George W. Bush's presidency was defined by leadership in the crucible of crisis. From the ashes of September 11 to the financial meltdown of 2008, he made decisions that reshaped America's role in the world . Today, as the nation again confronts deep divisions and global uncertainty, his legacy offers a sobering lesson: leadership in difficult moments demands clarity of purpose, even when the path is contested.

The debates over Iraq and Afghanistan continue, and history's verdict remains unsettled . Yet what endures is the reality that presidents must act amid imperfect information, and that the consequences of those actions echo for decades. We should study Bush not to lionize or condemn, but to understand how conviction and consequence are inseparable in the American presidency.

Guest Info: Professor Russell Riley, co-chair of the Miller Center’s Presidential Oral History Program, is the White Burkett Miller Center Professor of Ethics and Institutions. He is one of the nation’s foremost authorities on elite oral history interviewing and the contemporary presidency. He has logged more than 1,500 hours of confidential interviews with senior members of the White House staff, cabinet officers, and foreign leaders back to the days of the Carter and Reagan Administrations. Since 2003, he has led both the William J. Clinton Presidential History Project and the George W. Bush Presidential Oral History Project.

We look at France’s 2027 presidential race—a vote that matters because the next president inherits a debt exceeding 120% of GDP and the impossible task of reforming pensions without triggering a social explosion.

Marine Le Pen is running again, despite a criminal conviction for embezzling public funds. She remains eligible after an appeals court reduced her ban from office. What makes her different is not just the MAGA-style defiance she now performs—treating legal constraints as persecution—but her emphasis on working-class economic protection over the economic liberalism of her own party president, Jordan Bardella. She is running as the candidate of the “forgotten,” while promising to appoint Bardella as prime minister.

Meanwhile, US-France relations are fraying. Washington has stalled the approval of France’s ambassador nominee, retaliating for French criticism on human rights and trade. A Le Pen presidency would likely deepen that rift.

This is a campaign where criminal convictions, class resentment, and transatlantic distrust collide.

Guest Info: Dr. Renaud Foucart is a senior lecturer at the Department of Economics at Lancaster University Management School, and an associate fellow of the OPGDI (Oxford University) and ECARES (Université libre de Bruxelles)

As 2028 approaches, the buzz around AOC grows louder. But is she truly ready for the big stage? While her star power is undeniable, her radical track record remains a liability. From defending "Defund the Police" to calling for ICE abolition, her baggage would energize opponents and fracture the Democratic base, reminding voters she is a creature of the progressive internet, not a unifier . Her recent pivot from "Woke 1.0" feels less like growth and more like a strategic, inauthentic rebrand .

Meanwhile, on foreign policy, the next administration must be serious. The US-Brazil relationship is at a low point, with Lula facing re-election amid growing tension. The US has revoked visas and imposed tariffs, but cannot afford more clumsy intervention . The playbook is simple: show respect for Brazil's sovereignty and resist the urge to meddle. The goal should be stability, not scoring political points.

Guest Info: Professor Kurt Weyland is Mike Hogg Professor in Liberal Arts in the Department of Government, University of Texas at Austin.

These days, we’re peeling back the layers of the modern political hegemony—a system supposedly built on free markets, yet increasingly defined by asymmetry. While the West champions rules-based order, the reality on the ground is a playing field that isn't level; trade imbalances aren't just economic statistics, they're geopolitical weapons.

And then there’s the wildcard: the Trump doctrine. In an attempt to recalibrate, he’s wielding tariffs like a sledgehammer where a scalpel is needed. But here’s the miscalculation—by alienating allies and underestimating the resilience of rival blocs, he isn't fixing the system; he’s accelerating its fracture. He’s fighting yesterday’s war with tomorrow’s debt, mistaking isolation for strength. The result? A chaotic decoupling that hurts the very working class he claims to champion. Stay tuned as we dissect who really wins—and who loses—in this new Cold War trade saga.

Fifty years ago, Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace, yet his ghost haunts every ballot box today. Why study a disgraced president? Because Nixon perfected the playbook: weaponizing voter fraud claims to delegitimize outcomes, all while his own campaign sabotaged peace talks. He proved that election integrity isn't just about ballots—it's about public trust. For today's GOP, Nixon is a warning: cry wolf too loudly, and you undermine the very democracy you swear to protect. History doesn't repeat, but it echoes. And this echo? It's a siren. Let's heed it.

Today, we’re crossing borders to explore a radical idea: celebrating death. In Mexico, *Día de los Muertos* isn’t a funeral—it’s a colorful, noisy homecoming. The belief? Death is the ultimate equalizer, and mocking it with laughter and sugar skulls is the ultimate act of life-affirming bravery. But Mexico isn't alone. In China, during *Qingming* or the Hungry Ghost Festival, ancestors are feasted and honored, not mourned in silence. Both cultures see death not as an ending, but as a continuation of relationship—a cosmic check-in. It begs the question: If we celebrated our end, would we live more meaningfully? Perhaps the meaning of life isn't found in avoiding death, but in dancing with it. Let’s dive in.

Guest Info: Mr. Jesus Seade, Ambassador of Mexico to China.

Today, we’re diving into the escalating crisis between the US and Iran. With the Strait of Hormuz all but closed and global prices spiking, one key question dominates: why should Iran, or anyone, trust Trump? He’s already torn up the nuclear deal, openly says he doesn’t want a deal, and has even claimed the Strait of Hormuz is "US territory" . This isn't just bluster; it’s about control. The Strait is the world’s key energy chokepoint, and the debate over it isn’t really about shipping—it’s about who holds the economic and military leverage in this standoff. Let's unpack the real power play.

Guest Info: Professor Jamsheed K. Choksy is a Distinguished Professor, former Chair of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, former Chair of the Department of Central Eurasian Studies, and current Director of the Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center at Indiana University - Bloomington.

We’re looking at a critical tension in Beijing: a crackdown on wasteful spending that may be doing more harm than good. The central government's austerity campaign, aimed at curbing corruption and cutting government excess, has in some areas become so heavy-handed that officials are afraid to dine out or even be seen buying coffee.

This is politically concerning because local overzealous enforcement has been warned against by state media for damaging public life and local economies. Economically, the concern is deeper: as China tries to stimulate domestic consumption, these actions risk choking the very service sector and consumer confidence needed for recovery. The next step for the general economic standard must be precision over blunt force—reining in corruption without strangling legitimate economic activity and ensuring reform focuses on efficiency, like the fiscal changes seen in Beijing's recent budgets.

Guest Info: Professor Ning Leng is an Assistant Professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University. Dr. Leng specializes in the political economy of China and Global China, and the institutional effects of authoritarianism.

Her work on domestic China includes publications on the motivations, methods, and outcomes of state control over businesspeople, academics, and government officials. Her work on Global China includes public opinion of China in the Global South, the Chinese government’s view of the Global South, and China’s legal influence in South America. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in journals including Comparative Political Studies, Review of International Organizations, and The China Quarterly, among others.

In the episode, we’re tackling the crisis quietly unfolding in American legal education. Applications are plummeting, and for the first time in decades, law schools are fighting over a shrinking pool of talent. But is this just about cost, or is something deeper happening?

We’re seeing campuses transform into political battlegrounds—where admissions, hiring, and even curriculum are being scrutinized through a hyper-partisan lens. The Socratic method is being sidelined for activism, and institutional neutrality is a thing of the past. As the schools lean left or right, they risk alienating half the country and producing graduates ill-prepared for a fractured profession.

The future of law? It’s fragmented. Corporate firms are hiring coders over clerks, and public interest is drowning in debt. Is the JD still worth it? Today, we separate the politics from the precedent.

Guest info: Professor Paul Campos is a law professor, author and blogger on the faculty of the University of Colorado Boulder in Boulder. Campos received his A.B. and M.A. in English from the University of Michigan and in 1989 his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.

Today, we're looking at North Korea that is fundamentally redefining itself. With Kim Jong-un enshrining his nuclear command in a new constitution and formally abandoning the dream of peaceful reunification, Pyongyang has declared South Korea a permanent enemy. This shift is deeply concerning for both Beijing and Moscow, but for different reasons. For China, it risks destabilizing a critical buffer zone and drawing the U.S. deeper into its periphery . For Russia, it's a strategic partnership that provides military support for its war in Ukraine while challenging U.S. influence. So, how should the West react? Sanctions remain the primary tool, but their effectiveness is waning as Pyongyang leans on its new allies.

Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on a troubling geopolitical reality: the deepening alignment of China, Russia, and Iran. This isn't the Cold War 2.0—it's something more agile and dangerous. These powers are systematically challenging the post-Western world order, leveraging economic dependency, energy blackmail, and information warfare to erode democratic resilience from within. Their goal isn't just influence; it’s systemic disruption. So why is this concerning? Because they are betting on Western impatience and division. They believe our democracies lack the stomach for a long-term contest. To win this race, the West must pivot from reaction to strategy: fortify supply chains, achieve energy independence, and rebuild a unifying narrative about freedom and rules. The race isn’t just military; it’s economic, technological, and ideological. And it’s happening now.

Guest Info: Dr. Brendan Simms is the founder and Director of the Centre for Geopolitics. He works on European geopolitics, past and present, and his principal interests are the German Question, Britain and Europe, Hitler’s global anti-semitism, Humanitarian Intervention and state construction. He is the author of this amazing book "The Return of the Great Powers."

Today, we're looking at a quiet but powerful shift happening right now—how China is making bigger economic and cultural waves around the world, and why we should care. The numbers are clear: China is the only nation in the top 10 of Brand Finance's Global Soft Power Index to see its score rise this year . From blockbuster video games like *Black Myth: Wukong* and global brands like Shein, to AI platforms like DeepSeek, Chinese culture and tech are winning global attention .

But here's what's often missed. This isn't just about China's rise—it's about the West's retreat. Western aid cuts and policies are leaving a gap in the Global South, from Africa to Southeast Asia . As one analysis put it, these policy decisions are "contributing to greater Chinese influence" . We need to ask: is the West losing the global south not because of what China is doing, but because of what the West has stopped doing?

Guest Info: Dr. Marcus Vinicius De Freitas is a Visiting Professor at the China Foreign Affairs University (Beijing), a Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South (Rabat), and a former Visiting Fellow of Practice at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. He holds degrees from the University of São Paulo, Cornell Law School, and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His research focuses on international political economy, China–Global South relations, strategic competition, digital sovereignty, and global governance. A frequent contributor to international newspapers, policy journals, and academic forums, his work examines the structural transformations shaping the transition towards a multipolar international order.

Today, we're tackling a critical question: why should we pay attention to women in politics? The answer is simple—because when half the population is shut out of leadership, we all lose. Right now, only one in seven countries is led by a woman, and progress has stalled . But that's only half the story. Women leaders aren't just being sidelined—they're under attack .

From targeted online abuse and deepfakes in Uganda , to a former MP in Ghana being shot at her father's home , the message is clear: women in power face a level of intimidation that their male counterparts simply don't. And yet, they keep fighting, because studies show that when women lead, countries become healthier, more prosperous, and more peaceful.

Guest Info: Linda Robinson is senior fellow for women and foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) where she writes about women’s political and economic leadership, the relationship between gender equality and democracy, technology-facilitated violence, and current international affairs. Her latest book, Women in Power: Fighting for Democracy in an Age of Authoritarianism, spotlights the current cohort of women political leaders and tells the powerful stories of the women on the frontlines of the battle between democracy and authoritarianism.

As the October presidential election heats up, Brazil's Lula da Silva is striking a defiant tone against Donald Trump. Unfazed by new U.S. tariffs, Lula has declared he’ll fight back with a "war of truth," warning Trump’s protectionist measures are a "strategic mistake" that will hurt both economies . Lula insists he doesn't want a fight, but he won't accept external pressure .

Meanwhile, Lula's political future looks promising. Polls consistently show him leading his main rival, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, in a potential runoff for the October election . With Lula framing the U.S. trade pressure as foreign interference, it's becoming a central theme in his bid for reelection.

Guest Info: Dr. Marcus Vinicius De Freitas is Senior Fellow at Policy Center for the New South, focusing on International Law, International Relations and Brazil, and is currently a Visiting Professor of International Law and International Relations at China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing, China. Previously, he was a Professor of The Armando Alvares Penteado Foundation in Sao Paulo, where he served as the coordinator of their International Relations Program from December 2012 until December 2013.

We’re starting with major developments out of West Africa. According to U.S. media reports, the Trump administration is actively weighing direct military action in Mali against the al-Qaeda-linked group JNIM, following a deadly attack that killed over 50 Malian soldiers this month . If approved, it would mark the eighth nation targeted by U.S. strikes under the current administration.

But the move is sparking intense internal debate. While a top counterterrorism official is pushing for action, others are wary of the risks—including potential friction with Russian military forces on the ground .

So, is this solely about counterterrorism, or is a larger geopolitical chess match unfolding in the Sahel? We’ll break down the administration's calculations and the real possibility of collaboration with local forces in today's deep dive.

For our Sunday special interview, we invite Mr. Richard Vague, author of the amazing book called "The Banker Who Made America: Thomas Willing and the Rise of the American Financial Aristocracy 1731-1821," to join our show, regarding who Thomas Willing was, how much contribution that he made towards the American financial stability during the independence periods. Vague will answer the question if our current political uncertainties can learn from Willing.

Guest Info: Richard Vague brings a wealth of expertise and experience to the speaking stage, making him an exceptional choice for your event. Author of several influential books including "The Paradox of Debt" and "The Case for a Debt Jubilee," he offers a fresh perspective on macroeconomics and policy exploration. His extensive background in business history, "An Illustrated Business History of the United States," adds depth to his insights into economic trends.

Today, we’re more than two years into the grinding war in Ukraine—a conflict that has reshaped Europe’s borders and tested its unity. While Ukraine has shown incredible resilience, the battlefield reality is stark: artillery shortages, air defense gaps, and troop fatigue are giving Russia the upper hand. So, the question isn’t just about more weapons—it’s about smarter security.

What if a stronger, more coordinated security alliance could change the game? Imagine pooled intelligence, shared logistics, and joint training that turns scattered aid into a seamless defense network. That’s not NATO—yet—but it could be a European-led pillar that fills the gaps, standardizes ammunition, and speeds up decision-making. For Ukraine, that means predictable support, not month-to-month survival.

And that’s why more EU nations must step up—not out of charity, but out of self-interest. Russia’s war is a direct threat to European stability. Every extra artillery shell, every Patriot system, every fighter jet sent now shortens the war and deters future aggression. Hesitation only emboldens Moscow. The cost of inaction—in refugees, energy crises, and shattered borders—will dwarf today’s investments.

Guest Info: Dr. Sergiy Korsunsky is a Senior Adviser at the Nihon Cyber Defense Co., Ltd. He served as Ambassador of Ukraine to Japan in 2020-2025. Prior to that he served as Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine in 2017-2020. He holds a diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. Ambassador Korsunsky’s previous positions include: Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey (2008-2016), Director-General of the Economic Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2006-2008); Minister-Counselor and Acting Ambassador at the Embassy of Ukraine in the USA (2000-2005).

Today, we’re looking beyond the headlines to understand the machinery of modern China. While Western narratives often focus on geopolitics, the real story is on the ground in developing nations. We’ll explore how Chinese private enterprises—not just state giants—are building ports, digital infrastructure, and supply chains that are rapidly industrializing the Global South. But here’s the catch: this system operates on a different logic. It’s pragmatic, long-term, and does not always conform to Western ideals of transparency or governance. This creates a perception gap that leaves the West confused, often misreading influence as coercion. Join our guest, Eric Olander, as we decode the economic reality, the private players driving it, and why the West keeps missing the point.

Guest Info: Eric Olander is the co-founder of the China Global South Project, an independent, non-partisan media initiative dedicated to exploring every facet of China’s engagement in Africa. Eric is a fluent Mandarin-speaker and a longtime China-watcher with more than 25 years of journalism experience at many of the world’s leading media companies, including CNN, the BBC, and FRANCE24, among others.

President Trump's latest NATO visit left many asking a pointed question: why can't Europe seem to stand on its own? While the meetings were billed as a diplomatic success, the underlying reality is a continent grappling with a massive military and economic identity crisis. European nations are finally committing to historic defense spending hikes, yet they remain tethered to American security guarantees. Meanwhile, the economic shifts are undeniable—as the EU pushes for strategic autonomy, the trade imbalances between the U.S. and its allies are only widening. The real tension beneath the handshakes? A growing frustration that America is no longer willing to subsidize Europe's defense while managing crises like Iran alone. As NATO tries to project unity, the financial and military power dynamics are quietly shifting beneath the surface.

Guest Info: Dr. Marcus Vinicius De Freitas is a Visiting Professor at the China Foreign Affairs University (Beijing), a Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South (Rabat), and a former Visiting Fellow of Practice at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.

This week, the spotlight was on President Trump, as President Trump made his long-awaited return to NATO. While the meetings were initially tense, the final communiqué revealed a surprising outcome: a renewed commitment from European allies to boost defense spending, signaling a potential thaw in transatlantic relations. However, while the diplomatic handshakes eased tensions in Europe, the shadow of conflict looms large in the Middle East. The war of words with Iran continues to intensify, with the administration hinting at a tougher stance amidst stalled nuclear negotiations. As NATO solidifies its unity, the question remains—can diplomacy hold the line against escalating military threats in the Gulf? We break down the president’s European swing, the fragile peace with Iran, and what it all means for global security.

Guest Info: Professor Jamsheed Choksy is a Distinguished Professor, former Chair of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, former Chair of the Department of Central Eurasian Studies, and current Director of the Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center at Indiana University - Bloomington.