In this conversation with Greg Olear, Paul Starr discusses his book “American Contradiction: Revolution and Revenge from the 1950s to Now,” exploring the complex themes of American identity, the contradictions inherent in the nation’s history, and the evolution of political dynamics over the decades. He delves into the impact of 1950s nostalgia, the rise of identity politics, the decline of labor movements, and the role of the Supreme Court in shaping contemporary democracy. The discussion highlights the challenges facing the United States as it grapples with its past and seeks a path forward amidst political turmoil.

As Florida goes, so goes the country. The indefatigable investigative journalist Robert W. Fieseler talks to Greg Olear about a state-sponsored persecution of Black and gay Floridians in the 1950s and 60s that was almost lost to history–and his riveting new book on the subject, “American Scare: Florida’s Hidden Cold War on Black and Queer Lives.”

On the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the publication of her hit debut novel THE MERCY OF THIN AIR, Ronlyn Domingue talks to Greg Olear about the story’s timeless themes of love and loss, the significance of New Orleans as a backdrop, her unusual creative process, the Trump Administration and SCOTUS’s retrograde position on reproductive rights, the importance of the novel in modern society, nature as an antidote to doomscrolling, the impact of technology on human connection, and more. Plus: a song from the war zone in DC. Ronlyn Domingue’s critically acclaimed debut novel THE MERCY OF THIN AIR was published in ten languages. It was a fiction finalist for the 2005 Borders Original Voices Award and 2006 SIBA Book Award, a long list nominee for the 2005 James Tiptree, Jr. Award (now known as the Otherwise Award), and a 2010 Costco Pennie’s Pick. Her “Keeper of Tales” Trilogy, which can be read in any order, includes The Mapmaker’s War, The Chronicle of Secret Riven, and The Plague Diaries. Her essays and short stories have appeared in New England Review, Clackamas Literary Review, and Lion’s Roar (formerly Shambhala Sun) as well as on mindful.org, The Nervous Breakdown, and Salon.com. She holds a MFA degree in creative writing from Louisiana State University, has taught composition and fiction writing at the college level, and served as a fiction editor and co-editor in chief of New Delta Review. Born and raised in the Deep South, she lives in the woods somewhere in Louisiana.

Greg Olear talks to Candace Rondeaux about her book “Putin’s Sledgehammer,” which delves into the Wagner Group mercenary group and the complexities of Russia’s political landscape.

Greg Olear talks to John B. King, Jr., former U.S. Secretary of Education and current SUNY chancellor, about what the Department of Education actually does; what proposed cuts to the D.O.E. mean for students, teachers, parents, and communities; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student learning; the stakes of the Trump Administration’s ongoing attacks on higher education; and his powerful and moving new memoir, “Teacher by Teacher: The People Who Save Our Lives.” John B. King Jr. served in President Barack Obama's cabinet as the tenth U.S. Secretary of Education. Over the course of his extensive and influential career in public education, he has been a high school social stud-les teacher, a middle school principal, the first African American and Puerto Rican to serve as New York State Education Commissioner, a college professor, and the president and CEO of the Education Trust, a national education civil rights organization. King is currently the chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY), the nation's largest comprehensive system of public higher education. Both of King's parents were career New York City public school educators. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife, an education researcher and former teacher, and his two daughters.

Greg Olear talks to Nicolo Majnoni about his new podcast, 'Shadow Kingdom, God's Banker,' which delves into the mysterious death of banker Roberto Calvi and the intricate financial systems of the Vatican. Majnoni shares his personal connection to the Vatican, the complexities of its banking operations, the historical context of its wealth, and the shadowy organization P2, as well as the future challenges facing the papacy amidst financial chaos. They discuss the connections between organized crime and the Vatican, culminating in the mysterious disappearance of Calvi's briefcase, which held secrets that could have changed the course of history.

Who owns the land? Who DECIDES who owns the land? Who has the power to redistribute land ownership? If land ownership IS redistributed, who gets to take possession and who doesn’t? And what adverse impact can the reshuffling of land ownership have on our society and our planet? Greg Olear talks to Michael Albertus, a professor at the University of Chicago and the author of Land Power: Who Has It, Who Doesn't, and How That Determines the Fate of Societies, about these and other questions pertaining to the relationship between land and power.

To, ahem, sever himself from the news, Greg Olear brings on his wife, Stephanie St. John, a huge fan of “Severance,” to discuss the second season. Cold Harbor, fetid moppet, devour feculence, Helly/Helena, the Glasgow Block, ORTBO, the four tempers, and more goats than anyone asked for: they cover it all, with verve and wiles.

The Overwhelm: Trump, Musk, stupidity, banality, artlessness, lack of decency, betrayal by our leadership, rage, fear, grief from what we’ve lost. We are living through a period of national, if not global, trauma. Actor and trauma coach Claudia Black returns to PREVAIL to talk about the causes of trauma, how to heal from it, emotional aid, and what we can do to regulate ourselves.

Katherine Stewart is the author of The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism, the award-winning book upon which the documentary feature, God & Country, produced by Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner, is based. She has covered the intersection of faith and politics for over 15 years; her work appears in the New York Times, The Washington Post, the New Republic, the Guardian, and Religion News Service, and she has been featured on broadcast media outlets such as MSNBC, CNN, and NPR. Her 2012 book, The Good News Club, covered the religious right’s effort to infiltrate and undermine public education. Her spectacular new book, MONEY, LIES, AND GOD: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy, came out this week. Greg Olear talks to Stewart about the rise of Christian nationalism in the United States, the impetus for writing the book, her research process, the rhetoric of the movement and the lies used to boost its popularity, reactionary nihilism, the various factions within the movement, and what we can do to take democracy back.

Christopher Steele began his twenty-two-year career as an intelligence professional and Russia expert within the British government in 1987, soon after graduating from Cambridge University. He was posted to Moscow, where he served through the fall of the Soviet Union, and Paris, before returning to London to become one of the government’s senior intelligence experts and advisers on Russia. In 2009, he founded the private intelligence company Orbis Business Intelligence. His series of intelligence reports, collectively known as the Steele Dossier, helped expose Donald Trump’s ties to the Kremlin. Greg Olear talks to Steele about the Dossier, the kompromat tape, Dmitri Simes, Prague, Rosneft, Ukraine, the FBI, political cowardice, lawfare, Putin, Trump, Xi, Keir Starmer, the political situation in Canada and Western Europe, Elon Musk, and Steele’s excellent new book, “Unredacted: Russia, Trump, and the Fight for Democracy.”

For more than 30 years, Alexandra Hall Hall worked as a diplomat in the British Foreign Office, with postings in Washington, Bangkok, Delhi, Bogota, and Tbilisi, where she was the British ambassador to Georgia. She is now the co-host of the Disorder podcast. This is an interview from Friday’s episode of THE FIVE 8. Having just returned from Tbilisi, she talks about the situation there. Plus: Holly Jolly.

Many times in the last two years, we have warned about the grim consequences of allowing a wannabe dictator–who attempted to overthrow the government on his way out the door four years ago–back into the White House. What we warned about has happened. We are 45 days away from Donald Trump’s second inauguration. And based on who the Mussolini of Queens has picked for his cabinet and staff positions, it looks like he was dead serious about being a dictator on Day One. This week, I will replay clips of some of my past guests talking about American fascism. We must now listen not as a warning, but as a way to be prepared. This episode features clips from interviews with the defense analyst Brynn Tannehill, author of AMERICAN FASCISM; historian Manisha Sinha, author of THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SECOND AMERICAN REPUBLIC; True North Research executive director Lisa Graves; and strategic communications expert Robbie Harris. Plus: chapter 5 of ROUGH BEAST, and a new patriotic anthem for our times.

Jimmy Kennedy was the executive producer of the first season of The Noel Casler Podcast, the afternoon drive producer for The Kent Sterling Show on CBS Sports 1430 AM in Indianapolis, and a gameday staff member with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He is currently the host and producer of his own show, JBK On Air, where he interviews a variety of guests including athletes, political commentators, media personalities, & more. Jimmy, who has cerebral palsy, is a longtime public speaker with the non-profit organization Timmy Global Health, where he advocates on behalf of people with disabilities.

This episode of the live YouTube show “The Five 8” was recorded on Wednesday, November 6, 2024–the night after the election. It is not the show we planned to do, certainly not the show we wanted to do, but the show we had to do. Featuring Stephanie “LB” Koff and Greg Olear.

It’s been just over 100 days since Kamala Harris officially replaced Joe Biden at the top of the ticket, but it feels like an eternity. With just four days until the most consequential presidential election since 1860, Greg Olear talks to OSINT researcher ne plus ultra Gal Suburban about what to expect on Election Day–and, more ominously, what schemes may come in the weeks after the election is decided. Among the topics discussed: Elon Musk, Mike Flynn, JD Vance, Maria Butina, and more. Plus: a MAGA voting PSA.

Tom Kemp is a Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur, seed investor,  policy advisor and author of the award-winning bestseller Containing Big Tech: How to Protect our Civil Rights, Economy, and Democracy. Tom was the founder and CEO of Centrify, a leading cybersecurity cloud provider. As an angel investor, he’s made seed investments in over fifteen tech start-ups. He has also served as a volunteer technology policy advisor for political campaigns, legislators, and civil society groups. His advocacy work includes leading the campaign marketing efforts in 2020 to pass the California Privacy Rights Act, and advising and contributing to the passage of state privacy laws in 2023, such as the California Delete Act and Texas’ data broker registry law. In 2024, Tom collaborated with advocacy groups and legislative leaders on the California AI Transparency Act. In this conversation with Greg Olear, Tom Kemp discusses the implications of Elon Musk’s actions in the political landscape, the significance of the Delete Act for data privacy, the complexities of AI technology, and the current state of antitrust actions against big tech companies. The dialogue explores the intersection of technology, politics, and civil rights, emphasizing the need for regulatory frameworks to protect democracy and individual freedoms.

Nina Burleigh is a journalist, best-selling author, documentary producer, and publisher of a Substack on politics called American Freakshow.  A contributing editor at The New Republic and frequent contributor to the New York Times and New York Magazine, she is the author of eight books on an array of topics including archaeological forgery, scientists in 18th Century Egypt, James Smithson, Amanda Knox in Italy, the Trump women, and the pandemic response. Her latest book, and first novel, is called Zero Visibility Possible. In this conversation with Greg Olear, Nina discusses the ravages of climate change, her recent travels, access journalism and the Olivia Nuzzi imbroglio, her novel and the inspiration behind it, Melania Trump and the mystery of her activities in the 1990s, the current covid situation, and how Trump’s phalanx of evil attorneys plan to f*ck with the election results, no matter the result.

In this conversation with Greg Olear, Gore delves into the controversial practices of Opus Dei, its financial manipulations, and the historical context of its formation. Gore highlights the cult-like control mechanisms employed by the organization, the allegations of human trafficking, and the dynamics of gender within Opus Dei. He also examines the appeal of the organization to its members and the significant political influence of key figures like dark money maestro Leonard Leo and the late Rev. C. John McCloskey III. The discussion raises critical questions about the implications of Opus Dei's actions for the Catholic Church, the United States, and society at large. Plus: the MAGA playbook!