Best Memoriam Development Podcasts (2025)

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What We Can Expect from the Putin-Trump Alaska Summit 18:36

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4d ago18:36

18:36

The past week has seen a frenzy of diplomatic activity on Ukraine, culminating in Donald Trump’s extraordinary announcement that he will host Vladimir Putin in Alaska for talks on the war. Setting aside the propriety of Putin visiting the United States (he launched this war of aggression and is wanted by the ICC for the systematic abduction of Ukra…

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202 – SCP Readings – SCP-217, SCP-425, and SCP-119. 1:02:35

5d ago1:02:35

1:02:35

This week we visit modern lore and look at the SCP Foundation. This week we read 3 file cases known as SCP-217, SCP-425, and SCP-119. One is a virus that turns any object into a clock, another is a microwave that seems to bend time, and a television that broadcasts infinity.By Bob Anderson

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Africa's Role on the Global Stage | Introducing: The "Future of Africa" Podcast Series 1:01:38

6d ago1:01:38

1:01:38

Africa is the world’s youngest continent — and its future is everyone’s future. By 2030, 70% of sub-Saharan Africa’s population will be under the age of 30. By century’s end, one in three people on the planet will be African. What happens in Africa will shape the course of the 21st century. That’s why Global Dispatches is proud to launch a bold new…

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Famine in Gaza — A Political and Humanitarian Tipping Point? 24:20

11d ago24:20

24:20

“The worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip.” That was the conclusion of a July 29 report by the leading global authority on food security, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). The report found that more than one in three people in Gaza (39 percent) are now going days at a time without eating. M…

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201 – The History of the Ouija Board and Post Gen Con Talks. 1:04:28

12d ago1:04:28

1:04:28

Bob is home from Gen Con! He brings back stories of mead trading, gaming, and of course speaking. Bob hosted two seminars this past weekend. One was on some of the stranger stories he experienced. The second was how to implement the paranormal in a RPG. Also on this episode we talk about the history of the Ouija Board, and the early days of the Spi…

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The Stark Demise of the Era of NGOs 24:09

14d ago24:09

24:09

In 1997, Jessica Matthews' landmark Foreign Affairs essay “Power Shift” captured the growing influence of NGOs and other non-state actors in shaping global affairs. But nearly three decades later, that tide has turned. A provocative new piece in Foreign Affairs argues that the age of NGOs is over—and states are reasserting dominance. Joining me to …

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A New Study Shows that Sanctions Kill As Many People As War 18:43

21d ago18:43

18:43

A groundbreaking new study published in the British medical journal The Lancet Global Health finds that unilateral economic sanctions—most of which are imposed by the United States—lead to approximately 564,000 excess deaths worldwide each year. Up to half of these deaths are children. While sanctions are often touted as an alternative to military …

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Comfort Ero on How Foreign Aid Cuts May Spark Conflicts Worldwide | Live from the Aspen Security Forum 19:27

25d ago19:27

19:27

I caught up with Comfort Ero at the Aspen Security Forum last week. She is the President of the International Crisis Group, and in that role, she brings a truly global perspective on the drivers of conflict worldwide. Earlier in the forum, she participated in a panel on international aid—timely, given the massive scaling back of foreign assistance …

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Can Europe Stay Unified on Ukraine? With Thordis Gylfadottir, Iceland's Former Foreign Minister | Live From the Aspen Security Forum 19:01

28d ago19:01

19:01

My guest today, Thordis Gylfadottir, served as Iceland's foreign minister until 2024. We spoke last week at the Aspen Security Forum, where she delivered a forceful case for the necessity of continued military and diplomatic support for Ukraine. However, that view—once broadly shared across Europe and the Atlantic—is no longer as ubiquitous as it o…

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What We Learned From Mike Waltz's Confirmation Hearing for UN Ambassador | To Save Us From Hell 20:49

1M ago20:49

20:49

Trump’s pick for UN Ambassador, Mike Waltz, faced questions from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this week. You may recall he previously served as National Security Advisor before being sidelined by Trump after “Signalgate.” But Waltz was never officially fired — he was banished to the United Nations instead. For over two hours, he fielded q…

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The Global Backlash Against Gender Equality 28:19

1M ago28:19

28:19

A furious backlash against gender equality, women’s rights, and LGBTQ rights is sweeping the globe. In a new report for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, my guest today, Saskia Brechenmacher, shows that this backlash is not just a temporary reaction to recent progressive reforms but a key front in a larger cultural and political reali…

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Nigeria's Herder-Farmer Violence is Escalating 28:38

1M ago28:38

28:38

The farmer-herder conflict in Nigeria is a long-running and deadly struggle over land and resources, primarily between nomadic herders—mostly from the Fulani ethnic group—and settled farming communities. Driven by factors such as desertification, population growth, and shrinking grazing land, herders increasingly move south in search of pasture, le…

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To Save Us From Hell: Searching for Compromiso in Seville | Is Rafael Grossi Suddenly Radioactive? 19:28

1M ago19:28

19:28

The major Financing for Development Conference wrapped up in Seville last week with the so-called Compromiso de Sevilla, which commits countries to accelerating efforts to fund the Sustainable Development Goals and support economic and social development in lower-income countries. In our first segment, we are joined by Michael Sheldrick, co-founder…

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How Trump’s Aid Cuts Are Costing Lives in Sudan—The Largest Crisis on Earth 23:44

2M ago23:44

23:44

As of July 1, what remains of USAID’s programming is being folded into the State Department. The independent agency, created 64 years ago to advance American values and support global humanitarian causes, is no more. With USAID’s demise comes a staggering human cost. The Lancet today published a study finding that more than 14 million people — a th…

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200 – Viewer Stories/The Squonk 1:34:28

2M ago1:34:28

1:34:28

Wow, it's hard to believe this is the 200th time a Bob After Dark episode description has been written. We have a lot of viewer call ins: from a Big Foot sighting, to White Cemetery on Cuba Road in Barrington Illinois, to the Whispers Estate in Indiana, and even a special call from Count Dracula himself! We also tell the tale of the Squonk. A stran…

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What the NATO Summit Tells Us About The Future of European Security 18:56

2M ago18:56

18:56

The leaders of NATO met in The Hague on June 25th for a rather truncated meeting with a limited agenda. Unlike recent NATO summits, this one did not focus much on the war in Ukraine, countering China, or other broad international security concerns. Rather, this meeting was dedicated to securing a commitment by most NATO members to double their defe…

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How the Israel-Iran-US War Forever Changed the Middle East 30:48

2M ago30:48

30:48

Will the ceasefire between Israel and Iran actually hold? How might Iran respond to the unprecedented American attacks on its nuclear program? And more broadly, how have events over the last two weeks changed the entire security dynamic of the Middle East? I’m privileged to bring you a conversation with one of the foremost experts on these question…

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199 – Lunatic Fringe/The Whitney House 52:29

2M ago52:29

52:29

Ever hear of Logan Webb? Well, you may know his work as an animator. He's worked on Sonic Prime, and Strawberry Shortcake. Well, now Logan is branching out and working on an animated feature about Big Foot being recruited to get back an alien that escaped from Area 51. So, a cryptidcentric feature film! Bob and Count are excited to speak to him abo…

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How the US Bombing of Iran May Split the Republican Party 25:28

2M ago25:28

25:28

Donald Trump's decision to bomb Iran lays bare a major rift within Republican foreign policy. Until recently, the more isolationist “America First” wing seemed ascendant, sidelining the hawks. But that dynamic decisively shifted on Saturday when Trump ordered American strikes on several targets in Iran My guest today is Andrew Prokop of Vox, who re…

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Why The UN Oceans Summit Matters 21:53

2M ago21:53

21:53

From June 9th to 13th, some 15,000 participants—including more than 60 Heads of State and Government—convened in Nice, on France's Mediterranean coast, for a major UN-sponsored conference on oceans. So what happened at the UN Oceans Summit, and why does it matter? Joining me to answer these questions and more is Bruna Campos of the Center for Inter…

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"They Have Decapitated the Iranian Military" - Will The Iran-Israel War Drag in the US? 21:58

2M ago21:58

21:58

After years of threats, the Israeli government launched a major attack overnight, targeting both Iran’s nuclear program and several senior Iranian military and political leaders. At the time of writing, Iran had yet to respond in a major way, though the expectation is that the regime will hit back—and much harder than it did last year after a previ…

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198 – The Grafton Monster 51:05

2M ago51:05

51:05

According to the Cryptid Wiki, "The Grafton Monster is described as being seven to nine feet tall, four feet wide and having white seal-like skin. The monster also possesses no discernible head, The Grafton Monsters head was rested in the middle of his chest. The Grafton Monster has a very deep bellow, being heard for miles." So, is this walking wa…

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Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Head of UN Peacekeeping, on Why It Still Matters—And What Happens If Funding Disappears 30:57

2M ago30:57

30:57

There are nearly 70,000 UN peacekeeping personnel serving in 11 missions around the world. My guest today, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, is in charge of them all. He has served as the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations for the last eight years, giving him deep visibility into the unique role that UN Peacekeeping plays in maintaining…

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A Personal Note from Mark 7:04

2M ago7:04

7:04

Global Dispatches is entering a new era—and I need your help to keep it going. For years, I’ve been able to produce this show thanks to institutional support, especially from the UN Foundation, which has backed my work for two decades. But due to recent funding cuts, that support is ending, and I now need to raise $140,000 to keep the show going at…

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The Gaza Aid Debacle 19:51

2M ago19:51

19:51

After an 80-day total blockade of humanitarian aid into Gaza, a new scheme to distribute food to desperate Gazans began operations this week. The “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” is an Israeli-American creation, designed by consultants, backed by American security contractors, and headed by an evangelical Christian supporter of Donald Trump who has l…

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A Fight Over Horses(!) Tells Us A Whole Lot About The Sad State of Trump's Diplomacy at the UN | To Save Us From Hell 14:09

2M ago14:09

14:09

The General Assembly selected five new members of the Security Council and one new President of the General Assembly this week in not-so-hotly contested elections. These new Security Council members will take their seats in January, and former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will assume the PGA gavel at UNGA in September. So what can we e…

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197 – The West African Vampire The Sasabonsam 50:12

2M ago50:12

50:12

According to the Encyclopedia of Crytpids, "The sasabonsam or asanbosam is a vampire-like creature in the folklore of Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, and Togo.[1] A sighting is reputed to have occured in 1918 or 1928, making it a true cryptid, specifically a flying humanoid. Sculptures of the sasabonsam depict it as a humanoid creature with a bearded human f…

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When Treaties Work: The Pandemic Agreement 30:47

3M ago30:47

30:47

On May 20th, after years of negotiation, World Health Organization member states adopted the Pandemic Agreement — the first international treaty focused on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. Developed in response to the shortcomings revealed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the agreement emphasizes equitable access to vaccines, diagnosti…

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196 – The Rokurokubi 39:15

3M ago39:15

39:15

Long necked possibly vampiric yokai.By Bob Anderson

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Pope Leo Makes His Foreign Policy Debut 27:19

3M ago27:19

27:19

The Pope is not just a religious leader—he's also a Head of State. The Holy See maintains formal diplomatic relations with most countries on Earth and holds the status of a permanent observer at the United Nations. In recent years, the Pope has leveraged his dual role as the leader of the Catholic Church and a head of state to pursue a purposeful f…

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How Science Can Build a Nuclear Free Future | Zia Mian 34:23

3M ago34:23

34:23

My guest today, Zia Mian is co-director of Princeton University's Program on Science and Global Security. He's a physicist who has long studied nuclear weapons and nuclear security. In our conversation Zia Mian explains how scientists have impacted policy discussions about nuclear weapons since the dawn of the nuclear age, and how as the nuclear se…

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India and Pakistan: A Fragile Ceasefire Holds—But for How Long? 31:21

3M ago31:21

31:21

On April 22, militants launched a brutal assault on a tourist site in Indian-controlled Kashmir, killing 26 civilians in what became the deadliest terrorist attack in India in nearly 15 years. What followed was the most intense military confrontation between India and Pakistan in decades—airstrikes, drone attacks, and a terrifying cycle of escalati…

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The Nuclear Threat From Space | Bill Hennigan 18:25

3M ago18:25

18:25

What would actually happen if a nuclear weapon were detonated in space? This isn't just the stuff of science fiction — it's a scenario that researchers have studied closely, and the implications are deeply unsettling. From disrupting satellite a nuclear detonation in space would have immediate, global consequences — even without a single casualty o…

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Can The UN Ban AI-Powered “Killer Robots” Before It’s Too Late? 35:29

3M ago35:29

35:29

I've been hanging around the United Nations these past few days attending events related to consultations on lethal autonomous weapons systems—so-called killer robots. These are AI-powered weapons systems that can select and strike targets without human control. This is not the stuff of science fiction. These weapons exist today, and they are becom…

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Inside the Hunt for Hidden Nuclear Weapons | Eliana Johns 22:49

3M ago22:49

22:49

Eliana Johns hunts for nuclear weapons. She’s a senior research associate at the Federation of American Scientists, where her team uses open-source intelligence — or OSINT — to uncover secrets about countries’ nuclear capabilities and intentions. In fact, much of what we know today about China’s nuclear arsenal comes from her colleagues’ work, whic…

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Who Will Be the Next UN Secretary-General?, With Richard Gowan | To Save Us From Hell 31:42

3M ago31:42

31:42

The race to succeed António Guterres is unofficially underway. His term as UN Secretary-General ends in December 2026, but the backroom jockeying has already begun. In this episode, Mark and Anjali are joined by Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group to break down the early contenders, how shifting geopolitics could shake up the selection …

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195 – The Life and Times of Joe Nickell feat Pat from Ghostly Podcast 59:42

3M ago59:42

59:42

According to Joenickell.com, "I have been called "the modern Sherlock Holmes," the "real-life Scully" (from the X-Files), and other appellations. I am well into my fourth decade as an investigator of historical, paranormal, and forensic mysteries, myths and hoaxes. In contrast to mystery-mongerers on the one hand and so-called debunkers on the othe…

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In Memoriam: The Time Joseph Nye Told Me His Life Story 39:22

3M ago39:22

39:22

The legendary international relations scholar Joseph Nye passed away on May 7th at the age of 88. He’s best known, of course, for developing and advancing the idea of “soft power”—the ability to influence others and shape outcomes through attraction, persuasion, and cultural or ideological appeal rather than coercion or force. But over his singular…

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What We Know About Trump's Nuclear Policy | Alexandra Bell 20:14

4M ago20:14

20:14

In just the first four months of the Trump administration, several pillars of American foreign policy have been upended — USAID dismantled, most foreign aid frozen, and the rules-based international trade system thrown into disarray. Could nuclear policy be next? To find out, I spoke with Alexandra Bell, President and CEO of the Bulletin of the Ato…

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When Treaties Work: The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty 31:02

4M ago31:02

31:02

The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, better known as the CTBT, expressly prohibits its signatories from testing nuclear weapons. It was opened for signature in 1996 and is now one of the most widely adopted treaties in the world. Since the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty was opened for signature in 1996, there have been ten nuclear tests conduc…

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Why We are in a ‘New’ Nuclear Age | Ankit Panda 31:44

4M ago31:44

31:44

Ankit Panda’s new book delivers a stark message: we’ve entered a new nuclear age. This one is shaped by rising U.S.–Russia tensions, China’s emergence as a major nuclear power, and a wave of tech breakthroughs — including AI — that are transforming the nuclear landscape. The result? A world where nuclear security is more complicated, and more dange…

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194 – Meet Lori Stasinski 1:04:56

4M ago1:04:56

1:04:56

Lori Stasinski, a Swiss army knife of paranormal experiences join us this week. We talk about the passing of Joe Nickell, a skeptical paranormal investigator, A Navajo Ranger whom was investigating paranormal encounters, and a couple of 200 year old goats.By Bob Anderson

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Tariffs, Counter-Tariffs, and What Comes Next in the US-China "Trade War" 22:24

4M ago22:24

22:24

The escalating trade dispute between the United States and China has, in the view of my guest today, unofficially crossed the threshold into a full-blown trade war. Wendy Cutler is Vice President at the Asia Society Policy Institute and a longtime diplomat and negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. We spoke on Friday, April 18, …

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What the World is Ignoring About Sudan’s Civil War 29:59

4M ago29:59

29:59

The crisis in Sudan is taking another devastating turn. Over the past several days, a genocidal paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has attacked a sprawling refugee camp in Darfur. As I write this, nearly 400,000 people have fled the camp and are now traversing the desert in search of safety. Meanwhile, the RSF is mounting an…

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193 – Interview with a Pair of Vampires…Lecturers 1:27:39

4M ago1:27:39

1:27:39

Meet Justin Ness and Jim Hysell. They are a couple of professors at Purdue Northwest. Now one teaches history, and the other teaches literature. Now, what are they doing on BAD? Well, they teach a class all about, get this, vampires. Justin teaches written, and visual side of vampirism showing films, and having readings about vampires like, "Dracul…

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Trump’s Tariffs Are Making a Mess at the UN | To Save Us From Hell 20:20

4M ago20:20

20:20

"Nobody wins in trade wars," said António Guterres as he left a UN Security Council meeting this week. But it’s clear there’s at least one big loser: American diplomacy. This week, Anjali and Mark break down how the Trump tariffs are rippling through the UN — and how they’re complicating diplomacy on issues that have nothing to do with trade. We al…

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Analyzing The Geopolitical Fallout As Trump’s Trade War Takes Shape 26:16

4M ago26:16

26:16

Heather Hurlburt is a former chief of staff in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative during the Biden Administration and now a fellow at Chatham House. She is also someone I've routinely turned to over the years for insights into broader geopolitical trends. In our conversation today, we dig into the real geopolitical fallout from Donald Trum…

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Something Strange is Happening in Canada 29:19

4M ago29:19

29:19

A few months ago, the Canadian Conservative Party, led by Pierre Poilievre, was cruising toward a massive victory in the upcoming Canadian elections, with most polls showing him holding a 20-point lead over his Liberal Party opponent. But what a difference an American election makes! Since Trump’s musings about annexing Canada and his sweeping trad…

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192 – Top 5 Hoaxes in Cryptozoology 51:50

5M ago51:50

51:50

The April Fools Day special of Bob After Dark! We're looking at 5 proven hoaxes in the Cryptozoology world. Including: The Fiji Mermaid, The Dogigator, The Cardiff Giant, Giant Roosters, and the Zuiyo-Maru Creature.By Bob Anderson

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Crisis in Myanmar: Earthquake Aftermath and the Global Response 31:11

5M ago31:11

31:11

On March 28th, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar—the strongest to hit the region in a century. The epicenter was in the Sagaing region, near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, in the northwest of the country. Sagaing is also the epicenter of Myanmar’s civil war and the humanitarian crisis caused by the brutal conflict that has raged f…