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The Gist - Fact-Checking the Maduro Raid—and the Art of Fucking Around

Mike breaks down the U.S. abduction of Nicolas Maduro, arguing that Donald Trump's penchant for exaggeration shouldn't blind us to actual strategic successes. He digs into why media "truth-tracking" often fails to account for real-world military outcomes, using the Fordow strikes and the defeat of ISIS as proof that a leader's bad narration doesn't always mean a failed mission.

Plus... A vault interview with Oxford's Ben Ansell on "FADFO"—the phenomenon of "fucking around and not finding out"—and how modern guardrails allow political radicals to escape the consequences of the chaos they create.

Produced by Corey Wara

Coordinated by Lya Yanne

Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig

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Motley Fool Money - Is the Retirement Safe Withdrawal Rate Below 4% or Almost 6%?

The No. 1 financial goal for most Americans is retirement. Once they retire, their primary goal becomes not running out of money. Host Robert Brokamp discusses the pros, cons, and tradeoffs of various withdrawal strategies with Christine Benz, director of personal finance at Morningstar and co-author of a new report on retirement income.

Also in this episode:
-Prepare for lower taxes in 2026 by having less withheld from your paycheck and contributing more to your investments
-A recent Washington Post article argues that bigger houses lead to lower levels of happiness
-The percentage of the global stock market that comes from U.S. stocks is near an all-time high, but non-U.S. stocks made up for lost ground in 2025
-Listeners share their tips and tricks for staying on top of their investments and spending


Host: Robert Brokamp
Guest: Christine Benz
Engineer: Bart Shannon


Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement.


We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode.


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Philosophers In Space - Harrow the 9th pt. 2 and Ethics with Uncertainty

Ah yes, part two, where things really get cooking, as it were. We're back with more Harrows, more confusingly named characters, and some proper sizzle! RESPECTFULLY! We also talk about how the unreliability of our own understanding impacts how we do ethics. Enjoy!

Harrow the Ninth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrow_the_Ninth

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Music by Thomas Smith: https://seriouspod.com/

Sibling shows:

Embrace the Void: https://voidpod.com/

Content Preview: Harrow the Ninth pt. 3 and the ethics of necromancy

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Up First from NPR - Minneapolis Protests ICE Shooting; Protests in Iran; States Preparing for Midterms

Protests continue in Minneapolis after ICE agents kill a local woman, Renee Good, with more protests planned this weekend. Plus, Iranians have been taking to the streets in cities across the country, protesting against the government there. We'll look at what's behind the protests as well as the government's response. Also, the U.S. federal government might want to get involved with upcoming elections in several ways. We'll look at what this might mean for the midterm elections, and how states are preparing.

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Newshour - Iran: Pahlavi calls for more protests

After another night of nationwide protests, the exiled son of Iran's ousted shah has urged Iranians to go further and seize and hold city centres. We hear from Iran expert Sanam Vakil of Chatham House.

Also in the programme: we hear from Aleppo after clashes between Syrian government forces and Kurdish militia; and a trip through David Bowie's London.

(Picture: Protesters gather as vehicles burn, amid evolving anti-government unrest, in Tehran, Iran, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video released on January 9, 2026. Credit: Reuters)

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Audio Mises Wire - Did the Articles of Confederation Fail? Probably Not

The standard explanation for the Constitutional Convention was that the Articles of Confederation were a failure. However, the Articles actually worked the way they were supposed to work. Unfortunately, the advocates of a strong central government ultimately got their way.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/did-articles-confederation-fail-probably-not

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Global News Podcast - The Happy Pod: The 88-year-old veteran given nearly $2m by strangers

The Australian 'kindness influencer' who raised nearly two million dollars to help an elderly US veteran. Samuel Weidenhofer flew thousands of miles to find Ed Bambas after being told he needed help. Ed, who's 88, was still working in a shop because he couldn't afford to retire, having lost his pension and healthcare. Also: one of the few people ever to walk around the world says he was inspired to keep going by the rescue dog he adopted along the way. Tom Turcich spent seven years making the journey with Savannah, who he describes as the best possible companion. The family of a US Air Force serviceman have been reunited with his dog tag, seventy years after it was lost. We hear how a young woman in the UK is trying to dispel the stigma surounding a medical device known as a stoma bag, by turning them into fashion accessories. Plus some very big baby news as a US zoo prepares to welcome a very rare elephant calf. Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world. Presenter: Alex Ritson. Music composed by Iona Hampson

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The Ezra Klein Show - Venezuela, Renee Good and Trump’s ‘Assault on Hope’

The shocking events of January have sent a message: America works differently now. 

M. Gessen is a Times Opinion columnist and the author of books about living under autocracy, including the National Book Award-winning “The Future Is History.” They have been a clear, relentless and perceptive voice on what it means and what it is like to live in a country that is turning into a different kind of regime. And they wrote an essay on the seizure of the president of Venezuela, calling it “a blow — quite likely fatal — to the new world order of law, justice and human rights that was heralded in the wake of World War II.” 

Mentioned:

“329 Days of Trump” by Michael M. Grynbaum and Stuart A. Thompson

“Two Middle East Negotiators Assess Trump’s Israel-Hamas Deal” by Ezra Klein

The Future Is History by M. Gessen

Book Recommendations:

Tomorrow Is Yesterday by Hussein Agha and Robert Malley

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad

The Hill by Harriet Clark

Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.

You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast, and you can find Ezra on Twitter @ezraklein. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.

This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Annie Galvin and Marie Cascione. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld, with additional mixing by Aman Sahota and Isaac Jones. Our executive producer is Claire Gordon. The show’s production team also includes Rollin Hu, Kristin Lin, Emma Kehlbeck, Jack McCordick, Marina King and Jan Kobal. Original music by Pat McCusker. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The director of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser.

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.