin Check out his video for AJ+, "What Does Hamas ACTUALLY Want?"

It's 80 degrees in late October here at AP headquarters, but Danny and Derek remain cool as a cucumber to bring you the news. This week: the 2024 BRICS summit was held, featuring Vladimir Putin pushing for a dollar alternative and potentially alienating some member states (1:36); in Palestine-Israel, an update on Northern Gaza (9:10), Antony Blinken visits (12:31), and a leaked document on Israel's planned counterattack on Iran (16:22); in Lebanon, the IDF targets the Qard al-Hassan banking network (18:22), US special enovy Amos Hochstein visits with special demands (21:13), and the IDF targets Tyre for the first time in this assault (23:45); in Turkey, a terrorist attack interferes with the Kurdish peace process (25:19) and Fethullah Gülen of (of the eponymous movement) dies (28:02); India and China negotiate a border agreement, with Xi and Modi meeting while at the BRICS summit (31:11); in Sudan, an RSF commander defects (34:18); the M23 ceasefire in the Democratic Republic of the Congo appears to have failed (36:03); in Ukraine, Russian forces are pressuring several towns (37:57) amid talk of DPRK/North Korean soldiers being deployed (40:18); and finally, a new UN climate report says countries have made no progress in cutting emissions to tackle climate change (43:42). Subscribe now at Supporting Cast. Don't forget to get your copy of Matt Christman’s Book ¡No Pasarán! here.

Derek speaks with ProPublica's Brett Murphy about recent revelations showing the US government's continued arming of Israel despite the State Department's knowledge of Israel preventing humanitarian aid getting into Gaza. They delve into the laws regarding arming countries engaging in such policies, Antony Blinken's denial of knowing Israel's humanitarian aid obstruction in Gaza, America's rationale for an unconditional flow of arms, and more. Brett's pieces on the matter: Israel Deliberately Blocked Humanitarian Aid to Gaza, Two Government Bodies Concluded. Antony Blinken Rejected Them. Inside the State Department’s Weapons Pipeline to Israel Don't forget to get your copy of Matt Christman’s Book ¡No Pasarán! here.

Asheville-based journalist and lawyer Jessica Pishko chats with Danny and Derek about the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and the state response. They discuss the state of affairs in Western North Carolina, the model of FEMA as part of the Department of Homeland Security, the federal government's messaging around this disaster, the proliferation of disinformation, the future of disaster relief as climate change worsens, and more. They also preview a future discussion about Jessica's book The Highest Law in the Land: How the Unchecked Power of Sheriffs Threatens Democracy. Check out Jessica's pieces on Helene and Asheville, "Climate Catastrophe Comes to Asheville" and "Outrage and Paranoia After Hurricane Helene". Subscribe now for the full episode. Don't forget to get your copy of Matt Christman’s Book ¡No Pasarán! here.

Derek welcomes back to the program Mohammad Alsaafin, journalist at AJ+, to talk about the death of Yahya Sinwar. Then, for subscribers, they discuss the Israeli offensive in northern Gaza, the potential for resettlement, IDF assassinations of Hezbollah leadership, where the Biden administration currently stands, and more. Subscribe now for the full episode. You can follow Mohammad on Twitter @malsaafin. Check out his video for AJ+, "What Does Hezbollah ACTUALLY Want?"

It's another dose of doom, but we tacked on a relatively feel-good animal story. Otherwise, this week: It appears that Israel has killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar (1:32), the IDF's brutal operation continues in northern Gaza (4:56), and the Biden administration floats withholding arms over the Strip's humanitarian situation (6:42); an update on Israel's invasion of Lebanon (13:09); the world continues to await Israel's response to Iran's ballistic missile strike (16:07); a diplomatic crisis for India and Canada (19:28); the DPRK/North Korea strikes unused rail lines connecting it with South Korea (21:04); an update on the war in Sudan (22:50); a devastating drought in southern Africa (26:12); in Russia-Ukraine, a Russian counteroffensive in Kursk makes progress (27:44) while Zelenskyy reveals part of his Victory Plan (31:19); stock prices soar for US defense contractors (34:22); and China has sent pandas to the National Zoo in Washington, DC (36:04). Subscribe now at Supporting Cast. Don't forget to get your copy of Matt Christman’s Book ¡No Pasarán! here.

Chris Wade, producer of Chapo Trap House (and its spinoffs, including Hell of Presidents and The Inebriated Past) joins the program to talk about the project of putting together Matt Christman's first book as a solo author ¡No Pasarán! Matt Christman's Spanish Civil War. Grab your copy of ¡No Pasarán! today! Pre-orders are available through October 31.

Danny and Derek are joined by Rhys Machold, senior lecturer in international relations at the University of Glasgow, to talk about how India tries to achieve homeland security through its relationship with Israel. They talk about the watershed 2008 Mumbai attacks (aka 26/11), the origins of India's relationship with Israel, the latter's security tech industry, post-Mumbai attack ramifications like Modi and Hindutva's rise, and how the concept of homeland security permeates many aspects of the culture. Buy a copy of Rhys' book Fabricating Homeland Security: Police Entanglements Across India and Palestine/Israel. And don't forget to get your copy of Matt Christman’s Book ¡No Pasarán! here. Further Reading: Lisa Stampintzky Disciplining Terror: How Experts Invented 'Terrorism'

Drew McKevitt, the John D. Winters Endowed Professor of History at Louisiana Tech University, joins the program to conclude his conversation with Danny and Derek about his book Gun Country: Gun Capitalism, Culture, and Control in Cold War America. This episode explores the repercussions of the 1968 Gun Control Act, grassroots gun control groups formed in its wake, gun rights groups, the Firearm Owners' Protection Act of 1986, the rise of the militia movement, UN attempts to regulate guns in the 1990s, school shootings and mass shootings, and where things stand today. Pick up a copy of Drew's book here. Subscribe now for the full episode! Grab a copy of Matt Christman’s Book ¡No Pasarán! here!

Another week when we learn where our US tax dollars go. This week: In Palestine-Israel, the one year anniversary of October 7 (1:45), damning ProPublica and Drop Site reports on US complicity in aid worker deaths (5:10), a new IDF siege in northern Gaza (10:55), and Biden and Netanyahu discuss a retaliation for Iran (13:47); Netanyahu threatens to turn Lebanon into Gaza (17:27) while the IDF invades and orders evacuations of southern Lebanon (19:40), Beirut's airport seems to be the next target (21:50), and more Hezbollah leadership is killed (23:15); the DPRK/North Korea is cutting road and rail ties to South Korea (25:32); Japan has a new PM and snap election (27:51); in Sudan, new fighting in North Darfur state (30:28); escalation in Ethiopia's Amhara region (31:42); several Russian advances in Ukraine (33:43); the UK and Mauritius reach an agreement on the Chagos Islands (39:57); Claudia Sheinbaum takes office as president of Mexico (43:28); and Haitian armed groups kill dozens in Pont Sonde (45:17). Subscribe to AP now at Supporting Cast! Grab a copy of Matt Christman’s Book ¡No Pasarán! here!

Translating Marx's Capital might be daunting to some, but Paul North, professor of Germanic languages and literature at Yale, and Paul Reitter, professor of Germanic languages and literature at Ohio State University, felt up to the task. Danny and Derek talk to them about their new translation of Capital, what goes into capturing the nuances of the original German text, why they chose the second edition in particular, the cosmopolitanism of the book, Marx's anger, and what they each brought to the table in taking on this massive project. Subscribe to AP now at Supporting Cast! Grab a copy of Matt Christman’s Book ¡No Pasarán! here!

Danny and Derek continue their conversation with Drew McKevitt, the John D. Winters Endowed Professor of History at Louisiana Tech University, about his book Gun Country: Gun Capitalism, Culture, and Control in Cold War America. This episode picks up in the late 1950s with America's push for gun regulation, baby boomers' access to surplus military weapons, militant groups in the 1960s, European countries' gun exports to the US, the Gun Control Act of 1968, and more. Pick up a copy of Drew's book here. Subscribe now for the full episode! Grab a copy of Matt Christman’s Book ¡No Pasarán! here!

Although host Derek Davison has mentat-like abilities to aggregate an enormous amount of world news each day for his Foreign Exchanges newsletter (and once a week for our AP news roundup), even he needs a break every now and then. This week, instead of the news, Danny interviews Derek about his piece for FX, "Letting it All Burn". They talk about what goes into Derek's journalistic work, what drove him to write this unusually reflective column, what he thinks is particularly different (or not) about the current moment in the Middle East, and whether he sees any way out of the status quo in Western/North Atlantic politics. Subscribe to AP now at Supporting Cast. Don't forget, with your AP subscription, you get access to a discounted FX subscription as well! Grab a copy of Matt Christman’s Book ¡No Pasarán! here!

Danny and Derek give an update on Israel's invasion of Lebanon, Iran's ballistic missile strikes, what this means for Gaza, and the strategy (?) of Joe "does not have a doctorate in foreign affairs" Biden. Subscribe now for the full episode.

Danny speaks with American Prestige's own producer Jake Aron, who lives in Asheville, North Carolina, and which is among many places in the region devastated by Hurricane Helene. Jake shares his observations from the city over the past few days, including the state response, people's access to basic needs, and how this catastrophic event at home mirrors our foreign policy. Some places where you can donate to help: Beloved Asheville Mutual Aid Disaster Relief Firestorm Books North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund

Danny and Derek talk with Drew McKevitt, the John D. Winters Endowed Professor of History at Louisiana Tech University, about his new book Gun Country: Gun Capitalism, Culture, and Control in Cold War America. Pick up a copy of Drew's book here.

Danny and Derek speak to Séamus Malekafzali about Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah. 

Danny and Derek sit down with Ben Freeman, director of the Democratizing Foreign Policy Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, to discuss NYC Mayor Eric Adams's indictment, connection to the Turkish government, and more about foreign influence in the United States.