Rostrum posts – Octavian Report: Recent Episodes
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Our picks for the books you need to read in 2022, featuring Fareed Zakaria, Dara Horn. BHL, Mario Vargas Llosa, and many others.
The post The Octavian 2021 Book List appeared first on Octavian Report.
The Technology and Trade Council, launched this week, may just show the way forward to a real industrial strategy in the face of China's rise.
The post How the U.S. and E.U. Can Win Against China appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Dr. Monica Gandhi to find out where all the confusion around boosters is coming from.
The post What Is Going On With COVID Booster Shots? appeared first on Octavian Report.
Elliot Ackerman -- decorated solider, best-selling novelist and National Book Award Nominee -- talks about our exit from Afghanistan.
The post Elliot Ackerman on Our Exit from Afghanistan appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Johns Hopkins professor Tara Kirk Sell about how to combat vaccine hesitancy and why government vaccine mandates could be a mistake.
The post What to Do About Vaccine Hesitancy appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke for this episode with Avi Loeb, the Harvard astronomer who wants to find out if we are alone in the universe -- and has launched an amazing new effort, the Galileo Project, to do just that.
The post Are We Alone in the Universe? Avi Loeb Wants to Know appeared first on Octavian Report.
We talked through the kidnapping plot against Masih Alinejad, the Gulf's coming climate change paradigm shift, Yemen, and more with Norman Roule.
The post Masih Alinejad, the Gulf’s “Greenshift,” and More appeared first on Octavian Report.
Leading economist Matthew Kahn tells us why and how we can use incentives, tech, and revolutionary thinking to deal with the hotter future coming our way.
The post Climate Change Is Coming. Here’s How We Adapt. appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with April Doss of Georgetown Law about crypto, Colonial pipeline, and the looming digital risk faced by businesses and governments.
The post Why Ransomware is the Wave of the Future appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with FDD's Emily de La Bruyère about the latest news around China, including the historic (or not-so-historic) shift to a three-child policy.
The post The Lab Leak Hypothesis, the U.S. China Bill, and More appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Elliott Abrams about how he sees events playing out post-ceasefire and the strange erasure of Palestinian politics.
The post After the Ceasefire, What Next? appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with the CFR's Steven Cook about how he sees the conflict playing out.
The post What’s Next for Israel and the Palestinians? appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with infectious disease expert Dr. Monica Gandhi of UCSF about her views on the eventual need to power-up previous vaccinations.
The post Will We Need COVID Booster Shots? appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with the Wilson Institute's Michael Kugelman to find out how India got here and what it can do to beat back its tragic current wave.
The post What’s Next in the India COVID Tragedy appeared first on Octavian Report.
We asked a leading scholar and co-author of a study of pandemic data how effective lockdowns actually are.
The post Do COVID Lockdowns Work? appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Norman Roule about Iran's strategy, ours, the nuclear deal, and the attack on Natanz.
The post The Iran Deal in a Post-Pandemic World appeared first on Octavian Report.
As the government pauses Johnson and Johnson doses, we spoke with Johns Hopkins professor Tara Kirk Sell about why vaccines are safe and how to beat vaccine hesitancy.
The post How to Fight Vaccine Hesitancy appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with the FDD's Emily de La Bruyère about data opacity from Sinovac and Sinopharm and why it's worrying news for the world.
The post Why Is China Hiding Its Vaccine Trial Data? appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Sumit Chanda about how a leprosy drug called clofazimine might be a secret weapon in our fight against the pandemic.
The post Can a Cheap Drug Help Beat COVID? appeared first on Octavian Report.
Dr. David Nauen of Johns Hopkins may have found an answer that explains one of the lasting enigmas of the pandemic.
The post What Causes COVID Brain Fog? appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Frances Lund, a microbiologist leading the charge to develop a new vaccine with revolutionary implications for the fight against COVID.
The post What Do Intranasal Vaccines Mean for COVID? appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Dr. Joel Zinberg about how the governor's policies on COVID have been a disaster for New York's most vulnerable groups.
The post How Andrew Cuomo Mishandled COVID appeared first on Octavian Report.
The Biden administration has "deep concerns" about the WHO report. We spoke with FDD's Emily de La Bruyère to find out if we should too.
The post How to Read the WHO Report on China and COVID appeared first on Octavian Report.
UNC's Dr. Myron Cohen helped develop a revolutionary treatment regime for HIV. Now he's fighting COVID with monoclonals.
The post How Monoclonals Can Help Beat COVID appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with a leading respiratory disease expert, Dr. Jeremy Brown of UCL, to get a better grasp of what the UK is doing right in this stage of the pandemic.
The post Why the UK Vaccine Rollout Is Succeeding appeared first on Octavian Report.
One aspect of COVID that has frightening implications is its effect on mental health. From early on in the pandemic, doctors noticed that COVID patients seemed in some cases to be suffering from neuropsychiatric disorders, some of which persisted long after other symptoms had vanished. For this episode, we spoke with Dr. Jonathan Rogers, a practicing psychiatrist, a prize-winning researcher in the University College London Division of Psychiatry specializing in neuropsychiatric disorders, and first author of a study examining the...
The post What Is COVID Doing to Our Brains? appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with public health expert Polly Price of Emory University School of Law about the strengths and weaknesses of the Biden COVID plan.
The post Will the Biden COVID Plan Work? appeared first on Octavian Report.
Can Donald Trump pardon himself? Brian Kalt, a law professor at Michigan State, may have the answer to this bizarre question.
The post Can Donald Trump pardon himself? appeared first on Octavian Report.
The author of A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO AMERICA talks about history, identity, and place and what they mean to her and in our current cultural moment.
The post Roya Hakakian on A Beginner’s Guide to America appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Columbia University immunologist Donna Farber -- the author of a recent, major study examining this issue -- to answer that question.
The post Why Don’t Kids Get COVID Like Adults? appeared first on Octavian Report.
Who's a good boy? Dogs and their incredible noses might hold the key to completely revolutionizing COVID testing, according to research from Project Nosias.
The post Dogs: The Ultimate COVID Test? appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Emily de La Bruyere about China's struggles with, and deceptions about, their efforts against the pandemic -- and why they matter.
The post What China’s COVID Files Really Mean appeared first on Octavian Report.
A Stanford researcher on how mobility data can shed light on the best way to fight the pandemic.
The post Predicting the Next COVID Surge appeared first on Octavian Report.
Worried about the new mink-borne strain of COVID? We spoke with microbiologist Joanne Santini about humans, animals, microbes, and mutations.
The post Mink, Mutations, and Meat-Eaters appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke to Dr. Moshe Arditi at Cedars/Sinai about his clinical trial to determine whether the BCG vaccine for tuberculosis might help fight COVID.
The post How BCG, A Century-Old Vaccine, Might Fight COVID appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with the principal investigator of the AstraZeneca vaccine about how the vaccine works and why U.S. trial procedures are the safest in the world.
The post How COVID Vaccine Trials Work appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Toby Peters, professor in the cold economy at the University of Birmingham, about the fearsome logistical issues in vaccine distribution.
The post COVID Vaccines and the Cold Chain appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Ambassador Carey Cavanaugh on Armenia, Azerbaijan, and what local conflict means in the age of COVID-19.
The post Armenia, Azerbaijan, and COVID-19 appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Craig Wright, author of The Hidden Habits of Genius. We spoke with Craig about his views on talent, art, and isolation.
The post Genius and Isolation (COVID-Related and Otherwise) appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Richard Neher, co-founder of Nextstrain – a tool that tracks in real time genome changes in pathogens including COVID.
The post Watching the COVID Genome in Real Time appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Dr. Monica Gandhi about an intriguing new theory based on an old concept.
The post Can Masks Help Us Build COVID Immunity? appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Emily de La Bruyère of FDD on how China is looking for geopolitical advantage in the midst of the pandemic.
The post Emily de La Bruyère on China’s COVID soft power plays appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Eileen Hunt Botting about Mary Shelley and The Last Man, the first post-apocalyptic novel, set in a world devastated by plague.
The post Mary Shelley and Her Plague Masterpiece appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with legendary political predictor Allan Lichtman about the President's chances and what COVID will mean for voting.
The post Allan Lichtman on Why Trump Will Lose appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke to Jonathan Granoff, president of the Global Security Institute, on how we can step up the fight against the pandemic.
The post Jonathan Granoff on COVID and Global Security appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke to Steven A. Cook about the historic Israel/UAE peace deal and the recent explosion in Beirut, and what these mean within the global COVID crisis.
The post Steven A. Cook on the UAE, Israel, and Lebanon appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with a current candidate for Manhattan DA, on the justice system vs. the pandemic and her vision for the office.
The post Tali Farhadian Weinstein on COVID vs. the Justice System appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke to Douglas Rediker on the economic and fiscal effects of COVID globally and the massive uncertainties there.
The post COVID, Debt, and the Global Economy appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with eminent Germanist and intellectual historian David Wellbery on Nobel laureate Thomas Mann and the literature of disease.
The post Thomas Mann and the Literature of Disease appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Michelle Gavin, former U.S. ambassador to Botswana, about Africa and COVID and how pandemics hit the developing world.
The post Africa and the Developing World Vs. Covid appeared first on Octavian Report.
The new episode of our podcast features John Henderson on the history of quarantine and why Florence's response to plague in 1630 will seem eerily familiar.
The post Where Does Quarantine Come From? appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Jeremy Brown, Director of the Office of Emergency Care Research at NIH and author of Influenza, about the hunt for a flu vaccine -- and why we still need one.
The post Why We Still Need a Flu Vaccine appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Saikrishna Prakash of UVA Law on Trump, the protests, the Insurrection Act, and executive power.
The post Trump, the Protests, and the Insurrection Act appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Judith Matloff, crisis trainer and author of How To Drag A Body and Other Safety Tips You Hope To Never Need, about what survival actually requires.
The post How to Survive the Next COVID Crisis appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with John Hopkins professor Emily Gurley on how to become a contact tracer and why it matters.
The post How To Become A Contact Tracer, with Emily Gurley appeared first on Octavian Report.
Proust scholar Caroline Weber told us why In Search of Lost Time makes for essential reading.
The post Why You Should Read Proust In 2021 appeared first on Octavian Report.
As China’s relationship with Hong Kong changes fundamentally and for the worse, the new episode of our coronavirus crisis podcast features Andreas Fulda, professor at the University of Nottingham, author of The Struggle for Democracy in Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, and the originator of an open letter criticizing China’s political and structural response to the outbreak of COVID within its borders. We spoke with Andreas about that response, why China acted the way it did, what...
The post The Truth About China and COVID appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Adam Tooze, professor at Columbia University and the author of Crashed, about the COVID economy and if it's permanent.
The post Adam Tooze on the COVID Economy appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Laura Marris, the translator of a new version of Albert Camus’ seminal novel The Plague, about translating this classic during a pandemic.
The post Translating The Plague During a Plague appeared first on Octavian Report.
China is using the pandemic as an excuse to squeeze its BRI borrowers. Here's what the world can do about it.
The post China Uses the Pandemic to Squeeze BRI Borrowers appeared first on Octavian Report.
Our newest episode features best-selling author John Barry on his book The Great Influenza: The Deadliest Pandemic in History and the 1918 flu outbreak.
The post The Spanish Flu, the Deadliest Pandemic appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Mark Braude, author of The Invisible Emperor: Napoleon on Elba, about Napoleon and his own personal quarantine.
The post Napoleon in Quarantine appeared first on Octavian Report.
Our latest episode features Sarah Ives of Distributed Bio, a company at the forefront of treatment development for COVID via powerful biotech.
The post The Biotech Visionaries Fighting COVID appeared first on Octavian Report.
Our latest episode features Wayne Rebhorn, acclaimed translator of the Decameron, on Giovanni Boccaccio, his most famous work, and why it's still relevant.
The post Why the Decameron Is Great Quarantine Reading appeared first on Octavian Report.
Our latest episode features Nobel Prize winner Paul Romer and daring vision for how testing can be a way out of the COVID crisis for the U.S.
The post Paul Romer on testing our way out of COVID appeared first on Octavian Report.
Our latest episode features Frank Snowden, author of Naples in the Time of Cholera, on what we can learn from a late-19th century pandemic.
The post Frank Snowden on Naples in the Time of Cholera appeared first on Octavian Report.
Our latest episode features David Dunning, discoverer of the Dunning-Kruger Effect. We spoke with him about how cognitive bias hampered our COVID response.
The post David Dunning on COVID and cognitive bias appeared first on Octavian Report.
The latest episode of our Coronavirus podcast features Netflix sensation Dennis Carroll. We spoke with him about battling emergence and taking the fight to zoonotic viruses.
The post Dennis Carroll on Fighting Emergence in Viruses appeared first on Octavian Report.
Our latest episode features Tom Holland on a plague that changed the course of ancient history, Thucydides, and what we can learn from the Greeks.
The post Tom Holland on Thucydides and the plague at Athens appeared first on Octavian Report.
Our latest episode features former BoE governor Mervyn King talking about his new book, Radical Uncertainty -- and how rejecting certainties can save us.
The post Mervyn King’s Radical Uncertainty appeared first on Octavian Report.
Our latest episode features Andrew Roberts talking about the War Secretary's fight with the Spanish Flu.
The post Winston Churchill vs. the Spanish Flu appeared first on Octavian Report.
Our latest episode features Dr. David Katz, author of a viral New York Times op-ed, talking about what we're getting wrong in our response to coronavirus.
The post Dr. David Katz on What We’re Getting Wrong appeared first on Octavian Report.
Our latest episode features James Shapiro talking about a major theme in Shakespeare’s work and life: the plagues that ravaged London throughout his career.
The post James Shapiro on Shakespeare and Plagues appeared first on Octavian Report.
The latest episode of our Coronavirus podcast features Lawrence Levy on an ancient way to help keep yourself sane while under modern quarantine: meditation.
The post Lawrence Levy on meditation under quarantine appeared first on Octavian Report.
The latest episode of our podcast features Ian Bremmer. We spoke with Ian about what we don't know and why that makes things so, so volatile.
The post Ian Bremmer on the global fallout from coronavirus appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke to China analyst Emily de La Bruyere about China's winning post-pandemic strategy for the latest episode of our coronavirus crisis podcast.
The post China’s Post-Pandemic Strategy appeared first on Octavian Report.
Legendary financial journalist, Octavian Report board member, and founder of Grant’s Interest Rate Observer James Grant discusses the history of economics and how financial markets react to crises, including the Spanish Flu.
The post James Grant on Spanish Flu and the Stimulus appeared first on Octavian Report.
We are pleased to announce the Octavian 2019 holiday book List. The list makes great year-end reading wherever you may be — and great gifts, if you are still looking.
Here is our list of essential reads for 2020 and beyond.
THE EMPIRE AND THE FIVE KINGS, by Bernard-Henri Lévy
The pre-eminent French thinker and Octavian editorial board member’s latest book is a stunning mix of history and geopolitical analysis, all placed in the service of an eloquent plea for...
The post The Octavian 2019 Holiday Book List appeared first on Octavian Report.
In 2005, Celeste Watkins-Hayes began interviewing women with HIV. For this week's podcast we spoke with Dr. Watkins-Hayes about her surprising research.
The post What Government Can Learn from AIDS Activists appeared first on Octavian Report.
Our deep dive with a pyrotechnics expert to get you amped up for the Fourth.
The post Why Do We Light Fireworks On The 4th Of July? appeared first on Octavian Report.
We dig deep with Steven A. Cook on the Istanbul election re-rerun and why it could cause an explosion in Turkish politics.
The post After the Istanbul Election, What’s Next? appeared first on Octavian Report.
Old age: how should we think about it? Geriatrician and writer Louise Aronson talks about her upcoming book Elderhood and what makes our later years good.
The post How To Make Your Old Age Your Best Years Yet appeared first on Octavian Report.
Uncertainty defines our era. For this week's podcast we spoke with a mathematician about how to understand the rules that govern it.
The post The Mathematics of Uncertainty appeared first on Octavian Report.
Violence. Sanctions. An economic death spiral. How is Nicolas Maduro hanging on and what will he do next? We asked Venezuela expert Harold Trinkunas.
The post Maduro Is In Charge, But For How Long? appeared first on Octavian Report.
Paul Cézanne's Boulloire et Fruits just sold for $60 million. This week's podcast examines the painting's amazing backstory.
The post The $60 Million Cézanne Heist appeared first on Octavian Report.
For this week's podcast, we spoke to the author of the forthcoming Lithium: A Doctor, a Drug, and a Breakthrough, about the history of this amazing metal.
The post How Lithium Powered A Medical Revolution appeared first on Octavian Report.
Counter-terrorism expert Daveed Gartenstein-Ross talks about how we should see the Easter attacks in their broader geopolitical context and what comes next for ISIS.
The post Why The Sri Lanka Attacks Are Just The Beginning appeared first on Octavian Report.
How should a scientist act? For this week's podcast, we spoke with Lee McIntrye, author of The Scientific Attitude, about fighting anti-science forces.
The post Why Everyone Should Think Like A Scientist appeared first on Octavian Report.
For this week's podcast, we spoke with Barry Strauss, classicist and best-selling historian, about his newest book Ten Caesars and the history of Rome.
The post Why These Ten Caesars Explain Rome and the U.S. appeared first on Octavian Report.
Alyssa Ayres, senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations discusses the Kashmir attack and what's next.
The post Why the India Pakistan Crisis Is Going To Get Worse appeared first on Octavian Report.
A UC Berkeley team has figured out how to do 3D printing with light. We discuss this revolutionary innovation with its inventors for this week's podcast.
The post Why 3D Printing Is About To Change Forever appeared first on Octavian Report.
Charles Krauthammer died last summer. We spoke for this week's podcast to his son Daniel about his final book, The Point of It All, and his lasting legacy.
The post Why The Fight for Ideas Is Important appeared first on Octavian Report.
For this week's podcast we spoke with Gregory Allen, of the Center for a New American Security, about China's AI ecosystem.
The post Why China’s AI Threat Needs To Be Addressed appeared first on Octavian Report.
This week's podcast features Jeffrey Engel of Southern Methodist University with a deeper take take on Trump's SOTU and what it means in context.
The post Why Trump’s SOTU Should Have You Worried appeared first on Octavian Report.
As the Syrian conflict rages on, much of the discourse about the Middle East assumes that external players hold all the decisive positions. This view neglects the Arab nations.
The post Why the Next War in the Middle East Will Look Different appeared first on Octavian Report.
The Venezuela crisis entered a new chapter over the weekend. We spoke with Harold Trinkunas of Stanford University about what's next.
The post What’s Next as the Venezuela Crisis Unfolds appeared first on Octavian Report.
We discuss Brian VanDeMark's new Vietnam history Road to Disaster with the author, who argues that insights from cognitive science are necessary for policy.
The post How Cognitive Science Explains Why We Lost in Vietnam appeared first on Octavian Report.
Weather disasters driven by climate change racked up $180 billion in damage in 2018. The solution? Nuclear energy, says Amherst's Joshua Goldstein.
The post How to Solve Climate Change Right Now appeared first on Octavian Report.
The "Great Triumvirate" once dominated American politics. We spoke with HW Brands about their legacy for this week's podcast.
The post HW Brands on Webster, Calhoun, and Clay appeared first on Octavian Report.
For many, the spectacle of power Trump creates echoes uncomfortably the fascist politics of 20th century Europe and elsewhere.
The post Jason Stanley Explains How Fascism Works appeared first on Octavian Report.
We are pleased to announce our selections for the best films we saw this year. As you head into the holidays, The Octavian Report film list makes great year-end watching wherever you may be — and these movies make great gifts, if you are still scrambling.
A Private War — Matthew Heinman, 2018
Syria is top of mind this week, making Heinman’s amazing first narrative feature more powerful than ever. The true life story of Marie Colvin, a contemporary...
The post The Octavian Report Must-Watch List, 2018 Edition appeared first on Octavian Report.
A drafter of the 25th Amendment talks Donald Trump, American politics, the midterms, Mueller, and the Equal Rights Amendment.
The post Trump vs. the 25th Amendment appeared first on Octavian Report.
Here is our list of essential reads for 2019 and beyond.
The post Our 2018 Holiday Reading List appeared first on Octavian Report.
Is the American republic like Rome's? For this week's podcast we spoke with Edward Watts, author of Mortal Republic, to see if that comparison makes sense.
The post Can We Learn from the Fall of the Roman Republic? appeared first on Octavian Report.
For this week's podcast we spoke with historian Bradley Hart about Hitler and his American friends.
The post When Hitler Had Friends in America appeared first on Octavian Report.
Democrats control the House. The GOP controls the Senate. For this week's podcast, we spoke to Noah Rothman about what the midterms mean.
The post The Midterms Are Over. Now What? appeared first on Octavian Report.
For this week's podcast, we spoke with Rahim Rashidi, "Mr. Kurd" himself.
The post “Mister Kurd” Speaks on Kurdistan and the U.S. appeared first on Octavian Report.
For this week's podcast, we spoke with the National Book Award finalist about his new novel, war, marriage, and everything in betwe
The post Elliot Ackerman on Waiting for Eden appeared first on Octavian Report.
Pluto has been the subject of recent controversy, with scientists demoting it from plant to dwarf planet. Philip Metzger, a planetary physicist as the University of Central Florida, says this new classification is dead wrong.
The post The Battle for Pluto appeared first on Octavian Report.
The Concordia 2018 summit was great. Vibrant, weighty, and filled with fascinating people. We are delighted to have been there and spoken to two of the most interesting for this week's Rostrum.
The post Octavian at the 2018 Concordia Summit appeared first on Octavian Report.
Bad news, vegetarians. Turns out plants don't like being eaten any more than animals.
The post Why Plants Don’t Like Being Eaten appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke for this week's podcast with Eric Kaufmann, an expert on where politics and identity intersect.
The post Right-wing populism isn’t about economics appeared first on Octavian Report.
For this week's podcast we spoke with with Vincent Lynch about cancer rates and body size.
The post Why Elephants Hardly Ever Get Cancer (And What It Means For Us) appeared first on Octavian Report.
Henri J. Barkey on the Turkish Crisis
Turkey is facing an economic crisis — its lira has fallen almost 40 percent this year — and its relations with the U.S. are under severe strain, with gunfire near the American embassy on Monday and a diplomatic battle over detained pastor Andrew Brunson at a very public, bitter impasse. To get a sense of what all this might mean, we spoke with Henri J. Barkey, Cohen Professor of International Relations at Lehigh...
The post Henri J. Barkey on the Turkish Crisis appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Andrew Selee, the president of the Migration Policy Institute, to talk about the political, economic, and social forces driving migration to the U.S. and where things go from here.
The post Why There Is No Immigration Crisis appeared first on Octavian Report.
Spain's former national security advisor Rafael Bardaji explains it all for you in this week's podcast.
The post Understanding the Spanish Election appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Iraq expert and author of The Unraveling Emma Sky about what al-Sadr's victory means and how the Iraqi political landscape is shifting.
The post How to Understand the Iraqi Elections appeared first on Octavian Report.
FROM THE MAGAZINE
The events in Ukraine in the late winter and spring of 2014 provided a rare glimpse of a European revolution in real time. On the scene was Yale professor Marci Shore, an intellectual historian with deep connections to the Ukraine and its fighters for liberal democracy. From her personal encounter with the Maidan came a new book, The Ukrainian Night. We spoke to Shore about Ukraine’s struggle for autonomy and its internal battles, as...
The post The Troubles, The Boxer, The Informer and more appeared first on Octavian Report.
What makes us human? Jim Henson and Heinrich von Kleist both had deep insights into our condition.
The post Muppets, marionettes, monsters and more appeared first on Octavian Report.
The story of Phil Yu's company is the story of American innovation writ small.
The post Why Rubik’s Cube Explains the Modern Economy appeared first on Octavian Report.
For this week's podcast, we spoke with Evans Revere, one of the most respected and experienced Asia policy veterans in the U.S., about what to expect from the summit.
The post What We Know About The North Korea Summit appeared first on Octavian Report.
The Wailing, Our Twisted Hero, Donald Trump v. Kim Jong-un, and the humiliation of the Russian navy.
The post Charismatic bullies, demonic possession, and more appeared first on Octavian Report.
Elections do not guarantee democracy. We spoke with Nic Cheeseman about making sure the free and open society survives.
The post How to Rig Elections And How to Save Them appeared first on Octavian Report.
Vote early, vote often.
The post Robert Redford, high-school politics, failed democrats and more appeared first on Octavian Report.
The CFR's Paul Stares on how to engage globally and avoid war.
The post How Preventive Engagement Can Save the World appeared first on Octavian Report.
The only winning move is not to play. Or something like that.
The post The art of war, 80’s paranoia, free trade, and more appeared first on Octavian Report.
Andrés Rozental on Trump and Mexico
The “Wall” was a campaign promise of Donald Trump’s that has proven to be spectacularly empty — and one that has done serious damage to U.S.-Mexico relations. We are here today with veteran diplomat Andrés Rozental to talk about the newest incarnation of the “wall”, announced a few days ago: a projected force of 2,000 to 4,000 U.S. troops stationed along the border. Rozental explains why this deployment is different from others of its...
The post Why Trump’s Border Troop Deployment Will Be A Disaster appeared first on Octavian Report.
Trump may hate Mexico but we love Mexican culture -- and you should too.
The post Roberto Bolaño, Amores Perros, and more appeared first on Octavian Report.
General George Marshall is best known for the Marshall Plan. Far less known is his failed mission to intervene in China's own post-war struggle.
The post How We “Lost” China appeared first on Octavian Report.
Alliances: can't live with them, really can't live without them.
The post Three Kingdoms, the Stasi, NATO, and more appeared first on Octavian Report.
The Trump presidency seems at times like one unending scandal. For this week's podcast, we spoke with Eden Collinsworth, the author of BEHAVING BADLY, to talk about the life -- and death -- of norms.
The post How Trump and Tech Are Breaking Morality appeared first on Octavian Report.
Not everything is terrible, though.
The post The Death of Expertise, Notes on a Scandal, and more appeared first on Octavian Report.
The quest for cheap, sustainable energy seems to lead inexorably to the sun. We spoke with CFR expert and Georgetown professor Varun Sivaram about his new book Taming The Sun and the future of solar.
The post Why Solar Power Is Going to Hit a Wall appeared first on Octavian Report.
Prussian efficiency, right? That’s usually what people invoke when it comes to the popular conceptions of what is undoubtedly Germany’s most significant state.
The post Bismarck, fallen eagles, Prussian dreams, and more appeared first on Octavian Report.
Cornell's Barry Strauss, quite literally, wrote the book on the death of Caesar. We spoke with him about Roman politics and contemporary analogies for this week's podcast.
The post Barry Strauss on Why the Death of Caesar Never Ended appeared first on Octavian Report.
A meditation on the Idea of March.
The post Why You Should Not Forgive Your Enemies appeared first on Octavian Report.
Author Chris Kutarna believes that the key to understanding -- and flourishing -- in our chaotic modern era is to look back at the Renaissance, a period of tremendous upheaval but also an age in which tremendous human potential was unlocked. We spoke with Chris for this week's podcast.
The post Why The Renaissance Explains the Digital Age appeared first on Octavian Report.
Andrew Blum explains the internet; Gene Hackman explains the security state; and a 19th-century Scotsman explains the modern world.
The post Why You Still Don’t Really Understand the Internet appeared first on Octavian Report.
The Marshall Plan may well have been the most significant and effective strategic decision made by the U.S. in the postwar era.
The post Benn Steil on the Marshall Plan and the Modern World appeared first on Octavian Report.
Want to know what's going in the mind of Xi Jinping, the man about to become China's leader for life? Read on.
The post Xi Jinping, Mo Yan, Nixon in China, and More appeared first on Octavian Report.
Two professors at the University of Maryland made a remarkable discovery about one of the oldest materials used by humans -- wood -- that has remarkable implications for the future.
The post Your Next Car Might Be Made of Wood. Here’s Why. appeared first on Octavian Report.
The future of power, a great Austrian novel, the history of the Met, and much more.
The post Lithium, Thomas Bernhard, Paul Newman, and more appeared first on Octavian Report.
For this week's podcast, we spoke with Scott Snyder -- senior fellow for Korea studies at the Council on Foreign Relations -- on what the North Korea situation looks like from South Korea.
The post Why We Should Be Worried About South Korea appeared first on Octavian Report.
A look at the cultural and political history of freedom and oppression in America.
The post Frederick Douglass, Spielberg’s Lincoln, and more appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke for this week's podcast with Amir Tibon to discuss what's ahead for Abbas, Fatah, and the Palestinians.
The post Amir Tibon on Abbas and the future of the Palestinians appeared first on Octavian Report.
Why the recent surge in oil prices means a bigger eventual comedown, plus a trio of World War I content: the Battle of Dogger Bank, Nolan's Dunkirk, and Ford Madox Ford.
The post Oil’s new normal, Ford Madox Ford, Dunkirk, and more appeared first on Octavian Report.
Edward Lansdale is truly a forgotten man in American history. Yet he once wielded enormous influence, and his methods and tactics hold valuable lessons for leaders today, argues best-selling historian Max Boot.
The post Max Boot on Edward Lansdale and Vietnam appeared first on Octavian Report.
The theme of freedom is an enduring one.
The post Sharansky, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, and more appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Kenneth M. Pollack to discuss what's ahead for Iran in the short and medium term and what this means for U.S. policy in the region.
The post Why the Iran Protests Were A Victory for Hardliners appeared first on Octavian Report.
War. Art. Insanity. What more do you want?
The post Xenophon, the Oscars, Barton Fink, and More appeared first on Octavian Report.
Learn how to overcome adversity wth style.
The post Get Inspired for 2018 with Luke Weber’s Amazing Story appeared first on Octavian Report.
We are pleased to announce our selections for the best books of the year (and a couple of classics) -- our list of essential reads for 2018 and beyond.
The post Our 2018 Book Recommendations appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with Anthony Ruggiero, of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, about the most effective U.S. response to North Korea.
The post How to Solve the North Korea Problem appeared first on Octavian Report.
FROM THE REPORT
Illicit finance is the lifeblood of many groups and organizations acting directly to the interests of global security. Here, Juan Zarate, a former assistant Treasury Secretary and deputy national security advisor with a special focus on combating illicit finance, unpacks this complex issue — and the knot of risks that surround it.
ON THIS DAY IN 2007 . . .
Three thieves stole Pablo Picasso’s Portrait of Suzanne Blochfrom the Sao Paolo Museum of Art. The...
The post How to Fight Financial Terrorism appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke with the CFR's Robert M. Danin on the local and global politics around Jerusalem and Trump's move to recognize it as Israel's capital.
The post Robert M. Danin on Trump’s Jerusalem Move appeared first on Octavian Report.
Former NATO commander Adm. James Stavridis outlines a terrifying new possibility in soft targets likely to be focused on by global terrorists.
The post Why We Should Be Worried About Soft Targets appeared first on Octavian Report.
Exclusive content from the inaugural Octavian Forum.
The post VIDEO: Abrams, Cook, Danin, Otaiba, and Ross on the Middle East appeared first on Octavian Report.
We spoke to Alyssa Ayres about how India -- the world's largest democracy -- can assume its rightful place on the global stage.
The post Why India (Not China) Is the Future of Asia appeared first on Octavian Report.
NATION IN WAITING
President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas caused ripples in the Mideast this week when he revealed an alleged Saudi peace plan that offers the Palestinians less than any ever conceived of. Our deep dive in the Octavian Report with the CFR’s Robert Danin on Abbas and the internal mechanisms of Palestinian politics will shed light on what’s really going on. Read it here.
ON THIS DAY IN 1884 . . . .
...
The post What’s Going on In Palestinian Politics appeared first on Octavian Report.
Amb. John Campbell on Emmerson Mnangagwe and the future of Zimbabwe after Mugabe.
The post What’s Next for Zimbabwe appeared first on Octavian Report.
Ian Bremmer on why our geopolitical recession will continue.
The post The Geopolitical Recession Will Continue. Here’s Why. appeared first on Octavian Report.
Hollywood pioneer Lawrence Levy talks about how he and Steve Jobs transformed Pixar and what that can teach us about finding meaning in life.
The post Lawrence Levy on finding meaning at Pixar appeared first on Octavian Report.
The Saudi Crown Prince is consolidating power with possibly destabilizing results. We spoke with noted Saudi Arabia expert F. Gregory Gause III about what's ahead for the Kingdom.
The post What Will Mohammad Bin Salman Do Next? appeared first on Octavian Report.
The victory of the Bolsheviks in the October Revolution happened 100 years ago last week. Pulitzer Prize winner Anne Applebaum explains the how and why.
The post Cracking the da Vinci code appeared first on Octavian Report.
Myanmar's Rohingya people are fleeing the country by the hundreds of thousands, creating a humanitarian catastrophe that some international authorities are calling the result of ethnic cleansing.
The post Why the Myanmar Rohingya Crisis Helps ISIS appeared first on Octavian Report.
As Saudi Arabia undergoes apparent political purges, take a look at this excellent primer on the mind of King Salman and his designated successor Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from noted expert on the Kingdom F. Gregory Gause III.
ON THIS DAY IN 1977 . . .
Antiquity may be over, but who said there still isn’t more of it to be found? On this day in history — November 8, 1977 — Manolis Andronicos made a field...
The post What King Salman Is Thinking appeared first on Octavian Report.
Today is the 95th anniversary of the abdication of Mehmed the Sixth, the last Ottoman emperor. The fall of that empire paved the way, of course, for the rise of Mustafa Kemal and the eventual formation of the Turkish Republic.
The post Why You Should be Worried About Turkey appeared first on Octavian Report.
WHY FREE TRADE IS THE ULTIMATE PRO-WORKER POSITION
If there’s one thing that Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders can agree on, it’s that they don’t like free trade. Our publisher Richard Hurowitz explains why they are both dead wrong.
MY NAME IS RED
Orhan Pamuk’s My Name is Red is set in 1591, a time when the Ottomans had not even begun their famous siege of Vienna yet. Suleiman the Magnificent has died — and so has his...
The post Free Trade, Mehmed VI, James Mason, and More appeared first on Octavian Report.
If there’s one thing that Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders can agree on, it’s that they don't like free trade. They are both dead wrong.
The post Why Free Trade Is Pro-Worker appeared first on Octavian Report.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, we spoke to debt expert Greg Clark about what's really going with the Puerto Rico debt crisis.
The post What’s Really Going on in Puerto Rico appeared first on Octavian Report.
John Hannah on the Kurds; Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean; Darling; the real resistance.
The post Why We Need to Back the Kurds appeared first on Octavian Report.
Rafael Bardaji, former Spanish national security advisor, talks Catalonia and independence.
The post Why the Catalonia Crisis Is Only Going to Get Worse appeared first on Octavian Report.
Jonathan Granoff, an international advocate with a specific focus on addressing the threats posed by nuclear weapons, talks North Korea and more.
The post Why North Korea Is Not the Real Nuclear Threat appeared first on Octavian Report.
Catalonia's independence vote has presented Spain with its gravest political crisis since the civil war.
The post Why Europe Is Falling Apart appeared first on Octavian Report.
The world's leading expert on defense of the financial infrastructure talks the SEC hack.
The post Why A New Age of Financial Terrorism Is Starting appeared first on Octavian Report.
The new "leader of the free world" has an uphill struggle after her disappointing election results. Plus Garry Kasparov, William the Conqueror, and more.
The post Why Angela Merkel’s Victory Is Not Good News appeared first on Octavian Report.
After Donald Trump's fiery and troubling speech at the U.N. General Assembly, we caught up with North Korea expert Sue Mi Terry.
The post How To Live With A Nuclear North Korea appeared first on Octavian Report.
THE MIRACLE CURE?
Kite Pharmaceuticals — the immunotherapy company we profiled — is being acquired by Gilead for $11.8 billion, with shares nearly tripling since our recommendation two years ago. More importantly, the science is revolutionary. Read our interview with its CEO here.
AMERICAN PASTORAL
And they say America is falling apart nowadays! Philip Roth’s acclaimed American Pastoralpresents a bright reminder that behind each new layer of pastoral bliss in America usually lies a fresh cultural crisis. This is “the indigenous American Beserk” which...
The post How Kite Pharmaceuticals Is Beating Cancer appeared first on Octavian Report.
Sir Christopher Meyer, Britain's former ambassador to the U.S., takes on the state of Brexit.
The post How the U.K. can win Brexit using one weird trick appeared first on Octavian Report.
The terrifying rise of superbugs. Plus Joyce, Indiana Jones, and Michelangelo.
The post Why A Medical Dark Ages Is Coming Via Superbugs appeared first on Octavian Report.
The Commander of the International Ice Patrol shares her secrets.
The post Why Icebergs Are Still Dangerous appeared first on Octavian Report.
Canada is not only America’s most reliable international ally and largest trading partner -- she was America’s first true ally.
The post How the U.S. Alliance With Canada Saved the World appeared first on Octavian Report.
Kafka’s insistence that “it's only because of their stupidity that they're able to be so sure of themselves” may be the best diagnosis of Trump yet.
The post Kafka, Scorsese, and More appeared first on Octavian Report.
Chess: it's the game of kings. For millennia it has preoccupied some of the greatest minds, taught discipline and focus, and even inspired great art.
The post Rick Knowlton on Chess History appeared first on Octavian Report.
Jesse Ausubel wants to understand the original Renaissance man by unlocking his genome. If he succeeds, it could revolutionize several fields in science and elsewhere.
The post Da Vinci’s Genome appeared first on Octavian Report.
Andrés Rozental talks NAFTA, free trade globally, and Donald Trump.
The post Why We Need Mexico More Than They Need Us appeared first on Octavian Report.
Germany's former defense minister explains the pressures Europe faces and his worries about its future.
The post Europe Under Pressure appeared first on Octavian Report.
The head of the International Butler Academy explains how to survive in service.
The post How To Train Your Butler appeared first on Octavian Report.
We promise. He really isn't.
The post Why Kim Jong-un Isn’t Crazy appeared first on Octavian Report.
As North Korea threatens to teach us a "severe lesson" and U.S. equities continue their climb skywards, we feature the legendary Dr. Marc Faber on our podcast.
The post Marc Faber on value in Asia, precious metals, and real estate appeared first on Octavian Report.
Miniature nukes, where to find value, Caesar v. Pompey, and more.
The post Why North Korea’s Nuke Is Bad News appeared first on Octavian Report.
Greetings, Rostrum fans. This week’s guest? Annie Jacobsen, bestselling author of AREA 51, OPERATION PAPERCLIP, THE PENTAGON’S BRAIN, and now PHENOMENA: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATIONS INTO EXTRASENSORY PERCEPTION AND PSYCHOKINESIS.
Annie is a veteran chronicler of the darker, stranger corners of national security, intelligence, and advanced technology. She’s written about the alleged UFO holding zone near Groom Lake in Utah; the rescue by the U.S. of high-ranking Nazi scientists (one of whom is the subject of...
The post Annie Jacobsen on PHENOMENA, the CIA, and ESP appeared first on Octavian Report.
Immunotherapy, counterinsurgency, Gallipoli, and more.
The post Immunotherapy, counterinsurgency, Gallipoli, and more appeared first on Octavian Report.
Arab uprisings; the original summer blockbuster; conmen and cardsharps; Russian espionage.
The post Steven A. Cook, The Aeneid, The Sting, and more appeared first on Octavian Report.