Meseidy and Rachel are back with foreign policy queen Amanda Peterson to break down the biggest geopolitical moment of Trump's second term - his high-stakes meeting with Putin in Alaska tomorrow. We're diving deep into what this means, why Alaska (hello, former Russian territory!), and whether Zelensky calling for more sanctions is the dumbest political move of 2025.
But wait, there's more! We're unpacking Trump's genius tariff strategy that's apparently just now being discovered by the Washington Post (eye roll), the weird Nvidia-China chip deal that has us all feeling icky about government-corporate partnerships, and why the Philippines might be where World War III actually starts (spoiler: it's not Taiwan).
Plus, Amanda breaks down why Biden's Ukraine strategy was basically "here's how to finance your war" and we react to the most pathetic federal crime of the year - the Great Subway Sandwich Assault of DC. Because nothing says "resistance" like chucking a mediocre sandwich at a federal officer and running away like a toddler.
Fair warning: Rachel mysteriously disappears halfway through due to technical difficulties, but don't worry - she's there in spirit and we pretend everything is normal because that's how we roll.
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00:00 Introduction and Context Setting
01:47 Trump and Putin's Meeting in Alaska
02:26 Expectations and Speculations on the Meeting
06:18 Potential Outcomes of the Meeting
09:02 The Role of Zelensky and International Dynamics
11:43 Comparing Foreign Policy Approaches
16:48 Trade Deals and Tariffs as Foreign Policy Tools
24:08 Nvidia and Technology Export Controls
34:41 The Complexities of Chip Exports
36:43 Navigating the AI and Tech Landscape
40:00 Government and Corporate Relationships
45:39 Geopolitical Tensions in the Philippines
49:47 The Situation in Gaza and Its Implications
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