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.
Nov 19
Trump & Saudi Arabia: A Tale of Corruption
<p>Tommy and Ben discuss Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington, his request for F-35 fighter jets and a NATO-like security guarantee, the real estate deals the Trump family might get in return, and how corruption is driving US foreign policy, including in t ... Show More
1h 38m
Nov 10
What Should Progressive Foreign Policy Look Like? (Crooked Con)
<p>Live from Crooked Con, Tommy and Ben look back at the last year since Trump was re-elected and unpack the worst and most surprising moments of Trump 2.0 foreign policy, including the president’s bogus claims that he’s a “peacemaker,” the continuing horrors of Russia’s war on U ... Show More
1h 5m
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
<p>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 ... Show More
31m 47s