Right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella 'El Tigre' won Colombia's presidential runoff by less than one percentage point — 49.66% to 48.7% — in a deeply divided country.
Where this was said
At 55:10 · chapter starts 54:25
The mood lifts completely as Tommy and Ben turn to the FIFA World Cup, which both say they're addicted to. Tommy describes attending the US-Paraguay game, calling it the best experience ever, while both marvel at the US team looking serious in the tournament for the first time. The real story, though, is Cape Verde: a tiny island nation of half a million people, 350 miles off West Africa, holding Spain to a draw and then Uruguay to a draw. [1] — Tommy Vietor "Cape Verde — a half-million-person island nation 350 miles off West Africa — held Spain and Uruguay to draws. Their 40-year-old goalkeeper …" 1:00:30 Their 40-year-old goalkeeper went from 50,000 to 15 million Instagram followers overnight; one player almost ignored the national coach's LinkedIn DM as spam. Ben adds Messi's 5 goals in 2 games, France looking lights out with Mbappé, and the DRC drawing Portugal. [2] — Ben Rhodes "Messi scored 5 goals in first 2 World Cup games: Lionel Messi scored five goals in Argentina's first two World Cup matches, a stunning disp…" 1:02:55 But the fan videos are what's capturing everyone's hearts. Tommy and Ben watch a compilation showing Norway fans rowing in Times Square, Scottish Tartan Army fans marching through Little Havana, English fans singing Sweet Caroline at a Texas rodeo, a Scot in a kilt rollerblading through Miami, and Uzbeki fans riding into Houston's stadium on horseback in full traditional dress. Iranian players left a locker-room note in LA reading 'we came with pride, competed with honor, and leave with dignity.' Ben says this is soft power for humanity itself — every country winning at once.
Right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella won Colombia's presidency by less than one percentage point, promising jungle mega-prisons and a militarized drug war. With Ecuador and El Salvador already in the same camp, the only firewall is Brazil's October election.
The World Cup is producing extraordinary moments of cross-cultural joy: Scottish fans marching through Little Havana, Uzbek fans riding into Houston's stadium on horseback, Iranian players leaving a heartfelt locker-room note in LA. Ben Rhodes calls it soft power not for any one country — but for humanity.
Cape Verde — a half-million-person island nation 350 miles off West Africa — held Spain and Uruguay to draws. Their 40-year-old goalkeeper went from 50,000 to 15 million Instagram followers. One player thought the national team's LinkedIn outreach was spam. This is what the World Cup is for.
Cape Verde's 40-year-old goalkeeper helped hold both Spain and Uruguay to draws at the World Cup, and in the process went from 50,000 to 15 million Instagram followers overnight.
Lionel Messi scored five goals in Argentina's first two World Cup matches, a stunning display that Ben Rhodes called unbelievable.
Kalanick estimates that a decade ago, 90% of media coverage of tech business was negative, treating companies like political targets.
2024–2025 marked the single largest decrease in violent crime and murder in the US since 1937.
From 2024 to 2025, violent crime decreased 9%, property crime decreased 12.4%, and motor vehicle theft decreased 23%.
California's Ebony Alert Program, designed for the swift recovery of missing Black youth and women, officially went into effect on January 1, 2024.
Andrew Santino discovered that American tourists now need to pay $20 to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK, starting January 2025.
Kay Classman, a 28-year-old woman, was arrested for repeatedly enrolling in a Bronx high school posing as a 16-year-old student across multiple school districts.
A poll around 2011 found that 16% of Americans believed 9/11 was an inside job, illustrating how viral misinformation had already embedded itself in public opinion before social media peaked.
Andrew Wilson offered Candace Owens $300,000 to debate her Charlie Kirk conspiracy theory, but she refused.
According to the podcast, only 11 people were killed by the coordinated Israeli pager attack on Hezbollah operatives, despite widespread detonations.
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