The Missing Peace
Tommy and Ben discuss the so-called “peace” deals between the UAE and Israel and Bahrain, the US/Taliban/Afghan peace talks, disturbing allegations from a whistleblower at the Department of Homeland Security, what needs to be done globally to combat climate change, the ongoing refugee crisis in Europe and an Iranian assassination plot. Then former US Ambassador to Russia Mike McFaul joins to ta...
1hr 11m Sep 16, 2020
1hr 11m
Trump’s military complex
Tommy and Ben discuss reports that Trump routinely denigrates American servicemembers and veterans, including those killed in battle, an update on the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, trouble for Brexit, the BLOB biting back, another Mulan controversy, a Twitter troll briefing the WH press corps, updates on Belarus and the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, why German natio...
59m Sep 09, 2020
59m
From Putin to pandas with Karen Attiah
Ben and guest co-host Karen Attiah, the Global Opinions editor for The Washington Post, talk about Jared Kushner’s coddling of dictators and his trip to the United Arab Emirates, human rights in Egypt, the latest on the crackdown in Belarus and its implications for journalists, far-right protestors in Germany who threatened to storm the Reichstag, and the global impact of the late Chadwick Bose...
1hr 11m Sep 02, 2020
1hr 11m
The RNC live from Jerusalem
Tommy and Ben talk about the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the foreign-policy focused elements of the Republican National Convention, including Mike Pompeo’s speech from Israel, great news about efforts to eradicate polio, an update on protests in Belarus, why the State Department is wasting money promoting anti-LGBT bigotry, a military coup in Mali, police brutality in...
1hr 21m Aug 26, 2020
1hr 21m
Blockbuster Senate report on Russian election interference
Foreign policy analyst and author Rula Jebreal joins to discuss the US-Israel-UAE diplomatic agreement announced last week. Tommy and Ben talk about the major Senate intelligence committee’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, the latest in Belarus, why thousands are protesting in Thailand, a US diplomatic humiliation at the UN, reports that Iran was also paying the Taliban bou...
1hr 13m Aug 19, 2020
1hr 13m
Kamala Harris on the world stage
Now that Senator Kamala Harris is Joe Biden’s running mate, Ben and Tommy examine her foreign policy record. They also discuss growing concerns about foreign election interference, the disputed election and crackdown in Belarus, how the press is under attack in Hong Kong, Trump’s escalating fight with Chinese tech companies, allegations that Saudi Arabia tried to murder (another) critic abroad,...
1hr 12m Aug 12, 2020
1hr 12m
Explosions in Beirut
Tommy and Ben talk about the enormous explosions in Beirut, why Cuba has become an issue for Congresswoman Karen Bass in Biden’s VP selection process, Biden’s 2000(!?!) campaign foreign policy advisors, why US troops are leaving Germany, the upcoming election in Belarus, why the Department of Homeland Security was collecting “intelligence” on activists and journalists, why Spain’s former king i...
1hr 3m Aug 05, 2020
1hr 3m
Ambassadors Gone Wild
Tommy and Ben make the case for Susan Rice as Vice President, the latest on escalating tensions between the US and China, US plans to sell advanced armed drones abroad, two Trump donors turned ambassadors are engulfed in scandal, anti-corruption protests threaten the government in Bulgaria, Bob Gates writes a book and we’re confused, the truth about TikTok and things aren’t looking good for Maj...
1hr 16m Jul 29, 2020
1hr 16m
Everything Mike Pompeo touches turns to sh*t
Democrats sound the alarm about foreign election interference. Experts say Israel and the US are responsible for mysterious explosions across Iran. Mike Pompeo uses taxpayer dollars to run for President. A fire on a US Navy ship has major implications. Lebanon’s economy nears collapse. The UAE launched a space craft. The White House threatens to prevent 92 million Chinese citizens from entering...
1hr 11m Jul 22, 2020
1hr 11m
Dems in Congress push for a more progressive foreign policy
A leadership fight in Congress that could help make the Democratic Party’s foreign policy more progressive. A far-right nationalist wins reelection in Poland. How other countries are reopening schools during COVID. Egypt cracks down on press freedom. China, the NBA and why ESPN suspended a reporter. Turkey tries to silence critics abroad. China sanctions Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio and may sign a ...
1hr Jul 15, 2020
1hr
Trump’s cruel immigration policies
Literally no one is surprised that Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has contracted COVID, and how Sweden’s terrible response could help us move past the broken debate about reopening our economy. Mysterious explosions at military sites in Iran. Garbage right-wing outlets publish fake news by fake people. Joe Biden’s diplomatic style. China’s legal crackdown on Hong Kong. Neo-Nazis infiltrate ...
1hr 11m Jul 08, 2020
1hr 11m
Russian bounties with Rep Adam Schiff
Explosive reports that the Russia military has been paying Taliban-linked militants to kill US forces in Afghanistan. Tommy and Ben try to figure out why Russia would do this and how the US should respond. China ends Hong Kong’s independence. The LGBT community is under attack in Chechnya. Social media platforms crack down on hate speech. A new strain of pig flu worries scientists. A reexaminat...
1hr 10m Jul 01, 2020
1hr 10m
John Bolton’s sh*tty book
Tommy and Ben talk through some of the explosive revelations in John Bolton’s book, from supporting the construction of concentration camps in China, to thinking it would be “cool” to invade Venezuela to his approach to North Korea and Iran. They also cover news about climate change, Chinese cyberattacks, the ongoing saga of Capt Crozier, the latest with the Coronavirus and an update out of Afg...
1hr 9m Jun 24, 2020
1hr 9m
Assault on the press and democracy in the Philippines
An attack on press freedom in the Philippines and what it could mean for the future of their democracy. The two year anniversary of the US-North Korea Singapore summit. Right-wing zealots take over the Voice of America. Fighting between China and India and updates out of Russia. The US threatens to sanction the International Criminal Court (huh?), how right-wing news outlets are being used by f...
1hr 13m Jun 17, 2020
1hr 13m
Why policing is better abroad
Tommy and Ben examine how other countries structure and run their police forces to see if there are policies or tactics the US can adopt to improve outcomes. New data suggests that claims of election fraud in Bolivia were wrong. Why the possibility of creating a Palestinian state is in jeopardy. The international movement to get rid of racist statues and monuments. Trump orders US troops out of...
1hr 9m Jun 10, 2020
1hr 9m
The world is watching
The global reaction to the protests in the United States and the scary and inappropriate way the US military is being asked to police them. Trump’s latest fight with the G-7, an update on the war in Libya, why Ted Cruz is threatening Twitter, and locusts. Then Washington Post Global Opinions Editor Karen Attiah joins to talk about how Western media would be covering the protests in the US if th...
1hr 14m Jun 03, 2020
1hr 14m
False START
China tries to crush dissent in Hong Kong. Tommy and Ben discuss what the White House, Congress and the Biden campaign can do to stop them. Failed diplomacy with North Korea and why the US is walking away from bipartisan arms control agreements. Facebook leadership ignored evidence that the platform was polarizing users and driving them to extremism, the US bans travel from Brazil, scandal erup...
1hr 25m May 27, 2020
1hr 25m
The corruption of Mike Pompeo
Al Qaeda stages its first successful attack on American soil since 9/11, exposing America’s broken relationship with Saudi Arabia. Mike Pompeo fires the man investigating his corruption. Israel accelerates plans to annex West Bank settlements and engages in cyber warfare with Iran. French President Emmanuel Macron loses his majority, a typhoon barrels down on India, and a financier of the Rwand...
1hr 3m May 20, 2020
1hr 3m
Flynnocent After Proven Guilty
The political fallout from the failed coup attempt in Venezuela. General Flynn and the administration’s attempt to undercut the Mueller probe and punish Trump’s political enemies. The coronavirus weakens Putin’s strongman image. Peace slips further away in Afghanistan. The ongoing, escalating war of words between the US and China and much more. Then Wind of Change host Patrick Radden Keefe join...
1hr 31m May 13, 2020
1hr 31m
Mercenaries invade Venezuela
Why the Trump administration is directing the intelligence community to prove their claims about China and the coronavirus is so dangerous. A truly unbelievable story about a ragtag group of mercenaries who attempted to invade and stage a coup in Venezuela. Trump’s nominee to be Director of National Intelligence gets a hearing. Then Asia expert Danny Russel joins to talk about White House plans...
1hr 17m May 06, 2020
1hr 17m
TMZ at the DMZ
The latest rumors and news about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s health, and what we know about a possible succession process. Iran launches a military satellite and Trump tries to use the Iran nuclear deal to put in place more sanctions. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro could face legal trouble. New Zealand eliminates the coronavirus while doctors in the UK race to produce a vaccine and ma...
1hr 16m Apr 29, 2020
1hr 16m
Kim Jong Un-healthy?
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu cuts a deal that allows him to stay in charge. We explain how the price of a barrel of oil briefly becomes negative. Rumors about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s health and who might come next. Hong Kong leaders face more attacks on democracy and heavy-handed tactics from China. Parliaments around the world figure out how to meet virtually, and new pollin...
1hr 16m Apr 22, 2020
1hr 16m
Samantha Power Hour
Former Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus talks about Capt Crozier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt and how the coronavirus created a crisis in the Navy. Former US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power explains why a successful US coronavirus response has to be global. And Tommy and Ben talk about how a Chinese lab is raising questions about the origin of the coronavirus, Vladimir Putin’s disinformation ...
1hr 30m Apr 15, 2020
1hr 30m
The Navy’s coronavirus clusterf*ck
A coronavirus clusterf*ck in the Navy leads the Acting Secretary of the Navy to resign. The virus sends British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to the ICU while the Queen of England releases a message to the British people. Trump retaliates against an impeachment enemy by firing the Intelligence Community Inspector General. The White House has a new press secretary (sort of) while press freedom is...
1hr 9m Apr 08, 2020
1hr 9m
How a virus can threaten democracy
Today’s show is a little different. We skip the update on the spread of the coronavirus itself and instead focus on the impact it’s having on governments and people. For example, 2019 was the year of the protestor, but how do protestors continue if they can’t gather safely or legally? How can we stop leaders from using the coronavirus to consolidate power, stifle the press or jettison privacy p...
1hr 30m Apr 01, 2020
1hr 30m
A criminally negligent coronavirus response
Tommy and Ben go through the latest news on the international response to the coronavirus, including nationwide lockdowns in the UK and India and signs of hope in Italy. Then they look at how the virus is impacting US relations with North Korea, how US sanctions are impeding health care workers in Iran and Venezuela, and how authoritarian leaders are using the pandemic to grab more power. They ...
1hr 7m Mar 25, 2020
1hr 7m
Our new coronavirus reality
Tommy and Ben talk about the new normal as the world combats the coronavirus. They cover how South Korea has successfully reduced cases, how the Trump administration was warned about this threat, how a functioning White House should respond, Trump’s war of words with China and much more. In non-coronavirus news, they discuss the possibility of a new Prime Minister in Israel. Then Connecticut Se...
1hr 13m Mar 18, 2020
1hr 13m
Coronavirus and oil shocks rock the global economy
Coronavirus update and explanation of why an oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia is rocking the global economy. More crackdowns in Saudi Arabia, why Putin might be the Russian President for life, more holes in the US/Taliban troop withdrawal plan, and hopeful progress for abortion rights in Argentina. Then Zarlasht Halaimzai from the Refugee Trauma Initiative joins to offer an Afghan ...
59m Mar 11, 2020
59m
A fragile peace deal in Afghanistan
Tommy and Ben talk about the fragile peace agreement between the US and the Taliban, the Israeli elections, the escalating fighting between Turkey and Syria, the coronavirus, Iran, Putin’s political weakness and Boris Johnson is having a baby. Then Tommy is joined by Jomana Qaddour from the Syria Relief and Development organization to talk about what people can do to help ease the suffering in ...
1hr 3m Mar 04, 2020
1hr 3m
Bernie Sanders’ foreign policy record comes under attack
First, Trump’s trip to India, his new and unqualified Director of National Intelligence, and should Democrats attend AIPAC? Then updates on Sudan and South Sudan, the coronavirus, a fragile peace agreement in Afghanistan, and John Bolton. Finally, Tommy and Ben discuss attacks on Bernie Sanders’ views on Cuba, former leftist leaders in Latin America, and criticism of the CIA, before reflecting ...
1hr 12m Feb 26, 2020
1hr 12m
Bloomberg’s foreign policy and the global economy gets the coronavirus
Mike Bloomberg’s foreign policy record and platform. How some 2020 candidates failed a foreign policy quiz. The humanitarian crisis in northwest Syria. The latest on the coronavirus and how Senator Tom Cotton is spreading disinformation. The Koch brothers funding foreign policy think tanks…for good? Mike Pompeo speaks at the Munich Security Summit and headlines about Afghanistan, Iran and John ...
1hr 24m Feb 19, 2020
1hr 24m
How the CIA broke the world’s encryption
Tommy and Ben tell some stories about the New Hampshire primary in 2008, walk through a report on a decades-long CIA/German effort to crack encrypted communications, talk through several major data breaches, and explain why the QAnon conspiracy theory is a national security issue. Then they cover: good news from Sudan, North Korea’s nukes, a dustup between the US and the Philippines, the Wall S...
1hr 15m Feb 12, 2020
1hr 15m
Jared still sucks
Today’s topics include: Brexit, updates on the Coronavirus, why Trump made Venezuela a focus of his State of the Union speech, the list of countries subject to Trump’s muslim ban gets bigger, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s allies attack Jared Kushner, and Trump’s inexcusable land mine policy decision. We also complain about the Iowa caucuses and wonder aloud if they’re more democratic ...
47m Feb 06, 2020
47m
Trump kills the Middle East peace process
First, Tommy and Ben talk about Trump’s plan to help Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu win reelection and how it essentially means the death of the middle east peace process. Then they discuss how Trump’s cruel immigration policies could lead to the murder of an Iraqi refugee and the mistreatment of pregnant women. Also, why John Bolton and Mike Pompeo are terrible, the Saudi hacking of Jef...
1hr 7m Jan 29, 2020
1hr 7m
That’s President Sh*thole to you
Will new facial recognition technology end privacy as we know it? Can Trump scare the Intelligence Community out of testifying before Congress? Why did Putin’s entire cabinet resign and what does it mean for the future of Russia? Then...Russian spies are sneaking around Davos. Anti-war groups are gaining strength in Washington. Press freedom is under attack in Brazil. Hilarious translation erro...
1hr 16m Jan 22, 2020
1hr 16m
Iran and the lies we told along the way
Tommy and Ben cover the latest developments in the Iran crisis, including why the intelligence and legal case for assassinating Soleimani keeps changing, the horrific shootdown of a commercial airliner, and Iran resuming uranium enrichment. Then they discuss Attorney General Barr’s fight with Apple over encryption, and why Obama also got this issue wrong. Finally, they explain why Taiwan’s rece...
1hr 13m Jan 15, 2020
1hr 13m
Iran retaliates to the Soleimani strike
Tommy and Ben talk about the fallout from Trump’s decision to assassinate Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. What do we know about Iran’s ballistic missile strikes on bases hosting U.S. troops in Iraq? How are the Iranian people responding? Why is Trump threatening to commit war crimes? Why does the rationale for the strike keep changing and what can Congress do to stop the war from escalating? ...
1hr 16m Jan 08, 2020
1hr 16m
Trump goes to war with Iran
In a bonus episode, Tommy and Ben discuss Trump’s decision to assassinate a top Iranian official named Qassem Soleimani. What happened? How did we get here? Who is Soleimani and why is he so influential? What happens next and how should the 2020 Democrats respond? 
37m Jan 03, 2020
37m
UK election aftermath
British MP David Lammy joins to talk about the UK elections and what they mean for Brexit and the future of the Labour Party. Then Ben and Tommy talk about India’s ongoing slide into Hindu nationalism, the China trade war, and a troubling investigation into problems with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) process. Plus, Biden’s record on Iraq, unfair charges of antisemitism agains...
1hr 3m Dec 18, 2019
1hr 3m
A history of failure in Afghanistan
Tommy and Ben explain why the Russian foreign minister is in Washington and why Vladimir Putin is in Paris, the media and political reaction to the Saudi flight student who murdered his classmates in Florida, updates out of North Korea, an exciting leadership change in Finland, and a troubling religious law in India. Then Afghanistan policy expert Jeff Eggers joins to talk about some extraordin...
1hr 6m Dec 11, 2019
1hr 6m
NATO’s “brain death”
Tommy and Ben talk about Trump’s trip to London for the NATO summit, including his dustup with the French President and the health of NATO in 2019. Then they discuss the Iranian government’s crackdown on protestors, Trump’s visit to Afghanistan, Ben’s trip to Hong Kong, the expanding trade war, amazing reporting about India’s Prime Minister, and why US foreign aid keeps getting mysteriously fro...
1hr 5m Dec 04, 2019
1hr 5m
Panic at the Pentagon
First, Tommy talks with former DOD official and national security expert Kelly Magsamen about Trump’s meddling in the military justice system and the firing of the Secretary of the Navy. They also discuss the impeachment hearings, whether former National Security Advisor John Bolton should testify, Hong Kong’s democracy-affirming elections, why Trump is extorting Japan for money and the latest ...
57m Nov 27, 2019
57m
Impeachmentpalooza
First, Tommy and Ben discuss the increasingly violent protests in Hong Kong, the impeachment hearings, Trump’s new policy on Israeli settlements, and protests and leaked documents in Iran. Then they talk China, an update on Lebanon, Bolivia becomes a 2020 issue, why Trump is pardoning war criminals, and bad news out of Korea. Then Politico’s Nahal Toosi joins to talk impeachment, Mike Pompeo, a...
1hr 5m Nov 20, 2019
1hr 5m
President Erdogan crashes the impeachment hearings
Tommy and Ben talk about Fmr President Evo Morales's abrupt departure from Bolivia and whether to call it a coup, the latest Brexit news, Turkish President Erdogan's post-ethnic cleansing visit to DC, Russian interference in Africa, the White Helmets, why businesses just can't quit Saudi Arabia and some wild White House personnel news. Then former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd joins to t...
1hr 17m Nov 13, 2019
1hr 17m
Breaking down the Baghdadi raid
Tommy and Ben discuss what the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi means for ISIS as well as Trump's strange lie about Baghdadi's "whimpering" demise. Then they cover the Paris Climate Agreement and the future of climate activism, Iran's increased nuclear activity and use of hostages as a foreign policy strategy, and protests in Chile and Iraq. Later they shout about Mike Pompeo, discuss the House re...
1hr 17m Nov 06, 2019
1hr 17m
Announcing: What A Day
“What A Day,” Crooked Media’s new daily news podcast, is here! Hosted by comedian Akilah Hughes and politics reporter Gideon Resnick, “What A Day” cuts through the chaos and crimes to break down the biggest news of the day, help you understand what matters, and how you can fix it—all in 15 minutes or less. New episodes come out every morning, Monday through Friday, at 5 a.m. Eastern. Subscribe ...
2m Nov 01, 2019
2m
LIVE from J Street
Tommy and Ben record a special episode from D.C. at the national conference hosted by the progressive Jewish organization J Street. They run through news from around the globe and from the Middle East with Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times - and chat with two activists, Maisam Jaljuli and Mikhael Manekin, about progressive solutions for the Arab-Israeli peace process. The episode also inc...
1hr 33m Oct 30, 2019
1hr 33m
Bill Taylor’s got the Ukraine receipts
Tommy and Ben talk about the latest on impeachment and about Turkey’s invasion of Syria. Then they run through a whirlwind week of news that included Brexit updates, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s narrow election victory, and Israel’s ongoing government formation process. They also discuss the treatment of US diplomats in China, Facebook’s handling of disinformation campaigns, protest...
1hr 54m Oct 23, 2019
1hr 54m
Send Rudy Giuliani to Syria
Tommy and Ben talk about disaster unfolding in Syria, fact check Trump’s claim that he’s ending wars, explain who the Kurds are and why they’re US allies, survey the international reaction to Turkey’s offensive in Syria and explain why nuclear weapons make everything more complicated. Then they talk through the latest on impeachment and the corruption of US foreign policy, evaluate the détente ...
1hr 18m Oct 16, 2019
1hr 18m
Abandoning our allies in Syria
Tommy and Ben discuss Trump’s decision to pull US troops out of Syria and let Turkey begin a military campaign against the Kurds, a key US ally in the fight against ISIS. Then they try to understand why Republicans are only willing to criticize Trump’s Syria policy, explain why the NBA and Chinese government are fighting, and try to understand why Gordon Sondland, the US Ambassador to the Europ...
1hr 11m Oct 09, 2019
1hr 11m