The Transponder: Transatlantic Affairs and Beyond

From the Bertelsmann Foundation's acclaimed interviews and documentaries comes a new space for ideas to breathe. The Transponder: Transatlantic Affairs and Beyond branches out from our films and discussions, diving deeper into the people, policies, and perspectives shaping the world.Much like its namesake device, this podcast takes ideas from across the oceans, processes them, and sends them back—more human, more alive, and more connected.Hosted by Dr. Samuel George, Director of BFNA Docs, each episode explores the stories and challenges defining the transatlantic community today.

The Transponder: Transatlantic Affairs and Beyond is a news podcast hosted by Bertelsmann Foundation, with 18 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Bertelsmann Foundation hosts The Transponder: Transatlantic Affairs and Beyond, a news show with 18 episodes published.

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  Episode #19

  Germany's Election Shock with Courtney Flynn Martino

  Oct 6, 202625 minS1

  Germany's political landscape has been shaken by a series of state elections that delivered major gains to parties on the political fringes. In Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) posted its strongest state-election results to date, while Berlin's Left Party also surged. In Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD came within three seats of an absolute majority, putting renewed pressure on Germany's longstanding political "firewall" against governing with the party. In Episode 19 of The Transponder , host Samuel George speaks with Courtney Flynn-Martino, Bertelsmann Foundation's Assistant Director of Transatlantic Relations, who was on the ground in Saxony-Anhalt for the election. Martino traces the AfD's evolution from an anti-euro party to a broader vehicle for political discontent, and explains how concerns over migration, COVID-era restrictions, the economy, and dissatisfaction with Germany's governing parties have fueled its rise. The conversation also examines what the results mean for Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the future of Germany's political center, and the durability of the firewall that has kept the AfD out of state and federal governing coalitions. With Germany facing growing political instability at home, what could these shifts mean for the country, for Europe, and for the transatlantic relationship?

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  Episode #18

  Blame Canada? with Christopher Sands

  Aug 27, 202626 minS1

  For generations, the United States and Canada have enjoyed one of the world's closest and most peaceful relationships. Now, that relationship is under extraordinary strain. After U.S. - Canada trade negotiations collapsed in August, the two countries moved closer to a trade war that could disrupt an economic relationship encompassing roughly $870 billion in annual trade. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has vowed to push back against U.S. tariffs, while President Donald Trump continues to argue that Canada has taken advantage of America. How did two longtime allies get here? And what happens if neither backs down? In episode 18 of The Transponder, host Samuel George speaks with Christopher Sands, Director of the Center for U.S. - Canada Studies at the John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, about the rapid deteriorating relationship between the two North American neighbours. Is this a lasting rupture in the U.S. - Canada relationship?, or just an unusually dramatic round of negotiation?

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  Episode #17

  The Race for Energy with Daniel Poneman

  Aug 17, 202625 minS1

  Artificial intelligence is tranforming the global race for energy. After decades of relatively flat electricity demand in the United States, the rapid expansion of AI and data centers is creating an extraordinary new appetite for power. By 2030, U.S. data centers alone could require tens of gigawatts of additional electricity, the equivalent of dozens of larger nuclear power plants. Where will all that energy come from? And can the United States build the infrastructure needed to produce it fast enough? In episode 17 of The Transponder , host Samuel George speaks with Daniel Poneman, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy and longtime national security official, about a rapidly changing global energy landscape. From natural gas and nuclear power to critical minerals and vulnerable supply chains, Poneman argues that the United States will need an enormous expansion of energy infrastructure to meet rising demand. He makes a particularly strong case for a revival of American nuclear power, while warning that new infrastructure cannot succeed without the support of the communities asked to host it. Looming all over this is China. As the United States and China compete for leadership in artificial intelligence, their ability to generate energy, and build the infrastructure that delivers it, could become a decisive strategic advantage. Is the race for artificial intelligence becoming a race for energy?

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  Episode #16

  Data Center Alley with John McAuliff

  Jul 20, 202626 minS1

  Artificiel intelligence is fueling one of the largest infrastructure booms in modern history. Across the United States, state and local governments are courting the data centers that power the AI revolution. But as these facilities multiply, they are also raising difficult questions about energy, water, land use, tax incentives, and the communities that host them. In many places, they are also fueling growing public opposition. Nowhere illustrates these dynamics more clearly than Northern Virginia, home to the world's largest concentration of data centers. In Episode 16 of The Transponder , host Samuel George speaks with Virginia State Delegate John McAuliff, who is working to address the challenges posed by rapid data center development in Northern Virginia. From the rise of Northern Virginia as the global center of digital infrastructure to debates over energy, zoning, tax incentives, and the future of Ai-driven development, McAuliff explains how one region became the testing ground for issues that are rapidly spreading across the country. As communities race to embrace artificiel intelligence, how can they capture its economic benefits without overwhelming the infrastructure and neighborhoods that make those communities work?

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  Episode #15

  Gerrymandering! with Nate Persily

  Jun 11, 202626 minS1

  Gerrymandering has become one of the defining battles in American democracy. Across the country, states are redrawing political maps in increasingly aggressive ways, seeking to maximize partisan advantage and shape the outcome of future elections. What was once a process that largely occured once a decade has become an escalating political arms race, with both parties searching for every possible advantage. The stakes extend far beyond district boundaries. Critics argue that extreme gerrymandering allows politiciens to choose their voters rather than voters choosing their politicians, weakening electoral competition and deepening political polarization. In episode 15 of The Transponde r, host Samuel George speaks with Stanford Law School professor Nate Persily, one of the nation's leading experts on election law, voting rights, and redistricting. From Texas and California to Alabama, Louisiana, and Virginia, Persily explains how America arrived at this moment, why the courts have largely stepped back from policing partisan gerrymandering, and what the futuremay hold if the current redistricting wars continue. As states increasingly redraw the political map to their advantage, what happens when the rules of democracy themselves become part of the fight?

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