Rational Security

In the debut episode of RatSec 2.1, Scott sat down with his Lawfare colleagues Kevin Frazier, Eugenia Lostri, and Benjamin Wittes to talk over the week’s big national security news, including: ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-lets-understand-how-we-got-here-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott celebrated the third anniversary of Rational Security 2.0 with their Lawfare colleagues Molly Reynolds, Natalie Orpett, and Tyler McBrien, who sat in brutal j...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-third-anniversary-hot-take-takedown-comeuppance-edition

This week, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare Managing Editor Tyler "Spicy Tyler" McBrien to talk through the week's big national security news stories, including: “Jack Smith Takes a Mull...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/rational-security-the-prison-rules-edition

This week, Alan and Quinta sat down with Molly Reynolds and Kevin Frazier to talk about the week’s big developments, including: “It can always get worse…” Although President Biden’s rep...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-make-daguerreotypes-great-again-edition

This week, the whole gang—Alan, Quinta, and Scott—got back together to discuss the week's big national security news, including: “In Post-Soviet Russia, Ukraine Invade You!” In an ironic ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-minnesota-nice-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by co-host emeritus Benjamin Wittes to talk through the week's very big national security news stories, including: “The Waiting Game.” The Middl...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-exit-pursued-by-a-bear-cub-edition

This week, Alan and Quinta were joined by Kevin Frazier to talk through some of the week’s biggest national security news, including: “KOSA Nostra.” An overwhelming majority of senators vot...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-big-worm-energy-edition

This week, Alan and Scott were joined by Lawfare teammates Molly Reynolds and Eugenia Lostri to talk over the week’s big national security news, including… “Bye Biden.” President Biden ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-reboot-the-reboot-edition

This week Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by Lawfare Executive Editor Natalie Orpett to talk through one of the most eventful weeks in national security news in recent history, including: �...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-million-dollar-babydog-edition

This week, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare Managing Editor Tyler McBrien and Lawfare Contributing Editor Eric Ciaramella to talk over all the national security news causing traffic is...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-petanque-a-donk-edition

This week, a Scott-less Alan and Quinta sat down with Lawfare Tarbell Fellow Kevin Frazier and law school-bound Associate Editor Hyemin Han to talk over the week’s big national security news, i...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-gluten-free-clam-pizza-is-the-best-pizza-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined once again by Lawfare Tarbell Fellow Kevin Frazier to talk over the week’s big national security news, including: Wiki-plea-ks.” After more than...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-god-given-edition

This week, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare Contributing Editor and Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Eric Ciaramella to talk over the week’s big national...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-up-in-flames-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by Lawfare Editor-in-Chief Benjamin Wittes to talk through some of the week’s biggest national security news stories, including: “Save the Last ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-miami-vices-edition

This week, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare Managing Editor Tyler McBrien to discuss how he is coping with the end of the New York trial and to run through some of the week’s big nationa...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-morning-after-edition

This week, a Quinta-less Alan and Scott sat down with Lawfare all-stars Natalie Orpett, Eugenia Lostri, and Kevin Frazier to talk about the week’s big national security news, including:  “Wa...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-cute-little-ears-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by Lawfare Editor-in-Chief Benjamin Wittes, fresh from his New York rumspringa, to talk over the week’s big national security news, including: �...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-closing-the-clubhouse-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by Lawfare Executive Editor Natalie Orpett to go over the week’s big national security news, including: “Does NSM Stand for No Such Memo?” Las...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-active-listening-noises-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by Lawfare’s Fellow in Technology Policy and Law Eugenia Lostri, to hash through the week’s big national security news, including: “Digital So...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-b-b-roll-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by Lawfare Contributing Editor Eric Ciaramella to talk through the week’s big natsec stories, including: “Not Done Nyet.” U.S. foreign assist...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/rational-security-the-ratsecapella-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were finally reunited to talk through the week’s big natsec stories, including: “First is the Worst.” The historic first criminal trial of a former presid...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-dont-call-it-a-comeback-because-im-technically-still-on-

This week, Alan and Quinta sat down with Lawfare Editor-in-Chief Benjamin Wittes to talk through the week’s big national security news, including: “Ayatollahs and Airstrikes.” In retaliatio...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-trump-and-elon-both-love-lawfare-edition

This week, Alan and Quinta were joined again by Brookings Senior Fellow and Lawfare Senior Editor Molly Reynolds to talk over the week’s national security news, including: “The 702nd Time’s...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-eldritch-portents-edition

This week, Alan and Quinta were joined by Lawfare Executive Editor Natalie Orpett to talk through the week's big national security news, including: “A Gag Order Prevents Me From Telling You Wha...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-going-once-going-twice-edition

This week, Alan and Quinta were joined again by Lawfare Managing Editor Tyler McBrien and Lawfare Foreign Policy Editor Daniel Byman—also of Georgetown University and the Center for Strategic a...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/a-terrorism-briefing-from-a-goldendoodle

This week, Alan and Quinta were joined by Lawfare Managing Editor Tyler McBrien and Lawfare Legal Fellow and Courts Correspondent Anna Bower to talk through the week's big national security news,...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-tylers-grandmas-matzah-ball-soup-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott got together for the last time before Scott’s paternity leave to talk over the week’s big national security news, including: “Kitchen Table Issues.” Pre...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-sociopathic-nose-wrinkle-edition

This week, Lawfare Managing Editor Tyler McBrien joined Alan, Quinta, and Scott to discuss the week's big national security news, including: “Operation Humbled Drop.” After months of unsucces...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-alan-and-the-owl-edition

This week, Quinta and Scott were joined by Molly Reynolds and (a prerecorded) Anna Bower to talk through some of the week’s big national security news, including: “The Shutdown Rut.” Congr...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-sir-this-is-a-wendys-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott got together to talk over the week’s big national security news, including: “Is Revanchism a Dish Best Served Cold?” Russia boosters seem to be feeling bu...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-fast-and-the-furry-us-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were once again joined by co-host emeritus Benjamin Wittes to talk through the week's big national security news, including: “Constitutional Annoyance.” Las...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-licking-the-cow-edition

This week, Alan made his long-awaited return to the podcast for a (brief, so savor it) reunion with Quinta and Scott to talk over the week’s big national security news, including: “Losing the...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-fecund-season-edition

This week, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare Editor-in-Chief Benjamin Wittes to talk over the meaty week of national security news, including:  “The Neighborhood is Getting Worse.” Thr...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-meatlovers-edition

This week, just Scott was joined for a Bizarro-world episode with guests Lawfare Senior Editor and Brookings Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds (back for a second episode in a row!) and Lawfare Legal F...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-cestar-edition

This week, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare Senior Editor and Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds to talk through some big stories at the intersection of politics and nation...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-three-ring-circus-edition

This week, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare Executive Editor Natalie Orpett to discuss the week’s big national security and courtroom news, including: “Ergo Omnes.” South Africa has ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-courtroom-drama-edition

This week, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare Legal Fellow Anna Bower to talk through the week’s big national security news, including: “Hamas, No Más.” A senior Hamas official was ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-dry-january-edition

This week, Quinta and Scott rang in the New Year with co-host emeritus Benjamin Wittes by discussing some listener-submitted topics, including: What does the AUKUS deal mean for the Five Eyes int...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-unboxing-day-edition

This week, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare Executive Editor Natalie Orpett and Cyber Fellow Eugenia Lostri to talk through the big national security news waking us up from our long wint...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-arose-such-a-clatter-edition

This week, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare Managing Editor Tyler McBrien to talk through the week’s big national security news, including: “You’ll Shoot Your Five Eyes Out with a ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-a-friend-in-need-is-a-friends-security-guaranteed-editio

This week, co-hosts Quinta and Scott were joined by co-host emeritus Benjamin Wittes to talk over the week’s big national security news, including: “Stalled and Appalled.” Ukraine’s count...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-based-in-eunuchs-edition

This week, a contentedly full post-Thanksgiving Scott and Quinta sat down with two Lawfare colleagues—Senior Editor and Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds and Cyber Fellow Eugen...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-were-moving-to-microsoft-edition

This week, Quinta and Scott were jointed by Lawfare Managing Editor Tyler McBrien to talk over some of the week's big national security news, including: “The Day After.” As the war in Gaza ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-talking-turkey-edition

This week, Quinta and Scott bade a temporary farewell to Alan and spent one last afternoon (for a few months, anyway) digging into the week’s big national security news stories, including: “C...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-alan-revoir-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by Lawfare Fellow in Technology Policy and Law Eugenia Lostri to tackle some of the overlooked national security stories that have been percolating ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-regulatory-cage-match-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott came together in the virtual studio to talk over the week’s big national security news, including: “Stuck in the Middle (East) with You.” The Biden admini...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-covered-in-lyes-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by their Lawfare colleague and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Senior Fellow Eric Ciaramella to discuss the week’s big national securit...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-third-ballots-the-charm-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by Lawfare Editor-in-Chief Benjamin Wittes for a serious conversation about Hamas’s attacks in Israel, Israel’s military response, and what it...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-israel-and-hamas-at-war-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were once again joined by Congress guru Molly Reynolds to discuss the week’s big national security news, including: “Master of the House, Doling out the Har...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-we-can-finally-stop-talking-about-kevin-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott reunited to discuss the week’s big national security news, including: “Do as I Menendsez, Not as I Menendo.” New Jersey Senator and, until recently, chair...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-so-much-for-that-menendez-rest-stop-edition

This week, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare colleagues Eric Ciaramella and Saraphin Dhanani, the latter for her last episode of RatSec before departing Lawfare, to break down the week’s ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-sara-fin-edition

This week, with Scott traveling, Quinta and Alan were joined by Lawfare Senior Editor Molly Reynolds to break down the week’s big national security news stories, including: “What is Impeachme...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-we-need-to-talk-about-kevin-again-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott celebrated the second anniversary of Rational Security 2.0 by bringing back everyone's favorite game show edition: the Hot Take Takedown! But this year, instead...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-2nd-anniversary-hot-take-takedown-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott reunited to talk through the week’s big national security news, including: “Pack Your Knives and Go Home.” Vladimir Putin’s top chef has been eliminated...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-gone-til-september-edition

This week, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare Executive Editor Natalie Orpett to break down the week’s big national security news stories, including: “Home to Roost.” A judge in the mi...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-damn-danville-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by Fulton County correspondent Anna Bower to talk through the week’s big news down south, including:  “Waiting on a Midnight Complaint in Georg...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-donny-with-the-gold-hair-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott beat back the heat to dig into the week's big national security news stories, including: “ECOWAShed?” We are now several weeks into a coup in Niger, a count...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-dog-days-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by co-host emeritus Benjamin Wittes to talk through the week's YUGE national security news, including: “So THAT’s What the Insurrection Act is F...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-third-times-a-charm-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by the long absent Lawfare Executive Editor Natalie Orpett to talk through the week’s big national security news stories, including: “Next Fear ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-norpett-returns-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott got together to NOT talk about that ONE big story that's not quite ripe yet. (You know the one. It involves sandwiches.) But they did chat through some of the w...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-five-dollar-footlong-gate-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by Ravi Agrawal, Editor in Chief of Foreign Policy Magazine, to talk through the week’s big natsec news, including:  “Pledge Week.” In a sign...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-long-middle-finger-of-europe-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott sat down to talk over the week's post-Independence Day national security news, including: “Oy Revolt.” Israel launched a major military operation aimed at u...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-bang-pow-sparkle-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by their colleague and think-tank neighbor, Russia/Ukraine expert Eric Ciaramella, to talk over the week's big news, including: “Going All (Prigoz...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-mutiny-in-the-kitchen-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by UVA Law Professor Paul Stephan to talk through the close-calls in this week's national security news, including: “Xi’s All That.” Secretary...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-even-stephan-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by Lawfare Legal Fellow Anna Bower fresh from the Miami court system to discuss the week's yuge national security news story—and one more for good...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-you-want-her-in-the-lineyou-need-her-in-the-line-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott braved the haze to talk through the week’s (very) big national security news stories, including: “Downstream Effects.” The destruction of the Kakhovka Dam...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-air-quality-fuchsia-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by their Brookings and Lawfare colleague Molly Reynolds to talk all things Congress in the week’s national security news, including: Shattering th...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-pun-moll-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were reunited to celebrate Alan's gradual physical and mental decline, and to talk over the week in national security news, including: “Fear of Flying.” Pre...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-alan-is-one-year-closer-to-death-edition

This week, Alan and Scott were joined by co-host emeritus (and Washington Post star reporter) Shane Harris to talk over the week's news! Including: “Flight of the Valkyries.” Recently leaked ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-low-down-dirty-shane-edition

This week, Scott took a well-deserved vacation, so Alan and Quinta were joined by Lawfare managing editor Tyler McBrien to discuss: “But I thought 42 was the answer to life, the universe, and e...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-you-hear-that-mr-anderson-that-is-the-sound-of-inevitabi

This week, a Quinta-less Alan and Scott were joined by Lawfare legal fellow Saraphin Dhanani to talk through the week's big national security news, including: “Seoul Authority.” South Korea...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-q-agone-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott sat down—2/3 in a new studio space! (sorry, not sorry, Alan)—to discuss the week's big national security news, including: “A Sense of Doom in Khartoum.”...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-exile-on-alan-street-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by law professor extraordinaire Jed Shugerman to talk over his controversial take on the New York district attorney's case against former President...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-catch-more-flies-with-shugerman-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were reunited to discuss the perils of Nazi paraphernalia collecting, among other hot national security news stories from the week, including: “TrickyLeaks.�...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-signed-pol-pot-rookie-card-edition

This week, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare Managing Editor Tyler McBrien to celebrate the return of the complete media madhouse and talk through the week’s big stories, including: I’m...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-24-hour-news-psychos-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined once again by co-host emeritus and Lawfare Editor-in-Chief Benjamin Wittes to talk through national security news stories from the Holy Land to th...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-tik-tik-tik-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott waited for a big shoe to drop by talking over the week's big national security news, including: “What Else Can I Get Away With on Fifth Avenue...” Donald Tr...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-mission-admonished-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined for a special episode by the most glamorous of RatSec co-hosts emeritus, Shane Harris, to hand out some Academy Awards for events in national securi...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-wickedly-talented-adele-dazeem-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by Naval Academy professor and cyberlaw expert Jeff "Two Effs" Kosseff to work through the week's big national security news stories, including: “...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-giving-two-effs-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by favorite guest Lawfare executive editor Natalie Orpett to talk through the week's news, including: “Low Confidence Games.” A Department of En...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-key-west-v-west-bank-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott sat through literally hours of oral arguments to prepare to discuss all the national security developments in the news, including: “The HIMAR Anniversary.” ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-not-like-the-three-greatest-experts-at-podcasting-editio

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott talked over some of the various natsec stories blowing up headlines, including: “The Truth is Up There…And We Shot It Down.” Last week’s controversy ove...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-all-blowd-up-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined once again by host emeritus Benjamin Wittes to talk through the week's various freak-outs, including: “We Found the 100th Luftballon.” Last week...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-are-you-there-nena-its-me-norad-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by Lawfare special Georgia correspondent Anna Bower to talk through the week's big national security news stories, including: “You Gotta Know Wh...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-when-the-bower-breaks-news-edition

This week, Quinta and Scott were joined by special guest Michel Paradis to talk over the week's big national security news, including: “Don’t Tank my Chain.” Western allies of Ukraine have ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-m1-abrams-accords-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott reunited on our new recording day to talk through the week’s big national security news, including: “Blocked and Muted.” Earlier this week, the Washington...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-thelma-or-louise-edition

Hey there, Rational Security listeners! We have a quick programming note for you: Due to some scheduling conflicts both among us co-hosts and with Lawfare’s broader podcast production schedul...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/programming-note

This week, a Quinta-less Alan and Scott were joined by their Lawfare colleagues senior editor Molly Reynolds and managing editor Tyler McBrien to talk over some copycat-ing that's been taking pla...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-the-sincerest-form-of-flattery-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by co-host emeritus Benjamin Wittes to talk through the big natsec news stories starting off the new year, including: “Watch Out, You Might Get Wh...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-2023-and-me-edition

For their end-of-the-year episode, Alan, Quinta, and Scott took on a number of hard-hitting questions posed by you, the listeners, including: What did Quinta mean when she referenced "the radica...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-toodle-2020-two-doo-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were once again joined by Congress maven Molly Reynolds to hash through some of the week's big natsec news, including: “Don’t Fear the Referr(als).” As it...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-fracket-fracas-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by serial guest Lawfare executive editor Natalie Orpett to talk through the week's big national security news, including: “Surly Intervention.” ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-it-has-a-kilt-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were reunited after a few weeks apart to talk through the week's big national security news, including: “In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is Still G...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-dork-at-4pm-edition

This week, Quinta and Scott co-hosted sans Alan, but were joined by the co-hosts of the Carnegie Council's The Doorstep Podcast , Nikolas Gvosdev and Tatiania Serafin! They talked through the wee...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-doorstepped-edition

This week, a Quinta-less Alan and Scott welcomed Lawfare's dynamic associate editor duo, Katherine Pompilio and Hyemin Han, on to the show to talk through the week's big national security news...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-get-off-my-lawn-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott talked through a big week of national security news, including: “Red Dead Redemption.” Expectations of a “red wave” in the 2022 midterm elections came ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-raising-a-wordcel-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by Brookings Institution Middle East expert Natan Sachs to talk over the week's big (non-U.S. election) national security news, including: “Bibi G...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-needle-is-back-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott shook off their post-Halloween sugar comas to hash through some of the week's big national security news stories, including: “A Home Invasion in the House.”...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-happy-hallowmas-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by China expert and law professor Julian Ku to talk through some of the week's big national security news, including: “Xi Loves Me, Xi Loves Me No...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-ku-ku-kachoo-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott flew solo to talk through some of the week's big national security news stories, including: “Jake, Mr. Sullivan if You’re NSSty.” The Biden administration...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-its-short-for-scottrick-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by beloved Lawfare contributor and UVA Law professor Ashley Deeks, fresh from her latest stint at the White House. They hashed through some of the w...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-wahoowa-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott sat down with unofficial fourth co-host, Lawfare executive editor Natalie Orpett, to discuss the week’s big national security news, including: “That’s one...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-escalatory-alan-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by Lawfare managing editor Tyler McBrien to hash through the week's big national security news, including: “Bad Vlad’s Sad Grab Has Leningrad a ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-spicy-tyler-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott went guestless to discuss the week’s big national security news, including: “Ne Me Quitte Pas.” The nearby island nation of Haiti is hitting new levels of...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-korea-culpa-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott sat down with Lawfare deputy foreign policy editor and RatSec rookie Dana Stuster, to talk through the week’s big national security news, including: “Cheche...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-so-lonely-on-a-limb-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by co-host emeriti Ben Wittes and Shane Harris for a very special anniversary edition of Rational Security that pits their national security hot tak...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-anniversary-hot-take-takedown-edition

On this anniversary-eve edition, Alan, Quinta, and Scott reunited to hash through this week’s big national security stories, including: “The Other Other Nuclear Option.” Hostilities in Ukra...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-anniversareve-edition

This week, a Quinta-less Alan and Scott were joined by host emeritus Benjamin Wittes to talk through the week's big national security stories, including: “Sometimes the Best Defense is a New Of...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-boys-night-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by their fellow Lawfare senior editor Molly Reynolds to talk through a week of big national security news stories, including: “Regrets? I’ve had...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-margate-v-water-a-lago-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by special guest Ravi Agrawal, editor-in-chief of Foreign Policy magazine, to hash through the week's big national security news, including: “Can...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-very-model-of-a-modern-major-general-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, Scott, and favorite guest Lawfare executive editor Natalie Orpett got together to discuss the week's big national security news, including: “Another One Bites the Dust...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-small-world-after-all-edition

This week, most of Alan, Quinta, Scott, and co-host emeritus Ben Wittes got together to discuss the week's big national security news, including:  “It’s Over, but Don’t Leave Before the M...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-alandectomy-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott got together for another early morning session to hash through the week's big national security news, including:  “Stuck in the Middle (East) with You.” ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-this-edition-is-too-damn-early-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were reunited to hash through the week's national security news, including:  “A Thousand and One Arabian Flights.” President Biden is conducting his f...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-coke-party-edition

This week, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare's new Managing Editor, Tyler McBrien, to hash through the week's national security news, including:  “(John) Dean for a Day.” Surprise...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-life-after-cassidy-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by star New York Times reporter Katie Benner to talk through some of this week's biggest national security news stories, including:  “The Mask...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-benner-than-ever-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott flew solo to discuss the week's big national security news, including:  “Just Dropped in to See What Condition This Extradition is In.” The U.K. government...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-potato-facts-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by Lawfare executive editor Natalie Orpett to talk through some the week's big national security news, including:  “First Act Break.” We are on...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-home-sick-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by Lawfare senior editor and congressional expert Molly Reynolds to hash through the week's big national security news stories, including:  “Disq...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-on-the-topic-of-rational-security-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott flew solo as they talked through the week's big national security news stories, including:  “Our Gun Epidemic.” Last week’s horrifying school shooting in ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-washington-meltdown-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by Rational Security co-host emeritus Shane Harris! Together they talked through the week's big national security news stories, including:  “We Wa...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-walk-of-shane-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by Allies  host and Lawfare associate editor Bryce Klehm! Together they talked through the week's big national security news stories, including:  ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-shameless-self-promotion-edition

This week, Quinta and Scott were joined by RatSec 1.0 host emeritus Benjamin Wittes to talk through the week's big national security news stories, including:  “Sharing is Caring.” Earlier th...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-live-action-rational-security-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by Jeffrey Kosseff, cybersecurity law professor at the U.S. Naval Academy, to hash through some of the week's big national security news, including:�...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-truth-fairy-edition

This week, Alan and Scott were joined by Lawfare executive editor Natalie Orpett and law professor extraordinaire Kate Klonick to hash through some of the week's big national security news, inclu...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-in-lieu-of-q-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott talked amongst themselves about some of the week's big national security news stories, including: “What’s in a Name?” Observers of the war in Ukraine are i...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-textual-healing-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare managing editor Jacob Schulz to hash through some of the week's big national security news, including: “Le Pen 15 Club.” As France ent...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-boys-next-door-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by their fellow Lawfare senior editor and Brookings Institution senior fellow Molly Reynolds to hash through some of the week's big national security...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-how-many-cs-in-accountability-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by RatSec 1.0 host and Lawfare editor-in-chief Benjamin Wittes! They hashed through some of the week's big national security news, including: “You�...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-slap-in-the-face-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by international law expert Chimene Keitner to hash through some of the week's big national security news, including: “Go Straight to Den Haag, Do ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-we-hear-the-hague-is-lovely-in-the-springtime-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, Scott and guest Lawfare executive editor Natalie Orpett sat down to discuss several of the week's big national security news stories, including: “The Dragon-Bear Relian...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-ides-of-march-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott sat down sans guest to work through some of the week's big national security news, including: “Like Stalin Without the ‘Stache.” The unpopularity of Russi...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-thanks-for-nothing-volodya-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott sat down for a special episode committed to discussing a very serious topic: the war in Ukraine. They talked through three aspects of the conflict, namely: “In...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-war-in-ukraine-special-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined once again by Lawfare executive editor Natalie Orpett! They talked through some of the week's biggest national security news, including: “Maybe He ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-edgelord-putin-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by their Lawfare colleague Dominic Bustillos! They talked through some of the week's biggest national security news, including: “Giving Chicken Kie...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-bloody-valentine-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by Canadian national security expert, Stephanie Carvin! They talked through some of the week's biggest national security news, both in the U.S. and i...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-hockey-with-guns-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare senior editor, Roger Parloff! They talked through some of the week's biggest national security news, including: “The Turn Heel State.”...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-wet-february-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by Lawfare managing editor, Jacob Schulz! They talked through some of the week's biggest national security news, including: “The Shawshank Detent...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-house-of-canards-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare's new director of digital media, Claudia Swain! They talked through some of the week's biggest national security news, including: “It�...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-cmon-neil-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by three-peat guest Lawfare executive editor Natalie Orpett! They talked through some of the week's biggest national security news, including: “Wha...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-almaty-too-hotty-edition

This week, Quinta and Scott were joined by RatSec 1.0 co-host and Lawfare editor-in-chief Benjamin Wittes! They sat down to discuss the week's national security news, including: “Merrick’s B...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-snowmicron-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott celebrated the impending New Year by answering some questions and sharing some object lessons submitted by Rational Security listeners. They discussed: If you co...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-miracle-on-massachusetts-avenue-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by military law expert and Lawfare contributor Michel Paradis! They sat down to discuss the week's national security news, including: “You Want ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-party-at-nakatomi-plaza-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by their fellow Lawfare senior editor and Brookings Institution fellow Molly Reynolds! They sat down to discuss the week's national security news,...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-whole-damn-system-is-out-of-order-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare contributor and University of Kentucky law professor Jonathan Shaub! They sat down to discuss the week's national security news, includ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-bad-vlad-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott go guestless as they sat down to discuss the week's national security news, including: “Show Me Your Omicron Face”: Scientists have identified a virulent new...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-holiday-hangover-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by special guest, Quinta's co-host of the Arbiters of Truth series on the Lawfare podcast feed Evelyn Douek ! They sat down to discuss: —“G...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-nothing-to-be-thankful-for-edition

Introducing Chatter , a brand new podcast from Lawfare. Weekly long-form conversations with fascinating people at the creative edges of national security. Unscripted. Informal. Always fresh. Ch...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/lawfare-presents-chatter

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by special guest, Lawfare chief operating officer David Priess! They sat down to discuss: “In Byelorussia, Everything . . . Everything is Just Awf...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-spaaace-laaaw-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by special guest, Lawfare associate editor Rohini Kurup! They sat down to discuss: “I’ll Keep You, My Dirty Little Secret”: The Supreme Court ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-dirty-little-secrets-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by special guest, Rational Security editor Jen Patja Howell! They sat down to discuss: “Our Stand on Havana”: While pressure is building on the ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-nuclear-tongue-twister-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined once again by Lawfare executive editor Natalie Orpett! They sat down to discuss: “A Mess in Texas”: Texas’s Republican governor has appointed ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-very-windy-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare cyber fellow Alvaro Marañon! They sat down to discuss: “Some Professional News”: LinkedIn is leaving China over the challenges of co...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-linkedout-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by Rational Security forefather and Washington Post reporter Shane Harris to discuss: “The Hunt for Bread October”: Which country did a U.S. N...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-choosy-spies-choose-jif-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by special guest and Lawfare associate editor Bryce Klehm to discuss: "The Problem with Nosy Neighbors": How concerned should we be about the Chines...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-whats-in-the-box-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by special guest (and our first-ever undisputed Generation Z guest) Lawfare managing editor Jacob Schulz! They discussed: From the Department of the...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-are-we-cheugy-edition

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by special guest Lawfare executive editor (and first-time podcaster) Natalie Orpett! They sat down to discuss: The AUKUS Awkwardness: Why does a new�...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-milleys-crossing-edition

On this week’s episode, Alan, Quinta, and Scott are joined by the fourth member of their Lawfare senior editor quartet, Brookings Institution Senior Fellow (and first-time Rational Security gue...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-everyone-is-wrong-edition

On this premiere episode of Rational Security 2.0, new hosts Alan Rozenshtein, Quinta Jurecic, and Scott R. Anderson are joined by special guest Benjamin Wittes to discuss: the Taliban's new gove...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/rational-security-20-the-bloodless-coup-edition

Rational Security 2.0 returns after Labor Day… You can get the rest of this bonus episode, “The ‘Dry-Runs Are for Cowards’ Edition,” by becoming a Lawfare supporter at http://www.pat...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/a-sneak-peak-rational-security-20-the-next-generation

We’re going to stalk our former Rational Security hosts. We’ll talk about this feed and what we should do with it. And, we’ll chew over how the first hearing of the Jan. 6 commission went. ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-im-ok-without-friends-edition

It’s our last episode—at least in our current form. We’ll reminisce about our favorite moments, hear from longtime friends and listeners, and share in a final Object Lesson.  Hosted on A...

https://www.lawfareblog.com/rational-security-farewell-edition

Historic protests rock Cuba. The ripple effects of an assassination linger in Haiti. And a former president warns the consequences of withdrawal from Afghanistan will be “unbelievably bad.” ...

https://www.lawfareblog.com/rational-security-were-quitting-just-time-edition

At long last, the Director of National Intelligence releases its findings about UFOs. The Trump Organization and its chief financial officers are accused of a 15-year tax fraud scheme. And Russia...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-beam-me-up-edition

The Egyptian government may have assisted a Saudi hit team in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a new investigation finds. Congress debates repealing an authorization for “forever war.�...

https://www.lawfareblog.com/rational-security-drugs-bombs-and-bibles-edition

World leaders convene in Cornwall and Brussels as President Biden makes his first official trip abroad. Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have a face-to-face meeting in Geneva. And leak ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-specter-or-mirage-edition

Bibi Netanyahu may be out of a job. Alleged drug lords and contract killers thought they were using a secure messaging app but WOOPS, they were talking to the cops. And there’s no evidence it's...

https://www.lawfareblog.com/rational-security-im-not-saying-its-aliens-edition

Violence escalates in Afghanistan as U.S. troops withdraw. President Biden directs intelligence agencies to look for more evidence that a lab leak may have started the covid pandemic. And a ranso...

https://www.lawfareblog.com/rational-security-wheres-beef-edition

The prosecutor in the Trump criminal probe convenes a grand jury to hear evidence and weigh potential charges. The skyjacking of a commercial airliner over Belarus sparks international condemnati...

https://www.lawfareblog.com/rational-security-isnt-it-grand-jury-edition

Fighting intensifies in Israel and Gaza as President Biden pleads for a cease fire. Lawmakers debate setting up a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack. And a New York state investigation o...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-sedition-commission-edition

The death toll rises in Israel and Gaza as a historic wave of violence enters its third day. A ransomware attack leads to the shutdown of a major gas pipeline in the U.S. And the GOP identity cri...

https://www.lawfareblog.com/rational-security-gas-new-toilet-paper-edition

President Biden says he will raise the cap on refugees admitted to the United States. A federal judge accuses the Justice Department and former Attorney General Bill Barr of misleading her and Co...

https://www.lawfareblog.com/rational-security-definitely-not-indefinitely-suspended-edition

Federal investigators search Rudy Giuliani’s New York apartment, in an escalation of a criminal investigation into the former president’s lawyer. Covid-19 ravages India, with a record-breakin...

https://www.lawfareblog.com/rational-security-oops-rudy-did-it-again-edition

The Treasury Department says an associate of disgraced Trump ally Paul Manafort gave campaign data to “Russian Intelligence,” leading us to ask, why are we only hearing this now? A former sen...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-collusion-was-not-an-illusion-edition

President Biden announces that all U.S. military forces will be out of Afghanistan by Sept. 11. A blackout at an Iranian nuclear facility is widely attributed to Israeli sabotage, complicating ne...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-longest-war-is-ending-edition

Jordanian authorities mount arrests and detain a member of the royal family in what authorities called a threat to “security and stability” in the country, a key U.S. ally. An attack on the C...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-scoop-detat-edition

The debate heats up over “vaccine passports.” Google exposes a hacking operation that turns out to have been a government counterterrorism mission. And the World Health Organization's directo...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-vaccines-are-the-new-masks-edition

U.S. and Chinese officials clash during tense meetings in Alaska. The race to vaccinate the world is becoming a geopolitical problem. And Benjamin Netanyahu’s political future is uncertain afte...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-chilly-in-alaska-edition

A weekly discussion of national security and foreign policy matters hosted by Shane Harris of the Washington Post and featuring Brookings senior fellows Susan Hennessey, Tamara Cofman Wittes, and...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-it-was-always-russia-edition

The Biden administration is reviewing the policy on drone strikes. At the same time, it grapples with how to respond to aggressive cyber threats from Russia and China. And one year after much of ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/the-happy-birthday-remote-jungle-studio-edition

A newly released intelligence report officially blames Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. FBI Director Chris Wray says domestic extremism is a �...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa801aa3e29f6af7d62

President Biden’s nominees for attorney general and CIA director mostly sail through their confirmation hearings. The administration kickstarts policy on Iran, with an eye towards salvaging a n...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa801aa3e29f6af7d63

It's our 300th episode! The Senate acquits Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial. Rolling blackouts in Texas offer a glimpse of climate insecurity to come. And the Pentagon delayed promoti...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa801aa3e29f6af7d64

President Trump’s impeachment trial begins in the Senate as a prosecutor in Georgia investigates efforts to overturn the election. President Biden sets out to “revitalize” national security...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa801aa3e29f6af7d65

The Senate prepares to try former President Trump on charges of inciting a riot at the Capitol. A military coup in Myanmar deals a potentially crushing blow to democracy. And how do you solve a p...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa801aa3e29f6af7d66

The storming of the Capitol on January 6 has exposed the long-simmering threat of domestic extremism in the United States. How will the Biden administration combat it? Protests break out across R...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa801aa3e29f6af7d67

Joe Biden takes the oath of office to become the 46th President of the United States. We’ll look at how Donald Trump spent his last day in office and how Biden is spending his first. Hosted o...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa801aa3e29f6af7d68

The House impeaches President Trump—again—for his role in stoking an attack on the Capitol. President-elect Biden announces more national security appointments, including his nominee to lead ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa801aa3e29f6af7d69

A normally procedural session of Congress dissolves as protestors descend on Washington and occupy the Capitol. A new crackdown on pro-democracy forces in Hong Kong will complicate the incoming B...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa801aa3e29f6af7d6a

President Trump issues another round of pardons, raising expectations that his family members and maybe Trump himself will be next. As 2020 comes to a merciful close, we’ll take a look back at ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa801aa3e29f6af7d6b

Attorney General Bill Barr exits the stage. Did he leave before Trump could fire him? A massive computer hack attributed to Russian intelligence may have exposed dozens of companies and governmen...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa801aa3e29f6af7d6c

President-elect Biden continues building his Cabinet, but his pick for defense secretary leaves some supporters cold. Administration officials drag their feet on the transition as Trump’s lawye...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa801aa3e29f6af7d6d

A top Iranian nuclear scientist is assassinated. Everyone gets pardons this Christmas! And the attorney general takes steps to ensure the investigation of the Russia probe continues in the Biden ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d6e

We're off this week for Thanksgiving, but we're bringing you back four years ago to reflect on the day after the 2016 election. What national security themes drove Donald Trump's supporters? What...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d6f

President Trump fires the country’s top election security official because he won’t go along with his lies about a stolen election. Promising news about coronavirus vaccines raises important ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d70

Joe Biden is elected president, but Donald Trump refuses to concede, and the transition to a new administration is rocky. Attorney General Bill Barr authorizes federal prosecutors to investigate ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d71

President Trump falsely declares victory and asserts the election was fraudulent. What havoc could he raise as states continue to count ballots? Some of the most dreaded threats of foreign interf...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d72

Americans head to the polls in the face of a virus and potential disruptions at polling places and beyond. Whoever wins next Tuesday, the period between Election Day and the inauguration is bound...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d73

Rudy Giuliani finds himself at the center of a misbegotten effort to interfere in the 2020 election. American diplomats and intelligence officers complain they’re being left in the cold after m...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d74

A Justice Department investigation into whether Obama-era officials improperly requested the identities of individuals from intelligence reports ends with a whimper. An investigation into the sho...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d75

President Trump tests positive for the coronavirus and the White House becomes a hot zone. Justice Department officials were “a driving force” behind an immigration policy that separated fami...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d76

Trump tells a white nationalist group to “stand by” as he further tries to erode confidence in the November elections, this time from the presidential debate stage. Election officials are bra...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d77

A top member of the Mueller team says the special counsel “could have done more” to hold Trump accountable. A career government official accuses the White House of improperly trying to stop J...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d78

A Trump-aligned political organization is accused of running a troll farm. The No. 2 on the team investigating the origins of the Russia probe quits, reportedly over concerns that the investigati...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d79

Multiple news organizations report that Trump has disparaged combat veterans, calling them “losers” and “suckers.” A senior Homeland Security official says he was told to stand down on th...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d7a

Shootings in Kenosha and Portland raise new concerns about violent protests in the U.S. Former national security adviser Michael Flynn is not yet free of the justice system. And a prominent Russi...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d7b

The Senate Intelligence Committee issues its long-awaited—and very long—report on Russian electoral interference in 2016 and the counterintelligence risks in the Trump campaign. The GAO deter...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d7c

Russia wants to “denigrate” Joe Biden and China would prefer Trump lose in November, viewing him as “unpredictable,” the nation’s top election security official says. An investigation b...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d7d

The Homeland Security Department compiles “intelligence reports” on protestors and journalists—including the tweets of our own Ben Wittes. Massive explosions in Beirut compound that country...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d7e

Attorney General Bill Barr testifies before Congress—about a lot. State and federal officials negotiate how to remove federal forces from Portland amid continuing protests. And Secretary of Sta...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d7f

Federal officers descend on protestors in Portland, over the objections of state and local officials. Why did Trump choose this city, and what does he hope to gain from this expanding campaign of...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d80

Chinese tech giants once again find themselves in the crosshairs of Western governments. The CIA has expanded its operations in cyberspace. And intelligence veterans warn that repairing the U.S. ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d81

The Trump administration issues new restrictions on immigration in response to the coronavirus pandemic. A major witness in the impeachment hearings retires amid concerns the White House might tr...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d82

Trump’s aides say they never briefed him about a Russian plot to kill U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Former aides say the president has been “delusional” in his dealing with foreign leaders. A...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d83

Bill Barr's Justice Department is accused of politicizing law enforcement across an astonishing array of subject matters. A federal appeals court orders the judge in the Michael Flynn case to dis...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d84

John Bolton is finally publishing his tell-all book, and the White House is fighting back. A CIA investigation blames “woefully lax” computer security for the biggest leak in the agency’s h...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d85

Who ordered what and when as police cleared peaceful protestors from Lafayette Park? Those protests and others in every state have sparked a national debate about policing. And former Trump admin...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d86

Americans have taken to the streets in dozens of cities to protest the death of George Floyd, police brutality, and systemic racism. President Trump has focused his attention on looting and viole...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d87

Twitter starts fact-checking President Trump as social media companies face calls to ramp up their election security efforts. China again encroaches on Hong Kong, this time using the pandemic as ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d88

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in hot water over the firing of an inspector general. A newly declassified email shows that Barack Obama wanted the Russia investigation handled “by the book.�...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d89

This week, the Rational Security gang is joined by listeners from around the world for a special live show. Unmasking, China, life after Trump/under Biden—we took listeners' questions and share...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d8a

Congressman John Ratcliffe faces questions from the Senate in his quest to become the next director of national intelligence. Americans are detained in an apparent botched invasion of Venezuela. ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d8b

Democrats and Republicans finally have something to agree on: China deserves more scrutiny for how it has handled the COVID-19 pandemic. Kim Jong Un is alive, maybe. And the courts take up the ar...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d8c

Protests break out against states’ stay-at-home orders. China is linked to a disinformation campaign about the coronavirus. And Israel forms a unity government.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.c...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d8d

State officials say tracing the contacts of people infected with the coronavirus will help keep it from spreading. The Trump administration withdraws funding from the World Health Organization. A...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d8e

President Trump removes two independent inspectors general, including the one at the center of his impeachment. The acting Navy Secretary is out after he removed the captain of an aircraft carrie...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d8f

State and local governments are on the frontlines of the fight against the coronavirus. But there’s a lot the federal government can, and arguably should, be doing. What is the pandemic showing...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d90

It took weeks for administration officials to persuade Donald Trump that the coronavirus posed a significant threat to the United States. Did those delays hinder the fight against the virus? The ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d91

Much of normal life has ground to a halt. We’ll reflect on the state of the pandemic and how it’s affecting us. What exactly happened to a White House office set up to respond to pandemics? A...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d92

As the coronavirus spreads, U.S. officials face a public health crisis and the threat of economic recession. The World Health Organization has officially declared coronavirus a pandemic. How are ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d93

President Trump picks Congressman John Ratcliffe—again—to be the new director of national intelligence. The United States signs a peace deal with the Taliban. And an appeals court rules that ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d94

Coronavirus is spreading, and the administration’s message has been a jumble. Intelligence reports suggest that Russia has developed a preference for Trump in the election and is trying to help...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d95

Bill Barr says that Trump’s tweets make his job more difficult, and he has considered resigning over them. But Trump is still tweeting and Barr is still the attorney general, so…? Also, the U...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d96

Four prosecutors step down from the Roger Stone case after the Justice Department contradicts their sentencing recommendation. The White House purges officials who testified in Trump’s impeachm...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d97

The Senate prepares to acquit Donald Trump on charges that he abused his office and obstructed Congress. We’ll take a look back at the impeachment trial and discuss what comes next. Also, gover...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d98

John Bolton has a story to tell about that Ukraine “drug deal.” The White House unveils its much anticipated Israeli-Palestinian peace plan. And Joe Biden envisions foreign policy after Trump...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d99

The impeachment trial of Donald Trump begins in earnest, with a marathon session hammering out the rules and procedures. U.N. investigators say there is credible evidence that the crown prince of...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d9a

The impeachment trial is about to begin in earnest. We’ll recap the latest. The Trump administration deals with the fallout from the strike that killed Qasem Soleimani. And in the final debate ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d9b

President Trump says Iran is backing down after a missile strike on U.S. bases in retaliation for the killing of Qasem Suleimani. The crisis has calmed, but what did we learn from the administrat...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d9c

Protesters attack the U.S. embassy in Baghdad following an American airstrike. U.S. Cyber Command contemplates information warfare to deter Russian election interference. And we’ll talk about t...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d9d

The House impeaches President Trump. What will a Senate trial look like? Former U.S. officials helped the United Arab Emirates build a domestic surveillance system. And a federal judge rebukes th...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d9e

The Justice Department Inspector General delivers a detailed report on the origins of the Trump-Russia probe. House lawmakers unveil articles of impeachment against Trump. And The Washington Post...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7d9f

The House Intelligence Committee submits its impeachment report, and the Judiciary Committee takes up the baton. Also, friend of the podcast Sophia Yan gives us an on-the-ground report from China...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7da0

The House conducts marathon impeachment hearings with key witnesses. And Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is indicted. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7da1

The first witnesses testify publicly in the impeachment inquiry. A jury deliberates Roger Stone’s fate. And Turkey’s president Erdogan visits Washington. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7da2

A key witness in the impeachment investigation changes his testimony. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is under fire for his leadership of U.S. diplomacy. And the House lays out the rules for the p...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7da3

A senior National Security Council official testifies about Trump’s phone call with the president of Ukraine. The U.S. military kills the leader of ISIS. And an investigation into the origins o...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7da4

The top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine delivers devastating testimony about a quid pro quo. The White House chief of staff says that quid pro quo was real—then says it wasn’t. Plus the latest break...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7da5

Testimony on Capitol Hill this week reveals that Rudy Giuliani was running a shadow foreign policy on Ukraine. The White House vows not to cooperate with the impeachment investigation. And Turkis...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7da6

Congress releases a series of revealing text messages that show the Trump administration pressuring Ukraine. Trump blocks a key participant in that effort from giving a deposition to Congress. An...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7da7

Secretary of State Pompeo says he was on the call between Presidents Trump and Zelensky at the center of the House impeachment inquiry. Rudy Giuliani’s contacts with Ukraininian officials and t...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7da8

This week, the gang talks about the explosive revelations of a whistleblower regarding a phone call that Trump had with the president of Ukraine. What's the political and legal significance? What...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7da9

The Director of National Intelligence refuses to tell Congress about a whistleblower allegation that may involve President Trump. Israelis go to the polls as Benjamin Netanyahu fights to maintain...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7daa

Donald Trump and John Bolton finally part ways. The CIA had a spy in the upper reaches of the Kremlin, then got him out of Russia. And Trump’s Middle East peace negotiator calls it quits. Hos...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dab

A new inspector general report faults former FBI Director Jim Comey for how he handled memos about his meetings with Donald Trump. The CIA isn’t so sure about a White House plan to expand its p...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dac

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suspends parliament as the Brexit deadline looms. World leaders push back—maybe?—on President Trump at the G7 summit. And Trump tells aides that he’ll p...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dad

Susan and Shane are away, so Ben and Tamara are joined by special guests Scott Anderson and Quinta Jurecic. A Russian missile test accident kills scientists and raises questions. Hong Kong and Ka...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dae

A series of shootings renews the discussion and debate around domestic terrorism. The U.S.-China trade war raises big questions about America’s role as a global power. And the United States fac...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7daf

President Trump said he will nominate a junior congressman and prominent Mueller critic as the next director of national intelligence. CIA Director Gina Haspel has become a bulwark between the Wh...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7db0

Bob Mueller finally had his close up. Was he ready for it? Did he change any minds? Did we learn anything new about his investigation? We’ll talk about Mueller’s testimony this week before tw...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7db1

We have a special treat for you in the Rational Security feed. Last week, Susan and Ben shared an Object Lesson with you: the podcast The Report, a deep dive narrative look at the contents of the...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7db2

Joe Biden lays out his foreign policy agenda. The Trump administration issues new rules for asylum seekers. And Julian Assange reportedly had some curious guests at the Ecuadorian embassy. Host...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7db3

The British ambassador to the U.S. resigns after his candid opinions on President Trump are leaked. Federal prosecutors intensify their investigation of a top Trump fundraiser. And a malicious co...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7db4

President Trump takes his show on the road to Osaka, Japan, for a meeting of world leaders. A man at the center of the Russia probe has disappeared, and conspiracy theorists have tried to fill th...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7db5

President Trump prepares to strike Iran in retaliation for downing a U.S. drone, but says he pulled back to spare Iranian lives. Former special counsel Robert Mueller is subpoenaed to testify to ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7db6

Shane and Tamara and Susan are all away—so Rational Security is dominated this week by acting officials. The acting secretary of defense has been replaced by another acting defense secretary, a...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7db7

Shane is off gallivanting elsewhere, so we wiped our bitter tears and did a show without him. Sophia Yan—yes, that Sophia Yan—phoned in from a Chinese airport on her way to Hong Kong to talk ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7db8

Robert Mueller speaks! What does it mean for the future of investigations and possible impeachment hearings? Bill Barr is given new authorities to declassify information about the Russia probe. A...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7db9

The Trump administration moves to block a Chinese telecom giant. White House counsel Don McGahn is a no-show at a congressional hearing. And the president is considering pardons for military serv...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dba

Tensions with Iran escalate amid new intelligence suggesting U.S. personnel in the Middle East could be at risk. The Russia investigation is now under investigation by a federal prosecutor. And t...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dbb

The White House asserts executive privilege over the Mueller report, and House Democrats move to hold Attorney General Bill Barr in contempt. Republicans revive allegations of spying on the Trump...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dbc

Special Counsel Robert Mueller told the attorney general that he failed to convey the “context, nature, and substance” of his investigation. Rod Rosenstein steps down from the Department of J...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dbd

The Special Counsel’s report has finally been released. After reading the report and thinking about the findings, we’ll discuss what impressed us most and what happens next. Hosted on Acast...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dbe

Julian Assange is taken into British custody, and the United States wants him to stand trial here. President Trump vetoes a resolution to end U.S. military involvement in the civil war in Yemen. ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dbf

The White House launches a purge at the Homeland Security Department. Some prosecutors in Robert Mueller’s office are frustrated by the attorney general’s portrayal of their report. And the T...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dc0

A White House official claims more than two dozen denials for security clearances were overturned. Six months after Saudi agents killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi, what has changed in the U.S-Sau...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dc1

This week: What else?! The gang talks about Bill Barr's summary of the Mueller report. What did the special counsel say about a Trump campaign conspiracy with Russia? What did he say about obstru...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dc2

The killing of 50 Muslims by a white supremacist in New Zealand prompts us to reconsider the meaning of domestic terrorism. The Pentagon identifies projects it will cut to pay for President Trump...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dc3

Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort is heading to prison, and facing new charges. If you thought the Arab Spring was over, think again. And a massage parlor owner with suspected links to ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dc4

Why does senior White House adviser Jared Kushner have a security clearance? President Trump comes back from a summit meeting with Kim Jong Un empty-handed. And the NSA has apparently stopped a c...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dc5

President Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen testifies to Congress. Adam Schiff signals he’s coming after all the Russia probe documents. And U.S. Cyber Command hits back at a Russi...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dc6

President Trump says his intelligence director is “not loyal” and may want to fire him. Trump administration officials pushed a plan to sell nuclear power plants to Saudi Arabia. And hackers ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dc7

Is Robert Mueller nearing the end of his Russia probe? The administration moves to block Chinese telecom giant Huawei. And you too can have your own private Mossad! Hosted on Acast. See acast.c...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dc8

President Trump delivers his second State of the Union address. Meanwhile, prosecutors send a subpoena to Trump’s inaugural committee. And the president is feuding with his intelligence chiefs�...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dc9

Roger Stone is indicted in the Mueller probe. Venezuela teeters on the brink of economic and political collapse. And American hackers help the UAE build a cyber army. Hosted on Acast. See acast...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dca

BuzzFeed drops a bomb that turns out to be more of a dud. Or is it? The president’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, could be doing more harm than good for his client. And Congress takes aim at the admin...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dcb

Senators question attorney general-nominee Bill Barr over the Mueller probe. Two new stories shed more light on President Trump’s troubling relationship with Russia. And the president contempla...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dcc

President Trump takes his pitch for border security to the American people in an Oval Office address. John Bolton and Mike Pompeo are on the road doing high stakes diplomacy, but do they actually...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dcd

How will a new Cabinet, and a new Congress, face the major national security challenges of 2019? An American businessman is arrested in Russia and charged with espionage. And Sen. Elizabeth Warre...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dce

The future of Brexit is...anyone’s guess. A sealed subpoena and a courtroom smackdown: The latest on L’Affaire Russe. And the U.S. announces it’s withdrawing troops from Syria. Hosted on ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dcf

There have been big moves in the Russia investigation. We'll put this week’s pieces together. U.S. tensions with China escalate following the arrest of a senior Chinese telecom executive. And t...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dd0

Robert Mueller says that Michael Flynn has cooperated extensively in multiple investigations, including about Russian interference in the election. A new guilty plea from Michael Cohen changes ou...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dd1

Paul Manafort heads to sentencing amid revelations that he has lied to the special counsel, cooperated with Trump’s legal team, and may have met with Julian Assange. The president stands by Sau...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dd2

Battle lines are drawn over Matthew Whitaker’s appointment as acting attorney general. President Trump, stung by election losses, picks fights with America’s closest allies. And is North Kore...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dd3

President Trump asks for Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ resignation. And Democrats retake the House, while Republicans expand their majority in the Senate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dd4

Attempted bombings and a shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue once again force us to confront domestic terrorism. Top U.S. officials call for a ceasefire and peace talks in Yemen. And a bizarre and...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dd5

Possible package bombs are sent to prominent Democratic political figures and Trump administration critics. And we’ll wrap up the Russia story so far and ask what it means for the midterm elect...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dd6

The disappearance of a Washington Post journalist becomes a foreign policy crisis for the Trump administration. U.S. and European intelligence officials say Iran may be planning attacks in Europe...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dd7

A prominent journalist and critic of the Saudi regime goes missing in Istanbul. Nikki Haley says she’s resigning as the U.N. ambassador. And tech companies push back against a story about a mas...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dd8

The Trump administration accuses China of a massive propaganda campaign in the United States. Facebook suffers a serious hack that exposes 50 million users. And, all laughing aside, what do we ma...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dd9

Will Rod Rosenstein remain as the deputy attorney general, and what does that mean for the Russia probe he oversees? Tensions hit a fever pitch with China amid an escalating trade war. And the pr...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dda

Paul Manafort pleads guilty and agrees to cooperate in the Russia investigation, and Mike Flynn gets a sentencing date. The Justice Department tells two Chinese media companies to register as for...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7ddb

John Bolton comes out swinging in his first major speech as national security adviser. Is Russia behind a mysterious string of illnesses at U.S. diplomatic facilities? And Trump administration of...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7ddc

A bombshell new book shows the Trump presidency on the verge of a nervous breakdown. The US pulls funding for a Palestinian relief agency. And the president lashed out again at the attorney gener...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7ddd

A former NSA contractor receives a stiff prison sentence for giving classified information to journalists. Nuclear disarmament talks with North Korea hit big roadblocks. And the administration ba...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dde

The gang breaks down one helluva day. Michael Cohen, Paul Manafort, and what it means for the president. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7ddf

This week: The 'Frenzied Commentary' Edition! We talk about what Paul Manafort's fraud trial tells us, and doesn't tell us, about l'Affaire Russe; the tussle between executive and legislative aut...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7de0

With Shane and Susan away, Ben and Tamara are joined by Quinta Jurecic and Shannon Togawa Mercer to answer the questions you submitted on Twitter! It’s a potpourri of NatSec analysis, with a do...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7de1

The National Security Council has a (very brief) meeting on election security. The TSA has been quietly tracking air travelers for years. And President Trump says he’s willing to meet Iran’s ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7de2

President Trump has one of the most tumultuous, and possible disastrous, weeks of his presidency. The president then lashes out at his political enemies in unprecedented ways. And the Justice Dep...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7de3

President Trump picks Judge Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court. What are his national security views? Trump blasts NATO allies ahead of a one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Put...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7de4

U.S. intelligence says North Korea is not giving up its nukes. Should the next Supreme Court justice recuse on matters involving Trump and the Russia probe? And the war in Afghanistan grinds on, ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7de5

The Supreme Court upholds President Trump’s travel ban. Jared Kushner hits the road to drum up support for his peace plan. And chaos ensues as border agents and the Justice Department roll out ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7de6

The gang from Bombshell joins us for a roundup of the week’s news: President Trump signs an order to keep immigrant families together, trying to defuse a crisis of his own making. Is the U.S. i...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7de7

President Trump returns from a summit meeting with Kim Jong Un, praising the North Korean dictator and castigating U.S. allies. A senior Senate staffer is indicted in an investigation of press le...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7de8

Paul Manafort gets in touch with some old friends. Was it witness tampering? Donald Trump discovers an Article II interpretation that would make Hamilton blush. And we’re on the edge of our sea...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7de9

President Trump told Jeff Sessions that he should not recuse himself from the Russia investigation. Trump feuds with the Homeland Security secretary as the administration separates children from ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dea

President Trump orders the Justice Department to investigate the Russia investigation. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo details the administration’s strategy for dealing with Iran. And Trump appe...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7deb

Israel kills dozens of protesters in Gaza as the US opens a new embassy in Jerusalem. President Trump wants to save jobs at ZTE, the Chinese company officials say threatens US national security. ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dec

President Trump decides to undo the Iran deal. Gina Haspel faces a grilling in the Senate. And Devin Nunes wants information that intelligence officials fear could jeopardize a source. Hosted o...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7ded

Robert Mueller has lots of questions for President Trump. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Iran lied about its nuclear weapons program. And John Kelly has reportedly described the p...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dee

Gina Haspel faces an uphill climb to become the next CIA Director. Former FBI No. 2 Andrew McCabe may face criminal charges. And the Democratic National Committee files suit over the 2016 theft o...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7def

Jim Comey has a few words to say. Nikki Haley is not confused about anything. And Mike Pompeo makes a surprise trip to North Korea. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7df0

Federal authorities launch raids on the home and office of President Trump’s personal attorney. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before Congress. And the U.S. prepares for possible milita...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7df1

Robert Mueller tells the president’s lawyers that Trump is the subject of a criminal investigation. Trump vows to pull the military out of Syria. And American troops may be heading to the US bo...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7df2

This week, we’re live from the University of Maryland Carey School of Law! On the show: Like Goldilocks in search of porridge, the president can’t seem to find the lawyer who’s just right. ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7df3

Our intrepid host is off in an undisclosed location, doing his reporting thing. Tamara is valiantly attempting to helm the podcast in his absence. This week: What we’ve learned—and what we ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7df4

Rex Tillerson is out at the State Department, and Mike Pompeo will leave CIA to take his place. The British government blames Russia for a brazen poisoning plot—but President Trump is not so su...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7df5

Special Counsel Robert Mueller zeroes in on a mysterious Lebanese businessman. What do elections in Italy portend for democracy in Europe? And North Korea signals it’s willing to cut a deal wit...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7df6

Jared Kushner is under scrutiny for his contacts with foreign officials. Democrats in Congress release their own memo about surveillance of a Trump campaign adviser. And ahead of a U.S. visit by ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7df7

Bob Mueller indicts a slew of Russians who interfered in the 2016 election. Can the president distinguish between the national interest and his own? And the school shooting in Florida brings stud...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7df8

Dozens of White House officials, including Jared Kushner, lack permanent security clearances. It’s been a really bad week for Benjamin Netanyahu. And U.S. intelligence chiefs present their annu...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7df9

Is the intelligence oversight process as we know it dead? We delve into the education of Kim Jong Un. And FBI emails show that the White House misled the public about the reaction to Jim Comey’...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dfa

Major developments in the Russia probe as House Republicans move to declassify a mysterious memo and the FBI’s No. 2 steps down. A new article reveals the inner workings of the Israeli spy mach...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dfb

FBI Director Christopher Wray resists administration pressure to clean house at the bureau. Bob Mueller’s Russia probe interviews Jeff Sessions and talks to Jim Comey. And Rex Tillerson present...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dfc

Hawaii authorities mistakenly warn citizens they’re about to be hit by a ballistic missile. The FBI warned Jared Kushner about his relationship with a prominent Chinese-American. And updates on...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dfd

The Trump administration signals it may launch a military strike on North Korea—or not. The U.S. announces it’s cutting aid to Pakistan. And the originator of the Steele dossier tells his sid...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dfe

A wave of anti-government protests grips Iran. Former Trump adviser George Papadopoulos may have been the impetus for the Russia investigation. And Defense Secretary James Mattis addresses the US...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7dff

Robert Mueller gets hold of emails from the presidential transition. The Pentagon has been researching sightings of UFOs. And a US citizen is being held as an enemy combatant in Iraq. Hosted on...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e00

Republicans question the integrity of Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. President Trump says he will move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. And Secretary of State Rex Tillerson gives ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e01

Mike Flynn is cooperating with Bob Mueller's Russia investigation, and President Trump raises questions about whether he sought to obstruct justice. Deutsche Bank has been told to hand over infor...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e02

Mike Flynn signals that he may be cooperating with Robert Mueller’s investigation. President Trump thinks the investigation may be nearing its end. And the U.S. plans to stay in Syria even afte...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e03

Should the president have the sole authority to launch nuclear missiles? President Trump designates North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism. And the “grownups” in charge of national security...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e04

The FBI is investigating an alleged kidnapping scheme involving ex-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Donald Trump Jr. was in direct contact with Wikileaks during the 2016 campaign. And aut...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e05

Trump campaign adviser Carter Page says officials knew about his conversations with Russians. The Saudi government launches an alleged anti-corruption push, but is it really a power grab? And CIA...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e06

Special Counsel Robert Mueller unveils the first indictments in his sprawling investigation, and a surprise plea agreement. We’ll talk about the significance of his moves and where the investig...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e07

Leading GOP lawmakers say there’s nothing normal about the Trump administration. The deaths of four Americans in Niger raise new questions about the legal footing of the U.S. fight against terr...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e08

President Trump says Iran is not living up to the “spirit” of the deal to curtail its nuclear program. Russian trolls and propagandists speak out. And an American woman and her family are fre...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e09

A leading GOP senator warns that President Trump risks starting “World War III.” Russia hacks the NSA using popular Russian anti-virus software. And Congress starts the bidding over a key sur...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e0a

President Trump tells Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that he’s wasting his time negotiating with North Korea. A gunman opens fire in Las Vegas in the deadliest mass shooting in at least half ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e0b

The Trump administration issues a new, revised travel ban. Saudi Arabia will allow women to drive. And the president tweets about a missile launch that didn’t happen. Hosted on Acast. See aca...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e0c

Robert Mueller serves warrants in the Russia investigation. Donald Trump makes his first appearance before the UN General Assembly. And Mike Flynn's work on a private nuclear energy deal raises n...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e0d

Facebook confirms that a Russian troll farm bought ads during the election cycle. Congress pushes back on the Trump administration’s plan to gut foreign aid and the State Department. And Equifa...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e0e

Trump’s lawyers argue that he didn’t obstruct justice when he fired Jim Comey. UN Ambassador Nikki Haley explains how the US could leave the Iran nuclear deal. And the Homeland Security Depar...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e0f

Donald Trump was pursuing business in Russia at the same time he was running for president. Two Cabinet secretaries distance themselves from the president. And is it time for the House to start s...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e10

President Trump unveils his plan for Afghanistan. Cyber Command gets a boost. And Steve Bannon is out at the White House. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e11

President Trump warns North Korea not to “make any more threats to the United States” with its pursuit of a nuclear weapon. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announces a new crackdown on press l...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e12

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly takes charge at the White House. Republican senators come to the defense of Attorney General Jeff Sessions. And President Trump finds himself personally ent...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e13

President Trump attacks Attorney General Jeff Sessions over Hillary Clinton and Russia. Jared Kushner talks to congressional investigators about his meetings with Russians. And Shane and Tamara b...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e14

The Senate questions FBI Director nominee Christopher Wray. Democrats file suit against the Trump campaign over leaked emails. And the UAE is reportedly behind a cyber attack that led to upheaval...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e15

President Trump's eldest son met with a Kremlin-connected lawyer to get Russian government dirt on Hillary Clinton. Iraqi forces liberate the city of Mosul from ISIS. And Trump and Putin sit down...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e16

The first signs of potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia emerge. State Department employees say they’re uncertain about the future of their work under the Trump administrati...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e17

Obama may not have responded forcefully enough to Russian meddling. But is Trump responding at all? A diplomatic crisis in the Gulf is the first major test of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. An...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e18

Attorney General Jeff Sessions testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee about his contacts with Russia. New information shows that thirty-nine states were targeted by Russian hackers du...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e19

It’s been a huge two days for news on the Trump/Russia/Comey front. We’ll round it up. There’s a new crisis in the Persian Gulf. And just when you thought it was safe to go back to the poll...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e1a

Jared Kushner wanted a back-channel to talk to the Russians. In the aftermath of the Manchester bombing, the Brits question whether the U.S. can keep secrets. And in the wake of Trump’s meeting...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e1b

Donald Trump tours the Middle East and insists peace is within reach. Robert Mueller is tapped as the new special counsel overseeing the Trump-Russia probe. And one very special podcast panelist ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e1c

President Trump lets the Russians in on a little secret. Jim Comey has been taking notes—of his meetings with the president. And what do this week’s extraordinary events tell us about where w...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e1d

Donald Trump fires FBI Director James Comey. The gang shares their reactions. Then, we’ll dig into Rod Rosenstein’s role in Comey’s sudden departure. Finally, what does his dismissal mean f...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e1e

FBI Director James Comey says the idea he could have swayed the presidential election makes him “mildly nauseous.” President Trump is reaching out to autocrats and adversaries. Is it paying o...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e1f

Mike Flynn is back in hot water over money he took from foreign sources. The Senate Intelligence Committee is beefing up for a long investigation of Russian meddling in the election. And FBI Dire...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e20

North Korea’s missile launch fizzles, but the ripples spread far and wide. CIA Director Mike Pompeo calls WikiLeaks a hostile intelligence service. And does the Globalist/Nationalist war in the...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e21

Former Trump adviser Carter Page is reportedly the target of a FISA warrant. The U.S. launches a cruise missile strike in Syria, and maybe sends a not so subtle signal to China on North Korea. An...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e22

At the Third Triple Entente Beer Summit, the usual Rational Security Gang joins up with Stewart Baker and Michael Vatis of the Steptoe Cyberlaw Podcast to discuss airstrikes in Syria, the misadve...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e23

Devin Nunes throws a wrench into the House’s Russia investigation. Meanwhile, the Senate investigation hasn’t come off the rails. And should countries declare certain kinds of cyber attacks o...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e24

FBI Director James Comey makes it official: There is an investigation into Trump links to Russia. The top Democrat in the House investigating the Russian hacks makes a plea for civic virtue. And ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e25

The Trump administration expands operations against ISIS and al Qaeda. The administration wants to shrink the budget for the State Department. And what do personnel moves tell us about who’s in...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e26

Donald Trump accuses Barack Obama of tapping his phones, and all hell breaks loose. WikiLeaks releases thousands of pages of information on CIA hacking tools. And North Korea launches missiles th...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e27

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is under fire for his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States, while the Trump administration tries to deflect attention on Russia investigat...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e28

President Trump selects Army general H.R. McMaster as as his national security adviser after a turbulent search. A rival to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is murdered under bizarre circumstanc...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e29

Michael Flynn’s phone calls and new revelations from the Steele dossier raise questions about Russian influence. An appeals court puts the brakes on Donald Trump’s immigrant and refugee ban. ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e2a

This week, a very special guest joins the podcast to discuss the week’s news and the fate of the republic. Plus, in Object Lessons, taco bowls and bad omens.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e2b

The Trump administration’s executive order on immigration spurs chaos and protests. Speaking of protest, does the mass signing of a State Department dissent cable signal a new rise of bureaucra...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e2c

President Trump has announced executive orders on border security and immigration policy—and maybe interrogation. Ex-military officers are taking senior posts in the National Security Council. ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e2d

President Obama issues a raft of pardons and commutations on his last days in office. The Trump transition team has barely interacted with its counterparts on the National Security Council. And J...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e2e

The FBI and intelligence community have received explosive allegations that Donald Trump’s staff had contacts with Russian government officials connected to the recent hacking campaign, and tha...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e2f

The Obama administration sanctions the Russians it says were involved in election hacking, while President-Elect Trump continues to insist the Russians aren’t to blame. North Korea says it’s ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e30

A leaked memo lays out Trump’s priorities for the Pentagon. The Chinese return an underwater U.S. Navy drone. And what does this week’s spate of terrorist attacks portend for 2017?  Hosted...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e31

The CIA concludes that Russian hackers tried to help Donald Trump get elected. Trump will nominate Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson as the next secretary of state. And the Obama administration is confiden...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e32

The president-elect takes a call from the leader of Taiwan. Bipartisan pressure is mounting in Congress to investigate the Russian hacks of the presidential election. And if you're a wonk in Wash...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e33

President-Elect Trump is zeroing in on a nominee for secretary of state. Election recounts begin amid fears of computer hacking. And in San Francisco, hackers hold the municipal railway system ho...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e34

Donald Trump announces his picks for some key national security positions. Meanwhile, Trump grapples with multiple conflicts between his businesses and his coming presidency. The knives are out f...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e35

The Trump administration transition has begun—right? The president-elect sits down with "60 Minutes" and leaves the fate of FBI Director James Comey uncertain. And foreign governments react to ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e36

This week, the gang reflects on the unexpected election of Donald Trump for president. What national security themes drove his voters? What challenges does Trump face forming a government? And ho...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e37

FBI Director James Comey is under fire for his actions in the home stretch of the presidential election. A journalist suggests private communications between Donald Trump and a Russian bank—but...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e38

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump enter the home stretch of the presidential campaign. Hackers take down a key component of the Internet in an unprecedented attack. And WikiLeaks makes some unexpe...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e39

Iraqi and U.S. forces begin the campaign to reclaim the city of Mosul, ISIS’s de facto capital in Iraq. Retired Gen. James Cartwright pleads guilty to lying to federal leak investigators. And t...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e3a

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton square off in their second debate. And the intelligence community officially pins the blames on Russia for hacking U.S. political organizations.  Hosted on Aca...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e3b

The Vice Presidential candidates face off in their first and only debate before Election Day. Senators have buyers remorse over a law that lets families of 9/11 victims sue Saudi Arabia. And can ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e3c

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump face off in the first presidential debate. What did they have to say on ISIS, hackers, and other important national security issues? And a Trump adviser heads off...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e3d

Bombings in New York and New Jersey have fixed us again on the threat of lone wolf terrorists. Have back-to-back summits on refugees brought us any closer to solving a humanitarian crisis? And Th...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e3e

How much medical history should presidential candidates disclose? Activists launch a new campaign to pardon Edward Snowden, just in time for the launch of a biopic on the world’s most famous le...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e3f

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump spar over who’d be the better commander-in-chief. The FBI releases its report on Clinton’s email server. And what has changed, and what hasn’t, since 9/11? ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e40

New details emerge about Americans held hostage by Islamic militants. Security researchers use an unorthodox approach to protect medical devices. And the US kills ISIS’ number 2. Does it matter...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e41

The New York Times and maybe the NSA get hacked. Is the U.S. turning the tide of the war on ISIS? And October surprises—what could happen between now and the election, and will it matter?  H...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e42

In the wake of the suspected Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committee, experts warn that voting machines could be the next target. The U.S. begins airstrikes against ISIS in Libya. An...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e43

The Russian government hacks the Democratic National Committee. Is Moscow trying to swing the election for Donald Trump? Will it work or backfire? Also, the gang takes your questions!  Hosted ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e44

A terrorist in Nice, France, kills more than 80 people celebrating Bastille Day. Turkey’s president hangs onto power following an attempted coup. And the congress releases 29 previously classif...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e45

Police officers in Dallas use a robot-bomb to kill the man who murdered five police officers. A tribunal rules that China is violating international law over its territorial claims. And the GOP p...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e46

Hillary Clinton will not be prosecuted over her use of a private email server. The death toll of a bombing in Baghdad approaches 300. And the death of a Navy sailor raises concerns about the trai...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e47

How will the U.K.’s exit from the European Union affect U.S. national security? Is a terrorist attack in Turkey the inevitable result of battlefield victories against ISIS? And the gang takes o...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e48

The American political system has gone insane. What's that mean for our national security? State Department officials protest President Obama's decision not to bomb Syria. And the intelligence co...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e49

How did Omar Mateen become a mass-killer, and could he have been stopped? The politics of the Orlando shooting have something for everyone, but very little clarity. And Russian hackers penetrate ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e4a

Hillary Clinton says Donald Trump can't be trusted to protect U.S. national security. In Israel there's talk of another war in Gaza. And a federal appeals court rules that the Fourth Amendment do...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e4b

President Obama makes one last pivot to Asia in an official visit. The United States kills the Taliban’s leader. And a State Department inspector general report scolds Hillary Clinton and other...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e4c

An EgyptAir jet crashes en route from Paris to Cairo, immediately sparking fears of terrorism. Hackers are targeting the presidential candidates’ campaigns. And the intelligence community may s...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e4d

A new study on “sextortion” reveals a widespread crime few people are talking about. Is a profile of presidential adviser Ben Rhodes a puff piece or a clever hit job? And president Obama face...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e4e

Donald Trump becomes the presumptive Republican nominee for president after an overwhelming primary victory in Indiana. Iraq and Syria are in meltdown—why is this time any worse? And the Suprem...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e4f

The U.S. is ramping up cyber operations against ISIS. Anotherstandoff over the FBI’s access to a locked iPhone ends, but aremore fights around the corner? And the mystery of the curioushabeas c...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e50

Lawmakers want to give families of the 9/11 victims the power to sue Saudi government officials, but the Obama administration says that’s a terrible idea. Syrian peace talks are in jeopardy of ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e51

A Navy officer is accused of spying, possibly for Taiwan and China. President Obama wades into the debate over how much government information should be classified. And a family in Kansas is trap...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e52

The hugely popular messaging system Whatsapp is now encrypting everything for 1 billion people. The financial shenanigans of the rich and powerful are laid bare in the Panama Papers, the biggest ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e53

The dispute between the FBI and Apple over a dead terrorist’s iPhone comes to an end, but new fights are just around the corner. Why did bombings in Pakistan and Iraq get so little attention co...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e54

Terrorists attack Brussels in a series of bombings. The FBI tells Apple, “Just kidding! We can maybe hack the iPhone after all.” And Donald Trump sits down with the Washington Post editorial ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e55

President Obama nominates Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. An American ISIS defector is in Kurdish custody. And major Web sites have been delivering malware to their readers. Hosted on Aca...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e56

Republican national security experts declare Donald Trump unfit to be president. Who would actually advise a President Trump? And President Obama pulls back the curtain on the inner workings of h...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e57

A New York magistrate judge says the government can't force Apple to help the FBI extract information from an iPhone. Forty percent of analysts at the U.S. military's Central Command say the “i...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e58

FBI Director Jim Comey bites into Apple. The Obama administration unveils its plan for closing Guantanamo. And the Homeland Security Department will start scouring social media for warning signs ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e59

We join our friends at the Steptoe Cyberlaw Podcast and the Lawfare Podcast for a evening of national security discussion, food, alcohol, and live audience questions. We go to town on the news ab...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e5a

Could things get worse in Syria? Oh yes! The U.S. brings charges against an ISIS member in the death of an American hostage. And Republicans are divided over who supports waterboarding more.   ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e5b

The administration is revamping its efforts to staunch ISIS recruitment. The NSA makes the line between cyber attacks and defense even blurrier. And Ben has a plan to solve the going dark problem...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e5c

The Arab Spring five years later. What have we learned about the future of peace and stability in the region? Who is the mysterious fourth American hostage freed by Iran? And the next wave of sur...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e5d

Four Americans are freed in a prisoner swap with Iran. Twitter is facing a lawsuit over jihadist messages posted on the site. And Secretary of Defense Ash Carter is cracking down on...everybody!�...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e5e

Obama delivers his final State of the Union address. And Iran delivers ten sailors back into U.S. custody after briefly detaining them. Plus, in Object Lessons, leadership...what does it smell li...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e5f

Kim Jong-un says North Korea tested a hydrogen bomb. The Russians may have caused a blackout in Ukraine with a cyber attack. And President Obama plans to do a lot of foreign travel in his final y...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e60

This week on the podcast, the gang wraps up the year that was 2015. What were the most important stories of the year? And what's the big story we'll all be talking about in 2016? Hosted on Acas...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e61

GOP presidential candidates debate foreign policy and dare each other to carpet bomb the hell out of the Islamic State. And are the Saudis finally ready to get serious and take on ISIS? Special g...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e62

Barack Obama tries to reassure the nation that ISIS is not winning. Donald Trump has a different plan to keep America safe. And John Kerry is so over the Middle East peace process.  Hosted on ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e63

President Obama is sending 200 more special operations forces to Iraq to combat ISIS. China seems to be hacking the U.S. less. And a Taliban ally is holding an American man hostage.  Hosted on...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e64

Turkey shoots down a Russian jet after it allegedly violated Turkish airspace. Brussels goes on lockdown, raising the question of how long it’s rational to shut down a major city to preempt a t...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e65

What do the ISIS attacks in Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, and now France tell us about the group's evolution and whether it’s changing strategy? The Paris attacks are breathing new life into the cryp...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e66

Two weeks after a Russian airliner fell from the sky in Egypt, will we ever know how the plane crashed? GOP presidential candidates are all over the map with their foreign policy plans. Plus, a m...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e67

President Obama is sending 50 Special Forces members into Syria. A new book marks the 20th anniversary of the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. And a new Twitter war erupts over drone strikes, and ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e68

The European Court of Justice may have just knocked the surveillance state back on its heels. Is Russia a resurgent power in the Middle East? And one think tank fellow/podcaster has a bone to pic...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e69

Quinta Jurecic joins Shane and Ben for the podcast. This week: A new leak shows us more about the inner workings of drones strikes. FBI Director Jim Comey concedes defeat in the encryption wars. ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e6a

Has the Obama administration outplayed China on cyber spying? The Taliban is on the march in Afghanistan. What does this mean for the future of U.S. troops in that country? And the new movie Sica...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e6b

Russia launches airstrikes in Syria, changing the political calculus in the Middle East. U.S.-backed rebels in Syria are also coming under attack. Is the U.S. abandoning them? And Edward Snowden ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e6c

Russia is about to intervene in Syria. Good luck with that. The U.S. and China are contemplating a “cyber arms treaty.” And the New York Times editorial board has a plan for closing Guantanam...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e6d

Is the Obama administration's hand-wringing over Chinese cyber spying making the U.S. look like chumps? Two new books chart the meteoric rise of ISIS. And a former U.S. ambassador highlights the ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e6e

Donald Trump reveals that he doesn’t know the names of the heads of the world’s biggest terrorist organizations. Does that disqualify him to be commander-in-chief? Turns out killing Anwar Al-...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e6f

Gen. David Petraeus has a new plan for fighting ISIS. Is it smart or utterly nuts? A new article takes us deep inside the mind and menace of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-declared “caliph” o...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e70

This week on the podcast: How could China's economic free fall affect U.S. national security? What does international law have to say about Russia's invasion of Ukraine? And the Secret Service ge...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e71

The top ISIS fighter in U.S. custody is being transferred to Iraq. What’s it mean for the U.S. justice system and the future of detainee policy in the war with ISIS? Two years after the first S...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e72

Shane goes on vacation, abandoning the gang to its fate. Brookings scholar Dan Byman steps in and brings a National Counterterrorism Center Calendar, which sparks a discussion of how to categoriz...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e73

Is notorious Taliban leader Mullah Omar dead—again? And then, Tamara and her very important friends at the Aspen Security Forum were discussing the threat of ISIS and the real truth about encry...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e74

This week, Ben and Shane are joined by special guests Wells Bennett of Lawfare and Quinta Jurecic, national security intern at Brookings. On the agenda: Obama has a plan to close Guantanamo, and ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e75

The Iran deal is finally here. This week on the podcast, Shane, Tamara, and special guest Wells Bennett look at what’s in the deal, what it does, and what it doesn’t do. Also, a closer look a...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e76

This week on the podcast: FBI Director James Comey goes to the Hill to talk about "going dark." Former officials are expressing concern about the Iran deal. And the Office of Personnel Management...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e77

This week on the show: Senators call for hearings on domestic terrorism in the wake of the Charleston shootings. Do we need a new National Commission on the War on Terrorism? And a cat fight betw...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e78

This week on the podcast, Kori Schake joins the gang to discuss the week’s big stories. Was the shooting of nine people in Charleston, SC, an act of terrorism? Chinese spies now know the secret...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e79

This week on the show, Shane exposes the Iranian propagandists who tried to recruit him. Plus, the gang looks at how the military pays for war and at a new "manual" that lays out the rules for fi...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e7a

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a major speech at the Herzliya Conference on national security, but he spends a lot of time talking about the economy. The U.S. Supreme Court hands...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e7b

This week on the show, special guest Nancy Youssef of the Daily Beast joins Ben and Shane to discuss the Senate's passage of the USA Freedom Act. Also, why do Americans hate government surveillan...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e7c

This week on the show, Ben and Shane are flying solo (duo?) while Tamara is away. They ask, is everything we think we know about privacy wrong? And the guys discuss a novel proposal for easing th...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e7d

This week on the show: The FBI is interrogating the wife of a senior ISIS official about Western hostages. The Justice Department hands down indictments against Chinese nationals for spying on th...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e7e

This week on the show: The FBI rules out terrorism in the awful train crash in Pennsylvania. But why are we so quick these days to ask whether every accident was caused by terrorists? Congress is...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e7f

The Triple Entente Beer Summit was a great success, with an audience that filled the Washington Firehouse loft and a cast that mashed up Lawfare, Rational Security, and the Steptoe Cyberlaw Podca...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e80

This week on the show: The New York Times names the senior CIA officials who have run the agency’s drone program. Were they right or wrong to do it? Speaking of drones, it turns out the CIA’s...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e81

Special guest Wells Bennett joins Shane and Tamara to talk about the U.S. strategy in Yemen. What is it? And just how big a nightmare? Also, Washington takes the cyber wars West, to Silicon Valle...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e82

This week on the podcast, the gang discusses Congress weighing in on the Iran nuclear deal. Sunni, Shia, let’s call the whole thing off. And a key Al Qaeda leader who was once held in Guantanam...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e83

This week on the show, the gang welcomes special guest Jonathan Rauch, Brookings fellow, journalist, and longtime friend. On the agenda: Cyber attacks are way more damaging than we previously tho...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e84

The talks over Iran's nuclear program are hurtling towards some vague, yet-to-be-defined conclusion. President Obama opens a new front in the cyber wars. And Rashomon comes to Egypt. Plus, "Wild ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e85

The gang unravels the Israeli election results and the unpleasant White House-Israel tensions they have sparked. Tamara talks about Yemen's ongoing disintegration. And Shane discusses China's adm...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e86

This week, Ben handicaps the Israeli election. Special guest Merritt Baer considers how our increasingly "interoperable" world may put security at risk (or enhance it). And Shane looks at how the...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e87

This week, the gang dissects David Petraeus' plea deal for giving highly classified information to his mistress. CIA Director John Brennan proposes big changes in the way the spy agency runs. And...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e88

This week on the show: National Security Adviser Susan Rice speaks to AIPAC and makes the administration's case for negotiating with Iran on nukes. A Guantanamo detainee raises questions about w...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e89

This week on the podcast, Shane and Ben welcome back Jen Daskal to talk terrorism and technology. Police phone surveillance becomes a thorny legal issue in a Florida case. The Justice Department ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e8a

This week, Ben and Shane are joined by special guest Jen Daskal. The gang debates Eric Holder's recent remarks on press leaks, asks whether ISIS is morphing into a true global terrorist movement,...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e8b

This week, the gang discusses Kayla Mueller, the last American hostage held by ISIS, who was confirmed this week to have died. Plus, President Obama asks Congress for a new authorization to use m...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e8c

This week, Shane, Ben, and Tamara and the gang discuss the latest ISIS video showing the death of a Jordanian pilot, and what it means for the future of the U.S.-led coalition to destroy ISIS, as...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e8d

The gang talks about a ring of Russian spies broken up in New York City, plus drones falling on the White House lawn and a new report on the links between democracy and terrorism. Plus, Ben has a...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e8e

The gang ignores the State of the Union and speculates about how Ali Saleh Al-Marri got sprung from federal prison. Shane takes on FBI Director Jim Comey with a new encrypted phone and a defense ...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e8f

Shane, Tamara, and Ben talk condemnation of the Charlie Hebdo attack and how much outrage is enough, our fear over foreign fighters, and the expanding vocabulary of cyber "attacks." Plus, Ben in...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e90

Shane Harris introduces the show and introduces Benjamin and Tamara Wittes. The gang talks Egypt and Tunisia, torture and sanctions. Ben talks about the medal he got from NSA, which hasn't yet de...

https://shows.acast.com/rational-security/episodes/60427fa901aa3e29f6af7e91