The Truth of the Matter

On the eve of Mexico’s historic presidential election, CSIS’s Ryan Berg joins the podcast to discuss the front-runner, Claudia Sheinbaum and her opponent Xóchitl Gálvez, a tech entrepreneur who is representing several opposition parties, and what it means for the U.S. relationship with Mexico and China.

Former New York Times Beijing bureau chief Jane Perlez joins the show to discuss her new Harvard podcast and the latest tensions in the U.S.-China relationship. 

CSIS's Jon B. Alterman joins the podcast to discuss the complex set of options that Israel and the United States are facing to secure peace in the Middle East.

The New York Times’ David Sanger joins the podcast to discuss his best-selling new book, “New Cold Wars: China’s Rise, Russia’s Invasion, and America’s Struggle to Defend the West.”

CSIS’s Eliot Cohen joins the podcast to discuss Iran’s missile attack on Israel and its wider geopolitical implications.

CSIS’ Chris Johnstone joins the podcast to discuss next week’s official visit to the United States by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, as well as the trilateral leaders’ summit between the United States, Japan, and the Philippines. 

CSIS’ Kari Bingen and Heather Williams join the podcast to discuss Russia’s new space-based anti-satellite weapon, its violation of the Outer Space Treaty and what steps the U.S. can take to mitigate the risks.

CSIS' Dan Byman joins the podcast to discuss his new report which examines several scenarios in which democratic government might consider before using deepfakes to advance their foreign policy objectives.

Read full report at this link

In this episode of the Truth of the Matter, we feature a conversation from CSIS podcast, Smart Women, Smart Power. Host Kathleen McInnis spoke with Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) about her whirlwind past couple of weeks. The pair discussed her recent trip to the Munich Security Conference, including the moment she found out about the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and her sponsorship of the recently passed House legislation aimed at protecting Americans from TikTok’s national security threats.

Listen to Smart Women Smart Power here, or wherever you get your podcast.

 CSIS’ Seth Jones joins the podcast to discuss his new report which explains how China’s defense industrial base is operating on a wartime footing, while the U.S. defense industrial base is largely operating on a peacetime footing. Overall, the U.S. defense industrial ecosystem lacks the capacity, responsiveness, flexibility, and surge capability to meet the U.S. military’s production and warfighting needs. Unless there are urgent changes, the United States risks weakening deterrence and undermining its warfighting capabilities.

CNN national security analyst Peter Bergen joins the podcast to discuss how domestic terrorism is on the rise and what the United States can do to counter it.

Admiral James Stavridis, a retired four-star admiral in the U.S. Navy and former commander of NATO and SOUTHCOM, and award-winning author Elliot Ackerman, contributor at The Atlantic and veteran of the U.S. Marines, join the podcast to discuss their new novel, “2054,” which explores where the United States could find itself in the middle of this century. “2054” is a sequel to New York Times bestseller “2034.”

Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll chairman Mark Penn joins the podcast to discuss the results of his February poll on U.S. attitudes toward Israel and Hamas.

Award-winning filmmaker Brian Knappenberger joins the podcast to discuss his new docuseries Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War, which debuts on Netflix on March 12, and how Cold War history is reflected in the current conflict in Ukraine.

For the past two years, CSIS’ Global Food and Water Security Program directed by Caitlin Welsh has analyzed the impacts of Russia’s war in Ukraine on global food security and on Ukraine’s agriculture sector and has shed light onto the ways that agriculture and food are central to Russia’s military strategy in Ukraine and its political strategy for expanding influence around the world. Caitlin joins the podcast to discuss these issues.

On the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, CSIS’ Eliot Cohen joins the podcast to discuss how the conflict has become a “real war,” and what the consequences are for the United States and the West if Ukraine doesn’t prevail.

On this special episode, we are joined by Chris Miller, author of Chip War: the Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology, and Professor of International History at Tufts University. We discuss Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo's CHIPS Act announcement (1:38), how the semiconductor landscape has changed since Chip War was published (6:39), why U.S. export controls on Russia and China are leaky (12:29), and the latest news from the Chinese semiconductor industry (22:58).

CSIS’s Ryan Berg joins the podcast to discuss the reelection of Nayib Bukele in El Salvador, the Central American leader who calls himself “the world’s coolest dictator.”

CSIS’ Norman Roule joins the podcast to discuss the recent U.S. strike in Baghdad and what U.S. policy is seeking to achieve in the Middle East in combating Iranian proxies. 

CSIS’ Seth Jones joins the podcast to discuss U.S. strikes on targets in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. In addition, Dr. Jones discusses his recent trip to Israel and meetings with senior officials there.

CSIS’ Joseph Majkut and Ben Cahill join the podcast to discuss the Biden Administration’s decision to pause the permitting process for new liquified natural gas export facilities in order to analyze their impact on climate change, the economy and national security.

In this episode, Andrew sits down with Gregory C. Allen, director of the Wadhwani Center for AI and Advanced Technologies and discuss 2023 AI biggest developments, newest policies, and our responses to it all. This episode is a crossover with the AI Policy Podcast, a podcast by CSIS' Wadhwani Center for AI and Advanced Technologies.

CSIS’ Eliot Cohen joins the podcast to discuss how the United States should respond to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, plus, Dr. Cohen describes what he saw and experienced during his recent visit to Israel.

Former national intelligence manager for Iran at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, CIA senior official and current CSIS senior adviser Norman Roule joins the podcast to discuss the war in Gaza against Hamas and how Iran and its proxies are provoking a potentially expanded Mideast war.

Jonathan Shank, CEO of Terrapin Station Entertainment joins the podcast to discuss live music, immersive entertainment and the impact of the Grateful Dead on social media and the future of rock and roll. 

CSIS’ Daniel Byman, who just returned from Israel where he met with senior military officials, joins the podcast to discuss how the war in Gaza is progressing, why the Israeli campaign has been so destructive and what success looks like for Israel and for Hamas.

CSIS’ Jon Alterman and Washington Post columnist Jason Rezaian, who serve as executive directors of the CSIS Commission on Hostage Taking and Wrongful Detention, join the podcast to discuss the ongoing hostage situation in Gaza, lessons from the Israel-Hamas hostage deal, and how global thought and policymaking regarding hostage situations should evolve.

CSIS’ Max Bergmann joins the podcast to discuss U.S. funding for Ukraine and its implications

Dion Nissenbaum is an award-winning reporter covering U.S. policy in the Middle East and regional security for The Wall Street Journal. He joins the podcast to discuss the challenges Israel faces to the south with Hamas and to the north with Hezbollah, the current Israeli psyche, and the political situation in Israel.  

Former CNN Reliable Sources anchor Brian Stelter, now a special correspondent for Vanity Fair, joins the podcast to talk about media polarization, how Israel’s war against Hamas is being covered, and his new book, “Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump and the Battle for American Democracy.”

CSIS’s J. Stephen Morrison joins the podcast to discuss the situation surrounding Gaza’s hospitals as Israel fights against Hamas.

Israeli Brigadier General Asssaf Orion (res), who served the IDF for over 30 years and is now on reserve duty joins the podcast to discuss the events of October 7 and the Israeli response.  

During his career in the Israel Defense Forces, General Orion was responsible for strategic policy formulation, international cooperation, and military diplomacy. He also served as a liaison to neighboring militaries and peacekeeping forces in the region. He was most recently the head of the Strategic Division in the Planning Directorate of the IDF General Staff. In this position, he was in charge of communication with UNIFIL and the Lebanese army, led staff meetings with counterparts from the Pentagon and from other Western militaries, took part in the U.S.-Israel security dialogue, and represented the IDF in talks with the Palestinian Authority.  After retiring from the IDF in 2016, General Orion joined the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv and serves as the Liz and Mony Rueven International Fellow with The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

CSIS’s Emily Benson joins the podcast to discuss her new Project on Trade and Technology and its first report, “Establishing a New Multilateral Export Regime.”

CSIS’s Eliot Cohen joins the podcast for a discussion of the ground war in Gaza and his new book “The Hollow Crown: Shakespeare on How Leaders Rise, Rule and Fall.”

CSIS’s Charles Edel joins the podcast to discuss the recent State Visit of Australian Prime Minister Albanese to Washington and its implications for Indo-Pacific security.

CSIS’s Jon Alterman joins the podcast to discuss the ongoing battle between Israel and Hamas, and the role Egypt could play. 

CSIS’s Emily Harding joins the podcast to discuss Israel’s tragic intelligence failure and its efforts to regroup against an unseen enemy. Plus, a discussion of Egypt’s role going forward.

Legendary singer Aaron Neville joins the podcast to discuss his new book “Tell it Like it Is: My Story,” performing with his brothers—The Neville Brothers, duets with Linda Ronstadt and how he overcame addiction and hardship to ultimately achieve platinum album sales, number 1 songs and most importantly, a fulfilling, happy life.

CSIS’s Seth Jones joins the podcast to discuss Israel’s military objectives and what’s coming next. 

Jerusalem Post Editor-in-Chief Avi Mayer joins the podcast to discuss the catastrophic blast at the Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza, his tour of the massacre at Kibbutz Be’eri in southern Israel, mood of the Israeli people and government, challenges that lay ahead and the role of media in the conflict.

CSIS’s Jon Alterman joins the podcast to discuss the brutal aftermath of the Hamas attack on Israel and its implications in the short and medium term. 

CSIS's Daniel Byman joins the podcast to discuss the last few days of war between Hamas and Israel and what might come next in the conflict.

CSIS’s Max Bergmann joins the podcast to discuss congressional funding for Ukraine and what it means for Ukraine’s war against Russia.

Former CEO of the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI) and host of the CSIS podcast “Mexico Matters” joins the podcast to discuss Mexico’s historic 2024 presidential election featuring two female candidates and the issues at stake for Mexico and the United States.

CSIS’s Jon Alterman joins the podcast to discuss the deal the U.S. made to retrieve 5 American prisoners from Iran, plus approaches the U.S. may take to deal with Tehran going forward.

CSIS’s Seth Jones joins the podcast to discuss his recent visit to Taiwan, meetings with President Tsai Ing-wen and senior officials of the Taiwan government and discussions surrounding Taiwan’s security.

CSIS’s Victor Cha joins the podcast to discuss the meeting of the two autocrats in which they vowed greater cooperation on economic and security issues.

CSIS’s Gregory C. Allen joins the podcast to discuss the Department of Defense’s “Urgency to Innovate” and its new initiative called “Replicator,” a Pentagon drone program designed to compete with China—namely to field thousands of drones across multiple domains in the next two years to outcompete China’s industrial advantages.

CSIS’s Dr. J. Stephen Morrison joins the podcast to discuss Covid confusion and why most Americans have no idea what to do if they get Covid, whether they should be vaccinated or not this fall, and what the CDC and NIH aim to do about it. 

CSIS’s Gracelin Baskaran and Joseph Majkut join the podcast to discuss why the U.S. should elevate the role of critical minerals for achieving the energy transition, spurring economic development, and strengthening national security.

CSIS’s Catrina Doxsee joins the podcast to discuss the alleged death of Yevgeny Prigozhin and its impact on the future of the Wagner Group and Russia's foreign policy. 

In this crossover episode with CSIS's The CommonHealth podcast, Andrew talks with Michaela Simoneau and co-host J. Stephen Morrison on their newly published analysis of the post-Covid moment, “The Worst is Over—Now What?”

How do we define this moment we have entered, and what are the factors that lead inexorably toward pessimism? Inversely, what is the argument for a positive, sober realism? Optimism rests on pursuing five pathways for progress: rebuild trust, sustain bipartisan legislative achievements, operationalize new security doctrines, accelerate new technologies, and elevate U.S. health diplomacy.

President and CEO of CARE USA Michelle Nunn joins the podcast to discuss the organization’s new report on the current global hunger crisis, its many causes, and how to provide effective relief.

CSIS’s Mvemba Dizolele joins the podcast to discuss Russia’s second Africa summit and its objectives with the 54 countries on the continent.

CSIS’s Caitlin Welsh and New York Times climate reporter Christopher Flavelle join the podcast to discuss water stress playing out across the United States, and potential solutions.

Former New York Times national security and foreign policy editor Thom Shanker joins the podcast to discuss his new book, “Age of Danger: Keeping America Safe in an Era of New Superpowers, New Weapons, and New Threats,” as well as the importance of expanding our definition of national security to protect against a wide range of longstanding and emerging threats.

CSIS’s Caitlin Welsh joins the podcast to discuss Moscow’s pullout of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and its implications for the war in Ukraine and for the world.

New York Times technology reporter Tiffany Hsu joins the podcast to discuss the impact and potential impact that AI has on misinformation, national security, and could have on U.S. elections.

CSIS’ Max Bergmann joins the podcast to discuss European nations’ decision-making processes on strengthening their individual and collective defense in response to Russian aggression and the lurking shadow of China.

CSIS’ Eliot Cohen joins the podcast upon his return from Kyiv to offer analysis on the Prigozhin putsch and how the US should evaluate Putin’s hold on Russia. 

Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Homeland Security Advisor NSC, Joshua Geltzer, joins the podcast to discuss the re-authorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) 702 provision. Section 702 is a key provision of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 that permits the government to conduct targeted surveillance of foreign persons outside the United States, with the compelled assistance of electronic communication service providers, to acquire foreign intelligence information. The government uses the information collected under Section 702 to protect the United States and its allies from hostile foreign adversaries, including terrorists, proliferators, and spies, and to inform cybersecurity efforts.

CSIS’s Catrina Doxsee joins the podcast to discuss the uprising by the paramilitary Wagner group and what is next for its leadership, for Russia and for the void Wagner leaves in Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa.

CSIS’s Gregory C. Allen joins the podcast to discuss Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer’s speech at CSIS this week announcing a new framework for Congress to address Artificial Intelligence.  

CSIS’s Gerard DiPippo and Jude Blanchette discuss their new report on the difficulty of using sanctions to deter China in a Taiwan crisis.

CSIS’s Gregory C. Allen joins the podcast to discuss what has changed in discussions about AI since May 30th, when the Center for AI Safety released the statement: “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.”

CSIS’ Seth Jones joins the podcast to discuss the launch of Ukraine’s southern and eastern offensive, the potential Ukrainian lives to be lost in the bloody battles to come, Russia’s increasing battlefield deaths and what Russia will do to fortify their forces against Ukrainian troops. Plus, a discussion of the dam break in Ukraine and what the Finns, Poles and other Baltic states are saying about this war going forward.

CSIS’s Bulent Aliriza joins the podcast to discuss what Turkish President Erdogan’s win means for the United States who has called Turkey a “difficult ally.”

CSIS’s Ian Williams joins the podcast to discuss Russia’s use of advanced, and not-so-advanced missiles in its war against Ukraine and how deterrence of the Russian Air Force by Ukrainian air defenses has shaped the course of the war.

CSIS’s Gregory C. Allen joins the podcast to discuss why the Group of Seven Nations (G7) are headed into new territory discussing AI, how they should attempt to regulate it, and creating a framework for addressing the challenges going forward. 

Allen is the director of CSIS’ Wadhwani Center for AI and Technology. Allen is also director of the CSIS AI Council co-chaired by Accenture CEO Julie Sweet and Microsoft President Brad Smith. In April, the Council released its report, “Advancing Cooperative AI Governance at the 2023 G7 Summit” https://www.csis.org/analysis/advancing-cooperative-ai-governance-2023-g7-summit

CSIS’s Stephanie Segal joins the podcast to preview the upcoming G7 Summit where leaders will focus on China and Ukraine as well as the new threats posed by generative artificial intelligence.

CSIS’s Gregory C. Allen joins the podcast to discuss his new report on “China’s New Strategy for Waging the Microchip Tech War,” and what it means for the United States and the world.

CSIS’s Bulent Aliriza joins the program to discuss Turkey’s upcoming elections and whether President Erdogan will leave office if defeated.

CSIS’ Jen Sciubba joins the podcast to discuss the announcement that India has overtaken China as the largest country and what it means for the world.

In this episode, former United States National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley joins the podcast to discuss his new book, “Hand-Off: The Foreign Policy George W. Bush Passed to Barack Obama.”

Hand-Off details the Bush administration’s national security and foreign policy as described at the time in then-classified Transition Memoranda prepared by the National Security Council experts who advised President Bush. Thirty of these Transition Memoranda, newly declassified and here made public for the first time, provide a detailed, comprehensive, and first-hand look at the foreign policy the Bush administration turned over to President Obama. In a postscript to each memorandum, these same experts now in hindsight take a remarkably self-critical look at that Bush foreign policy legacy after more than a dozen years of watching subsequent administrations attempt to deal with the same vexing agenda of threats and opportunities— China, Russia, Iran, the Middle East, terrorism, proliferation, cyber, pandemics, and climate change—an agenda that still dominates America’s national security and foreign policy.

The book makes public for the first time a set of 30 newly declassified Transition Memoranda that were prepared by President Bush’s National Security Council staff for the incoming Obama administration to outline the key foreign policy challenges it would face.

CSIS’s Cameron Hudson joins the podcast to discuss the outbreak of civil violence in Sudan, its causes, and the humanitarian crisis because it.

CSIS’s Max Bergmann joins the podcast to discuss the horrific imprisonment of Wall Street Journal Russia correspondent Evan Gershkovich and his prospects for release. 

CSIS’s Marti Flacks joins the podcast to discuss President Biden’s upcoming 2nd Summit for Democracy.

On Tuesday, March 28th, CSIS will host a half-day Forum as part of the 2023 Summit for Democracy spotlighting the critical impact of the private sector on democracy around the world and spotlighting commitments that companies are making to advance democracy. This official Summit side event will feature senior government officials, corporate executives, and civil society leaders.

CSIS’s Lily McElwee and Maria Snegovaya join the podcast to discuss the Xi-Putin summit in Russia, and what it means for the United States. 

CSIS’s Charles Edel joins the podcast to discuss AUKUS, the strategic agreement between Australia, the U.K., and the U.S. on nuclear-powered submarines, technology, and more. 

CSIS’s James Andrew Lewis joins the podcast to discuss the bipartisan discussions surrounding U.S. policy on TikTok, whether the Chinese are using it as a vehicle to spy on Americans and our government, and what we should do about it.

Dr. Stephen J. Morrison joins the podcast to discuss the ongoing confusion over Covid’s origins and what it means for U.S. and global pandemic preparedness going forward.

CSIS’s Seth Jones joins the podcast to discuss his new report which shows that Russia has suffered more deaths in the Ukraine war than all other wars combined that Russia has waged since WWII.  

CSIS’s James Andrew “Jim” Lewis joins the podcast to discuss the fallout from the spy balloon and how China’s spying efforts toward the U.S. are waged—plus, a discussion of U.S. countermeasures.

CSIS’s Max Bergmann joins the podcast to discuss the one-year anniversary of the Ukraine war, the shape the conflict has taken and the security and economic outcomes in Europe and in Russia because of it.

CSIS’s Dr. Eliot Cohen joins the podcast to discuss the latest developments in Ukraine and how Israel and the United States have increasing concerns about Iran’s military and nuclear weapons program.

Wall Street Journal Middle East Correspondent Dion Nissenbaum joins the podcast to discuss his reporting from aboard the U.S. George H.W. Bush in the Mediterranean Sea while the United States and Israel conducted their largest-ever military exercises, and Israel’s drone strike inside Iran just days later.  

In this special episode, award-winning best-selling author Steve Silberman (“Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity”) joins the podcast to talk about the passing of his close friend, singer-songwriter David Crosby last week at 81. Over the past several years, Silberman hosted a podcast with Crosby called “Freak Flag Flying” which explored the musician’s life and career. In this episode, Silberman describes how Crosby was singular as a musician, a unique American, and discusses the incredible life Crosby led.

CSIS’s Joseph Majkut and Leslie Palti-Guzman join the podcast to discuss U.S. Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) production and exports, and what it all means for the world.

CSIS’s Seth Jones joins the podcast to discuss his new report, “Empty Bins in a Wartime Environment: The Challenge to the U.S. Defense Industrial Base” which underscores that the U.S. defense industrial base is not adequately prepared for the international security environment that now exists. In a major regional conflict—such as a war with China in the Taiwan Strait—the U.S. use of munitions would likely exceed the current stockpiles of the U.S. Department of Defense.

CSIS’s J. Stephen Morrison joins the podcast to talk about the Center for Disease Control’s decline in public trust and confidence, and how the organization can return to the prestige it once had. Dr. Morrison describes this moment in CDC history as comparable to FEMA after Hurricane Katrina or NASA post-Challenger.

CSIS’s Mark Cancian joins the podcast to discuss the wargame exercise he created for a Chinese amphibious invasion of Taiwan. Cancian ran the game 24 times and in most scenarios, the United States/Taiwan/Japan defeated a conventional amphibious invasion by China and maintained an autonomous Taiwan. However, this defense came at a high cost. The United States and its allies lost dozens of ships, hundreds of aircraft, and tens of thousands of service members. Taiwan saw its economy devastated. Further, the high losses damaged the U.S. global position for many years. China also lost heavily, and failure to occupy Taiwan might destabilize Chinese Communist Party rule.

CSIS’s Ryan Berg joins the podcast to discuss the events of January 8th in Brazil when supporters of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro stormed Brasilia and the aftermath.

Tatiana Serafin and Nikolas Gvosdev from The Doorstep podcast join the show to discuss the latest in the Russia-Ukraine war.  

CSIS’s Victor Cha joins the podcast to discuss his new Foreign Affairs essay on what the U.S. and allies should do to counter Chinese economic coercion, plus a discussion of North Korea’s latest ICBM engine test.  

CSIS’s Chris Johnstone joins the podcast to discuss Japan’s unprecedented policy changes on defense spending and strategy, and what it means for the United States and the Pacific.

CSIS’s Mvemba Dizolele joins the podcast to discuss this week’s summit in which the leaders of African countries joined President Biden in Washington for discussions on the future of U.S.-Africa relations. 

CSIS’ Charles Edel joins the podcast to discuss the US-AUS Defense Ministerial and what it means for national security in the Pacific.

CSIS's Jon Alterman joins the podcast to discuss the geopolitics associated with the World Cup and the broader ramifications for the United States and the Middle East.

Victor Shi of Voters of Tomorrow joins the podcast to discuss Gen-Z and Millennial voters, what they want in candidates, policy, and how they absorb information in the modern news cycle.

CSIS’s Scott Kennedy, who recently returned to Washington from 2 months in China, joins the podcast to discuss the widespread protests in China and the conditions which precipitated them.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor and CSIS’s Daniel Runde join the podcast to talk about what Ukraine is facing this winter and what economic reconstruction in Ukraine will need to look like.

Iran’s former minister of women’s affairs Mahnaz Afkhami joins the podcast to discuss the protests in Iran and what they might mean for the future of Iran.

Special Olympics International chairman, Dr. Timothy Shriver joins the podcast to discuss inclusivity through basic human dignity in education and how the United States can work to engage in foreign policy efforts on an international scale to further inclusion in education.

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs Deborah Rosenblum who is also serving as interim Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, joins the podcast to discuss the impact on global supply chains from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  

On October 7, 2022, the Biden administration announced a new export controls policy on artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor technologies to China. These new controls—a genuine landmark in U.S.-China relations—provide the complete picture after a partial disclosure in early September generated confusion. CSIS’ Greg Allen joins the podcast to discuss the new regulations and what they mean for U.S. national security and technology policy.

CSIS’s Suzanne Spaulding, former Undersecretary of Homeland Security joins the podcast to discuss disinformation (foreign and domestic) surrounding the midterm election and its impacts.

CSIS’s Scott Kennedy joins the podcast to discuss the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, its outcomes, and the new strategic direction that Chinese President Xi Jinping has set for the country.

CSIS’s Joseph Majkut and Jon Alterman join the podcast to deconstruct Saudi Arabia’s recent push to slash oil production and what it means for the United States, our allies, and the global energy landscape.

CSIS’s Tom Karako joins the podcast to discuss Russia’s missile arsenal, what they are prepared to do with it, and the implications of Iran’s role. 

Internet legend and famed investor Steve Case joins the podcast to discuss his new book, “The Rise of the Rest: How entrepreneurs in Surprising Places are Building the New American Dream.”

CSIS Americas Program director Ryan Berg joins the podcast to discuss the runoff election for the Brazilian presidency.  

#NAFO, the North Atlantic Fella Organization, a play on NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is an Internet meme and social media movement dedicated to countering Russian propaganda and disinformation about the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Launched in May 2022, NAFO has achieved a surprising amount of traction, even to its cofounder, retired U.S. Marine Matt Mores who joins the podcast to discuss the phenomenon. 

CSIS’s Dr. Eliot Cohen joins the podcast to discuss his recent visit to Kiev and meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky, his assessment of Polish efforts to help Ukraine, and his analysis of Vladimir Putin’s next moves.  

CSIS’s Jude Blanchette joins the podcast to discuss U.S. policy confusion surrounding Taiwan, our concepts of “strategic ambiguity” and “strategic clarity” and how China can be deterred. 

Former federal prosecutor and Homeland Security official Paul Rosenzweig joins the podcast to talk about the national security implications of misinformation and technology.

​Politico journalist Ryan Heath, author of the Global Insider newsletter, joins the podcast to discuss all things Europe and the upcoming UN General Assembly, aka “the new Davos.”

CSIS’s Seth Jones joins the podcast to discuss Ukraine’s stunning battlefield advances. 

Morning Consult media and entertainment analyst, Kevin Tran, joins the podcast to discuss how Gen Zers are less likely than their older counterparts to be aware of or have favorable views toward major news brands, and what that means for the future of news.

CSIS’s Max Bergmann joins the podcast to discuss the UK’s new PM and the energy and economic war she, and Europe are facing.

CSIS’s Ben Cahill joins the podcast to talk about energy prices in the US and globally, plus how Europe is bracing ahead of winter to prepare for life without Russian oil and gas. 

CSIS’s Seth Jones joins the podcast to assess Ukraine after six months of war with Russia, plus, the assassination of Russian nationalist Daria Dugina, and winter is coming.  

CSIS non-resident senior associate John Larsen, of the non-partisan Rhodium Group, joins the podcast to dissect what the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) does to address climate change and whether the legislation could be overturned in the future.

For more of John's analysis on the IRA, visit: rhg.com/research/climate-clean-energy-inflation-reduction-act/

​Wall Street Journal national security correspondent Vivian Salama joins the podcast to discuss her reporting from the ground in what the Ukrainians call, “The Great War” against Russia.

CSIS’s Dr. Bonny Lin joins the podcast to discuss the aggressive military exercises China conducted against Taiwan and how she’s tracked the crisis, what the United States is doing and should do in response, and what China’s overarching strategy in the Taiwan Strait is.

CSIS’s Seth Jones joins the podcast to discuss the death of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and the future of the terrorist organization. Plus, an update on the situation in Ukraine.

CSIS’s Chris Johnstone, former NSC director for East Asia, joins the podcast to discuss the aftermath of the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the current policies of Prime Minister Kishida going forward.

Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporters Eileen Sullivan and Steven Lee Myers join the podcast to discuss their July piece “Disinformation Has Become Another Untouchable Problem in Washington.” In their article, Sullivan and Myers report that numerous federal agencies agree that disinformation threatens the nation’s security, but that there is bipartisan gridlock surrounding how to create policy in order to address the issues.

CSIS’s Jon Alterman joins the podcast to discuss President Biden’s visit to the Middle East and what the administration can gain strategically from the trip.

CSIS’s Dr. Eliot Cohen joins the podcast to discuss why he thinks the U.S. and the West need a tougher, Al Capone-style “Chicago Rules” approach to the war in Ukraine. 

CSIS’s Ryan Berg joins the podcast to discuss the Colombian election and its implications for the region.

CSIS’s Victor Cha, co-host of The Impossible State podcast, joins this episode to talk about what is expected to be North Korea’s seventh nuclear test and its repercussions.

Puck News’ star reporter Tara Palmeri talks inside Washington baseball, the new media model of Puck, and about her fascinating new Discovery Plus documentary "Dr. Delirium & the Edgewood Experiments.”

In this crossover episode with CSIS's Unpacking Impact podcast, Andrew and Navin are joined by Marc Lasry, the chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Avenue Capital Group and co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks. They discussed the war in Ukraine and its impact on the U.S. and global economy, business, basketball, and American politics. 

Before co-founding Avenue Capital, Marc managed capital for Amroc Investments, L.P. Marc also clerked for the Honorable Edward Ryan, former Chief Bankruptcy Judge of the Southern District of New York. Lasry graduated with a B.A. in History from Clark University and a J.D. from New York Law School.

CSIS’s Jon Alterman joins the podcast to talk about the fall of Israel’s coalition government, what happens next, and Israel’s relationships in the Middle East.

CSIS’s Eliot Cohen joins the podcast to evaluate the latest developments in Ukraine as well as U.S. support for Kyiv.

Former Fox News political editor Chris Stirewalt, now with the American Enterprise Institute, joins the podcast to discuss his forthcoming book, “Broken News: Why the Media Rage Machine Divides America and How to Fight Back.”

CSIS Smart Women Smart Power director and senior fellow Kathleen McInnis joins the podcast to talk about NATO solidarity and the war in Ukraine.

CSIS’s Matt Goodman and Scott Kennedy join the podcast to discuss their groundbreaking report on China’s investment in industrial policy versus the U.S. and other nations.  

CSIS’s Caitlin Welsh and Mvemba Dizolele join the podcast to discuss the Ukrainian grain and seed stolen and held up by Russia, and its impact on Africa and the Middle East.  

CSIS Senior Adviser Vincent Rigby, former national security and intelligence advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, and Professor Thomas Juneau of the University of Ottawa join the podcast to talk about their report which calls for Canada to rethink its national security strategy.

CSIS’s Ben Cahill and Gerard DiPippo join the podcast to talk about the effectiveness of sanctions on Russian energy, gas prices, and the impact on U.S. and global inflation.

State Department Counselor Derek Chollet joins the podcast to discuss the U.S. approach to aiding Ukraine, the weapons systems we are providing, Russia’s response, and China’s stake in the war.

Stanford professor Dr. Ian Morris joins the podcast to discuss Russia and China’s strategic goals amid the war in Ukraine and issues surrounding Taiwan.

CSIS’s Mike Green joins the podcast to talk about Taiwan, strategic ambiguity, One China policy and the impact the war in Ukraine could have on Taiwan

CSIS’s Max Bergmann and Pierre Morcos join the podcast to discuss the prospects of Finland and Sweden joining NATO and the implications it has for the West and Russia.  

CSIS’ Seth Jones joins the podcast to discuss the shrinking of the battlefield in Ukraine, Russian losses, and the expansion of NATO with Sweden and Finland.

In this crossover episode with the CSIS podcasts “The Impossible State” and "Coronavirus Crisis Update," CSIS’s Dr. Victor Cha and Dr. Steve Morrison discuss the Covid-19 outbreak in North Korea and its global health and geopolitical implications.

CSIS’s Joseph Majkut joins the podcast to discuss how accelerating gas prices and the war in Ukraine are forcing the United States to reimagine energy and climate policy.

CSIS’s Charles Edel joins the podcast to discuss this weekend’s Australian elections and their geopolitical implications.

CSIS’s Eliot Cohen joins the podcast to talk about how the war between Russia and Ukraine is transforming both nations and the future of Europe. Plus, a discussion on how and when the conflict may end.

CSIS’s Jon Alterman joins the podcast for a discussion of the global rules-based order post Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

CSIS’s Greg Poling joins the podcast to discuss Bongbong Marcos’ landslide victory in the Philippines. 

CSIS’s Seth Jones joins the podcast to discuss how Russia’s war with Ukraine could become a “frozen conflict,” as the battle rages on and neither side makes much headway, how the U.S. is assisting Ukraine with critical intelligence, and what lessons China may be learning from the conflict.

In this crossover episode with CSIS's The Impossible State podcast, Andrew Schwartz is joined by Victor Cha and Tom Karako to discuss the implications of the current conflict in Ukraine on North Korea's missile threat. They also discuss what it means for North Korea's capability going forward and what practical steps can be taken to accomplish denuclearization.

CSIS’s Jake Kurtzer joins the podcast to talk about the rescue of civilians stuck in the war-torn cities of Ukraine. 

CSIS’s Dr. Cynthia Cook joins the podcast to discuss President Biden’s $33 billion proposed military aid package to Ukraine and what kinds of weapons and equipment have been effective for the Ukrainians. 

CSIS’s J. Stephen Morrison joins the podcast to discuss the possible end of the pandemic, how Ukraine impacts combatting coronavirus, booster burnout, the covid culture war, and what is happening with China’s lockdowns.

In this crossover episode with CSIS's Coronavirus Crisis Update podcast, Andrew Schwartz and Steve Morrison are joined by Dr. Larry Gostin, professor of global health law and the faculty director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University. They discuss the aftermath of the April 18 nationwide injunction to block government mask mandates on public transportation. In Judge Mizelle’s opinion, the C.D.C. has exceeded its legal authority. But if the C.D.C. doesn’t have the power to make someone do something as unintrusive as wearing a mask, what can it do? If this ruling stands, it changes the role of the government, and our regulatory institutions will lose the power to protect us. The C.D.C. has been in a weakened position since the Trump administration but is staffed by strong scientists who want to do their best for Americans. Dr. Gostin argues for a High-Level Commission to take a top-down and bottom-up review of the C.D.C. to determine what systems, data, scientists, funding CDC needs, and what powers are legitimate. He does have hope: the U.S. is approaching higher levels of immunity, and the darkest days of the pandemic may be behind us.

New CSIS Europe Program director Max Bergmann joins the podcast to discuss the war in Ukraine, Sunday’s French election, and the future of the transatlantic relationship.

Ann Lee, co-founder of the Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE) with actor Sean Penn joins the podcast to discuss her organization’s relief efforts in Poland and Romania in support of Ukrainian refugees.

Spirit of America Founder/CEO Jim Hake joins the podcast to discuss his entrepreneurial approach to providing private U.S. assistance in the form of non-lethal aid to Ukraine.

CSIS Wadhwani Chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies Rick Rossow joins the podcast to discuss India’s view of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and its relationship with the United States in its wake. 

CSIS Senior Associate and NDU researcher Jeffrey Mankoff joins the podcast to discuss the long-term prospects for the relationship between Washington and Moscow.

CSIS’s Trade Guy Bill Reinsch and CSIS’s Gerard DiPippo join the podcast to discuss sanctions on Russia, their impact, and if the U.S. and our allies can do more.

The Australian Financial Review’s Misha Zelinsky joins the podcast to discuss his reporting from Ukraine, including a visit to the city of Kryvyi Rih, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky grew up.

CSIS Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy Dr. Eliot Cohen joins the podcast to discuss what he views as the war in Ukraine’s “decisive moment,” and what the U.S. and its allies should do to further help the Ukrainian effort.

Tom Karako, director of the CSIS Missile Defense Project, joins the podcast to discuss missile use in Ukraine by Russia, the anti-tank and anti-aircraft defenses Ukraine is utilizing, and a discussion of what escalation might look like.

CSIS China Power Project director and senior fellow for Asian security, Bonny Lin, joins the podcast to discuss China’s support of Russia in its invasion of Ukraine and the implications that invasion has for Taiwan.

CSIS Khosravi Chair and Human Rights Initiative director, Marti Flacks, joins the podcast to discuss the latest evidence of war crimes committed against civilians by Russian forces in Bucha, Ukraine, and the U.S. and European response.

CSIS International Security Program director Dr. Seth Jones joins the podcast to discuss Putin’s battlefield missteps, Russia’s path going forward, how Ukraine can continue to defend itself, and what the US can do to support Ukraine.

CSIS’s James Andrew Lewis joins the podcast to discuss Russia’s cyber capability and willingness to wage cyberwar with Ukraine and NATO.

CSIS’s Dr. Eliot Cohen and Dr. Seth Jones join the podcast to assess the state of Russia’s war on Ukraine, what Vladimir Putin could do next, and how the United States may respond. 

CSIS’s Andrew Lohsen joins the podcast to discuss Ukrainian President Zelensky’s plea to the U.S. and the West, the grave situation on the ground in Ukraine, and Russia’s efforts to control the narrative.

CSIS Global Food Security Program director Caitlin Welsh and CSIS Humanitarian Agenda director Jake Kurtzer join the podcast to talk about the Ukrainian refugee crisis, the growing food insecurity in Ukraine, and the internationalization of food insecurity due to Russia’s invasion.

CSIS’s Jake Harrington joins the podcast to talk about his new report on the ”Future of the U.S.-UK Alliance,” with a discussion of how that alliance relates to the war in Ukraine. 

CSIS’s Mark Cancian, a retired U.S. Marine Colonel, joins the podcast to discuss Ukraine’s besieged cities, refugees and civilian targets, potential no-fly zones, U.S. lethal assistance, and more. 

Former Assistant Treasury Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Deputy National Security Adviser Juan Zarate, a CSIS Senior Advisor, joins the podcast to discuss sanctions in wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  

Just returning from an unofficial delegation to Taiwan led by retired Joint Chiefs’ chairman Mike Mullen to quell Taiwan’s fear of Chinese action against them in wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, CSIS’s Mike Green joins the podcast to discuss the results of the visit to Taiwan, the Chinese view of Russia’s invasion, the Quad meeting this week and greater Asia and the Pacific alliance view of the events in Ukraine.

CSIS’s Marti Flacks and Erol Yayboke join the podcast to discuss the refugee and humanitarian crisis in wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

CSIS’s Caitlin Welsh joins the podcast to talk about the impact that food insecurity is having in wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, disturbances in global food security, and what this all means for both Russia and the United States.

CSIS Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy Eliot Cohen joins the podcast to discuss the strength of the Western response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the heroism of Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainian people, Putin’s strategic failure, early surprises in the war, and what steps the Biden administration should take going forward to address the conflict.

CSIS’s International Security Program director and Senior VP Seth Jones joins the podcast to discuss Russia’s bombardment of Kyiv and Kharkiv, Putin’s miscalculations and overextension, potential off-ramps, and what the US is doing and can do to stop Russia’s war against Ukraine. 

CSIS’s Nikos Tsafos and Ben Cahill join the podcast to talk about energy prices and the future of the energy and climate landscape in wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. According to Tsafos, we are “seeing the end of Russia as an energy superpower.”

CSIS's Andrew Lohsen, who lived in Ukraine until recently, joins the podcast to discuss Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and how it might backfire on him.

CSIS’s Dr. Seth Jones joins the podcast to talk about the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine crisis, and what options the Biden administration has in addressing the situation.

In this crossover episode with the Coronavirus Crisis Update podcast, Andrew and Steve are joined by John Barry, historian and author of the award-winning The Great Influenza; the Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History, a study of the 1918 pandemic. He is currently working on a volume on Covid-19: “Writing books makes me happiest and craziest.” He has penned many editorials over the course of the pandemic, drawing lessons from 1918. What has he discovered? “What we learn from history is we learn nothing.” Where are we today? “Until vaccines are widely distributed and there is easy access to antivirals, the virus will rule. … I am optimistic the virus will continue trending to mildness” but there may be intermediate steps. “Mutations are random.” “We are at a potentially dangerous time” if we throw away our defenses and become indifferent or complacent. His high school football coach taught him a lesson for today: late in the game, you are tired and the other guy is tired. “The guy who focuses at the end will win.” That does not mean you “live in a box” and isolate yourself. Aaron Rodgers, while a great football player, “lied” about his vaccination status. He “is a total jackass.”

Before becoming a writer, John Barry coached football at the high-school, small college, and major college levels. He is a Distinguished Professor at Tulane University’s Bywater Institute and a professor at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

In this crossover episode with Coronavirus Crisis Update, we are joined by Dr. Michael Osterholm, head of CIDRAP at the University of Minnesota, one of the most popular, respected, and trusted communicators on the pandemic. What is the recipe?  Simplicity rules. He learned from his rural Iowa background, “if something doesn’t play at the 10:00 o’clock coffee club at the S&T Café on the main street of my little town, then it’s not going to play.” Be frank and honest: “Always tell the truth.” If dark things such as variants lie in the future, do not shy away from spotlighting them. But be careful of forecasting too far into the future, which can at times be based on “pixie dust.” Appeal to both “hearts and minds.” “Kindness is one of the most important virtues.” In his lauded and highly successful podcast, ‘The Osterholm Report: Covid-19,’ he is able to “combine science, policy, and life all in one venue.” The anti-vaccine movement has gained substantial strength; witness the ‘Defeat the Mandates’ rally on January 23rd at the Lincoln Memorial, which featured Robert Malone, now a celebrity since embraced by Joe Rogan, who compares public health officials to Nazi Germany. “This is the biggest challenge to global health in my lifetime.” It threatens childhood immunizations, generates “death threats I have received.” Many colleagues are burning out and leaving. He and other colleagues from the Biden presidential transition Covid-19 Advisory Group recently laid out a road map for “the new normal” in three Viewpoints published in JAMA. “We can’t keep swinging from surge to surge.” We need a better plan for data, testing, ventilation, rebuilding our health workforce. But we still have to prepare for the unknown. Recall Lewis Carroll’s advice: “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” And “Don’t be surprised when you are surprised.” China’s ‘Zero-Covid’ approach, based on draconian lockdowns and mass testing, has delivered far better outcomes than we have seen here in the United States. But it will not succeed in the face of Omicron. “It is like trying to control the wind.” Something beyond ‘Zero-Covid’ is needed. 

Dr. Michael Osterholm is Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota.

CSIS’ Emily Harding discusses her new report Move Over JARVIS, Meet OSCAR, which calls for the Intelligence Community to reap the benefits of artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) capabilities with respect to unclassified cloud capability. In her report, Harding draws from her personal experience as an analyst to identify problems with the Intelligence Community’s existing systems for collecting information, and makes actionable recommendations that will break the logjam and allow the intelligence community to revolutionize open-source intelligence. 

Former U.S. Senate candidate and retired Marine Lt. Colonel Amy McGrath joins the podcast to discuss the state of democracy in America.

The American University’s Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss joins the podcast to discuss the terrorist threat from within the United States, the January 6 attack on the Capitol and why she believes that preventing violent extremism needs a public health approach.

CSIS’ Dr. Seth Jones joins the podcast to discuss Russia’s potential pathways to invading Ukraine and what the U.S. and NATO can do to discourage it.

International Rescue Committee (IRC) president and CEO David Miliband joins the podcast to discuss the IRC’s Annual Emergency Watchlist report. According to the new report, the IRC finds global “system failure” driving record levels of humanitarian need and that Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Yemen top the list of countries most at risk of deteriorating humanitarian crises in 2022.

In this crossover episode with the CSIS Coronavirus Crisis Update podcast, Brown University’s Dr. Ashish Jha provides his keen insights into the latest on Omicron as well as a reflection on 2021. 

CNN politics reporter and editor-at-large Chris Cillizza joins the podcast to talk about Rep. Lauren Boebert’s (R-CO) exchange with Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and how the politics of today have drifted further towards “performance.” Also discussed, President Biden’s approval ratings, midterm elections, Trump 2024, and more.

Dr. Richard Lessells is among the exceptional South African experts on the front lines of discovering and investigating Omicron in South Africa. Alarm bells went off within the scientific community, as it became clear after just a few days that “an extraordinary number of mutations” are clustered in the key regions in the genome for immune protection and transmissibility. It was a “gut feeling. ” Omicron is highly transmissible, spreading very efficiently in a population with high levels of immunity gained from previous infection and in some cases from vaccination. How long to know just how dangerous Omicron is? It’s “too early to tell.” Lab work is underway to understand whether the virus affects T cells which are central to immune protection against severe disease. Why do we see such an unusual variant in South Africa? One theory, which Omicron may shed light on, is that the SARS-CoV-2 virus finds hosts who are very immune-compromised, persons living with HIV but not on anti-viral therapy. These individuals have difficulty clearing the virus, which permits it to replicate constantly over a very long period. Is this moment a pivot in the pandemic? That depends on whether Omicron significantly sets back vaccine protection, which would be a “step change.” Will this moment shock the world into more concerted global action, superseding the pattern of “vaccine apartheid”?  “I remain skeptical.” In the meantime, we have to fight against Omicron being fitted to a politicized narrative: by anti-vaccine groups, to tell the story that vaccines do not work. By others, to argue that there is nothing to worry about, that the virus is becoming less pathogenic, based on anecdotal evidence. 

Dr. Richard Lessells is an infectious disease physician at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, in Durban, South Africa. He is a member of the Network for Genomic Surveillance in South Africa, and a researcher at CAPRISA, the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa.

In this crossover episode with the CSIS Coronavirus Crisis Update Podcast, we asked Cary Funk, Pew Research Center, to make sense of how the pandemic has impacted our society and American opinion as we approach the pandemic’s two years. “It can be confusing.” Polarization now increasingly aligns between the vaccinated versus the unvaccinated, versus simple partisan identity. At the fundamental level, Americans are split over whether Covid-19 is a common problem. Does the “Big Lie” bleed over into the field of public health? “It’s all complicated.” “The political lens” increasingly encompasses so much of public health, accelerating the erosion of public trust and confidence in science, a trend that had already been underway for years. False statements can travel the globe in 48 hours, but knowing the impact is much more difficult. Are we at a turning point, a softening of polarization? “We need to wait and see.” Heightened US international engagement enjoys majority support and has not become politicized. What is the impact of the loss of 757,000 lives on opinion? We have to continue looking at that. 

Cary Funk is director of science and society research at the Pew Research Center.

Johns Hopkins University professor Dr. Lillianna Mason joins the podcast for a discussion of political polarization in the U.S. and how politics have become central to the identities of many Americans across racial, religious and cultural lines.

CSIS’s Project on Fragility and Mobility Director Erol Yayboke and Human Rights Initiative Director Marti Flacks join the podcast to discuss the Haitian migrant crisis as a microcosm of how climate change, human rights, and national security are increasingly intertwined.  

In this crossover episode with the CSIS Coronavirus Crisis Update Podcast, Dr. Leana Wen, Washington Post columnist and CNN analyst joined CSIS’s J. Stephen Morrison and Andrew Schwartz to discuss the current state of Covid in the United States plus her new book, “Lifelines: A Doctor’s Journey in the Fight for Public Health.”

CSIS’s Europe and Eurasia Program director Heather Conley joins the podcast to discuss the German elections and what they mean for Germany and greater Europe’s future as well as its relationship with the United States.  

Professor Paul Barrett, deputy director of the New York University Stern Center for Business and Human Rights joins the podcast to discuss his new report, “Fueling the Fire: How Social Media Intensifies U.S. Political Polarization—And What Can Be Done About It.”

CSIS’s Dr. Mike Green joins the podcast to discuss the geopolitical implications of the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal and the fallout with France.  

CSIS Africa Program director Judd Devermont joins the podcast to discuss his latest research findings that Beijing’s observable interactions with current and former African security chiefs pale in comparison to equivalent U.S. engagements, and, why this is so important for the United States in the era of strategic competition.

CSIS’s Dr. J. Stephen Morrison joins the podcast to discuss President Biden’s vaccine mandates, plans for a “Covid-19 reset” and the situation in Afghanistan with respect to Covid.

CSIS’s Dr. Seth Jones joins the podcast to discuss the Taliban announcement that this week they named Sirajuddin Haqqani —the Taliban’s deputy leader and close ally of al Qaeda—to be its first minister of interior. Haqqani, a U.S.-designated terrorist with close ties to the group responsible for 9/11 is now the Afghan equivalent of director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

CSIS Human Rights Initiative Director Marti Flacks joins the podcast to discuss the new “digital Taliban,” and how it is poised to utilize biometric technology and electronic surveillance in order to rule Afghanistan. Plus, Ms. Flacks analyzes the initial signals the Taliban is sending on human rights and what, if any, leverage the United States has over the Taliban going forward.

Former Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Mike Vickers joins the podcast along with CSIS’ Dr. Seth Jones to discuss the terrorist threat following the U.S. withdrawal of Afghanistan and what the United States should do about it.

CSIS SVP, Brzezinski Chair and Middle East Program Director Jon Alterman joins the podcast to talk about the new geopolitics surrounding Afghanistan in the aftermath of the U.S. withdrawal and what Iran, Russia, and China’s interests are with respect to Taliban rule.

The Wall Street Journal’s Alan Cullison left Kabul on Saturday, August 14 as the Taliban were poised to take control of the Afghan capital. He joins the podcast along with CSIS’s Dr. Seth Jones to discuss the latest developments as well as his recent experiences reporting on Al Qaeda and ISIS prisoners who have now been freed by the Taliban.

Former U.S. Senate candidate, U.S. Marine Lt. Col (Ret) fighter pilot Amy McGrath joins the podcast to talk about her time in Afghanistan, what she sees as the U.S. strategic interests in that region going forward, and about her new book, “Honor Bound: An American Story of Dreams and Service.”

CSIS’s Dr. Seth Jones joins the podcast to talk about the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and what the U.S. should be prepared to do next.

Since Friday, violence has erupted throughout Israel and the Gaza Strip between Israelis and Palestinians, sparked by attempted evictions by Jewish settlers in an Arab neighborhood of Jerusalem and a skirmish between Israeli police and Palestinian mosque-goers at al Aqsa Mosque. Andrew is joined by CSIS senior vice president Jon Alterman, Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and director of the Middle East Program at CSIS, to discuss the causes of the recent conflict, from ineffective governance on each side, to the end of Israeli isolationism, to undue escalation by Hamas. Hamas, which as Alterman points out, "isn't a party to any of this," began launching rockets from the Gaza Strip and "injecting itself into Jerusalem's story," expanding the conflict from East Jerusalem to the whole country and into Gaza. According to Alterman, Israel may just consider this to be more of what they refer to as "mowing the grass," another in a series of opportunities to teach Hamas a lesson and put off finding a resolution to this ongoing conflict for a few more years. Either way, in Alterman’s analysis, finding a "partner for peace" will become increasingly more difficult as Israelis and Palestinians drift farther towards social extremes—despite the fact that "nobody is going away" and "their fates are intertwined."

Shuttered live music venues across the United States are facing an unprecedented threat to their existence. Recognizing the crucial space live music occupies in American life, industry veterans Amber Mundinger and Tamara Deike spent the last year documenting America’s empty iconic venues, coast to coast via their organization “Bring Music Home.” Mundinger and Deike join the podcast to talk about their newly published unique and truly incredible coffee table book (it weighs 9 pounds!) with brilliant images of places like Washington’s 9:30 Club, New Orleans’ Tipitinas, Austin’s Stubb’s, and L.A.’s Troubadour. A docuseries and podcast are to follow. And as Mundinger and Deike discuss, live music is a bipartisan concern!

Stephen Morrison, Director of the CSIS Global Health Policy Center, rejoined the podcast to discuss the state of the pandemic, vaccine distribution and hesitancy, and achieving herd immunity in the U.S. 

U.S. active-duty military personnel and reservists have participated in a growing number of domestic terrorist plots and attacks, according to new data from CSIS. The percentage of all domestic terrorist incidents linked to active-duty and reserve personnel rose in 2020 to 6.4 percent, up from 1.5 percent in 2019 and none in 2018. Similarly, a growing number of current and former law enforcement officers have been involved in domestic terrorism in recent years. But domestic terrorism is a double-edged sword. In 2020, extremists from all sides of the ideological spectrum increasingly targeted the military, law enforcement, and other government actors—putting U.S. security agencies in the crosshairs of domestic terrorists. In this episode, CSIS’s Dr. Seth Jones, Senior Vice President and Director, International Security Program, joins the podcast to discuss the findings of his new report, “The Military, Police, and the Rise of Terrorism in the United States.”

Caitlin Welsh, Director of the CSIS Global Food Security Program, rejoined the podcast to discuss how Covid-19 has increased food insecurity in the U.S. and abroad. She also shared her insights into how the Biden administration can take action to strengthen food security, emphasizing that in the U.S., it’s not an issue of food supply, but of economics.

To learn more, check out Caitlin’s episode of CSIS’s newest video series Data Unpacked.

Democratic data scientist David Shor joins the podcast to talk about what’s working and what isn’t with the Democratic Party’s approach to voters in gearing up for the 2022 midterm elections. 

Journalist and best-selling author Alec MacGillis joins the podcast to talk about his fascinating new book, “Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America,” a story of regional inequality and economic concentration in America told through the lens of Amazon. MacGillis offers keen insight into what the growing imbalance of wealth in the United States has done to our people and to our politics, about dystopian cities, and about the winners in the one-click economy.

In this crossover episode with the CSIS podcast Coronavirus Crisis Update, Dr. Peter Hotez joined Steve Morrison and Andrew to discuss the anti-vaccine movement, the vaccine-resistant, the turmoil in Texas over lifting the mask mandate in wake of severe weather emergency, and much more. 

CSIS' Director of the Aerospace Security Project, Todd Harrison, joins the podcast to discuss his new study “Defense Against the Dark Arts in Space: Protecting Space Systems from Counterspace Weapons.” The proliferation of missiles, lasers, jammers, and other anti-satellite weapons has been widely documented, but little has been said about ways to defend against these threats—Harrison says what his team wanted to do with this report is look at the other side of the equation. “Yes, we see all these threats to space systems, but what do you do about it?”

Charlie Sykes, Founder and Editor-at-large of The Bulwark and host of The Bulwark podcast joins the show to discuss the campaign to minimalize the events of January 6, tribalism in the Republican Party, and the prospects for bipartisanship in our fractured politics.

Star Washington Post reporter Josh Dawsey joins the podcast to discuss former President Trump’s upcoming speech at CPAC, his efforts to remain the leader of the GOP, the 2022 midterm elections, and the Biden administration’s early days.

Writer and policy researcher James Piltch joins the podcast to talk about his new piece for Politico Magazine “Democrats Have a Values Problem. But Here’s How They Can Fix It." In his research, Piltch has found that Americans say they prize freedom over equity—but what does that really mean and how does it manifest itself? And how do Republicans and Democrats speak to the American people effectively when it comes to issues surrounding freedom and equity?

Jonathan Karl, ABC News’ Chief White House Correspondent and author of NYT Bestseller “Front Row at the Trump Shop,” reflects on the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, Donald Trump’s isolation in his last days as president, and on the incoming Biden administration and the challenges it faces on day one.  

HeadCount is a nonpartisan organization that uses the power of music to register voters and promote participation in democracy. Executive Director Andy Bernstein joins the podcast to discuss HeadCount’s efforts in 2020 and beyond.

In this episode, Andrew is joined by David Miliband, the President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee. They discuss the IRC’s newly released 2021 Emergency Watchlist, and how nearly every watchlist country is facing the triple-threat of ongoing conflict, climate change, and the Covid-19 pandemic. 

David Miliband is the President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee and the previous UK Foreign Secretary.

Politico’s chief political correspondent Tim Alberta joins the podcast to help answer why it is so hard to make sense of the 2020 election, what is at the root of America’s polarization and what happens now to the Republican and Democratic Parties respectively.

Legendary ESPN reporter Wright Thompson joins Andrew to discuss his new book, Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon and the Things That Last. In listening to this episode, you’ll learn that “Pappyland” is “barely a book about bourbon,” but rather, about so many other facets of American life. Among them: tradition and legacy, family and relationships, our public discourse and the power of brand. Plus, Wright Thompson’s analysis of the Whiskey Rebellion and its applications to our present day policy dialogue. This episode contains the use of explicit language.

In this episode, Andrew invites CSIS's Romina Bandura to discuss the challenges and factors that lead to the deforestation of the Amazon. Romina draws on her latest CSIS report, "Sustainable Infrastructure in the Amazon," to discuss the underlying causes of the deforestation and what initiatives countries need to take in order to pursue sustainable economic development and ensure that economic, environmental, and social benefits are achieved.

Romina Bandura is a senior fellow with the Project on Prosperity and Development and the Project on U.S. Leadership in Development at CSIS.

In this episode, Andrew speaks with John Zogby and Jean-Paul (JP) Guilbault about a new poll that asked American adults and 16- to 17-year-olds how the national health and economic crises has impacted their lives and outlook. John and JP draw from the results of the Navigate360 and John Zogby Strategies report to discuss American feelings of personal safety and wellbeing in schools and the workplace, uncertainty and distrust of leadership and institutions, and insufficient training or communication for emergency situations. Please read here to find more poll results.

John Zogby is founder and senior partner of John Zogby Strategies. He is known as a veteran pollster, opinion leader, and best-selling author. JP Guilbault is the CEO of Navigate360, which provides technology, education and services to support all safety initiatives of various communities, workplaces, schools, and more.

In this episode, Andrew invites CSIS's Dr. Michael J. Green to analyze global perspectives on U.S. China policy. Dr. Green draws on statistics found in a recent CSIS survey of the American public and thought leaders in the U.S., Asia, and Europe. Listen in to hear how people view China in terms of trade, human rights, security, and more. To find the full survey and analysis, please click here.

Dr. Michael J. Green is senior vice president for Asia and Japan Chair at CSIS; and director of Asian Studies at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. 

In this episode, Andrew is joined by Bruce Mehlman to discuss all things on the 2020 presidential election. They reflect on the news of President Trump and other senior White House officials testing positive for Covid-19, the first presidential debate, as well as what could come of President Trump's Supreme Court nomination.

Bruce P. Mehlman is the founder of Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas, a bipartisan government relations firm that studies the implications of the policy landscape. You can find their new analysis on the 2020 elections here.

This is a crossover episode with the CSIS podcast The Reopening. Pulitzer Prize-winning author and global energy expert Daniel Yergin talks with Andrew and Scott about his latest book, The New Map, and the way technology revolutions in energy are influencing geopolitics, security, climate, and health. Daniel is vice-chairman of the research firm IHS Markit and has served on the Secretary of Energy’s advisory board under the last four presidential administrations.

In this episode, Andrew invites Rebecca Lissner, co-author of An Open World: How America Can Win the Contest for Twenty-First-Century Order. Rebecca draws on this new book to discuss why she believes the United States needs to re-imagine its grand strategy in order to face and overcome new 21st century challenges. 

Rebecca Lissner is a non-resident scholar for the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University; and an assistant professor at the U.S. Naval War College. She co-authored An Open World: How America Can Win the Contest for Twenty-First-Century Order with Mira Rapp-Hooper. 

In this episode, Seth Jones is back to further analyze the increase of violence that has occurred across America in the last couple of weeks. He draws on more data from his CSIS brief, "The Escalating Terrorism Problem in the United States," to discuss extremist groups and their use of social media, what violence might occur after this November's presidential election, and the transnational spread of white supremacism.

Dr. Seth Jones holds the Harold Brown Chair, is director of the Transnational Threats Project, and is a senior adviser to the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

In this episode, Andrew invites Seth Jones to discuss what CSIS data reveals on the increasing terrorism problem in the U.S. Seth draws on his CSIS brief, "The Escalating Terrorism Problem in the United States," to unpack where the most significant threats are likely to come from and what factors will likely cause those threats to rise throughout the rest of 2020.

Dr. Seth Jones holds the Harold Brown Chair, is director of the Transnational Threats Project, and is a senior adviser to the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

In this episode, Andrew invites New York Times columnist Bret Stephens to discuss the concepts of one-state and two-state solutions for Israel, and what steps could be taken to have a peaceful resolution between Israelis and Palestinians.

In this crossover episode with CSIS's Take As Directed/Coronavirus Crisis Update podcast, New York Times national security correspondent David Sanger discusses the NYT's recent investigative team’s efforts, which chronicled the momentous White House decisions taken in early April to step back and push lead responsibility on to the states.

In this episode, Andrew invites CSIS's Sarah Ladislaw and Nikos Tsafos to explain how a new U.S. international energy policy should look, and climate change’s role within it. They also discuss the inspiration behind and future of the new CSIS initiative, Climate Smart Foreign Policy.

Sarah Ladislaw is senior vice president and director and senior fellow of the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at CSIS. Nikos Tsafos is a senior fellow with the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at CSIS.

In this crossover episode with CSIS's The Reopening, Robin Hood Foundation CEO Wes Moore, author of the new book “Five Days: The Fiery Reckoning of An American City” discusses how changes in public policy must occur for poverty and racial inequality to end in America.

Eminent political scientist Dr. Michael Fauntroy of Howard University discusses systemic racism and inequality. He discusses whether we are witnessing a movement, an awakening or a fad; and what achieving meaningful results could look like in America’s quest for social justice. 

In this episode, Georgetown Law professor and National Task Force on Election Crises member Joshua Geltzer discusses the challenges that Covid-19, disinformation campaigns, cyber-attacks and partisanship bring to the 2020 election.

In this crossover episode with CSIS's Coronavirus Crisis Update podcast, Tulane University professor and historian John Barry, author of the New York Times bestseller The Great Influenza, joins the podcast from his home in New Orleans’ French Quarter to discuss the lessons gleaned from the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic that speak to today’s coronavirus pandemic sweeping America and the world.

In this episode, CSIS Food Security Program director Caitlin Welsh discusses the state of meat production, supply chains and food security in the United States during the pandemic.

In this episode, CSIS’s Erol Yayboke joins Andrew to provide a window into the challenges that an almost complete halt to human mobility, due to Covid-19, will have on the United States and the rest of the world.

Erol Yayboke is deputy director and senior fellow with the Project on U.S. Leadership in Development (USLD) and Project on Prosperity and Development (PPD) at CSIS.

In this episode, Andrew invites Laura Silver of the Pew Research Center to discuss a new study she co-authored, "U.S. Views of China Increasingly Negative Amid Coronavirus Outbreak." She expands on different findings of the study, including what the data says about differing opinions across partisan lines. Andrew then turns to David Sanger of The New York Times to further analyze U.S. feelings toward China, as well as President Trump's relationship with China.

In this hybrid episode of Truth of the Matter and the Impossible State, CSIS’ Victor Cha and Steve Morrison join Andrew Schwartz to discuss South Korea’s innovative systems for tracking Covid-19 and whether they can work for the United States.

In this episode, Andrew invites New York Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman. Maggie draws from one of her latest reports, "Trade Adviser Warned White House in January of Risks of a Pandemic," to discuss WH trade adviser Peter Navarro's memo to the Trump administration about the implications of Covid-19, dated back in January. She also details what it's like covering the WH during this pandemic and what areas of coverage currently take priority.

In this episode, Andrew is joined by CSIS's Victor Cha to discuss how South Korea is battling COVID-19 and the innovative strategies they took to prevent a wider spread of the virus. Victor also gives insight into what is and isn't known on how North Korea is responding to the global pandemic, noting their recent missile tests.

Victor Cha is a senior adviser and the inaugural holder of the Korea Chair at CSIS. He is also a professor of government and holds the D.S. Song-KF Chair in the Department of Government and the School of Foreign Service (SFS) at Georgetown University.

In this episode, CSIS’s Steve Morrison and Stephanie Segal join Andrew Schwartz to get to the Truth of the Matter about the conflicting approaches to saving lives and saving the U.S. economy. 

In this episode, Andrew invites Sarah Ladislaw and Kevin Book to give an update on oil markets as they face downward economic pressure.

Sarah Ladislaw is senior vice president, director and Senior Fellow of the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at CSIS. Kevin Book is the managing director for Clear View Energy Partners LLC.

In this episode, Andrew invites Heather Conley, Stephanie Segal, and Steve Morrison to give an update on the global COVID-19 crisis.

Heather Conley is senior vice president for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic and director of the Europe program at CSIS. Stephanie Segal is senior fellow of the Simon Chair in Political Economy. Steve Morrison is senior vice president and director of the Global Health Policy Center at CSIS.

In this episode, Andrew invites Heather Conley and Steve Morrison to give an update on the unfolding COVID-19 crisis in Italy and Europe.

Heather Conley is senior vice president for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic and director of the Europe program at CSIS. Steve Morrison is senior vice president and director director of the Global Health Policy Center at CSIS.

In this episode, Andrew invites CSIS's Samuel Brannen to discuss decade-long trends of mass political protests around the world. Sam draws on the new CSIS report The Age of Mass Protests: Understanding an Escalating Global Trend, which he co-authored, to explain factors that could increase the rate of protests, the suppression of movements in certain countries, and the U.S.'s failure to develop a systematic response to the increasing trend of global protests.

Samuel Brannen leads the Risk and Foresight Group at CSIS and is a senior fellow in the International Security Program.

In this episode, Andrew invites CSIS's Steve Morrison, Jude Blanchette, and Stephanie Segal to discuss how the coronavirus outbreak, also known as COVID-19, is directly affecting the global economy, health security, and international politics.

Steve Morrison is senior vice president and director of the Global Health Policy Center. Jude Blanchette holds the Freeman Chair in China Studies. Stephanie Segal is senior fellow of the Simon Chair in Political Economy.

In this episode, Bob and Andrew invite Bulent Aliriza, director of the CSIS Turkey Project, to unpack the worsening conflict in Libya. Bulent explains who the U.S. is supporting, the impact of other foreign powers in the region, and what the main interests are of the long-standing civil war.

In this episode, Bob and Andrew welcome back CSIS's Heather Conley, senior vice president for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic. Now that Brexit has happened, everyone is wondering: what comes next for the UK? Heather discusses many of the challenges the UK will still have to face, why the U.S. should care, and what will go into the making of a trade agreement between the U.S. and the UK.

In this episode, Bob and Andrew invite former executive editor and vice president of The Washington Post Leonard Downie Jr. Leonard describes his time supervising the Post's Watergate coverage, as well as the Post being first to report the Monica Lewinsky story. The three also discuss the current state of the media and how the Trump administration may be affecting the public's view of the news.

In this episode, Bob and Andrew invite Stephanie Segal, senior fellow of the CSIS Simon Chair in Political Economy, to give a forecast of the global economy in 2020. They unpack President Trump's recent address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the U.S.'s growing national debt, as well as the current state of the economy and where it might be heading.

In this episode, Bob and Andrew invite CSIS's "Trade Guys," Bill Reinsch and Scott Miller to discuss the "Phase One" trade agreement between the U.S. and China that was signed on Wednesday. They give insight on specifics of the agreement, who is impacted the most, and what it might reveal about the future of the U.S. and China's economic relationship.

Bill Reinsch holds the Scholl Chair in International Business at CSIS and is a senior adviser at Kelley, Drye & Warren LLP. Scott Miller is a senior adviser of the Abshire-Inamori Leadership Academy at CSIS and held the Scholl Chair in International Business from 2012-2017.

In this episode, Bob and Andrew invite CSIS’s Seth G. Jones, Harold Brown Chair, director of the Transnational Threats Project, and senior adviser to the International Security Program. They discuss the latest news about the Ukrainian aircraft that was shot down by Iranians, as well as President Trump’s address to the nation, and Iran’s vulnerabilities.

This episode was recorded on January 9th at 2pm, prior to The House of Representatives approving a war powers resolution that would prevent President Trump from taking military action against Iran without congressional consent.

In this episode, Andrew invites a team from the CSIS International Security Program (ISP): Kathleen Hicks, Andrew Hunter, and Todd Harrison. They discuss Defense 360's "Bad Ideas in National Security" series that highlights brief articles written by CSIS and outside scholars on a number of bad ideas in the defense and foreign policy space. In addition to analyzing their own pieces, they nominate their frontrunners for what might be considered the "worst" bad idea.

Kathleen Hicks is senior vice president at CSIS, Henry A. Kissinger Chair, and director of the ISP. Andrew Hunter is director of the Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group and a senior fellow in the ISP. Todd Harrison is director of Defense Budget Analysis, director of the Aerospace Security Project, and a senior fellow in the ISP.

In this episode, Bob and Andrew invite two special guests: CSIS's Heather Conley, senior vice president for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic; and BBC anchor and correspondent Laura Trevelyan. They discuss an updated outlook on Brexit and the U.K. elections, as well as certain parallels between U.S. and U.K. politics.

In this episode, Bob and Andrew invite Kimberly Flowers, director of the Humanitarian Agenda and Global Food Security Project at CSIS. They analyze the political and humanitarian impact of climate change on food security and global hunger. Kimberly also draws on a recent brief that she co-authored, "Climate Change and Food Security: A Test of U.S. Leadership in a Fragile World."

In this episode, Bob and Andrew invite back Seth Jones, CSIS's Harold Brown Chair and Director of the Transnational Threats Project. Seth discusses the U.S. raid on Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and what it means for the future of the Islamic State as well as its implications on future relations between the U.S. and the Middle East.

Download the full transcript here.