Vox's Worldly

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 guest Umair Irfan to explain the connection between this heat wave and climate change, and then talk about what we’ve seen this summer as a harbinger of the global disruptions to come as the earth continues to heat up. For Elsewhere, they talk about some rare good news that you may not have heard — the formal end to the 20-years-long conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Zack explains authoritarian stability via a Jurassic Park reference, Jenn gets super excited about collective action problems, and Alex somehow manages to turn the conversation back to North Korea. Umair’s Vox piece mentioned by Jenn about why heat waves are so dangerous. Report talking about sleep detecting air conditioners. Piece mentioned by Alex where a Japanese meteorologist talks about high temperatures becoming the norm. A good piece explaining

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 President Vladimir Putin. They dig into the Justice Department’s indictment of 12 Russian military intelligence operatives, which came out just before Trump went to Helsinki, and another indictment announced the day of the Helsinki meeting targeting a Russian woman named Maria Butina who allegedly plotted to infiltrate the NRA. For Elsewhere, they look at the unrest in Nicaragua, which has killed some 300 people. Zack tells everyone how to pronounce “Guccifer,” Alex celebrates having gone to the same school as a Russian spy, and Jenn wishes she could dye her hair “red like Mother Russia.” We didn’t go deep into the actual press conference this episode, but if you want to read more about America’s geopolitical suicide, Zack wrote a great piece this week. Alex explained why we didn’t just give things up to Russia — we al

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 Putin. Trump has openly criticized the NATO military alliance and said he wants a better relationship with Russia. But Alina, an expert who studies Europe and Russia, argues the NATO alliance is actually in a lot better shape now than it has been in years. Jenn gets really excited about exclamation marks, Alex makes his debut as an official member of the Worldly crew, and Alina compares Trump’s treatment of NATO allies to an abusive relationship. Links! Here's a primer on NATO, in case you wanted to go into more depth than our quick overview We talked a lot about Russia's relationship with Ukraine in this episode, and about the Baltics. Here's some reading on both of those situations. Here's what we expected from the NATO summit and a good run down of what's actually happened. Alina also has a really good WSJ write up o

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 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 is fueling the biggest challenge to German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government yet. On Elsewhere, they talk about Mexico’s election of a new president — the leftist anti-corruption crusader Andrés Manuel López Obrador (or AMLO, for short). Zack recounts a visit to the heavily policed Hungarian border fence, Jenn pronounces AMLO’s full name correctly, and Alex does his best Thomas Friedman impression. 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

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 getting caught off guard by big decisions coming from the White House. From Trump canceling military exercises with South Korea to creating a new “space force” to asking the military to prepare to house thousands of immigrant children on US military bases, Secretary of Defense James Mattis seems to be completely out of the loop these days. The gang talks about what that means for Mattis, Trump, and US foreign policy going forward. Jenn imagines Mattis’s inner thoughts, Alex decides that space war is boring, and Loren makes an awesome reference to the Netflix show The Crown.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 buy everything from an iPhone to an air conditioner. The US has imposed tens of billions of dollars worth of tariffs on Chinese imports, Beijing is hitting back, and it’s all heading in a pretty dangerous direction. On Elsewhere, the team says goodbye to Yochi, who’s returning to full-time writing, and celebrates what he’s done for the show. Someone was definitely cutting onions in the studio during the taping of this episode. Throughout the episode, we talk about what a trade war might mean. Zeeshan Aleem wrote a great explainer on this. Jenn walked us through the tariffs back and forth right at the top of the show. You can read more specifics about those tariffs here and here. The Verge also had a great piece about what this might mean for tech manufacturing. More context on the delegation that went to Beijing to ta

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 meeting actually went. They talk about how the US didn’t get very much, while North Korea got exactly what it wanted and more. They also give a somewhat counterintuitive take on how the summit, which led President Donald Trump to cancel US-South Korea military exercises, could actually be good for South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Zack talks about his taste in Batman movies, Jenn gives terrible microwave advice, and Jeff compares North Korean propaganda to Fox News. Our guest, Jeffrey Lewis, is the host of the Arms Control Wonk podcast and the director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies Here’s a good breakdown of the contents of the agreement and some of the winners and losers from this summit. Jenn published a transcript of the summit press conference. We d

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 Elsewhere, they discuss the wild story of how Iceland’s soccer team went from being one of the world’s worst to qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. Zack shares memories of his 5-year-old self playing soccer, Jenn does her best Viking war chant, and Alex makes a bold World Cup prediction. Alex will have a piece out early next week at Vox with lots more details about the summit setup. Keep your eyes peeled. In the meantime, here’s his recent piece about the latest rescheduling of the summit. Zack mentioned that the Washington Post’s John Hudson was kicked out of the Capella hotel. Jenn talked about the complicated dance the US and North Korea have been doing around paying for hotel accommodations. Here’s more on that. Alex mentioned that Kim might be worried about a coup back at home during the summit. Jenn talked about

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 case of a Russian journalist who was reportedly murdered at the hands of the Kremlin only to suddenly turn up alive and well. Yochi name drops Led Zeppelin, Jenn name drops some international relations theory, and Zack spoils the TV version of Sherlock.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 literally as the Worldly crew was sitting down to record the podcast. Trump scrapped the meeting in a strangely personal letter to Kim that alternated between reading like the world’s worst breakup note and threatening to use America’s “massive and powerful” nuclear arsenal against the North. We would put jokes down here but it all happened too fast and we’re still processing. References: Trump’s letter to Kim Jong Un canceling the North Korea summit Here’s a piece with more helpful background on the lead-up to this summit collapse, and a longer C-SPAN clip where Trump answered some questions about his thoughts on the summit. We pulled clips of both National Security Adviser John Bolton and Vice President Mike Pence speaking about the Libya model. Jenn mentioned Pete Hegseth on Fox News suggesting that Kim Jong Un “probabl

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 growing threat from Iran. On Elsewhere, they look at Vladimir Putin's recent opening of a $4 billion bridge between Russia and the portion of Ukraine that Moscow had conquered and illegally annexed. Yochi stumbles over his Russian pronunciations, Jenn remembers watching beauty pageants as a child, and Zack defends the manliness of truck drivers. References! Yochi went on Today, Explained to give you all the background you need on the events in Gaza. You can also read Alexia Underwood’s explainer for that backstory.   Yochi picked 2014 as a concrete example of past protests held in reaction to Israel-Palestine tensions. Jenn walked through some of the smaller protests we saw this time around. She also talked about protests in Iran that weren’t related to the events in Gaza. A more in-depth look at “Linkage theory,” whi

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 allies and potentially set the stage for a new Mideast war. Israel and Iran started trading blows within a day of Trump's decision, and the situation could quickly get worse as American friends and enemies adjust to the new reality Trump has created. Yochi compares economic sanctions to football, Zack offers a hot take for the ages, and Jenn says the technical term for a trade war is "some real shit." Zack’s big explainer about what it means that we’ve withdrawn from the Iran deal … and some more context in a quicker form from Alex Ward. Yochi quoted Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s statements on the recent strikes. Here’s more background on that quote. As Jenn mentioned, we touched on some of the implications of an Iran-Israel war last episode. Alex also has a great piece on this that touches on the recent s

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 conflict with Iran is threatening to explode into a new Mideast war. On Elsewhere, they discuss the Ukrainian government’s abrupt decision to stop cooperating with the Mueller probe after Trump agreed to sell the country advanced US-made missiles. Yochi awards Paul Manafort the gold medal in the Trump Corruption Olympics, Jenn insists ledgers are “sexy,” and Zack busts out some Latin. Links: We spent the first part of the episode discussing this powerpoint speech from Netanyahu, but you can watch it in full here. You can also watch Netanyahu’s full Fox and Friends interview. Zack wrote a piece about that interview, if you’d like some more background and context. We reference it a few times in the show. And here’s Zack’s piece about the IAEA report that already documented a lot of the things covered in Netanyahu’s prese

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 celibate." On Elsewhere, they talk about how French President Emmanuel Macron used an official visit to Washington to charm President Trump in private and then bash him subtly in public. Zack explains black pills, Dara says there's a cheat code for Donald Trump, and Yochi can't shake the mental image of Trump brushing dandruff off Macron's shoulder. References! Throughout the episode, we’re drawing on Zack’s explainer on incel. Here’s a good breakdown of Monday’s attack and how it unfolded. Zack mentioned that Reddit banned the first incel forum. Here’s some more information about that. Yochi talked about school shooters emulating the Columbine shooters, and the ways research around that topic might apply here. This New Yorker piece walks through that research. The response to Elliot Rodger written by the father of o

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 about setting aside the belligerent rhetoric and having a historic face-to-face summit between Donald Trump and Kim. There’s no guarantee the meeting will happen, or that the two men will strike a deal. One thing is clear, though: The diplomatic push is the biggest and riskiest gamble of Trump’s entire presidency. Yochi tries to quote Jenn’s colorful language and fails, Jenn says “shit kickin’” like a true Texas girl, and Zack says a lot of funny stuff that got cut in editing. Links! The Washington Post piece that Jennifer referenced breaking the news that Pompeo met with North Korean leadership Yochi wrote a piece about what a war with North Korea would look like. Spoiler: It’d be grim. Yochi mentioned Zack’s piece about Trump’s policy contradictions Zack mentioned that National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster was some

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 war. On Elsewhere, they talk about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who just cruised to reelection despite (or perhaps because of) his anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, and at times anti-Semitic rhetoric. Zack shows off his knowledge of Emerson, Yochi mocks Bashar al-Assad’s unusually long neck, and Jenn decides it’s okay to body-shame a genocidal dictator. Show Notes! -The war in Syria, explained. -For more background on Syria, listen to the latest Today, Explained primer. -Yochi mentioned photos that make Aleppo look like Leningrad after WWII. -Zack mentioned “siege, starve, and surrender” as a strategy. Here’s a lot more context on that. -Jenn talked about the ways Russia and Assad spin the narrative around chemical weapons attacks. -More reading on the Russian nerve agent attack in the UK that Yochi mentioned, an

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 Elsewhere, they turn to Malaysia, which just passed the world’s first law banning “fake news” — clearing the way for journalists to be imprisoned if they anger the government. The Malaysian law is the latest and strongest example of how President Trump’s rhetorical war on the American media is spurring other world leaders to wage a literal one. Zack sings the Law and Order theme song, Yochi recalls a trip to Gaza City, and Jenn offers a creative idea for a new CSI spin-off. References: Jenn's explainer on the violence at the Gaza-Israel border US envoy Jason Greenblatt's comments on Hamas State Department's comments on Hamas Jeff Goldberg's conversation with Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman NYT piece on Malaysia's 'fake news' ban  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 appointment of incoming National Security Adviser John Bolton increases the risks of war with North Korea and Iran. Trump spent his first year in office surrounded by officials preaching policies of relative restraint, but those advisers have been pushed out and replaced with ones who want the US to tear up the Iran nuclear deal and prepare for war with North Korea. Yochi talks about knife fights, Zack confuses everyone by making a Meghan Trainor joke, and Dara sings the praises of sexy alliances.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Trump ignored them and did so anyway. On Elsewhere, they talk about Venezuela's decision to take a page from the Bitcoin playbook and develop the world's first state-run crypto currency, the petro, and why Russia may soon roll out one of its own. Alexia shows off her Arabic accent, Zack deftly uses the phrase "fiat currency," and Yochi marvels at the possible creation of the phrase "crypto-ruble."  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 how far they — or the Trump administration — are willing to go in response. On Elsewhere, they talk about how a French far-right party tried to rebrand itself to hide its racist and anti-Semitic history, but wound up adopting the name of an infamous group that cooperated with the Nazis during World War II. Zack shows off his French, Jenn thinks “Le Google” is a thing, and Yochi bids a fond farewell to former Secretary of State Rex “Mr. Charisma” Tillerson.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices