Special Relationship: Election 2016 - Is It Really So Strange?

Just ahead of Election Day, Celeste and John put the truly bizarre 2016 U.S. presidential cycle into context, with the help of distinguished podcasters from both sides of the pond. First up: Ken Rudin, the award-winning National Public Radio and ABC News veteran best known as "The Political Junkie" and the host of a podcast by that name. Rudin draws on decades of news coverage and analysis to unpack the breathtaking electoral brawl between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Next, weighing in from the U.K.: Dan Snow, aka "The History Guy." Snow, who hosts BBC programs on his favorite subject and takes listeners on far-flung adventures via his "History Hit" podcast, contrasts the oddities of the current American presidential campaign with legendary tales of Parliament, the papacy and beyond. Our theme music is composed by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our producer is Alan Haburchak. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Special Relationship: Rigged Election Realities

Trailing in the polls, Donald Trump has kept up a drumbeat of warnings about a "rigged system" that's working against his chances of beating Hillary Clinton and winning the presidency. But is the U.S. election system really rigged — or riggable? Celeste and John pose the question to Dana Perino, White House press secretary under former President George W. Bush and now host of Fox News Channel's "The Five" and the "I'll Tell You What" podcast. Then we jump to Nairobi, Kenya, for a talk with Daniel Knowles, who covers the corrupt and sometimes violent politics of sub-Saharan Africa for The Economist, about what rigged elections actually look like. Our producer is Alan Haburchak. Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Special Relationship: The Struggle for Syria

With the election looming and the final debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump dominating the headlines, Celeste and John step back to focus on one of the greatest challenges the next president must face: dealing with war-torn Syria. Celeste speaks with Christina Psarra of the humanitarian aid group Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieresabout her work helping refugees and educating the public about their experience through MSF's traveling exhibition "Forced From Home." Next, former Senate majority leader and special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell talks to John about if, how and when the wrenching conflict in Syria will end, potentially under the administration of a new president and United Nations secretary-general. This episode was produced by Alan Haburchak and Jon Marston. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Special Relationship: Highly Debatable

With one final presidential debate left to go, the hits keep on coming for Donald Trump. The Republican nominee is now not only defending himself against accusations of prurient behavior towards women, but finds himself embroiled in a civil war with the top figures in his own party, just weeks away from the election. This week, Celeste and John break down the latest in the race for president and look ahead at what could might come next with the help of Economist Washington Bureau Chief David Rennie and Mic Politics Editor Luke Brinker. Our producer is Alan Haburchak. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Special Relationship: Don't Believe the Liberal Media?

The media is under siege in this election — and the phenomenon isn't limited to the campaign for U.S. president. In this episode, Celeste and John talk with two powerful news editors in the United States and Europe about covering politics in an era when people think they're entitled not just to their own opinions, but their own facts. Marty Baron, the Pulitzer Prize-winning executive editor of The Washington Post, speaks about the moral obligation — and occasional frustrations — of truth-telling, against the backdrop of an extraordinary election between two presidential candidates who are by turns openly hostile toward and suspicious of the press. And from Germany, Bild Digital Editor-in-Chief Julian Reichelt weighs in on how Europe's largest news outlet combats the "post-factual" criticisms of a radical right AND left that are waging an information war against what they call the "Lügenpresse" — the "lying press." Our producer is Alan Haburchak. See acast.com/privacy for privac...

Special Relationship: Unraveling the First Presidential Debate

It might be hard to make sense of the first debate between presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, but in a special edition of the podcast recorded the morning after the debate in the Mic studio at One World Trade Center, Celeste and John try to do just that. This episode was produced by Alan Haburchak. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Special Relationship: Great Debates?

Ahead of showdown #1 at Hofstra University in New York, Celeste and John preview the upcoming trio of presidential debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Presidential debates are a big part of American political culture, and they've given us plenty of memorable moments — even if their ultimate effect on the outcomes of elections are, well, debatable. They're also fairly unique on the world stage. Former Sen. and New Hampshire Gov. Judd Clegg shares an insider's take he earned by virtue of having played both John Kerry and Al Gore in Republican debate prep sessions. And Jeremy Cliffe of The Economist speaks about the relatively new phenomenon of televised prime ministerial debates in the U.K. and how they stack up with the way America handles these face-offs. This episode was produced by Alan Haburchak. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Special Relationship: In Sickness and in Health

Hillary Clinton has been fighting off questions about her health throughout the 2016 presidential election, but the topic returned to the fore after she nearly fainted at a 9/11 commemoration ceremony and then revealed she'd contracted pneumonia. Clinton, 68 -- or Donald Trump, 70, who has released scant detail about his own medical history -- would be among the oldest presidents ever elected. This week, Celeste and John speak with distinguished historian and presidential biographer Robert Dallek of Stanford University about the astoundingly secretive culture surrounding the wellness of our leaders and ask a simple question: How much do voters have a right to know about their health? This episode was produced by Alan Haburchak. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Special Relationship: Crossing Borders

Celeste and John take a look at the facts and feelings surrounding one of the thorniest issues of the 2016 campaign for the White House: Immigration reform. Journalist and activist Jose Antonio Vargas of Define American shares how his experiences as an undocumented immigrant from the Philippines have shaped his life, his work and his view of the race for president. Next, former U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service Commissioner Doris Meissner, now a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, breaks down what is and isn't working on border security, deportation and the politics of reform. This episode was produced by Zack Mack. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Special Relationship: Alt-Right or Wrong?

Special Relationship #8: Alt-Right or Wrong? This week, Celeste and John try to put the so-called "alt-right" movement into context in the U.S. and abroad. Hillary Clinton's decision to call out this amorphous branch of conservatism and tie it to Donald Trump won accolades from those who deem it a haven for racists and ultra nationalists. But in doing so, did she give the alt-right the spotlight it craved? Helping tackle the topic in guest appearances: Weekly Standard Editor Bill Kristol and Economist Charlemagne Columnist Tom Nuttall. This episode was produced by Zach Mack and hosted by Celeste Katz of Mic and John Prideaux of The Economist See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.