On this episode of American Prestige, headlines from around the globe.
President Donald Trump attends the US-UAE Business Council in the capital Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on May 16, 2025.(Waleed Zein / Anadolu via Getty Images)
Alex Jordan rejoins the show to see if he can impersonate Danny as well as he impersonated Derek a couple of weeks ago. We discuss the India-Pakistan ceasefire, Donald Trump’s big Persian Gulf tour (filled with deals, bribes, and announcements about Syrian sanctions and Iranian nuclear talks), the latest developments in Gaza, the US-China tariff pause, the PKK’s major disarmament announcement, a new round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks, major clashes between militias in Libya, the arrival of the first group of Afrikaner refugees to the US, Luis Arce’s decision to quit the Bolivian presidential race, the sacking of US National Intelligence Council staff for daring to contradict President Trump, and whether the US is going to have habeas corpus for much longer.
You can watch Alex Jordan on the Quincy Institute’s inaugural episode of the YouTube program “Always at War,” which he co-hosted with Courtney Rawlings.
Topics:
01:23 India-Pakistan ceasefire announcement.
04:18 Trump’s Persian Gulf tour and deals.
07:49 Trump’s announcement regarding Syria sanctions.
10:40 Efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal.
15:28 Israeli efforts to displace Palestinians in Gaza.
17:24 New US-led humanitarian foundation for Gaza.
21:27 Release of American-Israeli hostage by Hamas.
26:46 US-China trade war détente.
29:13 PKK’s announcement of major disarmament.
32:19 Diplomatic efforts to end Russia-Ukraine war.
35:45 Major clashes between militias in Libya.
39:33 Arrival of the first group of Afrikaner refugees to the US.
41:17 Luis Arce’s decision to quit the Bolivian presidential race.
43:09 Sacking of US National Intelligence Council staff for contradicting President Trump.
46:04 Potential suspension of habeas corpus in the US.
48:47 Habeas corpus suspension and executive power.
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I, for one, welcome our new AI overlords. In this week’s news: the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service confirms last month was tied for the hottest ever recorded (0:52); the Houthis/Ansar Allah take the port city of Mokha (1:45); the U.S. and Iran exchange ship attacks as oil prices rise (5:25); the IAEA refers Iran to the United Nations (7:32); Trump predicts an end to the Iran war immediately after the midterms (8:59); 12 countries ban products made in Israeli settlements (10:52); a new report alleges that Netanyahu ignored October 7 warnings and a chance to recover hostages (13:49); the IDF takes a strategic ridge in Lebanon, then escalates strikes (18:30); an arbitration court rules against India on the Indus Waters Treaty (20:49); new claims of famine emerge in Sudan’s Darfur region (23:05); the Nigerian government and Boko Haram maintain a ceasefire (24:59); the Trump administration phases out U.S. support for anti-AIDS programs in Namibia (27:21); American envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff visit Russia and Ukraine (29:22); Ukraine tries to close Russian airspace (31:20); and in a trade war update, Canadian tariffs on U.S. goods take effect (32:50).
Don't forget Derek's Substack, Foreign Exchanges.
Enjoy Danny's new Substack, Imperialist Realism.
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Daniel BessnerTwitterDaniel Bessner is a historian of US foreign relations and is the author of, among other books, Imperialist Realism.
Derek DavisonDerek 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.