Coming Soon: A New Season of ‘Autocracy in America'
The former world chess champion and lifelong democracy activist Garry Kasparov guides a new series of conversations about society's complacency with liberal values and how this carelessness has fueled a democratic retreat—and a new belligerence among dictators.
New episodes launch every Friday, starting July 11.
The following is a transcript of the trailer:
Frank Luntz: I know you're gonna get into some stuff—some pretty heavy stuff—but this is Garry Kasparov. I can't believe it.
[ Music ]
Garry Kasparov: When I was young, I was lucky because, as a chess prodigy, I could travel outside of the Soviet Union to play tournaments abroad. And I experienced for myself that life felt different in a democracy. The world celebrated in 1991, when the dictatorship of the Soviet Union gave way to new democracies. And I, too, hoped freedom was on the rise.
Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen: Of course, the empire did not want to let us go easily.
Kasparov: But in the decades that followed, we've seen the steady advance of autocratic regimes, a new belligerence from dictators and autocrats worldwide, and democracies in retreat.
Masih Alinejad: For dictators, for the Islamic Republic, for Putin, for all the autocratic regime, America is first. Their first target is the destruction of American values.
Kasparov: Even America, a beacon of hope to me and for countless millions of others, has shown itself vulnerable to the virus of authoritarianism and corruption.
Anne Applebaum: If you lie or your propagandists lie nonstop, then the reaction of the public is to say, Right. You know, politics is a dirty game. I have no idea what is true and what's not true.
Gary Marcus: I mean, that's exactly what's happening in the United States right now—is techno fascism.
Alinejad: You called it hypocrisy.
Kasparov: I'm trying to be diplomatic. I'm the host of the show.
Alinejad: I call it absolutely betrayal.
Kasparov: So I'm fighting the same battle I fought in Russia.
Kasparov: In Russia, we lost the fight. Here, I like our chances, and I like them much more.
Bret Stephens: I mean, this country is big, resilient. And we've made big mistakes and recovered from those mistakes in the past.
Kasparov: But defenders of the free world can no longer take our liberties for granted.
Luntz: You, several times, have tried to get me to tell you, Here's a roadmap to restore our democracy. And you should know, I'm writing that roadmap as we speak.
Kasparov: I'm Garry Kasparov, former world chess champion and lifetime activist for democracy. Join me this summer for a new season of Autocracy in America, from The Atlantic. Listen and follow the show wherever you get your podcasts.
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The Intercept
8 minutes ago
- The Intercept
Pete Hegseth Is Mad the Media Won't Celebrate U.S. War With Iran
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had a meltdown on Thursday during a Pentagon press conference, excoriating reporters for failing to act as cheerleaders for his boss, President Donald Trump. In a briefing about U.S. strikes on Iran, Hegseth criticized the press for not following the Pentagon line and called on journalists to 'wave an American flag.' His statements harken back to past Pentagon calls for fawning coverage in the name of patriotism. 'The press corps,' Hegseth complained, 'cheer against Trump so hard, it's like in your DNA and in your blood to cheer against Trump because you want him not to be successful so bad.' Hegseth's tantrum stemmed from reporting that cast doubt on Trump's assertion that recent U.S. air strikes had 'obliterated' Iranian nuclear facilities last Saturday. The Intercept reported on skepticism about Trump's claims by current and former defense officials on Monday. On Tuesday, multiple media outlets disclosed information from a preliminary classified Defense Intelligence Agency, or DIA, report that said the attacks set back Iran's nuclear program by only a few months. 'You have to cheer against the efficacy of these strikes. You have to hope,' Hegseth said at his second-ever news conference, claiming that the media assembled 'half truths, spun information, leaked information' to 'manipulate … the public mind over whether or not our brave pilots were successful.' Before and after Hegseth's atomic meltdown on Thursday, Trump unleashed a paroxysm of posts on Truth Social. 'FAKE NEWS CNN IS SO DISGUSTING AND INCOMPETENT. SOME OF THE DUMBEST ANCHORS IN THE BUSINESS!,' he shout-typed. 'Rumor is that the Failing New York Times and Fake News CNN will be firing the reporters who made up the FAKE stories on the Iran Nuclear sites because they got it so wrong. Lets see what happens?' It remains unclear whether the U.S. strikes significantly damaged Iran's nuclear program — which, according to American intelligence organizations, did not involve an active effort to produce a nuclear weapon. 'To me, it still appears that we have only set back the Iranian nuclear program by a handful of months,' Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said following a classified briefing on Thursday. 'There's no doubt there was damage done to the program. But the allegations that we have obliterated their program just don't seem to stand up to reason.' Complaints by the White House about the press during unpopular wars have a long history. As TV news increasingly showed the Vietnam War to be an intractable stalemate, if not an outright failure, President Lyndon Johnson complained about their coverage, 'I can prove that Ho Chi Minh is a son-of-a-bitch if you let me put it on the screen,' he told a group of reporters, referring to the leader of North Vietnam, but said that the networks 'want me to be the son-of-a-bitch.' His successor, Richard Nixon, was even more vitriolic about coverage of the war — and more succinct in his criticism. 'Our worst enemy seems to be the press!' he barked in 1971. In 1965, CBS News sent Morley Safer to Vietnam to cover the escalating American war. In July, Marines entered the village of Cam Ne and met stiff resistance, suffering three dead and four wounded. The next month, with Safer and a cameraman in tow, the troops set out for the area in armored vehicles. Safer recalled: The troops walked abreast toward this village and started firing. They said that there was some incoming fire. I didn't witness it, but it was a fairly large front, so it could have happened down the line. There were two guys wounded in our group, both in the ass, so that meant it was 'friendly fire.' They moved into the village and they systematically began torching every house— every house as far as I could see, getting people out in some cases, using flamethrowers in others. No Vietnamese speakers, by the way, were among the group with the flamethrower. About 150 homes in Cam Ne were burned; others were bulldozed, as Marines razed two entire hamlets. Artillery was then called in on the wreckage. According to reports, one child was killed and four women were wounded. In actuality, many more may have died. Safer's segment, 'The Burning of Cam Ne Village,' sparked public outrage. The Defense Department demanded CBS recall Safer from Vietnam, and Johnson called CBS President Frank Stanton. 'Are you trying to fuck me,' the U.S. president barked. 'Who is this?' Stanton asked, according to reporting by David Halberstam and others. Johnson replied, 'Frank, this is your president and yesterday your boys shat on the American flag.' A year later, Safer wrote a newspaper column about a visit to Saigon by Arthur Sylvester, the assistant secretary of defense for public affairs. Per Safer, Sylvester laid into the press: 'I can't understand how you fellows can write what you do while American boys are dying out here,' he began. Then he went on to the effect that American correspondents had a patriotic duty to disseminate only information that made the United States look good. A network television correspondent said, 'Surely, Arthur, you don't expect the American press to be the handmaidens of government.' 'That's exactly what I expect,' came the reply. Sylvester also told the reporters: 'Look, if you think any American official is going to tell you the truth, then you're stupid. Did you hear that? Stupid.' Sylvester later denied the 'handmaiden' comment, but others present backed Safer. 'Sylvester engaged specific correspondents in near name-calling, twice telling Jack Langguth [of The New York Times] he was stupid,' another attendee noted. 'At one point Sylvester actually made the statement he thought press should be 'handmaiden' of government.' In his press conference, Hegseth called on journalists to publish stories lauding troops for doing their jobs, asking rhetorically if outlets had written on the difficulty of flying a plane for 36 hours, manning a Patriot missile battery, or executing mid-air refueling. 'Time and time again, classified information is leaked or peddled for political purposes to try to make the president look bad. And what's really happening is you're undermining the success of incredible B-2 pilots and incredible F-35 pilots and incredible refuelers and incredible air defenders who accomplish their mission,' he groused. 'How about we celebrate that?' 'Premising entire stories on biased leaks to biased publications trying to make something look bad,' Hegseth, a former Fox News personality, griped. 'How about we take a beat, recognize first the success of our warriors, hold them up, tell their stories, celebrate that, wave an American flag, be proud of what we accomplished.' The Intercept followed up with the Pentagon to ask if Hegseth would help facilitate this type of reporting. A Pentagon spokesperson instead offered the opportunity to speak with Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson off the record. When The Intercept called to set up a time to speak with Wilson, a Pentagon spokesperson refused to do so. 'Kingsley will reach out to you if she's got anything to provide you,' said the official. 'I would just stand by. That's the best thing I can offer you right now.' The Office of the Secretary of Defense refused to provide further clarification about Hegseth's views on the role of the press and how the media ought to cover him, the president, and the military. 'We have nothing more to provide,' a spokesperson said after providing nothing. Hegseth is, notably, calling on the press to celebrate a war which Americans are overwhelmingly against. Americans disapprove of the strikes on Iran 56 percent to 44 percent, according to a CNN/SSRS poll conducted after the strikes. An even greater number distrust Trump's decision-making on the use of force in Iran, with 58 percent saying the strikes will make Iran more of a threat to the U.S. and only 27 percent believing the attacks will lessen the threat. A Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday found only 39 percent of Americans approve of Trump's handling on the Israel–Iran war, while 53 percent disapprove. Hegseth's antagonism toward the news media began well before Thursday's press conference. Since his appointment, he has conducted a war on whistleblowers despite the fact that he inadvertently shared detailed attack plans — of far more import than the DIA report because they preceded military strikes — with a journalist on a messaging app. Hegseth has reportedly accused high-ranking military officers of leaks and threatened to subject them to polygraph tests. Joe Kasper, Hegseth's former chief of staff, called out 'unauthorized disclosures of national security information involving sensitive communications with principals within the Office of the Secretary of Defense' and threatened that parties found responsible would be 'referred to the appropriate criminal law enforcement entity for criminal prosecution,' in a March memo. Speaking in April with quasi-journalist Megyn Kelly, another former Fox News host, ex-Hegseth aide Colin Carroll said that the secretary and his team have been 'consumed' by his leaky Department of Defense. 'If you look at a pie chart of the secretary's day, at this point, 50 percent of it is probably a leak investigation,' Carroll said. The FBI is now investigating how the DIA report became public. 'We are doing a leak investigation with the FBI now, because this information is for internal purposes — battle damage investigation — and CNN and others are trying to spin it to try and make the president look bad when this was an overwhelming success,' Hegseth told reporters. At his Thursday press conference, Hegseth urged the media to do more to herald American exceptionalism, at least in terms of military prowess. 'How about we talk about how special America is, that we — only we — have these capabilities? I think it's too much to ask, unfortunately, for the fake news,' said Hegseth in aggrieved tones. 'So, we're used to that, but we also have an opportunity to stand at the podium and read the truth of what's really happening.'
New York Post
19 minutes ago
- New York Post
Hegseth unveils new name of USNS Harvey Milk
The US Navy has officially changed the name of its ship honoring slain gay-rights icon Harvey Milk to the USNS Oscar V. Peterson in commemoration of the WWII Medal of Honor recipient. 'We are taking the politics out of ship naming. We're not renaming the ship to anything political, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said in a video address. 'This is not about political activists, unlike the previous administration. 'Instead, we're renaming the ship after a United States Navy Congressional Medal of Honor recipient — as it should be,' he said. 'People want to be proud of the ship they're sailing in, and so we're renaming it after a Navy chief.' 4 Oscar V. Peterson was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroic acts in WWII. USN The USNS Oscar V. Peterson is a replenishment oiler that provides support to carrier strike groups at sea. It was christened in 2021 under the Biden administration for Milk, who served as a sailor during the Korean War but was forced out of the Navy for being gay. 4 Gay-rights icon Harvey Milk served in the US Navy during the Korean War. USN Milk became one of the first openly gay elected officials in American history when he successfully ran to serve on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. He and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone were both assassinated in 1978 by a disgruntled former city supervisor who opposed the gay-rights activist's push to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation in public accommodations, housing and employment. 4 The USNS Harvey Milk was christened and launched at a ceremony in San Diego in 2021. AFP via Getty Images Meanwhile, Chief Watertender Oscar V. Peterson was posthumously awarded the military's highest award for his service in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Peterson had led a repair party on the USS Neosho, which had been severely damaged by Japanese dive bombers during the attack. With nearly all of his repair party dead or wounded, Peterson, himself gravely wounded, mustered the strength to close the bulkhead stop valves, keeping the ship afloat. He suffered significant burns from his effort that led to his death days later. Peterson was awarded the medal of honor in December of that year. 4 Crewmembers of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force training vessel the JS Kashima wave toward the US Navy oiler during an exercise in the Virginia Capes in September. via REUTERS The decision to rename the ship notably comes at the end of Pride Month, where more LGBTQ festivities are expected in cities such as New York this weekend. Navy Secretary John Phelan issued a memo last month indicating that several ships' names would be reviewed for possible change to help in 'reestablishing the warrior culture' in the Navy. Ships named after judicial trailblazers, civil-rights icons and labor leaders are also on the renaming 'recommended list.' Those vessels reportedly include the USNS Thurgood Marshall, USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg, USNS Harriet Tubman, USNS Dolores Huerta, USNS Lucy Stone, USNS Cesar Chavez and USNS Medgar Evers.
Chicago Tribune
29 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
The best that Bezos' money can buy: The billionaire's Venice wedding to Lauren Sánchez causes a stir
VENICE, Italy — The sky itself is no limit for billionaire Jeff Bezos and fiancée Lauren Sánchez, who have traveled into space — and expectations are just about as high for their wedding in Venice. One of the world's most enchanting cities as backdrop? Check. Star-studded guestlist and tabloid buzz? Of course. Local flavor? You bet. Beyond that, the team of the world's fourth-richest man has kept details under wraps. Still, whispers point to events spread across the Italian lagoon city, adding complexity to what would have been a massive logistical undertaking even on dry land. Dozens of private jets touched down at Venice's airport, and yachts pulled into the city's famed waterways. Aboard were athletes, celebrities, influencers and business leaders, converging to revel in extravagance that is as much a testament to the couple's love as to their extraordinary wealth. The heady hoopla recalled the 2014 wedding in Venice of actor George Clooney to human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin, when adoring crowds lined the canals and hundreds of well-wishers gathered outside City Hall. Not so for these nuptials, which have become a lightning rod for protests. Still, any desire to dampen the prevailing fever pitch has yet to materialize. Instead, the glitterati were set to party, and the paparazzi jostling for glimpses of the gilded gala. Whatever happens, it will be a wedding for the ages. Venice is famed for its network of canals, where gondoliers croon for lovestruck couples and even ambulances are aquatic. But water transport of everything from bouquets to guests makes Venice among the world's most challenging cities for a party, according to Jack Ezon, CEO of luxury travel advisory and event planner Embark Beyond. 'It's a very tight-knit community; everyone there knows everyone, and you need to work with the right people,' said Ezon, whose company has put on a dozen high-end events in Venice. 'There's very tight control, especially on movement there with boats.' It at least triples the cost versus staging the same soiree in Rome or Florence, he said. Veneto Gov. Luca Zaia was first to give an estimated tally for the Bezos/Sánchez bash: He told reporters this week the most recent total he saw was between 40 million and 48 million euros (up to $56 million). It's an eye-popping, jaw-dropping figure that's over 1,000 times the $36,000 average cost of American couples' weddings in 2025, according to wedding planning website Zola's annual report. Bezos' team has been tight-lipped about where these millions are going. When the youngest son of Asia's richest man married last July, performances by pop stars Rihanna and Justin Bieber pushed up the price tag. 'How do you spend $40 million on a three- or four-day event?' Ezon said. 'You could bring headliners, A-list performers, great DJs from anywhere in the world. You could spend $2 million on an incredible glass tent that's only there for 10 hours, but it takes a month to build,' or expand the celebration to local landmarks. There's no sign Sánchez and Bezos, the former CEO of Amazon, intend to take over any of Venice's tourist-thronged hotspots. Still, intense hand-wringing about the prospect prompted their wedding coordinator, Lanza & Baucina, to issue a rare statement calling those rumors false. On Thursday, a string of water taxis cut through the lagoon to bring Bezos, Sánchez and guests to the Madonna dell'Orto cloister as some onlookers cheered. Paparazzi followed in their own boats, trying to capture guests on camera — Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, Ivanka Trump, Tom Brady, Orlando Bloom — as police on jet skis patrolled. On Friday afternoon, Sánchez emerged from her hotel wearing a silk scarf on her head and blew a kiss to journalists before stepping into her water taxi. It carried her through the canals to San Giorgio island, across the lagoon basin from St. Mark's Square, where the couple is expected to hold a ceremony later in the day. Associated Press journalists circling the island earlier saw private security personnel stationed at every landing point, including its newly installed dock. Local media have also reported a reception Saturday in the Arsenale, a former navy base best known as a primary venue for the Venice Biennale. There are some who say these two should not be wed in this city. They characterize the wedding as a decadent display of wealth in a world with growing inequality, and argue it's a shining example of tourism taking precedence over residents' needs, particularly affordable housing and essential services. Venice is also one of the cities most vulnerable to rising sea levels from climate change. 'Venice is not just a pretty picture, a pretty postcard to please the needs and wants of the elite or of mass tourists, but it is an alive city, made of people who want to actually live there,' Stella Faye, a university researcher from Venice, said on Friday. About a dozen Venetian organizations — including housing advocates, anti-cruise ship campaigners and university groups — are protesting under the banner 'No Space for Bezos,' a play on words referring to his space exploration company Blue Origin and the bride's recent space flight. Greenpeace unfurled a banner in St. Mark's Square denouncing Bezos for paying insufficient taxes. Activists floated a bald-headed Bezos-inspired mannequin down Venice's Grand Canal atop an Amazon delivery box, its hands clenching fake cash. Authorities — from Venice's mayor to the nation's tourism minister — have dismissed the outcry, saying it ignores the visibility and economic boost the wedding brings. 'There will be photos everywhere, social media will go wild over the bride's dress, over the ceremony,' Italy's tourism minister, Daniela Santanchè, told the AP. 'All of this translates into a massive free publicity campaign. In fact, because they will spend a lot of money, they will enrich Venice — our shopkeepers, artisans, restauranteurs, hotels. So it's a great opportunity both for spending and for promoting Italy in the world.' As Amazon's CEO, Bezos usually avoided the limelight, frequently delegating announcements and business updates to his executives. Today he has a net worth of $231 billion, according to Forbes. In 2019, he announced he was divorcing his first wife, MacKenzie Scott, just before the National Enquirer published a story about an affair with Sánchez, a former TV news anchor. Sánchez filed for divorce the day after Bezos' divorce was finalized. He stepped down as CEO in 2021, saying he wished to spend more time on side projects, including Blue Origin, The Washington Post, which he owns, and his philanthropic initiatives. Sitting beside Sánchez during an interview with CNN in 2022, he announced plans to give away the majority of his wealth during his lifetime. Last week, a Venetian environmental research association issued a statement saying Bezos' Earth Fund was supporting its work with an 'important donation.' CORILA, which seeks protection of the Venetian lagoon system, said contact began in April, well before any protests.
