The News Items Podcast

Decoding the Midterms with Jim Messina (Episode 27)

Jim Messina, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff to President Obama and the manager of his re-election campaign in 2012, joins The News Items Podcast to discuss the

Midterm Analysis and Shifting Dynamics, with John Heilemann (Episode 26)

John Heilemann joins the News Items podcast to discuss the upcoming midterm elections. The conversation focuses on the challenges facing Republican candidates across the

The Global Order, With Benn Steil (Episode 25)

Benn Steil, director of international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins John Ellis to examine why the postwar global economic order is under growing st

Investing In Ukraine, With Perry Boyle (Episode 24)

Perry Boyle, co-founder and CEO of MITS Capital, joins John Ellis from Kyiv to discuss how the war in Ukraine is reshaping modern warfare, and why he believes the West is

What's The Matter With Polling? with Adam Berinsky (Episode 23)

MIT political scientist Adam Berinsky joins John Ellis to examine why modern polling is harder to trust and what that means for politics. They discuss collapsing response

Currencies, Prediction Markets and (of course) AI, with Rebecca Patterson (Episode 22)

Rebecca Patterson, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and former chief investment strategist at Bridgewater Associates, joins John Ellis to explain why the

The AI Optimist, with Alan D. Thompson (Episode 21)

John Ellis talks with AI researcher Alan D. Thompson about the rapid advance of artificial intelligence and the prospect of artificial superintelligence. Thompson explain

Election Security, with Dr. Charles Stewart (Episode 20)

John Ellis talks with MIT political scientist Charles Stewart III about the mechanics, vulnerabilities and public perception of American elections. They revisit the dispu

Regime Change, with Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan (Episode 19)

John Ellis talks with The New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan about their book, Regime Change, an account of Donald Trump’s second presidency. They

Hollywood's Stress Test, with Richard Rushfield (Episode 18)

John Ellis talks with Richard Rushfield, founder of The Ankler, about a Hollywood business model under stress. Rushfield traces the industry’s troubles back to the end of

Germany in the World, with David Blackbourn (Episode 17)

John Ellis talks with historian David Blackbourn, author of Germany in the World: A Global History, 1500-2000, about five centuries of German history viewed through a glo

Episode 16: Russ Howard

John Ellis talks with retired Brigadier General Russ Howard about the wars in Iran and Ukraine, why modern warfare is changing faster than most militaries can adapt, and

Episode 15: Jeff Greenfield

California's primaries may be local elections, but Jeff Greenfield argues they're offering an early glimpse of the political battles that could define the next

Episode 14: Josh Tyrangiel

In this episode of the News Items podcast, Josh Tyrangiel joins John Ellis for a wide-ranging conversation about the promises, dangers, and strange human realities of art

Episode 13: Sebastian Mallaby

In this episode of News Items, John Ellis sits down with author and Council on Foreign Relations fellow Sebastian Mallaby to unpack the astonishing rise of Demis Hassabis

Episode 12: Stephen Roach

On this episode of the News Items Podcast, John Ellis sits down with economist and longtime China watcher Stephen Roach for a sweeping conversation about the uneasy futur

Episode 11: Taegan Goddard

In this episode of the News Items podcast, John Ellis sits down with Taegan Goddard, the founder of Political Wire, for a sprawling conversation about the chaos engine th

Episode Ten: Daniel Adamson

In this episode of the News Items Podcast, John Ellis speaks with venture capitalist Daniel Adamson about investing at the cutting edge of global innovation. Adamson expl

Episode Nine: John Heilemann

John Ellis sits down with journalist John Heilemann for a sharp, fast-moving tour of a volatile geopolitical moment. They unpack a fragile Iran ceasefire, the limits of “

Episode Eight: Ben Hodges

Retired U.S. Army Europe commander Ben Hodges joins the show to deliver a bracing reality check: the next war won’t look like the last one, and it may already be underway