Vox's Worldly

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 overthrow actual President Nicolás Maduro in a Tuesday video — and then nothing happened. The Worldly crew discusses how we got here, what this could mean, and the US role in all of this. On Elsewhere, they do the show’s first dive into art history, looking at a poster from Germany’s far-right party that prominently features a 19th-century Orientalist painting. Links: Alex has an explainer on how the Guaidó-Maduro standoff began. Here’s the Guaidó video with English subtitles, and the video of protesters being run over. Alex also explains the Guaidó video and how it kicked off a week of protest and chaos. The full Patrick Shanahan and John Bolton tweets, and Mike Pompeo on Fox Business. America’s spotty record in Latin America, briefly explained. Here’s why Trump’s Venezuela envoy, Elliott Abrams, doesn’t have the m

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 we got to this point, and the depressing role President Donald Trump is playing in all of this. On Elsewhere, they talk about a major dustup between the Philippines and Canada over (literal) garbage. Zack has trouble defending Canada, Jenn breaks down the word “warlord,” and Alex refers to Muammar Qaddafi as a “sunglasses icon.” References: Here’s some background on the 2011 Libya intervention and why it went poorly. ISIS took over a city in Libya. As Jenn pointed out, the fighting over Tripoli has led to at least 220 deaths. Here’s the evidence that Haftar is implicated in atrocities and war crimes. This Council on Foreign Relations backgrounder highlights Haftar’s supporters. According to the White House, Trump spoke with Hafter. Bloomberg reports that Trump gave Haftar a green light to attack Tripoli (the White

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 election interference and on obstruction of justice and why they aren’t good for Trump. Then they zoom out and talk about what this whole episode reveals about the health of American democracy and how this gives a green light for Russia and other authoritarian powers to intervene in future US elections. Given how important this report is, and how early they got up to cover it, your intrepid hosts were too tired for jokes this week — sorry. The full text of the report, compiled by Alex for your reading pleasure A refresher on who's who in the Trump-Russia universe Here's a look at the collusion section of the report from Zack Here's another take from Zack on Attorney General William Barr's worrying role in all of this Ten examples of potential obstruction in Mueller's report How 11 legal experts evaluate the claims o

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-campaign promise to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank is such a big deal and how his desperation to wriggle out of corruption charges could lead to this explosive proposal becoming a reality. Zack explains that people don’t like being in jail, Jenn’s disturbingly lengthy commute is revealed, and Alex compares the Israeli legislative process to player trades in fantasy baseball. References: Zack wrote about the Israeli election results and what it could mean. Vox also has a good explainer on the indictments threatening Netanyahu. Here’s Netanyahu promising to annex the West Bank. Netanyahu’s likely coalition could help repel indictment while he’s prime minister. Finally, take a look at Zack’s short explainer on the West Bank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 reasons Brunei’s sultan is adopting this code, explain how it’s rooted in a very particular and regressive interpretation of Islamic law, and then zoom out to talk about the international reaction — both the necessary organizing to put pressure on the government of Brunei and the ways in which the law is being used in the West to tar Muslims as a whole. On Elsewhere, they talk about the potential closure of the island of Komodo to tourists because people keep stealing Komodo dragons, and then implore Worldly listeners not to keep massive poisonous lizards as pets. Jenn invents the phone number 1-800-Allah, Alex compares religions to apps, and Zack uses the word “dang.” The BBC has a great explainer on the Brunei law and what it all means. The New York Post goes into detail on the “sex-obsessed world” of Brunei (and yes

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 what it tells us about the perpetual state of instability on the Israel-Gaza frontier. On Elsewhere, they talk about the EU’s move toward banning Daylight Saving Time — and yes, there is a Brexit tie-in. Jenn and Zack ask “who among us” hasn’t accidentally fired off a rocket, and Alex explains his abuela’s extremely strong opinions on time changes. Alex has an explainer on the recent fighting between Israel and Gaza. Rockets from Gaza usually target parts of Israel’s south. As Zack noted, the Israeli military assessed that the first rocket attack toward Tel Aviv was a mistake. Polling shows Gantz’s party has a slight lead over Netanyahu’s. Jenn noted the indictments plaguing Netanyahu. An expert told Alex that Netanyahu would respond forcefully but “within reason.” The Gaza Strip faces many problems, including pro

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 and Muslims overrunning the West, how those ideas went global, and how Islamophobic nationalists are locked in a cycle of violence with jihadists. On Elsewhere, they answer some more listener Brexit questions — looking specifically at how Scotland and the broader EU are thinking about the UK’s impending break with Europe. Zack shows off his recollection of offensive Steve King quotes, Jenn continues her tradition of doing horrible accents from the UK, and Alex claims all Brexit questions can be answered in three words. Vox’s Jane Coaston has a great breakdown of the white nationalist rhetoric in the shooter’s manifesto. We discuss works by Jean Raspail and Renaud Camus in the context of the shooting. Our former Vox colleague Sarah Wildman also interviewed Camus. We referenced two specific tweets. First, one from Rep.

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 Pop. It's a podcast that digs into the cultural context and musical theory of pop music, and it's now part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. In this episode, you'll meet hosts Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding. You'll hear some of their favorite interviews, as they pull back the curtain on how pop hits work their magic. You can subscribe to Switched on Pop wherever you get your favorite shows.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 victory for a protest movement in the authoritarian country, but now nobody knows who’s going to be running Algeria in the near future. On Elsewhere, they continue answering listener questions about Brexit, this time focusing on questions about Russian interference and the real reasons why so many Brits wanted to leave the EU to begin with. Zack ponders European cheese regulations, Alex puns on the name Arron Banks, and Jenn talks about Britain’s (formerly) “rockin’ economy.” Links! Alex has an explainer on the Algerian protests which you can read here Bouteflika gave in to protesters by stepping down Protesters worry the canceled elections may be a stalling tactic You can follow updates of all the recent Brexit votes here Russia intervened in the Brexit election via Twitter bots US intelligence agencies openly

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 of a powerful Canadian company facing criminal charges. For Elsewhere, the crew answers some of your burning questions about Brexit: What happens if there’s no deal, and why doesn’t Britain just have another vote on Brexit? Zack finds an optimistic lesson in the Canadian scandal, Jenn makes her French Canadian grandmother proud, and Alex can’t pronounce “SNC-Lavalin.” Our own Jen Kirby wrote a great explainer on the Canada scandal. Here’s another in-depth read on what a DPA is, and its history in Canada and abroad. Global News published a full transcript of Jody Wilson-Raybould’s testimony.  The CBC has a good breakdown of the key moments in Gerald Butts’s testimony. Here’s another good read about the case the prime minister’s team is making. Zack has written about Trudeau’s squeaky-clean image before.  The T

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 Trump’s somewhat surprising failure to strike a deal with Kim Jong Un, explaining how the talks collapsed, and what it means for the future. Then they talk about why the conflict over Kashmir is flaring up, and just how worried you should be about a war between these two nuclear-armed states. Zack powers through a cold, Alex powers through a North Korea-related lack of sleep, and Jenn makes a fantastic pun on the phrase “peace out.” Here are two articles Alex wrote explaining what happened at the summit. For background, here’s where we were in 2017 and how the first North Korea summit changed everything. Alex’s exclusive on what the deal could have looked like. A full transcript of the summit press conference. Alex mentioned that National Security Adviser John Bolton’s position is very hawkish.  The India-Pa

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-pop artists, a dissident Turkish Marxist band, one of Zack’s favorite British indie artists, and a Nigerian spin on Childish Gambino’s “This is America.” They play a bit of each song and then talk about the important messages they contain about the country they hail from. It’s a little break from the headlines, and a chance to learn about international culture and politics from an angle that the show doesn’t usually take. The Suga song we played, “The Last 마지막” Check on Vox’s Netflix show, which has an entire episode dedicated to explaining K-pop. K-Pop stars are increasingly singing and talking about mental health. But it’s still unusual. Most K-Pop is sanitized after years of censorship. It’s fun, fluffy, romantic but chaste stuff, not things like, “I was afraid of people, so I hid in the bathroom and stared at my

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 and British-controlled Northern Ireland. They go back in time, starting with the 1920s and going forward to the Northern Irish conflict known as “the Troubles,” to examine the reasons why keeping the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland open is so important. They explain how Brexit threatens to close the border, and how this issue is derailing the entire Brexit process. Zack notes that people don’t like walls, Jenn says the phrase “totes not renegotiate,” and Kirby blasts the “butterflies and unicorn” vision for Brexit. Jen Kirby recommends this wonky deep-read on the backstop. Here’s more on Gerry Adams’s role in the Troubles and the allegations that he was directly involved in the IRA’s violent activities … and here’s more on his forthcoming cookbook. Our explainer of the historic vote down that Jen Kirby m

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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 own spies on Twitter, writing that “Perhaps Intelligence should go back to school!” — a shockingly public attack that illustrates just how broken US foreign policy is under Trump. On Elsewhere, the group runs through a medley of interesting topics they couldn’t cover during the month of music segments, a lightning round that ranges from Russian post offices selling beer to a rogue Japanese city mascot. Links: We talked a lot about the most recent Worldwide Threat Assessment report this episode. You can read it in full, or read Alex’s write-up. We dropped in clips of Trump on North Korea, Iran, climate change, Vladimir Putin, and ISIS. This oral history of how Obama and his intelligence officials talked about Osama bin Laden is worth your time. Yes, Trump basically called US spies Nazis one time. The evidence that b

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 Venezuelan history, explaining how a unique economic-political ideology called “Chavismo” brought us to this point, and discuss what could happen next now that the Trump administration has backed one of the men's claims. On Elsewhere, they wrap up the music series with a breakdown of an ingenious Nigerian riff on Childish Gambino’s “This Is America.” Zack doesn’t totally hate something Trump did, Alex goes down a YouTube rabbit hole, and Jenn tries to chart a middle ground for what could happen next in Venezuela. Alex wrote a very thorough explainer on all the goings-on in Venezuela. This piece will give you even more backstory on Hugo Chavez, and the team recommended this explainer on how things went so terribly wrong with the Venezuelan economy.  For more on Maduro taking over after Chavez’s death in the contro

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 Wednesday, they voted to keep May in office despite having just shot down her central policy. The Worldly team breaks down how this could have happened, what it means, and what happens to Brexit next. On Elsewhere, they continue the music series with a focus on one of Zack’s favorite bands — the British indie group Los Campesinos! — and how one of their newer songs reveals some of the social divisions fueling right-wing populism in the West. Zack gets angry about Brexit, Jenn reveals some confusion about “economics,” and Alex cites well-known European politics scholar Katy Perry. Links! Brexit votes this week, explained Zack mentioned that the Bank of England predicts that a No Deal Brexit could be worse for the country than the Great Recession. Jenn mentioned that a second referendum was gaining popularity. Here’s

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 Osama bin Laden, did not face a major uprising during the 2011 Arab Spring — but now is dealing with something similar, an uprising that could topple his regime. On Elsewhere, they continue the series on music, this time discussing a Turkish band called Grup Yorum that has gotten into major hot water with the country’s government. Zack has thoughts on the piccolo, Jenn breaks down Lindsay Lohan’s unlikely Turkish connection, and Alex quotes Heath Ledger’s Joker. References and further reading: If you want to dig deeper into Omar al-Bashir’s relationship with Osama bin Laden, Jenn recommends this book. For more on the Sudanese government’s role in the 1993 WTC bombing, page 121 of this book is a good place to start. The BBC has a very informative Q&A about Darfur. The official ICC page for al-Bashir. Jenn recommends this

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 officials and America’s allies — really wants Trump to do this. For Elsewhere, the crew kicks off a four-part series on how musicians around the world are using their songs to illuminate serious issues in their countries. This week, they discuss a K-pop song that highlights South Korea’s growing mental health crisis. Zack compares a South Korean song to Linkin Park, Jenn blasts Obama, and Alex suggests a slogan for Trump. References: Here’s what you need to know about Trump’s decision to withdraw US troops from Syria. This BBC piece gives a good overview on Obama’s Syria strategy. The Trump administration said it would stay in Syria to keep Iran out. Oops. You can listen to the full clip of Pompeo’s remarks here. Vox made a video about the Kurds and their efforts to create their own state. As Zack noted, Turkey has attack

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 Crisis Reporting. They start by airing Zack’s interview with Ibrar Hussein Mirzai, a young migrant who made the harrowing journey to Hungary from Pakistan, and zoom out to explain how the anti-migration sentiment that made Ibrar’s journey miserable also produced serious political turmoil in Germany. Some parts of this episode are a little out of date. The original ran in July 2018. Links: The man we heard from in this episode, Ibrar, was also featured on NPR. You can hear more from him and see a picture of him in that story. An in-depth look at Merkel’s migrant deal from the New York Times. For more context on the Hungary-Germany relationship, Zack recommends this piece.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices