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Alternate Shots with Richard Haass and John Ellis: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Richard Haass and John Ellis
The idea of the podcast is this: We talk about “three things” that are interesting, important or both. The third thing will be about something from the world of sports.Richard is a veteran diplomat (he served in the Carter, Reagan, G.H.W. Bush and G.W. Bush administrations). He was president of the Council on Foreign Relations for two decades (he’s now president emeritus). He’s a Senior Counselor at Center|View Partners, a prominent New York City-based investment banking firm. He also distributes a weekly newsletter — Home and Away — on Friday mornings. Home and Away addresses matters domestic and foreign. John is the founder and editor of News Items, a daily newsletter that covers global politics, financial news, advanced technologies and science. He has been in and around the news business for virtually all of his adult life, working for NBC News (as a political analyst), The Boston Globe (as a columnist), CNBC, Fox News, and Newscorp. In 2016, he launched News Items as a morning brief for executives and editors at Fox and Newscorp. In 2018, News Items became The Wall Street Journal CEO Council's morning newsletter. He restarted News Items as an independent newsletter in August of 2019.
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- 1 weeks ago28 min
Tehran, Pyongyang, Los Angeles...and MSG: Episode 30
John Ellis and Richard Haass take up a world in which problems are less solved than managed. Iran remains unfinished business, with the future of the Strait of Hormuz, nuclear limits on Iran, and sanctions relief all in play. What is certain is that the Gulf states face a future of greater uncertainty, with some likely to try to come to terms with Iran and others more inclined to confront it. China’s outreach to North Korea reveals an effort on Xi Jinping's part to reestablish influence there...
- 2 weeks ago30 min
Pope Leo, AI, and the Knicks: Episode 29
For years, artificial intelligence occupied the familiar territory of technological optimism: faster growth, greater efficiency, and the promise that innovation would solve more problems than it created. That era may be ending. This week on Alternate Shots, Richard Haass and John Ellis examine the rapid emergence of AI not simply as a business story, but as a political, strategic, and even theological one. Prompted by a sweeping papal encyclical warning against surrendering human judgment to ...
- 3 weeks ago30 min
The Strait, the Summit, and the Slush Fund: Episode 28
In this week’s Alternate Shots, Richard Haass and John Ellis begin with Iran, which remains suspended in the uneasy territory between war and peace. Washington appears to be inching toward a revised nuclear arrangement that resembles, in substance if not in branding, the very deal Donald Trump tore up in his first term. Also emerging are growing tensions between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who may come to regret advocating for a war that has created growing prob...
- May 10, 202627 min
Bored of War: Episode 27
John Ellis and Richard Haass discuss the latest on multiple wars, actual and political. They review the absence of good options for ending the war with Iran, noting that wars dont necessarily end when one side (in this case Donald Trump) has had enough. The big question as the President heads to China is what he might be prepared to give up on Taiwan or chips to get Xi’s help with Iran or on trade. The surprising good news is how the tide of war is slowly but steadily turning against Vl...
- May 5, 202627 min
More Stress than Strategy: Episode 26
Alternate Shots returns with John Ellis and Richard Haass examining a geopolitical and domestic political landscape defined by drift. The crisis surrounding Iran and the Strait of Hormuz underscores a broader reality: deterrence is fraying, diplomacy is episodic, and the risk of miscalculation is rising. The United States faces narrowing options, caught between rising economic pressure, a lack of promising military options, and the absence of a coherent endgame. Beyond the Middle East, transa...
- Apr 28, 202625 min
Two Wars & A King: Episode 25
In this episode of Alternate Shots, John Ellis and Richard Haass tackle two wars, a Royal visit, and the world of sports. The conversation starts with the Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and leave the nuclear issue for later, which the Trump administration appears to be resisting but Haass argues the US should run with. From there, they pivot to the war in Ukraine, where Kyiv’s battlefield resilience and drone innovation are quietly reshaping modern warfare and building opposi...
- Apr 19, 202627 min
Cautious Optimism: Episode 24
In this episode of Alternate Shots, John Ellis and Richard Haass navigate a tumultuous week where cautious optimism collided with geopolitical reality. The conversation ranges from Iran and the fragile ceasefire in and around the Strait of Hormuz to electoral upheaval in Hungary. The hosts also speak their minds on the attacks aged by both the president and vice president on Pope Leo. They end with the apparent demise of the Saudi-supported LIV golf tour and this coming week’s NFL...
- Apr 9, 202621 min
Strait Talk Everywhere But the SitRoom: Episode 23
In this episode of Alternate Shots, John Ellis and Richard Haass dissect a ceasefire that exists mostly on paper and a war that has created more problems than it has solved. The Strait of Hormuz has gone from highway to choke point, while what to do about Iran’s nuclear efforts and its support of proxies remains as much of a question as ever. Along the way, they critique a decision-making process dominated by a president that contains little in the way of process, expertise, or analysis. Fort...
About Alternate Shots with Richard Haass and John Ellis
The idea of the podcast is this: We talk about “three things” that are interesting, important or both. The third thing will be about something from the world of sports.Richard is a veteran diplomat (he served in the Carter, Reagan, G.H.W. Bush and G.W. Bush administrations). He was president of the Council on Foreign Relations for two decades (he’s now president emeritus). He’s a Senior Counselor at Center|View Partners, a prominent New York City-based investment banking firm. He also distributes a weekly newsletter — Home and Away — on Friday mornings. Home and Away addresses matters domestic and foreign. John is the founder and editor of News Items, a daily newsletter that covers global politics, financial news, advanced technologies and science. He has been in and around the news business for virtually all of his adult life, working for NBC News (as a political analyst), The Boston Globe (as a columnist), CNBC, Fox News, and Newscorp. In 2016, he launched News Items as a morning brief for executives and editors at Fox and Newscorp. In 2018, News Items became The Wall Street Journal CEO Council's morning newsletter. He restarted News Items as an independent newsletter in August of 2019.
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