Prevail with Greg Olear Greg Olear

We all remember the keywords of the scandal known as Iran-Contra: Oliver North, Fawn Hall, potted plant, Nicaragua, Sandinista, “I don’t recall.” The Reagan Administration was covering SOMETHING up, but what were they up to, exactly? Jack Bryan, creator of the riveting new podcast “Lawyers, Guns, and Money,” talks to Greg Olear about Iran-Contra, the Vietnam War, the mythologizing of JFK, Nicaraguan politics of the 1980s, the CIA, what Donald Trump is like in person, and more. Plus: a little Cole Porter.

In October, the novelist Elisa Albert went with her mother on a trip to Israel, to attend the installation of the Codex Sassoon, the oldest known copy of the Hebrew Bible, at the ANU Museum of the Jewish People. She was anticipating a fun, festive vacation. Hamas had other plans. Greg Olear talks to her about her experience being in Israel on the night of the October 7 terrorist attacks, the subsequent Hamas War, the intricacies of the situation, and the response in the United States. Plus: a new app.

What does Putin want? How about Iran, Hamas, and the GOP? Greg Olear talks to geopolitical analyst Jason Pack, founder of the NATO & The Global Enduring Disorder Project and the co-host of The Disorder Podcast, about the Post-Post-Cold War, the global disorderers on the world stage, the Israel-Hamas War and its possible resolution, the strategic importance of Ukraine, and more. Plus: Song of Mike Johnson.

Cheri Jacobus is a political analyst and operative, as well as the host of the “Politics with Cheri Jacobus” podcast. She talks to Greg Olear about her experiences as an early “Never Trump” Republican, the consequences of her truth-telling, how the media created Trump, the success of Biden/Harris, and more. Plus: MAGA perdedor.

Trump, the assault on common decency, pandemic, quarantine, insurrection, and now war: we have all suffered collective trauma these last seven years. Greg Olear talks with actor and trauma therapist Claudia Black about the causes of trauma and how to heal from it. Plus: DFG sings.

Greg Olear talks to Kathryn Brownell, history professor at Purdue University, about her new book, “24/7 Politics: Cable Television and the Fragmenting of America from Watergate to Fox News” (Princeton University Press, 2023): how cable TV came to be, how politicians from Eisenhower to Trump have used television for messaging, why Roger Ailes was inspired to start Fox News, and where our media is headed. Plus: Roman Empire daydreams.