In 2008, the U.S. Treasury put Fannie and Freddie into a life-support state known as “conservatorship” to prevent their failure—and worldwide economic chaos. The two companies, which were always controversial, have become a battleground. Today, Fannie and Freddie are profitable again but still in conservatorship. Their profits are being redirected toward reducing the federal deficit,… more The post Bethany McLean: The Strange Saga of the U.S. Mortgage Giants appeared first on Columbia Global Reports.

UNDERREPORTED with Nicholas Lemann

Bethany McLean: The Strange Saga of the U.S. Mortgage Giants

From the Underreported dispatch archives: Atossa Araxia Abrahamian travels the globe to meet these willing and unwitting "cosmopolites," or citizens of the world, who inhabit a new, borderless realm where things can go very well, or very badly. The story of twenty-first-century citizenship is bigger than millionaires seeking their next passport. This episode was recorded on October… more The post Atossa Araxia Abrahamian and "The Cosmopolites" appeared first on Columbia Global Reports.

Atossa Araxia Abrahamian and "The Cosmopolites"

Journalism is in crisis. The heart of the crisis isn't what most people think it is—the bitter struggle between Donald Trump and news organizations. The heart of the crisis is economic. Quite rapidly in the twenty-first century, newspapers, traditionally the major generators of original journalism, have gone into a downward spiral that has resulted in… more The post &#039;Ghosting The News&#039; with Margaret Sullivan | Part Two appeared first on Columbia Global Reports.

'Ghosting The News' with Margaret Sullivan | Part Two

There was a time, and it wasn't that long ago when newspapers could easily have a 30% profit margin. Places like car dealers and grocery stores were able to get their message out. But then, the internet happened and kicked the legs out from under the entire business model. Washington Post media critic Margaret Sullivan… more The post &#039;Ghosting The News&#039; with Margaret Sullivan | Part One appeared first on Columbia Global Reports.

'Ghosting The News' with Margaret Sullivan | Part One

The second part of our interview with Krithika Varagur. In her new book, "The Call: Inside the Global Saudi Religious Project," Varagur traverses three continents to tell the story of the Saudi religious campaign from Indonesia, Nigeria, and Kosovo. She finds Saudi money in all kinds of places, from universities to political parties to extremist… more The post &#039;The Call&#039; with Krithika Varagur | Part Two appeared first on Columbia Global Reports.

'The Call' with Krithika Varagur | Part Two

Krithika Varagur's new book, "The Call: Inside the Global Saudi Religious Project," chronicles the House of Saud’s vast project to systematically transform the Muslim world in its own image by spreading abroad Wahhabism, its brand of ultraconservative Islam. Using billions of dollars, thousands of personnel, and institutions both governmental and unofficial, "Saudi money" is both… more The post "The Call" with Krithika Varagur | Part One appeared first on Columbia Global Reports.

"The Call" with Krithika Varagur | Part One

On the frontlines of the battle for democracy in China. Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink represents a rare example of deep historical, cultural, and political context produced on deadline about a major ongoing news event. Drawing on a rich store of knowledge and wisdom, and writing with literary power as well as analytic rigor, Jeffrey Wasserstrom… more The post "Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink" with Jeffrey Wasserstrom | Part 1 appeared first on Columbia Global Reports.

"Vigil: Hong Kong on the Brink" with Jeffrey Wasserstrom | Part 1

The Story of MS-13 and Its American Roots. State of War: MS-13 and El Salvador’s World of Violence makes vividly clear why Salvadorans are fleeing their country, and why Trump’s harsh immigration and asylum policies may only empower the gangs more. Writer and "Detours" podcast host William Wheeler discusses the process of reporting his new… more The post &#039;State of War&#039; with William Wheeler appeared first on Columbia Global Reports.

'State of War' with William Wheeler

Host Nicholas Lemann sits down with Columbia University law professor Tim Wu to discuss the politics of Louis Brandeis and Theodore Roosevelt as antitrust has reemerged this year as a major issue in the run-up to the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election.             The post &#039;The Curse of Bigness&#039; with Tim Wu appeared first on Columbia Global Reports.

'The Curse of Bigness' with Tim Wu

Part two of Nick's conversation with acclaimed Pakistani writer Fatima Bhutto. Her most recent book, New Kings of the World, examines the new arbiters of mass culture ―India’s Bollywood films, Turkey's soap operas, or dizi, and South Korea's pop music. Published with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.     The post &#039;New Kings of the World&#039; with Fatima Bhutto | Part Two appeared first on Columbia Global Reports.

'New Kings of the World' with Fatima Bhutto | Part Two

Acclaimed Pakistani writer Fatima Bhutto joins the show. Her most recent book, New Kings of the World, examines the new arbiters of mass culture ―India’s Bollywood films, Turkey's soap operas, or dizi, and South Korea's pop music. Published with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.               The post &#039;New Kings of the World&#039; with Fatima Bhutto | Part One appeared first on Columbia Global Reports.

'New Kings of the World' with Fatima Bhutto | Part One

Nick speaks with Columbia Global Reports author and veteran reporter John B. Judis about his new book that examines the worldwide wave of nationalism and how U.S. Democrats can win against Donald Trump in 2020.         The post John B. Judis: Is Progressive Nationalism a Thing? appeared first on Columbia Global Reports.

John B. Judis: Is Progressive Nationalism a Thing?

We're kicking off season two of UNDERREPORTED with guest Joel Simon, who in nearly two decades at the Committee to Protect Journalists has worked on dozens of hostages cases, to delve into the heated hostage policy debate. We Want to Negotiate is an exploration of the ethical, legal, and strategic considerations of a bedeviling question: Should… more The post &#039;We Want To Negotiate&#039; with Committee to Protect Journalists&#039; Joel Simon appeared first on Columbia Global Reports.

'We Want To Negotiate' with Committee to Protect Journalists' Joel Simon

In the last few years, the fracking industry has boomed, leading many—including the President—to declare that soon America will be energy-independent, and free of the influence of foreign oil and gas suppliers such as Saudi Arabia and Russia. Not so fast, writes business journalist Bethany McLean in her book "Saudi America: The Truth About Fracking and How… more The post LIVE from Columbia University: Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera appeared first on Columbia Global Reports.

LIVE from Columbia University: Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera

Less than a decade ago, China did not have a single high-speed train in service. Now, the Pan-Asia Railway portion of the One Belt One Road initiative could transform Southeast Asia. Will Doig traveled through Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore to chronicle the dramatic transformations taking place. Do ordinary people have a voice in this… more The post High-Speed Empire: Journalist Will Doig appeared first on Columbia Global Reports.

High-Speed Empire: Journalist Will Doig

From the worldwide rise of populism and medical tourism, to Chinese smartphones and Nigerian Cinema -- each season we’ll travel to different places and bring you the stories that you aren't already hearing about, connecting them to the current news at every turn. On this show, we’ll continue the conversations from our books with the journalists who know these stories best.

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UNDERREPORTED with Nicholas Lemann

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