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Deconstructed

Panoply

Each week The Intercept’s Washington, D.C. bureau brings you one important or overlooked story from the political world. Bureau Chief Ryan Grim and a rotating cast of journalists, politicians, academics and historians tell you what the rest of the media are missing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Location:

United States

Networks:

Panoply

Description:

Each week The Intercept’s Washington, D.C. bureau brings you one important or overlooked story from the political world. Bureau Chief Ryan Grim and a rotating cast of journalists, politicians, academics and historians tell you what the rest of the media are missing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Language:

English


Episodes

Havana Syndrome: How the Biden Administration Is Driving Cubans Into Misery

3/22/2024
Chanting “power and food,” demonstrators have filled Cuba’s streets in recent days. This week on Deconstructed, Ryan Grim delves into the complexities of Cuba’s current economic crisis with Andrés Pertierra, a historian of Latin America and the Caribbean. They discuss the various factors deepening the crisis and driving people to the streets, from the half-century-long U.S. embargo on the island, its own economic policies, pandemic-related destabilization, and sanctions the Trump administration imposed and the Biden administration kept in place. Pertierra is in the fifth year of his Ph.D. program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and hosts “Orígenes: A Cuban History Podcast.” If you’d like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:42:44

A New Haitian Revolution?

3/15/2024
Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry has been compelled to resign as armed gangs tighten their grip on the nation's capital, seizing control of police stations, the main international airport, and freeing thousands of prisoners. This week on Deconstructed, researcher and writer Jake Johnston, who has spent more than a decade reporting on Haiti, joins Ryan Grim to discuss the latest wave of violence hitting the country and the events that led to it. Johnston’s new book, “Aid State: Elite Panic, Disaster Capitalism, and the Battle to Control Haiti,” details how U.S. and European goals have continuously undermined the nation’s governance and economy. Johnston is also the senior research associate at the Center for Economic and Policy Research where he leads Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction Watch. If you’d like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:46:33

Intercepted: U.S. Endorses Pakistan’s Sham Election

3/6/2024
The U.S. State Department this week congratulated Pakistan's new prime minister on assuming power, following elections that were marred by widespread allegations of rigging, voter suppression, and violence targeting supporters of imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan. On a special crossover episode of Intercepted and Deconstructed, hosts Murtaza Hussain and Ryan Grim discuss the aftermath of Pakistan's February 8 election, as well as growing calls inside the U.S. to hold Pakistan's military-backed regime accountable for its ongoing suppression of democracy. Hussain and Grim also discuss U.S. interests in the region, and the historical ties between the Pakistani military and its supporters in Washington. If you’d like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:42:24

Fatal Neutrality: Lumumba, the CIA, and the Cold War

3/1/2024
In 1960, the Congo gained independence from Belgium. Patrice Lumumba was elected prime minister and Joseph Kasavubu president. Within a year, Lumumba was deposed and assassinated. This week on Deconstructed, executive editor of Foreign Affairs and author Stuart Reid joins Ryan Grim to discuss U.S. Cold War paranoia and the plot to assassinate Lumumba. “The great tragedy of these events,” says Reid, who has read the American cables, “the Americans are seeing Soviet ghosts everywhere and every possible move Lumumba makes is interpreted as he's under Communist influence and from the flimsiest evidence.” Reid’s new book is titled, “The Lumumba Plot: The Secret History of the CIA and a Cold War Assassination.” If you’d like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:46:10

Life Inside the Brutal U.S. Prison That Awaits Julian Assange

2/20/2024
Starting Tuesday, a U.K. court will review Julian Assange’s appeal against extradition to the United States. At the center of the extradition controversy is concern that Assange will be tortured and put in solitary confinement in what’s known as a CMU — communications management unit — in federal prison. This week on Deconstructed, Ryan Grim is joined by Martin Gottesfeld, a human rights activist who was formerly imprisoned in two of the nation’s CMUs. Gottesfeld shares his experience incarcerated in CMU facilities, where his access to visitors including his wife were severely restricted. If you’d like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:45:45

“America’s Fair-Haired Boy,” Notorious Mass Murderer, on Brink of Indonesian Presidency

2/17/2024
Gen. Prabowo Subianto, who has expressed a desire to rule the country as a fascist, declared victory Wednesday in Indonesia's presidential election. This week on Deconstructed, Ryan Grim is joined by Allan Nairn, a longtime investigative journalist focusing on U.S. intervention around the world. Nairn, reporting from Indonesia, describes the current election process in the country and the crimes Prabowo has been implicated in. He details the government’s intimidation tactics to attempt to install Prabowo, his right-wing political leanings, and the history of Indonesia, including how the U.S. government trained Prabowo and his father-in-law, the late dictator Suharto. If you’d like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:44:21

No University Left Standing in Gaza

2/9/2024
Within the first 100 days of its war on Gaza, the Israeli military systematically destroyed every single university on the strip. International human rights monitors have found significant evidence that Palestinian scholars and intellectual figures have been targeted by Israeli strikes. The Israeli military has decimated Gaza’s education system and its infrastructure. This week on Deconstructed, Natasha Lennard, a columnist for The Intercept, fills in for Ryan Grim and speaks with Dr. Ahmed Alhussaina, the vice president of Israa University, one of Gaza’s most celebrated institutions of higher education and research. At the start of the war, Israel turned the university into military barracks, and later destroyed it in a massive, controlled explosion. In mid-November, Alhussaina fled Gaza; he has been able to escape to Egypt with his direct family members. Israel’s current war has killed 102 of his relatives. Alhussaina told Lennard about academic life in Gaza before October 7, the unending terror and desperation for Palestinians since the war began, and his hopes for the future of Palestinian intellectual life. If you’d like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:39:39

No University Left Standing in Gaza

2/9/2024
Within the first 100 days of its war on Gaza, the Israeli military systematically destroyed every single university on the strip. International human rights monitors have found significant evidence that Palestinian scholars and intellectual figures have been targeted by Israeli strikes. The Israeli military has decimated Gaza’s education system and its infrastructure. This week on Deconstructed, Natasha Lennard, a columnist for The Intercept, fills in for Ryan Grim and speaks with Dr. Ahmed Alhussaina, the vice president of Israa University, one of Gaza’s most celebrated institutions of higher education and research. At the start of the war, Israel turned the university into military barracks, and later destroyed it in a massive, controlled explosion. In mid-November, Alhussaina fled Gaza; he has been able to escape to Egypt with his direct family members. Israel’s current war has killed 102 of his relatives. Alhussaina told Lennard about academic life in Gaza before October 7, the unending terror and desperation for Palestinians since the war began, and his hopes for the future of Palestinian intellectual life. If you’d like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:39:39

No University Left Standing in Gaza

2/9/2024
Within the first 100 days of its war on Gaza, the Israeli military systematically destroyed every single university on the strip. International human rights monitors have found significant evidence that Palestinian scholars and intellectual figures have been targeted by Israeli strikes. The Israeli military has decimated Gaza’s education system and its infrastructure. This week on Deconstructed, Natasha Lennard, a columnist for The Intercept, fills in for Ryan Grim and speaks with Dr. Ahmed Alhussaina, the vice president of Israa University, one of Gaza’s most celebrated institutions of higher education and research. At the start of the war, Israel turned the university into military barracks, and later destroyed it in a massive, controlled explosion. In mid-November, Alhussaina fled Gaza; he has been able to escape to Egypt with his direct family members. Israel’s current war has killed 102 of his relatives. Alhussaina told Lennard about academic life in Gaza before October 7, the unending terror and desperation for Palestinians since the war began, and his hopes for the future of Palestinian intellectual life. If you’d like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:39:39

The Case for Open Borders

2/2/2024
Amid ongoing congressional negotiations for a new immigration bill, a bipartisan effort is underway to deter migration through measures such as immediate detention and deportation, as well as more stringent restrictions on asylum-seekers. This week on Deconstructed, John Washington, a staff writer at Arizona Luminaria and contributor for The Intercept, argues the humane — and economically sound — solution is to open the border. Washington joins Ryan Grim to discuss his new book, “The Case for Open Borders,” which takes a historical look at migration and the current crisis. Washington asserts that free and unrestricted movement of people across borders strengthens security, fosters economic growth globally, and can address climate change challenges. If you’d like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:48:44

The Case for Open Borders

2/2/2024
Amid ongoing congressional negotiations for a new immigration bill, a bipartisan effort is underway to deter migration through measures such as immediate detention and deportation, as well as more stringent restrictions on asylum-seekers. This week on Deconstructed, John Washington, a staff writer at Arizona Luminaria and contributor for The Intercept, argues the humane — and economically sound — solution is to open the border. Washington joins Ryan Grim to discuss his new book, “The Case for Open Borders,” which takes a historical look at migration and the current crisis. Washington asserts that free and unrestricted movement of people across borders strengthens security, fosters economic growth globally, and can address climate change challenges. If you’d like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:48:44

Pakistan Ambassador Opens Up

1/26/2024
This week on Deconstructed, Munir Akram, Pakistan’s ambassador to the United Nations, joins Ryan Grim and Murtaza Hussain to discuss a wide array of topics, including the escalating conflict in Yemen and Israel’s attacks on Palestine. Akram also discusses the complicated relationships between Pakistan and some of its neighbors, including India, China, and Iran, as well as Pakistan's own internal instability and challenges as it nears elections. If you’d like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:47:38

Pakistan Ambassador Opens Up

1/26/2024
This week on Deconstructed, Munir Akram, Pakistan’s ambassador to the United Nations, joins Ryan Grim and Murtaza Hussain to discuss a wide array of topics, including the escalating conflict in Yemen and Israel’s attacks on Palestine. Akram also discusses the complicated relationships between Pakistan and some of its neighbors, including India, China, and Iran, as well as Pakistan's own internal instability and challenges as it nears elections. If you’d like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:47:38

Pakistan Ambassador Opens Up

1/26/2024
This week on Deconstructed, Munir Akram, Pakistan’s ambassador to the United Nations, joins Ryan Grim and Murtaza Hussain to discuss a wide array of topics, including the escalating conflict in Yemen and Israel’s attacks on Palestine. Akram also discusses the complicated relationships between Pakistan and some of its neighbors, including India, China, and Iran, as well as Pakistan's own internal instability and challenges as it nears elections. If you’d like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:47:38

BONUS: Narco Gangs Launch Rebellion In Ecuador

1/22/2024
Today we're sharing an episode from Counter Points, where Ryan Grim speaks to Guillaume Long, who served as Ecuador's foreign minister under former President Rafael Correa. They discuss the narco gangs rebellion in Ecuador, and how Trump-and-then-Biden-driven austerity in the country has hollowed out the state and let narcos fill the vacuum. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:20:53

BONUS: Narco Gangs Launch Rebellion In Ecuador

1/22/2024
Today we're sharing an episode from Counter Points, where Ryan Grim speaks to Guillaume Long, who served as Ecuador's foreign minister under former President Rafael Correa. They discuss the narco gangs rebellion in Ecuador, and how Trump-and-then-Biden-driven austerity in the country has hollowed out the state and let narcos fill the vacuum. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:20:53

BONUS: Narco Gangs Launch Rebellion In Ecuador

1/22/2024
Today we're sharing an episode from Counter Points, where Ryan Grim speaks to Guillaume Long, who served as Ecuador's foreign minister under former President Rafael Correa. They discuss the narco gangs rebellion in Ecuador, and how Trump-and-then-Biden-driven austerity in the country has hollowed out the state and let narcos fill the vacuum. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:20:53

The Jewish Community Rupture Over Israel–Palestine

1/19/2024
This week on Deconstructed, Ryan Grim speaks to the filmmakers behind “Israelism,” a new documentary that takes a narrative look at the unique relationship between the American Jewish community and an idealized version of the state of Israel. Grim is joined by “Israelism” co-directors Erin Axelman and Sam Eilertsen. Axelman and Eilertsen are two first-time Jewish filmmakers who share a similar story to the film’s protagonists, Simone Zimmerman and Eitan. Zimmerman, co-founder of the progressive Jewish organization IfNotNow, also joins the conversation. To watch the film, visit Israelismfilm.com; you can also find upcoming screenings on their website. If you’d like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:54:59

The Jewish Community Rupture Over Israel–Palestine

1/19/2024
This week on Deconstructed, Ryan Grim speaks to the filmmakers behind “Israelism,” a new documentary that takes a narrative look at the unique relationship between the American Jewish community and an idealized version of the state of Israel. Grim is joined by “Israelism” co-directors Erin Axelman and Sam Eilertsen. Axelman and Eilertsen are two first-time Jewish filmmakers who share a similar story to the film’s protagonists, Simone Zimmerman and Eitan. Zimmerman, co-founder of the progressive Jewish organization IfNotNow, also joins the conversation. To watch the film, visit Israelismfilm.com; you can also find upcoming screenings on their website. If you’d like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:54:59

The Jewish Community Rupture Over Israel–Palestine

1/19/2024
This week on Deconstructed, Ryan Grim speaks to the filmmakers behind “Israelism,” a new documentary that takes a narrative look at the unique relationship between the American Jewish community and an idealized version of the state of Israel. Grim is joined by “Israelism” co-directors Erin Axelman and Sam Eilertsen. Axelman and Eilertsen are two first-time Jewish filmmakers who share a similar story to the film’s protagonists, Simone Zimmerman and Eitan. Zimmerman, co-founder of the progressive Jewish organization IfNotNow, also joins the conversation. To watch the film, visit Israelismfilm.com; you can also find upcoming screenings on their website. If you’d like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/give, where your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us additional feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:54:59