Jacob sits down with Laurie McFarlane, co-director of Future Economy Scotland, for a (non-Gulf War related, finally) conversation about what makes Scotland one of the more fascinating geopolitical underdogs around. The two dig into Scotland’s constrained economic agency within the UK, the squandered promise of North Sea oil, the renewable energy transition, and why Scotland...
Solo analysis from Jacob! Some reflection on being wrong about the Third Gulf War. Jacob outlines why he thought the war wouldn’t happen – interceptor shortages, domestic politics, inflation risk, and explains what’s shaken his analytical framework: the killing of moderate Iranian leaders, the appointment of a hardline Supreme Leader, the U.S. confusing firepower for...
Jacob Shapiro sits down with journalist Jody Ray, who just returned from on-the-ground reporting in Ethiopia and Eritrea. This convo is a gateway into one of the most underreported conflicts brewing today – a potential war over Red Sea access with echoes of Cold War rivalries, ethnic fracture lines, and a region that’s been through...
Jacob sets down the grand strategy for a gripping personal story, catching up with his high school friend Avi Swerdlow, who landed in Israel the day before the new Gulf War erupted. Avi recounts waking to sirens, sheltering with his mother, and navigating a closed airspace in a circuitous scramble to get home – a...
Iran expert Hamidreza Azizi joins Jacob Shapiro to break down the issues posed by Iran’s blockage of the Strait of Hormuz. Azizi explains Iran’s phased strategy: take out US radar systems first, then threaten energy infrastructure. He also unpacks who’s actually running Tehran right now, why China and Russia are quietly helping, and why no...
Geopolitical analyst Kamran Bokhari joins Jacob to break down the US/Israeli joint strike on Iran. Is this regime change, or coercion? Bokhari argues the limited force deployment points to a “Venezuela model” – targeting IRGC hardliners while preserving moderate military figures to negotiate a nuclear deal. But… Has the moment for regime collapse has already...
North Dakota State Climatologist Daryl Ritcheson joins the show for his annual check-in about the climate (our fourth???) – He and Jacob revisit last year’s forecast misses and hits before diving into 2026. They explore the transition from La Niña to El Niño, implications for U.S. agriculture, hurricane risk in the Gulf, and crop prospects...
Louis-Vincent Gave joins The Jacob Shapiro Podcast to unpack a world that looks chaotic… but may be quietly reordering itself. From a surprising thaw in U.S.–China relations to a potential renaissance in Latin America and Canada, Louis argues that today’s volatility is accelerating deeper structural shifts. He explains why Europe remains fragmented, why energy prices...
Something extraordinary just happened in Japan… but of course no one is paying attention! A ruling party written off as tired and scandal-plagued didn’t just win – they delivered a generational landslide. Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s first female Prime Minister, led her Liberal Democrats into a victory so complete that the opposition straight up imploded (see:...
Hamidreza Azizi joins the pod for an emergency episode on the current state of Iran amidst escalating tensions with the United States. Azizi examines the potential for conflict between the two and and offers insights into Iran’s internal politics, the role of the IRGC, and the possible repercussions of a U.S. attack. — Timestamps: (00:00)...
