Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, argues the US is decisively winning its three-week military campaign against Iran by degrading missile, naval and nuclear capabilities, but warns that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz represents an inevitable confrontation that must be resolved now—while Iran is weakened—rather than postponed to a future where a cash-rich, nuclear-armed Iran could dominate the Gulf.

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

Claremont Institute senior fellow Jeremy Carl defends his State Department nomination and book "The Unprotected Class," arguing that disparate impact laws, mass immigration since 1965, and DEI initiatives have created systemic discrimination against white Americans—a condition he terms "cultural genocide"—while insisting he advocates civic nationalism rather than white nationalism.

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

Despite being 'crushed' in 2024 with only 28% favorability, Democrats are regaining confidence due to Trump's perceived overreach on constitutional authority and tariffs, though deep internal conflicts over tactics, generational leadership, and divisive policy battles threaten recovery without a clear affirmative vision for the country.

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

Despite Trump campaigning on ending endless wars, his second administration has become hawkish, launching wars with Iran and interventions in multiple countries, betraying the America First movement that helped elect him.

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman outlines a viable 10-year timeline for Mars missions contingent on sustained political will, while detailing how the Artemis program will transition from expensive test flights using legacy shuttle hardware to a permanent lunar base serving as a proving ground for deep space survival and resource extraction.

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

As India becomes the world's most populous nation and fastest-growing major economy, it is pursuing a complex multi-alignment strategy—balancing historic ties with Russia, new trade deals with Europe, and fraught relations with the U.S.—to secure recognition as a great power rather than dominance like China.

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei envisions AI creating a "country of geniuses" that could cure cancer and generate 10-15% GDP growth within a decade, but warns the disruption will happen so fast that society may struggle to adapt, particularly in software engineering and entry-level white-collar jobs.

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

Ross Douthat interviews pro-life activist Lila Rose about the movement's trajectory post-Roe, where she argues abortion constitutes murder of distinct human life from conception while critiquing feminism's reliance on the sexual revolution, and insists that abolishing abortion requires robust government support for pregnant women.

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya argues that public health authorities destroyed trust during COVID-19 by enforcing harmful lockdowns and school closures without admitting uncertainty, suppressing dissent through personal attacks, and potentially covering up lab-leak origins; as incoming NIH director, he pledges to restore credibility by protecting scientific free speech and honest debate.

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

Contrary to revival narratives, American secularization has plateaued at 30% religiously unaffiliated since 2020, driven by a gender reversal where Gen Z women leave churches faster than men, and an educational divide where upper-middle-class professionals remain more religious than the working class.

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

Francisco Segovia, executive director of Minneapolis nonprofit COPAL, describes training hundreds of residents as 'constitutional observers' to legally document ICE arrests without obstructing agents, operating amid a tense street environment where residents use whistles to warn communities and armed encounters have recently turned fatal.