Podcasts about house homeland security committee

Tuesday, February 10, 2026 In this episode: The Trump administration will rescind the EPA's 2009 “endangerment finding,” stripping the core legal basis for federal limits on greenhouse gas pollution under the Clean Air Act; a newly unsealed FBI search warrant affidavit showed that the seizure of Fulton County, Georgia's 2020 election ballots and records began with a referral from a Trump-appointed “director of election security and integrity”; acting ICE Director Todd Lyons defended ICE and told the House Homeland Security Committee that he would press ahead with Trump's “mass deportation” campaign; Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna disclosed the “hidden” names of six wealthy men they say are “likely incriminated” by their inclusion in the Jeffrey Epstein files; Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told senators he had lunch with Jeffrey Epstein on Epstein's private Caribbean island in 2012; Trump reportedly told the Palm Beach police chief in 2006 that “everyone has known” what Jeffrey Epstein “has been doing”; 59% of Americans said they're optimistic about the future – a record low since Gallup started asking the question two decades ago. Read more: Day 1848: "Now I see what the big deal is." Newsletter: Get the daily edition of WTFJHT in your inbox Feedback? Let me know what you think AI Policy: My AI policy

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's top official rejected claims from lawmakers Tuesday that the Department of Homeland Security component is building a database for protesters. The alleged detractor database has been referenced in several reports by think tanks, letters to DHS officials from lawmakers and in interviews with border czar Tom Homan. During Tuesday's House Homeland Security Committee hearing, Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif., cited a well-circulated clip of an ICE agent in Portland, Maine, telling a person videotaping that she would be added to a “nice little database.” “I can't speak for that individual,” said Todd Lyons, who serves as acting director of ICE. “But I can assure you that there is no database that's tracking United States citizens.” Despite Lyons' pushback on the database claims, skepticism is persistent as stakeholders point to reports to the contrary. FedScoop reached out to DHS for clarification. Tricia McLaughlin, the agency's assistant security for public affairs, reaffirmed that there is no database of domestic terrorists run by DHS. “We do of course monitor and investigate and refer all threats, assaults and obstruction of our officers to the appropriate law enforcement,” McLaughlin said in an email. “Obstructing and assaulting law enforcement is a felony and a federal crime.” A recent attempt at a destructive cyberattack on Poland's power grid has prompted the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to publish a warning for U.S. critical infrastructure owners and operators. Tuesday's alert follows a Jan. 30 report from Poland's Computer Emergency Response Team concluded the December attack overlapped significantly with infrastructure used by a Russian government-linked hacking group, and that it targeted 30 wind and photovoltaic farms, among others. CISA said its warning was meant to “amplify” that Polish report. In particular, CISA said the attack highlighted the threats to operational technology and industrial control systems, most commonly used in the energy and manufacturing sectors. And CISA's alert continues a recent agency focus on securing edge devices like routers or firewalls, after a binding operational directive last week to federal agencies to strip unsupported products from their systems. “The malicious cyber activity highlights the need for critical infrastructure entities with vulnerable edge devices to act now to strengthen their cybersecurity posture against cyber threat activities targeting OT and ICS,” the alert reads. CISA urged owners and operators to review the Polish report, as well as security guidance from other U.S. agencies. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

On Wednesday's Washington Times Front Page: The government's top immigration enforcers appeared before the House Homeland Security Committee to deliver their first defense after agents killed two American citizens in Minnesota, Democratic leaders in Virginia are moving ahead with gun control laws now that the party controls power in Richmond, and more.

The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Acting Director of ICE, and the Director of USCIS are all expected to testify today before the House Homeland Security Committee. This hearing takes place as the government faces another potential partial shutdown if Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding is not passed by the end of the week. Representative Brad Knott (R-NC) joins the Rundown to discuss the standoff over Democratic demands for ICE reform. Florida is now mandating that all driving tests be conducted in English only. While critics argue the rule is rooted in bias rather than safety data, Governor Ron DeSantis and other proponents defend the change as a common-sense measure to ensure drivers can comprehend road signs and laws. Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins joins the Rundown to discuss the policy—catalyzed by a fatal 2025 crash involving a non-English proficient commercial driver—and why he hopes the rest of the country follows the Sunshine State's lead. Plus, commentary by Jason Rantz, Host of the Jason Rantz Show and author of “What's Killing America.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The heads of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection and Citizenship and Immigration Services appeared before the House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday. Among the questions they faced was whether the tactics used by their agents during arrests and deportations run afoul of the Constitution. Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The leaders of ICE and CBP, two of the agencies leading President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, will sit for testimony before the House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday. The venue will provide a platform for Democrats to grill the leaders. But Republicans may be left toeing the line between pressing for accountability and defending the administration's immigration agenda. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns break down what to expect.

ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons tells the House Homeland Security Committee, "Let me send a message to anyone who thinks they can intimidate us. You will fail," as Democratic Members question him about federal agent tactics like the ones that led to the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota; Senate party leaders differ on how to avoid a partial government shutdown of the Homeland Security Department when funding expires Friday. Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) pushes for another temporary extension while talks over ICE reforms continues. Minority Leader Schumer (D-NY) wants ICE reforms now; Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick admits visiting the private island of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, but downplays his connections, after newly released emails appear to contradict his earlier accounts of their relationship; House postpones a vote that would block for six more months any attempt to reverse President Donald Trump's tariffs because enough Republicans to defeat it have said they will vote no; President Trump threatens to delay the opening of a bridge connecting the U.S. and Canada unless the U.S. is given 50% ownership; Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with mobile phone company executives about former special counsel Jack Smith seeking phone records of Members of Congress during his investigation of President Trump's attempt to overturn the 2020 election; a group of monks arrive in Washington, DC after a three month 'Walk of Peace' from Texas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FBI releases surveillance video showing masked person on porch of Nancy Guthrie's home before her disappearance. Leaders of three immigration agencies grilled by House Homeland Security Committee. President Trump threatens to halt opening of a bridge between U.S. and Canada. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Acting Director of ICE, and the Director of USCIS are all expected to testify today before the House Homeland Security Committee. This hearing takes place as the government faces another potential partial shutdown if Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding is not passed by the end of the week. Representative Brad Knott (R-NC) joins the Rundown to discuss the standoff over Democratic demands for ICE reform. Florida is now mandating that all driving tests be conducted in English only. While critics argue the rule is rooted in bias rather than safety data, Governor Ron DeSantis and other proponents defend the change as a common-sense measure to ensure drivers can comprehend road signs and laws. Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins joins the Rundown to discuss the policy—catalyzed by a fatal 2025 crash involving a non-English proficient commercial driver—and why he hopes the rest of the country follows the Sunshine State's lead. Plus, commentary by Jason Rantz, Host of the Jason Rantz Show and author of “What's Killing America.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The heads of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection and Citizenship and Immigration Services appeared before the House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday. Among the questions they faced was whether the tactics used by their agents during arrests and deportations run afoul of the Constitution. Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Acting Director of ICE, and the Director of USCIS are all expected to testify today before the House Homeland Security Committee. This hearing takes place as the government faces another potential partial shutdown if Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding is not passed by the end of the week. Representative Brad Knott (R-NC) joins the Rundown to discuss the standoff over Democratic demands for ICE reform. Florida is now mandating that all driving tests be conducted in English only. While critics argue the rule is rooted in bias rather than safety data, Governor Ron DeSantis and other proponents defend the change as a common-sense measure to ensure drivers can comprehend road signs and laws. Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins joins the Rundown to discuss the policy—catalyzed by a fatal 2025 crash involving a non-English proficient commercial driver—and why he hopes the rest of the country follows the Sunshine State's lead. Plus, commentary by Jason Rantz, Host of the Jason Rantz Show and author of “What's Killing America.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Top officials at the Department of Homeland Security will testify in front of the House next month. Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow are all slated to testify February 10 in front of the Homeland Security Committee. They'll face a barrage of questions about the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Homeland Security Committee Chairman Andrew Garbarino says transparency and communication are needed to “turn the temperature down.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Department of Homeland Security would need to follow stricter guidelines when using mobile biometric applications under legislation introduced Thursday by the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee and other Democrats. The Realigning Mobile Phone Biometrics for American Privacy Protection Act seeks to prohibit the use of such technology except for identification at ports of entry, bars DHS from sharing the apps with non-law enforcement agencies, and implements a 12-hour storage limit on data in the apps. The legislation points to the DHS app Mobile Fortify, other mobile identification apps and potential successor apps as the prime targets. If the bill gains ground, DHS would need to remove the technology from any non-DHS IT systems and workflows outside the ports of entry. Mississippi's Bennie Thompson, the top Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, said in a press release accompanying the bill's introduction: “DHS should not be conducting surveillance by experimenting with Americans' faces and fingerprints in the field — especially with unproven and biased technology. We can secure the Homeland and respect the rights and privacy of Americans at the same time.” The bill's other co-sponsors are Democratic Reps. Lou Correa of California, Shri Thanedar of Michigan, Yvette Clarke of New York, Grace Meng of New York, and Adriano Espaillat of New York. In written statements, members pointed to concerns around privacy, constitutional violations, civil liberties and the technology's potential deficiencies. The Army's top civilian leader said that the service will “kill NIPR” at multiple locations — likely starting next month — in an experiment to see if commercial internet solutions would be more effective. Speaking to soldiers at a town hall at Fort Drum, New York, on Monday, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said “we're going to bring you down to the commercial internet and we think it will solve all sorts of problems.” If the evaluation is successful, the Army will scale it across the service, he added. NIPR, which stands for Non-classified Internet Protocol Router, is the military's communication network for unclassified information. Defense Department personnel can access commercial browsers or email through NIPR, for example, but the network is owned and secured by the military. An Army spokesperson told DefenseScoop that the service is evaluating “a shift” from NIPR to a commercial solution that can handle data at Impact Level 5. IL5 includes Controlled Unclassified Information, according to the Defense Information Systems Agency, which is considered sensitive and necessary to protect, but does not meet criteria for classification. The spokesperson said that the evaluation is intended to “cut costs, boost performance and enhance cybersecurity.” They added that the effort was in coordination with the Pentagon's Office of the Chief Information Officer, DISA and other military services. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

Angela Rye joins Dr. Thema to share her personal journey of coping with and healing from political stress and disappointment. Angela shares the importance of community care and spirituality in her process of homecoming. She also is transparent about the challenges of self care when your sense of purpose and meaning get disrupted. Angela Rye is an award-winning host, lawyer, social justice advocate, and Principal/CEO of IMPACT Strategies, where her political advocacy and crisis management firm's Professional Development Program has supported more than 500 alumni now serving at the highest levels of government, corporate, and nonprofit sectors. Rye is also the co-creator of State of the People, a coalition of 200 local and national organizations providing resources, education, empowerment, and relief to thousands of citizens. She is co-host of the NAACP Image Award–winning podcast Native Land Pod and co-founder of Reasoned Choice Media with Lenard “Charlamagne tha God” McKelvey and Chris Morrow. With more than two decades of experience in political strategy, coalition building, and advocacy, Rye previously served as Executive Director and General Counsel to the Congressional Black Caucus and as Senior Policy Advisor and Counsel for the House Homeland Security Committee. She currently serves as a board member for Wilberforce University, the Congressional Black Caucus Institute, Black Futures Lab, the Congressional Black Caucus PAC, and on the advisory boards of Club 61 and Boon Boona. She holds honorary doctorates from Wiley College and LeMoyne-Owen College and is a proud alumnus of the University of Washington and Seattle University School of Law. After you listen, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share. Music by Joy Jones. Mixed & Edited by Next Day Podcast info@nextdaypodcast.com

Congressman James Walkinshaw represents Virginia's 11th Congressional District. He serves on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and its Military and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee, focusing on protecting the nonpartisan civil service, supporting fair pay for federal employees, and holding the Administration accountable. He also serves on the House Homeland Security Committee and both its Subcommittees on Homeland Border Security & Enforcement… and Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Protection. The Congressman joins me for an insightful conversation about the latest developments in the Epstein scandal; embattled HHS Secretary Kristi Noem's controversies; Marjorie Taylor Greene and Trump's MAGA problems; Rob Reiner; and more. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Leadership demands grit, clarity and conviction. SUMMARY On Long Blue Leadership, Congressman August Pfluger '00 reflects on these qualities through his experiences at the U.S. Air Force Academy, in the cockpit and as part of the U.S. House of Representatives. His story challenges every leader to ask where courage is calling them to go next. SHARE THIS PODCAST LINKEDIN  |  FACEBOOK    CONGRESSMAN PFLUGER'S TOP 10 LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS Courageous career leaps require conviction, timing and faith. Pfluger left active duty at 19 years and four months — a highly unconventional choice — demonstrating that major pivots sometimes require stepping into uncertainty. Work ethic is a lifelong differentiator. He emphasizes that he has never been “the best,” but has always been willing to outwork anyone. Hard work + grit consistently opened doors. Failure and setbacks shape long-term success. Missed opportunities at USAFA and earlier career disappointments taught him timing, resilience and long-term perspective. Leadership is transferable across domains. His fighter pilot and command experience directly enabled his political success — planning, debrief culture and thick skin all mapped over perfectly. Credibility requires deep study and prioritization. You cannot master everything; leaders must choose focus areas and know them cold so others trust their expertise. Humility, credibility and approachability are foundational leadership traits. These principles translate powerfully to Congress and team leadership. Family and faith must anchor leadership. His family's summer crisis reframed his priorities: “None of this matters if you don't take care of your family.” The nation needs more military and Academy graduates in public leadership. He stresses that only four USAFA grads have ever served in Congress — and more are needed to restore civility and mission-focused service. The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force are under-resourced relative to global threats. Pfluger advocates vigorously for rebalancing defense spending to meet modern challenges. Self-reflection is critical to growth. Leaders must ask: How do I see myself? How do others see me? If those don't align, adjust the work ethic, mindset or behaviors accordingly.   CHAPTERS 00:00 — Introduction & Biography 01:44 — Opening Remarks 01:47 — Leaving Active Duty at 19 Years and 4 Months 04:06 — Why Run for Office? 05:40 — Family, Faith & Influences 07:14 — Representing His Hometown District 08:29 — Learning to Represent a District 11:07 — Work Ethic and USAFA Foundations 12:22 — Failure, Setbacks & Long-Term Rewards 15:10 — Unexpected Assignments Becoming Career High Points 17:24 — Pentagon, Fellowship & NSC 19:49 — USAFA Grads in Congress 21:03 — Role of the Board of Visitors 23:24 — Key Focus Areas for the Board of Visitors 25:11 — Top National Security Challenges 27:13 — Balancing Congress, Leadership, and Family 29:01 — Leadership Style & Decision-Making 30:40 — Humble, Credible, Approachable 33:38 — Building Credibility as a Younger Leader 34:43 — What's Next: A More United Country 37:29 — Daily Habits for Growth 39:37 — Advice for Emerging Leaders 41:24 — Final Reflections & Call to Action 43:45 — Closing Thoughts & Outro   ABOUT CONGRESSMAN PFLUGER BIO U.S. Rep. August Pfluger '00 is serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives. He represents 20 counties in Texas' 11th Congressional District. After graduating from the U.S Air Force Academy, he served in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve for 25 years as an F-22 and F-15 pilot with over 300 combat hours. In Congress, he is chairman of the Republican Study Committee, the largest caucus on Capitol Hill. He is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence. CONNECT WITH THE CONGRESSMAN LINKEDIN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LINE PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Ted Robertson | Producer and Editor:  Ted.Robertson@USAFA.org Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org   Ryan Hall | Director:  Ryan.Hall@USAFA.org  Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor:  Bryan.Grossman@USAFA.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer:  Wyatt.Hornsby@USAFA.org      ALL PAST LBL EPISODES  |  ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS     FULL TRANSCRIPT OUR SPEAKERS Guest, Rep. August Pfluger '00  |  Host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99   Naviere Walkewicz 0:00 Welcome to Long Blue Leadership, the podcast where we share insights on leadership through the lives and experiences of Air Force Academy graduates. I'm Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99. In this edition of Long Blue Leadership, we're honored to welcome a distinguished leader whose career spans military service, national security and public office, Congressman August Pfluger is a proud graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Class of 2000, and currently represents the 11th Congressional District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives. Before entering Congress, Congressman Pfluger served for nearly two decades in the United States Air Force, rising to the rank of colonel. He is currently a member of the Air Force Reserve as an F-15 and F-22 fighter pilot. He logged over 300 combat hours in defense of our nation. He has also served as a member of the National Security Council, bringing strategic insight to some of the most complex global threats we face today. Since taking office in 2021 Congressman Pfluger has remained deeply committed to strengthening our national defense. He currently serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee to critical platforms from which he continues to represent and lead. He is the chairman of the Republican Study Committee and serves as the chairman of the Air Force Academy's Board of Visitors, appointed to the BOV by the speaker of the house in 2023 and elected by his colleagues to serve as chair. Whether in the halls of Congress or in the cockpit, Congressman Pfluger's career has been defined by a steadfast commitment to courageous service and leadership. Congressman Pfluger, welcome to Long Blue Leadership. Rep. August Pfluger 1:44 Thank you, Naviere. It's honor to be here with you.   Naviere Walkewicz 1:47 Well, we are so glad to have you. And there's something that I want to jump right into, because it really occurred to me how odd this is, but you served for nearly two decades, and when I say nearly two decades in the Air Force, 19 years and four months, and then you pulled the plug, you didn't go to retirement right then. Can we talk about that a little bit? Rep. August Pfluger 2:09 Well, this is not something that most financial advisers would advise you of doing. And I'll tell you, this was a journey in faith, because at almost 20 years. September of 2019, we made a decision, my wife and I made a decision to run for Congress, which meant that we got out of the active duty, joined the Reserve, and started a campaign, something that just a month prior, we had absolutely no intention of doing, and had not even talked about doing. Running for office was something that was always of interest, but certainly not at 19 years and four months. So the opportunity came up, had a couple of phone calls from friends and family to say that the representative who represented my hometown and where I grew up was retiring after 16 years, and a lot of factors. And I'll really take you down this faith journey, a lot of factors happened that we couldn't ignore. And we literally moved back to my hometown of San Angelo that I had not lived in for over 20 years, and started a campaign, which, as you can imagine, was, I mean, it took a lot of courage for my wife, from my family, three little girls, who we uprooted and went through this. But I'm so glad that we did it. But it wasn't without, you know, I can say anxiety and just, you know, the fear, the unknown maybe, and not knowing exactly what would happen. So when you say and use the words, we burned the ships. That was the moment in time that we literally burned the ships and ran a campaign with every piece of our heart and soul. Naviere Walkewicz 3:48 Wow. Well, let's talk about that a little bit, because, you know, we have listeners that make these pivotal moments in their careers. They make these decisions that really shaped them. What was it about that time, other than the incumbent was going to retire. Like, why you? Why then, you know? Let's talk about that a little bit more. Rep. August Pfluger 4:06 Well, this is pre-Covid. And the thought of running for office always sounds good. You know, if you have that interest, you're like, “OK, that'd be great.” Well, then when you kind of get down to the brass tax that you're going to have to put in 14- to 16-hour days and learn how to talk to people about what's important in this district that then it kind of changes things. But honestly, there were signs and things that pointed me and my wife in this direction that we couldn't ignore. And when you look at this type of district, I mean, it's really, in the past 100 years, there's only been about six representatives. So it's not one of those things you say, “Well, maybe we'll wait for next time.” The opportunity was there, there was a window of time. It was about 30 days where we had to make a decision to literally move from northern Virginia back to Texas and start a whole new career. And ended doing so forego the pension for what would now be five or six years, because I've had to work as a reservist to, you know, kind of get back to that point. So there was a financial piece to it. There was a career that was, was going very well that, you know, maybe, are we giving that up? And what happens if we don't win? And then, you know, all these unknowns. So I will say it was, it was definitely the biggest professional decision that I've ever made in my career. Naviere Walkewicz 5:40 So you talked about some of your family members — you had phone calls. It sounds like, your faith and your family are a big part of your decision making. And, when you go forward with things, I think you've talked about your grandfather having been someone that inspired you to go into the Air Force. You know, who are those key players in your family that have really inspired you in your big leadership decisions. Rep. August Pfluger 6:02 Yes, you're right. I had two grandfathers that served in World War II. One was a pilot, and that that led me to make the first decision to go to the Air Force Academy. And that stayed with me. We had nobody in my family who was in politics. I mean, not a single person. In fact, a lot of my family, I had several great uncles and different family members that I'm close to, and they said, “What?” Like, ”What are — you sure you want to do this? And why? Don't you have a really good Air Force career and you've been able to, you know, rise in the ranks and all the things that you've tried to do?” But I honestly — it was kind of a word of wisdom to say, “If you're going to do this, have some good reasons.” Like, “Why do you want to do this?” And the district that I get to represent in my hometown, we have military bases, agriculture and energy, and I love all three of those things. And I think of those as national security-level entities that really dovetail very nicely with my first part of my professional career. Naviere Walkewicz 7:14 That makes sense. So it really was an extension — this new path in your journey was really an extension of what you had done in uniform and active duty and now being able to give it back to your hometown district and the patrons in there as well. Rep. August Pfluger 7:30 Absolutely. And in the campaign I talked about how important it was to be able to provide our own food. We have a lot of cattle ranchers there that are in my district, that you don't want to be dependent on some other country, especially an adversarial country, for your food needs. And the same thing for energy production: that you can't be dependent for energy needs on your adversaries. So those were things that I was able to really talk about, and I mean, oh my gosh, after I actually was elected and got into office, I mean, they became front and center and still are of that discussion. And I think that was the really interesting piece about having been deployed. We were stationed all over the world, almost seven years outside of the United States, on three different continents, and to be able to tie it together and kind of bring that back home and communicate why this place where I grew up and now where I live and where I represent is so important to our national security? Naviere Walkewicz 8:29 Well, you talked a little bit about earlier, about you weren't sure if you were going to get elected, and then when you did, you had to go out and talk to people and really understand the challenges. What is that journey like when it's completely new, right? It's not the same. It's you're not getting into a cockpit. You're not an instructor pilot now. Now you are — you're representing all of them. How do you how do you approach that new path? Because I think that's something when our leaders take this leap of faith and they're looking at, well, how do I approach it? It's completely different from anything I've done. I think they'd like to know how you did it so well. Rep. August Pfluger 8:59 Well, thanks for the question. It was a huge challenge in being a squadron commander, having been an instructor pilot or a mission commander, and having led in actual combat, that that was everything. I mean, I didn't know anything about politics, but what I did know was how to map out a plan and how to put the pieces and parts together. And I knew that nobody was going to outwork me. I mean, come on, you know, when you have a SAMI on Saturday morning, you got to wake up and make your bed and do all the things to get that weekend pass. I mean, you're going to work hard. And so I knew that I had a competitive advantage on the work ethic and the ability to plan and so really, the thing that I realize now, now six years later, is that I think people — what they really appreciated was that I wasn't a career politician, that the things that I was saying and campaigning on were like true passions, and they weren't empty promises. I told them this is what I'm going to do, and I'm proud to report I've done every single one of those things that I told them that I would do, and it's because we were instructed so well, both at school and then as members of the active-duty Air Force about how to follow through and be persistent and just carry through with what you said you're going to do. I mean, integrity is a big piece of this, but I will tell you also that now staying in touch after being elected, elected, I travel throughout these 20 counties all the time, and you have to have some thick skin, because you're going to get some feedback from people that is not always flattering, and they're going to ask you, “Well, why did you vote this way, or what happened here, and why are you not doing this? And this is expensive.” And, I mean, so you have to be willing to take that feedback, which, by the way, sitting in a fighter pilot debrief — I mean, that was the perfect training for having thick skin, to understand that what people are trying to tell you: Is it critical? Without substance? That you really need to listen to them and try to solve these problems? Naviere Walkewicz 11:07 So earlier, you had talked about, I think there are these things that you did at the Academy. No one is going to outwork you have. You always been that type of person, someone that, you know, just kind of works really hard. Or is that something that you kind of developed at the Academy. Rep. August Pfluger 11:21 I developed it at the Academy. But I would say I came in with a with a good work ethic and then was challenged by our classmates, who are amazing, you know? It's like, “Oh my gosh, I'm really not that smart and not that fast and not that… you know, whatever,” because you see all these amazing people. But yes, work ethic was, I mean, I look at it now, having administered how many nominations to service academies? I mean, dozens and dozens of kids that I've gotten a chance to work with over the past five years who are absolutely incredible. I'm like, I don't know if I could get in at this point in time, because they're just incredible. And I had to work very hard at everything I ever did, everything I ever achieved, was because of hard work. It wasn't because I was the best. It was because I just, at the end of the day, worked very hard to get it. I think that's something that's a lesson that we learned during four years at the Academy, but it served me very well in this profession. Naviere Walkewicz 12:22 Was there a particular time at the Academy where you worked really hard and it didn't go your way? And, you know, how did you overcome that? Because I think sometimes the outcome is, “If I if I give it all and I work really hard, I'm going to get to where I want to go.” And if that wasn't the case, how did that actually change the trajectory or shape you? Rep. August Pfluger 12:42 There were multiple times at the Academy that you work hard for something. I mean, I came in as a recruited athlete, had some injuries, and so didn't get a chance to finish all four years that that was hard to go through that process, and it just didn't work out. And or you're just not good enough. And then that was the case too for me, on the football team. But they're just better people, which is awesome and that, but that shaped who I am now, because it is not just about how hard you work. That's a huge piece of it. But you also have to have good timing. You have to have some luck. You have to be in the right place and have been brought up by the right people. And when the when the opportunity strikes you, you've got to be able to take advantage of that timing to do that. And that those lessons — I absolutely remember that there was one instance where I really, really wanted to go to do this exchange program in Egypt, and they were going to bring some of the political science department over there. Well, apparently my grades were not in the right area to be selected for this program. I think I was an alternate or something, unless that's good, that's — it's not nothing. But I was very disappointed, because I thought I worked hard, you know, maybe not hard enough on the grades, but had worked hard to be a part of the conversation, to go. Well, didn't get a chance to do it. So always had that in the back of my mind. Well, I went to Egypt, but it was as a congressman. I led a congressional delegation of six or seven members. We met with the president of Egypt and had very serious conversations about the negotiation for what Gaza has now with the peace deal that we have gotten to and had a, you know, went to the president's palace, got to sit down right next to him and talk to him for over an hour. So I always kept that in the back of my mind that I was going to Egypt one day. Naviere Walkewicz 14:37 That's right. And honestly, you worked really, really hard. You didn't get there, but it kept you — kept that fire going, because you knew at some point you're going to, so it did end up working out, in that case, for sure. You know, one of the things that I find really interesting and fascinating about you is, as you talk about these different experiences you've had, you said they've shaped you. And when you're in the military, can you share a time when you maybe we're in a position that it wasn't what you'd hoped for. You thought it was going to be, but you found it to be incredibly rewarding. Was there anything in that kind of space that happened to you? Rep. August Pfluger 15:10 Yes, several times. You know you want things, you think you want things, and then it doesn't work out. You don't get selected. And always in the back of my mind, every young lieutenant wants to be a weapons officer wants to then be a squadron commander of a fighter squadron, and that's just the competitive side of this. And I was no different when it came time to select who the next squadron commanders were going to be. I'll never forget: My operations group commander came to be and he said, “Well, we got a problem. We have six really talented lieutenant colonels. You're all promoted below the zone, and we have four squadrons, so we're going to have to figure out a Plan B for a couple of you, and I've got something in mind for you.” He said, “I think that you should go be a deployed squadron, commander of an OSS, an operational support squadron.” He said, “We've got a war going on, a conflict with ISIS, and you'd be great.” Well, that's not exactly an easy conversation to go home and to tell your spouse: “Oh, I just got told that I was going to deploy. I'm not going to be a fighter squadron commander here. I'm going to go somewhere else, and I'll be gone a year.” So that was hard, but oh my goodness, what an experience professionally. Obviously, I missed my family, but this was the height of the conflict against ISIS. I had hundreds of people that I got a chance to work with, command, flying combat missions, doing something that mattered, working with our international partners. You know, we were on an Emirati base, and so I worked with the Emiratis on a daily basis, because we had almost 20 different weapon systems, 20 different aircraft there and it was the highlight of my professional career. So God had a plan. It worked out much better than I could have ever engineered, and it turned out — minus the fact that I had to be gone for a year; obviously, nobody likes that — but it turned out to be the best professional year of my Air Force career. Naviere Walkewicz 17:13 I find that really interesting because that — so would that have been the last kind of position you held before going into the move for Congress? Is that correct? Rep. August Pfluger 17:24 You know, actually, I came back — was PCSed to the Pentagon, worked for the chief of staff of the Air Force, General Goldfein, OK, went to a year of War College equivalent in D.C., a fellowship program, and then was assigned to the White House, to the National Security Council, for just about two and a half months before we made — three months before we made the decision to run for Congress. Naviere Walkewicz 17:49 So just a couple things happened after that. [Laughs]. What an amazing run, and the amazing leaders that you got to work with. So was that experience that when you were deployed as a squadron commander and then coming back, did that help shape your thoughts specifically to the Congress role, because you talked about the very three important things, right? Energy, you know, national security and there was one more… and agriculture. Thank you. And so, you know, did that all kind of get settled in when you were in that transition piece from, you know, squadron commander, to your time at the Pentagon in the White House area. Rep. August Pfluger 18:26 Absolutely, I had a year as a deployed squadron commander, came back and worked a year at the Pentagon, which I didn't know how lucky that was. Most people get there two or three years, but work directly for the chief of staff. Heard all of the conversations between Gen. Goldfein and Secretary Heather Wilson and then had a year where I studied at a think tank on Middle East policy. It could not have been a better education with a little bit of time in the White House to prepare me to run for Congress. You look back on that, you go, “Oh, so that's why.” “Oh, these steps were to prepare for this job now,” which I mean, just the fact that, as a member of Congress, I've probably met with 10 or 15 heads of states, one on one, presidents from different countries around the world, and to have that education, to be able to speak intelligently, at least somewhat intelligently, on these issues. Took that the steps that I just went through right there. Naviere Walkewicz 19:31 And you know, something that I think is really interesting to what you just said, working with Gen. Goldfein and with Secretary Wilson, you know, there are so few Academy graduates that have had the opportunities to serve in Congress and to be in the role that you are. How many Academy, Air Force Academy grads we have now have that have done this? Rep. August Pfluger 19:49 There's two currently serving, myself and Don Davis, opposite sides of the aisle, but great friends, and there were only two prior, so there's only been four. And the first two were Heather Wilson was the first Martha McSally, I'll never forget when I got elected. Heather Wilson called me and she said, “Congratulations, you're finally keeping up with us ladies.” And I thought it was great. But you know, we need more graduates, honestly. And I don't care who's listening to this, what side of the aisle you're on, we need more air force academy graduates. There are nine West Pointers currently serving, and seven from Annapolis currently serving, and we've only had four total. Naviere Walkewicz 20:30 All right, it's out there now. We've got our, you know, got our calling. So here we go. You know, I want to ask you a question about, you know, being in Congress, you are on several committees, and you're in leading roles in them. Let's talk a little bit. First about, if you don't mind, I'd like to talk about the Board of Visitors, because I think it's a great opportunity for our graduates to understand actually what the Board of Visitors actually does. So if you don't mind, kind of sharing in your words, you know what your priorities are with the Board of Visitors and what that looks like. I think it'd be really helpful in educating our listeners. Rep. August Pfluger 21:03 Well. Thank you. It's an honor to be on the Board of Visitors. It's statutorily set up by Congress decades ago, and it basically provides an avenue of oversight, something that is appointed both legislatively, by the speaker of the house and by the Senate majority leader and also the president. And, you know, we've got a number of several grads, but a number of senators and congressmen. And, you know, again, one of these timing things that I didn't necessarily intend to run for the chairmanship, but we needed, I think, a graduate to do that, and am proud to be the chairman of this group. You know, Charlie Kirk was on this board, and what a tragic situation that was. We've got a number of really passionate leaders, and our job really is to interact with the institution, to ask questions and to report back directly to the Secretary of War and into the Secretary of the Air Force on the health and welfare of the institution, on any other issues that we think are important. And for me, kind of the driving principle is that I love this institution, the leadership lessons that I learned there and those that I hear from so many graduates are important well beyond military service. They're important for the rest of a graduate's life. And I want to make sure that everything that is going on there, the resources that are needed there, the schedule and the curriculum and the ability to train the next generation of young warriors, both for the space and the Air Force, are the best in the country, and that we are prepared no matter what, that those graduates can go do their job. So it really is an honor to be on the board, but then to be the chairman of it. Naviere Walkewicz 23:03 I can imagine that, and I think it really speaks volumes, the fact that, you know, you're so passionate about it, you've taken what you've had from the Academy, you've applied it in this role. What are the first things that I think you're looking at? You said you talked about the resources and kind of the schedule and things that are happening at the academy. What are the key things that you're looking at right now as a Board of Visitors? Rep. August Pfluger 23:24 Well, I think to start with, I mean, we all know you wake up early, you go bed late, and you're trying to cram, you know, 28 hours into 24 and so the No. 1 thing that I want to see and work through is, how are we continuing to innovate with the best training possible, so that, you know, you can't teach the solution to every problem, but you want to teach a framework of how to think, and that, you know, there's going to be cadets that are challenged through their academic studies, there's going to be cadets that are challenged through their military studies. There's going to be cadets that are challenged athletically, and some that get all three of those, obviously, we all get got all three. But no matter which piece of the puzzle fills, you know, their time, they should get the training that teaches them how to respond in stressful situations, that teaches them how to function as a team, and that that offers them the opportunity to honestly, to experience a little bit of failure, while also knowing that success is right down the road, and that with a little grit, a little determination and a little persistence, that they're going to get there, and that is a challenge, I mean, In a resource-confined environment that we have right now that that's a big challenge, but that's why we have legislators, Senators and House members, They can go fight for those resources to make sure that they're getting that training that they need. Naviere Walkewicz 24:56 Thank you for sharing that you know, I think when you talk about having that framework to critically work through whatever is coming at you, and, you know, fighting for resources. Can you share what is the greatest challenge that you're faced with right now and how you're working through it? Rep. August Pfluger 25:11 Yeah, absolutely. I mean, just, you know, from a military standpoint, I'm obviously very biased on what air power and space power does I mean the army will deploy to certain locations. In the Navy will deploy to certain locations. But the Air Force and the Space Force are everywhere. We're in every theater. We've been in every conflict. We are the constant and I don't think resource wise, that that our Department of the Air Force is receiving the resources that it needs proportionately speaking to the threat that we face. We're the smallest and the oldest that we've ever been, and we need to change that immediately. As chairman — you mentioned I was chairman of the Republican Study Committee. What is that? Well, it's a 189-member caucus, committee, policy committee...   Naviere Walkewicz 26:01 It's the largest one, right?   Rep. August Pfluger 26:02 It's huge. It's the largest committee in Congress, and we meet weekly with Cabinet members and other leaders to discuss policy. But this has been something that I've been passionate about, which we have to take advantage of an environment where some more resources are being put towards our military, and I want to make sure that a larger portion of those go to the Department of the Air Force to meet the threat. And that's just a neat opportunity that it's a competitive election. I had to get elected by my peers. You know, 188 other congressmen and women from across the country. I had to run an election to get elected to it, and now trying to communicate to them why the business of Air and Space power is so important, but, but I'm we're slowly but surely getting there. Naviere Walkewicz 26:53 Well, I'm not sure where you have time when you're you know, you're doing so many things, you're on the road, meeting with your constituents. You're leading. You know these major committees, the Board of Visitors, as chair. Can you talk about how you're balancing? You know, you always talked about being your family is really important to you. How are you balancing that? What does that look like for someone in a leadership role? Rep. August Pfluger 27:13 Well, it's obviously the biggest challenge that any of us face, which is making sure that you take care of the most fundamental and important piece of your life, which is your family and being gone. I mean, I go to Washington, D.C., on Monday, and generally come home Thursday or Friday, and that's about three weeks out of every four. So my wife, is the most important piece of this, because she allows me to do this, and I couldn't do it without her, honestly. And then secondly, you know, we had a scare this summer because two of my girls were at Camp Mystic. And you know, that was that really brought things back to such a fundamental level that, you know, my No. 1 job on this earth is to be a husband and a father, a person of faith. And I'll tell you that that was, that was a transformational moment in it, just in my in my life, because when you have two daughters that were that thankfully came home and in then you see 27 others that didn't, that they knew that we knew the families and we were close to that. This has put everything back into perspective, that the service that I'm doing should be focused on a foundation of family and faith, and that none of it matters if you don't take care of that. Naviere Walkewicz 28:41 So what does that look like in how you lead? How does that shape the decisions you make in your role in Congress, as a reservist? And then for our listeners, you know, how do they put those important things first in the midst of having to make other decisions professionally? Rep. August Pfluger 29:01 I think a lot of it is, maybe not so much, the “what” in the decision, but it's the “how,” you know, you carry yourself, and you know on the other side of the aisle. I mean, I'm going to fight policies that I don't agree with all day long. But I think the how I do that, what I want my daughters to know is that they had a dad that was very firm in his beliefs. So I think that's, you know, when I look at it kind of like from the, “OK, what's important?” OK, being a good dad, not just saying the right things, but actually going and carrying those out. I think the how you carry them out is really important. And then, you know the specifics of legislation. There are things that, if I believe in in taking care of the American family, then there are things that I'm going to advocate for, not, not to make this to political of a discussion, but I think you can see through my track record that that I have focused on those things that would help strengthen the family, Naviere Walkewicz 30:08 The “how” is really, it's part of your legacy, right? And I think that's what your children are seeing as well, in the way that you, you, you do what you do. And I think as leaders, that's something really important to be thinking about. So I'm really thankful that you shared that example. Shared that example. Have you found that your leadership style has evolved, or has it already always been kind of rooted in you know, who you've been and you've just kind of tweaked it a little bit? Or have you seen yourself evolve more than you would have expected? Rep. August Pfluger 30:40 Yes, it has evolved, but, and I hope for the better, we'd have to ask others what they think of that, but, but, you know, look, growing up in a professionally in a fighter squadron, there were three tenants that they even though I didn't go to weapon school, they teach you this to be humble, credible and approachable. I mean, think about that. Those are the core tenants of who our lead warriors are, and that is not what you see. When you think of politicians. You think, Well, they're braggadocious and annoying. And you know, OK, and I hope I don't fall into that category. I need to do some self-reflection every once while, but, but I've got a staff of almost 40 people, and I have 434 other colleagues that you have to work with. So you better believe that you've got to be humble because there are people who are better than you in every category. You better believe that being approachable in this job is really important, because people are going to come to you and they're going to need something, or you're going to need something from them, and if you don't have the credibility of what you're talking about or what you're leading, then you're not going to get anything done. And so I've really had to work on all three of those things since I was elected to make sure that tying that to a servant leadership model. We started out in 2021, and I told my team, I said, we are going to do everything we possibly can to make other people that I am working with, other congressmen and women better. And they said, Wait, what? I said, Yeah, this isn't about me getting the limelight. We will get plenty of limelight, but let's work on giving other people the credit, giving other people the opportunities, calling on their expertise, pushing them up. And it will all work out, and we will achieve everything we wanted to achieve for the district that I represent, and it was just like this lightning bolt of it was so antithetical to the way that many people in Congress think. And I am not saying that we have changed the world, but when you're elected to basically a conference-wide position like I am, then you really have hard conversations with people, and those conversations people said, You know what, you've helped me out. I'm going to vote for you. And that meant everything, Naviere Walkewicz 33:08 Humble, approachable, credible, what great lessons for our leaders. And I think that translates across anything you're doing. Of the three, it seems that credible would probably be the hardest to achieve, right? It's a time-based thing. How would you recommend that our leaders, especially those that are growing in their leadership roles, achieve that when they don't necessarily have the time right in? Rep. August Pfluger 33:38 It's so hard, but that grit, that determination, I mean, the study, the thing, all the things we learned, you know, it's like they give you. The academic instructors are like a torture chamber, because they know you can't study everything, so you have to prioritize, which is a lesson I think I still draw on today. But I think that credibility comes from if you're going to be an expert in something, you've got to study it. You've got to know it, and people have to trust you. So when you tell them something, it has to be the truth, and they have to know well, I don't know that particular policy issue, but I know Pfluger does, because, you know he did that in his career. He studied that. So I think that grit and that determination and the prioritization of your time is so important, you can't do it all. I mean, we just can't. You have to. You have to make a choice, and those choices have to then go towards the goals that you're setting for yourself. Naviere Walkewicz 34:32 Excellent, excellent lessons. So you've accomplished so much since 2021, you know? What's next? What are you trying to work towards next? Rep. August Pfluger 34:43 I mean, there's so many different like policy issues I'm not going to bore you with. Let's just talk about the big picture, the elephant in the room, which is how divided our country is, and it's heartbreaking to see. You know, I think back to like, the aftermath of 911 I literally 911 happened two weeks prior to my pilot training graduation. You as a Class of '99 were right in the same boat. I mean, we were our professional careers were turned upside down, but our country came together, and that that was kind of the I think that that was the best thing to see how many people that were divided on whatever lines kind of came together. We're very divided, and it is hard to see and from I want to see an end of the radical sides of our parties and a normal conversation. We should be able to have a normal debate in Congress about whatever issues of spending and things like that. And we should be able to then slap each other on the back and say, Yeah, good job you won that one. Or, you know, good job I won this one. That should be kind of the norm. And I've got so many good friends who are Democrats that it's there, but the pull to radicalization is it's alive and well. And to be honest, this is why we need more Academy graduates who are doing this type of work, whether it's running for local office or running for Congress or Senate or whatever, because we get it. We get it from being a part of something that was greater than ourselves and being a part of a mission that it wasn't about, I it was literally about the team of success. And I think it's, it's veterans that are in these leadership positions that are going to help be a part of this, so that that really, I really do want to see that that doesn't mean that I'm not going to fight tooth and nail for policy that I believe in, which is partisan at times. And I'm OK with that, but what I'm not OK with is demonizing somebody for having a different belief. Let's go fight the merits of it, but not, not the character of the other person. Naviere Walkewicz 37:03 Thank you for sharing that. I think, you know, just putting the elephant on the table, I think, is really important. That's what it is about conversation. It's about dialog and so thank you for sharing that. For sure, this has been an incredible conversation. We've kind of navigated different parts of your career, you know, your leadership journey, maybe, if I could ask you this, what is something you're doing every day, Congressman Pfluger, to be better? Rep. August Pfluger 37:29 I think, in faith life, really trying to tie in spiritually, and to not be the one in control, trying to be more present in in my family's life, I'm going to give you three or four. So, you know, just being more intentional, putting the phone down, like if I'm going to sit down with my kids and be there, because I could be on the phone 24 hours a day. So put the phone down, talk to my wife be engaged, and that that's really that, that, I think that's a challenge for anybody who is in any adult right now, quite frankly, but especially those that are in leadership positions, which all of our graduates are, and so just put the phone down and being engaged, and it's hard. It's like, “Oh, I got to take care of this, you know, I got to call that person back. We've got to do this.” But you know that is, I think that that is probably the No. 1 thing that then allows a stronger faith life, a stronger relationship with my family. Physically, still taking the Air Force PT test, got a 99 last year. Was very proud of that and so trying to stay physically fit.   Naviere Walkewicz 38:48 That's outstanding!   Rep. August Pfluger 38:49 There are some other graduates who have challenged me with that. You may know Joel Neeb? A classmate of yours.   Naviere Walkewicz 38:58 Oh yeah! I know Thor.   Rep. August Pfluger 39:00 Thor is awesome. And he's been such an inspiration. I could name 100 people, but he said he's a really good inspiration to so many people. And on all the things that you just the things that I answered for your question, he's been a good inspiration on. Naviere Walkewicz 39:15 I would agree with that wholeheartedly. Yes. Well, thank you for that. Can you also share, you know, knowing what you know now through the years that you've experienced, you know your hardships, the triumphs — what would you share with our growing leaders that they can do today to help them be stronger down the road? Rep. August Pfluger 39:37 You know, I think some self-reflection, like, how do you see yourself, and how does the world see you? And is this — does it match up? Because if it's different, if your opinion of yourself is higher than that of what other people are thinking and your work ethic and what you're bringing to the to the table, then then you need to do some self-reflection. And I again, I got back to my career as a fighter pilot, which was perfect for politics. You know, you got to learn to work as a team. You have people debriefing you, and there's critical thoughts on your actions, of how you perform. But I think any leader, it needs to first have the grit to be able to stick with it. It's not always the best person that gets the job, but I can promise you, the person who keeps seeking that job and has that drive, they're going to get there. That has been the story of my life and self-reflection, to go What's stopping me from getting there is probably the key, as long as you have that grit, that self-reflection, to have some clarity for whatever goal you want to achieve. That's my humble opinion of what I would tell myself 15 years ago. Naviere Walkewicz 41:00 Wow. And I think that does kind of give us a moment to just sit in it and think about that as we are, you know, trying to be our best selves and to continue to evolve as leaders. What a great way to do that, right? Just reflect some self-reflection. I want to make sure we have an opportunity. If there's anything that I didn't ask you, that you feel is really important to share with our listeners. What would that be? Rep. August Pfluger 41:24 Well, there were a couple of things. No. 1, I was trying to think back — because your Class of '99 and I'm Class of 2000 — on whether or not I had to get in the front-leaning rest and recite John Stuart Mill's poem, or not. I can't remember that, so maybe I snuck by.   Naviere Walkewicz 41:45 Definitely a front-leaning rest kind of gal. I have pretty strong abs. I can handle that.   Rep. August Pfluger 41:51 You know, I just, I want to go back to what how important our institution is, because we're in that other dimension. We're in the air, in the space domain. We're solving problems in our professional career that I mean, think about where we've come since the Wright Brothers demonstrated we could fly and now, you know all the things that we're doing in air and space, and that's because of our graduates. And you know, I just, I really want to have a call out to our graduates that your leadership in a variety of ways is needed. It's needed in the business community, in Fortune 500 companies. It's needed in your local communities. It's needed at the national level of politics; there are several candidates for Congress right now who are graduates. I'm helping them, and I will help anybody. I don't care what party you are, of course, I have my favorite, but I will help any person who is looking to run for something like this. This is what I know now. But we really do need your leadership in order to bring the temperature down, to unite our country, to make sure that we're going to be successful. It's not if it's a matter of when we're going to face that next big, truly existential threat and challenge to our country. And guess what? I trust the people that were right there next to be in the front, winning rest, reciting all of those quotes and having to do a little bit harder of a standard in our four years of education than other institutions. And so I trust our graduates, but we need you, and we really need you to take that opportunity and serve in any possible way that you can. Naviere Walkewicz 43:45 Wow. Thank you for sharing that. I think that that is a perfect way a call to action, so to speak, for all of us you know the service after the service, so this has been incredible. Congressman Pfluger, thank you for your time today. Rep. August Pfluger 43:57 Well, Naviere, thank you for reaching so many graduates and looking forward to a Bitton Army and Navy again next year. Naviere Walkewicz 44:04 That's right next year. Well, you know, as I reflect on this conversation, you know, one theme really rises above others, courage, the grit, you know, not just the courage we often associate with the battlefield or moments of crises, but the quiet, steady courage that it takes to lead with conviction every day, Congressman Pfluger reminded us that true leadership means standing firm in your values even when the path may be uncertain or the stakes may be high, it's the kind of courage that doesn't seek comfort, but instead answers to responsibility. So as you think about your own leadership journey, ask yourself, Where is courage calling you? Where is that grit gonna take you? Whether it's in the workplace, in your community or your personal life, lean into those moments, because courage, real, principled, humble, courage is what transforms good leaders into great ones. Thank you for listening to this edition of Long Blue Leadership. If you know someone who needs encouraging words in their leadership journey, please share this podcast with them as well. I'm Naviere Walkewicz. Until next time.   KEYWORDS August Pfluger, Long Blue Leadership Podcast, U.S. Air Force Academy, leadership lessons, congressional service, fighter pilot, national security, grit and resilience, service after service, Air Force Board of Visitors, faith and family leadership, career transition, public service, humble credible approachable, air and space power.       The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation    

1. National Security Concerns We open with alarming claims that 18,000 known or suspected terrorists have entered the U.S. during the Biden administration, allegedly due to lax border security. The source cited is testimony from Joe Kent, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing. Specific examples include Afghan nationals linked to terrorist organizations who entered under the Operation Allies Welcome program. The conversation emphasizes the risks posed by "got-aways" (migrants who evade border patrol) and criticizes the administration for prioritizing politics over security. 2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and U.S. Leadership The second segment focuses on President Trump’s executive order aimed at centralizing AI regulation to prevent fragmented state-level rules. Senator Cruz frames AI as the “economic battle of the 21st century”, comparing it to the U.S. winning the internet race in the 1990s. Whoever leads in AI will shape global values—either American principles of liberty or China’s model of surveillance and control. Trump’s remarks highlight the need for a single federal approval system to accelerate AI development and maintain U.S. dominance. 3. Designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a Terrorist Organization Senator Cruz advocates for legislation to designate the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliates as terrorist organizations. He explains a shift from a top-down approach (targeting the global organization) to a bottom-up strategy (starting with affiliates like Hamas). The discussion notes bipartisan support but criticizes the House for weakening the bill. Cruz stresses that allies such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have already designated the group as a terrorist organization. Please Hit Subscribe to this podcast Right Now. Also Please Subscribe to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson and The Ben Ferguson Show Podcast Wherever You get You're Podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show on Social Media so you never miss a moment! Thanks for Listening YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruz/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verdictwithtedcruz X: https://x.com/tedcruz X: https://x.com/benfergusonshowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senate fails to advance both Democratic and Republican health care bills the sponsors say would address expected increase in costs for millions of Americans Affordable Care Act insurance at the end of the month when enhanced premium tax credits are set to expire; House passes a bill to reverse President Donald Trump's Executive Order limiting the collective bargaining rights of around one million federal workers in national security departments & agencies; Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) cancels a meeting to unveil major changes to how the agency responds to natural disasters. We will talk about it with The Hill's Energy and Environment Reporter Frazin (19); Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testifies before the House Homeland Security Committee and most of the questions from Members are on the Trump Administration immigration enforcement campaign; Indiana Senate, controlled by Republicans, votes down a Congressional redistricting map drawn by Republicans to get two more U.S. House seats for their party, despite Pres. Trump demands that it pass; White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is asked about the Venezuelan oil tanker seized by the U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tonight we're breaking down the absolute disaster that was Homeland Security Secretary, and self-proclaimed “puppy killer,” Kristi Noem's appearance before the House Homeland Security Committee. It did not go well for her. Democratic lawmakers tore apart her talking points, pressed her on the inhumane detention conditions happening under her watch, and exposed just how flimsy her defenses really are. The pressure got so intense that Noem actually left the hearing early, a stunning move for someone supposed to be leading a federal agency. And that wasn't all. Protesters showed up to confront her policies directly, making sure the cruelty happening around the country stayed front and center. Join us tonight as we unpack the meltdown, the hypocrisy, the evasions, and the growing backlash against Noem's leadership. This episode is sponsored by ZBiotics. Go to https://zbiotics.com/LEMON and use LEMON at checkout for 15% off first time orders. This episode is sponsored by Ollie. Take the guesswork out of your dog's well-being. Go to https://ollie.com/lemon and use code lemon to get 60% off your first box! This episode is sponsored by Incogni. Go to https://incogni.com/donlemon and use code donlemon for 60% off. Incogni HELPS wipe yourself from the Internet — they can't harm you if they can't find you. Click the link below to claim your 60% off and get your personal data off the market! Erase yourself from the internet This episode is brought to you by Graza. Take your food to the next level with Graza Olive Oil. Visit https://graza.co/DON and use promo code DON today for 20% off your first order! This episode is brought to you by MSI United States. Donate now to help millions of women get access to care — and to hope. You can Text LEMON to five eleven five eleven, or go to https://MSIUnited States.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is expected to face fierce questioning from House Democrats on Dec. 11 over the Trump administration's immigration policies.Noem is testifying before the House Homeland Security Committee on “Worldwide Threats to the Homeland,” which is likely to focus heavily on immigration. Also attending Thursday's hearing are Joseph Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, and Michael Glasheen, operations director of the national security branch of the FBI.The Senate is poised for a Dec. 11 vote on competing measures to resolve the standoff over extending the expiring Obamacare subsidies. Both are likely to fall along party lines and to fail to reach the 60-vote threshold required to advance legislation in the Senate. The subsidies were created in 2021 as a temporary measure to blunt the economic impact of the COVID-19 national health emergency. Originally offered for two years, the enhanced subsidies were further extended for three years and will expire at the end of this month.

In this episode, Laura and Kevin chat with Walter Haydock, whose path from Marine intelligence to Capitol Hill to AI governance gives him a rare view of what “security” actually means in the age of AI and generative models. Walter talks about why he thinks governance is becoming the next real defense layer, and how to sort actual AI risks from the odd glitches everyone loves to talk about. He breaks down common myths he hears from non-tech folks, what recent cloud outages say about the shortcuts companies take, and whether the latest hospital ransomware attacks signal a true AI-driven threat wave or just better marketing from bad actors. We also get into the personal side: what feels high-stakes after years in national security, and which unexpected habits from that world turned out to be useful in tech. Walter closes by looking ahead at what might trigger the first serious AI crackdown in the U.S. and whether a federal AI law is finally on the horizon. It's a grounded, candid look at where the field is headed from someone who's seen the stakes up close.Walter Haydock is the Founder and CEO of StackAware, where he helps AI-driven companies handle cybersecurity, privacy, and compliance risk. He's one of the leading voices on ISO 42001 and has guided organizations through the audit process as AI governance becomes a core part of security. Before building StackAware, Walter worked in national security as a staff member on the House Homeland Security Committee, an analyst at the National Counterterrorism Center, and a Marine Corps intelligence officer. He's a graduate of the Naval Academy, Georgetown's School of Foreign Service, and Harvard Business School.

A House Homeland Security Committee hearing turned tense earlier this week as lawmakers clashed over the source and impact of violent rhetoric toward law enforcement. Democrats focused on the events of January 6th and the conduct of ICE agents during raids, while Republicans and union officials warned that rising threats, including last week's fatal shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C., indicate that officers are facing unprecedented danger. They also highlighted how the rhetoric and the risk of violence are impacting police recruitment and retention. Colorado Congressman and former police officer Gabe Evans joins the Rundown's Jessica Rosenthal following Wednesday's hearing to discuss the challenges and dangers law enforcement is currently facing. Rep. Evans explained why he believes there are consequences to this rhetoric and how it's affecting recruitment, safety, and public trust. We often must cut interviews short during the week, but we thought you might like to hear the full interview. Today on Fox News Rundown Extra, we will share our entire interview with Colorado Congressman and former police officer Gabe Evans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A House Homeland Security Committee hearing turned tense earlier this week as lawmakers clashed over the source and impact of violent rhetoric toward law enforcement. Democrats focused on the events of January 6th and the conduct of ICE agents during raids, while Republicans and union officials warned that rising threats, including last week's fatal shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C., indicate that officers are facing unprecedented danger. They also highlighted how the rhetoric and the risk of violence are impacting police recruitment and retention. Colorado Congressman and former police officer Gabe Evans joins the Rundown's Jessica Rosenthal following Wednesday's hearing to discuss the challenges and dangers law enforcement is currently facing. Rep. Evans explained why he believes there are consequences to this rhetoric and how it's affecting recruitment, safety, and public trust. We often must cut interviews short during the week, but we thought you might like to hear the full interview. Today on Fox News Rundown Extra, we will share our entire interview with Colorado Congressman and former police officer Gabe Evans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A House Homeland Security Committee hearing turned tense earlier this week as lawmakers clashed over the source and impact of violent rhetoric toward law enforcement. Democrats focused on the events of January 6th and the conduct of ICE agents during raids, while Republicans and union officials warned that rising threats, including last week's fatal shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C., indicate that officers are facing unprecedented danger. They also highlighted how the rhetoric and the risk of violence are impacting police recruitment and retention. Colorado Congressman and former police officer Gabe Evans joins the Rundown's Jessica Rosenthal following Wednesday's hearing to discuss the challenges and dangers law enforcement is currently facing. Rep. Evans explained why he believes there are consequences to this rhetoric and how it's affecting recruitment, safety, and public trust. We often must cut interviews short during the week, but we thought you might like to hear the full interview. Today on Fox News Rundown Extra, we will share our entire interview with Colorado Congressman and former police officer Gabe Evans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we shine a spotlight on one of the most influential voices shaping America's approach to security and public safety. We're honored to welcome Representative Andrew Garbarino, Chairman of the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, and the distinguished congressman representing New York's 2nd District since 2021. As the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, Chairman Garbarino discusses the enormous responsibility of leading the committee originally formed to ensure that another attack like 9/11 never happens again. From funding challenges to evolving threats, he provides an inside look at how Congress, federal agencies, and local law enforcement work together to keep our nation safe. Hosted by Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, this episode of The Blue View covers: The mission and oversight responsibilities of the Homeland Security Committee The significance of the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) How federal grants support major cities and frontline law enforcement The evolving threat landscape 25 years after 9/11 The partnership between Congress, DHS, and state/local police agencies Chairman Garbarino's journey, leadership, and ties to the Long Island law enforcement community Representative Garbarino brings deep insight, experience, and a strong commitment to protecting America's homeland—making this an episode every law enforcement professional and engaged citizen should hear. We Are the # Voice of America's Law Enforcement Officers. The Fraternal Order of Police is the Oldest and Largest #PoliceUnion in the #USA — 373,000+ members strong! #DefendThePolice #BackTheBlue #FOPstrong About the Fraternal Order of Police ​➡️ https://www.fop.net Facebook ➡️ https://www.facebook.com/GLFOP Twitter ➡️ https://www.twitter.com/GLFOP Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/fopnational The Fraternal Order of Police is the world's oldest and largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers, with more than 373,000 members in more than 2,200 lodges. We are the voice of those who dedicate their lives to protecting and serving our communities. We are committed to improving the working conditions of law enforcement officers and the safety of those we serve through education, legislation, information, community involvement and employee representation. #FOP #FraternalOrderOfPolice #Police #LEO #FirstResponders #Crime #Law #Cops Chapters (00:00:00) - Honoring Andrew Gavarino(00:00:40) - Democratic Rep. Peter King on the Homeland Security Committee(00:03:50) - President Trump on the Urban Area Security Initiative Grant(00:10:11) - House Homeland Security Committee Discusses Law Enforcement Equity Act(00:13:40) - Law Enforcement Officer Turnover(00:16:20) - President Trump on Law and Safety for Police Officers(00:18:10) - House Homeland Security Committee holds hearing on assaults on law enforcement officers(00:21:23) - Congressman Knows(00:23:04) - Public Safety: Thanks for Your Support!

A House Homeland Security Committee hearing turned tense as lawmakers clashed over the source and impact of violent rhetoric toward law enforcement. Democrats focused on January 6th and ICE conduct, while Republicans and union officials warned that rising threats, including last week's fatal shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C., show officers are facing unprecedented danger. Colorado Congressman and former police officer Gabe Evans joins the Rundown to discuss why he believes there are consequences to this rhetoric and how it's affecting recruitment, safety, and public trust.Democrats are saying they have reason to celebrate too, even after Republican Matt Van Epps won Tuesday's special congressional election in Tennessee. That's because his opponent, Democrat State Rep. Aftyn Bain, lost by nine percentage points in a district President Trump won by more than 20 points last year. Democrats see this as a sign they have momentum, but should the GOP actually be worried? Fox News contributor and former Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush, Karl Rove, joins the Rundown to discuss the implications of the Tennessee election result for the upcoming midterm elections and what the GOP needs to focus on if they want to keep control of the House and Senate. Plus, commentary from the host of “Tomi Lahren is Fearless" on Outkick, Tomi Lahren. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A House Homeland Security Committee hearing turned tense as lawmakers clashed over the source and impact of violent rhetoric toward law enforcement. Democrats focused on January 6th and ICE conduct, while Republicans and union officials warned that rising threats, including last week's fatal shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C., show officers are facing unprecedented danger. Colorado Congressman and former police officer Gabe Evans joins the Rundown to discuss why he believes there are consequences to this rhetoric and how it's affecting recruitment, safety, and public trust.Democrats are saying they have reason to celebrate too, even after Republican Matt Van Epps won Tuesday's special congressional election in Tennessee. That's because his opponent, Democrat State Rep. Aftyn Bain, lost by nine percentage points in a district President Trump won by more than 20 points last year. Democrats see this as a sign they have momentum, but should the GOP actually be worried? Fox News contributor and former Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush, Karl Rove, joins the Rundown to discuss the implications of the Tennessee election result for the upcoming midterm elections and what the GOP needs to focus on if they want to keep control of the House and Senate. Plus, commentary from the host of “Tomi Lahren is Fearless" on Outkick, Tomi Lahren. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A House Homeland Security Committee hearing turned tense as lawmakers clashed over the source and impact of violent rhetoric toward law enforcement. Democrats focused on January 6th and ICE conduct, while Republicans and union officials warned that rising threats, including last week's fatal shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C., show officers are facing unprecedented danger. Colorado Congressman and former police officer Gabe Evans joins the Rundown to discuss why he believes there are consequences to this rhetoric and how it's affecting recruitment, safety, and public trust.Democrats are saying they have reason to celebrate too, even after Republican Matt Van Epps won Tuesday's special congressional election in Tennessee. That's because his opponent, Democrat State Rep. Aftyn Bain, lost by nine percentage points in a district President Trump won by more than 20 points last year. Democrats see this as a sign they have momentum, but should the GOP actually be worried? Fox News contributor and former Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush, Karl Rove, joins the Rundown to discuss the implications of the Tennessee election result for the upcoming midterm elections and what the GOP needs to focus on if they want to keep control of the House and Senate. Plus, commentary from the host of “Tomi Lahren is Fearless" on Outkick, Tomi Lahren. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it has suspended the processing of all immigration applications from 19 countries, including Afghanistan and Somalia, citing national security and public safety concerns. The action comes a week after an Afghan national was arrested for shooting two National Guard members near the White House, killing one and critically wounding the other. The suspension includes green card and U.S. citizenship processing, according to a memorandum.The House Homeland Security Committee will hear testimonies from leaders of law enforcement associations regarding how anti-law enforcement rhetoric is fueling violence against officers nationwide.

The House Homeland Security Committee wants to reauthorize and reform the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015. The law expires at the end of this month. On Wednesday, the committee passed a bill that would extend the law for another 10 years. It would also update the law to account for advances in artificial intelligence and require the Department of Homeland Security to improve its outreach on emerging cyber threats. The bill is advancing in the House, but its path forward in the Senate remains unclear as the law's expiration nears.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At a recent Panamerican Congress in Mexico City, Democratic Rep. Delia Ramirez of Illinois stood before attendees and declared in Spanish, “I'm a proud Guatemalan before I'm an American.” Ramirez, who sits on the House Homeland Security Committee, helps shape policies vital to the nation's safety. Yet she openly and proudly identifies with another country — and in a foreign language, no less. Ramirez isn't alone. She's part of a growing class of politicians who treat their American citizenship as a formality. Many are first-generation immigrants. Ramirez isn't even that. She was born to an illegal immigrant mother who crossed the border while pregnant and secured birthright citizenship for her daughter. On paper, Ramirez is American. In every other way, she is not. Follow on:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-auron-macintyre-show/id1657770114Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3S6z4LBs8Fi7COupy7YYuM?si=4d9662cb34d148afSubstack: https://auronmacintyre.substack.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuronMacintyreGab: https://gab.com/AuronMacIntyreYouTube:https://www.youtube.com/c/AuronMacIntyreRumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-390155Odysee: https://odysee.com/@AuronMacIntyre:fInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/auronmacintyre/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike has officially been bit by the Town Baseball bug!!!Nancy Pelosi erupts when asked by CNN's Jake Tapper about allegations of insider tradingFormer House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared agitated Wednesday when CNN's Jake Tapper confronted her about insider trading allegations.On "The Lead," Tapper tried to show President Donald Trump's comments earlier that day accusing Pelosi of becoming rich "by having inside information" in stock trading. When he attempted to read Trump's comments after a technical error, she quickly shut him down."Why do you have to read that?" Pelosi erupted. "We‘re here to talk about the 60th anniversary of Medicaid. That‘s what I agreed to come to talk… and what that means in the election."'Biden migrant child hotline ignored 65K calls': Shocking testimony rocks Homeland Security hearingDuring a heated House Homeland Security Committee hearing, shocking revelations emerged about the Biden administration's migrant child protection efforts. Lawmakers learned that a federally operated hotline, meant to report safety issues for unaccompanied migrant children, failed to respond to 65,000 calls between August 2023 and January 2025. Ali Hopper, founder of GUARD Against Trafficking, testified that both federal agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are failing to protect vulnerable children caught in the ongoing border crisis.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mike has officially been bit by the Town Baseball bug!!!Nancy Pelosi erupts when asked by CNN's Jake Tapper about allegations of insider tradingFormer House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared agitated Wednesday when CNN's Jake Tapper confronted her about insider trading allegations.On "The Lead," Tapper tried to show President Donald Trump's comments earlier that day accusing Pelosi of becoming rich "by having inside information" in stock trading. When he attempted to read Trump's comments after a technical error, she quickly shut him down."Why do you have to read that?" Pelosi erupted. "We‘re here to talk about the 60th anniversary of Medicaid. That‘s what I agreed to come to talk… and what that means in the election."'Biden migrant child hotline ignored 65K calls': Shocking testimony rocks Homeland Security hearingDuring a heated House Homeland Security Committee hearing, shocking revelations emerged about the Biden administration's migrant child protection efforts. Lawmakers learned that a federally operated hotline, meant to report safety issues for unaccompanied migrant children, failed to respond to 65,000 calls between August 2023 and January 2025. Ali Hopper, founder of GUARD Against Trafficking, testified that both federal agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are failing to protect vulnerable children caught in the ongoing border crisis. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today, Thursday, July 31 on Urban Forum Northwest:*Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D) MS-02 is the Ranking Member, House Homeland Security Committee. He was Chair, House Select Committee on the January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol. He will also speak to the current political climate in Washington DC.*Attorney Jesse Wineberry, Co Founder Washington Equity Now Alliance (WENA) comments on the status of the efforts to get Reparations for 400,000 African Descendants of chattel slavery who reside in Washington state.*Lyle Quasim, Chair, Tacoma Pierce County Black Collective, the organization is fifty-two years old and has met every Saturday of the month, that includes holidays. There are several committees that undergird the organization and elected an appointed officials are on the call every week.*Reverend Dr. Leslie D. Braxton, Pastor, New Beginnings Christian Fellowship (NBCF) is celebrating twenty years of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ, feeding the hungry, providing scholarships, hosting a technology training program (Americans 4 Equality/ MLK Gandhi Empowerment Initiative). The 20th Anniversary Dinner will be held Saturday evening at the Bellevue Hyatt.*Randolph Cross, Executive Secretary, Seattle's Royal Esquire Club will provide a snapshot of activities for the month of August. They will all begin with First Friday tomorrow on August 1.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From porcupine to the great horned owl -- Connecticut's woodlands come alive after dark with a wide range of nocturnal animals. But first, Long Island Congressman Andrew Garbarino will now chair the House Homeland Security Committee. Plus, how federal cuts to SNAP could impact Connecticut residents.

Patch Tuesday. Mozilla  patches two critical FireFox security flaws. A critical flaw in Salesforce OmniStudio exposes sensitive customer data stored in plain text. The Badbox botnet continues to evolve. AI-powered “ghost students” enrolling in online college courses to steal government funds. Hackers steal nearly 300,000 vehicle crash reports from the Texas Department of Transportation. ConnectWise rotates its digital code signing certificates. The chair of the House Homeland Security Committee announces his upcoming retirement. Our guest is Matt Radolec, VP of Incident Response, Cloud Operations & SE EU from Varonis, wondering if AI may be the Cerberus of our time. Friendly skies…or friendly spies?  Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest On our Industry Voices segment, we have Matt Radolec, VP of Incident Response, Cloud Operations & SE EU from Varonis, sharing insights on AI: The Cerberus of our time. You can hear Matt's full interview here. The State of Data Security: Quantifying AI's Impact on Data Risk report from Varonis reveals how much sensitive data is exposed and at risk in the AI era. Learn more and get State of Data Security Report. Selected Reading Microsoft warns of 66 flaws to fix for this Patch Tuesday, and two are under active attack (The Register) Microsoft slows Windows 11 24H2 Patch Tuesday due to a 'compatibility issue'  (The Register) ICS Patch Tuesday: Vulnerabilities Addressed by Siemens, Schneider, Aveva, CISA (SecurityWeek) Firefox Patches Multiple Vulnerabilities That Could Lead to Browser Crash (Cyber Security News) Salesforce OmniStudio Vulnerabilities Exposes Sensitive Customer Data in Plain Text (Cyber Security News) CISO who helped unmask Badbox warns: Version 3 is coming (The Register) How Scammers Are Using AI to Steal College Financial Aid  (SecurityWeek) 300K Crash Reports Stolen in Texas DOT Hack (BankInfoSecurity) ConnectWise rotating code signing certificates over security concerns (Bleeping Computer) House Homeland Chairman Mark Green's departure could leave congressional cyber agenda in limbo (CyberScoop) Airlines Don't Want You to Know They Sold Your Flight Data to DHS (404 Media) Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at cyberwire@n2k.com to request more info. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 3: 5:00pm- On Friday, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka alongside Congressmembers Bonnie Watson-Coleman, LaMonica McIver, and Rob Menendez visited the Delaney Hall Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in New Jersey—at one point trespassing which led to a confrontation with ICE officials and the eventual arrest of Mayor Baraka. ICE has released bodycam footage of the altercation which shows Rep. McIver attempting to physically shove past ICE agents. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez threatened Republicans with retaliation if Democrat lawmakers are charged with crimes for their involvement in the Delaney Hall incident. 5:20pm- During Wednesday's House Homeland Security Committee hearing, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) got into a heated exchange over the deportation of illegal migrant—and accused MS-13 gang member—Kilmar Abrego Garcia. 5:30pm- While promoting his new book, “Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,” CNN's Jake Tapper revealed that a White House physician informed then-President Joe Biden's aides that he might require the assistance of a wheelchair in his second term if he were to continue falling. While Tapper is reporting on these stories now, why wasn't he doing so prior to Biden's withdrawal from the 2024 presidential election? According to the book, Biden forgot the names of Jake Sullivan (his National Security Advisor), Jamie Harrison (Chairman of the DNC), and Hollywood star George Clooney (whom he has known for years).

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 4: 6:05pm- While testifying before the Senate's Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was interrupted by protesters. Five protesters were ultimately removed from the hearing—including Ben & Jerry's ice cream co-founder Ben Cohen! 6:20pm- Dan McLaughlin—Senior Writer at National Review & a Fellow at National Review Institute—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss his latest article, “Put Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame—But Not Shoeless Joe.” You can read the full article here: https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/put-pete-rose-in-the-hall-of-fame-but-not-shoeless-joe/. 6:40pm- During Wednesday's House Homeland Security Committee hearing, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) got into a heated exchange over the deportation of illegal migrant—and accused MS-13 gang member—Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (05/14/2025): 3:05pm- Newsom Flip-Flop: California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) is now calling for fiscal responsibility—and is advocating to curtail healthcare benefits offered to undocumented migrants residing in the Golden State. His proposal will freeze enrollment and will charge those who currently are enrolled a monthly fee. For years, Newsom has advocated for free universal healthcare for all. So, what changed? Rich notes that Newsom is preparing for a 2028 presidential run and is trying to distance himself from failed, unpopular policies—but don't believe his sudden shift towards political moderation is genuine. 3:30pm- Michael Whatley—Chairman of the Republican National Committee—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss the “one big, beautiful bill” being negotiated in the House and Senate which would make Trump's 2017 tax cuts permanent. Chairman Whatley also weighs in on the New Jersey gubernatorial election, explaining: “this is a very winnable race.” 3:50pm- During his visit to Qatar on Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced that Qatar Airways will be purchasing 210 airplanes from the U.S. manufacturer Boeing. The deal is reportedly worth $200 billion. 3:55pm- While promoting his new book, “Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,” CNN's Jake Tapper revealed that a White House physician informed then-President Joe Biden's aides that he might require the assistance of a wheelchair in his second term if he were to continue falling. While Tapper is reporting on these stories now, why wasn't he doing so prior to Biden's withdrawal from the 2024 presidential election? 4:05pm- While speaking from Riyadh, President Donald Trump announced that Saudi Arabia will be investing $600 billion in the United States economy—focusing on technology development and including a $142 billion defense sales agreement. During one address, Trump stated of previous administration policies regarding the Middle East: "In the end, the so-called nation-builders wrecked far more nations than they built. And the interventionists were intervening in complex societies that they didn't understand themselves." 4:15pm- During an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, President Donald Trump implored Iran to abandon their quest to develop nuclear weapons—noting that during his first administration, strict sanctions on Iran prevented them from funding terror efforts throughout the Middle East. 4:20pm- Should President Trump accept a $400 million plane from Qatar? According to reports, it would replace the current Air Force One—which is nearly 40 years old—and would eventually be gifted to the Trump Presidential Library after Trump leaves office in 2029. Appearing on Fox News, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said accepting the gift would be a violation of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution and is not worth even “the appearance of impropriety.” 4:40pm- Should Rich let Mama Zeoli produce one segment of the show every Friday—where she'll get to select topics? Plus, is Phil Murphy the worst governor in modern New Jersey history. And Rich keeps missing his break times…turns out his clock is broken. 5:00pm- On Friday, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka alongside Congressmembers Bonnie Watson-Coleman, LaMonica McIver, and Rob Menendez visited the Delaney Hall Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in New Jersey—at one point trespassing which led to a confrontation with ICE officials and the eventual arrest of Mayor Baraka. ICE has released bodycam footage of the altercation which shows Rep. McIver attempting to physically shove past ICE agents. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez threatened Republicans with retaliation if Democrat lawmakers are charged with crimes for their involvement in the Delaney Hall incident. 5:20pm- During Wednesday's House Homeland Security Committee hearing, Departmen ...

It's Monday, April 21st, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus New law criminalizes praying with someone about gender, sexuality identity On April 4, the Australian state of New South Wales began enforcing a new law criminalizing anti-conversion therapy, which now includes praying with someone about their gender or sexual identity and even encouraging abstinence for homosexual Christians, reports International Christian Concern. On the website “Anti-Discrimination New South Wales,” a government body that administers and investigates anti-discrimination, they note that “praying with or over a person with the intent to change or suppress their sexuality or gender identify is unlawful … even if that person has asked you to pray for them to be able to change or suppress their sexuality or gender identity.”  The law – known as the New South Wales's Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024 -- is part of a trend of laws that seek to outlaw so-called “conversion therapy,” the clinical practice of helping someone embrace their God-given sexuality and gender. What makes the law different is how broadly “conversion therapy” is defined beyond a traditional clinical setting.   In an interview with The Washington Stand, Arielle Del Turco, director of the Center for Religious Liberty at the Family Research Council, said, “This is a terrible new law in this Australian state, and they aren't even trying to hide it. According to the state government's own admission from their website, this law will prevent a pastor or any believer from praying with someone who is asking for prayer for freedom from gender identity issues.”  Genesis 1:27 says, "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." Italy's top court scraps ‘mother' and ‘father' on ID cards Italy's Supreme Court of Cassation has restored the use of “Parent 1” and “Parent 2” on Italian ID cards because it deemed that calling parents ‘father' and ‘mother' is discriminatory against homosexual couples, reports the European Conservative. To her credit, conservative Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had announced the return of the terms “father” and “mother” on identity documents back in 2023. Supreme Court blocks deportation of illegal Venezuelans On Saturday, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting an unspecified number of illegal Venezuelan men, currently in immigration custody, who are alleged to be members of a criminal gang, reports The Epoch Times. The order was issued after the American Civil Liberties Union filed an emergency request on behalf of its Venezuelan clients late on April 18 asking the Supreme Court to immediately block the Trump administration from deporting the clients. On March 14th, President Donald Trump signed Proclamation 10903, in which he officially declared that Tren de Aragua, a designated foreign terrorist organization, “is perpetrating, attempting, and threatening an invasion or predatory incursion against the territory of the United States.” The president invoked the Alien Enemies Act to authorize the “immediate apprehension, detention, and removal” of members of the group who are Venezuelan citizens 14 years of age or older and who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States. Democrats want to visit El Salvador's prison housing deported illegals Democrats in both chambers of Congress are working to organize delegations to El Salvador to see the prison where President Trump is sending these violent illegal immigrants. Initially, El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele built the prison in 2022 as part of a response to surging gang violence in El Salvador, according to National Public Radio. Each cell can fit 65 to 70 prisoners, and the prison has a capacity of 40,000 inmates.  Trump asked Bukele to build five identically-sized prisons to receive more violent illegal immigrants from America. The deported Venezuelan illegals are living in the same conditions as convicted gangsters. Democrat Representatives Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) and Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) as well as Democrat Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) are the politicians who want to fly to El Salvador. However, House Homeland Security Committee chair Mark Green, a Republican from Tennessee, said he wouldn't grant their request, reports Axios. CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings explained that this kind of move by the Democrats is why they only have a 21% approval rating by the American public. JENNINGS: “First of all, I'm more than happy to hear the Congressman say they're all going to El Salvador. I think for Republicans, this just confirms what we have believed about the Democratic Party and why it currently has a 21% approval rating in Congress. “Look where the energy in the Democratic Party is. It's around retrieving illegal aliens from El Salvador. It's around fighting for these college campuses that have been rife with anti semitism. It's around biological males who want to play in girls' sports. “This is why they are losing to Donald Trump every day, because the energy that Democrats feel comes on all these issues that are fundamentally not where the American people are.” Rahm Emmanuel wants to run for President In the world of politics, Democrat Rahm Emanuel has done a lot. Not only did he serve as President Bill Clinton's Senior Advisor for policy and strategy and as U.S. Congressman from Illinois for three terms, but Emmauel was President Barack Obama's White House Chief of Staff, served as mayor of Chicago, and most recently was the United States ambassador to Japan. Now, Rahm Emmanuel wants to be president. In a recent speech, he said, “I am done with the discussion of locker rooms. I am done with the discussion of bathrooms. We better start having a conversation about the classroom,” drawing applause as he alluded to a new study showing more than two-thirds of eighth graders can't read at grade level. Texas House greenlights $210 million to support pregnant women To hear it from abortion activists, pro-life Americans don't care about women and children – especially after banning abortions. But in the state of Texas that notion is totally false, reports LifeNews. On April 11th, Texas lawmakers gave preliminary approval to $210 million in support for pregnant moms. Texas Right to Life explained, “The Texas House voted to fully fund life-saving nonprofits at $210 million in the Thriving Texas Families program. These providers help mothers choose Life by offering baby materials (like diapers and formula), counseling, and job skills training. This victory isn't about dollars. It's about the children and families rescued from abortion.” Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, April 21st, in the year of our Lord 2025. Subscribe for free by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. House Homeland Security Committee hearing sees Republicans blast waste fraud abuse, Democrats say DOGE is the real waste House narrowly passes Trump-backed government spending bill that Dems call blank check for Musk and Trump agenda Judge blocks deportation of Palestinian legal permanent resident who helped lead Columbia student protests against Gaza war Council on American-Islamic Relations report “Unconstitutional Crackdowns” says Islamophobia at all time high, emboldened by political climate State agency heads uneasy about prospects for 2025 water year, fear federal staff and funding cuts President Trump buys Tesla as show of support for Elon Musk, but says he's not allowed to drive so White House staff can use it The post House passes Trump-backed government funding bill; Council on American-Islamic Relations report says Islamophobia at all-time high – March 11, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

Today on Truth in Politics and Culture, a recently retired border patrol agent from San Diego tells the House Homeland Security Committee the Biden Administration covered up the number of illegal immigrants who are on the terrorist watchlist. The Harris Campaign and some legacy media outlets distort the facts of a Georgia abortion case to sow fear among women about restrictive abortion laws. Israel sows fear among Hezbollah fighters with exploding pagers and walkie-talkies.

8/1/24 Hour 3     Vince speaks with Anthony D'Esposito, Congressman representing New York's 4th Congressional District and member of the House Homeland Security Committee about the Biden administration reaching a plea deal with three defendants held in Guantanamo Bay for their alleged roles in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.  Kamala Harris changes her positions like a chameleon changes its colors.  The left continues to voice fake outrage over Donald Trump's NABJ remarks about Kamala being a DEI hire.            For more coverage on the issues that matter to you visit www.WMAL.com, download the WMAL app or tune in live on WMAL-FM 105.9 from 3-6pm.    To join the conversation, check us out on social media: @WMAL @VinceCoglianese.      Executive Producer: Corey Inganamort @TheBirdWords   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Biden meets with leaders of the largest economies at the G7 Summit in Italy where they'll discuss the world's most pressing issues including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Mediators are working to close a ceasefire deal in Gaza after Hamas proposed amendments to the US backed proposal. And, Microsoft's president is testifying before the House Homeland Security Committee as ProPublica publishes an investigation into the company's security practices around 2020's SolarWinds cyber hack.Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Roberta Rampton, Hannah Bloch, Alice Woelfle, and Mohamad ElBardicy. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Ben Abrams and Lindsay Totty. Our technical director is Zac Coleman, with engineering support from Arthur Laurent.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:   We begin with a closer look at the ongoing anti-Israel protests on university campuses across the country, delving into the sources of funding that fuel these demonstrations.   Next, we explore the impending historic agreement between the US and Saudi Arabia, which could significantly alter the dynamics in the Middle East by providing security guarantees to the kingdom and potentially setting the stage for diplomatic ties with Israel.   We also discuss the urgent appeals from US officials to China and Russia, cautioning against the use of Artificial Intelligence in controlling their nuclear arsenals due to the risk of catastrophic errors.   In the Back of the Brief, we uncover new documents released by the House Homeland Security Committee that show the majority of nearly 400,000 migrants eligible for the Biden Administration's mass parole program are converging on a single state.   To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com.   Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief.   Email: PDB@TheFirstTV.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The House on Tuesday voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, but the Democrat-controlled Senate is not expected to vote to remove him from office. “There isn't a whole lot of power we have,” Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said of House members' ability to push the Senate to hold a trial to consider ousting the homeland security chief. With the two articles of impeachment now in the hands of the Senate, Green explained, Senate Majority Leader “Chuck Schumer and his guys can … either not hear it at all, they can have us come over and be referred to a committee and it's heard then in a committee and dies in a committee, or they can have us present to the entire Senate.” Green and his colleagues who backed the impeachment are “going to get loud,” the Tennessee lawmaker said. “We're going to get really loud. They're going to pay for it if they don't do something,” Green said of the Senate, “because the American people are with us on this.” Green joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to discuss what the House Homeland Security Committee uncovered during its nearly yearlong investigation into Mayorkas that culminated in the secretary's impeachment. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's Headlines: Five tech CEOs, including leaders of TikTok, Meta, Snap, X, and Discord, testified before the Senate Judiciary committee about child exploitation on their platforms. Lawmakers discussed the Kids Online Safety Act, aiming to make it easier for parents to sue tech companies for insufficient efforts in curbing online bullying, privacy violations, and sexual exploitation of minors. During the four-hour hearing, parents of children harmed by social media shared their experiences, including a tragic incident involving a fentanyl-laced pill ordered on Snapchat. Mark Zuckerberg faced pointed questions, ultimately apologizing to the affected families. TikTok CEO Shou Chew was grilled on the platform's ties to the Chinese Communist Party. In the House Homeland Security Committee, two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas were advanced, citing his handling of the migrant crisis. The Federal Reserve announced no change to the federal funds rate, and the US Defense Department identified Kataib Hezbollah as the Iran-backed militia responsible for the drone strike in Jordan that killed three US soldiers. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: BBC: Tech CEOs testify about online child sexual exploitation at US Senate hearing - live updates CBS News: House committee advances Mayorkas impeachment articles, teeing up historic floor vote NBC News: Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady as consumer confidence improves, inflation slows BBC: Kataib Hezbollah: Iran-backed group suspends attacks against US after drone strike  Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage alongside Amanda Duberman and Bridget Schwartz Edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

House Republicans are moving closer to taking the rare step of impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for his handling of the southern border. The Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee claim Mayorkas has committed high crimes and misdemeanors when it comes to how he's dealt with the crisis. House Speaker Mike Johnson has promised to move the articles of impeachment against Mayorkas to the floor quickly. Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman serves on the House Homeland Security Committee. He joins AC360 to discuss why he calls these efforts a "gross abuse" of the impeachment clause. Plus, former President Trump's Super PAC spent approximately $50 million on legal and investigation-related expenses in 2023.Investigative journalist and author of the "Big Cheat," David Cay Johnston tells Anderson Cooper if he thinks Trump would be able to afford these massive legal fees if it weren't for his PAC.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: We delve into the escalating tensions at sea, as the Houthis launch their most significant offensive yet on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, reinforcing the trepidation that grips many shipping lines over traversing the region. The heat turns up on Capitol Hill with the House Homeland Security Committee initiating impeachment hearings against DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, closely following the shocking news of a vast number of migrants gaining access to the U.S. interior. A surprise twist at a House Oversight hearing unfolds when President's son, Hunter Biden, makes an unexpected entrance, setting the stage for a clash in Congress. In today's Back of the Brief, a landmark meeting takes place at the Pentagon between top U.S. and Chinese defense officials, marking their first in-person discourse since January 2020. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. Email: PDB@TheFirstTV.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BlazeTV contributor Jaco Booyens and "Uncle Tom" producer Chad Jackson join the show to discuss a new report from the House Homeland Security Committee, released yesterday, that tallied the cost to taxpayers of migrants who were released into the country or who escaped from custody at a whopping $451 billion. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will live to see another day in the administration because yesterday's attempt to impeach him failed after eight Republicans joined the Democrats to table the impeachment resolution. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced yesterday that the state is surveilling New Yorkers' social media for "hate speech" in an attempt to crack down on what she calls online negativity. Relief factor isn't a drug, but it was developed by doctors to fight inflammation. Try it today. The 3-Week QuickStart is only $19.95. Go to http://www.relieffactor.com or call 1-800-4Relief to get your QuickStart today. Go to http://BUYRAYCON.com/why TODAY to get 20% off your Raycon order! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices