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Amanda Holmes reads Sylvia Plath’s “A Birthday Present.” Have a suggestion for a poem by a (dead) writer? Email us: podcast@theamericanscholar.org. If we select your entry, you’ll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by David Lehman.
This episode was produced by Stephanie Bastek and features the song “Canvasback” by Chad Crouch.
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Dana El Kurd breaks down the ongoing debate among Palestinians about what should happen in Gaza, whether Hamas should disarm, and the role of armed tactics more generally.
(Please note this episode was recorded prior to the 2026 Iran War)
Sources:
Moral Matters in Hard Times - https://www.dohainstitute.org/en/Lists/ACRPS-PDFDocumentLibrary/moral-matters-in-hard-times.pdf
October 2025 poll of Palestinians - https://www.pcpsr.org/sites/default/files/Poll%2096%20press%20release%20FINAL%20ENGLISH%2028%20Oct%202025.pdf
Disarmament reporting - https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2020639164602200358
Khaled Meshaal interview with Drop Site News - https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/hamas-leader-khaled-meshaal-interview-trump-maga-united-states-support-israel-gaza-netanyahu
Reconstruction of Gaza reporting - https://www.dw.com/en/trump-board-of-peace-backers-pledge-5-billion-for-gaza/a-75982195
Aljazeera reporting on Israeli backed gangs in Gaza - https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/6/armed-militia-members-are-serving-as-israeli-agents-in-gaza-investigation
Panel interview in Gaza - https://youtu.be/gbG2HxwLHgk?si=im4SHWm6v0g60t75
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In this week's Strange News segment: Jeffrey Epstein invested thousands of dollars into telepathy experiments. Former Epstein guards were apparently talking about an Epstein cover-up on the day the disgraced financier officially die. A stunning multi-year investigation verifies that there may indeed be a secret energy weapon at the heart of the Havana Syndrome conspiracy. Award-winning restaurant Noma is back in the news for a new scandal. Tune in for all this and more.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
array(3) { [0]=> string(150) "https://www.omnycontent.com/d/programs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/2e824128-fbd5-4c9e-9a57-ae2f0056b0c4/image.jpg?t=1749831085&size=Large" [1]=> string(10) "image/jpeg" [2]=> int(0) }Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.
Today on The Gist, Global Reach CEO Mickey Bergman discusses the high-stakes world of international hostage negotiation. He details the emotional intelligence required to deal with foreign officials and clarifies the behind-the-scenes realities of securing the release of Americans like Paul Whelan, Trevor Reed, and Brittney Griner. Plus, Mike opens the show by analyzing the Republican-backed SAVE Act. He argues the proof-of-citizenship voting bill is purely a messaging tactic with no chance of passing the Senate, and points out that many of the voters most likely to lack ready access to a birth certificate actually favor Donald Trump.
Produced by Corey Wara
Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig
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