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23 April 2026

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Mike Konczal (Rortybomb, Roosevelt Institute) and Helaine Olen (Forbes, The Guardian, Pound Foolish)

On Fireside Chats, Mike talks to Helaine about her new book on personal finance, Pound Foolish. Helaine explains why cutting coffee breaks won’t make you a millionaire. Mike asks how the financial crisis has changed the advice coming from Suze Orman and Dave Ramsey. Why have 401(k)s become so popular and Social Security so threatened? The two discuss a provocative case against financial literacy. Is there any way to stem the popularity of bad financial advice?

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Recorded:Jun 12    Posted:Jun 13, 2013
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Fireside Chats | Jun 13, 2013 | Mike Konczal & Helaine Olen

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

Can Trump and Iran Make a Deal?

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Robert Malley—a lead negotiator for Obama’s 2015 nuclear deal with Iran—and Robert Wright discuss what kind of deal between Trump and Iran is conceivable and what kinds of leverage both sides have.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

Iran and the Demise of US Hegemony

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Robert Wright and American Prestige hosts Derek Davison and Daniel Bessner discuss the latest Middle East developments—including whether Trump and Iran can reach a peace deal, who’s winning the Hormuz blockade duel, and what it all means for America’s global standing. Plus: Is Anthropic’s Mythos really scary?

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

Can AI Stop Wars?

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Robert Wright and Nikita Petrov discuss whether AI could help resolve international conflicts as the world edges toward catastrophe. Plus: Trump’s “act of war” in the Strait of Hormuz, a case for an Iranian tollgate, the AI model so dangerous Anthropic delayed its release, and more.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

Sizing up the AI Titans

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Shakeel Hashim, editor of the Transformer newsletter, joins Robert Wright to assess Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, and Demis Hassabis—and to discuss the senses in which their character does and doesn’t matter.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

The Iran War: A Debate

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Robert Wright and The Free Press reporter Eli Lake debate the Iran war in light of the history that brought us here—from the 1953 coup and its aftermath to the origins of Hamas and Hezbollah to Obama’s nuclear deal, to the Gaza war, etc.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

The Conservative Case Against the Iran War

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Curt Mills and Andrew Day of The American Conservative join Robert Wright to discuss the state of the war, hopes for ending it, Trump’s psychology, the Israel lobby’s role, the future of MAGA, and more.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

Averting a Superintelligence Takeover

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Robert Wright and ControlAI founder and CEO Andrea Miotti discuss the dynamics propelling us toward artificial superintelligence and how we can keep control of our future.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

The Iran War and the Singularity

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Robert Wright and Nikita Petrov connect the Iran war to the AI crisis: If tribal psychology keeps launching stupid wars, how will we coordinate globally on superintelligence? Plus: Trump’s hypnotic confidence, $20k drones vs. million-dollar missiles, Russia’s sovereign internet, Spanish cannabis clubs, and more.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

Israel, America, and the Iran War

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Robert Wright and journalist Ron Kampeas discuss the (il)logic of the Iran war, Joe Kent’s resignation, the MAGA rift over the Iran war, whether anti-antisemitism efforts are backfiring, and more.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

The Allure and Danger of Agentic AI

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Robert Wright and AI pause advocate (and Doom Debates host) Liron Shapira discuss Claude Code, OpenClaw and other AI developments—and whether they’ve brought us closer to doom. Plus: A civil(-ish) debate on Israel-Palestine.