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Andrew Weiss, Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, reveals how Vladimir Putin rose from mediocre KGB officer to Russian leader through a series of accidents and opportunities rather than strategic brilliance or espionage expertise.

• Putin was a mid-level KGB officer who never achieved high rank before being chosen as Yeltsin's successor precisely because he seemed controllable
• The image of Putin as a master spy was deliberately created as propaganda but has been mistaken for reality by many in the West
• Russia's centralized governance and territorial expansion tendencies predate Putin by centuries
• Putin's relationship with oligarchs transformed them from independent powers to dependent vassals
• After 2014, Russia actively cultivated relationships with fringe political groups across Europe and America
• The 2022 Ukraine invasion backfired by strengthening NATO and Ukrainian resolve
• Putin believes he can outlast Western support for Ukraine by exploiting political divisions
• Understanding Putin as he truly is rather than as he portrays himself is critical for formulating effective policy
• The book uses graphic novel format to make complex Russian history and politics accessible to wider audiences

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"World War Zoos: Humans and Other Animals in the Deadliest Conflict of the Modern Age." University of Chicago Press

To find our more about Michele McAloon: Your host.

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What happens to zoo animals when war breaks out? It's a question few of us consider, yet the answer reveals profound truths about humanity's moral compass.

Professor John M. Kinder takes us on a haunting journey through World War II's forgotten captives in "World War Zoos: Humans and Other Animals in the Deadliest Conflict of the Modern Age." From pandas evacuated during the Pearl Harbor bombing to bears kept in Nazi concentration camps, these stories expose the complex relationship between humans and animals during humanity's darkest hours.

The moral questions are unsettling: How do zookeepers justify feeding lions when people are starving? Which animals live and which die when resources grow scarce? The hard decisions made during wartime strip away the educational veneer of zoos, revealing raw calculations about which lives matter most. As Kender explains, "Zoos spend a lot of time creating hierarchies of which animals are more important than others... but the ultimate lesson they send is we care about people more than any animal."

Particularly disturbing is the Nazis' weaponization of Germany's renowned zoological gardens. The "German Zoo" within Berlin's larger facility wasn't just an exhibition but a propaganda machine festooned with swastikas. Even more chilling was the Bear of Buchenwald, kept near concentration camp prisoners as a tool of dehumanization—a daily reminder that in Nazi ideology, camp inmates ranked below animals.

These historical accounts remain urgently relevant today. As climate change threatens ecosystems and conflicts engulf regions with zoos, we must reconsider fundamental questions about animal captivity. Are traditional zoos justified in the 21st century? Is bringing back extinct species through backbreeding ethical when so many living species face extinction?

Join us as we explore this overlooked chapter of history that challenges how we think about zoos, war, conservation, and our responsibility toward other species. Listen now and question your assumptions about our relationship with captive wildlife.

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Michele McAloon speaks with Olena Tregub, a Ukrainian civil society leader and anti-corruption advocate, about the realities of war in Ukraine and why American support remains crucial despite political uncertainty.

• Olena describes the terrifying routine of air raid alerts and Russia's intensified attacks on Ukrainian civilians
• Ukrainian defense relies heavily on US-supplied Patriot systems which cannot be replaced by European support
• Most corruption stories about Ukraine are Russian propaganda - approximately 60% are completely fake
• Ukraine has implemented significant anti-corruption reforms even during wartime, including new procurement agencies and oversight mechanisms
• Russia is fighting with support from China, North Korea, and Iran - forming an axis against Ukraine
• Ukraine possesses the most powerful army in Europe with valuable combat experience and technological innovations
• Ukraine gave up the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal after US pressure and security assurances

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