TWNW Special: What to Read, Watch, and Listen to This Summer

In this special episode of The World Next Week, James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon are joined by Gabrielle Sierra, CFR podcast producer and host of Why It Matters, to discuss their favorite quarantine reads, beloved documentaries and television series, podcasts, and more entertainment they’re looking forward to enjoying this summer.

Read more about Jim, Bob, and Gabrielle’s picks on Jim’s blog, The Water’s Edge.

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Hosts
  • James M. Lindsay
    Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy and Director of Fellowship Affairs
  • Robert McMahon
    Managing Editor
  • Gabrielle Sierra
    Director, Podcasting

Show Notes

In this special episode of The World Next Week, James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon are joined by Gabrielle Sierra, CFR podcast producer and host of Why It Matters, to discuss their favorite quarantine reads, beloved documentaries and television series, podcasts, and more entertainment they’re looking forward to enjoying this summer.

 

Read more about Jim, Bob, and Gabrielle’s picks on Jim’s blog, The Water’s Edge.

 

Jim’s Picks
These Truths: A History of the United States, Jill Lepore
More Perfect, Radiolab
Hamilton, Disney

 

Bob’s Picks
The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan
Chernobyl, HBO
The Civil War, PBS
Eyes On The Prize, PBS

 

Gabrielle’s Picks
A Burning, Megha Majumdar
The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, Netflix
High Fidelity, Hulu

United States

In this live series finale, Bob and Carla discuss the most pressing international news stories with special guest Deborah Amos. President Donald Trump virtually attends the annual Davos summit where he will address corporate and government leaders just three days after his inauguration; the next phase of hostage and prisoner swaps is due as part of the Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal; a tightly controlled presidential election in Belarus kicks off a new year of consequential elections around the globe; and TikTok is revived in the United States—for now— after President Trump forestalled the app’s initial ban.   This episode was originally produced live on January 21, 2025.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Israel and Hamas reach a cease-fire deal aimed at exchanging hostages and prisoners while seeking a longer-term pause in fighting; the incoming Donald Trump administration weighs ambitious moves on immigration; Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin sign off on a twenty-year partnership agreement; and students in Serbia protest violations of civil rights.

United States

President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, will appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee; the Supreme Court hears arguments over the Joe Biden administration’s imminent banning of TikTok; Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation prompts questions on the future of U.S.-Canada trade relations; and Europe’s eastern states confront energy issues after Ukraine stops the flow of Russian gas through its territory.

Top Stories on CFR

Kashmir

 The latest attack on civilian tourists in Kashmir has been one of the worst attacks in the region since 2019, resulting in a tit-for-tat measure between India and Pakistan.  

Ukraine

Senior U.S. and French officials are meeting in Paris this week as part of President Donald Trump’s effort to negotiate a cease-fire in Ukraine—but the chances of that deal becoming a reality appear increasingly slim.

Canada

Canadians are heading to the polls at the most fraught moment in U.S.-Canada relations in eighty years.