American Prestige

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News - U.S. and Iran Exchange Fire, Pentagon Raises Israeli Spy Threat, Jihadist-Rebel Alliance Pressures Mali Jun 12, 2026

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The World Cup is upon us, so Danny and Derek are showering visiting players with crocheted NATO flags. In this week’s news: Israel and Iran exchange fire (0:59), with Netanyahu possibly defying Trump (3:16); Iran and the U.S. also trade blows as the ceasefire comes into question (6:11); the IDF is preparing a new Gaza offensive (14:56); Afghanistan and Pakistan engage in more border clashes (17:11); Mali’s junta is pressured by a jihadist-rebel alliance (18:36); Ukraine uses a new cruise missile, targeting infrastructure in and around Crimea (21:50); Germany kills Europe’s Future Combat Air System program (24:40); Bolivia’s anti-austerity protests approach a turning point (27:25); Armenia elects Pashinyan’s party and Peru sees a tight presidential runoff count (29:03); the U.S. considers buying the Chagos Islands (33:19); Trump threatens the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal (36:27); the American president also looks to downsize the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (37:53); and the Pentagon raises its Israel counterintelligence threat level (40:26).

Note: After recording, Trump backed out of further Iran strikes.

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E252 - Hondurasgate and U.S. Power in Latin America w/ José Luis Granados Ceja Jun 09, 2026

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Danny and Derek welcome to the show José Luis Granados Ceja, head of the Latin America desk at DropSite News, for a conversation about the Hondurasgate scandal and U.S. policy in Latin America. They talk about the leaked audio files of the scandal, Juan Orlando Hernandez’s pardon, Marco Rubio’s influence, Cuba, Israel’s role in the region, Honduras’s place in U.S. empire, the Latin American right, and more.

Read José’s piece “Hondurasgate: Key Leaked Audio Files, Revealing U.S. Intervention in Honduras, Found Authentic "With Moderate Confidence."

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Special - Iran Retaliates as Israel Escalates in Lebanon (Preview) Jun 08, 2026

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Danny and Derek talk about Iran’s strike on Israel and the risk of a wider regional war, covering Israel’s bombing of Beirut, Iran’s retaliation, Trump’s effort to prevent Israeli escalation, the U.S.-Iran negotiations, and more.

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Bonus - Political Capitalism and Trumpism w/ Dylan John Riley (Preview) Jun 07, 2026

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Danny and Derek welcome to the podcast sociologist Dylan Riley for a conversation about political capitalism, Trumpism, and the crisis of American capitalism.

They talk about debates over the falling rate of profit and the long downturn; what shapes the capitalist crisis; the rise of asset price inflation, monopolization, and financialization; whether AI and data center investment represent a new bubble; corruption in the second Trump administration and how it fits into political capitalism; and more.

Read Dylan’s piece co-authored with Robert Brenner in New Left Review, “The Long Downturn and Its Political Results.”

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News - U.S.-Iran Escalation, Israel Expands Lebanon Campaign, CIA Feuds With Intelligence Chief w/ Kate Mackenzie and Tim Sahay Jun 05, 2026

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There’s too much Knickerbocker news to fit here, but we do have other stories to report. This week: Iran and the U.S. exchange fire in the Gulf (2:00), plus peace talks stall after Trump adds new demands (4:29); Israel escalates its Lebanon campaign despite ceasefire talks (08:33); Cambodia takes a Thailand maritime dispute to the UN (15:19); in Sudan, tribal clashes kill dozens in South Darfur (17:38); Ukraine strikes St. Petersburg during the city’s International Economic Forum (20:13); Germany loses a UN Security Council vote (21:54); Colombia’s first-round election results see the right gain momentum (24:04); U.S. sanctions hit Cuba-linked hotels (26:36); and Tulsi Gabbard resigns as the DNI faces a CIA feud (29:11).

Then, Kate Mackenzie and Tim Sahay , co-editors of The Polycrisis, join the show to explain how the climate crisis, Chinese clean-tech, U.S. policy, and the Iran war are accelerating a global shift away from fossil fuels.

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Unlocked: The China Consensus and Trump's Xi Meeting w/ Jake Werner Jun 03, 2026

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We unlocked this episode so that everyone could hear this great interview with Jake Werner on China. To get more AP discussions like this, subscribe now!

Danny and Derek are once again joined by Jake Werner, director of the East Asia Program at ⁠the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft⁠, this time to talk about the development of the U.S. consensus on China. They delve into the neoliberal engagement with China, the 2008 financial crisis, Xi Jinping’s response, Trump’s first-term China policy, and the Biden administration’s approach. They then analyze Trump’s meeting with Xi Jinping, tariffs, rare earths, Taiwan, Iran, and the prospects for stabilizing U.S.-China relations.

Read Jake’s piece “An Opening for a New US–China Economic Relationship.”

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Originally released May 17, 2026

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E251 - Disneyland: Cold War Factory w/ Roland Betancourt Jun 02, 2026

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Danny and Derek speak with Roland Betancourt, Chancellor's Professor of Art History at UC Irvine, about Disneyland and the rise of automation in the U.S. They talk about Walt Disney’s move from animation to theme parks, the relationship between amusement parks and industrial production, Cold War technology and Southern California, Disney’s use of automation and control, labor in the theme park, Disney World and Epcot, and more.

Grab your copy of Roland’s book Disneyland and the Rise of Automation: How Technology Created the Happiest Place on Earth.

Don't forget about our weekly livestream, tomorrow night at 8pm ET over on our YouTube channel!

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Special - U.S.-Iran Diplomacy and the War in Lebanon w/ Trita Parsi (Preview) Jun 02, 2026

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Danny and Derek welcome back to the show Trita Parsi, co-founder and executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, to talk about U.S.-Iran negotiations and the status of the war. They delve into ceasefire talks, Israel’s attack on Lebanon, Iranian concerns about U.S. reliability, sanctions relief, the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s regional position, the Abraham Accords, and Tom Barrack’s newly expanded role in Syria and Iraq.

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Bonus - Great Powers and the Multipolar World w/ Anusar Farooqui (Preview) May 31, 2026

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Danny speaks with Anusar Farooqui about the finer points of the emerging multipolar world. They discuss the idea of Iran as a great power, spheres of influence, China and the future of East Asia, the role of India and the European Union in global politics, and more.

Follow Anusar’s work at ⁠Policy Tensor⁠.

Read Danny’s piece that they debated, ⁠“Power Without Ideology.”⁠

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News - Israel Escalates Lebanon Strikes, Taiwan Arms Sale Stalls, Bolivia Protest Crackdown w/ Anthea Gordon May 29, 2026

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The AP UFC dome is regrettably being held up by Producer Jake’s HOA. In this week’s news: an update on the U.S.-Iran talks and U.S. airstrikes near Bandar Abbas (1:11); Trump demands new Abraham Accords signatures and threatens Oman over Strait of Hormuz fees (4:46); Israel escalates attacks and pushes displacement further north in Lebanon (11:39); Israel kills Hamas commander Mohammed Odeh (14:38); Gaza’s Board of Peace lacks pledged funds (15:31); Trump pauses a Taiwan arms sale due to the Iran war depleting stockpiles (16:43); the RSF prepares an offensive in North Darfur, plus Sudan’s military prepares an offensive in Blue Nile (18:37); U.S. airstrikes kill civilians in Somalia (20:28); Russia threatens new strikes on Kyiv (22:03); Bolivia faces a protest crackdown (24:18 ); Tulsi Gabbard resigns as director of national intelligence (26:12); and Derek speaks to Anthea Gordon, GiveDirectly’s country director for the Democratic Republic of Congo, about the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo and the challenges complicating the response (28:56).

⁠Help Ebola-affected families in the DRC⁠.

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