Podcast / American Prestige / Aug 8, 2025

Lebanon Moves to Disarm Hezbollah, Netanyahu Announces His Gaza Occupation, and It’s the 80th Anniversary of the Atomic Bombing in Hiroshima

On American Prestige: the week’s news.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

Lebanon Moves to Disarm Hezbollah, Netanyahu Announces Gaza Occupation, 80th Anniversary of Atomic Bombing in Hiroshima | American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Don't forget to ⁠purchase our "Welcome to the Crusades" miniseries⁠!

The AP team will wear formal Tevas to the new White House ballroom. Otherwise, in this week’s news: Danny and Derek reflect on the 80th anniversary of the US dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima (1:46); in Israel-Palestine, Netanyahu announces his “full occupation” plan (8:24) as the US expands the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (13:58); the Lebanese government moves to disarm Hezbollah (16:48); the US looks to host an Armenia-Azerbaijan peace summit (20:51); Trump punishes India for purchasing Russian oil (24:20); Thailand and Cambodia agree to the deployment of ceasefire monitors (27:49); in Sudan, the RSF carries out a new atrocity (29:50) and the military accuses the United Arab Emirates of hiring mercenaries (32:37); a new report details sexual violence in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia (35:06); in Russia-Ukraine, Steve Witkoff visits Moscow ahead of a Putin-Trump meeting (37:28) as the US nevertheless plans to impose tariffs on Russia (40:34); El Salvador’s legislature removes presidential term limits (41:57); and in US news, America makes a new “third country” trafficking agreement with Rwanada (43:15), the State Department starts a new program forcing travelers to pay bonds to the US government (45:23), and NASA plans to put a nuclear reactor on the moon (46:50). 

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Supporters of Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group block the streets with burning tires as they rally in cars and motorbikes to protest the government's endorsement of a plan to disarm it, in Beirut's southern suburbs early on August 8, 2025.

Supporters of Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group block the streets with burning tires as they rally in cars and motorbikes to protest the government’s endorsement of a plan to disarm it, in Beirut’s southern suburbs early on August 8, 2025.

(Ibrahim Amro / AFP via Getty Images)

The AP team will wear formal Tevas to the new White House ballroom. Otherwise, in this week’s news: Danny and Derek reflect on the 80th anniversary of the US dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima (1:46); in Israel-Palestine, Netanyahu announces his “full occupation” plan (8:24) as the US expands the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (13:58); the Lebanese government moves to disarm Hezbollah (16:48); the US looks to host an Armenia-Azerbaijan peace summit (20:51); Trump punishes India for purchasing Russian oil (24:20); Thailand and Cambodia agree to the deployment of ceasefire monitors (27:49); in Sudan, the RSF carries out a new atrocity (29:50) and the military accuses the United Arab Emirates of hiring mercenaries (32:37); a new report details sexual violence in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia (35:06); in Russia-Ukraine, Steve Witkoff visits Moscow ahead of a Putin-Trump meeting (37:28) as the US nevertheless plans to impose tariffs on Russia (40:34); El Salvador’s legislature removes presidential term limits (41:57); and in US news, America makes a new “third country” trafficking agreement with Rwanda (43:15), the State Department starts a new program forcing travelers to pay bonds to the US government (45:23), and NASA plans to put a nuclear reactor on the moon (46:50).

Don’t forget to ⁠purchase our “Welcome to the Crusades” miniseries⁠!

Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/podcastsubscribe.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

The History of Iran’s Nuclear Program w/ Sina Azodi / American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Sina Azodi, assistant professor of Middle East politics and director of the Middle East Studies program at George Washington University, returns to the show to talk about Iran’s nuclear program. The group discusses the Shah’s nuclear agenda, Atoms for Peace, Iran’s signing of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, how the Iran-Iraq War influenced Iran’s nuclear policy, missed opportunities for diplomacy after 9/11, Trump’s withdrawal from the JCPOA and why Biden didn’t revive the deal, and the recent war with Iran.

Grab a copy of Sina’s book Iran and the Bomb: The United States, Iran, and the Nuclear Question.

And contribute to ⁠GiveDirectly's campaign to help survivors of the earthquake in Venezuela⁠.

Note: In lieu of a news episode this week, we will be posting an interview relevant to the holiday.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Subscribe to The Nation to Support all of our podcasts

Daniel Bessner

Daniel Bessner is an historian of US foreign relations, and cohost of American Prestige, a podcast on international affairs.

Derek Davison

Derek Davison is a writer and analyst specializing in international affairs and US foreign policy. He is the publisher of the Foreign Exchanges newsletter, cohost of the American Prestige podcast, and former editor of LobeLog.

More from The Nation

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a news conference in Jerusalem on June 15, 2026.

How Zionism Failed—With Omer Bartov How Zionism Failed—With Omer Bartov

Omer Bartov joins the program to talk about Zionism’s transformation from an emancipation movement into a form of ethnonationalism.

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

Former president of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernandez is escorted by Members of the Police Special Forces to be extradited to US to face charges of taking bribes from drug traffickers.

HondurasGate and US Power in Latin America—With José Luis Granados Ceja HondurasGate and US Power in Latin America—With José Luis Granados Ceja

Danny and Derek talk to José Luis Granados Ceja, head of the Latin America desk at Drop Site News, about the HondurasGate scandal and US policy in Latin America.

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

An oil tanker is loaded at the Westridge Marine Terminal at the end point of the Trans Mountain Pipeline System in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.

Why Big Oil Wants to Splinter Canada Why Big Oil Wants to Splinter Canada

Nora Loreto on the politics of Alberta separatism.

Jeet Heer

Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli air strike on the southern Lebanese port city of Tyre as Israeli forces continued to expand their invasion in south Lebanon.

Israel Escalates Lebanon Strikes, Taiwan Arms Sale Stalls, US Stockpiles Run Low Israel Escalates Lebanon Strikes, Taiwan Arms Sale Stalls, US Stockpiles Run Low

The AP UFC dome is regrettably being held up by producer Jake’s HOA

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

A woman wears a “Trump Was Right ”hat as people pray and sing during the PrayVoteStand Summit at the Omni Shoreham hotel in Washington, DC.

The Christian Right Is Weaponizing Scripture—With John Fugelsang  The Christian Right Is Weaponizing Scripture—With John Fugelsang 

Danny and Derek welcome to the show John Fugelsang, author of Separation of Church and Hate, to talk about the rise and influence of right-wing Christianity in the Unite...

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

CIA Director John Ratcliffe and President Trump at the White House on April 6, 2026.

The CIA’s Assassination Campaign in Mexico The CIA’s Assassination Campaign in Mexico

Alexander Aviña on Trump’s new imperialism in Latin America.

Jeet Heer

x