The DSR Network

As China continues to gain economic and military power, how are they trying to build up their soft power? That is the core question at the heart of Josh Kurlantzick's new book "Beijing's Global Media Offensive: China's Uneven Campaign to Influence Asia and the World". David Rothkopf talks with Josh about this and how China is working to leverage that soft power. How is what China doing different t...

For the first episode of the new year, David Rothkopf sits down with Rosa Brooks of Georgetown University, David Sanger of the New York Times, and Kori Schake to discuss their foreign policy and national security predictions for 2023. Will Ukraine retake Crimea? What will President Biden spend his time on? Will anything good happen this year? Find out the answers to these questions and more during...

The World Cup may be over but the questions about the politics of FIFA and soccer remain. Zoe and Grant talk with Ben Valdez-Hempel of District Sports and Manchester City about the beautiful game and the people and policies that are making it so ugly. For our final segment Zoe talks about George Santos lying about his resume, Ben goes down the rabbit hole on Scientology, and Grant recommends Guill...

Originally Aired: January 4, 2022 As we begin a new year, the threats around the globe remain the same. Russia may invade Ukraine, Iran's nuclear ambitions may come to fruition, and democratic backsliding continues apace around the globe. To forecast what might happen this year and offer some hope about some potential foreign policy bright spots, DSR host David Rothkopf talked with Ed Luce of the...

Originally Aired: November 9, 2022 The midterms turned out exceptionally well for Democrats and in the process David, Simon, and Tara's analysis from last week was vindicated! The team reconvenes with Tom Bonier of TargetSmart to talk about the races that have already been called and the vote that is still left outstanding. What are the key takeaways from last night? Is this a victory for Democrat...

Originally Aired: February 24, 2022 In the late hours of Wednesday, Vladimir Putin began a war of choice in Ukraine. On Thursday, President Biden detailed a variety of harsh sanctions that the United States, our allies, and partners will place upon Russia for his actions. To make sense of these developments, David Rothkopf spoke with David Sanger of the New York Times, Andrea Kendall-Taylor of the...

Originally Aired: March 17, 2022 As Putin's war of choice in Ukraine continues, Russia is seeing major impacts domestically. The value of the Ruble dropped significantly following the invasion, Putin has cracked down on independent journalism, and sanctions are crippling the economy. To talk about the view from Moscow and the impact the war has had on Russians, David Rothkopf talked with Michael W...

Originally Aired: March 15, 2022 The war in Ukraine is moving into its third week and President Biden is headed to Europe for a meeting with NATO next week. David Rothkopf talks with David Sanger of the New York Times and Dmitri Alperovitch of the Silverado Policy Accelerator about the current state of the conflict and the potential path forward. Is China going to get involved? Why has Putin not u...

Originally Aired: August 11, 2022 A search was carried out of Mar-a-Lago this week and it has upended the usually sleepy August in Washington. To talk about the search, Trump's pleading the fifth, and a variety of other developments David and Kavita are joined by EJ Dionne and Max Boot both of the Washington Post. Is the GOP now fully Trumpified? How much legal jeopardy is Trump in at this point? ...

Originally Aired: December 23, 2022 As the year comes to a close, Grant and Chris take a step back from the daily news cycle to talk about what surprised them this year. The Zero-COVID policy in China, the rotating door at 10 Downing Street, and much more as well as a peak behind the curtain about the media industry. Thank you for listening to us through this year and we always look forward to you...

Originally Aired: December 22, 2022 From a year that began with January 6th to the American Rescue Plan, Build Back Better, and Beyond, 2021 has been an especially vital year for American democracy, health, and economic renewal. The review the year in politics and advise the Biden administration as to what should come next, DSR Host David Rothkopf spoke with Jennifer Rubin and E.J. Dionne of the W...

The end of the year offers a variety of special treats. For DSR listeners it means looking back on the politics of 2022 with David Rothkopf, Norm Ornstein, and David Corn. They discuss the work of the January 6th committee, the successes of a Democratic Congress, and much more. Members of the DSR Network get access to a bonus conversation with David, Simon Rosenberg, and Rep. Adam Smith (WA-09) ab...

President Biden is halfway through his Presidency and to look back on the good and bad of the last two years, David Rothkopf talks with Kori Schake of the American Enterprise Institute, David Sanger of the New York Times, and Stephen Walt from the Harvard Kennedy School. What were the President's missteps and successes? What issues are mostly missed by the media? What are we hoping for in 2023 and...

Protests following the death of Masha Amini continue to put pressure on Iran. Grant and Zoe talk with Sara Haghdoosti of Win Without War about the protests, what America can do to help, and how literature can cross boundaries. For our final segment Zoe talks about Topdog/Underdog, Sara gives a shout out to Bluey, and Grant talks about border clashes between China and India.   If you are under 40 a...

Originally Aired: December 20, 2021 From January 6th to the Democracy Summit, 2021 has been an eventful year fore foreign policy and national security. To throughly review the year, adjudicate President Biden's performance, and discuss what you might have missed, DSR host David Rothkopf talked with Rosa Brooks of Georgetown University, Ed Luce of the Financial Times, Kori Schake of the American En...

Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter has made many re-evaluate the role of social media and new media. As people who work primarily in and around social and new media, David, Tara, and Simon talk about how Democrats need to step up and take on these challenges. How should we engage on social media? Do Progressives need to build their own media ecosystem? What can we learn from Republicans? Find out on...

The U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit is underway and it poses a series of questions about Africa itself and great power competition with China. David works through those questions with Rosa Brooks of Georgetown University, Ed Luce of the Financial Times, and David Sanger of the New York Times. Is the time to invest in Africa now? How has America's military-industrial complex warped our foreign policy? A...

DSR Network Podcast: The Secret Life of Cookies Subscribe now on your podcast player of choice so that you never miss another episode! Marissa’s guest is the brilliant and marvelous Dahlia Lithwick, senior legal correspondent for Slate, host of the Amicus podcast and author of the must-read Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America. While making the famous Persian rice dish tahd...

Originally Aired: October 1, 2018 The political furor around the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court may seem like pure domestic US politics, but the implications for America’s role in the world are serious. Not only does the chaos in the US symptom send a disconcerting message to those who once emulated us and an inviting one to our enemies, but the politics behind the nomination h...

The Supreme Court is back in session and taking on a number of hot button issues this session. To break down the latest episode, David sits down with Dahlia Lithwick of Slate. How likely is the Supreme Court to side with those pushing the Independent State Legislature doctrine? How much do our hopes hinge on Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh? Is masterpiece cakeshop coming back from the dead? ...

As we march towards the end of the year, David talks with Rosa Brooks of Georgetown University and Ed Luce of the Financial Times talks about what to expect over the next two years. Will Trump get indicted? Will Biden run again? How bad will a Republican-led House of Representatives be? Find out the answer to these and other pressing questions during this thoughtful conversation. Join us! Learn mo...

On this week's episode, Norm and Kavita discuss what remains on the agenda for the lame duck Congress including issues like the debt limit and the looming threat of a railroad strike. Members of the DSR Network get access to a bonus conversation about the respect for marriage act and World AIDS day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Originally Aired: March 3, 2022 Senator Chris Murphy is an outspoken progressive leader on foreign policy and has been a passionate supporter of Ukraine. Dr. Kavita Patel sat down with Senator Murphy to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine and how America's adversaries and allies are viewing the conflict around the world. They also discuss the fight against COVID-19 and the fight for gun control. Ho...

With the midterms results in the rearview mirror (at least in the house), Simon sits down with Representative Eric Swalwell (CA-15) to talk about what they mean for Congress moving forward. How will a GOP-led house change things? Will a Speaker McCarthy push through support for Ukraine? How important is a unified Democratic party in the minority? Find out the answers to these and other questions d...

Coming out of Thanksgiving and the midterms, David talks with Rosa Brooks of Georgetown University, Kori Schake of the American Enterprise Institute, and Mara Rudman of the Center for American Progress about what the next two years of America's foreign policy will look like. How should America approach a new Bibi government in Israel and the broader Middle East? Is Biden's China policy on the righ...