Chernobyl: The Nuclear Disaster That Helped Destroy a Regime
When sensors in Europe first picked up the radiation from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, nobody could have predicted that the accident would help bring about the fall of the Soviet Union.
Bobby Kennedy’s Reaction to Seeing Hunger Up Close in America
Bobby Kennedy had seen Harlem, the South Bronx, and Bedford-Stuyvesant. But what he witnessed in the Mississippi Delta in 1967 would impact the last 14 months of his life.
Unique Recollections of the Night RFK Was Gunned Down
Paul Schrade was shot in the head the night Bobby Kennedy was killed. A longtime friend of RFK, he tells us what he knows, what he witnessed, and what he thinks.
Remembering RFK: A Tonic for Our Times
Chris Matthews shares a soulful, insightful, and highly personal look at Bobby Kennedy.
No Matter How Bad Things Seem, 1968 Was Worse
An inside look at the issues and crises that tore the country apart and how President Lyndon B. Johnson navigated what was, till now, the most tumultuous year in modern American history.
A Memorial Day Look at Those Who Fought in Korea
Military historian Patrick O’Donnell provides a moment of reflection on the who and why of the brutal Korean war, which never really ended and is still haunting us today.
One Belt One Road: China’s Marshall Plan for the World
China is investing in major infrastructure projects worldwide, including a railway network that would connect it to Singapore and the countries of the Southeast Asian mainland. Is China laying the groundwork to become the dominant power of the 21st century?
If Gina Haspel Is Confirmed, Will CIA Torture Begin Anew?
CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou explains why acting CIA director Gina Haspel has said “Yes” to torture at every opportunity, and what the CIA under her control might look like.
Did US Deploy Bioweapons During Korean War?
A recently unearthed 1950s report by an international commission concluded the US used bioweapons on North Korea. It raises doubts about claims that captured Americans were brainwashed into confessing the use of such weapons.
Globalization — the Economics Work, the Politics Do Not
Geopolitics expert and bestselling author Ian Bremmer talks to Jeff Schechtman about how, for the West, security and prosperity have worked against each other, how technology feeds this divide, how China has benefited from it all, and how those left behind see a future that is obsolete.
Syria 101 — The Basics on the Superpower Flashpoint
Independent longtime Middle East journalist and former ABC News foreign correspondent Charles Glass provides a blunt primer on the current state of play in Syria and the broader Middle East.
Final Word on the JFK Assassination: There Will Never Be a Final Word
Rex Bradford is the leading archivist on the assassination of JFK. What he says in this week’s WhoWhatWhy Podcast may be as far as the story ever goes.
Spy University: How Intelligence Agencies Recruit Their Next Generation
Higher education has evolved into a key source for obtaining military and technological intelligence. The post-9/11 efforts of the CIA and FBI, and the proliferation of international students have proven a fertile ground for nurturing future spies.
A Universal Basic Income Will Save the Country
Over the next ten years, millions of jobs will be eliminated, both blue and white collar. A Universal Basic Income is a pro-capitalist idea, that may be the only answer for the onslaught of AI and automation.
Pulse Nightclub Trial Attorney Slams Government Misconduct
Charles Swift recounts the challenges he faced in defending the widow of Omar Mateen, who killed 49 at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub in 2016. Swift won a full acquittal for the widow despite government misconduct.
The Internet Is Killing Democracy
Jamie Bartlett, whose TED Talk about the “dark web” has been viewed by over two million people, explains how democracy and technology may be incompatible.
Earth Is on the Verge of Collapse — Is Eco-Socialism the Only Answer?
Richard Smith thinks that we face a global emergency and that nothing short of changing the operating system of the world economy will suffice to stop it.
The Plot to Kill King
William Pepper, who’s devoted most of his life to uncovering the truth of the King assassination, recaps the events and players that came together at the Lorraine Motel 50 years ago today.
How the FBI Used a Famous Black Photographer to Spy on Martin Luther King
Longtime Memphis journalist Marc Perrusquia has spent years examining the questionable tactics of the FBI in their surveillance of Martin Luther King and his Southern Christian Leadership Conference. This week’s podcast explores the Bureau’s behavior and reveals that — amazingly — these same shadowy tactics, and their cover-up, continue to this day.
The 75-Year-Old Book That Drives Our Politics
A conversation with the president of the Ayn Rand Institute on the legacy of The Fountainhead, published 75 years ago this month. Love it or hate it, there is no doubt that the ideas of individualism and “selfishness” its author explored are influencing policy in Washington, DC.