The Mishal Husain Show

Lionel Shriver on Immigration, Identity and Why She Refuses to Stay Quiet

Lionel Shriver has often tackled complex or contentious issues in her fiction. From school shootings in We Need to Talk About Kevin to economic collapse in The Mandibles. Her new novel, A Better Life, is the story of a family home taken over by outsiders. In this conversation with Mishal Husain, Shriver discusses the sociological concerns behind the story, which she says is a metaphor for the increase in undocumented US immigration during the Biden administration. Shriver is a regular columnist for The Spectator, a conservative UK magazine. The link between the writing styles in that publication and her novel also feature in this episode. In the written version of this conversation, you’ll find more information on how Mishal Husain researched and prepared for this interview, including her own notes, data, historical context and further quotes from Lionel Shriver. www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview 02:27 - Inspiration for A Better Life03:39 - Extended adolescence06:32 - A metaphor for America10:21 - Shriver’s political journey12:42 - Declining populations17:02 - ICE tactics20:34 - From North Carolina to Northern Ireland22:57 - Rebelling against church24:30 - Transgender debate30:07 - Why Shriver left the UK 32:26 - Muslim immigration35:32 - Novels versus columns40:12 - Writing for shorter attention spans41:30 - Shriver’s recovery from illness Contact The Mishal Husain Show mishalshow@bloomberg.net Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Israel Could Be Forced to Stop: Shira Efron on War, Fatigue and Netanyahu's Strategy

With attention fixed on the potential developments between the US and Iran, could the Israeli government be forced to end the war earlier than it might like? The last few weeks have seen daily air strikes by Israel on Iran, and retaliatory attacks that have killed and injured Israelis. The wider picture is of two and a half years of constant conflict, particularly in Gaza. In this conversation, Mishal Husain speaks to Shira Efron, who has been a Middle East analyst for the last 20 years and is now Distinguished Chair for Israel Policy at RAND. They discuss Israeli public opinion on Iran, the extent of the military operation in Lebanon and what’s at stake in the Israeli election due later this year. 02:25 - Life in Tel Aviv 04:42 - Israeli public opinion on Iran 06:24 - “A feeling of deja vu”07:42 - Netanyahu's calculation09:17 - Will elections go ahead?10:59 - Did the Mossad get it wrong? 12:44 - American public opinion14:24 - US and Israeli relations18:24 - “There's one boss and this boss is President Trump”20:11 - The future of Lebanon23:52 - “Everyone forgot where Gaza is”31:21 - Smotrich’s plan33:44 - “We are seeing a shift to the right”37:37 - Looking ahead to 2028 Read this interview with Mishal’s notes on Bloomberg Weekend: www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview Contact The Mishal Husain Show mishalshow@bloomberg.net Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ro Khanna on Stopping the Iran War, Taking on the ‘Epstein Class’ and Taxing Billionaires

US Representative Ro Khanna of California helped force Donald Trump to release the Epstein files. Now he wants to end the war with Iran. Earlier this month, the Democratic Congressman joined forces with Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a Republican, on a War Powers resolution seeking to halt the military action, though it ultimately failed in the GOP-controlled House. Speaking to Mishal Husain almost three weeks after the US and Israel began coordinated attacks on Iran, Khanna says he believes that opposing war in the Middle East and taxing billionaires could unite progressives and disaffected Trump voters.02:57 - Hearing Epstein’s name for the first time05:18 - Forcing the release of the Epstein files 10:07 - Holding this Epstein class accountable11:05 - A new found confidence 11:59 - Hoping for a split in MAGA? 12:43 - “It’s a coalition that’s gonna win”14:24 - Stopping the war in Iran 15:53 - Trump’s “looking for an off ramp to end the war”17:21 - Increasing pressure on Trump over Iran 19:50 - Could Cuba be next? 21:21 - Khanna’s grandfather was an Indian MP23:15 - Running for president in 2028? 24:58 - Taxing billionaires30:08 - A progressive coalition34:06 - “You can't help but be hopeful about the American story”Read this interview with Mishal’s notes on Bloomberg Weekend: www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interview Contact The Mishal Husain Show mishalshow@bloomberg.net Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why Iran Isn’t Breaking: Vali Nasr on Pain, Patience and the Uprising That Isn’t Coming

Despite the intensity of the US-Israel bombing campaign, Iran’s regime, now under a new supreme leader, hasn’t given President Donald Trump the “unconditional surrender” he’s seeking.Mishal Husain speaks with Vali Nasr, a professor at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies and a preeminent scholar on the Islamic Republic. His life has been shaped by the story of Iran over the last 50 years, starting when his family fled amid the 1979 revolution.His life’s work has been to study the region and its relationship with the US. He’s also worked as an adviser to the US State Department during the Obama administration.Nasr explains why Tehran believes time is on its side in the war, and that a prolonged conflict may only strengthen Iranian nationalism.02:34 - Why Iran is “prepared to suffer more”06:28 - What drives the new ayatollah10:03 - How Iranians view the US and Israel12:07 - War will last “longer” than Trump hopes14:00 - School strike, destruction of heritage sites15:35 - Lessons from the Iran-Iraq war19:03 - “This is the final battle”20:17 - Impact of US sanctions22:40 - Will Iran pursue a nuclear bomb?26:02 - Iran’s experience of foreign intervention28:27 - Can Reza Pahlavi, son of the Shah, succeed? 30:48 - Nasr’s experience fleeing Iran in 197935:15 - Mood among Iranian-Americans39:32 - Iran’s “rightful place in the world” Contact The Mishal Husain Show mishalshow@bloomberg.net Read this interview with Mishal’s notes on Bloomberg Weekend: www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interviewSubscribe today on Apple Podcasts and SpotifySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Middle East Expert Bernard Haykel on the Three Futures for Iran After the Strikes

Within 24 hours of the US and Israeli strikes on Iran, a host of other countries were drawn into the latest conflict in the Middle East. Iran retaliated by targeting sites in Israel and across the Gulf, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, as well as Iraq, Oman and Jordan. Israel, meanwhile, has carried out air strikes on Lebanon and sent in ground troops as it seeks to dismantle Iranian ally Hezbollah.For this conversation, Mishal Husain has turned to an expert on the broad sweep of Middle East politics. Bernard Haykel is a professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University. Born in Lebanon, he is known for weaving together knowledge of history, religion and social change across the region. His forthcoming book is about contemporary Saudi Arabia and its leader, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, with whom he is in regular contact. 02:45 - “I was not surprised”03:40 - The Iranian retaliation09:00 - The three scenarios in this conflict11:00 - “This regime will survive”13:20 Protests after Khamenei's death 15:35 Did MBS encourage the strikes on Iran? 18:40 The Saudi Air Force will get “involved”21:30 Trump and MBS25:00 MBS “doesn’t want wars”27:00 Saudi competition with UAE29:18 MBS is “a bit like Elon Musk”30:30 MBS is an authoritarian 33:00 The US has a “role to play” in the Middle East Read this interview with Mishal’s notes on Bloomberg Weekend: www.bloomberg.com/latest/weekend-interviewContact The Mishal Husain Show mishalshow@bloomberg.net Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.