Craig Mokhiber, international human rights law specialist who stepped down from his post as director of the New York office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights after October 7th, returns to Bad Faith to discuss the Rafah massacre in which dozens of Palestinians were killed by the IDF while waiting for aid, the Gaza Tribunal's Sarajevo Conference in which legal scholars, human rights experts, journalists, and survivors pushed a civil society-led initiative for accountability for Israel; and the potential for U.N. reform now that the U.S. is withdrawing funding, and perhaps influence, from the United Nations.
The senator from Alaska reflects on her many years in Washington and what is happening in the country right now. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything
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In the early hours of Friday morning, Israel pulled off a historic strike on Iran. As I record these lines, Iran is reporting a “massive explosion” in Isfahan, in a province that is home to several nuclear facilities. In Israel, where Shabbat has begun, the government has ordered all synagogues to shut down—and for citizens to remain close to bomb shelters as they brace for a retaliatory strike.
It is hard to overstate the magnitude of this operation. Israel has taken out much of Iran’s military leadership and some of its top nuclear scientists and hit nuclear facilities across the country. And it is still going. Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to do whatever it takes in order to prevent a nuclear holocaust.
Meanwhile, the X account for Iran’s military has threatened that “our response will be lethal.” And the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has tweeted: “The Zionist regime has prepared for itself a bitter, painful fate, which it will definitely see.”
Donald Trump, for his part, is using this as an opening to push Iran into a nuclear deal. This is a historic juncture for the region—not just for the state of Israel, but for the West.
So last night, just as the news of these attacks broke, I sat down with former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren and former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett to discuss all of it: the strikes, what they accomplished, how Israel defied conventional wisdom and seemed to pull off the impossible, what we can expect in the days ahead, and—perhaps most importantly to many of our listeners—whether or not America is supporting Israel in its efforts.
On Saturday, Trump would like nothing more than images from Los Angeles of tear gas and balaclava-clad anarchists throwing bottles at Marines to complement video of himself in the stands at his military parade, saluting the troops amid a field of flags. That's part of the reason why he chose LA to federalize the Guard—home to numerous adversaries who willingly take his bait. And while tanks are going to roll through DC, wrecking its streets for the big birthday boy, Israel is going after Iran like it went after Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Kristi Noem handled the Padilla incident like a little fascist, and it only just occurred to Trump how the deportations will affect farms and hotels. Plus, a "Les Miz" correction, a 'Godfather' goof, and fighting words over The Beach Boys v. Lou Reed.
Tom Nichols joins Tim Miller for the weekend pod. show notes
Tomorrow night, for the first time in decades, the United States military will put its unrivaled might on display in a parade through downtown Washington D.C.
Helene Cooper, who covers national security for The Times, explains how President Trump overcame years of opposition from inside the military to get the parade and why its timing has become so fraught.
David E. Sanger, who covers the White House and national security, gives an update on Israel’s attack on Iran and what it is likely to mean for the region.
Guest:
Helene Cooper, who covers national security issues for The New York Times.
David E. Sanger, the White House and National Security Correspondent for The New York Times.
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Federal agents tackle and handcuff Senator Alex Padilla after he shouts a question at Kristi Noem at a public press conference. Trump continues to politicize the military, attacking his political enemies in a speech to troops at Fort Bragg and preparing for his North Korea-style birthday party. New polling shows that Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" is wildly unpopular—and increasingly vulnerable to Democratic attacks. Favreau and Nicolle Wallace, host of MSNBC's Deadline: White House and the new podcast series The Best People, discuss the latest from occupied LA, check in on the short-lived Trump-Elon feud, and try not to panic over RFK Jr.'s recent firings at the CDC. Then Lovett sits down with Zohran Mamdani to discuss his surging campaign for mayor of New York City.
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
