Podcast
The Foreign Report
Hosted by Last Podcast Network · EN
Welcome to The Foreign Report — where global chaos meets sharp analysis and dark humor that keep you from screaming into a pillow (maybe) (doubtful). Every week, producer, comedian, and lawyer Seena Ghaznavi and a rotating crew of experts, journalists, and policy nerds break down the wildest stories in foreign affairs. From competitive authoritarians taking over countries to Ai taking over our minds - Seena will drag you through the gory details of everything you need to know around the world.
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42episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Kurds Might Have the Answer, Plus Trump Has A New Grift and JD Promotes Bad Habits
Jan 2200:57:41Tap to summarizeThis week we welcome Hamoun Dolatshahi to discuss how the Kurdish-Iranian community is responding to rumblings of the Shah’s return and the thwarted revolution in Iran. We dive into Kurdish culture more broadly and Rojava, their transformative practice of borderless governing. We also take some time to ridicule Trump’s “Board of Peace” and tariff threats, along with JD Vance reminding us that sometimes smoking is therapeutic.Notes:https://dolatshahi.com/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/16/trump-gaza-board-rubio-blair?utm_term=696b41899b91f1accbe955924076ac83&utm_campaign=SaturdayEdition&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=saturdayedition_emailhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/18/world/middleeast/trump-board-of-peace-gaza.html?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=emailhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/20/us/politics/trump-france-wine-gaza.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20260120&instance_id=169564&nl=the-morning®i_id=61617578&segment_id=213944&smid=url-share&user_id=938bf81e2a681e73b55de1f8ba3e8d23https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/politics/100000010655180/trump-norway-prime-minister-texts-greenland.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20260120&instance_id=169564&nl=the-morning®i_id=61617578&segment_id=213944&smid=url-share&user_id=938bf81e2a681e73b55de1f8ba3e8d23https://www.reuters.com/business/davos/us-treasury-secretary-bessent-brushes-off-hysteria-over-greenland-2026-01-20/https://www.facebook.com/reel/1421530059693312 Follow The Show: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheForeignReportInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/foreignreportshow/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@foreignreportlpnThreads: https://www.threads.net/@foreignreportshowWebsite: https://www.foreignreportshow.com/ Follow the Host:https://www.instagram.com/seenanow/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/travisirvineusa/?hl=en Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Transcribe →Over 12,000 Killed in Iran as Shah's Son Eyes Return and JD Hand Waves Murder in Minneapolis
Jan 1500:57:49Tap to summarizeThis week, Seena breaks down the Pahlavi dynasty in Iran– how it started, what happened during the Iranian revolution, and how Reza Pahlavi fits into the current situation. Is reverting to a monarchy the pathway to a secular democracy or a slide backwards? We don’t know, but one thing is clear: anything is better than the current regime. We also look into Trump’s embarrassing attempt to take down Jerome Powell, Pakistan’s kangaroo court, and Australia’s crackdown on hate speech. We also raise our blood pressure watching JD Vance’s attempts to gaslight the public over the murder of Renee Good.Notes/Links:https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/us/politics/jerome-powell-fed-inquiry-trump.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20260112&instance_id=169149&nl=the-morning®i_id=61617578&segment_id=213526&user_id=938bf81e2a681e73b55de1f8ba3e8d23https://youtu.be/VWi_oyqRUfI?si=CRBkADzC9btFES3q&t=24https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/powell20260111a.htm?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20260112&instance_id=169149&nl=the-morning®i_id=61617578&segment_id=213526&user_id=938bf81e2a681e73b55de1f8ba3e8d23https://x.com/brendanpedersen/status/2010836111384269280?s=46&t=Rt3obzYwRA_nH1pyOmaHPQ&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=emailhttps://www.dropsitenews.com/p/commonwealth-secretariat-lodges-dissenthttps://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-13/neo-nazi-group-national-socialist-network-to-disband/106225638https://www.cleveland.com/news/2026/01/vp-vance-defends-ice-officer-in-fatal-minneapolis-shooting-announces-new-doj-position.htmlhttps://minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/08/repub/defiant-vance-scolds-reporters-over-descriptions-of-minneapolis-ice-shooting/https://x.com/Acyn/status/2009073815066947750?s=20https://x.com/atrupar/status/2009334128433406234?s=20https://x.com/atrupar/status/2009340240314393028?s=20https://x.com/Acyn/status/2009339527622742509?s=20 Follow The Show: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheForeignReportInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/foreignreportshow/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@foreignreportlpnThreads: https://www.threads.net/@foreignreportshowWebsite: https://www.foreignreportshow.com/ Follow the Host:https://www.instagram.com/seenanow/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/travisirvineusa/?hl=en Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Transcribe →The Good Liars on MAGA World & Trump’s Hold On the Working Class
Aug 2901:06:28Tap to summarizeThis week Davram Stiefler and Jason Selvig, otherwise known as the Good Liars, join Seena and Travis to share their experiences interviewing Trump supporters over the last decade. Why do they like Putin more than due process? Is there anything the Dems could do to sway them? What makes JD so f-ing scary? We talk through all those burning questions and more.Follow the guests: @thegoodliars Follow The Show: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheForeignReportInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/foreignreportshow/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@foreignreportlpnThreads: https://www.threads.net/@foreignreportshowWebsite: https://www.foreignreportshow.com/ Follow the Host:https://www.instagram.com/seenanow/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/travisirvineusa/?hl=en
Transcribe →A Red Carpet for Putin, Netanyahu Plays Coy, and JD Bakes
Aug 2200:45:34Tap to summarizeThis week Seena and Travis dig into Trump’s red carpet roll out for Putin and his subsequent shift away from a “mere ceasefire agreement,” leaving Russia free to launch their largest offensive of the war in the following days. They talk through what it means for Hamas to accept conditions for a ceasefire as Israel is poised to attack Gaza City and look into state-sponsored militias in eastern Congo killing civilians. Finally they explain why they’re bummed that JD likes to bake.Articles/Sources:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5nRyhoXt-khttps://x.com/reallyamerican1/status/1957533838919221385?s=46&t=loeg0xMcKLY6FjW7MavWWghttps://x.com/LincolnSquareHQ/status/1957629801407160781https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-gaza-war-news-hostages-protest-08-18-2025-f875326f9845f09a3b01bf676254222f?user_email=92bc3449781eed425b4f99e69ea51e8c0d0aa3f457676d4160e921b1bcac8241&utm_medium=Morning_Wire&utm_source=Sailthru_AP&utm_campaign=Morning%20Wire_19%20Aug_2025&utm_term=Morning%20Wire%20Subscribershttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/world/middleeast/israel-gazans-south-sudan.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20250819&instance_id=160829&nl=the-morning®i_id=61617578&segment_id=204188&user_id=938bf81e2a681e73b55de1f8ba3e8d23https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-gaza-city.htmlhttps://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/05/turk-deplores-gaza-escalation-pleads-global-action-stop-more-killingshttps://apnews.com/article/congo-adf-rebels-attack-monusco-2a628a8c4ed02617d8a541185aba732f?user_email=92bc3449781eed425b4f99e69ea51e8c0d0aa3f457676d4160e921b1bcac8241&utm_medium=Morning_Wire&utm_source=Sailthru_AP&utm_campaign=Morning%20Wire_19%20Aug_2025&utm_term=Morning%20Wire%20Subscribershttps://www.youtube.com/shorts/Tezqu0fmlCghttps://www.cleveland.com/news/2025/08/parenting-in-the-spotlight-jd-vance-on-raising-kids-as-vice-president.html Follow The Show: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheForeignReportInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/foreignreportshow/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@foreignreportlpnThreads: https://www.threads.net/@foreignreportshowWebsite: https://www.foreignreportshow.com/ Follow the Host:https://www.instagram.com/seenanow/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/travisirvineusa/?hl=en
Transcribe →War Crimes, Military Wack-A-Mole, and JD Goes Kayaking
Aug 15, 202500:54:44Tap to summarizeThe week Seena and Travis take a look at the Geneva Conventions– why they exist, who they’re supposed to protect, and what happens if they’re ignored (or not signed in the first place), in order to provide some context for Israel’s targeted killing of journalists. They question why Trump, our self-proclaimed anti-war president, is sending the military to DC and possibly Latin American. And in JD Vance Corner they provide a little levity alongside some artificially elevated water levels.Articles/Sourceshttps://www.icj-cij.org/node/203447?utm_source=chatgpt.comhttps://www.hrw.org/news/2024/11/21/palestine-icc-warrants-revive-hope-long-delayed-justice?utm_source=chatgpt.comhttps://www.un.org/unispal/document/report-of-the-independent-international-commission-of-inquiry-on-the-occupied-palestinian-territory-including-east-jerusalem-and-israel-a-hrc-59-26/?utm_source=chatgpt.comhttps://press.un.org/en/2025/ga12690.doc.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.comhttps://apnews.com/article/mideast-wars-gaza-journalist-jazeera-c7d73f1d3cfa3d24fb4ce5a294c08d32?user_email=92bc3449781eed425b4f99e69ea51e8c0d0aa3f457676d4160e921b1bcac8241&utm_medium=Morning_Wire&utm_source=Sailthru_AP&utm_campaign=Morning%20Wire%20Aug%2011%2C%202025&utm_term=Morning%20Wire%20Subscribershttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMcB0uyWXJI&list=RDNSYMcB0uyWXJI&start_radio=1https://apnews.com/article/washington-district-takeover-trump-crime-d0ebfa76584753635327d792f6c0b8fc?user_email=92bc3449781eed425b4f99e69ea51e8c0d0aa3f457676d4160e921b1bcac8241&utm_medium=Morning_Wire&utm_source=Sailthru_AP&utm_campaign=MorningWire_Sun_Aug10_2025&utm_term=Morning%20Wire%20Subscribershttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/12/us/politics/dc-police-national-guard.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/08/us/trump-military-drug-cartels.html?campaign_id=57&emc=edit_ne_20250808&instance_id=160209&nl=the-evening®i_id=61617578&segment_id=203554&user_id=938bf81e2a681e73b55de1f8ba3e8d23https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/06/jd-vance-ohio-lake-water-levels Follow The Show: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheForeignReportInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/foreignreportshow/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@foreignreportlpnThreads: https://www.threads.net/@foreignreportshowWebsite: https://www.foreignreportshow.com/ Follow the Host:https://www.instagram.com/seenanow/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/travisirvineusa/?hl=en
Transcribe →Starvation in Gaza, Elections in Japan, and JD’s Looking for Aliens
Aug 8, 202500:53:22Tap to summarizeThis week Seena and Travis take a look at Gaza and the stated Israeli strategy of occupation and “voluntary migration.” Seena remembers the Eggshell Plaintiff from his law school days and explains why a recent NYT correction about starving Palestinian children was misguided at best. We also look into the “Japan First” movement and the nationalist Sanseito party’s gains in recent Japanese elections. And while the world crumbles, we ask why the f*** is JD looking for UFOs?!Articles/Sourceshttps://x.com/UAPJames/status/1951343754276655248https://www.instagram.com/p/DM_wV1RIeIT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=aGU4eXV2dGZpOW1mhttps://youtu.be/Y4whl4oiDjQ?feature=shared&t=100https://www.instagram.com/reel/DC2OMqzOAVy/https://gaza-aid-data.gov.il/main/https://youtu.be/tlyyXUAyQr0?si=RP4_L69KdRPx51Di&t=389https://youtu.be/r7QWply967Q?si=CYqgXu1kY3dQJUTU&t=66https://youtu.be/3vvqRBBkghE?si=17RfK96A3e_cckuT&t=6https://www.facebook.com/reel/4086058841676158https://www.youtube.com/shorts/y9-ACGCC3_Uhttps://youtu.be/SS6Qs-wVQ-Y?feature=shared&t=30https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cntf1U5toY8 Follow The Show: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheForeignReportInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/foreignreportshow/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@foreignreportlpnThreads: https://www.threads.net/@foreignreportshowWebsite: https://www.foreignreportshow.com/ Follow the Host:https://www.instagram.com/seenanow/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/travisirvineusa/?hl=en
Transcribe →Marcus Parks on Epstein Conspiracies, Ukraine, and the End of Trump & Putin’s Situationship
Aug 1, 202501:05:57Tap to summarizeSeena’s back! He & Travis are joined in the studio by Marcus Parks to talk all the Epstein ugliness. How did this case instigate such intense right-wing theorizing? Will the MAGA-world love for Trump stretch all the way to pedophilia? They also take a look at the long history of US/Ukrainian relations - why is Ukraine so important? Did we keep our promises? How does Putin work his magic on all presidents and why might Trump’s recent heartbreak might be the one that breaks the spell. And, of course, we have JD Vance corner to celebrate a pretty good Trump on Vance troll. All JD haters welcome here!Follow our Guest:https://www.instagram.com/marcusparks/?hl=enArticles/Sourceshttps://www.forbes.com/sites/giacomotognini/2025/07/25/how-jeffrey-epstein-got-so-rich/https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today%203-m&q=%2Fm%2F0fz196&hl=enhttps://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2025/07/27/repub/tumult-over-epstein-files-dogs-trump-in-both-dc-and-florida/https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-earlier-tariff-deadline-force-vladimir-putin-ukraine-ceasefire-russia-us/https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-budapest-memorandum-at-20/https://www.cfr.org/timeline/ukraine-crisishttps://carnegieendowment.org/2022/03/03/us-security-assistance-to-ukraine-pub-86535https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/24/world/europe/us-ukraine-aid.htmlhttps://www.instagram.com/reel/DMqh-bApIT-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=bzh2dXZocXczc3Vqhttps://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-history-explainer-2022-02-24/https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/why-ukraine-matters-to-putin/https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/12/01/ukraine-nato-membership-obstacles/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56720589https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/14/trump-ukraine-aid-freeze-00123456https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/03/16/trump-zelensky-white-house-ukraine-aid/https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/18/politics/trump-ukraine-intelligence-cut/index.htmlhttps://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/ukraine/2025-04-01/trump-and-ukraine-next-frontline-collapsehttps://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-says-he-could-end-ukraine-war-24-hours-if-reelected-2023-03-04/ Follow The Show: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheForeignReportInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/foreignreportshow/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@foreignreportlpnThreads: https://www.threads.net/@foreignreportshowWebsite: https://www.foreignreportshow.com/ Follow the Host:https://www.instagram.com/seenanow/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/travisirvineusa/?hl=en
Transcribe →Trae Crowder on Trump, His Travels, and Meeting JD
Jul 25, 202500:57:54Tap to summarizeThis week, comedian and “liberal redneck” Trae Crowder joins the show to talk Trump, his appeal to Southern voters, and why certain chickens may be coming home to roost. Seena and Travis also ask him all about his most recent book, Round Here and Over Yonder, which covers his travels in the UK. Plus, JD Vance corner is back!Follow The Show: https://linktr.ee/theforeignreportFollow the guest:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/traecrowderTwitter/X: https://x.com/traecrowderInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialtraecrowder/ Follow The Show: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheForeignReportInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/foreignreportshow/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@foreignreportlpnThreads: https://www.threads.net/@foreignreportshowWebsite: https://www.foreignreportshow.com/ Follow the Host:https://www.instagram.com/seenanow/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/travisirvineusa/?hl=en
Transcribe →The House Is On Fire, Folks: A Conversation with Constitutional Law & Political Science Professor Corey Brettschneider
Jul 18, 202501:13:28Tap to summarizeThis week, Seena and Travis bring back Corey Brettschneider to discuss the recently completed Supreme Court term, focusing primarily on the birthright citizenship/universal injunction case and two cases dealing with religion in schools. Is the house really on fire? Ah, yep. Is there some serious beef between Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson? You bet. Are we in the midst of a self-coup? Quite possibly. What’s Seena’s breaking point? Listen and find out!Follow The Show: https://linktr.ee/theforeignreportFollow the Guest:@BrettschneiderC Follow The Show: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheForeignReportInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/foreignreportshow/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@foreignreportlpnThreads: https://www.threads.net/@foreignreportshowWebsite: https://www.foreignreportshow.com/ Follow the Host:https://www.instagram.com/seenanow/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/travisirvineusa/?hl=en
Transcribe →What Is Bibi’s Endgame for Iran, Plus the Big, Beautiful (Piece of Garbage) Bill
Jul 11, 202500:51:58Tap to summarizeThis week, Seena and Travis take a frightening look inside the mind of Bibi Netanyahu to try and figure out what his real goals are in Iran. Who is Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and why is he so cozy with Israel? Why would Israel choose to bomb areas in Iran with no nuclear facilities but high populations of ethnic minorities? Why the hell is Bibi nominating Trump for a Noble Peace prize?! We dig into all these questions and also get a little heated reading through some of the finer print in Trump’s new bill.https://youtu.be/CSpW5qNe63w?si=1bI7dZrrZy8h3cDR&t=287https://youtu.be/XADgJtEBRGE?si=mfzNDVbdsCvr7hC3&t=112https://youtube.com/shorts/-oqq6idHqAE?si=6wELNDhjBGW_z8pMhttps://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2025/07/06/repub/on-the-fourth-of-july-trump-signs-his-big-beautiful-bill-into-law/https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/iransource/reza-pahlavi-iranian-opposition-hashtag/https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/07/01/israels-war-on-iran-backfired/?utm_source=chatgpt.comhttps://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/3/9/analysis-why-are-iranian-monarchists-backing-israel-over-its-gaza-warhttps://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.newarab.com/features/new-battle-irans-narrative-media-monarchists-and-diaspora-politicshttps://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/how-supporters-woman-life-freedom-iran-rejected-israel-assaulthttps://www.google.com/search?q=https://jacobin.com/2025/06/reza-pahlavi-iran-monarchy-regime-change-israel-us-foreign-policyhttps://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.newsweek.com/israel-iran-regime-change-opposition-divisive-divided-1909876https://www.google.com/search?q=https://jcpa.org/article/exclusive-the-significance-of-reza-pahlavis-visit-to-israel/https://www.google.com/search?q=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/israel-iran-war-tel-aviv-did-not-achieve-all-its-aims-says-report-did-netanyahus-gamble-backfire/articleshow/111492061.cmshttps://www.google.com/search?q=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/degraded-us-strikes-set-back-irans-nuclear-programme-says-pentagon-estimates-upto-2-year-delay/articleshow/111492055.cmshttps://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-799446 Follow The Show: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheForeignReportInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/foreignreportshow/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@foreignreportlpnThreads: https://www.threads.net/@foreignreportshowWebsite: https://www.foreignreportshow.com/ Follow the Host:https://www.instagram.com/seenanow/?hl=enhttps://www.instagram.com/travisirvineusa/?hl=en
Transcribe →