Podcasts about Deputy Assistant Secretary

With the world on edge over the escalating Iran-Israel conflict, Jo sits down with national security expert and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Joel Rubin for a deeply human conversation about what's really happening behind the headlines. As Trump's stance on U.S. involvement in the region shifts by the hour, swinging from “no new wars” to openly hinting at strikes alongside Israel, Joel explains the risks, the ripple effects, and the consequences for American families.Together, they unpack why Trump's impulsive foreign policy is leaving allies, adversaries, and even his own party guessing; how the collapse of the Iran nuclear deal set the stage for today's crisis; and what a potential U.S. strike could mean for global security, oil prices, and the safety of American service members. They also tackle the chaos in Washington, the influence of pro-Putin voices, and the anxiety so many Americans are feeling as talk of war and nuclear threats dominates the news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Civilian supremacy over the military remains inviolate in our history and constitution. But what happens when a civilian Commander in Chief, such as Pres. Washington or Pres. Trump, legally deploy the U.S. military or federalized National Guard on American soil? This story is as old as our democracy. One could even argue that the use of militia to crush rebellion in America was a major contributing factor in the founding of the United States. In this interview, we discuss the history and evolution of the civil-military relations in the United States and draw comparisons to and lessons from other countries.

The past decade has tragically tested the resilience and brilliance of transgender, nonbinary, and gender expansive (trans) people living in the U.S. Misinformation about who we are and what we want has sparked thousands of anti-transgender bills introduced in nearly every state capital across the country, adversely impacting almost every segment of the trans community. Despite this harsh reality, the future is a rainbow, and it's wise for business leaders to recognize this truth. It's also essential for these leaders to recognize the responsibility they have to prepare their organizations today in anticipation of this future talent upgrade. Afterall, the latest research shows that 20% of Generation Z identifies as LGBTQ+, and of that number 1 in 4 are nonbinary, with another 20% questioning their gender identity. Many business leaders today struggle with how to build gender-inclusive workplaces and ways to prioritize this essential aspect of advancing their diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments in the face of unprecedented backlash. Strong objections from a well-organized and vocal minority, which are out of alignment with public opinion, have led some organizations to backtrack on their gender inclusion commitments. To enhance the skills and confidence leaders will need to weather this current storm, this episode of the Business of Belonging mini-series features Third Segment CEO, Amanda Simpson, and JPMorgan Chase Executive Director, Chris Mossiah. Amanda serves as an advisor on aerospace, energy, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a nationally renowned speaker, she has presented before a wide variety of corporate, government, and nonprofit audiences. She has served in executive leadership positions at Airbus, Raytheon, and Douglas Aircraft, and the Obama Administration as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy.  Chris is an Executive Director at JPMorgan Chase's consumer & community banking line of business. They are also the co-chair of the Firmwide Gender Expansive Council and co-lead for the Transgender, Gender Nonconforming, and Nonbinary Subcommittee of the PRIDE Tri-State BRG. Both Chris & Amanda serve on Out & Equal's Transgender & Nonbinary Executive Leadership Circle. Together, we explore: Common Barriers. What are some of the common barriers transgender and nonbinary people experience at work? Future of Work. Why is the future of work gender-diverse, and what can business leaders do today to prepare? Gender-Inclusion Practices. What actions can leaders take today to build more spaces of belonging for gender diversity to flourish? This interview was designed to support people like you - visionary leaders, and those on their way to joining us. Savor this insightful talk, and if you're looking for more ways to connect with inspiring leaders like Amanda & Chris, be sure to join our Belonging Membership Community - a community of practice committed to putting our values of belonging, community, and collaboration into action. Members have the unique opportunity to connect with guests like Amanda & Chris for 1:1 laser coaching sessions. Imagine belonging with fellow visionary leaders when you join the Belonging Movement Newsletter: www.rhodesperry.com/subscribe. Out & Equal: https://outandequal.org/  

This special episode of The Contracting Experience bids farewell to Maj. Gen. Alice Trevino, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Contracting, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. Trevino reflects on her accomplishments, particularly her focus on alignment, prioritization, and simplification, and shares insights on empowering contracting professionals by giving them a seat at the table. She stresses the importance of integration across the Air Force and Space Force and expresses her confidence in her successor, Brig. Gen. Lance French. Trevino shares invaluable life lessons, including a story about not getting her "dream job" and how that ultimately led to even better opportunities. She emphasizes the importance of flexibility, decision space, and maintaining an open mind in the face of change. She also offers parting words of wisdom, urging listeners to "THINK" before acting – ensuring their actions are True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, and Kind. Tune in to hear Trevino's reflections on her career, her advice for the next generation of contracting professionals, and her plans for retirement. Discover the insights and experiences that shaped her leadership and left a lasting legacy on the Air Force contracting community. If you would like to share feedback on the podcast, please submit via thecontractingexperience@gmail.com. Register at https://www.dvidshub.net/ to access transcripts of the podcast.

Chrystina Obleschuk, Director of Programs at the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ about their free Health Summit that takes place on June 3rd at the Mack Experience Center in Allentown, PA. The Summit will feature expert speakers and findings from their LGBTQ Health Needs Assessment Survey taken by thousands of participants in 2024 covering many aspects of health and well-being from mental health to basic needs for our community. To kick off the summit Keynote Speaker Tommy Walcott-Lee a queer public health scholar, educator and advocate will address bringing together LGBTQ health, human rights and global justice. Special featured speakers will include (ret) Admiral Rachel Levine, MD who has not only been a pioneer for health in the state of Pennsylvania as Secretary of Health and Physician General but also for the nation at large having served as the 17th Assistant Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In addition Adrian Shanker founding Executive Director of Bradbury-Sullivan will speak who went on to serve in the Biden-Harris Administration as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Policy and Senior Advisor on LGBTQI+ Health Equity at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and previously served as a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. Adrian has also edited two anthologies “Bodies and Barriers: Queer Activists on Health” and “Crisis and Care: Queer Activist Responses to a Global Pandemic”. There will be panels as well with crucial information and guidance to assist LGBTQ orgs with policies, advocacy, grant writing and funding in these challenging times. We talked to Chrystina about what she hopes to accomplish with Bradbury-Sullivan Health Summit and her spin on our LGBTQ issues.  Chrystina Obleschuk, MPH in her role at Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center oversees the Center's programming, including health promotion campaigns, PA LGBTQ Health Needs Assessment, advocacy, community-building groups and youth programming. Chrystina has her Master's in Public Health from Boston University and her BS in Biology and Public Health from Muhlenberg College. Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center creates a vibrant LGBTQ community in Pennsylvania through arts, health, youth, training and Pride programs.                         For More Info…  LISTEN: 600+ LGBTQ Chats @OUTTAKE VOICES

Never miss another webinar. Sign up here: https://imahealth.org/weekly-webinars/ Learn more: https://imahealth.org/hhs-mrna-children-pregnancy-whats-next/What happens when government agencies start to reverse course on the most hotly debated public health policies of our time?Join host Dr. Chris Martenson for a powerful conversation on the future of COVID-19 vaccine policy. He's joined by former Deputy Assistant Secretary of HHS David Mansdoerfer and three special guests—Senator Ron Johnson, IMA Senior Fellow Dr. Jordan Vaughn, and attorney Warner Mendenhall of Freedom Counsel—for a timely breakdown of the May 21, 2025, U.S. Senate hearing on COVID-19 vaccine development and safety.With HHS now considering the removal of COVID-19 shots from the CDC's recommended schedule for children and pregnant women, we could see a dramatic reshaping of the legal, medical, and political landscape. Our panel will explore what this move could mean for liability protections under the PREP Act, vaccine policy, public trust, and the future of informed consent.Momentum around mRNA vaccine reform is building. Last week, we launched our Smart Moms Ask campaign to end recommendations for children and pregnant women—and now federal agencies are beginning to reconsider vaccine policy. At the heart of this shift is one of IMA's core pillars for healthcare reform: Transparency in Medicine. It's not just a guiding principle—it's a catalyst for change. Don't miss this critical conversation about what comes next.URL: https://imahealth.org/hhs-mrna-children-pregnancy-whats-next/Keywords/Tags: mRNA in children, mRNA vaccine in pregnancy• Donate: https://imahealth.org/donate/• Follow: https://imahealth.org/contact/• Webinar: https://imahealth.org/category/weekly-webinars/• Treatment: https://imahealth.org/treatment-protocols/• Medical Disclaimer: https://imahealth.org/about/terms-and-conditions/About IMA (Formerly FLCCC Alliance)The Independent Medical Alliance™ is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization and coalition of physicians, nurses, and healthcare professionals united by a mission to restore trust and transparency in healthcare. The organization's mission is one driven by Honest Medicine™ that prioritizes patients above profits and emphasizes long-term wellness and disease prevention through empowerment of both physicians and their patients. With a focus on evidence-based medicine, informed consent, and systemic reform, IMA is driving a movement to create a more compassionate and effective healthcare system.For more information about the Independent Medical Alliance, visit www.IMAhealth.org

“This has been my favorite session of the three days. Thank you,” said one attendee following a powerful live conversation at AJC Global Forum 2025. This exclusive episode of AJC's People of the Pod, presented by AJC's Women's Global Leadership Network, features a candid discussion on the critical impact of Jewish women leaders in global diplomacy and conflict resolution. Casey Kustin, AJC's Chief Impact and Operations Officer, joins former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Mira Resnick and Dana Stroul, Research Director and Kassen Family Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, to share how they've navigated the corridors of power, shaped international policy from the Middle East to Europe and beyond, and opened doors for the next generation of women in foreign affairs. ___ Resources– AJC Global Forum 2025 News and Video AJC Global Forum 2026 returns to Washington, D.C. Will you be in the room? Listen – AJC Podcasts: Most Recent Episodes: A United Front: U.S. Colleges and AJC Commit to Fighting Campus Antisemitism What is Pope Francis' Legacy with the Jewish People? Why TikTok is the Place to Talk about Antisemitism: With Holocaust Survivor Tova Friedman The Forgotten Exodus: Untold stories of Jews who left or were driven from Arab nations and Iran People of the PodFollow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Interview Transcript: Manya Brachear Pashman:  Live from AJC Global Forum 2025, welcome to People of the Pod. For audience members who are not in this room, you are listening to a show that was recorded in front of a live studio audience on April 29 at AJC Global Forum 2025 in New York. I'm your host, Manya Brachear Pashman. Thank you all for being here. In countries around the world, women are working more than ever before. But compared to men, they are not earning as much or being afforded an equal voice – at work, at home, or in the community. In no country in the world do women have an equal role. Let me repeat that. In no country in the world, do women have an equal role–when it comes to setting policy agendas, allocating resources, or leading companies.  With us today are three modern-day Miriams who have raised their voices and earned unprecedented roles that recognize the intellect and compassion they bring to international diplomacy. To my left is AJC Chief Impact and Operations Officer, Casey Kustin. Casey served as the staff director of the Middle East, North Africa, and Global Counterterrorism Subcommittee on the House Foreign Affairs Committee for 10 years. She has worked on political campaigns at the state and national level, including on Jewish outreach for Barack Obama's presidential campaign. Welcome, Casey.  To Casey's left is Dana Strohl. She is the Director of Research for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. She was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East. In this role, she led the development of U.S. Department of Defense policy and strategy for Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Iran, Iraq–I'm not done–Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Prior to that, she also served on Capitol Hill as the senior professional staff member for the Middle East on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Welcome, Dana. And last but not least, Mira Resnick. Mira was the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs and Arabian Peninsula Affairs, in which she handled two crucial Middle East portfolios, usually helmed by two separate people. Previously, she oversaw the Department's Office of regional security and arms transfers, where she managed foreign arms sales and shepherded the Biden administration's military assistance to Ukraine and Israel after Russia's invasion and after the October 7 Hamas attacks. Like Casey, Mira has also served as a senior professional staff member with the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, focusing on the Middle East and North Africa. Thank you for being here, Mira.  Welcome to all of you, to People of the Pod.  I think it's safe to say, this panel right here, and all the knowledge and experience it represents could solve the Middle East conflict in one day, if given the chance. Casey, you served for a decade as staff director for the Middle East, North Africa and Global Counterterrorism Subcommittee. A decade, wow. You witnessed a lot of transition, but what were the constants when it came to regional cooperation and security needs?  Casey Kustin: What's the saying? The enemy of my enemy is my friend. And that's the world that we're all trying to build. So, you know, from an American perspective, which we all came from in our government work, it was trying to find those shared interests, and trying to cultivate, where we could, points of common interest. And even with the challenges of October 7 now, perhaps stalling some of those areas of progress, you still see that the Abraham Accords haven't fallen apart. You saw when Iran launched missiles at Israel. You saw other countries in the region come to, maybe they wouldn't say Israel's defense. It was their airspace defense. But you saw that still working. You see that still working now. And it's every day when we come to work at AJC, we're thinking about how to increase and strengthen Israel's place in the world. Manya Brachear Pashman:  So Mira, your role encompassed both Israel and the Gulf for the first time, right? Mira Resnick:   That was the first time at my level. Yes.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   Okay, so whose idea was that, and did that put you or the US in a position to work for the good of the neighborhood, rather than just Israel, or just the Gulf States? Mira Resnick:   Yeah, this was an opportunity for the State Department to be able to see all of the different threads that were coming throughout the region. This is something that Dana did on a daily basis. This is something that our colleagues at the NSC did on a daily basis. The Secretary, of course, needs to be able to manage multiple threads at the same time. When I was overseeing arms sales, of course, I would have to consider Israel and the Gulf at the same time.  So this wasn't a new idea, that our interests can be aligned within one portfolio, but it was particularly important timing for the United States to be able to see and to talk to and to hear our Gulf partners and our Israeli partners at the same time within the same prism, to be able to truly understand what the trends were in the region at that particularly critical moment, post-October 7. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Dana, in your role as Assistant Deputy Secretary of Defense, you met with military leaders in the Middle East, around the world, and you were often the only woman at the table. What do women contribute to international conflict resolution that's missing when they're not given a seat at the table? Dana Strohl:   Well, let me start out by stating the obvious, which is that women make up 50% of the global population of the world. So if 50% of the world is missing from the negotiating table, from the peacemaking table, from conflict prevention mechanisms, then you're missing 50% of the critical voices. There's evidence, clear evidence, that when women are part of peace processes, when they are part of negotiations, the outcomes on the other side are 35% more sustainable. So we have evidence and data to back up the contention that women must be at the table if we are going to have sustainable outcomes.  When I think about the necessity, the imperative, of women being included, I think about the full range of conflict. So there's preventing it, managing it, and then transitioning to peace and political processes in a post-war or post-conflict situation. In every part of that, there's a critical role for women. As examples, I always think about, when you make policy, when you have a memo, when there's a statement that's really nice, in the big capital of some country, or in a fancy, beautiful palace somewhere in the Middle East or in Europe.  But peace only happens if it's implemented at a local level. Everyone in the world wants the same things. They want a better life for their kids. They want safety. They want access to basic services, school, health, clean water and some sort of future which requires jobs. Confidence you can turn the light on. You can drive your car on a road without potholes. Those are details that often are not included in the big sweeping statements of peace, usually between men, that require really significant compromises.  But peace gets implemented at a very local level. And at the local level, at the family level, at the community level, at the school level, it's women. So how those big things get implemented requires women to champion them, to advance them. And I will also just say, you know, generally we should aspire to prevent conflict from happening. There's data to suggest that in countries with higher levels of gender equality, they are less likely to descend into conflict in the first place.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   Can you recall a particularly consequential moment during your tenure, when you were at the table and it mattered? Dana Strohl:   So my view on this is that it was important for me to be at the table as a woman, just to make the point. That women can serve, just like men. Do the same job. And frankly, a lot of the times I felt like I was doing a better job. So what was really important to me, and I can also just say sitting up here with Mira and Casey, is that all of us have worked together now for more than a decade, at different stages of, getting married, thinking through having kids, getting pregnant, taking parental leave, and then transitioning back to work. And all of us have been able to manage our careers at the same time. That only happens in supportive communities, in ecosystems, and I don't just mean having a really supportive partner.  My friends up here know, I ask my mom for a lot of help. I do have a partner who really supported me, but it also means normalizing parenthood and being a woman, and having other obligations in the office space. I would make a point of talking about being a parent or talking about being a woman. To normalize that women can be there. And often there were women, really across the whole Middle East, there were always women in the room. They were just on the back wall, not at the table. And I could see them looking at me.  And so I thought it was really important to make the point that, one, a woman can be up here, but I don't have to be like the men at the table. I can actually talk about, well, I can't stay for an extra day because I have a kindergarten, you know, theater thing, and I have to run back and do that.  Or there were many times actually, I think Mira was Zooming for parent teacher conferences after we were having the official meeting. But I think it's important to actually say that, at the table, I'm going to leave now and go back to my hotel room because I'm making a parent teacher conference. Or, I have to be back by Friday because I'm taking a kid to a doctor's appointment.  So all the women that come after us can see that you can do both, and the men at the table can understand that women have a right to be here. Can do the jobs just as effectively and professionally as the men, and do this other absolutely critical thing. Manya Brachear Pashman:   But your point about, it requires a supportive network, a supportive work community. You told me a story before we got up here about just how supportive your colleagues were in the Department of Defense.  Dana Strohl:   I will give a shout out to Lloyd Austin, the Secretary of Defense. So one of the things you do in our positions is travel with the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Defense. And these are not the kind of things where they get on a plane and you land in whatever country. There's a tremendous amount of planning that goes into these. So on a particular trip, it was a four country trip, early in 2023. Secretary Austin was going to multiple countries. He had switched the day, not he, but his travel team, of his departure, which then caused us to switch the day of my son's birthday party. And then they switched the time of his departure from Andrews Air Force Base, and we could not change the birthday party.  So I called Secretary Austin's office and said, Listen, I want to be at my son's birthday party. So I've looked and it looks like I can take this commercial flight. So I won't be on the Secretary of Defense's plane, but I can largely land around the same time as you all and still do my job in the region. And to their credit, they said, okay, and then one of the things that you do in my position is you get on the airplane and you talk to the Secretary of Defense about the objectives and the goals and the meetings. So they said, Okay, we'll just change that to earlier. You can do it the day before we depart, so that he can hear from you. You're on the same page. You can make the birthday party. He can do the thing. So we were actually going to Jordan for the first stop. And it turns out, in his itinerary, the first thing we were doing when we landed in Jordan, was going to dinner with the King. And it was very unclear whether I was going to make it or not. And quite a high stakes negotiation.  But the bottom line is this, I finished the birthday party, had my mother come to the birthday party to help me clean up from the birthday party, changed my clothes, went to Dulles, got on the airplane, sort of took a nap, get off the airplane. And there is an entire delegation of people waiting for me as you exit the runway of the airplane, and they said, Well, you need to go to this bathroom right here and change your clothes.  I changed my clothes, put on my suit, ran a brush through my hair, get in a car, and they drove me to the King's palace, and I made the dinner with the king. It's an example of a team, and in particular Secretary Austin, who understood that for women to have the opportunities but also have other obligations, that there has to be an understanding and some flexibility, but we can do both, and it took understanding and accommodation from his team, but also a lot of people who are willing to work with me, to get me to the dinner. And I sat next to him, and it was a very, very good meal. Manya Brachear Pashman:   I find that so encouraging and empowering. Thank you so much. Casey, I want to turn to you. Mira and Dana worked under particular administrations. You worked with members of Congress from different parties. So how did the increasing polarization in politics affect your work, or did it? Casey Kustin:   It's funny, I was traveling last week for an AJC event, and I ended up at the same place with a member of Congress who was on my subcommittee, and I knew pretty well. And he looked at me and he said, the foreign affairs committee, as you know it, is no longer. And that was a really sad moment for me, because people always described our committee as the last bastion of bipartisanship. And the polarization that is seeping through every part of society is really impacting even the foreign policy space now. As you see our colleague, our Managing Director of [AJC] Europe, Simone Rodan[-Benzaquen], who many of you know, just wrote a piece this week talking about how, as Israel has become to the progressive, when Ukraine has become to the far right.  And I think about all the years I spent when Ted Deutch, our CEO, was the top Democrat on the Middle East subcommittee, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), a great friend of AJC, was the chair of the subcommittee. And Ted and Ileana would travel around together. And when she was the chair, she always made a point of kind of joking like Ted's, my co chair, and we did so many pieces–with Mira's great support of legislation for the US, Israel relationship, for Syria, for Iran, that we worked on together, really together. Like at the table with my staff counterparts, trying to figure out, you know, what can your side swallow? What can your side swallow? And I hear from so many of our former colleagues that those conversations aren't really taking place anymore. And you know, the great thing about AJC is we are nonpartisan, and we try so hard to have both viewpoints at the table. But even that gets harder and harder. And Dana's story about the King of Jordan made me laugh, because I remember a very similar experience where I was on a congressional delegation and Chairwoman Ros-Lehtinen, and I was six months pregnant at the time, and I wanted to go on the trip, and the doctor said I could go on the trip. And we were seated around the table having the meeting.  And I, as you won't be able to hear on the podcast, but you in this room know, look very young, despite my age. And you're self conscious about that. And I remember Ileana just being so caring and supportive of me the entire trip. And I wasn't even her staffer, and I remember she announced to the King of Jordan that I was six months pregnant, and you could kind of see him go, okay. That's very like, thank you. That's very nice. But even just having that moment of having the chairwoman on the other side of the aisle. That whole trip. I think I've told some AJC people another funny story of on that same trip, we met with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch in Jerusalem, and she pulled me up to him, and she said to the patriarch, will you bless her unborn child? Knowing I'm Jewish, she leaned over and said to me: Can't hurt. So I hope that we return to a place like that on Capitol Hill. I think there are really good staffers like us who want that to happen, but it is just as hard a space now in foreign policy as you see in other parts of politics. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Mira, I want to ask you another policy related question. How did the Abraham Accords change the dynamics of your combined portfolio, and how could it shape the future? Mira Resnik:   My first, one of my first trips, certainly my first trip to the Middle East, when I was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regional Security, overseeing security assistance and security cooperation, was to Dubai, as the State Department representative for the Dubai Airshow. And it is a huge event that showcases the world's technology. And I remember walking into the huge hangar, that every country that has a defense industry was showcasing their most important, their most important munitions, their most important aircraft. And I remember seeing the enormous Israeli pavilion when I was there. And I was staying at a hotel, and I get to the breakfast and they said, Would you like the kosher breakfast or the non-kosher breakfast. And I'm like, Am I in Israel?  And I was blown away by the very warm relationship–in the security space, in the humanitarian space. I agree with Casey that things have gotten a little tougher since October 7, and since the aftermath in Gaza. But what I would also point out is that April and October, during the time when when we witnessed Israel under cover, when we witnessed Iran's missiles and projectiles going toward Israel and going toward other regional airspace, our diplomats, our militaries, our intelligence officials, all had earlier warning because of the work of other Gulf governments, even those who have not joined the Abraham Accords. And that is a prime example of where this security cooperation really matters. It saves lives. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So Casey, so much of what AJC does has to do with international diplomacy and maintaining that regional cooperation and security, and that sounds a lot like your previous role. So I'm really curious how much your job truly has changed since you came to AJC? Casey Kustin:   You're absolutely right. There are so many similarities in what we do at AJC and what we did in the government. And the core of that is really those relationships that you build with partners and interlocutors in other countries and other governments, and the foundation, over decades that AJC has laid. Particularly in the Middle East, thanks to 30 years of quiet travel to the region.  It struck me when I first came here, the access that AJC has is nearly the same that we had traveling as members of Congress. And the meetings and the quality and the level of meetings that AJC is afforded in these other countries.  Our missions, which many of you have been on, often feel like congressional delegation trips to me, and the conversations and the candor with which partners speak to AJC is almost the same that was afforded to members of Congress. And that has been comforting, in a way, as you said Manya, Because there feels like there's continuity in the work that we're doing, and it has made me realize that organizations, non-governmental organizations, advocacy organizations, play such a crucial role in supporting the work of a government, of your country's government. And in reinforcing the values and the interests that we as AJC want to communicate that very much dovetail, with hopefully any US administration.  I think that the role that an organization like ours, like AJC, can play in a particular moment, like we're in, where, as we've discussed, there's hyperpartisanship, and we hear a lot, Dana mentioned this. We hear a lot from foreign partners that the way our democracy works with a change in administration every four years is unsettling to some of them, because they don't know if a particular policy or agreement is going to continue the role that we can play, providing some of that continuity and providing a nonpartisan and thoughtful place to have conversations. Because they know that we have that kind of nuanced and thoughtful and nonpartisan insight. Manya Brachear Pashman:   I really appreciate your insights on the roles that you've played, and I think the audience has as well. But I want to pivot back to your role as women. Dana, I mentioned that you were often the only woman at the table. Would you discover that when you arrived at meetings and events? Dana Strohl:   In Washington, DC, and in particular, I'm very proud to have served in the Biden administration, where there were always women at the table. And I will also say that there was a network of women, and it was the same on the Hill. On the hill, there was actually a box of maternity clothes that was kept in then-Senate Leader Harry Reid's office.  And his National Security Advisor called me when she heard I was pregnant the first time, which was during the 2015 JCPOA negotiations on the Hill, which meant that I was super tired and doing all of those congressional hearings and briefings, but there was a network of women who were supporting each other and giving me clothes as I got bigger and bigger. And it continued into the Pentagon and the State Department, where there were always women and when we saw each other at the White House Situation Room or in the different meetings, there was always the quiet pull aside. How are you doing? How are your kids? Are you managing? What's the trade off on your day to day basis? Can I do anything to help you?  And in particular, after October 7, that network of people really kicked into high gear, and we were all checking in with each other. Because it was the most intense, most devastating time to work in the government and try to both support Israel and prevent World War III from breaking out across the Middle East. So that was DC. In the Middle East, I largely assumed that I was going to be the only woman at the table, and so I decided to just own it. There are some great pictures of me always in a pink jacket, but the point you know, was that I expected it, and there were always women, again, against the back walls. I made an effort whenever possible to make sure everyone at the table, regardless of your gender, had an opportunity to speak and participate, but I was also not just the only woman.  A lot of times, I was the co-chair with whatever partner it was in the Middle East, so I had a speaking role, and I felt was incumbent upon me to present a model of leadership and inclusivity in how we engage with our partners, spoke to our partners, listened to our partners concerns, and that that was part of the job. And only once, I remember it very clearly. We were at a dinner after a big meeting, and somebody looks at me, it's a meeting with all, y7all men, all men for a dinner. And they said, Is this what it's like for you all the time? And I said, Yes, it is. And you know, it took two and a half years for somebody to notice, so. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Mira, what have you experienced? And have you ever worried as a woman that you weren't being taken seriously? Mira Resnick:   I think that every woman in one of these jobs has imposter syndrome every so often, and walking into the room and owning it, fake it till you make it right. That's the solution. I will. I agree with Dana wholeheartedly that in Washington, I was really proud to walk into the room and never fear that I was the only woman. And I even remember traveling where another delegation was all women, and our delegation was all women, and how surprising that was, and then how disappointing, how surprising that was, but to take notice of the moment, because they don't happen very often.  I think that in Washington and throughout diplomacy, the goal is to pay it forward to other women. And I wasn't the last person to pump in the Ramallah Coca Cola factory, and I wasn't the first person to pump in the Ramallah Coca Cola factory. But that is, that was, like, my moment where I was like, Oh, this is a strange place to be a woman, right?  But I do find that women really bring holistic views into our policy making, and whether it's meeting with civil society, even if your job is strictly security cooperation to understand the human impacts of your security decisions, or making sure that you are nurturing your people, that you are a good leader of people.  I remember post-October 7, I was looking for some way that I could nurture in the personal life. And I see Nadine Binstock here, who goes to my shul, and Stephanie also. Stephanie Guiloff is also in the audience. She's my neighbor, and also goes to my shul. And after October 7, I took on the Kiddush Committee Coordinator at my shul. So that every week, no matter what I was experiencing at the office and no matter where I was in the world, our community would be a little bit more nurtured. And it was a way for me to like to give back to the community, and at the same time be able to continue to do the hard power work of security cooperation. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So Mira, Casey, Dana, thank you so much for joining us, sharing your modern-day Miriam experiences. I want to open it up for questions from the audience. Just raise your hand and someone will bring you a microphone. Audience Member: Hi, I'm Maddie Ingle. I'm a Leaders for Tomorrow alum. What is some advice that any of you have for young women like me in the advocacy space and in general. Casey Kustin:   First of all, thank you for taking the time to come to Global Forum and for joining LFT. You've already taken the first step to better arming yourself as an advocate. I think there is, I wish someone had said to me, probably before I met the two of them who did say it to me, that it was okay to take up space around the table. I remember sitting in secure facilities, getting classified briefings from ambassadors, male ambassadors who were 30 years my senior, and watching the two of you in particular i. Not be scared to challenge the back and forth when I as a probably still, you know, mid 20s, early 30s, did have fear of speaking up.  And I wish someone, when I was your age as a teenager, had, and obviously, I had supportive parents who told me I could do anything, but it's different. It's different than seeing it modeled by people who are in the same space as you, and who are maybe even just a couple years older than you. So I would just say to you not to ever be afraid to use your voice. This is a memory that has stuck with me for 15 years. I was in a meeting, sitting next to my congressman boss, with two men who were probably in their 60s, and a vote was called. And you never know on the Hill when a vote is going to be called. So it interrupts a meeting. And he had to go vote, and he said, Casey will finish the meeting with you. And they looked at him and said, Does she know what we're talking about?  Dana Strohl: We have all been there, Casey. Casey Kustin: We have all been there. So even if you're met with a response like that when you try to use your voice, don't let it deter you. Audience Member: Hi, guys. I'm Jenny. This has been my favorite session of the three days. Thank you guys. My mom is the first female, woman brakeman conductor on Amtrak. So you guys are just so empowering. As a long time Democrat, you guys talked about bipartisan issues. With how the Democratic Party is. I know you guys probably can't go fully into this. Do you have any inspiring words to give us hope when it feels very scary right now, as a Democrat, how divided our party is. Casey Kustin: I work for a nonpartisan organization now, so I'll let them handle that one. Dana Strohl:   I, so were we all on the Hill during the first Trump administration? And there was still bipartisanship. And what I'm looking for right now is the green shoots of our democracy. And I see them. There is thinking through what does it mean to be in this country, to be an American, to live in a democracy? What does democracy do? I think, first of all, it is healthy and okay for Americans to go through times of challenge and questioning. Is this working for us? And you know, the relationship between the government, whether it's legislative, judicial, executive and the people, and it's okay to challenge and question, and I think it's okay for there to be healthy debates inside both the Republican and the Democratic Party about what what this stands for, and what is in the best interest of our country.  And you can see both in polling data and in certain areas where there actually are members of Congress coming together on certain issues, like economic policy, what's in the best interest of our constituents and voters. That there is thinking through what is the right balance between the different branches of our government.  I was talking to somebody the other day who was reminding me this actual, you know, we are, we are in a time of significant transition and debate in our society about the future of our country and the future role of the government and the relationship. But it's not the first time, and it won't be the last. And I found to be that part of my job was to make sure I understood the diversity of voices and views about what the role of the government should be, general views about American foreign policy, which was our job, was just such a humble reminder of democracy and the importance of this back and forth. Audience Member:  [My name is Allie.] My question for you is, what are your hopes and dreams for generation alpha, who will be able to vote in the next election?  Casey Kustin:   I think we all have, all our kids are still in elementary, or Mira, your one is going into middle school now– Mira Resnik: To middle school. Casey Kustin:   So the vast majority of our children are still elementary school age. And for me, I have a very interesting experience of moving my family out of a very diverse community in Washington, DC to Jacksonville, Florida. And it's a very different environment than I thought that my children were going to grow up in, because at the time, we didn't anticipate leaving DC anytime soon, and it's made me realize that I want them to live in a world where no matter what community They are growing up in, they are experiencing a world that gives them different perspectives on life, and I think it's very easy now that I have gone from a city environment to suburbia to live in a bubble, and I just, I hope that every child in this next generation doesn't have to wait until they're adults to learn these kinds of really important lessons. Dana Strohl:   I have two additional things to add. I'm very concerned at what the polling suggests, the apathy of young people toward voting, the power of voting, why it matters. And participation, that you need to be an active citizen in your governments. And you can't just vote every four years in the presidential election, there's actually a ton of voting, including, like the county boards of education, you got to vote all the way up and down you continuously. And that it's okay to have respectful debate, discourse, disagreements in a democracy. So I would like this generation to learn how to have respectful discourse and debate, to believe that their votes matter and just vote. And three, on the YouTube thing, which is terrifying to me, so I'm hoping the educators help me with this is, how to teach our kids to separate the disinformation, the misinformation, and the fiction that they are getting because of YouTube and online. So mine are all elementary schoolers, and I have lost positive control of the information they absorb.  And now I'm trying to teach them well, you know, that's not real. And do I cut off certain things? How do I engage them? How do I use books and when? So they need to not just be active participants in their society, all up and down the ballot, multiple times every year, but they need to know how to inform themselves. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And Mira? Mira Resnick:   I do hope that our children, as they approach voting age, that they see the value in cooperation with each other, that they see the value of face to face conversation. I think that honestly, this is the value of Shabbat in my household. That you take a break from the screens and you have a face to face conversation. My children understand how to have conversations with adults now. Which is, I think, a critical life skill, and that they will use those life skills toward the betterment of their communities, and more broadly, our Jewish community, and more broadly than that, our global community. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Thank you so much. Thank you to everyone.

Throughout the campaign of 2024, President Donald Trump promised to use tariffs to reset America’s global trade relationships, revitalize American manufacturing, and increase government revenues—and in the first months of his second administration, the president has used tariffs and the threat of tariffs to drive concessions even while raising antagonism and roiling markets. Kimberly Clausing helps us distinguish between the rhetoric and the reality of these tariffs. Clausing is an expert on the taxation of multinational firms. She served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Analysis in the U.S. Department of the Treasury, serving as the lead economist in the Office of Tax Policy during the Biden administration. She is a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Clausing has worked on economic policy research with the International Monetary Fund, the Hamilton Project, the Brookings Institution, the Tax Policy Center, and the Center for American Progress. She has testified before the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Committee on Finance, the Senate Committee on the Budget, and the Joint Economic Committee. Her research examines how government decisions and corporate behavior interplay in the global economy. She has published numerous articles on the taxation of multinational firms, and she is the author of “Open: The Progressive Case for Free Trade, Immigration, and Global Capital.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the podcast, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Health at the Department of Health & Human Resources David Mansdoerfer discusses President Donald Trump's new executive order to reduce drug prices by up to 80% — requiring pharmaceutical companies to match the lowest prices of ‘most-favored-nations.' Mansdoerfer highlights that this policy was anticipated and previously aligned with the president's first term actions. He noted that while the pharmaceutical industry may initially resist, the order could benefit by preventing price gouging in foreign markets.Furthermore, the conversation touches on the broader implications of the order, including potential backlash, the role of Medicare in drug pricing, and the impact of COVID-19 policies on public health.You can keep up with David or Amanda on X by following their accounts: @Dpmansdo and @AmandaHead.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Doug McHoney (PwC's International Tax Services Global Leader) is joined by Professor Itai Grinberg, a faculty member at Georgetown University Law Center and a former Deputy Assistant Secretary at the US Treasury Department during the Biden administration. In that role, Itai served as the United States' lead negotiator for the global corporate minimum tax initiative. Doug and Itai discuss the behind-the-scenes history of Pillar Two from the US perspective, exploring its policy rationale, global negotiations, and shifting political dynamics. The conversation begins with how Itai's got his role at Treasury and builds a detailed timeline tracing the Biden administration's early support for global minimum tax rules through the 2021 G7 agreement and the development of the Under-Taxed Profits Rule (UTPR). They also delve into the impact of the Build Back Better legislation which was not enacted, the rationale behind the US safe harbor under UTPR, international political tensions including Brexit and US-China relations, and the implications of the April 2025 Trump executive order. The episode closes with reflections on the OECD Inclusive Framework's future and whether multinational enterprises can expect a workable consensus moving forward. 

In this special bonus episode, ASSP CEO Jennifer McNelly speaks with Jim Frederick, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for OSHA and currently principal at NexusHSE. They discuss some of the keys to success for being an effective safety leader, the importance of data in decision making and the role of collaboration between associations, organizations and government […]

On this episode of The Good Trouble Show with Matt Ford, one of America's most prominent trial attorneys, Todd McMurtry addresses the systematic targeting by an organized group of Wikipedia editors who defame or remove pages of public figures with whom they disagree. Organizations coordinate hundreds of Wikipedia editors to target Wikipedia pages related to pseudoscience, including UFOs / UAP.Former President George W. Bush economic advisor, Pippa Malmgren, her late father, Presidential Advisor and Diplomat Harald Malmgren, and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Christopher Mellon had their Wikipedia pages deleted or altered by a senior Wikipedia editor due to the advocacy for UAP / UFO transparency by the government. Christopher Mellon's Wikipedia page was deleted entirely, while Ambassador Malmgren's page was significantly altered, and Pippa Malmgren's page has been nominated for deletion. Segment Producer Ali TravisThe Good Trouble Show:Linktree: https://linktr.ee/thegoodtroubleshow Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheGoodTroubleShow YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGoodTroubleShow Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodTroubleShow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegoodtroubleshow/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goodtroubleshow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Good-Trouble-Show-With-Matt-Ford-106009712211646 Threads: @TheGoodTroubleShow BlueSky: @TheGoodTroubleShow Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-good-trouble-show-with-matt-ford--5808897/support.

Andrew Shapiro talks with former Pentagon Arctic policy head Iris Ferguson about how melting sea ice is ushering in a new era of great power competition, ending decades of 'Arctic exceptionalism.' Iris, the DOD's first Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Arctic, discusses Russia's interests, China's pursuit of influence as a 'near-Arctic state,' and the US imperative to bolster homeland defense, domain awareness, and alliances from Greenland to Alaska. 

In this episode of Taking the Edge off the Middle East, Brian Katulis sits down with Toni Verstandig, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs and current board member at the Middle East Institute. Three months into the second Trump administration, they assess how the White House is reshaping US policy in the Middle East—what's changed, what's stayed the same, and what risks lie ahead. Verstandig reflects on lessons from her years working on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process during the Clinton era, offering both poignant stories and policy insights from a time when diplomacy looked very different. They also discuss how think tanks like MEI are stepping up at a moment when institutions like USIP and the Wilson Center are under fire.  Don't forget to look out for new episodes of Taking the Edge off the Middle East on its own independent channel every other Tuesday, wherever you get your podcasts.   

Chase Davis, pastor of The Well Church in Boulder, Colorado, and William Wolfe, executive director of the Center for Baptist Leadership, join the pod to breakdown a new bill in the Colorado legislature: "Legal Protections for Transgender Individuals," and the dramatic repercussions it will have, especially on Christians.    #Colorado #News #Trans #Bill #CoLeg #TransgenderBill #Church #Response   Show notes:  Chase's article: https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/transgender-totalitarianism-new-bill-in-colorado-wages-war-on-faith-free-speech-and-the-family/ CBL's call to action: https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/colorado-pastors-call-on-megachurches-to-join-fight-against-democrats-radical-transgender-abortion-agenda/ William's article: https://www.standingforfreedom.com/2025/04/hell-is-empty-and-all-the-devils-are-in-denver/ Join the fight: https://fight1312.com/ CBL podcast: https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/category/podcast/ Full Proof Theology: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/full-proof-theology/id1529701699   J. Chase Davis (M.Div, Th.M, Denver Seminary) is Lead Pastor of Ministry of The Well Church in Boulder, Colorado. Chase is married to Kim and they have two sons. He is the author of Trinitarian Formation: A Theology of Discipleship in Light of the Father, Son, and Spirit (2021). He also hosts the podcast Full Proof Theology. You can find more of Chase's writing at jchasedavis.com.   Learn more about J. Chase Davis: https://x.com/jchasedavis https://www.jchasedavis.com/   William Wolfe is the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Baptist Leadership. He has been a part of the Southern Baptist Convention for 13 years. After spending a decade living and working in Washington D.C., including for three Members of Congress, Heritage Action for America, as a Director at the State Department, and as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense at the DoD, William moved to Louisville, KY, to complete his seminary education in person. During that time, he became increasingly involved in much-needed work to revitalize the SBC as an institution, and the launch of CBL is an outgrowth of that work. He has a B.A. in History from Covenant College and an M.Div. from SBTS.   Learn more about William Wolfe: https://x.com/William_E_Wolfe https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/   ––––––   Follow American Reformer across Social Media: X / Twitter – https://www.twitter.com/amreformer Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/AmericanReformer/ YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanReformer Rumble – https://rumble.com/user/AmReformer Website – https://americanreformer.org/   Promote a vigorous Christian approach to the cultural challenges of our day, by donating to The American Reformer: https://americanreformer.org/donate/   Follow Us on Twitter: Josh Abbotoy – https://twitter.com/Byzness Timon Cline – https://twitter.com/tlloydcline   The American Reformer Podcast is  hosted by Josh Abbotoy and Timon Cline, recorded remotely in the United States, and edited by Jared Cummings.   Subscribe to our Podcast, "The American Reformer" Get our RSS Feed – https://americanreformerpodcast.podbean.com/ Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-american-reformer-podcast/id1677193347 Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/1V2dH5vhfogPIv0X8ux9Gm?si=a19db9dc271c4ce5

Anne Reinke and Joe Lynch discuss beyond the rails and roads: the state of intermodal. Anne is the President & CEO at the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA), North America's leading industry trade association representing the combined interests of the intermodal freight industry. About Anne Reinke Anne Reinke became the Intermodal Association of North America's third President & CEO in December of 2024.  Immediately preceding her appointment at IANA, Anne was President & CEO of the Transportation Intermediaries Association for four years. Anne has a long career in transportation policy, with a stint at the Association of American Railroads, 16 years at CSX Corporation, eight of which as Vice-President for Government Affairs, and a political appointment as a Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation. She received a B.A. from Rice University in Houston, TX and a J.D. from Wake Forest School of Law in Winston-Salem, NC.  She is a Washington, DC native; she, her husband, her two sons and her dog live in Alexandria, VA. About Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) IANA is North America's leading industry trade association representing the combined interests of the intermodal freight industry. IANA's membership roster of over 1,000 corporate members includes railroads; water carriers and stacktrain operators; port authorities; intermodal truckers and over-the-road highway carriers; intermodal marketing and logistics companies; and suppliers to the industry such as equipment manufacturers, intermodal leasing companies and technology firms. IANA's associate (non-voting) members include shippers, academic institutions, public sector organizations and non-profit associations. Key Taways: Beyond The Rails and Roads: The State of Intermodal Industry Representation: IANA is North America's leading trade association representing the combined interests of the intermodal freight industry, encompassing railroads, water carriers, port authorities, intermodal truckers, logistics companies, and equipment suppliers. Extensive Membership: The association boasts a diverse membership of over 1,000 corporate members, including Class I, short-line, and regional railroads; water carriers and stacktrain operators; port authorities; intermodal truckers; over-the-road highway carriers; intermodal marketing and logistics companies; and suppliers such as equipment manufacturers, leasing companies, and consulting firms. Mission and Vision: IANA's mission is to promote the growth of efficient intermodal freight transportation through innovation, education, and dialogue. Its vision includes advocating for the benefits of intermodal transportation, providing a neutral forum for industry stakeholders, influencing legislative and regulatory environments, promoting efficient business processes, and delivering excellence through its operations. Educational Initiatives: In collaboration with academic institutions like the Delft University of Technology and the University of Maryland Smith School of Business, IANA offers an online intermodal course comprising eight modules that cover various aspects of intermodal operations, benefiting both newcomers and seasoned professionals in the industry. Policy Advocacy: IANA actively monitors federal and state legislative and regulatory initiatives affecting the intermodal supply chain, providing education and insights to policymakers to shape favorable policies and regulations for the industry. Annual Intermodal EXPO: The association organizes the Intermodal EXPO, a premier event that brings together industry professionals to explore technological advancements, discuss industry trends, and network with peers. The next EXPO is scheduled for September 15-17, 2025, in Los Angeles, CA. Unified Intermodal Interchange Agreement (UIIA): IANA administers the UIIA, a standardized contract that outlines the rules for the interchange of equipment between intermodal trucking companies and equipment providers, streamlining operations and reducing the need for multiple contracts and insurance filings. Approximately 95% of North American equipment interchanges are managed under the UIIA, with over 13,000 intermodal trucking companies participating. Learn More About Beyond The Rails and Roads: The State of Intermodal Anne Reinke | Linkedin IANA | Linkedin IANA Homepage | UIIA What is Intermodal? U.S. Trade and Tariffs Events Amazon.com: The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger - Second Edition with a new chapter by the author eBook : Levinson, Marc: Books The Voice of 3rd Party Logistics with Anne Reinke | The Logistics of Logistics The State of Freight with Anne Reinke | The Logistics of Logistics Trucking Through Trouble with TIA & Anne Reinke | The Logistcs of Logistics The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube  

In this episode of The Modern Facilities Management Podcast, Griffin sits down with Dr. Tim Unruh, Executive Director of the National Association of Energy Service Companies (NAESCO) and former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Renewable Power at the U.S. Department of Energy. Dr. Unruh breaks down how Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) are helping public institutions like K–12 schools, universities, and municipalities fund infrastructure improvements without upfront capital—while reducing energy costs, improving occupant comfort, and creating long-term operational resilience.If energy efficiency, capital planning, or deferred maintenance are top of mind for your organization, this is a must-listen conversation.ResourcesNational Association of Energy Service Companies (NAESCO)NAESCO ESCO MembersNAESCO Accredited MembersU.S. Department of Energy (DOE)Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) (DOE)Energy Savings Performance Contract Campaign (SCEP, DOE)Energy Services Coalition (ESC)National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO)

In this bonus episode of Escalation, you'll hear our conversation with Evelyn Farkas, who is the Executive Director for The McCain Institute, and served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia in the Obama Administration. Farkas describes the US government's reaction to the invasion of Crimea, and discussions over aid to Ukraine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Note: We're excited to announce that 'Taking the Edge Off the Middle East' is moving to its own channel! Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts to continue following the show. --- Middle East Focus Presents: ‘Taking the Edge Off the Middle East' with Brian Katulis A series of casual conversations with leading policy professionals on the most important happenings in the Middle East today — hosted by MEI's Senior Fellow Brian Katulis. In this episode, Brian is joined by former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, who recently served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East. They discuss the Trump administration's early approach to the region in its second term, including its handling of Iran, Gaza, and regional normalization efforts. Drawing on his decades of experience across the NSC, State Department, and Pentagon, Dan shares his candid assessments of what's working, what's not, and what's still unsettled. He also reflects on his own career path and what young people interested in U.S. foreign policy can learn from decades of peacemaking efforts.

On this episode of podcast, host Amanda Head is joined by Mike Benz — former Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Communications and Information Technology at the State Department and speechwriter to President Donald Trump in his first term. Together, they break down the newly declassified JFK assassination files and their far-reaching implications.Benz unpacks the CIA's historical influence over the State Department, the creation of USAID as a cover for covert operations, and the agency's infiltration of diplomatic posts, NGOs, and even prostitution rings for intelligence gathering. As Executive Director of the Foundation for Freedom Online, he also explores what these revelations mean for U.S. foreign policy today — and what future declassifications might reveal about the JFK assassination and other classified operations covertly accomplished by our federal government.Follow Mike and his ongoing investigative work on X (formerly Twitter): @MikeBenzCyber.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Today's episode of the CBL Podcast, William Wolfe details his recent visit to the White House with President Trump for the Faith Office Policy Roundtable.   #PresidentTrump #Faith #ReligiousLiberty #FreeSpeech #2024 #Policy #Values #Christianity   Timestamps: 02:38 Overview of White House Faith Office 07:00 Concerns About Previous Administration: 10:00 Listening Session Details: 15:00 Pro-Life Policies and Personnel: 18:00 Immigration Policies and Family Protection 21:00  Religious Liberty and Global Support for Christians: 23:38 Meeting with President Trump 30:00 Reflections on the Day and Future Plans   William Wolfe is the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Baptist Leadership. He has been a part of the Southern Baptist Convention for 13 years. After spending a decade living and working in Washington D.C., including for three Members of Congress, Heritage Action for America, as a Director at the State Department, and as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense at the DoD, William moved to Louisville, KY, to complete his seminary education in person. During that time, he became increasingly involved in much-needed work to revitalize the SBC as an institution, and the launch of CBL is an outgrowth of that work. Combining his experience in public policy and political strategy with his theological education and knowledge of the SBC, William has become a widely respected and authoritative commentator on the role of the SBC in broader American evangelicalism and the intersection of faith and politics in our nation. His work has been published in major outlets like Newsweek, The American Conservative, Christian Post, American Reformer, Daily Signal, The Federalist, and Daily Caller, etc., for think tanks like The Center for Renewing America, and for Christian publications such as 9 Marks and Founders Ministries. He also serves as a regular contributor to Liberty University's Standing for Freedom Center. He completed the Pastoral Internship program at Capitol Hill Baptist Church and the Presidential Internship at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has a B.A. in History from Covenant College and an M.Div. from SBTS.   To book William for media appearances or speaking engagements, please contact him at media@centerfor­baptistleadership.org.   ––––––   Follow Center for Baptist Leadership across Social Media: X / Twitter – https://twitter.com/BaptistLeaders Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/people/Center-For-Baptist-Leadership/61556762144277/ Rumble – https://rumble.com/c/c-6157089 YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@CenterforBaptistLeadership Website – https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/   To book William for media appearances or speaking engagements, please contact him at media@centerfor­baptistleadership.org.   Follow Us on Twitter: William Wolfe - https://twitter.com/William_E_Wolfe Richard Henry - https://twitter.com/RThenry83   Renew the SBC from within and defend the SBC from those who seek its destruction, donate today: https://centerforbaptistleadership.org/donate/   The Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast is powered by American Reformer, recorded remotely in the United States by William Wolfe, and edited by Jared Cummings.   Subscribe to the Center for Baptist Leadership Podcast: Distribute our RSS Feed – https://centerforbaptistleadership.podbean.com/ Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/center-for-baptist-leadership/id1743074575 Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/0npXohTYKWYmWLsHkalF9t Amazon Music // Audible – https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ababbdd-6c6b-4ab9-b21a-eed951e1e67b BoomPlay – https://www.boomplaymusic.com/podcasts/96624 TuneIn – Coming Soon iHeartRadio – https://iheart.com/podcast/170321203 Listen Notes – https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/center-for-baptist-leadership-center-for-3liUZaE_Tnq/ Pandora – Coming Soon PlayerFM – https://player.fm/series/3570081 Podchaser – https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-center-for-baptist-leaders-5696654 YouTube Podcasts – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFMvfuzJKMICA7wi3CXvQxdNtA_lqDFV

In this thought-provoking episode of Research Renaissance, host Deborah Westphal welcomes Dr. Melissa Flagg, an advisor for the Andrew W. Marshall Foundation and a research fellow at the Acquisition Innovation Research Center. Dr. Flagg has had an extensive career spanning government, academia, and the private sector, including her role as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research.Together, they explore the evolving landscape of research and development (R&D) in the U.S. and beyond. They discuss the history, funding models, and gaps in the system, as well as new opportunities to connect scientific research with real-world applications. Dr. Flagg also offers a candid perspective on how research institutions prioritize funding, the challenges faced by early-career researchers, and the growing influence of industry and philanthropy in driving scientific innovation.

President Donald Trump's escalating tariff war could particularly impact Ireland. Brad Setser, Senior Fellow on the Council on Foreign Relations and former Deputy Assistant Secretary at the US Treasury Department, explains.

In this week's episode, correspondent Christina Ruffini and co-host former Secretary of Defense and CIA Director Leon Panetta sit down with former United States Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Barbara Leaf, who was also previously Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Arabian Peninsula in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Iraq. They discuss Leaf's role in the ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, President Donald Trump's plans for Gaza, and how the Arab world has reacted. Leaf also shares behind-the-scenes diplomatic stories from the dramatic fall of the Assad regime and recounts an afternoon spent with Syria's new interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and his plans for a new Syria and relations with Israel. Plus, how the nation is battling emerging Assad supporters. Episode produced by Situation Room Studios. Original music composed and produced by Leo Sidran.

What if the biggest barrier to innovation in government contracting isn't bureaucracy–but mindset?In this replay episode, Ryan Connell sits down with Major General Alice Treviño, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Contracting, to discuss how the Air Force is rethinking procurement with digital tools, leadership strategies, and streamlined processes.With over 32 years of experience, Major General Treviño shares how to lead effectively in acquisitions, delegate strategically, and foster innovation within a structured system.She highlights why patience, positivity, courage, and curiosity are essential for driving real change in contracting.From AI-powered procurement to leadership tactics, this episode is packed with insights.Let's dive in!Key Takeaways:(00:00) Introduction (00:56) Major General Treviño's background and journey in contracting(07:09) How to delegate authority in high-visibility projects(10:10) The critical role of contracting in mission success(13:15) A day in the life of a Deputy Assistant Secretary for Contracting(19:55) Building and scaling tools across the Air Force(28:56) Advice on change agency for junior members in the Air Force(35:28) Final thoughts on leadership, positivity, and mentorshipAdditional Resources:

Critics on the Left have long attacked open markets and free trade agreements for exploiting the poor and undermining labor, while those on the Right complain that they unjustly penalize workers back home. In Open: The Progressive Case for Free Trade, Immigration, and Global Capital (Harvard University Press, 2019), Kimberly Clausing takes on old and new skeptics in her compelling case that open economies are actually a force for good. Turning to the data to separate substance from spin, she shows how international trade makes countries richer, raises living standards, benefits consumers, and brings nations together. At a time when borders are closing and the safety of global supply chains is being thrown into question, she outlines a clear agenda to manage globalization more effectively, presenting strategies to equip workers for a modern economy and establish a better partnership between labor and the business community. Kimberly Clausing holds the Eric M. Zolt Chair in Tax Law and Policy at the UCLA School of Law. During the first part of the Biden Administration, Clausing was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Analysis in the US Department of the Treasury, serving as the lead economist in the Office of Tax Policy. Prior to coming to UCLA, Clausing was the Thormund A. Miller and Walter Mintz Professor of Economics at Reed College. Professor Clausing is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. She has worked on economic policy research with the International Monetary Fund, the Hamilton Project, the Brookings Institution, the Tax Policy Center, and the Center for American Progress. She has testified before the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Committee on Finance, the Senate Committee on the Budget, and the Joint Economic Committee. Professor Clausing received her B.A. from Carleton College in 1991 and her Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1996, both in economics. Other New Books Networks interviews on related themes include Yale economist Penny Goldberg, former Chief Economist of the World Bank, on The Unequal Effects of Globalization, Princeton economist Leah Boustan on how immigrants have contributed to and rapidly assimilated into US society, and University of Massachusetts economist Isabella Weber on China's process of integration into the world economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Critics on the Left have long attacked open markets and free trade agreements for exploiting the poor and undermining labor, while those on the Right complain that they unjustly penalize workers back home. In Open: The Progressive Case for Free Trade, Immigration, and Global Capital (Harvard University Press, 2019), Kimberly Clausing takes on old and new skeptics in her compelling case that open economies are actually a force for good. Turning to the data to separate substance from spin, she shows how international trade makes countries richer, raises living standards, benefits consumers, and brings nations together. At a time when borders are closing and the safety of global supply chains is being thrown into question, she outlines a clear agenda to manage globalization more effectively, presenting strategies to equip workers for a modern economy and establish a better partnership between labor and the business community. Kimberly Clausing holds the Eric M. Zolt Chair in Tax Law and Policy at the UCLA School of Law. During the first part of the Biden Administration, Clausing was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Analysis in the US Department of the Treasury, serving as the lead economist in the Office of Tax Policy. Prior to coming to UCLA, Clausing was the Thormund A. Miller and Walter Mintz Professor of Economics at Reed College. Professor Clausing is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. She has worked on economic policy research with the International Monetary Fund, the Hamilton Project, the Brookings Institution, the Tax Policy Center, and the Center for American Progress. She has testified before the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Committee on Finance, the Senate Committee on the Budget, and the Joint Economic Committee. Professor Clausing received her B.A. from Carleton College in 1991 and her Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1996, both in economics. Other New Books Networks interviews on related themes include Yale economist Penny Goldberg, former Chief Economist of the World Bank, on The Unequal Effects of Globalization, Princeton economist Leah Boustan on how immigrants have contributed to and rapidly assimilated into US society, and University of Massachusetts economist Isabella Weber on China's process of integration into the world economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/world-affairs

Critics on the Left have long attacked open markets and free trade agreements for exploiting the poor and undermining labor, while those on the Right complain that they unjustly penalize workers back home. In Open: The Progressive Case for Free Trade, Immigration, and Global Capital (Harvard University Press, 2019), Kimberly Clausing takes on old and new skeptics in her compelling case that open economies are actually a force for good. Turning to the data to separate substance from spin, she shows how international trade makes countries richer, raises living standards, benefits consumers, and brings nations together. At a time when borders are closing and the safety of global supply chains is being thrown into question, she outlines a clear agenda to manage globalization more effectively, presenting strategies to equip workers for a modern economy and establish a better partnership between labor and the business community. Kimberly Clausing holds the Eric M. Zolt Chair in Tax Law and Policy at the UCLA School of Law. During the first part of the Biden Administration, Clausing was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Analysis in the US Department of the Treasury, serving as the lead economist in the Office of Tax Policy. Prior to coming to UCLA, Clausing was the Thormund A. Miller and Walter Mintz Professor of Economics at Reed College. Professor Clausing is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. She has worked on economic policy research with the International Monetary Fund, the Hamilton Project, the Brookings Institution, the Tax Policy Center, and the Center for American Progress. She has testified before the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Committee on Finance, the Senate Committee on the Budget, and the Joint Economic Committee. Professor Clausing received her B.A. from Carleton College in 1991 and her Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1996, both in economics. Other New Books Networks interviews on related themes include Yale economist Penny Goldberg, former Chief Economist of the World Bank, on The Unequal Effects of Globalization, Princeton economist Leah Boustan on how immigrants have contributed to and rapidly assimilated into US society, and University of Massachusetts economist Isabella Weber on China's process of integration into the world economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/public-policy

Critics on the Left have long attacked open markets and free trade agreements for exploiting the poor and undermining labor, while those on the Right complain that they unjustly penalize workers back home. In Open: The Progressive Case for Free Trade, Immigration, and Global Capital (Harvard University Press, 2019), Kimberly Clausing takes on old and new skeptics in her compelling case that open economies are actually a force for good. Turning to the data to separate substance from spin, she shows how international trade makes countries richer, raises living standards, benefits consumers, and brings nations together. At a time when borders are closing and the safety of global supply chains is being thrown into question, she outlines a clear agenda to manage globalization more effectively, presenting strategies to equip workers for a modern economy and establish a better partnership between labor and the business community. Kimberly Clausing holds the Eric M. Zolt Chair in Tax Law and Policy at the UCLA School of Law. During the first part of the Biden Administration, Clausing was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Analysis in the US Department of the Treasury, serving as the lead economist in the Office of Tax Policy. Prior to coming to UCLA, Clausing was the Thormund A. Miller and Walter Mintz Professor of Economics at Reed College. Professor Clausing is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. She has worked on economic policy research with the International Monetary Fund, the Hamilton Project, the Brookings Institution, the Tax Policy Center, and the Center for American Progress. She has testified before the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Committee on Finance, the Senate Committee on the Budget, and the Joint Economic Committee. Professor Clausing received her B.A. from Carleton College in 1991 and her Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1996, both in economics. Other New Books Networks interviews on related themes include Yale economist Penny Goldberg, former Chief Economist of the World Bank, on The Unequal Effects of Globalization, Princeton economist Leah Boustan on how immigrants have contributed to and rapidly assimilated into US society, and University of Massachusetts economist Isabella Weber on China's process of integration into the world economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/economics

Critics on the Left have long attacked open markets and free trade agreements for exploiting the poor and undermining labor, while those on the Right complain that they unjustly penalize workers back home. In Open: The Progressive Case for Free Trade, Immigration, and Global Capital (Harvard University Press, 2019), Kimberly Clausing takes on old and new skeptics in her compelling case that open economies are actually a force for good. Turning to the data to separate substance from spin, she shows how international trade makes countries richer, raises living standards, benefits consumers, and brings nations together. At a time when borders are closing and the safety of global supply chains is being thrown into question, she outlines a clear agenda to manage globalization more effectively, presenting strategies to equip workers for a modern economy and establish a better partnership between labor and the business community. Kimberly Clausing holds the Eric M. Zolt Chair in Tax Law and Policy at the UCLA School of Law. During the first part of the Biden Administration, Clausing was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Analysis in the US Department of the Treasury, serving as the lead economist in the Office of Tax Policy. Prior to coming to UCLA, Clausing was the Thormund A. Miller and Walter Mintz Professor of Economics at Reed College. Professor Clausing is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. She has worked on economic policy research with the International Monetary Fund, the Hamilton Project, the Brookings Institution, the Tax Policy Center, and the Center for American Progress. She has testified before the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Committee on Finance, the Senate Committee on the Budget, and the Joint Economic Committee. Professor Clausing received her B.A. from Carleton College in 1991 and her Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1996, both in economics. Other New Books Networks interviews on related themes include Yale economist Penny Goldberg, former Chief Economist of the World Bank, on The Unequal Effects of Globalization, Princeton economist Leah Boustan on how immigrants have contributed to and rapidly assimilated into US society, and University of Massachusetts economist Isabella Weber on China's process of integration into the world economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/politics-and-polemics

Critics on the Left have long attacked open markets and free trade agreements for exploiting the poor and undermining labor, while those on the Right complain that they unjustly penalize workers back home. In Open: The Progressive Case for Free Trade, Immigration, and Global Capital (Harvard University Press, 2019), Kimberly Clausing takes on old and new skeptics in her compelling case that open economies are actually a force for good. Turning to the data to separate substance from spin, she shows how international trade makes countries richer, raises living standards, benefits consumers, and brings nations together. At a time when borders are closing and the safety of global supply chains is being thrown into question, she outlines a clear agenda to manage globalization more effectively, presenting strategies to equip workers for a modern economy and establish a better partnership between labor and the business community. Kimberly Clausing holds the Eric M. Zolt Chair in Tax Law and Policy at the UCLA School of Law. During the first part of the Biden Administration, Clausing was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Analysis in the US Department of the Treasury, serving as the lead economist in the Office of Tax Policy. Prior to coming to UCLA, Clausing was the Thormund A. Miller and Walter Mintz Professor of Economics at Reed College. Professor Clausing is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. She has worked on economic policy research with the International Monetary Fund, the Hamilton Project, the Brookings Institution, the Tax Policy Center, and the Center for American Progress. She has testified before the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Committee on Finance, the Senate Committee on the Budget, and the Joint Economic Committee. Professor Clausing received her B.A. from Carleton College in 1991 and her Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1996, both in economics. Other New Books Networks interviews on related themes include Yale economist Penny Goldberg, former Chief Economist of the World Bank, on The Unequal Effects of Globalization, Princeton economist Leah Boustan on how immigrants have contributed to and rapidly assimilated into US society, and University of Massachusetts economist Isabella Weber on China's process of integration into the world economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/law

Critics on the Left have long attacked open markets and free trade agreements for exploiting the poor and undermining labor, while those on the Right complain that they unjustly penalize workers back home. In Open: The Progressive Case for Free Trade, Immigration, and Global Capital (Harvard University Press, 2019), Kimberly Clausing takes on old and new skeptics in her compelling case that open economies are actually a force for good. Turning to the data to separate substance from spin, she shows how international trade makes countries richer, raises living standards, benefits consumers, and brings nations together. At a time when borders are closing and the safety of global supply chains is being thrown into question, she outlines a clear agenda to manage globalization more effectively, presenting strategies to equip workers for a modern economy and establish a better partnership between labor and the business community. Kimberly Clausing holds the Eric M. Zolt Chair in Tax Law and Policy at the UCLA School of Law. During the first part of the Biden Administration, Clausing was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Analysis in the US Department of the Treasury, serving as the lead economist in the Office of Tax Policy. Prior to coming to UCLA, Clausing was the Thormund A. Miller and Walter Mintz Professor of Economics at Reed College. Professor Clausing is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. She has worked on economic policy research with the International Monetary Fund, the Hamilton Project, the Brookings Institution, the Tax Policy Center, and the Center for American Progress. She has testified before the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Committee on Finance, the Senate Committee on the Budget, and the Joint Economic Committee. Professor Clausing received her B.A. from Carleton College in 1991 and her Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1996, both in economics. Other New Books Networks interviews on related themes include Yale economist Penny Goldberg, former Chief Economist of the World Bank, on The Unequal Effects of Globalization, Princeton economist Leah Boustan on how immigrants have contributed to and rapidly assimilated into US society, and University of Massachusetts economist Isabella Weber on China's process of integration into the world economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Critics on the Left have long attacked open markets and free trade agreements for exploiting the poor and undermining labor, while those on the Right complain that they unjustly penalize workers back home. In Open: The Progressive Case for Free Trade, Immigration, and Global Capital (Harvard University Press, 2019), Kimberly Clausing takes on old and new skeptics in her compelling case that open economies are actually a force for good. Turning to the data to separate substance from spin, she shows how international trade makes countries richer, raises living standards, benefits consumers, and brings nations together. At a time when borders are closing and the safety of global supply chains is being thrown into question, she outlines a clear agenda to manage globalization more effectively, presenting strategies to equip workers for a modern economy and establish a better partnership between labor and the business community. Kimberly Clausing holds the Eric M. Zolt Chair in Tax Law and Policy at the UCLA School of Law. During the first part of the Biden Administration, Clausing was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Analysis in the US Department of the Treasury, serving as the lead economist in the Office of Tax Policy. Prior to coming to UCLA, Clausing was the Thormund A. Miller and Walter Mintz Professor of Economics at Reed College. Professor Clausing is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. She has worked on economic policy research with the International Monetary Fund, the Hamilton Project, the Brookings Institution, the Tax Policy Center, and the Center for American Progress. She has testified before the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Committee on Finance, the Senate Committee on the Budget, and the Joint Economic Committee. Professor Clausing received her B.A. from Carleton College in 1991 and her Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1996, both in economics. Other New Books Networks interviews on related themes include Yale economist Penny Goldberg, former Chief Economist of the World Bank, on The Unequal Effects of Globalization, Princeton economist Leah Boustan on how immigrants have contributed to and rapidly assimilated into US society, and University of Massachusetts economist Isabella Weber on China's process of integration into the world economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/finance

Note: This episode was recorded Wednesday February 26th, two days before Zelenskyy's press conference with J.D. Vance and Trump in the White House. Shashank Joshi (Defence Editor at The Economist) and Michael Horowitz (Biden's Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Development and Emerging Capabilities, now back at Penn) come on the show to discuss: Ukraine's Chances on the Battlefield: We revisit J.D. Vance's tweet war with Shashank where he claims Ukraine is fated to lose, highlighting how war is nonlinear and dependent on political cohesion, economic strength, and defense industrial capacity beyond just manpower. Trump's Pivot to Putin: We try to think through what Trump is doing with Ukraine and Russia at the strategic level and what the long term and second order consequences are. AI and the Future of Warfare: We discuss of how AGI would transform warfare, with Horowitz suggesting progress will be incremental rather than revolutionary, emphasizing government adoption challenges over 0 to 1 technical breakthroughs. "Precise Mass" in Combat: Ukrainian forces have demonstrated how AI-guided drones achieving 80%+ hit rates have changed battlefield dynamics, introducing the concept of "precise mass" - lower-cost precision systems deployed at scale across domains including air, land, and sea. See Mike's Foreign Affairs piece on the topic here: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/world/battles-precise-mass-technology-war-horowitz Defense Innovation Challenges: Western bureaucratic processes severely impede military innovation, with Horowitz noting that reprogramming just 0.05% of the defense budget required over 40 congressional briefings, contrasting with Ukraine's wartime innovation speed and calling for acquisition reform. Recommended Books: Under the Nuclear Shadow by Fiona Cunningham Army of None by Paul Scharre Billion Dollar Spy by David Hoffman Outtro Music: Santigold, You'll Find a Way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IodbPh7RkBw Vampire Weekend, Walcott: https://open.spotify.com/track/0BZY839qKXibapu4S0GYE2?si=7ecc773a95ee4d62 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Note: This episode was recorded Wednesday February 26th, two days before Zelenskyy's press conference with J.D. Vance and Trump in the White House. Shashank Joshi (Defence Editor at The Economist) and Michael Horowitz (Biden's Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Development and Emerging Capabilities, now back at Penn) come on the show to discuss: Ukraine's Chances on the Battlefield: We revisit J.D. Vance's tweet war with Shashank where he claims Ukraine is fated to lose, highlighting how war is nonlinear and dependent on political cohesion, economic strength, and defense industrial capacity beyond just manpower. Trump's Pivot to Putin: We try to think through what Trump is doing with Ukraine and Russia at the strategic level and what the long term and second order consequences are. AI and the Future of Warfare: We discuss of how AGI would transform warfare, with Horowitz suggesting progress will be incremental rather than revolutionary, emphasizing government adoption challenges over 0 to 1 technical breakthroughs. "Precise Mass" in Combat: Ukrainian forces have demonstrated how AI-guided drones achieving 80%+ hit rates have changed battlefield dynamics, introducing the concept of "precise mass" - lower-cost precision systems deployed at scale across domains including air, land, and sea. See Mike's Foreign Affairs piece on the topic here: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/world/battles-precise-mass-technology-war-horowitz Defense Innovation Challenges: Western bureaucratic processes severely impede military innovation, with Horowitz noting that reprogramming just 0.05% of the defense budget required over 40 congressional briefings, contrasting with Ukraine's wartime innovation speed and calling for acquisition reform. Recommended Books: Under the Nuclear Shadow by Fiona Cunningham Army of None by Paul Scharre Billion Dollar Spy by David Hoffman Outtro Music: Santigold, You'll Find a Way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IodbPh7RkBw Vampire Weekend, Walcott: https://open.spotify.com/track/0BZY839qKXibapu4S0GYE2?si=7ecc773a95ee4d62 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tax policy expert and former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs (Tax & Budget) at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Alice Lin joins Madam Policy host Dee Martin to discuss her journey from being a senior tax policy advisor in Congress to lead tax expert at Treasury. From helping develop the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) during her time on the House Ways and Means Committee to working on implementation as a senior tax policy advisor for the Senate Finance Committee to helping publish over 95 pieces of guidance on the IRA at Treasury, Alice shares her view on the future of the IRA and reconciliation. Want to hear how Alice's experience shadowing a congressional district office in high school put her on the path of public service? Listen now!

Mass firings hit national space-related agencies and are expected to expand to the Department of Defense, while a report outlining just how to develop and deploy President Donald Trump's mostly space-based missile shield is being drafted. Critical questions about policy, funding, and who in the DoD will ultimately be responsible for this grand program remain unanswered. Laura Winter speaks with Doug Loverro, President, Loverro Consulting, LLC, former NASA Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Defense for Space Policy; and Todd Harrison, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute, and much respected NASA and Defense Department budget diviner.

In this episode of NucleCast, Adam welcomes Chris Stone to discuss the recent executive order regarding the Iron Dome for America . They explore the implications of the order, the differences between the Israeli Iron Dome and the proposed American system, and the feasibility of developing a comprehensive missile defense system. The conversation also delves into budget considerations, the role of space in national defense, and innovative approaches to missile defense, emphasizing the urgency of addressing vulnerabilities in the face of emerging threats.Christopher Stone is a prominent figure in space policy, currently serving as a Senior Fellow for Space Deterrence at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies, where he focuses on research related to space warfare strategies and deterrence, particularly in the context of great power competition; he previously held a position as a Special Assistant to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy at the Pentagon, giving him significant experience in the field of U.S. space policy development at a high level.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Iron Dome for America03:13 Understanding the Executive Order05:52 Comparing Iron Dome Systems: Israel vs. America09:08 Feasibility of Building a Comprehensive Defense System11:51 Budget Considerations and Strategic Implications15:01 The Role of Space in National Defense18:05 Innovative Approaches to Missile Defense20:55 The Future of Space-Based Interceptors23:55 Final Thoughts and Call to ActionSocials:Follow on Twitter at @NucleCastFollow on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nuclecastpodcastSubscribe RSS Feed: https://rss.com/podcasts/nuclecast-podcast/Rate: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nuclecast/id1644921278Email comments and topic/guest suggestions to NucleCast@anwadeter.org

Let's end this week with another incredible guest and industry expert, Anne Reinke of the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA)! In this episode, Anne talks about the challenges within the intermodal freight market, the critical role of industry associations in advocacy and support, IANA's legislative priorities, improving supply chain efficiency and port competitiveness, the necessity for better visibility in rail transportation, and more!    About Anne Reinke Anne Reinke became the Intermodal Association of North America's third President & CEO in December of 2024.  Immediately preceding her appointment at IANA, Anne was President & CEO of the Transportation Intermediaries Association for four years.  Anne has a long career in transportation policy, with a stint at the Association of American Railroads, 16 years at CSX Corporation, eight of which as Vice-President for Government Affairs, and a political appointment as a Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation.  She received a B.A. from Rice University in Houston, TX and a J.D. from Wake Forest School of Law in Winston-Salem, NC.  She is a Washington, DC native; she, her husband, her two sons and her dog live in Alexandria, VA.    Connect with Anne Website: https://intermodal.org/  IANA Intermodal Expo: https://intermodal.org/intermodalexpo  IANA Business Meeting: https://intermodal.org/business-meeting  

In this episode, Peter Garretson speaks with Christopher Stone, Senior Fellow for Space Deterrence at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies, and former Special Assistant to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy. Stone, author of Reversing the Tao: A Framework for Credible Space Deterrence and host of the host of Real Space Strategy Podcast joins Garretson for a wide-ranging discussion on space policy and defense. The conversation begins with an analysis of the new administration's space-focused appointees and their potential impact, before diving into 'Space Warfare 101.' This comprehensive overview covers Earth-to-space weapons, space-to-space weapons (including the rationale and strategic importance of co-orbital counterspace and maneuver capabilities), and space-to-Earth weapons. The discussion then explores arms control, deterrence strategy, and the implications of the President's "Iron Dome for America" executive order, including its impact on space-based missile defense, potential bureaucratic 'failure modes,' and potential challenges for the Space Force. The episode concludes with an examination of strategic objectives and threats in Cislunar space area of responsibility (AOR).

Mike Benz is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Freedom Online, a non-profit watchdog group dedicated to protecting digital liberties and restoring the free and open Internet. He previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Communications and Information Technology at the US State Department during the Trump administration, where he formulated US policy on Internet diplomacy issues and interfaced with private industry. Benz has been a vocal critic of technological government overreach, most recently in his critiques of USAID and his advocacy against online censorship. He actively brings attention to people and organizations involved in controlling speech on social media. Prior to his role at the State Department, Benz was a White House speechwriter for President Trump and advised on technology policy. Prior to his public sector work, he practiced business law as an attorney in New York, representing technology companies and financial firms. Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: https://ROKA.com | Use Code SRS https://lumen.me/srs https://hexclad.com/srs http://babbel.com/srs https://www.bubsnaturals.com/ | Use Code SHAWN https://patriotmobile.com/srs This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at http://betterhelp.com/srs and get on your way to being your best self. Mike Benz Links: Website - https://foundationforfreedomonline.com/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@MikeBenzCyberClips Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mikebenzcyber/ X - https://x.com/MikeBenzCyber Please leave us a review on Apple & Spotify Podcasts. Vigilance Elite/Shawn Ryan Links: Website | Patreon | TikTok | Instagram | Download Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

0:00 - Super Bowl LIX 14:08 - Super Bowl ads 31:25 - DC press corp's "Big Balls" mash-up 48:44 - Nicholas Kass, served with the U.S. Government for 31 years, most recently as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, reacts to DOGE and the cancellation of USAID. You can follow Nick on X @NicholasSKass 01:08:20 - Steven Bucci, visiting fellow in The Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, looks at what is feasible in Gaza and what can be done with displaced Gazans 01:26:26 - Ian Rowe, founder of Vertex Partnership Academies, on the messages for black youth from the Super Bowl ads and halftime show. For more on Vertex Partnership Academies vertexacademies.org 01:44:22 - Suburban Values 02:03:59 - Dennis Kneale, former senior editor at the Wall Street Journal and managing editor of Forbes, shares details from his new book The Leadership Genius of Elon Musk. Dennis is also host of the “What’s Bugging Me” podcast on the Ricochet networkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WMAL GUEST: 6:05 AM - INTERVIEW - CULLY STIMSON - Senior Legal Fellow at Heritage Foundation and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee AffairsSOCIAL MEDIA: https://x.com/cullystimsonTrump moves to prepare Guantanamo Bay for 30,000 'criminal illegal aliens' Where to find more about WMAL's morning show: Follow the Show Podcasts on Apple podcasts, Audible and Spotify. Follow WMAL's "O'Connor and Company" on X: @WMALDC, @LarryOConnor, @Jgunlock, @patricepinkfile, and @heatherhunterdc. Facebook: WMALDC and Larry O'Connor Instagram: WMALDC Show Website: https://www.wmal.com/oconnor-company/ How to listen live weekdays from 5 to 9 AM: https://www.wmal.com/listenlive/ Episode: Thursday, January 30, 2025 / 6 AM Hour See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 6 AM Hour: Larry O’Connor and Mercedes Schlapp discussed: WMAL GUEST: 6:05 AM - INTERVIEW - CULLY STIMSON - Senior Legal Fellow at Heritage Foundation and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs SOCIAL MEDIA: https://x.com/cullystimson Trump moves to prepare Guantanamo Bay for 30,000 'criminal illegal aliens' WMAL GUEST: 6:15 AM - INTERVIEW - LT. COL. TONY SHAFFER - former U.S. Army Reserve lieutenant colonel and CIA trained intelligence operations officer – Discussed the Reagan Airport plane crash WMAL GUEST: 6:35 AM - INTERVIEW - REAGAN REESE - Daily Caller White House Correspondent - Discussed President Trump's response to the tragic crash at Reagan airport SOCIAL MEDIA: https://x.com/reaganreese_ RFK Jr., Trump's health secretary pick, grilled about vaccines and abortion Where to find more about WMAL's morning show: Follow the Show Podcasts on Apple podcasts, Audible and Spotify. Follow WMAL's "O'Connor and Company" on X: @WMALDC, @LarryOConnor, @Jgunlock, @patricepinkfile, and @heatherhunterdc. Facebook: WMALDC and Larry O'Connor Instagram: WMALDC Show Website: https://www.wmal.com/oconnor-company/ How to listen live weekdays from 5 to 9 AM: https://www.wmal.com/listenlive/ Episode: Thursday, January 30, 2025 / 6 AM Hour See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump's executive action granting clemency to all of the January 6th insurrectionists – violent and non-violent alike – has been met with concern by legal experts and people who have been studying and reporting on militia groups like the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys for years. Kara speaks with Dr. Amy Cooter, director of research at the Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and author of Nostalgia, Nationalism and the US Militia Movement; investigative reporter Tess Owen who has covered violent extremist groups, including the J6 protesters extensively; and Paul Rosenzweig, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy at the Department of Homeland Security under George W. Bush, who specializes in issues relating to domestic and homeland security about the message the pardons send to violent militias, the impact of social media (and Elon Musk) on far-right extremism, and whether Trump has the authority to deputize these groups, especially on the border. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on Instagram and TikTok @onwithkaraswisher Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A long time ago, I served as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense in Ronald Reagan's Pentagon. In that role, I learned firsthand the truth of the President's observation that “Personnel is policy.” So, I have grave concerns about entrusting the Defense Department's Mideast policymaking post to Michael DiMino, a man with deeply problematic prescriptions. It would be one thing if his notions were being advanced when our most reliable Mideast ally, Israel, were secure and able to help fill the vacuum of power that DiMino's isolationist approach would foster. But that's not the case now, especially given a Gaza ceasefire Team Biden designed to assure Hamas' survival. Americans voted for Donald Trump, who supported Israel over her terrorist foes – and ours – during his first term. Personnel who fundamentally disagree will be a persistent problem for U.S. policy making consistent with that mandate. This is Frank Gaffney.

WMAL GUEST: 7:05 AM - INTERVIEW - CULLY STIMSON - former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs, Former prosecutor, Senior Legal Fellow at Heritage Foundation and author of "Rogue Prosecutors" Biden admin releases 11 Yemeni detainees with suspected al Qaeda ties from Guantanamo Bay — including two alleged former bin Laden bodyguards Where to find more about WMAL's morning show: Follow the Show Podcasts on Apple podcasts, Audible and Spotify. Follow WMAL's "O'Connor and Company" on X: @WMALDC, @LarryOConnor, @Jgunlock, @patricepinkfile, and @heatherhunterdc. Facebook: WMALDC and Larry O'Connor Instagram: WMALDC Show Website: https://www.wmal.com/oconnor-company/ How to listen live weekdays from 5 to 9 AM: https://www.wmal.com/listenlive/ Episode: Tuesday, January 07, 2025 / 7 AM Hour See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 7 AM Hour: Larry O’Connor and Julie Gunlock discussed: WMAL GUEST: 7:05 AM - INTERVIEW - CULLY STIMSON - former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs, Former prosecutor, Senior Legal Fellow at Heritage Foundation and author of "Rogue Prosecutors" Biden admin releases 11 Yemeni detainees with suspected al Qaeda ties from Guantanamo Bay — including two alleged former bin Laden bodyguards WMAL GUEST: 7:35 AM - INTERVIEW - Admiral John Nowell, President of the Navy Memorial WEBSITE: https://www.navymemorial.org/jimmy-carter Carter to Arrive in Washington on Tuesday for a Pomp-Filled Farewell. WMAL GUEST: 7:45 AM - INTERVIEW - CHARLIE GISCHLAR - MD State Highway Administration spokesperson on the snow and Maryland roads. SOCIAL MEDIA: https://x.com/MDSHA Where to find more about WMAL's morning show: Follow the Show Podcasts on Apple podcasts, Audible and Spotify. Follow WMAL's "O'Connor and Company" on X: @WMALDC, @LarryOConnor, @Jgunlock, @patricepinkfile, and @heatherhunterdc. Facebook: WMALDC and Larry O'Connor Instagram: WMALDC Show Website: https://www.wmal.com/oconnor-company/ How to listen live weekdays from 5 to 9 AM: https://www.wmal.com/listenlive/ Episode: Tuesday, January 07, 2025 / 7 AM Hour See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a text This week sat down with William Wolfe. William served as a Senior Official in the Trump Administration both as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon and as Director of Legislative Affairs at the Department of State. He is also the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Baptist Leadership. Greg and William went through and discussed the following Trump Nominees:FBI Director: Kash Patel White House chief of staff: Susie Wiles Secretary of State: Marco Rubio Attorney general: Pam Bondi (after Matt Gaetz withdrew) HHS secretary: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "Border czar": Tom Homan Defense secretary: Pete Hegseth Secretary of homeland security: Kristi Noem Director of national intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard Department of Government Efficiency: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy A low-cost, high-return digital Christian company: AdventDS is for you!Book your next church conference HERE!FREE SHIPPING on the book "What Do We Believe?" Use code "DMW"Dominion Wealth Strategists: Full Service Financial Planning! Covenant Real Estate: "Confidence from Contract to Close" Facebook: Dead Men Walking PodcastYoutube: Dead Men Walking PodcastInstagram: @DeadMenWalkingPodcastTwitter X: @RealDMWPodcastExclusive Content: PubTV App Check out our snarky merch HERE

Dr. Matthew Levitt is a subject matter expert on Middle Eastern terrorism and has published extensively on Hezbollah and Hamas. He is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and the Director of the Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis at the U.S. Department of the Treasury and as a counterterrorism intelligence analyst at the FBI. He is the author of Hamas, Negotiating Under Fire, and Hezbollah. He also hosts the Breaking Hezbollah's Golden Rule Podcast. To learn more about Matt, follow him on X @Levitt_Matt SPONSORS CRY HAVOC – A Tom Reece Thriller https://www.officialjackcarr.com/books/targeted-beirut/ Bravo Company Manufacturing: Visit us on the web at BCM Jack Carr MOD 4 pistol grip. Get yours here-https://bravocompanyusa.com/bcm-jack-carr-mod-4-pistol-grip-black/ SIG: Sig Sauer 1911 X. Learn more here-https://www.sigsauer.com/1911- Jack Carr Gear: Explore the gear here - https://jackcarr.co/gear