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Gaza Ceasefire, CIA in Venezuela, Madagascar Coup

The news from American Prestige.

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

October 17, 2025

Palestinian teams carry out excavation work with heavy machinery in the city of Khan Yunis, Gaza, to recover the bodies of Israeli hostages.(Abdallah F.s. Alattar / Anadolu via Getty Images)

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Gaza Ceasefire, CIA in Venezuela, Madagascar Coup w/ Nathaniel Powell | American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Lead might be in our protein supplements, but Danny and Derek bring you the news free of most heavy metals. This week: the ceasefire in Gaza begins with prisoner exchanges (1:38), but controversy arises over deceased captives (5:30), plus Israeli violations and Hamas clashes with armed factions (9:35), and a summit in Sharm El Sheikh (14:36); a United Nations report shows a record-breaking spike in atmospheric carbon levels and growing evidence that natural feedback loops are worsening climate collapse (17:14); border clashes escalate between Afghanistan and Pakistan following a failed Pakistani airstrike on a Taliban leader (19:39); Japan’s ruling coalition collapses after Komeito breaks with the LDP (23:06); Nathaniel Powell joins Derek to break down the military coup in Madagascar sparked by Gen Z-led protests and a mutiny within the elite CAPSAT unit (25:16); in France, Macron re-appoints PM Lecornu and the government survives no-confidence votes (45:04); Peruvian president Dina Boluarte is impeached amid corruption scandals and rising crime (48:59); Trump authorizes CIA covert action inside Venezuela and bombs another boat in the Caribbean (50:35); the U.S.-China trade war re-escalates as Beijing restricts rare earth exports and Trump responds with tariff threats and diplomatic chaos (54:27); and finally, Trump’s bid for the Nobel Peace Prize fails while the winner dedicates her win to him (59:04).

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Lead might be in our protein supplements, but Danny and Derek bring you the news free of most heavy metals. This week: The ceasefire in Gaza begins with prisoner exchanges (1:38), but controversy arises over deceased captives (5:30), Israel violates the conditions and Hamas clashes with armed factions (9:35), in the background of a summit in Sharm El Sheikh (14:36); a United Nations report shows a record-breaking spike in atmospheric carbon levels and growing evidence that natural feedback loops are worsening climate collapse (17:14); border clashes escalate between Afghanistan and Pakistan following a failed Pakistani airstrike on a Taliban leader (19:39); Japan’s ruling coalition collapses after Komeito breaks with the LDP (23:06); Nathaniel Powell joins Derek to break down the military coup in Madagascar sparked by GenZ-led protests and a mutiny within the elite CAPSAT unit (25:16); in France, Macron reappoints PM Lecornu and the government survives no-confidence votes (45:04); Peruvian president Dina Boluarte is impeached amid corruption scandals and rising crime (48:59); Trump authorizes CIA covert action inside Venezuela and bombs another boat in the Caribbean (50:35); the US-China trade war re-escalates as Beijing restricts rare earth exports and Trump responds with tariff threats and diplomatic chaos (54:27); and finally, Trump’s bid for the Nobel Peace Prize fails while the winner dedicates her win to him (59:04).

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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 Political Economy of Porn w/ Molly Lambert | American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Danny and Derek welcome to the show Molly Lambert, creator of the JENNAWORLD podcast, to talk about the rise of the modern porn industry and its roots in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley. They discuss the medium’s origins in underground stag films and the porno chic era; the shift to home video and the corporate studio model; breakout stars like Ginger Lynn Allen and Jenna Jameson; porn as an outsider industry mirroring Hollywood; gender, labor, and power in late-20th-century media; the relationship between pornography and evolving feminist politics; porn’s role in the VHS–Betamax war; and how the internet, OnlyFans, and content platforms have affected a formerly professionalized industry.

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


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.


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