Derek and Danny are back, the latter without any rubles. This week: Russian kicks off its presidential election (1:47); a Gaza humanitarian update (4:29) and Biden speaks on a Rafah invasion (11:24); more Israeli strikes in Lebanon (15:30); U.S. policy potentially shifts on DPRK/North Korea (17:17); in Sudan, the military makes gains in Omdurman (20:20); Ukraine attacks Russian oil facilities (24:26) and receives a U.S. stopgap aid package (26:54); the right surges in Portugal’s election (29:37); PM Ariel Henry resigns as chaos ensues in Haiti (32:20); and the U.S. expands its lead in global arms sales (35:17).

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Danny and Derek welcome writer and co-executive producer John Orloff to the pod to discuss Apple TV+’s Masters of the Air miniseries. They go into John’s background, his work on HBO’s seminal Band of Brothers, the distinct horror of WWII aerial warfare, how MOTA tackled the POW experience, the challenge of writing and shooting such a massive production, and how a WWII-era drama is informed by the current global climate.

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Danny and Derek speak with Ryan Grim of The Intercept about the piece he co-authored with Jeremy Scahill and Daniel Boguslaw about The New York Times’ exposé of the October 7 attacks alleging systematic use of sexual violence by Palestinian militants. They discuss the piece itself, the role of Israeli volunteer group Zaka, the journalistic standards at …

Danny and Derek bring you the world. This week: in Gaza, the U.S. makes airdrops while Biden announces a temporary port (0:30), some countries restore UNRWA funding (4:02), and more; a cargo ship is sunk and data cables cut in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen (12:26); the parliament of Pakistan elects a new prime minister (16:15); a renewed attempt at a ceasefire in Myanmar (18:02); an update on the crisis in Sudan (20:17); a new date is set for Senegal’s presidential election (23:16); an attack in Odesa during a visit by Zelensky and the Greek prime minister (25:32); Sweden officially joins NATO (27:08); in Haiti, a new gang offensive threatens to oust Ariel Henry (28:33); and we continue to break new climate records (33:54).

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Derek welcomes back Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), to discuss the humanitarian situation Gaza since the International Court of Justice’s rulings at the end of January in South Africa’s case against Israel. They get into what the court actually ordered, Israel’s response, the current humanitarian catastrophe, the “Flour Massacre”, U.S. aid airdrops, the undercutting of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and more.

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This episode originally aired October 29, 2021

Danny and Derek speak with Daniel Immerwahr, professor of history at Northwestern University, about all things Dune. They discuss the importance of culture to understanding U.S. empire, the history of imperial U.S. fiction, the life and times of Frank Herbert, and how Herbert's particular vision of technology, empire, and indigenous politics informed the writing of Dune.

Check out Daniel's articles on Dune, in the Los Angeles Review of Books, The New York Times, and the Journal of American Studies.

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Danny and Derek speak with Gabriel Hetland, associate professor of Latin American, Caribbean, and Latina/o Studies and Sociology at the University at Albany, about his book Democracy on the Ground: Local Politics in Latin America’s Left Turn. They discuss the regional shift to the Left, how right-wing forces reacted to this trend, the ways democracy has been shaped by these conditions, and the different tacks taken by leftist movements (particularly in Bolivia and Venezuela).

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Danny and Derek speak with Trevor Strunk of No Cartridge Audio podcast about the Third Reich in the gaming world, from action blockbusters like Medal of Honor to cerebral indies like Heal Hitler. They discuss the background of militarism in video games, different roles Nazis have played in games over the years, how World War 2 video games reflect the co…

Danny and Derek welcome back Lyle Jeremy Rubin, veteran of the war in Afghanistan and author of the memoir Pain is Weakness Leaving the Body: A Marine’s Unbecoming, to discuss his new piece in The Nation, “Taking Aaron Bushnell at His Word (and Deed)”. The group delves into Bushnell’s act of protest, what we know of his ideology and work as a member of the US Air Force, the public response to and framing of his death, and more.

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Danny and Derek work on leap days. This week: in Gaza, a massacre in Gaza City (0:29), ceasefire talks (5:20), and Netanyahu’s postwar plan (8:35); the U.S. and U.K. launch more joint airstrikes against Yemen (10:25); North Korea trades arms for food with Russia (11:54); in Sudan, military groups block aid shipments to Darfur (14:13); a new date is set for a presidential election in Senegal (15:58); a Ukraine War update (19:04); Sweden’s NATO accession is finally ratified (26:08); Colombia reopens talks with the ELN (28:29); NORAD intercepts a new balloon (29:55).

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.americanprestigepod.com