Tommy and Ben discuss the breaking news that Bashar al-Assad has fled Syria after rebel factions took over Damascus in a stunning sweep after 13 years of Civil War. They talk about the speed with which it all happened, what could come next as Syrians decide their own fate after decades of dictatorship, and how the events will affect US policy.
Mar 18
MAGA’s Iran War Meltdown (and Micropenis)
A MAGA civil war erupts over Trump’s war with Iran, JD Vance tries to distance himself, and Megyn Kelly accuses her former Fox News colleague of having a micropenis. Seriously!On today’s show, Tommy and Ben cover the many ways Trump’s war with Iran is going off the rails. The dea ... Show More
1h 52m
Mar 11
Why Trump Might Send Ground Troops to Iran
Tommy and Ben unpack the latest twists in Donald Trump’s chaotic regime-change war with Iran, which eleven days in is still plagued by shifting goals, contradictory messaging, and rising regional consequences. They break down the White House’s confusing claims of victory despite ... Show More
1h 49m
Dec 2024
The Middle East After Assad
After rebels took Syria’s capital, President Bashar Al-Assad fled Damascus for Russia, ending his brutal 24-year reign. His ouster marks the beginning of a new, uncertain phase for a country that’s been ravaged by 13 years of civil war. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s ... Show More
15m 28s
Dec 2024
The final hours of the Assad regime
President Bashar al-Assad has fled Syria, ending 50 years of authoritarian rule by his family. Over the weekend, rebels who had already taken Aleppo and Hama began to close in on the city of Homs and set their eyes on the capital Damascus.As it became clear that Assad had fled, t ... Show More
28m 18s
Apr 2025
A Syrian Father’s Journey to Find His Son
Suleiman al-Youssef’s son, Shadi, has been missing since the beginning of the Syrian civil war. After the Assad regime was overthrown, Suleiman found new hope when he discovered a video of a man who looked like his son outside the country’s most notorious prison. WSJ’s Ben C. Sol ... Show More
20m 56s
Dec 2024
Syrie : comment le régime de Bachar Al-Assad est-il tombé ?
En mars 2011 débutait, dans le sillage des printemps arabes, une vague de protestation sans précédent en Syrie. Inspirées par ce qui se passait dans d’autres pays comme la Tunisie ou l’Egypte, des milliers de personnes sont descendues dans les rues pour dénoncer le pouv ... Show More
14m 37s
Dec 2024
What happens when a tyrant flees
On Sunday Morning the sound of gunfire filled the air in Damascus. The noise, not of fighting, but celebrations. President Bashar al-Assad and his family had fled to Russia. A family which ruled for more than 50 years, brought down by a rebel offensive which had begun less than t ... Show More
31m 47s