The Nova Society

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! James from SUNY Albany writes: I’m studying Political Science, and I fully admit I’m a political nerd. I can’t get enough of polling, and I love watching the electoral map shift almost daily.  From what I’m seeing, it’s not just looking rough for Republicans; it’s starting...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Terry from the University of Georgia writes: I’m sure this will spark debate, and Dr. Mark will probably roll his eyes reading it, but I need to ask the question anyway.  Trump has repeatedly declined to rule out declaring a national emergency if a Blue wave materializes n...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Sierra, from THE Ohio State University, writes: As a law student who also minors in Political Science, I watched the Senate hearings with Jack Smith knowing full well they were designed more for spectacle than for any meaningful insight into the investigations. Even with t...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Sydney from Las Vegas, Nevada writes: I’m a student from UA studying Political Science. Last week, President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the UN General Assembly. Trump’s remarks, particularly his threat to “annihilate” Iran, were met with scattered laughte...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Mike from Houston, Texas, writes: I found it striking that during President Xi’s visit last week, most of the coverage circulating in the U.S. came from Chinese media. American news outlets, for the most part, are still absent from the White House press pool after Presiden...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Kelly, from Marquette University, writes: I’m a history student at Marquette University, and my thesis examines the recurring patterns that precede major global conflicts.  In the 1920s, Germany became a pariah state under the punitive terms of the Treaty of Versailles. Th...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Today we welcome Markham Hilsop to the show. Markham is a Canadian journalist and CEO of Energi Media, one of Canada's leading independent news organizations. Our journalism currently averages over 6 million views/reads per month. We also have a sizable and growing US...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Today we welcome Wesley Warshawer to the show. Wesley Warshawer is a business analyst in Silicon Valley’s semiconductor industry, a Fulbright Scholar to South Korea, essayist, podcast host, and speaker.  He loves his work. For a living, he analyzes situations with data and...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Today, Dr. Don Kettl agreed to stay around and help answer some listener questions. Tam from Boulder, Colorado, writes:  Trump recently announced that if Republicans win both the House and Senate in the midterms, he will issue a $5,000 check to every American. Speaker John...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Today, we’re delighted to welcome back Jen Thompson as she joins us on the eve of her forthcoming book, Wild Pivot: Notes from a Political Life Rewritten . A former high‑powered Republican strategist and congressional lawyer, Jen built her career at the center of national...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Today, Dr. Don Kettl agreed to stay around and help answer some listener questions. Raymond from Albany, New York, writes:   I know the panel would love to see a major shift in party control in the midterm elections, and honestly, I would too. But I’m also realistic. Even...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Today we welcome Dr. Don Kettl to the show.  Donald Kettl specializes in public management and public policy. He previously served as dean of the University of Maryland School of Public Policy and is a nonresident senior fellow at the Volcker Alliance, the Brookings Instit...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Adam from Magdeburg, Germany, writes:  Maybe it’s time for the world to wake up to the political shifts happening across democracies. Here in Saxony‑Anhalt, the far‑right AfD just won 39 seats in the state parliament, thankfully still short of the 42 needed for a majority....

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Today we get an update on the digital democracy project from its CEO, Ramon Perez. Support the show The Nova Society Podcast  In season 5, we will transition to 3 episodes per week and expand episode lengths for more in-depth conversations. Stay tuned for more information...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Tim from Santa Fe, New Mexico, writes: I sometimes find myself wondering just how gullible the American electorate can be.  First, we got the Gulf of America. Then came Lake America. And now, apparently, “dumb Donny” wants to rename my state, New Mexico, as New America .  ...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Today we had the pleasure of interviewing James G Ellis, former businessman and entrepreneur, and Dean Emeritus of the Marshall School of Business at the University of California. He gave insights into his new book, A Journey of Insights: Lessons in Leadership and Legacy. ...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Tammie, from Atlanta, Georgia, writes,  If you’d asked me six years ago who Jon Ossoff was, I probably wouldn’t have had an answer. Today, he’s become one of the most visible rising figures in the Democratic Party, openly challenging President Trump, calling out his unusua...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Raymond from Birmingham, Alabama, writes: Both major parties are experiencing unexpected turbulence in this year’s primaries, revealing deep internal power struggles and competing visions of party identity. We’re seeing Bernie Sanders’ endorsement of Angie Nixon in Florida...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Jennifer from Detroit, Michigan, writes:  Well, here we go, a trade war with one of our closest allies is apparently ready to begin.  President Trump’s announcement of 50% tariffs on Canadian goods landed with a thud, and when Prime Minister Carney pushed back, Trump quick...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message!  Today, Zolal Habibi returns to offer a clear, unflinching look at conditions inside Iran, the Iran Freedom Organization’s ongoing efforts, and how the current conflict has ultimately strengthened the regime’s grip on power. She highlights developments and actions by Irani...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Today we talk about the USS Abraham Lincoln and other stories in the news that demonstrate a lack of care by the administration Support the show The Nova Society Podcast  In season 5, we will transition to 3 episodes per week and expand episode lengths for more in-depth co...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Today, Scott brings up a tweet from Trump that might signal another change in American Foreign policy and a rekindling of the Trump-North Korean leader bromance.  Support the show The Nova Society Podcast  In season 5, we will transition to 3 episodes per week and expand e...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Today, we are pleased to speak with our guest, Jen Thompson. Jen Thompson is a former high-powered Republican strategist and congressional lawyer who famously walked away from Washington at the peak of her career. She managed the nationally watched 2002 campaign that tippe...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Heiner, from Berlin, Germany writes,   Unless anyone was wondering, there is very little public support here for President Trump’s war in Iran, and by all accounts, Americans are growing even less supportive as the conflict drags on with no clear end in sight.   During war...

Do you have a question or comment? Want to suggest a topic for our panel or be a guest on the Nova Society? Send us a message! Mark from Tampa, Florida writes: Prime Minister Netanyahu has now publicly rejected Trump’s 15‑point plan, and watching the video, the dismissal looked like a direct and unmistakable rebuke. It raises real questions about the effectiveness and relevance of Trump’s “Board o...