Pod Save the World

Guangcheng escapes house arrest, but he’s not free yet. Without a real plan or a place to hide, he turns to the US embassy in Beijing. His moves set in motion a diplomatic maelstrom, where top officials from the two most powerful countries in the world negotiate over his fate – and their own.

Tommy and Ben discuss the latest news out of Gaza, including a potential ceasefire deal that would include a two month stop in fighting in exchange for hostages, a look back at Bibi’s rejection of a two-state solution throughout his political career, and the news that the Biden administration is preparing for a sustained military campaign in Yemen. They also talk about the UAE funneling weapons to...

Guangcheng is kidnapped by Chinese authorities and thrown in jail. By keeping him under lock and key, the government hopes to take away his power. But his imprisonment transforms him into a cause and a symbol of dissent in China and across the world. Then after years of detention, Guangcheng decides to try to make an escape. But how and who can he turn to?

Ben and Tommy discuss US airstrikes on the Houthi rebels in Yemen and why they are unlikely to deter them, and provide background and context on the Houthi’s origins and motivations. They also cover the latest in Gaza and frustration with the administration’s refusal to change course after 100 days. Then they discuss the recent spike in gang violence in Ecuador, efforts to prevent Guatemala’s new...

Guangcheng fights his biggest case in China – exposing the brutality of the One Child Policy. This, and a series of public and legal victories in the early 2000s, makes him into an icon in the US and an enemy of the state in China, an unlikely place for a blind man who grew up in a poor village. So how did it all begin? We talk to Guangcheng himself to find out.

It’s 2011. Hollywood A-lister Christian Bale is in China and gets punched in the face by security guards for trying to visit Chen Guangcheng, a local human rights activist under house arrest. It’s all captured by a CNN crew and broadcast across the world. A few months later Guangcheng would escape to the United States. But after you arrive in America as a hero, what happens next?  

Ben and Tommy cover the major developments in the war between Israel and Hamas, including the widening difference between Netanyahu and Biden on post-war planning, increasing criticism of the Israeli war effort within the Democratic Party, and the escalating risks of a regional war with Iranian-back proxy groups like the Houthi rebels and militia groups in Iraq and Syria. Then they discuss Secreta...

What happens when someone becomes a human-rights icon – but then turns out to stand for something else entirely? Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng was locked up for fighting against China’s One Child Policy and suffered years of unlawful imprisonment. In 2012, following a daring midnight escape, he landed in the United States a hero. But that’s only the beginning of his story. Just a few years late...

Tommy and Ben discuss the dire humanitarian situation on the ground in Gaza and the disconnect between the Biden administration’s words and deeds when it comes to protecting civilians in Gaza, including the veto of a UN Security resolution calling for a ceasefire and additional weapons sales to Israel. They also discuss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Washington and plea for more...

Tommy and Ben discuss the latest news from Gaza, including Israeli forces moving into southern Gaza, the Biden administration’s shift from a “hug Bibi” strategy to publicly criticizing Israel, and the ongoing skirmishes between the US military and Iranian proxy forces. They also talk about the latest controversies and accomplishments at the COP28 climate summit, how the UAE is fueling the civil wa...

Ben and Tommy discuss the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas and how the US and Qatar helped broker it, Qatar’s unique role in international diplomacy, the debate over conditioning US aid to Israel, what we know about the Palestinians being released from Israeli prisons, and Elon Musk’s cynical trip to Israel. Then they cover right-wing populist election victories in the Netherlands and Argen...

In a special episode, Tommy and Ben discuss the upcoming COP28 conference in the United Arab Emirates. They speak about the climate summit’s importance, hear from activists from the Pacific Asian community, break down the science behind a 1.5 degree celsius warming, and the cynicism around the large presence of fossil fuel lobbyists and the host country’s oil rich economy. Then, Ben speaks with Jo...

Tommy and Ben discuss the latest news out of Israel and Gaza, including the legality of targeting hospitals, French President Emmanuel Macron’s call for a ceasefire, the growing divide between the US and Israel on long-term governance of Gaza, efforts to rescue the 240 hostages held by Hamas and militant groups, and first-hand accounts from two innocent people caught in the middle of this war. The...

Tommy and Ben talk about where the world stands one month after Hamas’ attack on Israel, including the declaration from Gaza’s health ministry that 10,000 civilians have been killed, Netanyahu’s statement about Israel taking “indefinite” security responsibility in Gaza, Biden’s push for a pause in fighting, and the successes and fails of American diplomacy thus far. They also discuss growing calls...

Tommy and Ben talk about the latest news out of Israel and Gaza, including the Israeli ground offensive, the death of over 3,000 children in Gaza, a rise in anti-semitic incidents around the world, and what a temporary ceasefire could achieve. Then they define some of the terminology being used to describe what’s happening in this current conflict, the need for long-term thinking about what happen...

Tommy and Ben discuss the latest news from Israel and Gaza including the staggering figures of over 5,000 civilians dead in Gaza, the slow pace of aid arrival, the release of four hostages, and they hear the experiences of a woman with five family members kidnapped by Hamas. They also talk about the emotional impact of Biden’s visit to Israel compared to Netanyahu’s response, media organizations c...

Tommy and Ben talk about the breaking news of an airstrike hitting a hospital in Gaza, killing hundreds of staff, patients, and civilians. They also discuss Biden’s upcoming visit to Israel and negotiations around hostage rescue and aid packages, Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s meetings with regional leaders and resistance to taking in Palestinian refugees, new reports on Hamas’ lengthy, detai...

Tommy and Ben talk about the developing situation in Gaza where 1.1 million people have been told to evacuate northern Gaza in advance of an anticipated ground invasion by Israel. Two people on the ground in Gaza explain the logistical obstacles to evacuation and why many civilians have refused to leave. Then Ben and Tommy discuss how Republicans are losing their minds talking about Israel, pro-Pa...

Tommy and Ben talk about the latest from Israel and Gaza, including the Netanyahu government’s policy and intelligence failures, the devastating toll on civilians in Israel and Gaza, questions about hostages and reports that Israel may launch a ground offensive into Gaza. They also cover the varied international response to the attack, the history of Hamas, and conflicting reports about Iranian cu...

In a special episode, Ben and Tommy talk about the deadly terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, how Israel’s intelligence community failed to detect it, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaration that his country is “at war” and what comes next, President Biden’s response, and what this all means for Israel’s political future.

Tommy and Ben talk about the waning support for financing the war in Ukraine, both in the US Congress and in Europe, Elon Musk’s visit to the southern border, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley responds to Trump’s threats, Trump’s former Chief of Staff John Kelly tells CNN about Trump’s disrespect towards veterans, the UN authorizes a mission to Haiti, Canada and India continue their...

Tommy and Ben talk about the foreign policy implications of Senator Menendez’s corruption charges, the Biden administration’s move to grant temporary protected status to Venezuelan migrants and the role of US sanctions in fueling migration, and updates from Ukraine, including attacks on Russia’s Black Sea fleet and Ukraine’s grain supplies. They also discuss Ron DeSantis’s time working at Guantana...

Tommy and Ben talk about Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s accusation that India may have been behind the murder of a Sikh Canadian citizen, the prisoner swap between the U.S. and Iran, the one year anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death, the United Nations General Assembly and lack of world leaders in attendance, and the latest updates on Russia/Ukraine, including rumors of Ramzan Kadyrov’s de...

Tommy and Ben talk about Kim Jong Un’s trip to meet with Vladimir Putin, Viktor Bout’s entrance into local Russian politics, Armenia’s diplomatic shift away from Russia, and a positive development in Nagorno-Kabarakh region. They also dig into an escalation into the economic war between the US and China, allegations about an undercover Chinese spy in the UK parliament, Biden’s trip the Vietnam and...

Ben and guest host Max Fisher talk about the latest headlines on the Russia/Ukraine war, including Putin’s refusal to sign a new grain deal with Turkey’s Erdogan, a rumored visit by Kim Jong Un, more drones in Russian airspace, and a rise in pro-Russian disinformation in Europe. They also discuss the rise in military coups in Africa, the G20 in India, including calls for India to change its name,...