It Could Happen Here

In this episode Dana El Kurd talks about the debate in DC on what the role of the US has been in the Middle East, and what it should be. She also talks about what’s missing from these discussions.

Sources:
https://www.cfr.org/articles/the-u-s-led-middle-east-order-is-over-the-mecca-agreement-proves-it
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/end-american-middle-east-iran-marc-lynch
http://foreignaffairs.com/middle-east/new-old-middle-east-gause
https://www.fpri.org/article/2023/12/the-re-emergence-of-the-palestine-question-in-world-politics/
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/29/us-decline-world-order-replacement
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Garrison talks with Dr. Kaveh Hoda about the potential risks and benefits of doing outreach to people within the MAHA movement, the partisan makeup of MAHA, and why AOC is privately talking with MAHA influencers.

Sources:
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/28/poll-maha-health-fractures-kennedy-00972253
https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/maha-health-concerns-resonate-broadly-but-lag-behind-health-care-costs-even-for-maha-voters/
https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/kff-health-tracking-poll-maha-and-the-midterms/
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2026/09/05/inside-aocs-maha-outreach-01066409
https://www.youtube.com/live/h6fe9CaVZCI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRgeXPsihXI

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James and journalist Jason Dove Mark explain the roadless rule, national forests, and the Trump administration's attempts to strip protections from tens of thousands of acres of public land.
https://www.regulations.gov/document/FS-2025-0001-223869
https://www.onxmaps.com/onx-access-initiatives/roadless-rule
https://morethanjustparks.com/threatened-public-lands-map/
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Margaret joins James to discuss a new round of sanctions against, among others, Autistici/Inventati and the internet infrastructure services they provided.

Sources:
https://www.inventati.org/campaign/press
https://keepitfree.ai/announcements/a/i-shuts-down-stay-human/
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0616/
https://davidgraeber.org/articles/the-new-anarchists/

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To close out Black August, Margaret sits down with Bridget Todd and Hazel Acacia to finish talking about one of the most iconic Trek episodes ever made (S6E13: Far Beyond the Stars of Deep Space Nine)- and you're invited
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