Missing America

In this special episode of Pod Save the World, Ben looks at how this November’s election will impact global democracy. From the rise of autocracy and the far right, to U.S. efforts to support (or undermine) democratic values around the world, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump represent a stark choice. He’s joined by Senator Chris Murphy, USAID administrator Samantha Power, Sarah Margon, the US Foreign Policy Director at the Open Society Foundations, and Zack Beauchamp, Vox reporter and author of “The Reactionary Spirit." If you enjoy this episode and want to hear more, new episodes release every Saturday between now and the election wherever you get your podcasts and on Youtube. Make sure you are subscribed to the Pod Save the World feed so you don’t miss an episode.

This fall, when the eyes of the world turn towards Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a shadow looms over the tournament, which is one of the most watched events in the world. The sports landscape being co-opted for geo-political and corporate gain is nothing new, but this year's iteration of football's biggest competition may be the most expensive example to date. Pod Save the World’s Tommy Vietor and Roger Bennett of Men in Blazers join forces to unravel the riddle of how to enjoy the game we love while holding the powers that control it accountable for their corruptive policies and practices. On this inaugural episode of World Corrupt, a collaboration from Men in Blazers Media Network and Crooked Media, the two hosts share the memories that helped them first fall in love with soccer, while also looking back into the annals of history at past instances of a phenomenon known as "sportswashing.”

Zayd Dohrn was born underground - his parents were radicals and counter-culture outlaws, on the run from the FBI. Now Zayd takes us back to the 1970s, when his parents and their young friends in the Weather Underground Organization declared war on the United States government. They brawled with riot cops on the streets of Chicago, bombed the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitol, broke comrades out of prison, and teamed up with Black militant groups to rob banks, fight racism - and help build a revolution. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mother-country-radicals/id1625882016?uo=2Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1k8LpYwJ71vMu0mLxG2Am8Crooked: https://crooked.com/podcast-series/mother-country-radicals/Audacy: https://www.audacy.com/topic/mother-country-radicals

Can the biggest threat to the entire world bring the entire world together? In our penultimate episode, we examine the enormous obstacles to confronting climate change, and how we must all work together to overcome them.Host Ben Rhodes talks to former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd about the roadblocks he faced from Rupert Murdoch and the fossil fuel industry, and activists from the Pacific Islands to Europe to the US about what needs to be done.For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/missingamerica.

How do we end the state of forever war in the Middle East? We look at how a cycle of authoritarianism, conflict, and U.S. support for autocrats undermines human rights and fuels radicalization in the region.Host Ben Rhodes talks to activist Mohamed Soltan about his experience being imprisoned and tortured in Egypt. Then he talks to leading progressives in Congress and journalists about a blueprint to end the cycle of war.For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/missingamerica.

How dangerous is disinformation on the Internet and what can we do about it? We learned in 2016 how viral lies and conspiracy theories can impact our elections, but they can also lead to violence abroad. We look at Myanmar, where hate campaigns on Facebook helped fuel ethnic cleansing.Host Ben Rhodes talks to the tech watchers in Southeast Asia who spotted disinformation and warned Facebook, and asks leading experts and activists about how to regulate Big Tech.For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/missingamerica.

How did a backlash to globalization build into a wave of nationalism that has reshaped politics around the world? In Europe, nationalist leaders have risen by appealing to their supporters’ most primal needs for security and belonging. Host Ben Rhodes talks to David Lammy, a member of the UK Parliament, about the forces that gave rise to Brexit and nationalism across the West. Then we hear from European activists who have had success in pushing back, and from Americans about what the U.S. needs to do differently.For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/missingamerica.

Missing America is the story of what happens when the United States, under Trump, abdicates our role as an example for the world. Host and former Deputy National Security Advisor to President Obama Ben Rhodes speaks to inspiring leaders and activists who are fighting to take up the slack in America’s absence, in a world where nationalism, authoritarianism, and disinformation have taken hold like never before. Missing America is a 9 part limited podcast series from Crooked Media.