September 16, 2025 • 5 mins
Today, Josiah Ober receives a 2025 Balzan Foundation prize for his work connecting the attributes of ancient Athenian democracy to the present day. Eugene Volokh chronicles a courtroom loss for former New York congressman George Santos, who became the subject of a late-night talk show host’s prank. And Adm. James O. Ellis Jr., Arzan Tarapore, and coauthors explore how the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue can evolve to meet the challenge of a rising China.
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>> Female Speaker (00:00):
Welcome to the Hoover Daily Report.
Ideas Advancing Freedom,it's Tuesday, September 16th, 2025.
Today, Josiah Ober receives a 2025Balzan Foundation Prize for his
work connecting the attributes of ancientAthenian democracy to the present day.
Eugene Volokh chroniclesa courtroom loss for
former New York Congressman George Santos,
(00:21):
who became the subject of a latenight talk show host's prank.
And Admiral James O Ellis Jr.,Arzan Terapore and
co authors explore howthe quadrilateral security dialogue
can evolve to meet the challengeof a rising China.
>> Male Speaker (00:35):
Hoover Senior Fellow Josiah Ober wins 2025 Balzan Prize Senior
fellow Josiah Ober has won a 2025Balzan Prize for his work connecting
the characteristics of ancientAthenian democracy to the present day.
The International Balzan Prizefoundation of Italy and
Switzerland announced that its Boardof Academics selected Ober along with
(00:56):
three other scholars forhonors earlier this week.
I am humbled and
profoundly honored by the award of one ofthe four 2025 Balzan prizes, Ober said.
It is especially gratifyingthat the prize committee chose
Athenian Democracy Revisited forone of this year's categories.
My own scholarship in this area would havebeen impossible without the groundwork
(01:19):
laid by previous generationsof fine Greek historians.
>> Female Speaker (01:24):
Ex Congressman George Santos loses lawsuit against
Jimmy Kimmel and ABC.
Over on his blog at Reason.com,senior fellow Eugene Volokh writes about
the ruling by 2nd Circuit judges againstdisgraced former Congressman George Santos
in his lawsuit against late nighttalk show host Jimmy Kimmel and ABC.
Santos sued after Kimmel used fake namesto hire Santos on the Cameo platform,
(01:48):
an app that allows peopleto hire celebrities and
public figures to offer personalized videomessages, often containing well wishes or
other testimonials.
Kimmel paid Santos to say strange,absurd and embarrassing things and
then aired the messages on his show ina segment called Will Santos say It?
He did.
Judges Raymond Lohier, Jose Cabranes andRichard Sullivan ruled that Kimmel's
(02:11):
actions are protected by the fair usedefense provided in the Copyright Act.
>> Male Speaker (02:16):
Return Powers of War and Peace to Congress, in a new video for
Policy Stories, Senior Fellow Russell ABerman argues that for too long the powers
to declare war and initiate peacetreaties have drifted away from Congress,
where they were intended to reside,and into the hands of the presidency.
Berman says this shift endeddiplomatic traditions,
(02:36):
reduced political accountability, andblurred the separation of powers.
Berman explains why thisshift has taken place,
citing the rise of nuclear weapons andinternational law as possible factors.
Berman says a return to congressionaldeclarations of war and
ratification of peace treaties wouldbetter justify use of military force,
(02:58):
communicate objectives ina conflict to the public and
guarantee democratic oversightof use of military force.
>> Female Speaker (03:05):
Mobilizing for a Free, Open, and secure
Indo Pacific A Strategic Reassessment, ina new paper for Hoover's Global Policy and
Strategy Initiative, Fellows AdmiralJames O Ellis Jr., Arzan Terapore and
four co-authors assess the currentstrategic landscape in the Indo Pacific.
And how the Quadrilateral SecurityDialogue, Quad, of India, Japan, Australia
(03:29):
and the United States can better worktogether to deter conflict with China.
They write that China continues tomodernize India, expand its military, and
engage in provocative actions thatcould trigger a major conflict.
Meanwhile, they write that US Policyin the region is opaque and volatile,
prompting many regional countries toquestion the fundamental precepts of their
(03:51):
security policies.
In this situation,
they write that the Quad must evolveto meet the challenge Posed by China.
>> Male Speaker (03:58):
The Education Exchange, NAEP Scores of Graduating Seniors Continue
to Fall, on the latest episode ofthe Education Exchange podcast,
Senior Fellow Paulie Petersonspeaks with Martin R West,
member of the National Assessment ofEducational Progress Governing Board,
about the continued slide in English and
Math scores of graduating highschool seniors in the US.
West tells Peterson the most troublingfinding of NAEP's survey that the largest
(04:22):
decline in achievement occurs amongstudents who are already in the bottom
quarter of the achievement pyramid and thepandemic can't be blamed for everything.
West points out that readingscores among elementary and
secondary schools has been essentiallyconstant between 2015 and today.
West says widespread smartphone adoptionby youth and social media use should be
(04:43):
examined as possible causes fordeclines in achievement.
>> Female Speaker (04:47):
Featured Hoover Podcast China Considered,
China Considered with Elizabeth Economy isa Hoover Institution podcast series that
features in depth conversations withleading political figures, scholars and
activists from around the world.
The series explores the ideas, events andforces shaping China's future and
its global relationships, offering highlevel expertise, clear eyed analysis and
(05:11):
valuable insights to demystifyChina's evolving dynamics and
what they may mean for ordinary citizensand key decision makers across societies,
governments and the private sector.
>> Male Speaker (05:22):
That's your Hoover Daily report for Tuesday, September 16th, 2025.
Each weekday we bring you research,analysis and commentary focused on public
policy, national security, and the ideasshaping American society and government.
The Hoover Institution atStanford University is
grounded in constitutional principles with
a commitment to sustaining the safeguardsof the American way of life.
(05:45):
Thank you for listening.
For links to all the articles andinterviews mentioned today,
visit Hoover.org/HDR.
Welcome to the Hoover Daily Report.
Ideas Advancing Freedom,it's Tuesday, September 16th, 2025.
Today, Josiah Ober receives a 2025Balzan Foundation Prize for his
work connecting the attributes of ancientAthenian democracy to the present day.
Eugene Volokh chroniclesa courtroom loss for
former New York Congressman George Santos,
(00:21):
who became the subject of a latenight talk show host's prank.
And Admiral James O Ellis Jr.,Arzan Terapore and
co authors explore howthe quadrilateral security dialogue
can evolve to meet the challengeof a rising China.
>> Male Speaker (00:35):
Hoover Senior Fellow Josiah Ober wins 2025 Balzan Prize Senior
fellow Josiah Ober has won a 2025Balzan Prize for his work connecting
the characteristics of ancientAthenian democracy to the present day.
The International Balzan Prizefoundation of Italy and
Switzerland announced that its Boardof Academics selected Ober along with
(00:56):
three other scholars forhonors earlier this week.
I am humbled and
profoundly honored by the award of one ofthe four 2025 Balzan prizes, Ober said.
It is especially gratifyingthat the prize committee chose
Athenian Democracy Revisited forone of this year's categories.
My own scholarship in this area would havebeen impossible without the groundwork
(01:19):
laid by previous generationsof fine Greek historians.
>> Female Speaker (01:24):
Ex Congressman George Santos loses lawsuit against
Jimmy Kimmel and ABC.
Over on his blog at Reason.com,senior fellow Eugene Volokh writes about
the ruling by 2nd Circuit judges againstdisgraced former Congressman George Santos
in his lawsuit against late nighttalk show host Jimmy Kimmel and ABC.
Santos sued after Kimmel used fake namesto hire Santos on the Cameo platform,
(01:48):
an app that allows peopleto hire celebrities and
public figures to offer personalized videomessages, often containing well wishes or
other testimonials.
Kimmel paid Santos to say strange,absurd and embarrassing things and
then aired the messages on his show ina segment called Will Santos say It?
He did.
Judges Raymond Lohier, Jose Cabranes andRichard Sullivan ruled that Kimmel's
(02:11):
actions are protected by the fair usedefense provided in the Copyright Act.
>> Male Speaker (02:16):
Return Powers of War and Peace to Congress, in a new video for
Policy Stories, Senior Fellow Russell ABerman argues that for too long the powers
to declare war and initiate peacetreaties have drifted away from Congress,
where they were intended to reside,and into the hands of the presidency.
Berman says this shift endeddiplomatic traditions,
(02:36):
reduced political accountability, andblurred the separation of powers.
Berman explains why thisshift has taken place,
citing the rise of nuclear weapons andinternational law as possible factors.
Berman says a return to congressionaldeclarations of war and
ratification of peace treaties wouldbetter justify use of military force,
(02:58):
communicate objectives ina conflict to the public and
guarantee democratic oversightof use of military force.
>> Female Speaker (03:05):
Mobilizing for a Free, Open, and secure
Indo Pacific A Strategic Reassessment, ina new paper for Hoover's Global Policy and
Strategy Initiative, Fellows AdmiralJames O Ellis Jr., Arzan Terapore and
four co-authors assess the currentstrategic landscape in the Indo Pacific.
And how the Quadrilateral SecurityDialogue, Quad, of India, Japan, Australia
(03:29):
and the United States can better worktogether to deter conflict with China.
They write that China continues tomodernize India, expand its military, and
engage in provocative actions thatcould trigger a major conflict.
Meanwhile, they write that US Policyin the region is opaque and volatile,
prompting many regional countries toquestion the fundamental precepts of their
(03:51):
security policies.
In this situation,
they write that the Quad must evolveto meet the challenge Posed by China.
>> Male Speaker (03:58):
The Education Exchange, NAEP Scores of Graduating Seniors Continue
to Fall, on the latest episode ofthe Education Exchange podcast,
Senior Fellow Paulie Petersonspeaks with Martin R West,
member of the National Assessment ofEducational Progress Governing Board,
about the continued slide in English and
Math scores of graduating highschool seniors in the US.
West tells Peterson the most troublingfinding of NAEP's survey that the largest
(04:22):
decline in achievement occurs amongstudents who are already in the bottom
quarter of the achievement pyramid and thepandemic can't be blamed for everything.
West points out that readingscores among elementary and
secondary schools has been essentiallyconstant between 2015 and today.
West says widespread smartphone adoptionby youth and social media use should be
(04:43):
examined as possible causes fordeclines in achievement.
>> Female Speaker (04:47):
Featured Hoover Podcast China Considered,
China Considered with Elizabeth Economy isa Hoover Institution podcast series that
features in depth conversations withleading political figures, scholars and
activists from around the world.
The series explores the ideas, events andforces shaping China's future and
its global relationships, offering highlevel expertise, clear eyed analysis and
(05:11):
valuable insights to demystifyChina's evolving dynamics and
what they may mean for ordinary citizensand key decision makers across societies,
governments and the private sector.
>> Male Speaker (05:22):
That's your Hoover Daily report for Tuesday, September 16th, 2025.
Each weekday we bring you research,analysis and commentary focused on public
policy, national security, and the ideasshaping American society and government.
The Hoover Institution atStanford University is
grounded in constitutional principles with
a commitment to sustaining the safeguardsof the American way of life.
(05:45):
Thank you for listening.
For links to all the articles andinterviews mentioned today,
visit Hoover.org/HDR.
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