Iran is erupting in protests—and the regime is cracking down with extraordinary violence. 

Guest Host Hagar Chemali sits down with Jay Solomon (investigative reporter at The Free Press) to unpack why protests are surging nationwide, what the regime’s economic rot reveals about its fragility, and what (if anything) the U.S. and Israel might do next.

They dig into a bank-collapse story that helped ignite the unrest, the regime’s deteriorating proxy network after October 7, and the strategic debate inside Washington over strikes, cyber operations, and financial pressure. Then they turn to the American political fringes—left and right—and why some activists echo Islamic Republic propaganda about the protests being “astroturfed.”

Finally, in Politicology+, they unpack how Qatar, a tiny Gulf nation with just 350,000 citizens, has built one of the most wide-reaching influence networks in the world.

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For most Americans, losing access to a bank account sounds like a customer-service hassle—not a political problem. But what if your ability to get paid, pay bills, run a business, donate to a cause, or even shop online or just withdraw cash at an ATM can be shut off quietly, without a trial, without an explanation, and without a meaningful way to appeal?

In this two-part episode, Ron Steslow is joined by economist Jorge Jraissati, President of the Economic Inclusion Group, to unpack the growing reality of debanking and the compliance machinery behind it.

In this second episode, they go upstream: who writes the rules—and how do they spread? Ron and Jorge focus on FATF (the Financial Action Task Force), a powerful global standard-setter for AML/CFT that most people have never heard of, despite how much it shapes modern banking. Jorge explains FATF’s enormous “soft power,” how gray/black lists raise the cost of cross-border finance, and why its opacity makes democratic accountability nearly impossible.

They also dig deeper into “de-risking”, the lack of public data, and how AML/CFT allegations can escalate into asset freezes. Finally, they confront the “escape hatch” many people are turning to: permissionless money. Jorge argues Bitcoin has become a lifeline for the unbanked and debanked—while warning that technology can’t substitute for defending due process and reforming the underlying system.

Learn more about the Economic Inclusion Group: https://econinclusion.com/

Get in touch with Jorge: [email protected]

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Send your questions and ideas to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(703) 239-3068‬

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For most Americans, losing access to a bank account sounds like a customer-service hassle—not a political problem. But what if your ability to get paid, pay bills, run a business, donate to a cause, or even shop online or withdraw cash at an ATM can be shut off quietly, without a trial, without an explanation, and without a meaningful way to appeal?

In this two-part episode, Ron Steslow is joined by economist Jorge Jraissati, President of the Economic Inclusion Group, to unpack the growing reality of debanking and the compliance machinery behind it.

In this first episode, they trace how post-9/11 AML/CFT and KYC regimes turned banks into de facto enforcement arms of the state—creating mass reporting, privacy erosion, and incentives to cut off customers based on “risk,” stigma, or perception rather than proven wrongdoing.

They also explore how this system becomes ripe for weaponization—by authoritarian regimes, domestic actors, or simply the structure of the rules—especially when finance becomes transnational, opaque, and increasingly disconnected from due process.

Learn more about the Economic Inclusion Group: https://econinclusion.com/

Get in touch with Jorge: [email protected]

Find our sponsor links and promo codes here: https://bit.ly/44uAGZ8

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code RON at  https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod

Send your questions and ideas to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(703) 239-3068‬

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Ron Steslow kicks off 2026 with a “Smash Brothers” weekly featuring Lucy Caldwell, Hagar Chemali, Susan Del Percio, and Mike Madrid to look at the forces they think will define the year ahead—geopolitical disruption, institutional failure, civil dysfunction—and the transformational period we’re living through.

Then they share some exciting news about The Weekly in 2026.

Finally, in Politicology+, they dive into the values that will matter the most as we head into 2026.

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In the first week of the new year, the U.S. launches a dramatic operation in Venezuela that ends with Nicolás Maduro (and Cilia Flores) in U.S. custody, transported to New York to face narco-terorism charges. 

Ron and Hagar Chemali (Fmr. spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN) unpack what we know about the raid, why the administration says it happened, and why the real motive may be bigger than oil or drugs. 

Then they turn to the hardest questions: legality in a world where "international law” often lacks enforcement, what happens next inside Venezuela as the regime attempts to hold power without Maduro, and whether free and fair elections are even possible while the military and security services that upheld Maduro’s rule remain intact. 

Finally, they dissect the political reaction, arguing it’s possible to demand transparency and a plan without laundering Maduro or aligning with authoritarian propaganda. 

Related reading:

Who Organized The Pro-Maduro Protests?

https://x.com/asranomani/status/2007708749075480885?s=46

POLITICOLOGY+

Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus.

CONTRIBUTE TO POLITICOLOGY

politicology.com/donate

SPONSORS & PROMO CODES https://bit.ly/44uAGZ8

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Ron Steslow and Olivier Knox discuss whether thinking is becoming a luxury good. They explore the alarming trend of declining literacy and the implications of digital media and AI on human thought and social interaction. Later, they discuss how the shift towards a post-literate society, characterized by short-form content and algorithmic reading, threatens the foundations of democracy and critical thinking.
Related Reading: NYT - Thinking Is Becoming a Luxury GoodTIME - ChatGPT's Impact On Our Brains According to an MIT Study | TIME

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Ron Steslow and Lucy Caldwell talk about the current healthcare landscape and the ongoing debate about how we pay for healthcare. They critique the ACA’s effectiveness, the challenges of health insurance coverage and explore market-based solutions. They also highlight the importance of personal advocacy in navigating healthcare and the evolving discourse around health and wellness, particularly in the context of AI's role in healthcare advocacy.
Related Reading: NBC News - Senate Republicans plan vote on a health care alternative as ACA funds look likely to expire

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You can pre-order Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation now at https://www.jonwardwrites.org/

Jon Ward (Journalist and author of Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation)  joins Ron Steslow to discuss growing up in the Evangelical Church, “Christian Trumpism,” and his new memoir.

(06:05) Why Sarah Palin resonated with so many Christians 

(10:36) What having difficult conversations can teach you engagement and defensiveness  

(20:00) Evangelicals showing more fear than faith 

(28:50) How the structures in evangelical communities enabled Trump to distort reality 

(31:06) Right Makes Might vs Might Makes Right 

(36:32) How can outsiders engage positively with Evangelicals on reforming the movement 

Pre-order Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation—https://www.jonwardwrites.org/

Follow Ron and Jon on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://twitter.com/jonward11

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You can pre-order Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation now at https://www.jonwardwrites.org/

Jon Ward (Journalist and author of Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation) joins Ron Steslow to discuss growing up in the Evangelical Church, “Christian Trumpism,” and his new memoir.

(03:28) Why Jon wrote the book

(08:10) Being a “border-stalker”

(14:36) The Jesus Movement

(21:07) Understanding the different motivations (abortion and race) for Evangelicals joining the Republican party

(23:00) The insular church community and how it impacted his worldview

(30:00) How Christian belief in the end times impacts action

(32:50) The connection between being a spiritual warrior and a political warrior

(36:15) Spiritual ecstasy as a sign of devotion to God (and the burnout it caused)

(41:41) How anti-intellectualism reinforced the social bubble

Pre-order Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation—https://www.jonwardwrites.org/

Follow Ron and Jon on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://twitter.com/jonward11

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Ron Steslow and Mike Madrid discuss the redistricting wars, the Supreme Court case that could upend a central part of the Voting Rights Act, how Latinos becoming the largest minority group will make us rethink what being a “minority” even means, and how partisanship is becoming our primary identity.

Related Reading: 

Axios - Virginia judge lets Democrats' redistricting plan move forward - Axios Richmond

Politico - The Republicans thwarting the White House’s redistricting hopes - POLITICO

Sac Bee - Prop. 50 in California is trivial compared to this U.S. Supreme Court case | Opinion

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