Real Talk

"I don't feel safe with my own people."
Ariana Jasmine is one of the biggest Iranian-American political content creators, whose videos on Iran's history, the US-Israeli war on the country, and US politics have been widely shared online.
In this conversation on Real Talk, she speaks with Mohamed Hashem to discuss the Iranian diaspora's split over western intervention, the Pahlavi monarchist movement and its "cult-like" following, and why she believes opposing the US-Israeli war on Iran made her a target within her own community.
Ariana also reflects on the personal cost of speaking out, the threats, the harassment, and why she refuses to stay silent in spite of it all.

“Can I curse on this?”
Hasan Piker is one of the most influential political streamers in the world, followed by millions across platforms who tune in daily to watch him dissect news, culture and global politics in real time.
In this wide-ranging conversation on Real Talk, he sits down with Mohamed Hashem to discuss the Epstein files, Israel’s genocide in Gaza, the state of the Democratic Party, and the backlash over his anti-Zionist stance.
The left-wing commentator reflects on the personal and professional cost of speaking out, the limits of platform censorship, and what shaped his understanding of US power and hegemony.

What was Jeffrey Epstein doing for Israeli intelligence?
A new series of reports by Drop Site News has been examining this very question.
Drop Site journalist Murtaza Hussain joined Mohamed Hashem on Real Talk to examine Epstein’s lesser-known ties to powerful figures inside Israeli political and intelligence circles.
Hussain explains how Epstein formed a relationship with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and how a senior Israeli intelligence officer stayed on his estate for weeks at a time.
This conversation delves into the reports and email leaks about the wider network surrounding Epstein, and explores how his activities reached other countries, like Russia, Syria and India.

If AI is an empire, Karen Hao is saying you can resist it.
“We don’t need empires to benefit from AI.”
Hao is an investigative journalist and author of Empire of AI, she joined Mohamed Hashem to share what she saw while embedded inside OpenAI.
In this conversation, she reveals the inner workings of Silicon Valley, such as how CEOs like Sam Altman shape the story of AI, and what all that means for society, labour and the global economy.
Hao explains why AI is not inevitable, how ordinary people can reclaim agency over the technology shaping our future, and why resistance is already forming around the world as we grapple with the questions surrounding this new technology.

Does the UK need its own Zohran Mamdani?
“It’s not The Office,” says British comedian Nish Kumar. “You can’t remake it from one country to another.”
The acclaimed stand-up comedian sat down with Mohamed Hashem on Real Talk for a conversation that ranged from Mamdani’s win to the UK’s Nando’s obsession. They also unpacked the state of progressive politics in the UK, and what it means to do comedy at a time when Britain’s far right is seen as becoming increasingly emboldened.