WorldNow ™ with Jim Falk

Steven Cook, Amb. Deborah Jones and Beth Sanner draw on their years of experience for an insightful conversation on the war on Iran. With so much uncertainty surrounding the negotiations, their views provide rarely heard context on how we got to where we are today and what may happen next. This conversation was recorded on April 20 for KSFR's The Forum and WorldNow, hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut. 

  In our conversation, Matthew Frakes, author of Rogue States: The Making of America’s Global War on Terror, takes us back to the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush presidencies—when policies forged in that era help explain, in part, what we’re witnessing today in Iran and, earlier this year, in Venezuela. Listeners will also hear a short archival clip of George H. W. Bush and Margaret Thatcher speaking to reporters at the Aspen Institute on August 2, 1990, just as Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait was unfolding, a moment that would help shape the future U.S. approach to state-sponsored aggression.

If you love France, a good steak frites, and have ever wondered what really happens inside the kitchen, you’ll want to hear my recent conversation with author Luke Barr. His latest book, "The Secret History of French Cooking," traces ,the evolution from haute cuisine to nouvelle cuisine and explores its lasting influence on how we eat today. But there’s much more to the story: the secret past of Le Monde’s food critic Robert Courtine, the battle waged by women chefs for equal treatment, and the way celebrity chefs like Paul Bocuse helped bring French cuisine to a global audience.

University of Chicago professor John Mearsheimer is one of the most influential, and often controversial, voices in international relations. In this conversation, recorded April 17 for KSFR’s The Forum Plus, Mearsheimer warns that the conflict with Iran risks dangerous escalation, with potentially severe consequences for the global economy. On Ukraine, he argues a true peace deal is unlikely—and that a Korea-style armistice may be the best we can hope for.

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Tod Robberson and I talk about his just published book, "Globemaster Down: Soviet Espionage and the Doomed American Attempt to Sneak Nukes into Europe." Shrouded in mystery, the U.S. government continues to keep classified many of the documents that might shed light on the cargo and whether sabotage could have been responsible for the crash. An unanswered question is why weren't the survivors viewed from the air not rescued? Tod also describes the mood of U.S. leaders and their fear that the Soviets were positioning to overtake Europe and that having an atomic weapon in the U.K. was a needed deterrent. 

As the war on Iran entered its fourth week, David Vine, a key contributor to the Costs of War Project at Brown University, talked about the human and financial costs of conflict with particular attention to what we are seeing now in Iran. This conversation was originally broadcast on KSFR's The Forum who provided permission to rebroadcast on WorldNow.

Shortly after the publication of her first book, author and journalist Yi-Ling Liu joined WorldNow to talk about how Chinese citizens navigate the web. Despite censorship, either self or dictated, and , the web continues to be a strong connector for people seeking to express their individualism while also building community. Yi-Ling, drawing on her unique background, shared her concern that governments and media foster stereotypes that hinder the relationship. This conversation was recorded on Feb. 10 as a virtual book talk. Co-produced by the World Affairs of Connecticut, WorldNow is a benefit to members of World Affairs Councils across the country.  

In this show, William Hartung, senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, takes a hard, unvarnished look at the extraordinary growth of the U.S. defense budget. Now just under $1 trillion, President Trump is requesting a 50 percent increase for FY 2027—pushing defense spending to $1.5 trillion. Hartung explains how, despite hopes to the contrary, the end of the Cold War led not to a peace dividend but to continued and accelerating military spending. He examines how consolidation within the defense industry, now dominated by five major corporations, has fueled cost overruns, reduced competition, and weakened accountability. The conversation also explores the growing role of Silicon Valley–based defense startups, the influence and profitability of defense lobbying, and the surprisingly small impact the defense industry has on overall employment, despite frequent claims by politicians. This program was recorded on January 21 for WorldNow with Jim Falk as a virtual book talk presented to members of World Affairs Councils across the country.

Steve Twomey is the author of "Pearl Harbor: The Twelve Days to the Attack." In addition to this podcast, I also produce and host The Forum, a weekly public affairs program on KSFR, Northern New Mexico's public radio station. For our December 8th show, I wanted to do a program commemorating the 84th anniversary of the surprise attack that drew the United States into WWII and Steve came highly recommended.  I greatly enjoyed the book and the conversation with Steve and bet you will, too. I hope you will review the podcast and this episode. 

On December 8, the editor of The Economist's "The World Ahead," Tom Standage joined me for what has become an annual conversation about the popular predictive issue. We began with Tom presenting his Top Ten Trends for 2026, followed by questions from the audience and concluded with a special treat where we played Hello All Stations, an original composition by Sebastopol, the alt-rock band. Tom is the drummer. I learned, too, that this is one of the two bands where Tom plays, the other being one made up of colleagues at The Economist. This interview was first aired for a live audience made up primarily of members of World Affairs Councils from across the country. It was produced and hosted by the World Affairs Council of Connecticut.

Originally broadcast on KSFR's The Forum Plus, UMass historian Stephen R. Platt shares the untold story of Evans Carlson — a WWII Marine commander, secret confidant of FDR, and pioneer of U.S. special forces. Drawing on exclusive access to Carlson’s family letters, journals, and military archives, Platt reveals a hero celebrated for introducing “gung-ho” to America but later vilified during the McCarthy era for his admiration of China. This conversation explores Carlson’s daring intelligence work, his quiet influence on Roosevelt, and his vision for a better U.S.–China relationship that might have changed history.

We speak with Lois Lipman, director of the documentary First We Bombed New Mexico, and Tina Cordova, the film’s heart and co-founder of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium. Together, they discuss the film’s impact and their decades-long advocacy for those harmed by nuclear testing and uranium mining. A hopeful development: the recently signed “One Big Beautiful Bill,” enacted on July 4, 2025, includes a temporary extension and expansion of RECA (the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act) to finally cover affected communities in New Mexico. The documentary is being updated to reflect this change, with a revised version expected later this year. To bring the conversation into the present, we also speak with military strategist and Stimson Center senior fellow Christopher Preble. He offers insights into the state of nuclear deterrence today and whether the doctrine of mutually assured destruction (MAD) still holds. While acknowledging the need to modernize the U.S. arsenal, Preble questions whether the projected $1 trillion investment over the next 30 years is the wisest path forward. He also weighs in on the feasibility of “The Golden Dome,” a proposed missile defense system, arguing that given the geographic scale of the U.S. and other technical limitations, the concept remains impractical.  

Eliza Reid, Iceland’s former First Lady, joins Jim Falk to discuss her debut novel — Death on the Island — a gripping murder mystery set against the dramatic backdrop of Iceland’s Westman Islands. Drawing from her own diplomatic experience, Eliza has created a compelling ensemble of characters, each with secrets to uncover as they find themselves isolated on the windswept archipelago. This interview was first aired on July 9, 2025 on KSFR's The Forum Plus. 

 Dr. Ian Kumekawa, an Anniversary Fellow at the Center for History and Economics at Harvard, is the author of "Empty Vessel." Through the lens of a single barge, and its travels from the Falklands, Germany, to NYC's East River, Kumekawa exposes the underbelly of offshoring and its impact on the global economy.

Journalist, author Adam Weymouth's latest book, "Lone Wolf" is a fascinating story how over the course of several months he followed the path of Slavc, a European grey wolf, who journeyed from Slovenia to the Italian Alps. Weymouth, through candid interviews with people he met along the way, raises important questions about immigration, climate change and the delicate balance we as humans have with animals. This podcast was originally recorded for The Forum Plus on KSFR-FM. The last minutes are bonus content.

Originally broadcast on KSFR's "The Forum," guests Robert Holleyman, former Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, and Edward (Ted) Alden, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, discuss what has become the defining issue of Trump 2.0. To listen to other episodes of The Forum, go to KSFR.org

Recorded on May 6, Lawrence Wright discusses "The Human Scale," his recent novel set in the West Bank. Described as a political thriller, the book is  much more—as it goes deep into the troubled history of the region and reminds us of the human cost of "scale" of the conflict. During the conversation, Wright talks about how he landed in Cairo with just a few days advance notice, what continues to draw him to the region and his hopes for peace.

While USAID is being dismantled, four professionals with decades of experience give their views of why foreign aid is an integral part of U.S. foreign policy. Mark Asquino, former U.S. ambassador to Equatorial Guinea; Rebecca Black, former USAID mission director; Lisa Ellis, development and communications specialist; and, Kate Schecter, President & CEO of World Neighbors talk with Jim Falk and co-host Talitha Arnold. This program was produced and broadcast by KSFR on THE FORUM on February 10, 2025,

H.R. McMaster, who served as President Trump's 2nd National Security Advisor, takes us inside the Oval Office, sharing his perspective on the president's decision-making process and how his tendency to be disruptive can have unintended consequences, and, yet, often positive results. McMaster gives his thoughts on Panama, Ukraine and much more as he responds to questions from World Affairs Council members from across the country,. 

Author, journalist and high school teacher, Gregg Jones has written an extremely well documented and entertaining book about the forgotten Japanese American World War II war hero, Ben Kuroki. In our conversation, Gregg tells us how this Nebraska farm boy became the only Japanese-American to fly in combat missions over Japan. Following the war, he continued his mission to fight against racism and discrimination as a publisher and speaker. At a time when patriotism is sometimes hard to define, Ben reminds us what it means to be an American.

This broadcast was aired live on October 7 for KSFR's "The Forum." When Forum programs have an international focus, I'll include them on this podcast. On this episode, recorded on the one year anniversary of Hamas' attack on Israel, we hear from three Middle East specialists: Ambassador Deborah Jones, who during her distinguished career served throughout the Middle East, including as U.S. ambassador to Kuwait and Libya; Dr. Michael Robbins directs the Arab Barometer, a highly-regarded research firm; and, the Middle East Institute's Dr. Paul Salem, brought us a firsthand account from northern Lebanon."The Forum" streams live every Monday from 6-7PM (MT) at ksfr.org    

Max Boot spent a decade researching and writing what reviewers have described as the definitive biography on Reagan. Given that over 11,000 books have been written him, that's quite a compliment but it is one that is deserved. Our discussion goes from young "Dutch's" itinerant childhood, Hollywood, traveling orator for GE to the White House. Having interviewed over 100+friends and associates of the former president, Boot uncovers some surprising, previously unknown, facts that will confirm or disprove long-held perceptions.

Steven Cook, the senior fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, is the author of "The End of Ambition: America's Past, Present and Future in the Middle East." Here, Cook tackles clearly and with rare insight why the U.S. must find the correct balance of engagement. He will be the first to say the U.S. has made several mistakes, especially since 1991, but we should not deny that we had successes in the years prior. Bottom Line: There are no quick fixes and the U.S. cannot walk away.

Mickey Bergman, now the CEO of Global Reach, worked closely with the late Governor of New Mexico and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Bill Richardson, to rescue Americans (and others). Their successes earned them two nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize. Mickey is the author of "In the Shadows: True Stories of High-Stakes Negotiations to Free Americans Captured Abroad." In their conversation, Jim and Mickey discuss the motivation that leads Iran, Russia and North Korea to take prisoners and the strategies Mickey and his associates follow to secure their release. They also discuss why the negotiations for the release of former U.S. Marine, Paul Whelan, has been especially disheartening and difficult. Mickey explains the reasons for his belief that is unlikely there will be any movement until after the U.S. presidential election this November. 

Laura Liswood, secretary-general of the Council of Women World Leaders, highlights what Mexico's first woman head of state, will face when she takes office on October 1. Combatting crime, drug-financed cartels are high on the list as is whether her predecessor AMLO will give her room to govern. This episode was recorded on June 7 for Perspectives Matter, a McCuistion Program.

Ned Price, who has held senior foreign policy positions in both the Obama and Biden administrations, gives his take on the administration's response to the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. Price is currently the deputy to the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield.