Episodes

  • Bonus - How the British Empire Lost America w/ Andrew Shankman

    Bonus - How the British Empire Lost America w/ Andrew Shankman
    Jul 3 2026
    Subscribe now for an ad-free experience. Danny and Derek are joined by historian Andrew Shankman to talk about the road to U.S. independence from Great Britain. They discuss differences between Spanish and British colonization strategies, the intellectual and philosophical origins of the American Revolution, the Stamp Act crisis, distinctions in racial conceptions between the American colonies and the West Indies, key revolutionary figures, the early American republic, the unique economic situation of Boston and Massachusetts, and post-revolution relations with Britain and indigenous peoples. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 29 mins
  • Bonus - A Left-Right Antiwar Alliance? w/ Curt Mills and Andrew Day (Preview)

    Bonus - A Left-Right Antiwar Alliance? w/ Curt Mills and Andrew Day (Preview)
    Jul 6 2026
    Subscribe now for the full episode. Danny and Derek are joined by Curt Mills, executive director of the American Conservative, and Andrew Day, senior editor of the American Conservative, to talk about the potential for a left-right anti-war alliance. The group discusses the ongoing war with Iran and its impact on U.S.-China relations, the future of the MAGA movement and whether Donald Trump might take an off-ramp to end the conflict, and structural realities surrounding capitalism, financialization, and the AI-driven deindustrialization of white-collar work. They also touch on the Israel lobby's influence on American foreign policy, the rhetoric of right-wing figures like Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes, culture war divides surrounding the COVID-19 response, and whether a cross-partisan coalition against the foreign policy establishment is actually viable in Congress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    11 mins
  • E256 - Rome and Ancient Iran w/ Jake Nabel

    E256 - Rome and Ancient Iran w/ Jake Nabel
    Jul 8 2026
    Subscribe now for an ad-free experience. Danny and Derek are joined by Jake Nabel, Tombros early career professor of classical studies and assistant professor of classics and ancient Mediterranean studies at Penn State, to talk about Roman-Parthian relations in antiquity. The group discusses the geopolitical landscape of the ancient Mediterranean and Near East, the rise of the Parthian Empire and the Arsacid dynasty following the fall of the Achaemenids and Alexander the Great, and the inherent challenges of relying on Greco-Roman historiography. They also delve into how Iranian and Armenian sources reshape our understanding of the period, the deep cultural misunderstanding between Roman hostage-taking and Parthian cliental fosterage, the cultural barriers preventing intermarriage, and the modern Iranian reception of pre-Islamic empires, including contemporary parallels to Reza Pahlavi. Read Jake’s book The Arsacids of Rome: Misunderstanding in Roman-Parthian Relations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    57 mins
  • AP x NonZero - Iran, Israel, and the Future of US Power w/ Robert Wright

    AP x NonZero - Iran, Israel, and the Future of US Power w/ Robert Wright
    Jul 10 2026
    The AP-NonZero collaboration continues! Subscribe now to AP to get a discounted membership to NonZero! 0:00 Sneak peek: Danny finds flaw in Bob’s AI book 1:18 Is the Iran war fully back on? 5:59 What the war means for the future of US power 18:52 The problem with blaming Bibi 23:09 The push to intertwine the US and Israeli militaries 35:09 What’s Israel’s endgame for the Palestinians? 39:27 The Gulf States’ new reality 45:20 Iran’s plans for the Strait of Hormuz 51:54 Bob’s pitch to Derek—and his other pitch to listeners ⁠Watch it on YouTube⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    58 mins
  • News - U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Collapses, Hamas Dissolves Gaza Government, Sudan’s El-Obeid Braces for RSF Assault

    News - U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Collapses, Hamas Dissolves Gaza Government, Sudan’s El-Obeid Braces for RSF Assault
    Jul 10 2026
    Subscribe now for an ad-free experience. Danny and Derek’s FIFA officiating careers have been tragically cut short since Javier Milei’s checks started bouncing. In this week’s news: the NATO summit ends on a high note (4:46); in Iran, new fighting erupts as Trump declares the end of the ceasefire (12:01), plus estimates of the war’s cost increase (16:49); in Gaza, Hamas dissolves its government (18:22) as the Board of Peace prepares a “humanitarian zone” (20:37); Trump appears ready to sell Turkey F-35s (23:47); Syria is officially removed from the state sponsors of terrorism list (28:17); in Sudan, civilians flee fighting in El Obeid (29:32); rebels coordinate a new joint offensive in Mali (33:00); the U.S. licenses domestic Patriot missile production in Ukraine (34:18); Roberto Sanchez concedes the Peruvian presidential election (38:15); Colombia’s presidential transition breaks down (39:09); and the U.S. drops the “Indo-Pacific” construct (40:14), prompting strategic discussions on the future of America’s position in the Pacific (45:23). Join the Discord. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    57 mins
  • E255 - The History of Iran’s Nuclear Program w/ Sina Azodi

    E255 - The History of Iran’s Nuclear Program w/ Sina Azodi
    Jul 1 2026
    Subscribe now for an ad-free experience. Sina Azodi, assistant professor of Middle East politics and director of the Middle East Studies program at George Washington University, returns to the show to talk about Iran’s nuclear program. The group discusses the Shah’s nuclear agenda, Atoms for Peace, Iran’s signing of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, how the Iran-Iraq War influenced Iran’s nuclear policy, missed opportunities for diplomacy after 9/11, Trump’s withdrawal from the JCPOA and why Biden didn’t revive the deal, and the recent war with Iran. Grab a copy of Sina’s book Iran and the Bomb: The United States, Iran, and the Nuclear Question. And contribute to GiveDirectly's campaign to help survivors of the earthquake in Venezuela. Note: In lieu of a news episode this week, we will be posting an interview about the holiday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Bonus - American Politics at the End of Trumpism w/ Aziz Rana (Preview)

    Bonus - American Politics at the End of Trumpism w/ Aziz Rana (Preview)
    Jun 29 2026
    Subscribe now for the full episode. Aziz Rana, J. Donald Monin SJ University Professor of Law and Government at Boston College, is back on the podcast to talk about Trumpism, American political stagnation, and the future of U.S. power. They discuss the (presumed) end of the Trump era, the importance of supermajorities and why we haven’t seen them in recent years, what the left got right and wrong in its analysis of Trump, the “Trump Doctrine” as an extension of existing U.S. politics, multipolarity, and the possibility of a more democratic international order. Read Aziz’s piece with Aslı Ü. Bâli in Boston Review, “The Path to the Trump Doctrine,” plus his piece in Dissent, “The American Revolution in Global Retreat.” Also, please contribute to GiveDirectly’s Venezuela earthquake campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    11 mins
  • News - Iran Talks Advance, Starmer Resigns, Israel Targets Children in Gaza

    News - Iran Talks Advance, Starmer Resigns, Israel Targets Children in Gaza
    Jun 26 2026
    Subscribe now for an ad-free experience. Danny and Derek’s promise ring ceremony regrettably must be relocated from MSG due to a scheduling conflict. In this week’s news: The Iran negotiations show signs of progress (1:26) despite disputes over the agreement (5:20), plus conflicting reports over the status of the Strait of Hormuz* (9:24); Lebanon sees a reduction in fighting and another round of talks (12:31); in Gaza, Israel is targeting children (15:38), plus a Board of Peace update (16:48); Keir Starmer resigns as PM of the UK (18:40); the DPRK/North Korea appears to be back on Trump’s radar (21:18); a battle over El Obeid, Sudan, still looms (22:53); Trump is again angry with NATO and has a spat with Italian PM Meloni (25:07); in Russia-Ukraine, an update on the war (27:40), Poland strips Zelenskyy of an award (30:21), and the Russians are again displeased with Trump (32:40); election updates in Colombia (34:25), Peru (36:08), and Ethiopia (37:27); and Trump unveils the new Air Force One (39:23). *After the time of recording, the initiative to rescue stranded ships in the Strait of Hormuz was paused due to a vessel being attacked. Check out the replay of Wednesday’s livestream. Join the Discord. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 mins