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5 May 2026

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Feb 6, 2014 — Sarah Posner & Jeff Sharlet
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The Posner Show

On The Posner Show, Sarah talks to Jeff about his new article on the rise of violence and discrimination against LGBT people in Russia. They discuss the role that the American religious right has played in encouraging homophobia in Russia. What does it mean to say that Russia’s “sexual sovereignty” is threatened? And what the heck is “gay propaganda,” anyway? Sarah is shocked that homophobic vigilantes bring their children with them to terrorize gays. Are there any legal consequences for such thuggery? Finally, will the Sochi Olympics draw more international attention to Russian homophobia?

Feb 5, 2014 — Bill Scher & Matt K. Lewis
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The DMZ

On The DMZ, post-game analysis of the boring Super Bowl leads Bill to wonder why we watch sports at all. Bill suggests that Mike Huckabee’s lead in 2016 GOP polls shows that conservatives are obsessed with fighting political correctness. Why are Democrats better at keeping internal discipline? Matt and Bill review the risks and rewards for Hillary Clinton in riding the recent wave of ’90s nostalgia. Could Republicans succeed by using economic populism against Clinton? Plus: Matt thinks the CBO’s new findings on Obamacare and employment are more of a mixed bag than either side will admit.

Feb 4, 2014 — Kay Steiger & Bryce Covert
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Feb 3, 2014 — David Klion & Tanya Lokshina
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Worldwise
Feb 2, 2014 — Robert Farley & Lien-Hang Nguyen
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Foreign Entanglements
On Foreign Entanglements, Rob talks to Hang about her book on the Vietnam War, Hanoi’s War. Hang describes the major myths Americans tend to believe about Vietnam. Rob is fascinated by the conflicting advice North Vietnam received from Moscow and Beijing. How did American air power affect Hanoi’s decisions? How important was secrecy to the negotiations that ended the war? Hang explains how the Vietnamese perspective on the war has changed in recent years.
Jan 31, 2014 — Bill Scher & Matt K. Lewis
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The DMZ
On The DMZ, Bill and Matt make their Super Bowl predictions and discuss the Richard Sherman phenomenon. They then turn to new 2016 polling showing Christie down and Ryan and Walker up. Should the GOP take the lead on issues like immigration reform, or is doing nothing a viable strategy? Would legalization alone settle the immigration question, or are Democrats right to press for citizenship? Matt praises Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who gave the GOP response to the State of the Union. Plus: Is Reince Priebus‘s proposed boycott of MSNBC over an offensive tweet justified?
Jan 30, 2014 — Kevin Glass & Ben Domenech
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Rational Actors
On Rational Actors, Kevin and Ben discuss Ezra Klein‘s move to Vox Media and the challenge of striking out as an independent journalist online. They consider how social media has displaced SEO and encouraged journalists to hone their personal brands. Where does Vox see this new project going? What lessons can new media outlets draw from the success of BuzzFeed? Turning to the State of the Union, Ben proclaims Obama a diminished figure, while Kevin defends the president. Finally, they debate the significance of Obamacare in terms of Obama’s legacy.
Jan 29, 2014 — David Klion & Volodymyr Yermolenko
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Worldwise
Jan 28, 2014 — John Horgan & George Johnson
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Science Faction
Jan 27, 2014 — Heather Hurlburt & Daniel Drezner
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Drezburt
On the premiere of Drezburt, Heather and Dan preview foreign policy at the State of the Union address. They debate whether Obama has failed to make free trade a priority, or whether Congressional obstruction is to blame. Heather praises Democrats for largely holding the line against new Iran sanctions. Next, they discuss the World Economic Forum in Davos, which Dan says has gone “beyond caricature.” What is revealed by the massive gender imbalance at Davos? Moving to the crisis in Ukraine, they consider whether the country could splinter. Plus: Why Syria became a catastrophe but Tunisia did not.

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