Rational Security

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:—“Getting Rittenhoused”: A jury recently acquitted 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse of murder charges for shooting two men in what he claimed was self-defense during last summer’s unrest. What does his trial and its aftermath tell us about the intersection of politics with our criminal justice system?— “Now That’s a Power Serve”: A global pressure campaign by professional tennis players has forced Chinese officials to disclose the location of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai, who disappeared after publicly accusing a former senior official of sexual assault. Is this a new model for dealing with Chinese human rights abuses?— “Duck Say Quack and Fish Go Blub—But What Did Fox Say?”: Two prominent conservative commentators have resigned from Fox News over its release of a Tucker Carlson film that they say spreads misinfo

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.Chatter guests roll with the punches to describe artistic endeavors related to national security and jump into cutting-edge thinking at the frontiers where defense and foreign policy overlap with technology, intelligence, climate change, history, sports, culture and beyond. Each week, listeners get a no-holds-barred dialogue at an intersection between Lawfare's core issue areas and something from Hollywood to history, science to spy fiction.On this, the debut episode of Chatter, Shane Harris interviews a great American: the creator of "The Americans," Joe Weisberg. Joe shares his journey from the agency to Hollywood, his work as a lifelong student of Russia, and his new book Russia Upside Down: An Exit Strategy for the Second Cold War.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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 Awful”: In an effort to hit back over sanctions, the authoritarian regime in Belarus is deliberately admitting refugees only to channel them across its borders with the European Union. How should Europe respond?“Taking ‘Tourist Trap’ Too Literally”: In recent years, foreign governments have taken an unprecedented number of U.S. nationals as effective hostages. Is this a failure of U.S. deterrence? Or something else entirely?“Space: The Littered Frontier”: A Russian test of an anti-satellite weapon has scattered refuse across outer space, threatening the safety of astronauts and potentially complicating space travel in the future.For object lessons, Scott made a PSA about Lawfare's upcoming online info session for law students interested in becoming student contributors, taking place this Thursday! Quinta

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 has heard oral argument in not one but two cases relating to the controversial state secrets doctrine this term. Will the doctrine survive Supreme Court scrutiny in its current form?“Coming Home to Roost”: Last week, a Guantanamo Bay detainee’s unprecedented testimony regarding his torture at American hands led members of a military jury to recommend he receive clemency. Will this be a turning point for the military commissions?“Bark v. Bite”: A judge recently criticized the Department of Justice for describing the January 6 insurrection as an unprecedented criminal act while bringing only minor charges against many defendants involved in it. What do we know of the Department’s prosecutorial strategy thus far—and does it make any sense?For object lessons, Quinta shouted out a former obsession of hers, Neopets. Alan

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 Biden administration to take a stand on Havana Syndrome, our understanding of what is happening to U.S. diplomats and other officials remains limited. What should the United States do next?“SupersonicNewBallisticsExquisiteBlastAdocious”: In the last few weeks, China’s unveiled a new supersonic missile capable of delivering nuclear warheads past U.S. defenses. At the same time, the United States has announced new technology that allows nuclear warheads to explode with “exquisite timing” that dramatically magnifies their effectiveness. Is this the beginning of a new sort of arms race?“International Lampoon’s European Vacation”: President Biden is meeting with a number of his foreign counterparts in Europe this week to discuss issues ranging from the global economy to climate change. Will Biden be able to repair thes

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 one of President Trump’s former election lawyers as Secretary of State. Are Trump’s supporters planning to steal the next election, or are Democrats’ concerns overblown?“In Mother Russia, Bear Poke You”: A Russian spy agency is still trying to penetrate U.S. networks, despite clear warnings of repercussions from the United States. Is the Biden administration’s strategy failing? And what should it do instead?“Chain of Fools”: The worst of the global pandemic may be behind us, but the disruptions to the global supply chain are still piling up. Has the drive for an integrated global economy hit its high water mark?For object lessons, Quinta urged listeners to get their flu shot; Alan celebrated his favorite kitchen unitasker, the spaetzle maker; Scott recommended rewatching the first season of Saturday Night Live 

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 complying with its strict regulations on social media. Will other companies follow—and should they? “Diamond Joe’s Decryption Key Party”: Last week the White House hosted a summit on combating ransomware—but Russia wasn’t invited. What does it tell us about international efforts to combat cybercrime?“How Do You Stop a Schoolyard Brawl?”: What should the Department of Justice do about violent threats against school principals and other public employees responsible for enforcing masking policies?For object lessons, Quinta celebrated the return of Succession; Alan rejoiced at the long foretold coming of Mel Brooks's History of the World Part II; Scott recommended listeners binge the very podcast-oriented new show Only Murders in the Building; and Alvaro drew our attention to the recent purchase of so

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. Navy employee and his wife attempt to smuggle nuclear secrets to inside a peanut butter sandwich? And why did that country turn them over to FBI instead?“Turn After Leaving”: Is the intelligence community executing its own pivot to Asia—and will the post-withdrawal collapse of Afghanistan stymie its effort?“You Got Served”: Will the January 6 committee get the testimony and documents it is demanding, over former President Trump’s open direction not to cooperate?For object lessons, Alan steered listeners to do some self-guided learning via the Great Courses Plus program; Quinta brought some attention to the unique items former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham chose to put in her background during her recent appearance on Meet the Press; Scott encouraged D.C. residents to run

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 Chinese military getting up in Taiwan’s business—and airspace—over the weekend?"If You Want to be Popular, Don't Go to Law School": Does the Supreme Court’s declining popularity mean it is headed for a legitimacy crisis? And finally:"Now That's Outside-the-Box Financial Planning": What do the recently unleashed Pandora Papers tell us about the world’s wealthy elites—and the people leaking information about them? For object lessons, Quinta encouraged listeners to check out pictures and other remembrances of the COVID memorial exhibit on the National Mall that ended this past weekend; Scott endorsed the YouTube channel of his favorite online bartender as well as his new favorite drink, the Trinidad Sour; Alan sang the praises of his favorite open source operating system, Linux, and urged othe

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 End of the Republic: Should a recently revealed plan to manipulate the counting of the 2020 electoral votes in President Trump’s favor have us worried about 2024?A Prisoner Dilemma: What should we make of China’s use of hostage diplomacy to secure the release of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou? And,Hitting “Unfriend”: Is a federal court correct that Facebook has an obligation to share information on atrocities with international tribunals?For object lessons, Quinta endorsed "The Other Two" for some wholesome entertainment; Alan sang the praises of the newest pasta shape on the block; Scott dismissed Alan's pasta shape as a thing of nightmares, while endorsing the Tuscan classic "priest-strangler"  (and saying hello to some RatSec listeners in the family); and Jacob brought our attention to the trend

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 U.S.-U.K.-Australia agreement over submarines have France (and China) up in arms?Not Like on J6: What does the "Justice for J6 Rally" flop tell us about the state of right-wing extremism here in the United States and how the media covers it?Milley's Crossing: Did the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff step out of line in trying to assuage Chinese concerns over President Trump's intentions?For Object Lessons, Alan shared his Midwest pride in his wife's (vegetarian) hot dish (recipe here). Quinta celebrated the tearing down of the monument to inefficiency at the center of D.C.'s Dave Thomas Circle. Scott shared a scandalous discovery he recently made at a family wedding. And Natalie urged listeners to both vis

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 guest) Molly Reynolds!They sit down to discuss: the legacy of 9/11 and whether we’ve really done everything wrong since (including in Congress); the last tragic drone strike in Kabul that now appears to have killed an Afghan aid worker and his family, and what it tells us about the future of the U.S. drone program; and what the fences going up around the Capitol in advance of the right-wing “Justice for J6” rally this weekend mean for the state of our democracy. For object lessons, Alan mentioned this article in The Atlantic on "How Hollywood Sold Out to China"; Quinta highlighted Kim Kardashian's striking outfit at the 2021 Met Gala; Scott bore first-hand witness to the return of bald eagles to our nation's capital; and Molly recommended the new podcast "Bad Blood: The Final Chapter" on the Theranos trial.Be sure to visit

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 government and the brutal way it seems to be governing (especially in relation to women); the Biden administration's border policies, and why they're facing trouble in the courts; and our summer from hell: are recent heat waves, wildfires, and floods now a permanent part of the American experience, and will this change the political calculus on climate change?For object lessons, Alan testified to the charms of Duluth, Minnesota; Ben talked about his efforts to shrink his carbon footprint, including by building Lawfare a new conference table; Quinta discussed an exciting new line of action figures taking toy stores by storm (pictured below); and Scott explained why the end of the global pandemic may just taste like pumpkin beer. Rational Security is a product of Lawfare. Be sure to visit Rational S

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.patreon.com/lawfare/. And help us plan for our next phase by filling out this survey: https://forms.gle/ga7rUz6QfNSE6NST9.Weekly episodes of Rational Security 2.0 will start returning to this podcast feed after Labor Day… See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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. Sort of. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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.”  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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 Russian hackers are at it again, this time launching possibly the largest ransomware attack as well as a strike against the Republican National Committee.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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.” And a judge narrows the lawsuits filed over the clearing of Lafayette Square before a Trump photo op.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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 investigations aplenty have ensnared journalists, former officials and members of Congress.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.