Breaking History dives into the paradox at the heart of modern Iran: How a nation born in revolt, from the tobacco protests of the 1890s to the 1979 Revolution, has time and again empowered autocrats in the name of democracy. This week we trace the cycles of reform and repression that still shape Iran today.

Producer: Poppy Damon

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As our nation turns 249 this week, we explore the radical and enduring power of the Declaration of Independence. More than just a break from the British Empire, the Declaration was a bold statement of universal human rights, an idea so dangerous it has sparked revolutions and inspired liberation movements around the world ever since, from Vietnam to Israel, from China to the Black Panther Party. We trace its intellectual origins, unpack its contradictions, and examine how a document written in 1776 continues to challenge America (and the world) today.

Producers

Poppy Damon, Bobby Moriarty and Charlie Bell.

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Eli Lake and nuclear weapons expert David Albright discuss the Islamic Republic’s arsenal and whether or not Israel can destroy it on its own.

This episode was originally a subscriber-only livestream. Livestreams are one of the many benefits of becoming a paid subscriber to The Free Press. (Thank you to everyone who joined us live!)

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William F. Buckley, one of the founding fathers of the American right, would have turned 100 this year. He, more than any other figure, is responsible for creating the American conservative movement that fueled the Reagan revolution more than 40 years ago. But what happened to that revolution in the era of Donald Trump? 

Producers:

Alex Miller, Bobby Moriarty, Poppy Damon

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This was recorded as a Free Press livestream. To be part of these conversations as they happen live, become a part of The Free Press. You can do that by going to TheFP.com and subscribing now.

The world woke up today to a changed Middle East. Israel struck key nuclear and military facilities throughout Iran. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed retaliation. And Donald Trump urged Iran to agree to a nuclear deal.

As Iran begins its counterattack with a missile barrage, we’re left with many questions. What actually happened on the ground in Iran? Did Israel’s strikes secure its safety? Does this spell the end of the Iranian regime? And what role will the U.S. play in the unfolding war?

Breaking History’s Eli Lake sat down with Haviv Rettig Gur, one of today’s most insightful Middle East analysts, to make sense of all of it and discuss what could come next.

This is a bonus episode. Stay tuned for a full episode of Breaking History this Wednesday.

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 We’re sharing the latest episode of Conversations with Coleman, a podcast that joined The Free Press network this week. Coleman Hughes engages deep thinkers and curious minds in sharp, surprising, and unfiltered chats. In this relaunch episode he sits down with Free Press founder Bari Weiss and asks her about her critics, rising antisemitism, the woke right, and more.

Hope you enjoy it & stay tuned for more Breaking History here.

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Last month, two nuclear powers exchanged blows after terrorists mowed down 26 tourists in Kashmir, yet it didn’t turn into a hot war. We got lucky. But sadly, the next India-Pakistan war seems like only a matter of time. 

In this week’s Breaking History, Eli Lake explores the origin story of the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan. How did Pakistan become a true ‘deep state nation’ post-partition? And why does it really really matter?

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Producers: Alex Miller, Bobby Moriarty, Poppy Damon.

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*Explicit Content Warning*

Since Donald Trump won the presidential election, American institutions are shedding what remains of wokeness nearly everywhere. From Columbia University to Facebook, the old guardrails have crumbled.

Something similar happened nearly 60 years ago. After police and prosecutors drove the revolutionary comic Lenny Bruce into bankruptcy and overdose, America began its slide into vulgarity. Despite the best efforts of the word police of that era, the old taboos about sex and profanity melted away. So just how did America's censors end up losing the culture war?

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As Iranian nuclear ambitions force their way back onto America’s agenda, it’s worth looking at the story of North Korea, the original ‘madman’ nation that bullied its way to the nuclear table.

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Producers:

Alex Miller, Poppy Damon and Bobby Moriarty

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Buy tickets for SAPIR Debate“Is Donald Trump Good for the Jews?” at  sapirjournal.org/sapirdebate.

Listen to Unpacking Israeli History

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It’s been two weeks since President Donald Trump declared war on the global economic system his predecessors painstakingly built up since 1945. Then he partially reversed course, paused most of the tariffs, and focused on China. In this episode, we dive into the last time the world’s most populous country was in a trade war with the world’s richest country. What do the British Empire’s Opium Wars of the 1800s tell us about America’s pending economic divorce with China?

Go to groundnews.com/BreakingHistory to get 40% off the unlimited access Vantage plan and stay fully informed on today’s biggest news stories.

Buy tickets for the first SAPIR Debate: “Is Donald Trump Good for the Jews?” at  sapirjournal.org/sapirdebate.

Producers:

Alex Miller, Poppy Damon and Bobby Moriarty

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