This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss exploding Hezbollah pagers, the Fed’s interest rate cut, Gavin Newsom vs. AI, and how the United States is stumbling blind into World War. Click here to read the report from the Commission on the National Defense Strategy. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabl...
Sep 20, 2024•39 min•Ep. 61
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss the Harris-Trump debate, Iran selling ballistic missiles to Russia, Europe’s never-ending decline, and how Sept. 11 continues to shape American and world history. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell M...
Sep 13, 2024•45 min•Ep. 60
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss Joe Biden’s move to block the sale of US Steel, Chinese spies in New York State, the Hamas massacre of Israeli hostages, and the larger meaning of Tucker Carlson’s crank historical revisionism. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters...
Sep 06, 2024•37 min•Ep. 59
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss the arrest of Pavel Durov in France, the revision of U.S. job growth statistics, RFK Jr. and Tuli Gabbard endorsing Donald Trump, and how Benjamin Netanyahu secured his place in Jewish and world history. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-real...
Aug 30, 2024•31 min•Ep. 58
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss US military plans for a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, Democratic criticisms of Kamala Harris’ economic plan, the darkening political picture in East Germany, and why Hamiltonianism is the best way forward in American domestic and foreign policy. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For...
Aug 23, 2024•43 min•Ep. 57
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss Kamala Harris’ price control plan, America’s new class of Pacific missiles, the reemergence of ISIS in Syria and Iraq, and why soft power isn’t what it used to be. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell ...
Aug 15, 2024•33 min•Ep. 56
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss stock market trouble, Ukraine’s incursion into Russia, the Israel-Iran escalation ladder, and what Kamala Harris’ VP pick does and doesn’t mean. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet colum...
Aug 09, 2024•33 min•Ep. 55
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss Biden’s plan to remake the Supreme Court, why housing is the most important political issue in America, Russian paramilitaries getting hammered in Africa, and how Israel’s assassination of Hamas and Hezbollah top dogs could change the region and U.S. policy. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than ...
Aug 02, 2024•30 min•Ep. 54
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss Chinese and Russian warplanes off the coast of Alaska, Kamala Harris’s snub of Benjamin Netanyahu, whether the artificial intelligence bubble might pop, and what foreign policy would look like under a President Kamala Harris. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out t...
Jul 25, 2024•25 min•Ep. 53
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss the rise of J.D. Vance, America’s nervous allies in Europe and Asia, Silicon Valley’s break right, and the near-slaying of Donald Trump. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, ...
Jul 18, 2024•38 min•Ep. 52
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss unemployment figures, the GOP’s new Trump-era stance on abortion, the rise of the far-left in France, and how China, Russia, India, and North Korea are making new moves on the Indo-Pacific chessboard. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-...
Jul 11, 2024•34 min•Ep. 51
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity decision, the collapse of the political center in France, the Haredi military conscription debate in Israel, and the international repercussions of Biden’s disastrous debate. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag....
Jul 02, 2024•32 min•Ep. 50
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss the historic presidential debate and two new landmark Supreme Court decisions. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us Follo...
Jun 28, 2024•29 min•Ep. 49
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss post-election India, Biden’s new immigration orders, China’s wealth exodus, and why Iran has nothing to fear from Washington. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check o...
Jun 21, 2024•38 min•Ep. 48
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss pro-Hamas mobs in DC and New York, France’s snap elections, Thursday’s Supreme court decisions, and what Walter saw and heard on the front lines in Ukraine. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s ...
Jun 14, 2024•34 min•Ep. 47
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss NATO’s air defenses, the China-led shadow global economy, South Africa’s election results, and the hush money conviction of Donald Trump. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here,...
May 31, 2024•28 min•Ep. 46
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss Gantz’s ultimatum to Netanyahu, the death of Ebrahim Raisi, a failed unionization push in the American South, and how China, Russia, and Iran went from an Axis of Weevils to a legitimate alliance of revisionist powers. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletma...
May 24, 2024•23 min•Ep. 45
This week, Walter and Jeremy talk Biden’s tariffs on China, Israel’s spiraling relations with Egypt, Google’s plan to crush publishers with AI, and how America’s democracy promotion agenda is finding new ways to fail in Africa. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. Y...
May 17, 2024•30 min•Ep. 44
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss Biden’s threat to withhold offensive weapons from Israel, why the president’s huge spending bills haven’t been spent yet, the faltering criminal cases against Donald Trump, the global fertility crisis, and how to get the most out of election coverage. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do ...
May 10, 2024•26 min•Ep. 43
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss the US Southwest pumping more crude oil than Kuwait, the International Criminal Court’s threat to arrest Israeli officials, the financial industry’s exodus from New York and California, and how support for Hamas could split the Democratic coalition. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do no...
May 03, 2024•29 min•Ep. 42
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss the Ukraine aid package, banning TikTok, Lina Khan's FTC overreach, and the pro-Hamas protests sweeping America's college campuses. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and c...
Apr 25, 2024•33 min•Ep. 41
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss Israel’s options for retaliating against Iran, why the IMF scolded the United States, Zelensky’s pleas for Israel-style support for Ukraine, and why the Work From Home (WFH) revolution could change American cities and make Gen Z filthy rich. Read Walter’s new Tablet essay, ‘The Rise of the Cyber City’ Read or watch Walter’s recent Senate testimony on Modernizing US Alliances in the Indo Pacific Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy ...
Apr 18, 2024•40 min•Ep. 40
This week, Walter and Jeremy talk Israel-Iran war worries, European bans on youth gender care, an Indonesia-Israel normalization agreement, and why Tucker Carlson is peddling the antisemitism of the Russian Czars. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Wa...
Apr 11, 2024•33 min•Ep. 39
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss Biden’s industrial policy, Israeli airstrikes in Syria and Gaza, the fentanyl crisis, and what foreign policy might look like if Trump wins in November. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tabl...
Apr 05, 2024•26 min
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss ethnic tensions in Russia, the race for AI talent, Chinese-Pakistani relations, and Walter’s new Tablet essay on why the golden age of the Wonk is coming to an end. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell...
Mar 29, 2024•30 min
This week, Walter and Jeremy talk universal basic income, the decline of New York City, the Houthis as the greatest naval threat since Imperial Japan, and why the Palestinians need a Konrad Adenauer. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell M...
Mar 22, 2024•36 min•Ep. 36
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss academics whining about AI, 200 years of U.S. failure to save Haiti, the Great Slackening in American high schools, and why Biden and Bibi both benefit from fighting each other in public. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You ...
Mar 14, 2024•34 min•Ep. 35
This week, Walter and Jeremy talk Super Tuesday results, Benny Gantz’s visit to Washington, the threat of another China Shock, and why environmental movements are losing ground across the world. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s...
Mar 08, 2024•35 min•Ep. 34
This week, Walter and Jeremy are on the road. So in place of regular programming, we’re bringing you something special: an extended excerpt from Walter’s most recent book, The Arc of a Covenant: The United States, Israel, and the Fate of the Jewish People. What you’re about to hear is Chapter 16 of that book, about the history of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and where it fits in American diplomatic history and American domestic politics. If you like what you hear, which we’re certain yo...
Mar 01, 2024•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 33
This week, Walter and Jeremy talk Biden’s age, the Trump trials, the death of Navalny, and India’s bromance with Israel. Each week on What Really Matters, Walter Russell Mead and Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. For more, check out tabletmag.com/what-really-matters. You can read Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column here, and check out more from Tablet here. Connect with us ...
Feb 23, 2024•40 min•Ep. 32
