Shows
Cosmopolitics by Elise LabottHot takes happy hour with Elise and DanyLebanon is having a moment, people! After decades of successive government failures, Hezbollah’s stranglehold on the country, and Iran pulling the strings of its very own “Party of God” terrorist army — complete with missiles tucked behind hospitals and under UN posts — there may finally be a window. Trump picked up the phone, brokered a ceasefire (for now), and told Netanyahu and Lebanon’s new president to get in a room, which could help the President in negotiations with Iran. Whether this is an Abraham Accords moment or just a diplomatic sugar high remains to be seen, but we’ll take it.
2026-04-1830 min
Cosmopolitics by Elise LabottEconomic chicken with a side of nuclear talksSeven weeks in, the war with Iran has morphed into an economic game of chicken — with a side order of nuclear negotiation.Having failed to get Iran to capitulate on the battlefield, the United States is now trying to squeeze Tehran into submission financially. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent this week called the naval blockade “the financial equivalent of the bombing campaign.” Iran’s answer was to threaten to shut down trade across the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and Red Sea entirely. Both sides are turning the screws. Neither is blinking. And somehow, in the middle of all this...
2026-04-1641 min
Cosmopolitics by Elise LabottWar and (board of peace) with Steven CookYesterday’s conversation with Steven A. Cook drew the biggest turnout we’ve had yet! So many familiar faces and so many new ones. Smart questions, sharp pushback. The kind of crowd that reminds me why we started Cosmopolitics in the first place - to slow the news cycle down just enough to actually think. If you haven’t already, subscribe and join us. This community only works because you show up.Cosmopolitics s a reader-supported publication. If you value independent journalism with depth, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.Steven and I...
2026-02-1239 min
Cosmopolitics by Elise LabottMBS in WashingtonFor those of you who didn’t catch my live conversation with Steven A. Cook, here is the recording. As always, Steven’s insights on Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s visit to Washington, and the evolution of US-Saudi relationship were sharp, thoughtful, and essential for anyone looking to understand the transformation of the Gulf. Thank you GG Haegelin, lotta kuylenstjerna, Hava Salita, BCz, Align, and many others for tuning into my live video with Steven A. Cook! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a publ...
2025-11-1845 min
World Review with Ivo DaalderWORLD REVIEW LIVE: Missiles for Ukraine? French Government survives no-confidence vote, with Karen DeYoung and Steven ErlangerThank you Elise Labott, Brenda Elthon, Peter Sukowski, Bob Fleischman, arvershbow@atlanticcouncil.org, and many others for tuning into my live video with Steven Erlanger and Karen DeYoung! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get full access to America Abroad at ivodaalder.substack.com/subscribe
2025-10-1732 min
Cosmopolitics by Elise LabottCan Trump keep the cease?This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.cosmopolitics.newsI love taking with Steven A. Cook. Steven is the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a columnist at Foreign Policy. He's also a good friend. His recent book, The End of AmbitionAmerica’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East offers a pragmatic vision for American Middle East policy in tod…
2025-06-2515 min
Cosmopolitics by Elise LabottBibi, Iran talks and Tariff-paloozaThank you Laura Grossman, Mary Brohmer, Sandra McKenzie, Tessa Spain, Danielle T, and many others for tuning into my live video with Steven A. Cook! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.cosmopolitics.news/subscribe
2025-04-0833 min
The World Next WeekIsrael-Hamas Cease-Fire, Trump’s First Immigration Moves, Russia’s and Iran’s New Partnership, and MoreIsrael and Hamas reach a cease-fire deal aimed at exchanging hostages and prisoners while seeking a longer-term pause in fighting; the incoming Donald Trump administration weighs ambitious moves on immigration; Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin sign off on a twenty-year partnership agreement; and students in Serbia protest violations of civil rights.
Mentioned on the Podcast
Antony Blinken, “U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the Biden Record in the Middle East—and What Comes Next,” Atlantic Council
Steven A. Cook, Elliott Abrams, and Elise...
2025-01-1636 min