Duane's World

Thank you all for a wonderful 2+ years here in the public podcasting world. As you might have heard in recent episodes, we struck a deal with Salem to bring Duane's World exclusively to the Hughniverse . The show streams live Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4pm PT / 7pm ET. We hope to see you there! Watch this message here .

Ships are moving through the Strait of Hormuz, Trump's 10-day deadline expires April 6th, the Saudis are rerouting crude through pipelines, and a dozen IRGC commanders have been eliminated in 48 hours. Plus, why The Bulwark's "America lost" take is dead wrong — and James Lileks closes things out with the final public Top 10 Dumb Things. Watch this episode here . This show moves to the Hughniverse...

Senator Jim Talent returns for the penultimate public edition of Duane's World to break down where the Iran campaign stands at the five-week mark. With 13,000 targets hit, missile launches down from 170 to 3, and the defense industrial base obliterated, the conversation shifts to Phase Two — regime pressure, oil leverage, Strait of Hormuz negotiations, and Trump's pursuit of a deal. Plus, the Sena...

Trump reveals Iran handed over a fleet of oil tankers as a "gift" — worth an estimated $3 billion — as back-channel negotiations continue with a 10-day deadline now on the clock. Plus: Trump's extended call-in to The Five , what the CIA told him about Khamenei's whereabouts, the Democrats vote against the very voter ID bill their leader said they supported, and of course, James Lileks is in the ho...

Jim Talent of the Reagan Institute's Center for Peace Through Strength returns to break down the reported 15-plank ceasefire proposal being presented to Iran, what Trump's negotiating posture looks like four weeks into the campaign, and why the terms amount to unconditional surrender. Plus, the Democrats' ICE-at-the-airports gambit backfires spectacularly, and CNN flips its Iran narrative in under...

Day 21 of the Iran campaign. Qatar boots Iranian diplomats, European navies quietly show up, and a French sailor blows his carrier's position on Strava. Oil markets fracture, Marines deploy from Pendleton, and 83% of Republicans back the mission. Plus Trump's Pearl Harbor joke, Stephen A. Smith on CA election law, the show's move to the Hughniverse in April, and of course James Lileks is back for...

Jim Talent joins to cover week three of the Iran campaign and the SAVE Act hitting the Senate floor. On Iran: bunker busters hit coastal missile sites, protests erupt across Tehran, and the Kharg Island strike looks like checkmate. On the Senate: the SAVE Act clears 51-48, Thune fills the amendment tree, and the filibuster math still doesn't work. Plus, Leon Panetta gets a reality check and Patty...

The latest from Operation Epic Fury, including U.S. casualties, a midair tanker collision over western Iraq, and the ongoing mystery of Iran's missing Supreme Leader. Plus, a pundit gets demolished on mine countermeasures, and China tells Iran to stand down. And of course, Lileks is here for The 10 Dumbest Things Said This Week. Watch this episode here .  (00:00) - Part I (00:55) - An announcement...

Day 10 of Operation Epic Fury and the Iranian regime is on life support — maybe literally. Jim Talent breaks down why this war ends in weeks, not months, and what happens if the regime falls. Also: media malpractice from London to CNN, a $300B refinery in Texas, and why the SAVE Act can't clear 60 votes. Editor's note: Due to a (now-fixed) technical issue with Duane's webcam, this episode is audio...

SecWar Hegseth and Admiral Cooper laid it all out at CENTCOM — and the message is simple: Iran hasn't seen anything yet. Plus, the Five Eyes lose one, the USS Charlotte gets a kill, 53 Democrats pick a weird hill to die on, and of course – James Lileks is in the house for yet another round of The 10 Dumbest Things Said This Week. Watch this episode here . (00:00) - Part I (00:55) - Week 1 of the I...

Five days into Operation Epic Fury, Iran has no navy, no air force, and a revolving door of dead defense ministers. Sen. Jim Talent walks through the American interests at stake, the global ripple effects on Russia and China, and why this won't become another forever war. Plus, Marco Rubio takes on the press corps and threatens to unleash Chang. Watch this episode here . (00:00) - Part I (00:55) -...

Iran talks fail after three rounds as Tehran rules out dismantling nuclear facilities. Sen. John Kennedy explains why this isn't a new war — it's finishing one that's been going 47 years. Plus, Hillary Clinton's Epstein deposition, Democratic SOTU behavior, and the Top 10 Dumb Things with James Lileks. Watch this episode here . (00:00) - Part I (00:55) - SOTU recap (03:17) - Iran talks collapse, u...

With carrier groups on station and the Gang of Eight freshly briefed, the Iran clock is ticking. We preview the SOTU, dissect the Democratic meltdown, and explain why Leader John Thune can't do what everyone keeps demanding. Watch this episode here . (00:00) - Part I (02:33) - Democrat SOTU boycott (04:39) - Iran and the SOTU address (20:01) - Iran military buildup (23:37) - Talent breaks down Ira...

The Left spent months certain Epstein would end Trump. Instead it's The View scrambling, Prince Andrew arrested, and Bill Clinton keeping quiet. U.S. women's hockey wins gold in stunning fashion, plus a breakdown of why Trump's voter ID push — and Newsom's response to it — tells you everything about 2028. And of course we have James Lileks with us for The 10 Dumbest Things Said This Week. Watch th...

Jim Talent on why a U.S. strike on Iran is closer than most want to admit — and who Trump is actually talking to when he issues ultimatums. Plus the Munich embarrassment, Democratic pension raids in New York and Washington state, and the Colbert equal-time stunt that CBS itself called a lie. Watch this episode here . (00:00) - Part I (00:55) - Iran military buildup overview (06:20) - Jim Talent on...

Newsom spends billions he doesn't have, Trump gives Iran a month, and Democrats skip town mid-shutdown. Plus, The 10 Dumbest Things Said This Week with James Lileks ! Watch this episode here . (00:00) - Part I (00:55) - California fire rebuild disaster (05:27) - Newsom's Planned Parenthood payday (10:12) - Billion-dollar fire lawsuit advances (13:30) - Trump's one-month Iran warning (19:08) - SAVE...

Jim Talent breaks down Trump's Iran negotiation leverage, why the SAVE Act can't pass the Senate, and the real midterm strategy the GOP base needs to hear. Plus: Trump on Kudlow, and Haviv Rettig Gur stands up to anti-Semites. Watch this episode here . (00:00) - Part I (02:10) - Iran tensions: Khamenei's absence & the simmer (08:45) - Trump on Kudlow: carriers, leverage & the deal (10:05)...

Karen Bass plays the race card. Newsom celebrates a concrete bridge to nowhere. And California Dems might jungle-primary themselves out of the governor's race. It's that kind of week. Plus, James Lileks is here for this week's Top 10 Dumb Things. Watch this episode here . (00:00) - Part I (03:10) - - Karen Bass fire records scandal (09:13) - - California jungle primary: Two Republicans could advan...

Sen. Jim Talent breaks down how Speaker Johnson threaded the needle on government funding with a two-vote margin, why Democrats' ICE hostage play is destined to backfire, and what Iran's real options look like now that their proxies are gone and American carriers are parked offshore. Plus: Don Lemon gets arrested, goes on Kimmel to complain about intimidation tactics, and apparently doesn't own a...

While eight WaPo reporters beg Jeff Bezos not to fire them, here's what they're not covering: the US has assembled an armada, Iran's regime has killed 95,000 protesters, and go time may be this weekend. Plus: Batman at city council and The 10 Dumbest Things Said This Week with James Lileks . Watch this episode here . (00:00) - Part I (00:55) - Iran buildup: assets in place, targets ready (14:45) -...

The biggest story in the world is building toward a climax. Jim Talent walks through the Iran situation: IRGC officials relocating underground, Israeli reserves on standby, regime finances collapsing. Plus: Trump quietly won on Greenland, Cuba's on life support, and Democrats used to be part of the 80% on immigration. Watch this episode here . (00:00) - Part I (00:55) - Trump's Greenland deal &amp...

The Greenland deal is coming together and it's everything Trump needed: sovereign bases, rare earth minerals, and a frozen-out China. JD Vance delivers in Minneapolis, Trump stays coy on Iran, and Gavin Newsom accidentally fact-checks Scott Jennings. Plus: James Lileks and the 10 Dumbest Things Said This Week. Watch this episode here . (00:00) - Part I (00:55) - VP Vance in Toledo & Minneapoli...

The Iranian regime is cracking—importing foreign fighters because their own IRGC won't pull the trigger on protesters. Two carrier groups are en route. Jim Talent unpacks what's building in the Gulf, celebrates Speaker Johnson's extraordinary UK address, and contrasts it with the constitutional illiteracy coming from Democratic governors and AGs. Watch this episode here . (00:00) - Part I (00:55)...

91,000 tons of American strength heads to Iran as the "fake play" theory gains traction. In Minneapolis, Mayor Frey wants police fighting federal agents. In Beijing, Canada's PM makes nice with the ChiComs. And on TMZ, a reality star gets a civics lesson. Plus, Lileks is back in the house for another round of The 10 Dumbest Things Said This Week. Watch this episode here . (00:00) - Part I (00:50)...

Iran is in crisis. The regime is broke, the people are in the streets, and Trump has a decision to make. Jim Talent joins to break down the most pivotal week in Middle East policy in decades — plus the Supreme Court takes on trans athletes in sports, the House preps a second reconciliation bill, and Ro Khanna (D-CA) proposes something genuinely insane. Watch this episode here . (00:00) - Part I (0...