Podcasts by Worldly
We live in a confusing time, bombarded every day with news from around the world that can be hard to follow, or fully understand. Let Worldly be your guide. Every Thursday, senior writer Zack Beauchamp, senior foreign editor Jennifer Williams, and staff defense writer Alex Ward give you the history and context you need to make sense of the moment and navigate the world around you. Produced by Vox and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
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Brexit interview from 2021-07-01T19:45
A special repost from the folks at Today, Explained! While the Worldly team is out enjoying the holiday weekend in the States, TEX host Sean Rameswaram helps walk you through what’s going with Brex...
ListenOne of the world’s worst dictators is facing an uprising from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
This week, Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the burgeoning protest movement against Sudan’s longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir. Bashir, who was responsible for the Darfur genocide and once sheltered Osam...
ListenTrump's surprise troop withdrawal from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss what President Donald Trump’s surprise decision to withdraw US troops from Syria means for that country, ISIS, and Iran. After all, nobody — including leading US offici...
ListenOne refugee’s story in Hungary from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
In this re-run Jenn, Zack, and Alex Ward discuss Europe’s political meltdown over migration, which Zack got a firsthand look at during a trip to Hungary last week funded by the Pulitzer Center on C...
ListenHindsight is 2018 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex wrap up 2018 by looking back at three of the most dramatic foreign policy decisions President Trump made in 2018 — and whether, in retrospect, they turned out to be as dramatic...
ListenIt was China, in the Marriott database, with the hack from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack and Jenn discuss the massive hack of Marriott, in which the information of as many as 500 million people was stolen. China appears to be the culprit — part of a broader cyber assault on US ins...
ListenA trio of unlikely senators work to stop the Yemen war from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the Senate’s historic War Powers vote on Wednesday, the first step toward reining in US participation in Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen. The US has been supporting Saudi A...
ListenThe case for (and against) open borders from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
On Future Perfect, Vox’s Dylan Matthews tackles provocative ideas with the potential to radically improve the world – ideas like opening up our borders. One of the most reliable, best-documented wa...
ListenChina’s “concentration camps” for Muslims from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack and Alex are joined by James Palmer, an editor at Foreign Policy magazine, to discuss a terrible and under-discussed humanitarian crisis: China’s repression of its Uighur Muslim minority. In X...
ListenJeff Sessions is out. Is Robert Mueller next? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the implications of President Donald Trump firing Attorney General Jeff Sessions, both for the Russia investigation and for the rule of law. On Elsewhere, they discu...
ListenWhy fringe groups are winning around the world from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Jenn, Alex, and returning special guest Alina Polyakova discuss what a presidential election in Brazil and a stunning political announcement in Germany have in common: the collapse of centrist lead...
ListenDuck and cover from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex address one of the world’s biggest threats: nuclear war. There’s a small but still very real chance that nuclear weapons will be used in our lifetimes; the gang discusses how t...
ListenA murder and an outbreak from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
On a special episode of Worldly with two main segments, Zack talks with Alex about the latest in the Jamal Khashoggi saga and then interviews Vox health writer Julia Belluz on the worrying Ebola ou...
ListenWhere is Jamal Khashoggi? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi dissident-in-exile and Washington Post columnist. Khashoggi went into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to get som...
ListenThe looming Brexit catastrophe from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the state of Brexit: The United Kingdom’s ongoing negotiation over the terms of its departure from the European Union. The process has involved months of turmoil betwee...
ListenTrump’s plan to tank the Chinese economy from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss President Trump’s massive new escalation in his trade war with China — new tariffs that mean half of all imports from China are now being taxed. They break down how the...
ListenDid al-Qaeda win? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the debate over the legacy of the 9/11 attacks: Did al-Qaeda get what it wanted? On Elsewhere, we look at Russia’s latest bizarre attempt to deflect blame for the UK...
ListenA looming disaster in Syria from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex dissect the looming crisis in Idlib, the last big rebel stronghold in Syria, which will soon be the target of a vicious Assad regime offensive. The roughly three million people...
ListenDeal or no deal from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack and Alex are joined by a special guest — Weeds host Dara Lind — to discuss the way President Trump makes deals with foreign countries. They break down the big news of the week on nuclear negot...
ListenThe Trump-Fox News-white nationalist feedback loop from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about Trump’s late-night tweet about the alleged persecution of white South African farmers. They explain what’s actually happening in South Africa, how Trump’s take on th...
ListenTalking Turkey (and its economic crisis) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and special guest Matt Yglesias discuss the economic crisis crippling Turkey — and how its feud with the Trump administration over a detained American pastor is making things even worse...
ListenSaudi Arabia picked a fight with...Canada? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex explore the utterly bizarre diplomatic fight between Saudi Arabia and Canada — and why it has everything to do with the ruthless ambition of Saudi’s young new crown prince, Moh...
ListenA man, a plan, Iran from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
On this week’s episode, Zack, Jenn, and Alex look at the economics behind Trump’s offer to sit down with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. The Iranian economy is in trouble after the US withdrew fr...
ListenIt’s gettin hot in here, so get really concerned about global stability from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex dig into the heat wave wreaking havoc across the Northern Hemisphere, spreading a wildfire in Greece so hot that cars are melting on city streets. They get special science gues...
ListenFrom Russia, with love (and hacking) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex examine the evidence of Russian meddling in the 2016 election — and how much of it President Donald Trump had already been shown before his meeting in Helsinki with Russian Pre...
ListenHas Trump actually been good for NATO? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Jenn, official new Worldly co-host Alex Ward, and special guest Dr. Alina Polyakova discuss President Trump’s big NATO summit this week and his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Puti...
ListenWhy Europe turned its back on migrants from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Jenn, Zack, and recurring guest Alex Ward discuss Europe’s political meltdown over migration, which Zack got a firsthand look at during a trip to Hungary last week funded by the Pulitzer Center on ...
ListenThe military’s biggest challenge? Trump. from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Jenn sits down with returning guest Alex Ward and special guest Loren DeJonge Schulman, a defense expert at the Center for a New American Security, to talk about why the hell the Pentagon keeps get...
ListenBlame China? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
On a special goodbye Worldly — it’s Yochi’s final episode, sadly — he, Jenn, and Zack talk about President Donald Trump’s looming trade war with China, which could soon make it more expensive to bu...
ListenThe Art of the Deal, by Kim Jong Un from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
On an all-summit episode of Worldly, Zack and Jenn are joined by actual North Korea expert Jeffrey Lewis (host of the Arms Control Wonk podcast) for an in-depth analysis of how the Trump-Kim meetin...
ListenTrump and Kim, sitting in a hotel, T-A-L-K-I-N-G from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and returning guest Alex Ward talk about the possibilities — and perils — of President Trump’s upcoming nuclear summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12. On E...
ListenThe nuclear standoff nobody's talking about from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack dive into the nuclear standoff between India and Pakistan, one of the most dangerous but least known military conflicts in the world. On Elsewhere, they look at the mysterious...
ListenTrump’s breakup note to Kim Jong-un, explained from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
On a special all-North Korea episode of Worldly, Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about President Trump’s surprise cancellation of his planned summit with Kim Jong Un — a decision Trump announced literal...
ListenThe Arab world has abandoned Gaza from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack discuss Israel's killings of dozens of Palestinian protesters in Gaza and why many Arab countries seem willing to give Israel a pass and instead focus on what they see as a gr...
ListenAmerica is out of the Iran deal. Now what? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
On a special episode of Worldly, Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about President Trump's historic and dangerous decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, a move that angered America's closest allie...
ListenA war between Israel and Iran could really happen from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s over-the-top media blitz designed to sway President Trump to nix the Iran nuclear deal and about how Israel’s shadow con...
ListenThe ideology behind the Toronto terror attack, explained from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Zack, and special guest Dara Lind discuss Monday's bloody terror attack in Toronto, which was carried out by a member of a fringe anti-woman movement called "incel," short for "involuntary c...
ListenThe promise and peril of Trump’s North Korea meeting from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
On a special all-North Korea episode, Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about CIA Director Mike Pompeo’s secret meeting with Kim Jong Un, the clearest sign yet that the Trump administration is serious abo...
ListenTrump has no Syria strategy. Obama didn't either. from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about President Trump’s threats to bomb Syria after a brutal chemical weapons attack there — and why a US military strike won’t have much impact on the country’s civil wa...
ListenA clear guide to the Israel-Gaza crisis from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about the growing crisis on the Gaza-Israel border, where Israeli troops killed 19 Palestinians during violent clashes with protesters, sparking fears of all-out war. On ...
ListenThe rise of Trump's war cabinet (Weeds crossover!) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
It’s Part 1 of a special crossover with Vox’s The Weeds. On this week’s Worldly, Yochi, Zack, and Weeds host Dara Lind discuss Trump’s national security cabinet reshuffle — and whether the appointm...
ListenTrump’s Russia policy? What Russia policy? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Zack, and special guest Alexia Underwood talk about why President Trump's top aides begged him not to congratulate Vladimir Putin for winning this week's sham Russian election -- and why Tru...
ListenPutin’s poisonings from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about the poisoning of a former Russian spy in the UK with a deadly nerve agent. The British government says Russia was behind the startling attack, but it’s not clear ho...
ListenRexit special! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
On a special bonus episode of Worldly, Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about President Trump finally firing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson after publicly and privately mocking him for months. The good...
ListenMake Italy Great Again from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Jenn and Zack talk about how Italy's elections may have paved the way for a far-right prime minister who sees Vladimir Putin as a role model, wants to close mosques, and openly talks about d...
ListenWhy Xi Jinping’s power grab is dangerous for China — and the world from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Zack and Jenn talk about China's decision to allow President Xi Jinping to rule the country indefinitely, a move that means the world's biggest country will likely grow even more repressive ...
ListenRussian mercenaries, Israeli airstrikes, and the bloody future of the Syrian civil war from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Zack, and special guest Alexia Underwood talk about the evolution of Syria’s civil war and how a conflict that once pitted Syrian against Syrian has now drawn in at least six outside countri...
ListenPolish Holocaust denial and the weaponization of history from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about a controversial new law in Poland that makes it illegal to accuse the "Polish nation" of being complicit in the Holocaust, a change that has infuriated the US, Isra...
ListenWhy America can’t quit Guantanamo Bay from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and returning guest Alex Ward discuss the controversial prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and President Trump’s announcement this week that he’s keeping it open and may send ISIS fighters...
ListenWhy Trump, who promised to keep America out of wars, keeps escalating them from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Jenn, Zack, and special guest Alex Ward discuss President Trump’s decision to escalate America’s military involvement in Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, and beyond — despite having campaigned on an “A...
ListenA Saudi-Iran proxy war has torn Yemen apart — and America is fanning the flames from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack discuss the horrific war in Yemen, which has become a battleground in a shadow war between Iran and Saudi Arabia — and where there are real reasons to worry that the US is com...
ListenWhy Mueller’s obstruction of justice investigation should really scare Trump from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about the state of play in Robert Mueller’s Russia probe — and why obstruction of justice, not collusion, may pose the biggest legal and political threat to President Tru...
ListenHow expensive eggs helped kick off the biggest Iranian protests in years from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
On the first Worldly of 2018, Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about what the massive protests in Iran say about the future of the country — and about its tense relationship with the US. The protests hav...
Listen“Speak loudly and carry a small stick:” Trump’s foreign policy year in review from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack bid a fond farewell to 2017 by looking at what Donald Trump's first year in office says about his approach to the presidency and how he's likely to handle Iran, North Korea, a...
ListenThe most political Olympics since the Cold War from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
In a special Olympics-themed episode of Worldly, Yochi, Jenn, and Zack look at how global politics will shape next year’s Winter Olympics in South Korea in a way that hasn’t been seen since the hei...
ListenTrump said Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. Now what? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack look at President Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a move that breaks with decades of US foreign policy -- and that tells us a lot about how T...
ListenRex Tillerson's departure looks imminent as the North Korea crisis heats up from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Jenn, and special guest Alex Ward talk about President Trump’s apparent decision to fire Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who will go down as arguably the worst secretary of state in Americ...
ListenThe president of the world's most powerful democracy doesn't seem to actually like democracy from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Zack, and special guest Loren DeJonge Schulman discuss President Trump's trip to Asia, where his warm feelings for foreign autocrats and refusal to discuss human rights abuses raise real que...
ListenSaudi Arabia's real-life Game of Thrones from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Jenn and Zack talk about the shocking purge in Saudi Arabia, where the country's young and ambitious crown prince has abruptly begun arresting his relatives and seizing billions of dollars o...
ListenThe New York attack reveals ISIS’s plan for survival from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Jenn is back, and she joins Yochi and Zack to talk about what the terror attack in New York says about the true ISIS threat to the US. With ISIS on the run in Iraq and Syria, the sad reality is tha...
ListenWhat were American troops doing in Niger? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Zack, and special guest Loren DeJonge Schulman of the great podcast Bombshell talk about the deaths of four US soldiers in Niger in October, a tragedy at the center of a nasty political figh...
ListenWhat the fight over Kirkuk means for Iraq's future from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack look at why Washington’s two biggest allies in the fight against ISIS are squaring off over the future of Kirkuk, an oil-rich city in northern Iraq. Kurdish fighters took cont...
ListenTrump's risky, pointless plan to undermine the Iran deal without tearing it up from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Jenn, Zack, and special guest Matt Yglesias talk about the Iran nuclear deal and the looming Sunday deadline for President Trump to recertify that Iran is in compliance with the terms of the deal. ...
ListenPuerto Rico’s crisis and the curse of American colonialism from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack look at how the Trump administration’s bungled response to the crisis in Puerto Rico reflects the longstanding challenges facing an island that is neither a full US state (wit...
ListenAngela Merkel won Germany’s election. So did the far-right. from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack look at Sunday’s landmark elections in Germany, which were simultaneously reassuring and deeply alarming. German Chancellor Angela Merkel won a fourth term, which means she’ll...
ListenTrump took his America First act to the UN from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
On a special episode of Worldly, Yochi, Jenn, and Vox defense reporter Alex Ward look at Donald Trump’s big first speech to the UN, where the president said the US would “totally destroy” North Kor...
ListenBurma was a democratic success story. Now it’s the site of ethnic cleansing. from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack look at the growing human rights catastrophe in Myanmar, where Nobel Peace Prize-winner Aung San Suu Kyi is doing nothing to stop her country's military from mounting a brutal...
ListenWhy more sanctions won’t convince North Korea to give up its nukes from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack look at why decades of US economic sanctions haven’t stopped North Korea’s nuclear program — and why the Trump administration’s new ones probably won’t, either. They examine h...
ListenWhy a Mideast peace deal seems further away than ever from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack ease out of the summer with a look at the one of the most complicated, explosive, and genuinely fascinating issues in the world: the decades-long fight between Israel and the ...
ListenWhy Trump doubled down on America’s forever war from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack look at Trump’s decision to send more troops to Afghanistan despite spending years calling for a US withdrawal, why it’s impossible to truly defeat the Taliban, and the sad re...
ListenThe Philippines’s popular president is murdering thousands of his own citizens from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack and Jenn are joined by Worldly’s first guest host, Vox senior reporter Dara Lind, to discuss President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines — an abrasive populist leader whose year-long war on d...
ListenIs Kim Jong Un more rational than Donald Trump? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Yochi, Jenn, and Zack discuss whether Kim Jong Un is more rational and easier to predict than Donald Trump, the dangers of having senior administration officials openly contradicting each other on ...
ListenHow scared should we be of North Korea's nukes? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
On the newest episode of Worldly, Vox.com’s foreign policy podcast, Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about how worried we should be about North Korea’s nukes, what it means that one of the most reclusive...
ListenWe’re finding out what happens when no one runs US foreign policy from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
On the newest episode of Worldly, Vox.com’s foreign policy podcast, Yochi, Jenn, and Zack talk about why President Trump is at war with his own attorney general and national security adviser, what ...
ListenWhy Trump has stuck with the Iran deal he hates from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
On this episode of Worldly, Vox.com’s new foreign policy podcast, Yochi Dreazen, Jennifer Williams, and Zack Beauchamp talk about why President Trump won’t rip up the Iran nuclear deal that candida...
ListenISIS’s caliphate is falling. Now what? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
On the fourth episode of Worldly, Vox.com’s new foreign policy podcast, Yochi Dreazen, Jennifer Williams, and Zack Beauchamp focus on the fight against ISIS, what will happen now that it’s losing i...
ListenWhat could go wrong when Trump meets Putin? A lot. from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
On the third episode of Worldly, Vox.com’s new foreign policy podcast, Yochi Dreazen, Jennifer Williams, and Zack Beauchamp dig into the high stakes and high risks surrounding President Trump’s his...
ListenWhy North Korea is scary, comical, and horrifying — all at the same time from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
On the second episode of Worldly, Vox.com’s new foreign policy podcast, Yochi Dreazen, Jennifer Williams, and Zack Beauchamp dig into the tragic case of Otto Warmbier, the US citizen who died after...
ListenThe US is getting scarily close to a shooting war with Russia in Syria from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
On the first episode of Worldly, Vox.com’s new foreign policy podcast, Yochi Dreazen, Jennifer Williams, and Zack Beauchamp dive into the potential for a US-Russia conflict in Syria, the dangers of...
ListenIntroducing: Worldly. Foreign policy wonks, unite! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
We live in a confusing time, bombarded every day with news stories from around the world that can be hard to follow, or fully understand. Let Worldly be your guide. Every Thursday, senior writer Za...
ListenLost in Transition from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Jenn, Alex, and Jen talk about the stalled transition process from President Trump to President-elect Biden. They discuss the possible national security implications and what Trump’s refusal to acc...
ListenIf Joe wins from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Jenn, Alex, and guest host Jen Kirby — who will be filling in for Zack while he’s on paternity leave — talk about what a Joe Biden victory would mean for the world. At the moment of taping, Biden i...
ListenFrance, Islam, and free speech from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Jenn and Alex discuss the recent terror attacks in France that have occurred amid a national and international uproar about cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed and President Emmanuel Macron’s stance t...
ListenAmerican democracy, hacked from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex put the upcoming American elections in global context. They explain why long polling lines and gerrymandered districts are very much not the norm among advanced democracies and...
ListenNigeria’s bad cop ring, Thailand’s playboy king from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about two huge ongoing protest movements: demonstrations against police violence in Nigeria and against monarchical privilege in Thailand. The team breaks down the Special...
ListenIs Trump bringing peace to the Middle East? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the “peace deals” between Israel and two Gulf states, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. They explain what’s in the agreements, how they happened, and why Trump i...
ListenThe new politics of energy (ft. Daniel Yergin) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex are joined by a special guest — eminent energy politics expert Daniel Yergin — to talk about the way that the shale revolution and rise of renewables are changing global politi...
ListenTrumped-up intelligence from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss a striking new whistleblower complaint about US intelligence under Trump from DHS official Brian Murphy. They run through a series of examples of twisting intelligence,...
ListenEurope’s second coronavirus wave from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the second Covid-19 wave hitting Spain — and to a lesser extent, Europe in general. They break down the specifics of what happened in Spain: how too-fast reopenings ...
ListenHow Donald Trump sees the world from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex move from Biden’s foreign policy to Trump’s — examining the record the incumbent president has racked up in his first term and what might happen if he wins a second. They debat...
ListenHow Joe Biden sees the world from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex take the Democratic National Convention as an opportunity to talk about Joe Biden’s foreign policy. They go deep into his long and seemingly contradictory record as a policymak...
ListenVaccine nationalism from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Alex and returning guest Jen Kirby talk about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claim that Moscow has developed a coronavirus vaccine. They discuss how Russia skipped several safety steps and how ...
ListenThe last safeguard against nuclear war is about to fall from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
To mark the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about an alarming series of recent US withdrawals from nuclear arms control agreements. They explain the history ...
ListenNo troops for you from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Jenn and Alex discuss the Trump administration’s controversial decision, formally announced this week, to move forward with a plan to withdraw nearly 12,000 troops from Germany. Critics from both p...
ListenThe moral urgency of the Uighur crisis from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the Chinese government's systematic detention of tens of thousands of Uighur Muslims in concentration camps, where many are subjected to torture, brainwashing, and o...
ListenIsrael was going to annex the West Bank. It didn't. from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the stalled Israeli plan to unilaterally annex parts of the West Bank. The deeply controversial move was supposed to take place on July 1, but at the last minute Prime ...
ListenThe end of Hong Kong from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack and Jenn talk about China's new national security law in Hong Kong, a ploy by Beijing to seize more control of the semi-autonomous city. They explain how the law vacates Hong Kong’s democratic...
ListenIs Trump letting Putin get away with murder? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack and Jenn break down the growing scandal surrounding intelligence reports that Russia paid bounties to the Taliban to attack US troops in Afghanistan. They walk through the evidence so far that...
ListenNorth Korea blows up the peace process — literally from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack and Alex cope with Jenn’s absence by talking about one of their favorite topics: North Korea. In recent weeks, North Korea ramped up military tensions with South Korea and literally blew up th...
ListenDon't buy John Bolton's book. Listen to this podcast instead. from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex go through the published excerpts from and quotes of John Bolton’s new book — a tell-all about his time as Trump’s national security adviser. They talk about the most shocking ...
ListenThe statues are coming down from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex continue last week’s conversation about the ongoing global reckoning surrounding race, this time focusing on the movement to remove controversial statues. In several Western co...
ListenHow the world sees the George Floyd protests from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the global impact of the anti-police violence protests in America. They talk about large solidarity protests across Europe, explaining why and how they’re such a big de...
ListenA Very British Scandal from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Alex and Jenn are joined by returning guest Jen Kirby to discuss the political scandal roiling the UK, in which a top political adviser to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Dominic Cummings, got caught...
ListenHydroxychloroquine and the dangers of "medical populism" from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the global spread of the idea that hydroxychloroquine can treat coronavirus. Americans know it as Trump’s favorite drug, but the idea actually started with a famous ...
ListenA new “cold war”? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the idea of a US-China “cold war” — a notion that’s been around for a while, but has become super popular since the coronavirus has turned into a blame game between ...
ListenWorst. Invasion. Ever. from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the bonkers story of a botched invasion attempt of Venezuela, reportedly led by a group of US-based mercenaries. They explain the truly bizarre backstory of the head me...
ListenOtherworldly from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
The Worldly team takes a break from the coronavirus doom and gloom to talk about some other big news: the Pentagon’s confirmation this week that it has, in fact, filmed at least three instances of ...
ListenTwo continents, one coronavirus time bomb from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the coronavirus situation in sub-Saharan Africa and South America, two regions that have so far been mostly spared the worst of the virus. They explain why experts s...
ListenW.H.O. is to blame? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about Trump’s plan to freeze US funding for the World Health Organization (WHO), ostensibly in retaliation for its failures in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak. ...
ListenNo one has the coronavirus answer from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
The Worldly team looks at efforts at reopening in East Asia, including Wuhan, China, and argues that the early data suggests this might be premature — that Singapore and Hong Kong are experiencing ...
ListenA coronavirus “coup” in Hungary from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex explain how coronavirus is causing a global crisis for democracy — starting with Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orbán assumed dictatorial powers thanks to a legislature ...
ListenThe other global coronavirus epidemic: Denial from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss a striking pattern in countries around the world — their leadership’s denial about the threat posed by coronavirus. They show how denial helped the disease spread out o...
ListenThe US-China coronavirus blame game from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss Trump’s offensive insistence on calling the coronavirus the “Chinese virus” — why it’s both an attempt to deflect domestic political blame and part of a much broader ge...
ListenEvery country for itself from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex record an episode on coronavirus from their respective homes, under self-isolation. They talk about the politics of Trump’s ban on European travel to the US and explore why the...
ListenTrump and the Taliban make a deal from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the historic US-Taliban peace agreement that was just signed as a first step toward ending the war in Afghanistan. They discuss the terms of the deal, the serious ob...
ListenOne of the worst crises of Syria’s civil war from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about perhaps the single worst humanitarian crisis in Syria’s civil war — the ongoing situation in Idlib, where 3 million people are trapped in a province under assault by...
ListenThe debate didn’t cover foreign policy. So we did. from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the 2020 Democratic field’s positions on foreign policy — which were weirdly under-discussed in the most recent debate. They set up a spectrum, with Bloomberg on the...
ListenCould coronavirus collapse Chinese communism? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack and Alex talk about the politics of the coronavirus outbreak in China — why the Chinese government botched the initial response, why Chinese citizens are so angry about it, and the reasons why...
ListenMini. Nuclear. Weapons. from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the Trump administration’s decision to put a mini nuclear weapon on a US submarine for the first time. They explain what a mini-nuke actually is, the reasons for this d...
ListenThe dark logic of Trump’s Israel-Palestine “peace plan” from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex are joined by the Middle East Institute’s Khaled Elgindy to discuss the Trump administration’s new Israel-Palestine peace plan. They break down what’s actually in the proposal,...
ListenHacking Jeff Bezos from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack and Alex are joined by Weeds cohost Matt Yglesias to talk about the Saudi crown prince’s seemingly brazen hack of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos — by personally texting him a video that cybersecurity e...
ListenThe entire Russian government just resigned from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the recent resignation of Russia’s entire government — yes, you read that right. Guest Andrea Kendall-Taylor, a Russia expert at the Center for a New American Securi...
ListenDid Trump get Iran right? (ft. Sen. Tom Udall) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the US killing of Qassem Suleimani — why it happened, what the Iranian response means, and what the long term consequences might be. Zack and Jenn get into a lengthy...
ListenA very Worldly guide to 2019 — and 2020 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex do a 2019 year in review — each one of them making a choice for biggest US foreign policy story of 2019, while the whole team debates just how important each of these events we...
ListenIndia's assault on Muslim rights — and democracy from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack and Alex are joined by Vox reporter Sigal Samuel to talk about two recent measures in India that, when combined, amount to a plan for stripping citizenship from hundreds of thousands of Muslim...
ListenThat awkward NATO moment from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the viral video of world leaders making fun of Trump at the NATO summit — explaining how Trump’s antics threatened the meeting and, somewhat more surprisingly, why t...
ListenToday, Explained: Let's talk about that party in Spain from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Spain's far-right party just won more than 50 seats in its parliament, reminding some of the country's fascist past. Yes, the party is called "VOX". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon...
Listen2020 candidate Michael Bennet explains why Facebook is a national security threat from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
It’s a very special Worldly today, as Zack hosts Sen. Michael Bennet — the first Democratic presidential candidate to appear on Worldly. Their conversation ranges from big picture conversations abo...
ListenCoup in Bolivia? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Jenn, Alex, and special guests Ivan Rebolledo and Zeeshan Aleem talk about whether there was a coup in Bolivia or not. While the military asked President Evo Morales to step down, he had taken step...
ListenIntroducing Reset from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Apple removed an app that had been used by pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong. Turns out that has broad implications for democracy globally. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Reset for f...
ListenArab Spring 2.0? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the massive protests in Iraq and what connection, if any, they might have with similar uprisings in Lebanon and Egypt. While there are major differences, they all sh...
ListenTake the oil from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about Trump’s new Syria policy — sending US troops to protect oil fields and potentially selling the oil to the highest bidder. It’s a really bad idea! Hosts: Zack Beauch...
ListenBrexit, forever? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack and Alex are joined by Vox Brexit expert Jen Kirby to talk the latest on what’s going on in London. Due to some parliamentary “shenanigans” (Jen’s word choice), Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ...
ListenSen. Chris Murphy on why America's Syria failure goes beyond Trump from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Worldly continues its series on progressive foreign policy with one of its leading proponents, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT). A member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Murphy has strongly crit...
ListenRep. Ro Khanna’s vision for a new, “progressive” foreign policy from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), one of the leading minds advocating for a radical rethinking of US foreign policy, sits down with Jenn for a conversation about what a “progressive” foreign policy would look...
ListenHow Italy, Australia, and Britain got dragged into the Ukraine scandal from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the latest news in the Trump-Ukraine scandal — the emergence of related allegations about inappropriate administration requests to the governments of Britain, Italy,...
ListenThe whistleblower complaint: a close read from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex dive into the just-released whistleblower report about Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. They explain what exactly it alleges about Trump and his admini...
ListenWar for Oil from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack and Jenn are joined by Matt Yglesias to talk about the worrying fallout of an attack on Saudi oil facilities this weekend. The United States has blamed Iran for the attack, and President Trump...
ListenWhy the US can’t win in Afghanistan from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack and Alex are joined by Ben Pauker, Vox’s managing editor for news and a longtime foreign correspondent, to talk about the war in Afghanistan — and why the US can’t seem to win it. They discuss...
ListenThe case for foreign policy restraint from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
In this special crossover episode, Weeds host Matt Yglesias talks to Emma Ashford, Research Fellow in Defense and Foreign Policy at the Cato Institute. It's a wide ranging discussion covering every...
ListenBoris's Great British Brexit-Off from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack and Jenn are joined by Vox foreign writer Jen Kirby to talk about UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to “prorogue” Parliament — meaning suspend it for five weeks — during the runup to ...
ListenThe Amazon is on fire from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
In Jenn’s and Alex’s absence, Zack is joined by Umair Irfan, a climate change reporter at Vox, to talk about the wildfires raging in Siberia, Greenland, and — most worryingly — the Amazon rainfores...
ListenIndia’s power grab in Kashmir from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about India’s decision to revoke Article 370 of its constitution, the provision giving special status to the majority-Muslim state of Jammu and Kashmir, a decision that ha...
ListenAre the US and Turkey heading for a divorce? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the tension between the US and one of its major NATO allies, Turkey. The most recent fight is over Turkey’s purchase of a Russian missile system, but that’s emblemat...
ListenBoris and Brexit from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack and Jenn are joined by Jen Kirby, Vox’s chief Brexit correspondent, to discuss the UK’s new prime minister: Boris Johnson. They trace his rise to power, his political persona that is both funn...
ListenMeet the Space Force from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Alex Ward joins The Weeds' Jane Coaston and Matt Yglesias to explain Trump's more-tedious-than-it-sounds plan for military domination of the final frontier. Recommended reading: “Trump really, rea...
ListenA very special relationship episode from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the saga of Kim Darroch, the recently-resigned UK Ambassador to the US. Some of Darroch’s private cables back home, where he referred to President Trump as “inept” (amo...
ListenUnder pressure (Live!) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
The long-awaited Worldly live episode is here! In a taping at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Zack, Alex, and Jenn discuss the notion of “maximum pressure” — a phrase coined to descr...
ListenThe Democratic (foreign policy) debate from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
It’s a Democratic debate special! Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the big foreign policy issue dividing the candidates: whether the liberal international order the United States set up after World ...
ListenHow close are we to war with Iran? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack and Alex break down the past few weeks of worrying news about Iran. They discuss (what seem to be) Iranian attacks on oil tankers, Iran announcing that it was thinking about breaking the terms...
ListenThe fight to save Hong Kong from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the huge protests in Hong Kong that erupted over a controversial amendment to the city’s extradition law — and why the fight is really about protecting the city’s freed...
ListenJamestown: Utopian for Whom? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Nice Try! is a new podcast from Curbed and the Vox Media Podcast Network that explores stories of people who have tried to design a better world, and what happens when those designs don't go accord...
ListenBloodshed in Sudan from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Jenn and Alex explain how months-long protests to oust a brutal dictator in Sudan, once so hopeful, have fallen victim to a bloody repression campaign. After initial peaceful talks, a government-li...
ListenEuropean Dis-union from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Jenn, Alex, and special guest Jen Kirby (who goes by Kirby in our shows) explain the shocking results of the European parliamentary elections. The world's second-largest exercise in democracy produ...
ListenCollusion in Austria from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down how a six-hour video of a far-right party leader drinking in Ibiza brought down Austria’s government. The story involves a fake Russian oligarch’s niece, a far-right...
ListenThe art of trade war from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex examine Trump’s trade war with China, which appears to be back on after negotiations failed to produce a deal. They run through how we got here, what’s happened so far in terms...
ListenSlouching towards an Iran war from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about a scary rise in tensions between the US and Iran in the past week — a (possibly inflated) Iranian plot against American troops in the Middle East, and an Iranian ann...
ListenVenezuela’s phantom coup from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the strange non-coup in Venezuela this week. Juan Guaidó, the parliament leader the US considers the country’s legitimate president, claimed the military was about to o...
ListenTrump is stoking a civil war in Libya from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the recent violence in Libya — where a militia led by strongman Khalifa Haftar is threatening to topple the internationally recognized government. They explain how w...
ListenMaybe collusion, probably obstruction [Special Crossover Edition] from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Ezra Klein joins Zack, Jenn, and Alex in a crossover episode with The Weeds on Robert Mueller’s just-released report. They explain the special counsel's main findings on collusion with Russian elec...
ListenThe end of the two-state solution? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the results of Tuesday’s election in Israel, which are set to give incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a fifth term in office. They explain why his end-of-campa...
ListenBrunei just made gay sex punishable by death from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the wealthy authoritarian nation of Brunei’s horrific new criminal code, in which men who have sex with men can be executed by stoning. They delve into the possible rea...
ListenThe latest Israel Gaza flare-up from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the latest round of fighting between Israel and militants based in the Gaza Strip. They run through how it started, the reasons why it may or may not escalate, and w...
ListenUnderstanding the New Zealand attack from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex delve into the dark far-right echo chamber that seemingly motivated the New Zealand mosque shooter. They talk about the French origins of apocalyptic theories about nonwhites a...
ListenIntroducing Switched on Pop from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Vox takes culture seriously. Our coverage seeks to understand how our cultural touchstones work -- and what they reveal about who we are. That's why we’re excited to introduce you to Switched on Po...
ListenAlgeria’s election, UK’s rejection from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex discuss the big-deal political developments in Algeria — where longtime ruler Abdelaziz Bouteflika has decided not to run for a fifth presidential term. The decision was a big ...
ListenD'oh Canada from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about the major political scandal rocking Canada in which top officials, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, may have pressured the attorney general to rule in favor ...
ListenFour countries, two nuclear crises from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the week’s big nuclear news — the US-North Korea summit in Vietnam and the recent round of hostilities between India and Pakistan. They go over the nitty-gritty of T...
ListenFour songs that help explain the world from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
This week’s show takes all four of our popular Elsewhere music segments and puts them together in one special episode! Zack, Jenn, and Alex take you through a range of different acts: pioneering K-...
ListenBrexit’s biggest hurdle: Ireland from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack and Jenn are joined by Jen Kirby, one of Vox’s foreign affairs reporters, to discuss what has emerged as the biggest hurdle to the Brexit process: the border between the Republic of Ireland an...
ListenHow America’s longest war might finally end from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
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ListenTrump’s intelligence failure from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down a new intelligence report that directly contradicts President Trump’s views on key policy issues from ISIS to climate change. The report caused Trump to blast his ow...
ListenVenezuela has two presidents from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the political crisis in Venezuela — a country in economic free fall where two men are each claiming to be the sole legitimate president. They run through 20 years of...
ListenBollocks to Brexit from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
This week, Zack, Jenn, and Alex break down the UK parliament’s very big, very bizarre week of voting. On Tuesday, Parliament rejected Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal by a huge margin; on W...
ListenIndia vs. Amnesty International from 2020-10-01T18:09:51
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about Amnesty International’s decision to suspend operations in India — the only other country in which the human rights watchdog has done so besides Russia. They explain ...
ListenIndia vs. Amnesty International from 2020-10-01T18:09:51
Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about Amnesty International’s decision to suspend operations in India — the only other country in which the human rights watchdog has done so besides Russia. They explain ...
ListenThe four words that will decide impeachment from 2019-10-19T04:00
This was the week of confessions. Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney admitted to a Trump administration quid quo pro with Ukraine, with cameras rolling. EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland c...
ListenIntroducing: Worldly. Foreign policy wonks, unite! from 2017-06-15T13:47
We live in a confusing time, bombarded every day with news stories from around the world that can be hard to follow, or fully understand. Let Worldly be your guide. Every Thursday, senior writer Za...
ListenIntroducing: Worldly. Foreign policy wonks, unite! from 2017-06-15T13:47
We live in a confusing time, bombarded every day with news stories from around the world that can be hard to follow, or fully understand. Let Worldly be your guide. Every Thursday, senior writer Za...
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