Podcasts by Altamar - Navigating the High Seas of Global Politics
Altamar is dedicated to curating an informative discussion on how global issues impact all of us. The show avoids the typical Washingtonian US bias and talks about accelerating changes from a global perspective by featuring diverse guests on a range of foreign policy topics. We aim to rise above the polarization that detracts from the public’s understanding of crucial global issues. Hosted by political analyst Peter Schechter and columnist Muni Jensen.
Further podcasts by Peter Schechter and Muni Jensen
Podcast on the topic Politik
All episodes
Is Non-Alignment Dead? The Case for Countries Not Picking a Side [S6, E11] from 2023-06-02T04:00
In a rapidly changing geopolitical environment, alliances are changing fast. The US, Russia, and China are using their influence to rally support from previously neutral countries. Inc...
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Great Britain’s Identity Crisis [S6, E10] from 2023-05-19T04:00
Several years into Brexit, the country has not found its footing politically, economically, and in its very soul. The UK is working to rebuild relationships with Europe while dealing w...
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NATO Veers North [S6, E9] from 2023-05-05T04:00
Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine eroded the concept of neutrality as an effective policy in a polarized world. That’s especially true for countries in close geographic proximity to Russia....
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The Mexican Paradox [S6, E8] from 2023-04-21T04:00
These days, Mexico is one contradiction after another. For example, President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador – or AMLO, as he is called – declared a rhetorical war on the private sector, ...
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The Future of Work is Now [S6, E7] from 2023-04-07T04:00
COVID-19 turned many workplaces and schools into virtual or hybrid environments. Artificial intelligence has become part of daily life with new products such as Chat GPT. The UK just h...
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Nigeria: Trading Votes or Deeper Democracy [S6, E6] from 2023-03-24T04:00
Nigeria’s presidential vote constituted one of the most closely watched and significant elections of the year. One of the world’s top oil producers, Nigeria has suffered political and ...
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Why Greece? The Curious Case of Country Rankings [S6, E5] from 2023-03-10T05:00
Country rankings – whether it’s about the economy, democracy, or environmental standards – are important for a country’s reputation. The Economist produces its annual Economic Rankings...
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Open Source Intelligence: What is it, and why should you (really) care? [S6, E4] from 2023-02-24T05:00
OSINT is the gathering and analysis of publicly available data from unlimited and all-encompassing sources. This new tool is...
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Spotlight on Biodiversity [S6, E3] from 2023-02-10T05:00
Biodiversity is crucial for our planet’s food security, climate resilience, supply chains, and our economy. Half of global GDP relies on nature. Governments are scrambling to create poli...
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Breakdown in Brazil [S6, E2] from 2023-01-27T05:00
News around the world centered on the violent protests in Brazil by those who rejected election results and sought to overthrow the government following the presi...
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Everything Energy [S6, E1] from 2023-01-13T05:00
2022 put energy in the headlines nearly every day. The list of interlocking energy issues is huge: Europe’s spiraling prices and gas shortages, the war in Ukraine...
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Megatrends 2022 [S5, E26] from 2022-12-30T05:00
The big issues of our time transcend borders, countries, and geographies. This past year, power has become more diffuse. Many leading western countries are stifl...
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#Soccerpolitics [S5, E25] from 2022-12-16T05:00
As the first championship in the Middle East, the Qatar World Cup is both historic and controversial. Notwithstanding numerous bribing allegations, Qatar was sele...
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Bibi’s Extreme Comeback [S5, E24] from 2022-12-02T05:00
Israel's longest-serving Prime Minister – Benjamin ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu – is back with a new strategy. This time, Bibi aligned himself with hard-right extremist parti...
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Midterm Mayhem [S5, E23] from 2022-11-17T05:00
There was a lot at stake in the American midterm elections. The loss of the House will greatly impact Biden’s ability to accomplish his agenda in his last two yea...
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Lula Strikes Back [S5, E22] from 2022-11-04T04:00
The Brazilian presidential election was a bickering, contentious and rancorous race between two opposing views of Brazil. Lula and Bolsonaro have dominated the co...
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Germany in the Crossfire [S5, E21] from 2022-10-21T04:00
Shifting realities following Russia’s invasion have put Berlin in a tough position. Germany’s long history of trade and business with Russia has placed it deep in...
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Italy’s Right Turn [S5, E20] from 2022-10-07T04:00
Giorgia Meloni will be Italy’s first woman leader and first rightwing Prime Minister since WWII. The rise of the Brothers of Italy party is a case study in the continued prominence of cu...
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Buses Fuel the Migration Fire [S5, E19] from 2022-09-23T04:00
Immigration seems unsolvable in the United States. The number of immigrants crossing the border has been spiking since at least 2013, haunting several presidents....
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Marshall Plan 2.0 [S5, E18] from 2022-09-09T04:00
Western nations are struggling to cope with the onslaught of international and national crises from climate to a tide of authoritarianism. Developing countries ha...
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Monkeypolitics [S5, E17] from 2022-08-26T04:00
The emergence of Monkeypox stress-tested the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic – and, again, the world is failing the challenge. Health institutions se...
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Nuclear South Asia: The World’s Third Tripwire [S5, E16] from 2022-08-12T04:00
In 1947, free from British control, India and Pakistan split based on religious majorities – Hindu and Muslim. Soon thereafter, the two countries went to war over...
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The End of Trade [S5, E15] from 2022-07-29T04:00
The term “free trade” has fallen out of favor in recent years. Trade disputes, economic uncertainty, and a growing income gap have stoked a global protectionist f...
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Storm Clouds in Africa [S5, E14] from 2022-07-15T04:00
By 2050, Africa’s population will double; by 2100, one of three people on the globe will be African. While it’s hard to generalize in a continent so diverse, Afri...
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Colombia Ousts the Center [S5, E13] from 2022-07-01T04:00
This is the first time that the left will rule in this democracy of 50 million historically conservative people, who have now expressed a deep desire for change. ...
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Americas in Disarray [S5, E12] from 2022-06-17T04:00
This Summit of the Americas only served to underscore the fractures on the continent. Instead of resetting its relations with Latin American countries, the US see...
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The Globalization of Food Insecurity [S5, E11] from 2022-06-03T04:00
Global food insecurity was already an issue. Years of heightened climate change cut global production by about 20%. Then, a war happened. Russia and Ukraine toget...
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Extreme Autocracy [S5, E10] from 2022-05-20T04:00
As Russia escalates its merciless attack on Ukraine, there is much talk of a newly reunited West taking a collective position and presenting a strong front agains...
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Corporations Cancel Russia [S5, E9] from 2022-05-06T04:00
In the first weeks of the war, we heard reports that brand after brand was closing their doors in Russia. Oil giants shut down their rigs, and tech companies unpl...
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Serbia in the Middle [S5, E8] from 2022-04-22T04:00
The conservative Serbian Progressive Party easily won the elections at the presidential, parliamentary, and municipal levels. Vucic and his party have already rul...
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ASEAN Realigns [S5, E7] from 2022-04-08T04:00
Impressive economic growth and development made ASEAN an increasingly important geopolitical block. In the past few decades, China invested heavily in Southeast A...
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The Sanctions War [S5, E6] from 2022-03-25T04:00
The economic sanctions are unprecedented in both size and scope. The strongest blow was dealt by freezing assets of Russia’s Central Bank and the largest Russian ...
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After A Century of Egyptian Independence, It’s Still Complicated [S5, E5] from 2022-03-11T05:00
Egypt’s revolt from Britain occurred decades before any other African or Asian country managed to throw off the yoke of British, French, Belgian, German colonial ...
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Sports or Politics? [S5, E4] from 2022-02-25T05:00
Now, countries with poor human rights records are using wealth to clean reputations and advance personal gain. Sportswashing - coined by Amnesty International in ...
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The Italian Job [S5, E3] from 2022-02-11T05:00
Italian Prime Minister Draghi, former European Central Bank head, managed to keep the country’s economy growing, its vaccine calendar in check, and his popularity...
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Europe's Extreme Right: How Real is The Threat? [S5, E2] from 2022-01-28T05:00
Extreme right-wing ideology is spreading. As France prepares for presidential elections in April, two candidates on the far-right are vying to replace current centri...
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The Rise of Latin America’s Young Progressives [S5, E1] from 2022-01-14T05:00
The year ahead is a difficult one for Latin America as the region tries to reverse its democratic and economic backsliding. A new generation of leaders is on its way to power. Listen
The Good, The Bad and the Scary [S4, E24] from 2021-12-31T05:00
This year has been an absolute whirlwind of the Good, the Bad, and the Scary. Our end-of-year episode’s positive highlights include the scientific collaboration t...
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Rocky Recovery: These Strange Economic Times [S4, E23] from 2021-12-17T05:00
The London Interbank Overnight Rate (LIBOR) – one of the world’s longest-lasting financial benchmarks – disappears this month. It’s just one of the many signs of ...
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Russia Turns 30 [S4, E22] from 2021-12-03T05:00
It’s been 30 years since the Soviet Union fell. With the dismantling of communism, the US became the sole superpower. Market economies and liberal democracies bec...
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The US: A Nation at Risk [S4, E21] from 2021-11-19T05:00
National security is more complex than ever before. The dangerous rivalry between the US and China continues to grow. The Middle East’s balance of power is shifti...
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Is COP26 a Copout? [S4, E20] from 2021-11-05T04:00
After 18 months of COVID and a turbulent geopolitical map, this crucial global convening of leaders will set the stage for the environmental future of planet Eart...
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Dirty Money [S4, E19] from 2021-10-22T04:00
First the Panama Papers in 2016, then the Paradise Papers in 2017, and now the Pandora Papers. The massive leaks expose financial maneuverings and corruption at t...
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Is there Life after Angela? [S4, E18] from 2021-10-08T04:00
Everyone’s looking at Germany. Not because its general elections are typically an exciting affair, but because Chancellor Angela Merkel is stepping down after mor...
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Woke Corporations and Cancel Capitalism [S4, E17] from 2021-09-24T04:00
Social activism and conscious consumerism are on everyone’s mind. Should businesses be taking stances on the social justice debate of the day?
... Listen
‘Friendshoring’ in the Caribbean [S4, E16] from 2021-09-10T04:00
Since the early 2000s, most US and European companies have cut significant costs by moving manufacturing operations to China and Southeast Asia. Because of COVID ...
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Cuba Libre? Not So Much. [S4, E15] from 2021-08-27T04:00
Calls for freedom and change ring in Cuba as the country faced the most widespread, violent protests since 1959. What spurred these demonstrations and what lies i...
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Afghanistan: The Graveyard of Empires [S4, E14] from 2021-08-13T04:00
America’s “longest war” has again entered the spotlight as the Biden Administration announced a complete withdrawal of U.S. military forces. Nicknamed ‘the gravey...
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COVID, Diplomacy and Populism [S4, E13] from 2021-07-30T04:00
The worldwide vaccination effort has deepened the fault lines between rich and poor countries. While more developed countries are welcoming a long-anticipated reo...
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Sports, Money, and Politics [S4, E12] from 2021-07-16T04:00
With the end of Copa America and the Eurocup, and the Olympics starting soon, sports are on everyone’s mind this Summer. Most sports now share various commonaliti...
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Europe’s Fault Lines [S4, E11] from 2021-07-02T04:00
Europe is in flux – on the one hand, the French and German elections are on the horizon, and their outcomes seem ever more uncertain, Eastern European EU governme...
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The World After Bibi [S4, E10] from 2021-06-18T04:00
After a total reign of fifteen years, Netanyahu has been ousted and replaced with what can only be described as a ‘pretzel coalition government’ with parties rang...
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Will ‘Bidenomics’ Become a Word? [S4, E9] from 2021-06-04T04:00
As the U.S. opens up and people are beginning to dine out and travel, the Biden Administration is betting on much-needed economic growth. But the current U.S. eco...
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Latin America in Flames [S4, E8] from 2021-05-21T04:00
For the past decade, Latin America enjoyed economic growth as many countries moved towards more equality, economic prosperity, and personal freedoms. But the pand...
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Hollywood’s Abyss [S4, E7] from 2021-05-07T04:00
The Oscars this year were the most diverse and unusual, but they also had the worst ratings in history, with less than 10 million viewers—a record low! Awards sea...
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Iran vs. the West, Again [S4, E6] from 2021-04-23T04:00
In 2015, Iran and P5+1 (US, UK, France, Germany, Russia, and China) brokered a deal known as the JCPOA in an effort to achieve nuclear de-escalation. In return fo...
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The Future of Travel: Winners&Losers [S4, E5] from 2021-04-09T04:00
In 2020, the world came to a shrieking halt. Empty airports, deserted roads, and grounded airplanes were the story of 2020 and the beginning of 2021. Now, as COVI...
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Russia: Weak and Strong [S4, E4] from 2021-03-26T04:00
Russia seems to garner one success after the next: its bold space travel program, successful vaccine creation, and global distribution efforts, and a powerful mil...
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The Future of Cannabis? [S4, E3] from 2021-03-12T05:00
Is the grass always greener on the other side? The cannabis industry is now expected to become a $300bn industry in the next 10 years. Nations are beginning to in...
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The World According to Madeleine Albright [S4, E2] from 2021-02-26T05:00
Our world has turned upside down as we navigate a pandemic, civil unrests, economic hardship, climate destruction, fragile governance…it all spells chaos. Madelei...
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America, a Return to the Throne? [S4, E1] from 2021-02-12T05:00
The US abdicated its place on the global throne after the Trump administration replaced the international order with transactional, bilateral relationships, large...
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¿Coup in America? [S3, E29] from 2021-01-29T05:00
The storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6 was a national disgrace that upended America’s predictably peaceful transitions of power. It also unleashed widespre...
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Terror Spreads in Africa [S3, E28] from 2021-01-15T05:00
Two years after the fall of the Islamic State’s caliphate in Syria and Iraq, jihadist militants are making huge inroads in Africa. As the continent battles the co...
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The Global Case for Optimism [S3, E27] from 2021-01-01T05:00
Good news has been in short supply these days. From the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic to racial violence and polarization, it seems like the world is takin...
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2021: The Rebound Year? [S3, E26] from 2020-12-18T05:00
2020 can’t end quickly enough. After months of political polarization, economic impoverishment, and calamity for so many, coronavirus vaccines are rolling out, an...
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Disarray&Hope in Latin America [S3, E25] from 2020-12-04T05:00
The official forecast for Latin America is glum. The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a regional recession, dragged down social indicators, and killed hundreds of ...
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The World Awaits Joe Biden [S3, E24] from 2020-11-20T05:00
President-elect Joe Biden intends to ditch Donald Trump’s “America First” doctrine the day he steps into office on January 20. But vows to embrace multilateralism...
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Bougainville: The World’s Next Country? [S3, E23] from 2020-11-06T05:00
When you think of modern-day secessions, the struggles of Catalonia, Scotland, Kashmir, and Kurdistan typically come to mind. But Papua New Guinea (PNG)’s autonom...
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America’s Election and the Question of Polls [S3, E22] from 2020-10-23T04:00
The 2020 showdown between Donald Trump and Joe Biden is nearing its grand finale during one of the most challenging times in history. The outcome could send the U...
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Arab Realignment [S3, E21] from 2020-10-09T04:00
For the first time in decades, two Gulf nations (the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain) have formally established relations with Israel – d...
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Europe’s Surprising Global Reset [S3, E20] from 2020-09-25T04:00
For a while, it seemed that the European Union lost some of its international luster. The world’s largest economy has been busily bogged down by internal division...
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Gunshots in the Himalayas [S3, E19] from 2020-09-11T04:00
In the barren reaches of the Himalayas, Chinese and Indian patrols keep coming to blows. In June, a deadly clash left 20 Indian soldiers, and an unknown number of...
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Beirut Burning [S3, E18] from 2020-08-28T04:00
The deadly blast that rocked Beirut on August 4 left at least 200 Lebanese dead, thousands injured, and hundreds of thousands homeless. Even before that, Lebanon’...
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Populist Opposites: Brazil and Mexico [S3, E17] from 2020-08-14T04:00
With Brazil’s enormous economy and Mexico’s proximity to the U.S., both are contenders to become economic titans on the world stage. But the nations are burdened ...
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Vaccine Wars [S3, E16] from 2020-07-31T04:00
The international hunt for a COVID-19 vaccine is the most consequential medical challenge of the 21st century. The race is marked by both intense collaboration am...
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Space Is Back [S3, E15] from 2020-07-17T04:00
The New Frontier is new again: after years of stagnation, emerging players have reignited the space race in the 21st century. Dramatic technological advances and ...
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Defund the Police? [S3, E14] from 2020-07-03T04:00
The killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis has sparked a worldwide reckoning over violent policing practices. “Black Lives Matter” has become a global rallying cr...
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Will China Win the Cold War? [S3, E13] from 2020-06-19T04:00
China has made a dramatic turnaround since COVID-19 battered the world’s second largest economy. Beijing is flexing its geopolitical muscles abroad while implemen...
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The World Health Wars [S3, E12] from 2020-06-05T04:00
As the coronavirus pandemic ravages health and economic structures, the World Health Organization (WHO) is under fire. Amid international spats, politicians have ...
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The World According to Haass [S3, E11] from 2020-05-22T04:00
After months of quarantines, some countries are beginning to shift out of confinement. But the world we knew is already a thing of the past. The health pandemic h...
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The End of Oil? [S3, E10] from 2020-05-08T04:00
The COVID-19 crisis has put the oil industry on life support. International appetite for oil is in freefall as ships, cars, planes and people hit pause around the...
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Tension and Turmoil in Iran [S3, E9] from 2020-04-24T04:00
Over four decades, Iran’s hardline regime has faced enormous challenges. The nation is struck by one of the world’s most severe outbreaks of COVID-19. Iranians ar...
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The Poverty Pandemic [S3, E8] from 2020-04-10T04:00
COVID-19 is poised to explode in developing countries and emerging markets – which have far fewer resources to combat the pandemic. Social distancing is practical...
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5G: Progress or Peril? [S3, E7] from 2020-03-27T04:00
Fifth Generation (5G) technology's speed and reliability promise to revolutionize the world’s economy and communications. But, perhaps also upend its politics. Lo...
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Climate Emergency&Global Insecurity [S3, E6] from 2020-03-13T04:00
Heat waves, storms, droughts, and mass wildfires have dominated global headlines. But beyond loss of life and material damage, climate change is creating resource...
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Israel’s Endless Election [S3, E5] from 2020-02-28T05:00
Israelis head to the ballot box –again– on March 2 in hopes that Prime Minister Netanyahu or challenger Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party can form a new coalitio...
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Coronavirus: Contagion and Chaos [S3, E4] from 2020-02-14T05:00
Since the coronavirus entered the global vocabulary, its international reach has been staggering. Tens of thousands are sick, hundreds have died, and dozens of co...
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Putin: Leader for Life? [S3, E3] from 2020-01-31T05:00
Vladimir Putin has been in charge at the Kremlin, one way or another, for the last 20 years. As speculation grew over who would take over after his presidential t...
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Britain: Shaking off the Brexit Blues? [S3, E2] from 2020-01-17T05:00
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson led the Conservative Party’s sweeping victory last month with a campaign to officially leave the European Union (EU) by January 31...
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Dirty Gold [S3, E1] from 2020-01-03T05:00
Climbing rates for gold have sparked a growing wave of illegal mining, leaving illicit activity and abuses in its wake. From the Amazon to Sub-Saharan Africa, dru...
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A Look Ahead: Where’s 2020 Going? [S2, E26] from 2019-12-20T05:00
2019 has been a whirlwind of upheaval around the world: the rocky U.S.-China trade relationship, tiny Guyana’s oil bonanza, protests in Hong Kong, the return of P...
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South Africa’s Slump [S2, E25] from 2019-12-06T05:00
Twenty-five years after apartheid officially ended in South Africa, the country is in the news for all the wrong reasons: one of the highest unemployment rates in...
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Guyana’s Sudden Riches [S2, E24] from 2019-11-22T05:00
In 2015, Exxon Mobil discovered in Guyana one of the largest oil and gas reserves in decades. It is slated to begin production in early 2020. While this bonanza p...
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Unsteady Argentina [S2, E23] from 2019-11-08T05:00
On December 10, Argentina will inaugurate Alberto Fernandez as President amid a medley of economic woes: recession, inflation, poverty, foreign debt and currency ...
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What’s the Deal with Ukraine? [S2, E22] from 2019-10-25T04:00
Ukraine is popping up everywhere these days, from President Trump’s impeachment process to Russia’s hidden-in-plain-sight occupation of the former Soviet state’s ...
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The Turkey Paradox: Understanding Erdogan [S2, E21] from 2019-10-11T04:00
Understanding President Erdogan’s military offensive against Kurdish forces in northern Syria requires a breakdown of Turkey’s politics, internal strife and shifting ...
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Slowdown in India [S2, E20] from 2019-09-27T04:00
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP Hindu nationalist party won a landslide reelection in May 2019 – but political and economic unrest are shortening the hon...
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The Future of Cybersecurity [S2, E19] from 2019-09-13T04:00
Cyber crises are everywhere you turn now – from Russia’s interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections to company-wide data breaches. But as technology and...
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Battle for the Arctic [S2, E18] from 2019-08-30T04:00
President Donald Trump’s attempt to buy Greenland from Denmark was met with amusement and derision. But as climate change opens new frontiers, the Arctic region i...
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Venezuela’s Other Crisis [S2, E17] from 2019-08-16T04:00
The politics of Venezuela are intoxicating. Mass corruption, Russian troops, international sanctions, and tweetstorms from Senator Marco Rubio, John Bolton and so...
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Hong Kong’s Crisis Goes Global [S2, E16] from 2019-08-02T04:00
The 7.4 million citizens of Hong Kong are living their most serious political event since the 1997 handover to mainland China. The spark of a protest over an extr...
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Germany: Life After Merkel [S2, E15] from 2019-07-19T04:00
Angela Merkel will step down as German Chancellor by 2021 – if not sooner amid growing health concerns. With no clear successor, her firm control over Germany’s e...
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Putin’s Long Game [S2, E14] from 2019-07-05T04:00
Russia is a major world power under the nationalistic and personality-driven leadership of Vladimir Putin. The former KGB agent hasn’t hesitated to form alliances...
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Is Brazil’s Bolsonaro Sinking? [S2, E13] from 2019-06-21T04:00
Six months into office, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro faces diminishing political capital, a tense relationship with Congress, tumbling markets, and an increa...
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Japan: A Return to Relevance [S2, E12] from 2019-06-07T04:00
Japan’s story is a geopolitical roller coaster. Entering the 21st century, the land o...
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Is Voting Passé: More Elections, Less Democracy? [S2, E11] from 2019-05-24T04:00
Nearly half of the world’s voters cast ballots in April and May of 2019, from Spain and South Africa to Listen
Iceland: Financial Bust to Fairytale Success [S2, E10] from 2019-05-10T04:00
Iceland is heralded around the world as a success story of social policy experiments and for its remarkable...
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The Global War on Journalism [S2, E9] from 2019-04-26T04:00
The free press is at war with challenges not seen in a generat...
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Africa Awakens [S2, E8] from 2019-04-12T04:00
Africa has achieved one of the fastest and most sustained growth rates in the past years, with e Listen
A Nuclear Middle Finger [S2, E7] from 2019-03-29T04:00
President Trump has pulled America out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF)...
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U.S.-China Trade: Is This the Real Deal? [S2, E6] from 2019-03-15T04:00
After a tariff war and months of recriminations, Chinese and U.S.
officials are finalizing a trade deal. But uncertainty lingers. Bob Davis,
Senior Editor for the Wall Street Journal...
AMLO’s Mexico at 100 Days [S2, E5] from 2019-03-01T05:00
Mexico’s AMLO is wildly popular, but there are strains everywhere. His bromance with President Trump and his fragile relationship with the business community could sour quickly. ...
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Empty Throne: Does the World Miss U.S. Global Leadership? [S2, E4] from 2019-02-15T05:00
Can a new form of Pax Americana ever emerge post-Trump? Ivo Daalder, President of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and co-autho...
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Israel’s Elections: Bye-Bye Bibi? [S2, E3] from 2019-02-01T05:00
The first signs of fracture are beginning to show in Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu’s once unassailable political coalition. Charismatic rivals from the left and the right...
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Ugly Brexit: What’s Next? [S2, E2] from 2019-01-18T05:00
The clock is ticking on Brexiting Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union. Prime Minister Theresa May’s EU deal was defeated in Parliament and time is running out on a formal exit plan to a...
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Reconcilable Differences: Italy and the EU [S2, E1] from 2019-01-04T05:00
The EU says Italy is "sleepwalking into instability.” For the populist Lega and Five Star parties, a fight with Brussels is just what the doctor ordered. Italy isn’t going to Brexit anytime soon...
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2019: The Year of Drifting Dangerously [S1, E32] from 2018-12-21T05:00
From “Person of the Year” to the “Didn’t See This Coming” award, Peter and Muni hand out Altamar’s 2018 accolades. Turning towards 2019, Council of Foreign Relations president shares pointed vie...
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Canada: Cool and Confident? [S1, E31] from 2018-12-07T05:00
Canada has emerged as in independent voice and flagbearer of international liberalism. But concessions in the new US-Mexico-Canada agreement have sparked a backlash back home. The jury’s still o...
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Argentina’s Looming Doomsday [S1, E30] from 2018-11-23T05:00
Mauricio Macri was the darling of international investors after twelve years of radical Peronism. Now Argentina’s economy and center-right President are reeling. Economist Brad Setser of the Cou...
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Bolsonaro’s Brazil: Will the Bite Match the Bark? [S1, E29] from 2018-11-07T05:00
After Jair Bolsonaro’s big win in Brazil, Altamar confronts the question everyone is asking: what’s next? Some of his most notorious campaign proposals may be stymied by Brazil’s powerful congre...
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Ethiopia: The World's Good News Story [S1, E28] from 2018-10-24T14:38:50
As bad news springs up from every corner of the world, Ethiopia under PM Abiy Ahmed is sprinting in the opposite direction. What’s going on? And can it last? Featuring special guest Tsedale Lemm...
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In Memoriam: Jamal Khashoggi in His Own Voice [S1, E27] from 2018-10-18T14:35:38
Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi journalist and constructive critic of crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, was brutally murdered on October 2 in Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul. This egregi...
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Habemus Papam...Habemus Problema? [S1, E26] from 2018-10-02T15:48:46
As scandal roils the Church, what does this all mean for the future of Pope Francis? And for the future of Catholicism? Vaticanologist Jimmy Burns joins this week to discuss.
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The Migrant Backlash [S1, E25] from 2018-09-11T14:44:28
As migration flows grow around the world, is a negative impact on politics an inevitability? Or have we just convinced ourselves that it is? Andrew Selee and María Peña join this week to discuss...
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The Geopolitics of Climate Change [S1, E24] from 2018-08-22T13:39:51
With the world in upheaval, how are we to respond to the most global challenge of them all? Featuring special guests Amy Harder and Giulio Boccaletti.
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Who's Afraid of AMLO? [S1, E23] from 2018-07-16T12:58:20
Mexico’s soon-to-be president has been called a Marxist, a pragmatist, a Mexican Trump, and a Mexican Chávez. So who really is Andrés Manuel López Obrador? And what kind of president will he be?...
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When "The Pond" Becomes an Ocean [S1, E22] from 2018-06-26T13:44:22
Trump isn’t only buddying up to our enemies—he’s also alienating our friends, and in the process making the Atlantic wider by the day. Edward Luce and Nathalie Tocci join this week to discuss th...
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Politics on the Pitch [S1, E21] from 2018-06-08T14:39:27
Nothing brings the world together like World Cup season…right? Ahead of Russia 2018, this week's episode brings a deep dive into soccer, politics, and the politics of soccer, with special guests...
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What’s Behind Belt and Road? [S1, E20] from 2018-05-22T11:56:29
China’s Belt and Road Initiative now spans nearly every continent, and countries are eagerly lining up for a share of the trillions of dollars Beijing is doling out. But is there more to this in...
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India's Bulletproof Man? [S1, E19] from 2018-05-08T14:13:04
Narendra Modi came into office on big promises, and four years later, he’s got more failures than successes under his belt. But the big question is: do Indian voters even care? Sadanand Dhume jo...
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Viktor Orbán and the Strongman's Cookbook [S1, E18] from 2018-04-20T13:44:04
With Viktor Orbán stronger than ever, Hungary’s leader offers a clearly replicable recipe for building an autocracy out of a democracy. Cas Mudde, an expert on populism and the mechanics of the ...
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Russian Meddling: Old Playbook, New Toolkit [S1, E17] from 2018-04-05T13:27:21
The face of warfare is changing, and Moscow is embracing it full-throttle. With the digital age giving Putin's Russia a wealth of new ways to pursue longstanding objectives, how is the West to r...
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Protectionist US: Trendsetter or Odd Man Out? [S1, E16] from 2018-03-22T13:24:42
As Trump announces new tariffs, could this shift toward protectionism spark a wave of inward-looking trade policy around the world? Or could we see precisely the opposite happen? Peter and Muni ...
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The Scramble for Syria [S1, E15] from 2018-03-08T16:29:12
Syria's civil war has long ceased to be civil. The last two months have been a gut-wrenching reminder of how internationalized this conflict has become. As regional and world powers become more ...
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Brazilian Shock Therapy [S1, E14] from 2018-02-21T13:57:56
A massive anti-corruption investigation has taken down some of Brazil’s most powerful people, including former president Lula, who’s still polling first in this October’s general election. What ...
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Saudi Arabia's Enigmatic Crown Prince [S1, E13] from 2018-02-07T13:10:39
Breaking down the competing narratives surrounding Saudi Arabia’s controversial new crown prince.
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Europe's Rough Year Ahead [S1, E12] from 2018-01-19T13:56:05
With polarization ever more noticeable and traditional parties performing dismally, what does the future hold for the European experiment?
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2018: Latin America's Electoral Roller Coaster [S1, E11] from 2017-12-26T15:31:41
Latin America’s monster electoral calendar in 2018, with a focus on what promise to be particularly contentious elections in Brazil, Mexico, and Colombi
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Mission Impossible in the Sahel? [S1, E10] from 2017-11-27T16:54:41
A region most Americans were introduced to just last month following the death of four Green Berets in Niger.
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Iran and Congress: The Mideast Mess Gets Messier Still [S1, E9] from 2017-11-13T14:33:46
A deeper look at the Iran nuclear deal, and the potential consequences of decertifying Iran’s compliance in the midst of extremely heightened tensions in the Middle East.
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China and the New World Order [S1, E8] from 2017-10-25T17:39:51
China’s 19th Communist Party Congress and what clues it can give us regarding China’s international role in the years to come.
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Is Spain Coming Apart? [S1, E7] from 2017-10-10T17:37:05
Between Catalonia’s unauthorized independence referendum and Madrid’s ill-advised response, Spain’s future looks anything but certain.
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Dotard v. Rocket Man [S1, E6] from 2017-09-27T12:19:06
Pyongyang is watching closely what happens with the Iran nuclear deal, and that scrapping it now could dash any hopes for a diplomatic solution to the conflict with North Korea.
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Is the Populist Wave Here to Stay? [S1, E5] from 2017-09-18T16:55:01
Nationalistic strongmen seem to be popping up all over the world.
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Trump and Mexico: Burning Bridges, Building Walls [S1, E4] from 2017-09-01T13:03:05
Our southern neighbor and how Trump’s America-first, Mexico-last rhetoric could change the North American continent as we know it.
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Is Russia Winning? [S1, E3] from 2017-08-22T13:49:53
Putin has been mythologized in the West, where observers paint him as a singularly capable puppetmaster.
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Centrisme Révolutionnaire: Does Macron Have the Answer to Populism? [S1, E2] from 2017-07-21T05:03:31
Is the charming young politician our last hope, or is he all hype?
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A Way Forward after Trump's Cuba Backtrack? [S1, E1] from 2017-07-21T04:37:39
The Politics Behind Trump’s Cuba Folly
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A Welcome to Altamar from 2017-07-20T18:27:54
Altamar, a Spanish term for "high seas," is a new foreign affairs podcast hosted by Peter Schechter and Muni Jensen to navigate our tumultuous global politics with expert insights, special guests, ...
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