The DSR Network

Original Air Date: June 16, 2023 The lies and deflections from Republicans defending Trump have spun up the ire of "Words Matter" co-host Norm Ornstein. So in this episode he not only explains why but guest co-host David Rothkopf tries unsuccessfully to defuse his anger. Instead, both recount the facts surrounding the case for which Trump was arraigned this week and the likely cases to come and fr...

It was only Tuesday when the Supreme Court upheld a decision by North Carolina’s top court that struck down a congressional districting plan as excessively partisan under state law. Since then, the court has ruled against affirmative action in the college admissions process, struck down Biden’s student debt forgiveness plan and ruled in favor of a web designer who said she had a First Amendment ri...

After more than two years, the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine grinds on. Yet the Ukrainian spirit remains as unshakeable as ever. Illia Ponomarenko joins David Rothkopf to discuss his book, “I Will Show You How It Was,” and share how Ukrainians and the world can draw inspiration from the earliest days of the conflict. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Supreme Court’s series of bad decisions will go down in history. Norm and Kavita are back to break down the latest legendarily awful decisions from the Roberts court and why we’ll be dealing with the fallout for years to come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump is an existential threat to our democracy, and the Dems need to put their best foot forward to defeat him. So what needs to be done? Ed Luce, Kori Schake, and Rosa Brooks join David Rothkopf to break down the Joe Biden dilemma, and why the party needs to seriously consider alternative options before it’s too late.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the Chevron deference and presidential immunity rulings, the Supreme Court has put our democracy in even greater danger. So what happens next? Dahlia Lithwick joins David Rothkopf to analyze the impact of the court’s latest disastrous decisions and what can be done to stop the bleeding.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Wednesday, we break down the massive land seizures in the West Bank, $2.3 billion in new aid for Ukraine, Rudy Giuliani being disbarred in New York, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Donald Trump shared some deranged images on social media that called for the jailing of Liz Cheney. Taking his rage in a new direction, one image even called for her to face a military tribunal. Meanwhile, new reports suggest Trump is preparing an unexpectedly vicious wave of persecution if he wins. So what can Trump actually do to his political opponents if he unleashes all the powers...

On the DSR daily for Tuesday, we break down the Court’s disaster ruling on immunity, Orban’s visit to Kyiv, the French effort to block the far-right, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yesterday the Supreme Court released its shocking new ruling in the case involving Donald Trump’s demand for absolute immunity from prosecution for insurrection-related crimes. The court gave Trump much of what he wanted, notably ensuring that his trial for the insurrection will be delayed indefinitely. But what’s really worrying is what this ruling could allow Trump to get away with if he wins ba...

European governments watched the US presidential debate with shock and resignation, as fears skyrocket over Trump’s return to power. Meanwhile, Russia employs hybrid warfare, sowing mayhem across the continent. Michael Weiss joins Marc to discuss his recent trip, and how Russian intel follows the ISIS playbook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Monday, we discuss the Supreme Court’s impending rulings, France’s first round election results, the debate around President Biden’s candidacy, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At last week’s debate, Donald Trump ranted that the January 6 defendants are “so innocent,” raging that President Biden is “destroying their lives.” Then at a rally, Trump called for their immediate release, while proclaiming victory over a big Supreme Court ruling that seemingly weakens the cases against the attackers. Former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann just co-authored a good new piece e...

Original Air Date: October 21, 2022 On this week's episode, Norm and Kavita talk about the recent debates in races across the country including Marco Rubio v. Val Demings, Tim Ryan v. JD Vance, and Raphael Warnock v. Herschel Walker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thursday’s debate was certainly something. Much of the Democratic camp is sounding the alarm after President Biden’s less than stellar performance, and discussions are swirling on whether or not it’s time for a new candidate. Norm Ornstein and Kavita Patel join David Rothkopf on this special episode to discuss what happened and where we go from here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho...

Putin is a firm believer in the old adage “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Russia has been working with a growing cluster of anti-US countries to advance his interests since the invasion of Ukraine, including Iran and North Korea. Nicole Grajewski and Andrey Baklitskiy join Jon to analyze Russia’s ‘cluster of discontent’ and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A technology as revolutionary as AI will have profound effects on all corners of society. So what are the big issues on the horizon that we’ll need to face? Dr. Alondra Nelson joins David Rothkopf to share her insights on the development of the AI Bill of Rights, the importance of diverse voices in tech development, and how a recent ruling shows why a broken Supreme Court might be right twice a da...

On the DSR daily for Friday, we break down the first presidential debate of 2024, Iran’s presidential election, Oklahoma requiring schools to teach the Bible, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MAGA personalities raged at CNN when it refused to allow a Donald Trump propagandist to smear journalists on air. They exploded again when CNN announced that the debate would be fact checked. We think this provides an unexpected glimpse into what Project 2025’s implementation might look like. This thought was driven home by a must-read thread from writer David Roberts about Project 2025’s true aim...

Despite popular belief, the business community at large is not a fan of the failed businessman president. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld joins David Rothkopf to discuss his recent article on what CEOs really think about Trump and why the former president has few fans in corporate America  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the DSR daily for Wednesday, we discuss the latest Supreme Court decisions, the dominance of the French far-right in recent polls, an attempted coup in Bolivia, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Biden and Donald Trump are set to hold their first debate, after Trump and his allies spent weeks mocking Biden’s age with doctored videos and dumb jokes about Biden’s supposed plan to rely on performance-enhancing drugs. Is all that agitprop just chum for the MAGA masses, or does it reflect a genuine belief that Biden actually is so deep into his dotage that he can’t possibly be a worth...

All eyes have been on Gaza for months, but trouble is brewing on Israel’s northern border. Tensions with Hezbollah and other militant groups are heating up and fears are mounting of a broader regional conflict. Alon Pinkas, Rosa Brooks, and David Sanger join David Rothkopf to break down the likelihood of a wider conflict, what it means for the US/Israel relationship, and more.  Learn more about yo...

On the DSR daily for Wednesday, we discuss the big results from Tuesday’s primaries, NATO’s next Secretary General, Ukraine and Moldova’s EU talks, and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Judge Aileen Cannon gave Donald Trump two more big assists. She agreed to hold a multi-day hearing on the constitutionality of the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith. And she appeared skeptical of Smith’s demand for a gag order on one of Trump’s most deranged attacks on law enforcement yet. We talked to law professor Corey Brettschneider, author of a new book called The President...