Ukraine’s most popular comedic actor was an unlikely president of his country. And now, even more improbably, Volodymyr Zelensky has become the world’s most celebrated statesman. Who is he? How did he become the international hero of our time? A new book: “Zelensky: The Unlikely Ukrainian Hero Who Defied Putin and United the World” offers a compelling account of this fascinating leader. Newt’s guest is Rebekah Koffler, she is a Russian-born U.S. intelligence expert who has worked with the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency’s National Clandestine Service.

Ukraine&rsquo;s most popular comedic actor was an unlikely president of his country. And now, even more improbably, Volodymyr Zelensky has become the world&rsquo;s most celebrated statesman. Who is he? How did he become the international hero of our time? A new book: &ldquo;Zelensky: The Unlikely Ukrainian Hero Who Defied Putin and United the World&rdquo; offers a compelling account of this fascinating leader. Newt&rsquo;s guest is Rebekah Koffler, she is a Russian-born U.S. intelligence expert who has worked with the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency&rsquo;s National Clandestine Service.

Join Newt Gingrich, former U.S. Speaker of the House and Ph.D. historian, for the most diverse, informative, and entertaining podcast available. Every episode is an education.

Join Newt Gingrich, former U.S. Speaker of the House and Ph.D. historian, for the most diverse, informative, and entertaining podcast available. Every episode is an education.

Newt's World

Episode 401: Volodymyr Zelensky

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c3c05b8f-f194-4f33-bba0-ae81001eb0b5/transcript

Newt talks with former FBI counterintelligence special agent Wayne Barnes, whose 29-year career included working KGB espionage, running double agents, recruiting hostile intelligence officers, and debriefing Cold War defectors before becoming a private investigator, signature expert, and specialist in recovering stolen impressionist paintings. Barnes recounts his path from inner-city Philadelphia through Penn State and Villanova Law into the FBI, where high scores on a language aptitude test led to Romanian training in Monterey and a Washington Field Office posting focused on Eastern Bloc counterintelligence. Barnes’ book, “A Traitor in the FBI: The Hunt for a Russian Mole,” documents his investigation to uncover an internal FBI spy for the Russians, Robert Hanssen. After he wrote the book, it was a seven-year struggle to get it through FBI pre-publication review. An initial submission in 2016 was returned almost entirely redacted except for half a page, leading to multiple trips to Washington, wording changes, and securing permission from 32 named individuals before final clearance.

Newt talks with former FBI counterintelligence special agent Wayne Barnes, whose 29-year career included working KGB espionage, running double agents, recruiting hostile intelligence officers, and debriefing Cold War defectors before becoming a private investigator, signature expert, and specialist in recovering stolen impressionist paintings. Barnes recounts his path from inner-city Philadelphia through Penn State and Villanova Law into the FBI, where high scores on a language aptitude test led to Romanian training in Monterey and a Washington Field Office posting focused on Eastern Bloc counterintelligence. Barnes&rsquo; book, &ldquo;A Traitor in the FBI: The Hunt for a Russian Mole,&rdquo; documents his investigation to uncover an internal FBI spy for the Russians, Robert Hanssen. After he wrote the book, it was a seven-year struggle to get it through FBI pre-publication review. An initial submission in 2016 was returned almost entirely redacted except for half a page, leading to multiple trips to Washington, wording changes, and securing permission from 32 named individuals before final clearance.

Episode 969: Wayne Barnes on “A Traitor in the FBI”

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/fd0b258f-6fbf-4a5f-bc5a-b431003221e7/transcript

Newt talks with Wayne Crews, the Fred L. Smith Fellow in Regulatory Studies at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. His work explores the impact of government regulation of free enterprise. They discuss CEI’s annual report “Ten Thousand Commandments: An Annual Snapshot of the Federal Regulatory State.” Crews argues that rising federal spending and regulation move together, citing post-COVID laws such as the CARES Act, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act as examples of “hyper-regulatory” spending that expands the administrative state even before agencies write rules. Crews contends that government is ill-suited to pick market winners, set prices, or manage sectors like energy and finance, and that market forces—suppliers, customers, investors, media, and civil society—already discipline firms without heavy-handed regulation. He stresses that rejecting overregulation does not mean “no regulation,” but rather preferring competitive over political discipline. Crews warns that massive federal spending has weakened the coalition for regulatory reform by aligning businesses, governors, and mayors with Washington through funded mandates and programmatic strings tied to priorities like DEI, climate, and the “care economy.”

Newt talks with Wayne Crews, the Fred L. Smith Fellow in Regulatory Studies at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. His work explores the impact of government regulation of free enterprise. They discuss CEI&rsquo;s annual report &ldquo;Ten Thousand Commandments: An Annual Snapshot of the Federal Regulatory State.&rdquo; Crews argues that rising federal spending and regulation move together, citing post-COVID laws such as the CARES Act, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act as examples of &ldquo;hyper-regulatory&rdquo; spending that expands the administrative state even before agencies write rules. Crews contends that government is ill-suited to pick market winners, set prices, or manage sectors like energy and finance, and that market forces&mdash;suppliers, customers, investors, media, and civil society&mdash;already discipline firms without heavy-handed regulation. He stresses that rejecting overregulation does not mean &ldquo;no regulation,&rdquo; but rather preferring competitive over political discipline. Crews warns that massive federal spending has weakened the coalition for regulatory reform by aligning businesses, governors, and mayors with Washington through funded mandates and programmatic strings tied to priorities like DEI, climate, and the &ldquo;care economy.&rdquo;

Episode 968: CEI’s Annual Report of the Federal Regulatory State

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/74f084c1-1914-4745-b3c6-b42f0169eb30/transcript

Newt talks with former Congressman and physician Dr. Greg Ganske about the growing public health risks posed by online sports betting and emerging prediction markets, framed by a broader discussion of sports’ role in personal development and community life. Dr. Ganske argues that sports uniquely teach discipline, teamwork, goal setting, and community cohesion. He warns that the rapid expansion of online betting, driven by ubiquitous smartphone access and aggressive advertising campaigns featuring major sports leagues and star athletes, threatens this integrity by increasing incentives for cheating, point shaving, and manipulation at both professional and collegiate levels. Dr. Ganske highlights gambling disorder as a medically recognized condition associated with loss of control, financial ruin, deception, and bankruptcy, affecting an estimated 2-4 million Americans, with another roughly 10 million people at high risk. Their conversation also examines prediction markets on platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket, which position themselves as regulated futures markets under the CFTC but, in Ganske’s view, exploit regulatory gaps while enabling betting on elections, assassination risks, and other sensitive events, compounding incentives for abuse. Dr. Ganske outlines potential federal responses, favoring regulation over outright bans due to constitutional and First Amendment concerns.

Newt talks with former Congressman and physician Dr. Greg Ganske about the growing public health risks posed by online sports betting and emerging prediction markets, framed by a broader discussion of sports&rsquo; role in personal development and community life. Dr. Ganske argues that sports uniquely teach discipline, teamwork, goal setting, and community cohesion. He warns that the rapid expansion of online betting, driven by ubiquitous smartphone access and aggressive advertising campaigns featuring major sports leagues and star athletes, threatens this integrity by increasing incentives for cheating, point shaving, and manipulation at both professional and collegiate levels. Dr. Ganske highlights gambling disorder as a medically recognized condition associated with loss of control, financial ruin, deception, and bankruptcy, affecting an estimated 2-4 million Americans, with another roughly 10 million people at high risk. Their conversation also examines prediction markets on platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket, which position themselves as regulated futures markets under the CFTC but, in Ganske&rsquo;s view, exploit regulatory gaps while enabling betting on elections, assassination risks, and other sensitive events, compounding incentives for abuse. Dr. Ganske outlines potential federal responses, favoring regulation over outright bans due to constitutional and First Amendment concerns.

Episode 967: Regulating Online Sports Betting

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/35ebcf6f-7091-460a-a4cc-b42d015d36d6/transcript

Episode 401: Volodymyr Zelensky

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