Best Stephen Kaplan Podcasts (2025)

1
Jim Egan on the Mortgage Gap That's Dividing America 35:26

14h ago35:26

35:26

Somehow, the American consumer remains quite strong. Despite higher interest rates, tariffs, general economic uncertainty and so forth, people are continuing to spend. And yet there are some pockets of weakness that you can observe, especially if you look at delinquency data for various types of credit. But even here the patterns aren’t totally obv…

1
The Power of Good Conversation, with Jefferson Fisher (Part Two) 37:36

12h ago37:36

37:36

‘Embracing the knowledge in The Next Conversation will vastly improve your life.’ – Andrew Huberman, creator of the Huberman Lab Podcast ‘ The Next Conversation gives you the tools to change your life, one conversation at a time.’ – Mel Robbins, bestselling author and host of the Mel Robbins Podcast In a time when conversations often feel more divi…

1
The Power of Good Conversation, with Jefferson Fisher (Part One) 38:19

2d ago38:19

38:19

‘Embracing the knowledge in The Next Conversation will vastly improve your life.’ – Andrew Huberman, creator of the Huberman Lab Podcast ‘ The Next Conversation gives you the tools to change your life, one conversation at a time.’ – Mel Robbins, bestselling author and host of the Mel Robbins Podcast In a time when conversations often feel more divi…

1
The Big Gulf AI Deal That's Divided the White House 26:50

3d ago26:50

26:50

Back in May, President Trump announced this big plan whereby American tech giants would participate in major AI projects in both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The announcement has created divisions within the White House, and more generally among people who are thinking about the intersection of artificial intelligence and geopolitics.…

1
Ep 205: Mark Dubowitz on Israel’s Unfolding Campaign in Iran 31:16

3d ago31:16

31:16

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of FDD, joins the show to breakdown last night’s spectacular Israeli strikes against the Iranian Regime and its nuclear program, and what comes next. ▪️ Times • 02:00 Deception • 06:00 Targets • 09:00 The Scientists • 11:00 Complacency • 14:00 Israeli goals • 19:00 Regime change • 23:00 Strikes and talks • 29:00 Drones • 31:00 Co…

1
Trump Economic Advisor, Stephen Miran, on Tariffs and Tax Cuts 40:25

4d ago40:25

40:25

The Trump administration seems to have a lot of big ideas about reshaping America, including its economy. We've seen the unveiling (and delaying) of sweeping tariffs aimed at boosting US manufacturing. The 'Big, Beautiful Bill' is currently working its way through Congress and features a lot of supply-side economic ideas, including an extension of …

1
CFC 320 Gabby Jordan Brown vs Danny Fallon 57:05

3d ago57:05

57:05

UNDERCARD BATTLES: Hallie Manchester vs Gabriel Ross Dan Finegold vs Nick Astor Claire Sattler vs Ricky Quinney MAIN EVENT: Gabby Jordan Brown vs Danny Fallon JUDGES: Jacob Williams, Lawrence Reese, Erik Marino, Pedro Garcia, Jay Simpson OFFICIALS: Warren Simpson, Amanda Vasco, Gabby Jordan Brown, Jake Lemonade DJ: Fluke Human HOST: Matt Maran Come…

1
Sotheby's Talks | Shakespeare: A Man For All Time, with Tracy-Ann Oberman 39:41

4d ago39:41

39:41

On today’s episode, an episode from our friends at Sotheby's, exploring the world of Shakespeare. Sam Leith, author, journalist and literary editor of The Spectator, will be joined by Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespeare Studies at Oxford, Tracy-Ann Oberman, who most recently starred as Shylock in her adaptation of The Merchant of Venice, and accla…

1
Ricardo Hausmann on What it Takes to Win a Trade War 44:07

5d ago44:07

44:07

The focus of Trump's trade policies is clearly China. There are tariffs on everyone, of course, but it's the growing Chinese manufacturing might, and the various perceived risks associated with that, which have catalyzed this impulse to rethink how America trades with the rest of the world. But can the US actually move the manufacturing center of g…

1
Is Nvidia the most important company in the world? With Stephen Witt 55:06

5d ago55:06

55:06

In June 2024, Nvidia became the most valuable corporation on Earth. In Stephen Witt’s new book ‘The Thinking Machine’ he chronicles the astonishing story of how a designer of videogame equipment conquered the market for AI hardware, and in the process reinvented the computer. He spoke about it with author and Research Director at Demos Carl Miller.…

1
Ep 204: Annie Jacobsen on Nuclear War 55:26

7d ago55:26

55:26

Annie Jacobsen, journalist and author of Nuclear War: A Scenario, joins the show to discuss nuclear weapons and their use. ▪️ Times • 01:20 Introduction • 02:50 Finding the music • 07:02 Reporting • 09:15 Hidden information • 11:22 The scenario • 13:50 Launch on warning • 17:30 Villians • 20:45 Annihilation • 26:25 The Black Book • 30:40 North Kore…

1
Vladislav Zubok on What the Cold War Actually Was 55:10

8d ago55:10

55:10

These days, it's common to talk about the emergence of a New Cold War that exists between the US and China. It's debatable whether or not this is a useful framing. But in order to answer the question, it requires that you have some conception of what the original Cold War actually was. Vladislav Zubok, a professor at the London School of Economics,…

1
An Evening with Adam Buxton and Caitlin Moran (Part Two) 38:04

8d ago38:04

38:04

*** Click here to see the photograph referred to in the podcast introduction: https://www.intelligencesquared.com/events/an-evening-with-adam-buxton *** --- Adam Buxton is a comedian, writer, podcaster — and one of the UK’s most beloved cultural figures. Best known for The Adam Buxton Podcast, The Adam and Joe Show on Channel 4, and the distinctive…

1
Introducing: Everybody's Business 1:27

8d ago1:27

1:27

Bloomberg Businessweek brings you a smart and fun chat show about all things...business. Hosted by award-winning business and economics journalists Max Chafkin (author of The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley’s Pursuit of Power) and Stacey Vanek Smith (former co-host of NPR’s Planet Money and reporter for Marketplace), Everybody's Business…

1
An Evening with Adam Buxton and Caitlin Moran (Part One) 39:04

9d ago39:04

39:04

*** Click here to see the photograph referred to in the podcast introduction: https://www.intelligencesquared.com/events/an-evening-with-adam-buxton *** --- Adam Buxton is a comedian, writer, podcaster — and one of the UK’s most beloved cultural figures. Best known for The Adam Buxton Podcast, The Adam and Joe Show on Channel 4, and the distinctive…

1
A Major American Egg Farm Just Lost 90% of its Chickens 21:19

10d ago21:19

21:19

Egg prices have come down a lot since their recent record and bird flu has largely faded from the headlines. But the epidemic is still raging and, per one farmer, risks becoming endemic in the US. Glenn Hickman is president of Hickman's Egg Ranch in Arizona, one of the largest egg producers in the US. You might remember him from our series last yea…

1
Ep 203: Stephen Rabe on the Invasion of Normandy 50:38

11d ago50:38

50:38

Stephen Rabe, historian and author of The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy: A Story of Resistance, Courage, and Solidarity in a French Village, joins the show to discuss one of the countless, incredible stories from D-Day. ▪️ Times • 01:18 Introduction • 01:25 Marine • 02:50 Origins • 06:48 Normandy • 09:29 507th • 15:20 Training • 18:23 Overlord • 21…

1
Lots More on What America's Busiest Port is Seeing from the Trade Tariffs 16:52

11d ago16:52

16:52

We're about two months on from Liberation Day, and there's still a lot of confusion about what's going on with global trade. Some countries, like China, have been granted delays from tariffs. But other trade restrictions, like the 50% tariff on foreign steel, have come into effect. So what exactly is going on and what impact is this having on the p…

1
CFC 319 Stephen Bolles vs Dave Sheehan 1:06:24

11d ago1:06:24

1:06:24

UNDERCARD BATTLES: Amanda Giles vs Trevor Liberty Brian Rabadeau vs Daniel J Perafan Connor Meade vs Reuben Egan Matt Mitch vs Jamie McClelland Kit Baxley vs Oddball Matt MAIN EVENT: Stephen Bolles vs Dave Sheehan JUDGES: Micah Walsh, Rebecca Reingold, Mahdiy Drummond, Jesse Montanez OFFICIALS: Warren Simpson, Amanda Vasco, Gabby Jordan Brown, Jake…

1
How has resistance shaped Britain? With Steve McQueen (Part Two) 41:10

11d ago41:10

41:10

Steve McQueen is one of Britain’s most acclaimed filmmakers and artists. He is the recipient of the Academy Award for Best Picture, two BAFTA Awards, the Caméra d’Or, a Golden Globe, and the Turner Prize. McQueen’s work includes his first feature-length film Hunger about Bobby Sands and the 1981 Irish hunger strike, the Oscar-winning 12 Years a Sla…

1
Jersey City's Mayor on How the City Built So Much Housing 39:39

12d ago39:39

39:39

To some extent, at least in big cities, it feels as though the cost of housing is enveloping almost everything else in terms of politics right now. Booming areas that drive GDP have gotten incredibly expensive in large part thanks to rent, and even the well paid residents are forced to turn over a significant share of their income over to their lan…

1
How has resistance shaped Britain? With Steve McQueen (Part One) 39:30

13d ago39:30

39:30

Steve McQueen is one of Britain’s most acclaimed filmmakers and artists. He is the recipient of the Academy Award for Best Picture, two BAFTA Awards, the Caméra d’Or, a Golden Globe, and the Turner Prize. McQueen’s work includes his first feature-length film Hunger about Bobby Sands and the 1981 Irish hunger strike, the Oscar-winning 12 Years a Sla…

1
Ep 202: Fred Kagan on Ukraine’s Attack and the Future of War 42:48

14d ago42:48

42:48

Fred Kagan, senior fellow and the director of the Critical Threats Project at AEI, joins the show to discuss Ukraine’s drone operation targeting Russia’s strategic air assets. ▪️ Times • 01:46 Introduction • 02:25 What just happened? • 07:48 Escalation risk • 10:20 Control • 12:39 Implications • 21:10 Stratagems • 24:04 Effects • 30:40 Economic pre…

1
Why It's So Hard for Apple to Move Production from China to India 46:02

15d ago46:02

46:02

President Trump wants Apple to make iPhones in America. The company itself has talked about — and to some extent already has been — moving more of its production to other countries, like India. But in reality, Apple remains deeply, deeply enmeshed in the Chinese supply chain. In fact, the rise of Apple, and the iPhone specifically, is the ultimate …

1
Understanding Xi: Is China’s President a Threat to the World? (Part Two) 38:14

15d ago38:14

38:14

This event is part of our ⁠Age of the Strongman⁠ series. ⁠Click here⁠ to see the other events in the series. President Xi Jinping has ruled China for more than a decade. He has overseen an era of unprecedented economic prosperity, cracked down on dissidents, reinvented national identity in his own image and adopted a confrontational ‘wolf warrior’ …

1
Understanding Xi: Is China’s President a Threat to the World? (Part One) 40:20

16d ago40:20

40:20

This event is part of our Age of the Strongman series. Click here to see the other events in the series. President Xi Jinping has ruled China for more than a decade. He has overseen an era of unprecedented economic prosperity, cracked down on dissidents, reinvented national identity in his own image and adopted a confrontational ‘wolf warrior’ styl…

1
How Do We Define a Currency? 57:52

17d ago57:52

57:52

What is a currency? This turns out to be one of those questions we just kind of skip over because we don't have clear answers to it (and because economists often like to skip over these foundational things). This special episode of the Odd Lots podcast was recorded as part of Princeton University's “How to Write the Biography of a Currency” event, …

1
Ep 201: Zachary Griffiths & McKinsey Harb on the U.S. Army 45:59

18d ago45:59

45:59

Lt. Col. Zachary Griffiths & Maj. McKinsey Harb joined the show to discuss the U.S. Army’s new Field Manual 1, FM 1 -THE ARMY: A PRIMER TO OUR PROFESSION OF ARMS. ▪️ Times • 01:22 Introduction • 01:51 West Point • 05:43 Culture shift • 08:50 FM 1 • 12:00 Ben Salomon • 18:06 Warrior • 24:04 Tensions • 31:05 Recruiting • 35:18 Leader/follower • 42:19…

1
Krishna Memani on Wall Street's Very Expensive "Free Lunch" 39:20

18d ago39:20

39:20

We're told over and over again that the one "free lunch" in investing is diversification, and that you can improve your returns over time simply by investing in a wider range of assets. This is textbook modern finance. And yet over the past several years this hasn't been the case. An investor would have done great (with the occasional hiccups) just…

1
CFC 318 Marty Cunnie vs Sandeep Sen 59:35

18d ago59:35

59:35

UNDERCARD BATTLES: Drew Flores vs Jackson Colvin Connor Dixon vs Crenshaw White Josh Daws vs Taylor Drew Violette Devieille vs Dillon Michaels Shaina Joseph vs David Bakker MAIN EVENT: Marty Cunnie vs Sandeep Sen JUDGES: Sarah Barnitt, Dave Sirus, Peter Angelo, John Ajodah OFFICIALS: Warren Simpson, Amanda Vasco, Gabby Jordan Brown, Jake Lemonade D…

1
How To Cure Your Algorithm, with Jamie Bartlett 51:14

18d ago51:14

51:14

This event is part of Critical Conversations, a new series on the age of misinformation by Intelligence Squared and Sage & Jester, hosted by Sophia Smith Galer. To see other events in this series, click here. Where do we draw the line between free speech and dangerous misinformation? Algorithms not only dictate our data feeds but also reinforce our…

1
Michael Cembalest on Why AI Is the Stock Market Bet of the Century 58:52

18d ago58:52

58:52

Michael Cembalest has been an investment analyst for almost 40 years and his research notes have drawn a cult following on Wall Street. He's known for going super deep into a wide range of topics, like energy and healthcare. And lately he's been writing a lot about AI, with a particular interest in figuring out whether all the investment in data ce…

1
Truth Hurts: From Conflict to Connection, with Dr Julia Ebner 50:17

20d ago50:17

50:17

This event is part of Critical Conversations, a new series on the age of misinformation by Intelligence Squared and Sage & Jester, hosted by Sophia Smith Galer. Have you ever clashed with someone on social media or even a loved one? Conversations can easily escalate in a time where everyone is consuming different media with wildly different messagi…

1
Ep 200: Rick Atkinson on the American Revolution at 250 53:35

21d ago53:35

53:35

Rick Atkinson, historian and author of The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780, joins the show to discuss the causes, conduct, and epic consequences of the American Revolution. ▪️ Times • 02:08 Introduction • 02:21 Journalism • 04:30 Mogadishu • 09:30 Lessons • 12:49 Ideology • 16:36 Diplomacy • 20:21 Bos…

1
Why Asset Allocators Love Multi-Strategy Hedge Funds 49:43

22d ago49:43

49:43

Multi-strategy hedge funds have been having a moment with big asset allocators pouring billions of dollars into names like Millennium and Citadel. And given all the growth, multi-strat funds have also been battling each other for talent. But why, exactly, do big investors seem to love multi-strats so much? What actually makes a multi-strat good to …

1
Tricks, Trolls, and LOLs: Comedy’s Crash Course in Spotting Lies, with Rachel Parris 57:28

22d ago57:28

57:28

This event was part of Critical Conversations, a new series on the age of misinformation by Intelligence Squared and Sage & Jester, hosted by Sophia Smith Galer. Sometimes the best way to expose a lie is to laugh at it. Satire is a force to be reckoned with in any democracy and artists are essential in shedding light on the truth. Comedy has long b…

1
Can we have prosperity without growth? With Tim Jackson 56:02

23d ago56:02

56:02

Is prosperity possible without growth? And in an age of environmental crisis and rising inequality, is our obsession with economic expansion doing more harm than good? On the podcast today, renowned economist Professor Tim Jackson challenges the very foundations of our economic thinking. In his groundbreaking book 'Prosperity Without Growth', Jacks…

1
Ep 199: Jonathan Hackett on Our Failures in Iraq & Afghanistan 41:00

25d ago41:00

41:00

Jonathan Hackett, former U.S. Marine Corps interrogator and author of Theory of Irregular War, joins the show to discuss America’s post-9/11 wars and how irregular warfare works. ▪️ Times • 01:12 Introduction • 01:30 A good interrogator • 03:26 Afghanistan • 06:15 In the interrogation room • 12:10 The Reid Technique • 14:27 Galula • 17:10 A militar…

1
Zohran Mamdani, the Socialist Who Could Be NYC's New Mayor 46:58

25d ago46:58

46:58

We're just a month away from the hotly-contested Democratic primary for New York City Mayor. And one of the candidates -- Queens assemblyman Zohran Mamdani -- is running on a somewhat unusual platform. Endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, he's proposing rent freezes, universal childcare, higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy, fr…

1
CFC 317 Brandon Puff vs Devin Brambke 1:06:12

25d ago1:06:12

1:06:12

UNDERCARD BATTLES: Matt Bowman vs Linette Palladino Meeti Purani vs Steve Yensel Rachel Kenaston vs Josh Alba Kollin Siracusa vs Jason Berdan MAIN EVENT: Brandon Puff vs Devin Bramble JUDGES: Amanda Vasco, Gabby Jordan Brown, Derick Gonzalez, Isaac Knox OFFICIALS: Warren Simpson, Amanda Vasco, Gabby Jordan Brown, Jake Lemonade DJ: Fluke Human HOST:…

1
Is Your Phone Controlling Your Life? With Kaitlyn Regehr (Part Two) 40:19

25d ago40:19

40:19

The ‘Smartphone-free Childhood’ movement has alerted many of us to the dangers inherent in our – and our kids’ – use of devices. But while we can shield children from technology in their early years, withdrawing from the online world is not an option for most of us in adult life. So how do we ensure that we – and our children when they grow up – de…

1
Why Interest Rates Are Shooting Up All Around the World 43:20

26d ago43:20

43:20

This week the big story in markets is the selloff in bonds. Yields on benchmark 10-year US Treasuries jumped 20 basis points from last Friday’s low, while the 30-year rate is back above 5%. Meanwhile, 30-year Japanese government bonds clocked their highest yield since records began in 1999. And rates on UK gilts, German bunds, and Australian bonds …

1
Is Your Phone Controlling Your Life? With Kaitlyn Regehr (Part One) 38:03

27d ago38:03

38:03

The ‘Smartphone-free Childhood’ movement has alerted many of us to the dangers inherent in our – and our kids’ – use of devices. But while we can shield children from technology in their early years, withdrawing from the online world is not an option for most of us in adult life. So how do we ensure that we – and our children when they grow up – de…

1
Ep 198: Robert D. Kaplan on Crisis 38:10

28d ago38:10

38:10

Robert D. Kaplan, Robert Strausz-Hupé Chair in Geopolitics at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and author of Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis, joins the show to discuss the world’s current state of “permanent crisis”. ▪️ Times • 01:40 Introduction • 02:00 Far Rockaway • 04:55 Balkan Ghosts • 08:20 Geography and technology • 10:55 Weimar…

1
Scott Bok on How Bankers Spread the Gospel of Capitalism 53:25

29d ago53:25

53:25

When we think about the prospect of deglobalization (whatever that means) we often think about it in terms of the goods economy. Supply chains get rerouted. Manufacturing becomes more localized, and possibly less efficient. But changes to the global world order also have implications for Wall Street, and the world of dealmaking. On this episode of …

1
Tariff Special: The Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook with Helen Thompson (Part Two) 40:59

29d ago40:59

40:59

‘The world as we knew it is gone’ – UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s response to Trump’s tariffs President Donald Trump recently announced a 90-day pause for his monumental ‘liberation day’ tariffs while at the same time escalating a dangerous trade war with China. Trump’s announcement came just weeks after import taxes on all goods entering th…

1
Tariff Special: The Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook with Helen Thompson (Part One) 42:46

30d ago42:46

42:46

‘The world as we knew it is gone’ – UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s response to Trump’s tariffs President Donald Trump recently announced a 90-day pause for his monumental ‘liberation day’ tariffs while at the same time escalating a dangerous trade war with China. Trump’s announcement came just weeks after import taxes on all goods entering th…

1
Atlanta Fed's Raphael Bostic on Monetary Policy During Extreme Uncertainty 48:13

1M ago48:13

48:13

This is obviously an extraordinarily difficult time to make economic forecasts. Nobody really knows how tariffs will affect the US economy. And beyond that, nobody knows what the ultimate state of tariffs will be, or if they'll ever settle into a predictable rate. So how do you conduct monetary policy in this environment? On this episode, recorded …

1
CFC 316 Paulina Breeze vs Ish Gupta 1:17:30

1M ago1:17:30

1:17:30

UNDERCARD BATTLES: Alex Shklar vs Alejandra Jimenez Tori Morancay vs Michael Kaufman Humzah Choudry vs Molly Rae Mark Bekker vs Jonah Quest Andy Mango vs Desmond Lee MAIN EVENT: Paulina Breeze vs Ish Gupta JUDGES: Joel Wałkowski, Stephen Bolles, Robbie Godwin, Blake Wexler OFFICIALS: Warren Simpson, Amanda Vasco, Gabby Jordan Brown, Jake Lemonade D…

1
Can Mathematics Fuel Creativity? With Marcus du Sautoy (Part Two) 38:00

1M ago38:00

38:00

From the earliest stone circles to Mozart’s obsession with numbers to the radically modern architecture of Zaha Hadid, maths and creativity are interwoven across time and space. Whether we are searching for meaning in an abstract painting or finding patterns in poetry, there are blueprints everywhere: symmetry, prime numbers, the golden ratio and m…

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