Stephen Wertheim is a historian, strategist, and author of Tomorrow, the World: The Birth of U.S. Global Supremacy. He joins Jon Bateman, host of The World Unpacked, to assess what this historic document can tell us. Will Trump follow it? Which GOP factions were behind it? And how will it shape the battle of ideas in 2028 and beyond? A historian, Wertheim has published scholarly research on a range of subjects and concepts in U.S. foreign policy since the late nineteenth century.

Author, podcaster, publicist, and one of AI's biggest critics joins The World Unpacked to discuss the AI bubble and his own research into AI finances with Jon Bateman. Before his PR career, Zitron was a games journalist in London. He’s authored two books on PR: This Is How You Pitch and Fire Your Publicist.

Alicia Wanless is the director of the Information Environment Project at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She joins host Jon Bateman on The World Unpacked to discuss what 2025 has in common with 1625, how novels spark civil wars, and why our frantic efforts to tame information often do more harm than good.

Peter Harrell is a top trade expert and lawyer fighting the tariffs on behalf of 207 members of Congress. He joins host Jon Bateman on The World Unpacked to take stock of the ever-changing tariffs, peer into the Justices’ decision-making process, and predict the fallout for America and the world.

Noah Oppenheim, former president of NBC News, joins Jon to discuss the filmmaking process behind "A House of Dynamite," which offers a new look into the realities of nuclear war.

Co-Founder and Co-Director of InSight Crime Steven Dudley joins The World Unpacked this week to dive into MS-13's grip on El Salvador and President Nayib Bukele's fight to dismantle its power.

Rachel Bonnifield joins The World Unpacked to discuss the risks, and benefits, of the Trump administration's termination of USAID and attempts to restructure U.S. foreign assistance.

Oliver Stuenkel, a prominent analyst of Brazilian politics, breaks down the trial and conviction of former president of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro, and their implications, with Jon Bateman on The World Unpacked.

In this debut episode of a revamped The World Unpacked, new host Jon Bateman talks to Nate Soares about his provocative argument that superintelligent AI could destroy all humans in our lifetimes—and how the U.S., China, and other countries should band together to stop it.

In this episode of The World Unpacked, Isaac Kardon speaks with Alexander (Sasha) Gabuev about growing Russia–China cooperation in the Arctic. They explore the region’s rising strategic importance, its overlooked role in great power competition, and what it means for U.S. policy and allies.

Subsea cables power the internet—but remain a blind spot in global policy. Jane Munga and Sophia Besch join Isaac Kardon to explore their geopolitical, economic, and security implications.

Isaac Kardon sits down with Dr. Meg Rithmire to explore the Chinese Communist Party’s complex relationship with capitalism. Rithmire explains how markets have become useful tools of governance, and meanwhile generated instability that party-state leadership abhors, seeking political control over private entrepreneurs.

Isaac Kardon sits down with Ankit Panda to explore today’s new nuclear age—and what it will take to manage the growing risks of confrontation and escalation.

Isaac Kardon sits down with Sheena Chestnut Greitens to explore how China is reshaping the landscape of international security cooperation.

Isaac B. Kardon sits down with Ashley J. Tellis and Andrew Yeo to explore how the political role of overseas bases has changed over time and how the U.S., China, and Russia—among other countries—use them to project military power today.

Guest host Isaac Kardon sits down with Darcie Draudt-Véjares to discuss how the U.S. might rebuild its maritime power through shipbuilding.

Sophia Besch sits down with Oliver Stuenkel to discuss the Trump administration's relationship with Latin America, exploring issues like aggressive deportations, economic coercion, and China's role in the region.

Sophia Besch sits down with Zaha Hassan to discuss the future prospects of Gaza's fragile three-phase ceasefire deal.

Sophia Besch sits down with Dara Massicot to discuss the latest developments in the war in Ukraine—where the war stands now, how the Trump administration’s decisions are shaping battlefield dynamics, and what’s at stake for European security moving forward.

In this special feature episode, Darcie Draudt-Véjares and Chung Min Lee discuss the ongoing political crisis in South Korea, relations with North Korea, and volatile great power relations between Washington, Beijing, Seoul, and Pyongyang.