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News - Lula Wins Fourth Term, Serbian Students Defeat Ruling Party, U.S. Prepares to Escalate Iran War Oct 30, 2026

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Danny and Derek considered helping Flavio Bolsonaro mount a political comeback here in the States, but cut ties on the advice of Danny's psychic. In this week’s news: Israel's election leaves Netanyahu without a parliamentary majority (1:41); Lula wins Brazil's presidential runoff and Flávio Bolsonaro flees Brazil for the United States after his defeat (8:53); Serbia's student-led opposition topples the ruling party (14:33); the United States and Gulf states pursue a new peace initiative with Iran as the United States prepares for another military campaignafter the midterms (18:35); a Sudanese military drone strike kills more than 100 people in Nyala (23:55); Turkey hosts talks between Libya's rival governments looking toward reunification (26:01); in the Russia-Ukraine war, Zelenskyy announces peace talks in Abu Dhabi for November (28:50), the two countries observe a local ceasefire near Oleshky to allow humanitarian aid (29:56), and the Trump administration considers major sanctions relief for Russia (32:21); Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado returns to the country (34:50); and apparent cyberattacks disrupt refrigeration systems at U.S. military bases (37:41).

Listen to our full special on the election in Brazil with Andre Pagliarini.

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E272 - Halloween Origins w/ Eleanor Janega and Luke Waters Oct 28, 2026

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Eleanor Janega and Luke Waters, co-hosts of the We’re Not So Different podcast and our collaborators onWelcome to the Crusades (Season 2 out now!) are on the show to help tell the story of Halloween. They explore Halloween's Christian (and possibly pagan) origins, medieval beliefs about death and purgatory, ghosts and the Protestant Reformation, the origins of costumes and jack-o'-lanterns, its commercialization and global spread, and the rise of sexy Halloween costumes.

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Welcome to the Crusades: The Second Crusade - E2 Oct 27, 2026

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Please enjoy the first two episodes of the second season of⁠ ⁠Welcome to the Crusades⁠⁠, our collaboration with⁠ ⁠We're Not So Different⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠Purchase both seasons now⁠⁠.

Episode 2: Mosul, 1146

Two years later, as the Crusaders build up power and alliances in Europe, the Zengid Dynasty of Mosul suffers a massive setback when Zengi, its founder, is assassinated. We take a deep look at how the Muslim forces in the region responded to their loss during the First Crusade, the centralization efforts of Zengi and his son and successor, Nur al-Din, the continued deterioration of the Fatimids, and the state of the Second Crusade’s ultimate destination: Damascus.

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Welcome to the Crusades: The Second Crusade - E1 Oct 27, 2026

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Please enjoy the first two episodes of the second season of Welcome to the Crusades, our collaboration with We're Not So Different⁠. Purchase both seasons now!

Jerusalem, 1144

The Second Crusade begins in the Levant with Raymond of Poitiers and others calling out to Rome and the Catholic Church for a new crusade to avenge the loss of the County of Edessa to the Muslim forces of Zengi. We will discuss how all the major Christian players in the region, including the Crusader States, Byzantines, and Catholic Church have fared in the four decades since the end of the First Crusade.

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Special - Lula's Victory in Brazil w/ Andre Pagliarini (Preview) Oct 27, 2026

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Danny and Derek speak with historian Andre Pagliarini about Lula's surprise reelection in Brazil. They talk about Lula's campaign comeback, the Bolsonaro family's political future, the incoming right-wing Congress, Brazil and Latin American politics, its relations with the United States and China, the Amazon rainforest, and the future of the Brazilian left.

Read Andre’s books Claiming the Nation: The Politics of Nationalism in Modern Brazil and Lula: A People's President and the Fight for Brazil's Future.

Don't forget to pre-order the second season of our collaboration with Eleanor Janega and Luke Waters, ⁠Welcome to the Crusades: The Second Crusade⁠, premiering Tuesday, October 27! Use promo code CRUSADES15 for 15% off of the second season. (Offer valid through TOMORROW, 10/27.)

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Bonus - Ukraine and Modern Warfare w/ Anatol Lieven (Preview) Oct 26, 2026

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Danny and Derek welcome back to the program ⁠Anatol Lieven⁠, director of the Eurasia Program and Andrew Bacevich Chair in American Diplomatic History at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, for a discussion about the status of the war in Ukraine and the evolving nature of modern warfare. They talk about the military situation in Ukraine, Ukrainian and Russian public opinion, Trump's approach to the conflict, obstacles to a negotiated peace, frozen Russian assets, the impact of drones and missiles on warfare, military spending and the defense industry, and the implications for American military power and a potential conflict over Taiwan.

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News - U.S. and Israel Plan Iran Strikes, Ansar Allah Hits Saudi Arabia, Mass Protests Sweep France Oct 23, 2026

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Neera Tanden has not yet posted a tirade about AP, and we’re starting to take it personally. In this week’s news: the U.S. and Israel prepare for renewed strikes against Iran after the midterms (1:07); an Ansar Allah/Houthi missile strike kills at least 73 people at a military camp in Yemen, while continued attacks force Saudi Arabia to cancel a major investment conference and Pakistan, Britain, Egypt, and France offer defensive support to the kingdom (8:00); Israeli settlers assault an American journalist and attack European diplomats, while Israeli forces detain dozens of volunteers in the West Bank (15:13); North Korea announces the resumption of anti-South Korean loudspeaker broadcasts amid unverified rumors that Kim Jong Un has died (19:14); drone strikes kill hundreds in Sudan (22:31); Ethiopia establishes a new interim administration in Tigray (25:05); the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to spread (27:10); Ukraine resumes attacks on Russian oil refineries, angering Trump (29:43); Steve Witkoff meets with Zelenskyy and Putin as the U.S. restores intelligence support for Ukraine (30:51); Russia signals a possible return to peace talks (32:38); massive protests over the high cost of living sweep France (37:39); and Haitian armed groups abduct four Salvadoran soldiers, prompting El Salvador to threaten military action (41:08).

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E271 - Muskism w/ Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff Oct 21, 2026

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It’s Tech Day here at AP, so Danny and Derek speak with Quinn Slobodian, professor of international history at Boston University, and writer Ben Tarnoff, co-authors of Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed, about Elon Musk's role in contemporary capitalism. They discuss Fordism and Muskism; the influence of apartheid South Africa on Musk's approach to production; his vision of AI and human-machine integration; the political significance of his acquisition of Twitter; DOGE's expansion of government data collection and immigration enforcement; and the potential for regulating or replacing Big Tech.

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Bonus - Ethiopia and Eritrea on the Brink of War w/ Mohamed Kheir Omer (Preview) Oct 19, 2026

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Derek welcomes back to the program Horn of Africa political analyst Mohamed Kheir Omer for a conversation about renewed fighting in Ethiopia and the risk of a wider regional war. They talk about the collapse of the Pretoria Agreement, the TPLF's new rebel alliance, the Ethiopian military's advance in Tigray, Eritrea's involvement in the conflict, Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed's pursuit of access to the Red Sea, Ethiopia's role in Sudan's war, and the influence of Egypt, the UAE, and the United States.

Read Mohamed’s piece for Al Jazeera, “Ethiopia’s new rebel alliance faces an old problem.”

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News - Ethiopian Forces Near Eritrea, Israel Demolishes Southern Lebanon Towns, Two Commercial Ships Attacked Near Hormuz Oct 16, 2026

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Metallica says they stay out of politics, so Danny and Derek are reassessing their approach to the show. In this week’s news: Navi Pillay wins the Nobel Peace Prize, angering Trump (3:51); Ansar Allah strikes Saudi airports and oil facilities (7:58) while fighting continues on multiple fronts in Yemen (11:35); attacks on commercial ships escalate near the Strait of Hormuz (13:45), and the U.S. prepares a new bombing campaign against Iran (15:59); Israeli forces kill at least eight people in Gaza on the first anniversary of the “ceasefire” as the Palestinian Authority postpones elections until at least September 2027 (19:12); in southern Lebanon, Israeli forces demolish dozens of towns and villages (22:22); China’s trade surplus grows at a record pace (24:04); Egyptian drone strikes kill at least 72 gold miners in Sudan (25:43); Ethiopian forces advance toward the Eritrean border (28:20); former Congolese president Joseph Kabila forms a new rebel coalition with M23 (31:38) as the country’s Ebola outbreak surpasses 9,000 confirmed cases (33:27); Trump suspends sanctions on Russian diesel exports and clashes with Zelensky (34:24); Trump declares a Russia-Ukraine energy ceasefire that fails to take hold as Ukraine reports several days without Western intelligence on Russian airstrikes (37:40); Ukrainian forces report temporary restrictions on Starlink service (38:52); and the U.S. seeks control of frozen Russian assets held in Europe (43:07).

Don’t forget to pre-order Welcome to the Crusades: The Second Crusade with promo code CRUSADES15 for 15% off. Offer is valid through October 27!

More of Danny’s work at Imperialist Realism.

More of Derek’s work at Foreign Exchanges.

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