What is actually happening with Russia and Ukraine, and why does it matter? Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), joins us to talk about the facts on the ground and the bigger picture. From the brewing crisis in Eastern Europe to the brews flowing constantly on Downing Street, and from Nazi cats to Stephen Breyer’s vine and fig tree, it’s been a big news week and we're here for it.

Mike's drinking: Steady Eddie IPA from Union Craft Brewing

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Troops are on high alert on both sides of the Ukraine-Russia border, but Tucker Carlson is down to half-mast over the new cartoon M&Ms and that is NOT OKAY. We have more clarity now on the deranged anti-Semitism behind the Congregation Beth Israel attack, and Burkina Faso becomes the latest African nation to jump on the coup bandwagon. In our main story, inflation is driving market volatility and popular hostility; but is it really so different from the last 10+ years?

Erol’s drinking: Lagavulin 16

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Burns Night: https://www.scotland.org/events/burns-night/the-ultimate-guide-to-burns-night

2022's Big Sick Energy continues, with classrooms shutting down, synagogues coming under siege, and Russia on the war path. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic gets very different receptions in Melbourne vs. Belgrade, and for our main story, we'll check in with Chile, where decades of turmoil and protest are culminating in an energetic young president and a constitutional convention.

Erol’s drinking: Dance of Days Pale Ale from Atlas Brew Works

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Happy New Year? Mike and Erol are back for a second season, just in time to question whether Putin's telling the truth (he's not), whether Elizabeth Holmes is actually innocent (she's not), whether we're out of the pandemic yet (we're not), and whether we should all just give up and move to Venus (...)

Erol’s drinking: San Francisco Bay Coffee Company French Roast

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For our last episode of 2021, we’ll look back at the news stories that made us laugh and cry the most this year. We’ll also get a head start on next year's cries with a 2022 “advance-spective,” whatever that is. And for good measure, in the first round we'll check in on two dumb-yet-destructive phenomena in this week's news: Omicron and Mark Meadows.

Mike's drinking: Celebration Fresh Hop IPA from Sierra Nevada

What exactly is Vladimir Putin doing on the border with Ukraine... besides the obvious. Less obvious: the merits of a diplomatic Olympic boycott and how China will maintain zero Covid without tanking its (and the global) economy. Least obvious: what a dairy farmer can do to turn around a social media failure.

Erol is drinking: Grisette Farmhouse Ale from Manor Hill Brewing

Omicron: not just the coolest Transformer anymore. We'll get into what we know, what we don't know, and what we can recklessly speculate about with the newest variant of Covid-19. In other news, Barbados finally breaks free from the British monarch, Black Friday breaks its winning streak, and Indian farmers break through to Modi.

Erol's drinking: relax [IT’S JUST A HAZY IPA] from Offshoot Beer Co.

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We get a firsthand report of the good, the bad, and the ugly at COP26 from James Turrito, Campaign Manager for Super Pollutants at the Clean Air Task Force. In a surprise twist, there is actually some good to report! Same goes for the Infrastructure bill passing the House, and the latest on the economy. But lest you think we've gone all rosy-colored glasses, we'll also talk about the latest from Ethiopia.

Erol is drinking: Oban 14

Article in Georgetown Journal of International Affairs: https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2021/01/28/a-very-ethiopian-tragedy-tigray-the-tplf-and-cyclical-history/