Podcast appearances and mentions of Jennifer Steinhauer

The war in Afghanistan is over. In this episode, we document how and why the Biden administration finally admitted defeat in our 20 year attempt to create a new government in Afghanistan and we take a hard look at the lessons we need to learn. Afghanistan is a country in a far away land, but there are disturbing similarities between the Afghanistan government that just collapsed and our own. We'd be wise not to ignore them. Executive Producer: Rachel Passer Executive Producer: Anonymous  Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD236: January 6: The Capitol Riot CD218: Minerals are the New Oil CD210: The Afghanistan War CD124: The Costs of For-Profit War How We Got Here Craig Whitlock. The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War. Simon and Schuster, 2021. Patrick Tucker. August 18, 2021. “Trump's Pledge to Exit Afghanistan Was a Ruse, His Final SecDef Says.” Defense One. Eugene Kiely and Robert Farley. August 17, 2021. “Timeline of U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan.” FactCheck.org. Eric Schmitt and Jennifer Steinhauer. July 30, 2021. “Afghan Visa Applicants Arrive in U.S. After Years of Waiting.” The New York Times. Craig Whitlock, Leslie Shapiro and Armand Emamdjomeh. December 9, 2019. “The Afghanistan Papers: A secret history of the war.” The Washington Post. Mark Landler and James Risen. July 25, 2017. “Trump Finds Reason for the U.S. to Remain in Afghanistan: Minerals.” The New York Times. John F. Harris. October 15, 2001. “Bush Rejects Taliban Offer On Bin Laden ” Washington Post. The Evacuation: Those Left Behind William Mauldin. September 2, 2021. “Afghanistan Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Staff Left Behind.” Wall Street Journal. Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Annie Karni. August 29, 2021. “Series of U.S. Actions Left Afghan Allies Frantic, Stranded and Eager to Get Out.” The York Times. Sami Sadat. August 25, 2021. “I Commanded Afghan Troops This Year. We Were Betrayed.” The New York Times. Marjorie Censer. August 18, 2021. “US contractors rush to get former employees out of Afghanistan.” Defense News. Siobhan Hughes. August 18, 2021. “Afghanistan Veterans in Congress Trying to Prevent ‘a Death Warrant' for Helping America.” Wall Street Journal. Alex Sanz and Tammy Webber. August 18, 2021. “US friends try to rescue brother in arms in Afghanistan.” AP News. Seth Moulton. June 04, 2021. "Moulton, Bipartisan Honoring Our Promises Working Group to White House: Evacuate our Afghan Partners.” Contractors in Afghanistan Matt Taibbi. August 18, 2021. “We Failed Afghanistan, Not the Other Way Around.” TK News by Matt Taibbi on Substack. Jack Detsch. August 16, 2021. “Departure of Private Contractors Was a Turning Point in Afghan Military's Collapse.” Foreign Policy. Matt Stoller. July 15, 2021. “‘A Real S*** Show': Soldiers Angrily Speak Out about Being Blocked from Repairing Equipment by Contractors.” BIG by Matt Stoller. Lynzy Billing. May 12, 2021. “The U.S. Is Leaving Afghanistan? Tell That to the Contractors.” New York Magazine. Oren Liebermann. March 29, 2021. “Pentagon could open itself to costly litigation from contractors if US pulls out of Afghanistan this year.” CNN. Lucas Kunce and Elle Ekman. September 15, 2019. “Comment Submitted by Major Lucas Kunce and Captain Elle Ekman.” [Regulations.gov(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulations.gov). Aaron Mehta. Oct 25, 2016. “30 Years: William Perry — Reshaping the Industry.” Defense News. Jared Serbu. August 22, 2016. “DoD now awarding more than half its contract spending without competitive bids.” Federal News Network. 41 U.S. Code § 3307 - Preference for commercial products and commercial services. Money: Lost and Gained David Moore. August 23, 2021. “Lawmakers Benefit From Booming Defense Stocks.” Sludge. Lee Fang. August 20, 2021. “Congressman Seeking to Relaunch Afghan War Made Millions in Defense Contracting.” The Intercept. Anna Massoglia and Julia Forrest. August 20, 2021. “Defense contractors spent big in Afghanistan before the U.S. left and the Taliban took control.” OpenSecrets.org. Stephen Losey. April 16, 2021. “The Bill for the Afghanistan War Is $2.26 Trillion, and Still Rising.” Military.com. Eli Clifton. February 16, 2021. “Weapons Biz Bankrolls Experts Pushing to Keep U.S. Troops in Afghanistan.” Daily Beast. Open Secrets. 2021. Defense: Lobbying, 2021. Open Secrets. 2021. Defense: Money to Congress. Laws S.1790 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 Sponsor: Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) Status: Became Public Law No: 116-92 on December 20, 2019 H.R. 3237: Emergency Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 Sponsor: Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) Status: Signed into law, 2021 May 20 House Vote Breakdown Congressional Budget Office Score Law Outline TITLE IV: BILATERAL ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE GENERAL PROVISIONS EXTENSION AND MODIFICATION OF THE AFGHAN SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISA PROGRAM Sec. 401: Amends the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 to expand eligibility to include Afghans who worked not only for the US Government for more than 1 year but also our allies as an off-base interpreter or if they performed "activities for United States military stationed at International Security Assistance Force (or any successor name for such Force). Increases the number of Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) to Afghan partners by 8,000, for a total of 34,500 allocated since December 19, 2014. Sec. 402: Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security and Secretary of state to jointly waive for 1 year (maximum 2 years with an extension) the requirement that Afghan partners eligible for SIVs get a medical exam before they can receive their visa. The Secretary of Homeland Security has to create a process to make sure Afghan SIV holders get a medical exam within 30 days of entry into the United States. Sec. 403: Allows the surviving spouse or child or employee of the United States Government abroad to be eligible for immigration into the United States if the employee worked for our government for at least 15 years or was killed in the line of duty. It also expands entry permissions for Afghan SIV applicants in addition to those who have already been approved. This is retroactive to June 30, 2021. Policies for Visa Processing: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Policy Manual, Chapter 9: Certain Afghan Nationals U.S Department of State -- Bureau of Consular Affairs. “Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans - Who Were Employed by/on Behalf of the U.S. Government.” Audio Sources Gen. Mark Milley: "There was nothing that I or anyone else saw that indicated a collapse of this army and this government in 11 days." August 18, 2021 General Mark Milley: The time frame of rapid collapse that was widely estimated and ranged from weeks to months, and even years following our departure, there was nothing that I or anyone else saw that indicated a collapse of this army and this government in 11 days. Central Command submitted a variety of plans that were briefed and approved by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretary of Defense and the President. These plans were coordinated, synchronized and rehearsed to deal with these various scenarios. One of those contingencies is what we are executing right now. As I said before, there's plenty of time to do AARs(After Action Reviews) and key lessons learned and to delve into these questions with great detail. But right now is not that time. Right now, we have to focus on this mission, because we have soldiers at risk. And we also have American citizens and Afghans who supported us for 20 years also at risk. This is personal and we're going to get them out. President Biden on Afghanistan Withdrawal Transcript July 8, 2021 Sound Clips 01:30 President Biden: When I announced our drawdown in April, I said we would be out by September, and we're on track to meet that target. Our military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on August 31. The drawdown is proceeding in a secure and orderly way, prioritizing the safety of our troops as they depart 3:40 President Biden: Together with our NATO allies and partners, we have trained and equipped nearly 300,000 current serving members of the military, the Afghan national security force, and many beyond that are no longer serving. Add to that hundreds of thousands more Afghan national defense and security forces trained over the last two decades. 04:04 President Biden: We provided our Afghan partners with all the tools, let me emphasize, all the tools -- training, equipment -- of any modern military. We provided advanced weaponry, and we're going to continue to provide funding and equipment and we'll ensure they have the capacity to maintain their Air Force. 5:54 President Biden: We're also going to continue to make sure that we take on Afghan nationals who worked side by side with US forces, including interpreters and translators. Since we're no longer going to have military there after this, we're not going to need them and they'll have no jobs. We're [sic] also going to be vital to our efforts. they've been very vital, and so their families are not exposed to danger as well. We've already dramatically accelerated the procedure time for Special Immigrant Visas to bring them to the United States. Since I was inaugurated on January 20, we've already approved 2,500 Special Immigrant Visas to come to the United States. Up to now, fewer than half have exercised the right to do that. Half have gotten on aircraft and come commercial flights and come and other half believe they want to stay, at least thus far. We're working closely with Congress to change the authorization legislation so that we can streamline the process of approving those visas. And those who have stood up for the operation to physically relocate 1000s of Afghans and their families before the US military mission concludes so that, if they choose, they can wait safely outside of Afghanistan, while their US visas are being processed. 8:13 President Biden: For those who have argued that we should stay just six more months, or just one more year, I asked them to consider the lessons of recent history. In 2011, the NATO allies and partners agreed that we would end our combat mission in 2014. In 2014, some argued one more year. So we kept fighting. We kept taking casualties. In 2015, the same, and on and on. Nearly 20 years of experience has shown us that the current security situation only confirms that just one more year of fighting in Afghanistan is not a solution, but a recipe for being there indefinitely. It's up to the Afghans to make the decision about the future of their country. Others are more direct. Their argument is that we should stay with the Afghans and Afghanistan indefinitely. In doing so they point to the fact that we we have not taken losses in this last year. So they claim that the cost of just maintaining the status quo is minimal. 9:19 President Biden: But that ignores the reality, and the facts that already presented on the ground in Afghanistan when I took office. The Taliban is at its strongest militarily since 2001. The number of US forces in Afghanistan had been reduced to a bare minimum. And the United States and the last administration made an agreement that they have to with the Taliban remove all our forces by May 1 of this year. That's what I inherited. That agreement was the reason the Taliban had ceased major attacks against US forces. 9:55 President Biden: If in April, I had instead announced that the United States was going to go back on that agreement, made by the last administration, the United States and allied forces will remain in Afghanistan for the foreseeable future, the Taliban would have again begun to target our forces. The status quo was not an option. Staying would have meant US troops taking casualties, American men and women back in the middle of a civil war, and we would run the risk of having to send more troops back in Afghanistan to defend our remaining troops. Once that agreement with the Taliban had been made, staying with a bare minimum force was no longer possible. 10:34 President Biden: So let me ask those who want us to stay: how many more? How many 1000s more Americans' daughters and sons are you willing to risk? How long would you have them stay? Already we have members of our military whose parents fought in Afghanistan 20 years ago. Would you send their children and their grandchildren as well? Would you send your own son or daughter? After 20 years, a trillion dollars spent training and equipping hundreds of 1000s of Afghan National Security and Defence Forces. 2,448 Americans killed, 20,722 more wounded, and untold 1000s coming home with unseen trauma to their mental health. I will not send another generation of Americans to war in Afghanistan with no reasonable expectation of achieving a different outcome. 11:51 President Biden: Today the terrorist threat has metastasized beyond Afghanistan. So, we are repositioning our resources and adapting our counterterrorism posture to meet the threats where they are now: significantly higher in South Asia, the Middle East and Africa. 12:07 President Biden: But make no mistake, our military and intelligence leaders are confident they have the capabilities to protect the homeland and our interests from any resurgent terrorist challenge emerging or emanating from Afghanistan. We're developing a counterterrorism over-the-horizon capability that will allow us to keep our eyes firmly fixed at any direct threat to the United States in the region and act quickly and decisively if needed. 12:38 President Biden: We also need to focus on shoring up America's core strengths to meet the strategic competition competition with China and other nations that is really going to determine our future. 14:58 Reporter: Is the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan now inevitable? President Biden: No. It is not. Because you have the Afghan troops, 300,000. Well equipped, as well equipped as any army in the world, and an air force against something like 75,000 Taliban. It is not inevitable. 15:45 President Biden: Do I trust the Taliban? No, but I trust the capacity of the Afghan military who is better trained, better equipped, and more competent in terms of conducting war. 18:07 Reporter: Your own intelligence community has assessed that the Afghan government will likely collapse President Biden: That is not true 18:53 President Biden: And I want to make clear what I made clear to Ghani, that we are not going to walk away and not sustain their ability to maintain that force. We are. We're going to also work to make sure we help them in terms of everything from food necessities and other things in the region. But there is not a conclusion that in fact, they cannot defeat the Taliban. I believe the only way there's going to be -- this is now Joe Biden, not the intelligence community -- the only way there's only going to be peace and secure in Afghanistan, is that they work out a modus vivendi with the Taliban, and they make a judgement as to how they can make peace. And the likelihood there's going to be one unified government in Afghanistan, controlling the whole country is highly unlikely. 21:30 Reporter: Mr. President, how serious was the corruption among the Afghanistan government to this mission failing there? President Biden: First of all, the mission hasn't failed yet. 22:00 President Biden: There were going to be negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan national security forces, and the Afghan government that didn't come to fruition. So the question now is where do they go from here? The jury is still out, but the likelihood there's going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely. 23:20 Reporter: Mr. President, "speed is safety," as you just said in your remarks. Are you satisfied with the timeline of relocating Afghan nationals? Is it happening quickly enough to your satisfaction if it may not happen until next month at the end? President Biden: It has already happened, there have already been people, about 1000 people have gotten on aircraft and come to the United States already on commercial aircraft. So as I said, there's over 2500 people, that as from January to now, have have gotten those visas and only half decided that they wanted to leave. The point is that I think the whole process has to be speeded up -- period -- in terms of being able to get these visas. Reporter: Why can't the US evacuate these Afghan translators to the United States to await their visa processing as some immigrants of the southern border have been allowed to? President Biden: Because the law doesn't allow that to happen. And that's why we're asking the Congress to consider changing the law. President Biden Remarks on Afghanistan Strategy Transcript April 14, 2021 Sound Clips 00:38 President Biden: I'm speaking to you today from the Roosevelt -- the Treaty room in the White House -- the same spot where in October of 2001, President George W. Bush informed our nation that the United States military had begun strikes on terrorist training camps in Afghanistan. It was just weeks, just weeks after the terrorist attack on our nation that killed 2,977 innocent souls, that turned Lower Manhattan into a disaster area, destroyed parts of the Pentagon and made hallowed ground in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and sparked an American promise that we would never forget. We went to Afghanistan in 2001, to root out al Qaeda to prevent future terrorist attacks against the United States planned from Afghanistan. Our objective was clear, the cause was just, our NATO allies and partners rallied beside us. And I supported that military action along with the overwhelming majority of the members of Congress. More than seven years later, in 2008 weeks before we swore the oath of office -- President Obama and I were about to swear -- President Obama asked me to travel to Afghanistan and report back on the state of the war in Afghanistan. I flew to Afghanistan to the Kunar Valley, a rugged, mountainous region on the border of Pakistan. What I saw on that trip reinforced my conviction that only the Afghans have the right and responsibility to lead their country. And that more and endless American military force could not create or sustain a durable Afghan Government. I believed that our presence in Afghanistan should be focused on the reason we went in the first place: to ensure Afghanistan would not be used as a base from which to attack our homeland again. We did that, we accomplished that objective. I said, along with others, we would follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell if need be. That's exactly what we did. And we got him. It took us close to 10 years to put President Obama's commitment into form. And that's exactly what happened Osama bin Laden was gone. That was 10 years ago. Think about that. We delivered justice to Bin Laden a decade ago. And we've stayed in Afghanistan for a decade since. Since then, our reasons for remaining in Afghanistan have become increasingly unclear, even as the terrorist threat that we went to fight evolved. Over the past 20 years, the threat has become more dispersed, metastasizing around the globe. Al Shabaab in Somalia, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, on Al Nusra in Syria, ISIS attempting to create a caliphate in Syria and Iraq and establishing affiliates in multiple countries in Africa and Asia. With the terror threat now in many places, keeping 1000s of troops grounded and concentrated in just one country at a cost of billions each year makes little sense to me and our leaders. We cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan, hoping to create ideal conditions for the withdraw and expecting a different result. I'm now the fourth United States President to preside over American troop presence in Afghanistan: two Republicans, two Democrats. I will not pass this responsibility on to a fifth. After consulting closely with our allies and partners, with our military leaders and intelligence personnel, with our diplomats and our development experts, with the Congress and the Vice President, as well as with Mr. Ghani and many others around the world. I concluded that it's time to end America's longest war. It's time for American troops to come home. 5:01 President Biden: When I came to office, I inherited a diplomatic agreement, duly negotiated between the government of the United States and the Taliban, that all US forces would be out of Afghanistan by May 1 2021, just three months after my inauguration. That's what we inherited. That commitment is perhaps not what I would have negotiated myself, but it was an agreement made by the United States government. And that means something. So in keeping with that agreement, and with our national interest, the United States will begin our final withdrawal beginning on May 1 of this year. 8:11 President Biden: You all know that less than 1% of Americans serve in our Armed Forces. The remaining 99%, we owe them. We owe them. They've never backed down from a single mission that we've asked of them. I've witnessed their bravery firsthand during my visits to Afghanistan. They've never wavered in their resolve. They paid a tremendous price on our behalf and they have the thanks of a grateful nation. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) High-Risk List Center for Strategic and International Studies Transcript March 10, 2021 Speaker: John Sopko - Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction Sound Clips 7:40 John Sopko: But right now, that state is under threat. In the wake of the February 2020 withdrawal agreement, all is not well. Compromise appears in short supply on either side. Taliban attacks have actually increased since the agreement was signed. Assassination of prominent officials, activists, journalists, aid workers and others have also increased, including an unsuccessful attack on one of the female members of the peace negotiating team. And the Taliban offensive on Kandahar city last October, as peace negotiations were ongoing, may well have succeeded, were it not for U.S. air support. Peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban have achieved little for Afghanistan so far, and only time will tell as to whether the new Biden administration initiative will bear fruit. And the Afghan people's fears for its own government survival are exacerbated by the knowledge of how dependent their country is on foreign military and financial support. 12:56 John Sopko: Another equally serious threat to Afghanistan's stability has also largely been ignored as we focus on the boots on the ground in Afghanistan. And that is the provision of last year's U.S.-Taliban agreement that stipulates that in addition to the departure of U.S. and coalition troops, or non-diplomatic civilian personnel: private security contractors, trainers, advisors, and supporting service personnel also must leave the country by May 1. Should this come to passSIGAR and many others believe this may be more devastating to the effectiveness of the Afghan security forces than the withdrawal of our remaining troops. Why is that? Because the Afghan government relies heavily on these foreign contractors and trainers to function. In the first quarter of fiscal year 2021 there are over 18,000 Defense Department contractors in Afghanistan, including 6000 Americans, and 7,000 3rd country nationals, 40% of whom are responsible for logistics, maintenance, or training tasks. Now, it is well known that the Afghan security forces need these contractors to maintain their equipment, manage supply chains, and train their military and police to operate the advanced equipment that we have purchased for them. For example, as of December, the Afghan National Army was completing just under 20% of its own maintenance work orders, well below the goal of 80% that was set and the 51% that they did in 2018. So that's actually going down. The Afghan National Police were just as bad if not worse, undertaking only 12% of their own maintenance work against a target of 35% and less than the 16% that we reported in our 2019 high risk list. Additionally, and more troubling. The Department of Defense does train, advise and assist command air, or commonly called TAC air recently reported that since late 2019, they have reduced their personnel in Afghanistan by 94%, and that the military drawdown now requires near total use of contract support to maintain the Afghan Air fleet. They assess that quote “further drawdown in the associated closure basis will effectively end all in country aviation training contracts in Afghanistan.” Again, why is this significant? Why do we view this as a high risk? Namely because contractors currently provide 100% of the maintenance for the Afghan Air Force, UAE 60 helicopters and CE 130 cargo aircraft and a significant portion of Afghans Light Combat Support aircraft. TAC air this January gave a bleak assessment, namely, that no Afghan airframe can be sustained as combat effective for more than a few months in the absence of contractor support. 17:51 John Sopko: Continued funding for U.S. reconstruction programs aimed at promoting economic development, rule of law, respect for human rights, good governance and security for the Afghan people may be more significant, because it may be the primary lever left for the US and other donors to influence that country. It appears that even the Taliban understand Afghanistan's dire need for foreign assistance. Because, as one of the few commitments that the US had to make last year was, “to seek economic cooperation for reconstruction, with the new post settlement, Afghan Islamic government.” Now how much the donor community wishes to stay involved will of course depend on what that government looks like and how it behaves. Numerous officials, including then Secretary of State Pompeo and Ambassador Halley, have stated that the US will be able to advance its human rights goals, including the rights of women and girls with the Taliban by leveraging or conditioning this much needed financial assistance. But unfortunately, as SIGAR has long reported, even when conditionality involved only dealing with the Afghan government, donors do not have a stellar record of successfully utilizing that conditionality to influence Afghan behavior. 27:19 John Sopko: Today our report suggests the donor community should realize the Afghan government is focused on a single goal, its survival. Afghanistan is more dependent on international support than ever before. It may not be an overstatement that if foreign assistance is withdrawn and peace negotiations fail, Taliban forces could be at the gates of Kabul in short order. Hearing: A PATHWAY FOR PEACE IN AFGHANISTAN: EXAMINING THE FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE AFGHANISTAN STUDY GROUP House Committee on Oversight and Reform: Subcommittee on National Security February 19, 2021 Testimony was heard from the following Afghanistan Study Group officials: Kelly A. Ayotte, Co-Chair; News Corp Board of Directors since April 2017 BAE Systems Board of Directors since June 2017 Blackstone Board of Directors Boston Properties Board of Directors Caterpillar Board of Directors Board of Advisors at Cirtronics General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. (Retired), Co-Chair Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Obama and Trump presidencies. Lockheed Martin Board of Directors since February 2020 Nancy Lindborg, Co-Chair President and CEO of the David Lucile Packard Foundation Former President and CEO of the US Institute for Peace Former Assistant Administrator for the bureau for democracy conflict and humanitarian assistance at USAID During the mid-Obama years. Sound Clips 3:13 Rep. Stephen Lynch (MA): I'd also like to take a moment to thank the nonpartisan US Institute of Peace for the support and expertise they provided to the study group during the course of its work. 3:23 Rep. Stephen Lynch (MA): In the fiscal year 2020 omnibus bill Congress led by Senator Graham Senator Patrick Leahy and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee of state foreign ops and related programs. They tasked the independent and bipartisan Afghanistan study group to quote, consider the implications of a peace settlement or the failure to reach a settlement on US policy, resources and commitments in Afghanistan. After nearly nine months of review and consultation with current and former US and Afghan government officials, allies and partners and other key stakeholders, the Afghanistan study group issued its final report earlier this month. 15:12 Kelly Ayotte: We recommend that US troops remain beyond may 1. We believe a precipitous withdrawal of US and international troops in May, would be catastrophic for Afghanistan, leading to civil war, and allow the reconstitution of terror groups which threaten the United States within an 18 to 36 month period. 15:41 Kelly Ayotte: Let me be clear, although we recommend that our troops remain beyond may 1, we propose a new approach toward Afghanistan, which aligns our policies, practices and messaging across the United States government to support the Afghan peace process, rather than prosecute a war. Our troops would remain not to fight a forever war, but to guarantee the conditions for a successful peace process and to protect our national security interests to ensure that Afghanistan does not become a haven again, for terrorists who threaten the United States of America. 37:15 General Joseph F. Dunford: Do we need to increase forces if the Taliban don't accept an extension past the first of May, and if they then would re initiate attacks against US forces? and Chairman, we heard exactly what you heard. In the fall. What we were told by commanders on the ground in the department of fence was that 4500 US forces, in addition to the NATO forces that are there was the minimum level to address both the mission as well as protection of our forces in the context of the conditions that existed in the fall in as you've highlighted, those conditions have only gotten worse since the fall so in in our judgment 2500 would not be adequate. Should the Taliban re initiate attacks against the United States Hearing: Examining the Trump Administration's Afghanistan Strategy House Committee on Oversight and Reform, Subcommittee on National Security January 28, 2020 Witness: John Sopko - Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) Sound Clips 48:54 John Sopko: We've almost created a system that forces people in the government to give happy talk success stories because they're over there on very short rotations. They want to show success. The whole system is almost geared to give you, and it goes up the chain of command, all the way to the President sometimes. He gets bad information from people out in the field because somebody on a nine month rotation, he has to show success, and that goes up. 54:24 John Sopko: Maybe incentivize honesty. And one of the proposals I gave at that time,be cause I was asked by the staff to come up with proposals, is put the same requirement on the government that we impose on publicly traded corporations. Publicly traded corporations have to tell the truth. Otherwise the SEC will indict the people involved. They have to report when there's a significant event. So put that onus, call it The Truth in Government Act if you want, that you in the administration are duty bound by statute to alert Congress to significant events that could directly negatively impact a program or process. So incentivize honesty. 1:10:25 John Sopko: Over 70% of the Afghan budget comes from the United States and the donors. If that money ended, I have said before and I will stand by it, then the Afghan government will probably collapse. Wartime Contracting Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs September 21, 2011 Witnesses: Charles Tiefer: Commissioner on the Commission on Wartime Contracting Clark Kent Ervin: Commissioner on the Commission on Wartime Contracting Sound Clips 1:11:30 Charles Tiefer: Our private security in Afghanistan appears to be a major source of payoffs to the Taliban. Our report has the first official statement that it's the second-largest source of money for the Taliban. Sen. Carl Levin: After drugs. Charles Tiefer: After drugs, that's right. 1:25:18 Clark Kent Ervin: It's critical that the government have a choice, and that means that there needs to be at least a small and expandable, organic capacity on the part of these three agencies to perform missions themselves, so the next time there's a contingency, the government has a choice between going with contractors and going in-house and the determination can be made whether it's more effective to do it either way, whether it's cheaper to do it either way. As we said at the inception, right now the government doesn't have an option. Contractors are the default option because they're the only option. President George W. Bush announces U.S. Military Strikes on Afghanistan October 7, 2001 President George W. Bush: Good afternoon. On my orders, the United States military has begun strikes against Al-Qaeda terrorist training camps and military installations of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. These carefully targeted actions are designed to disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a terrorist base of operations and to attack the military capability of the Taliban regime. More than two weeks ago, I gave Taliban leaders a series of clear and specific demands: close terrorist training camps, hand over leaders of the Al-Qaeda network, and return all foreign nationals including American citizens unjustly detained in your country. None of these demands were met and now the Taliban will pay a price by destroying camps and disrupting communications. We will make it more difficult for the terror network to train new recruits and coordinate their evil plans. ** International Campaign Against Terrorism Senate Foreign Relations Committee October 25, 2001 Witness: Colin Powell: Secretary of State Sound Clip 27:00 Colin Powell: Our work in Afghanistan though, is not just of a military nature. We recognize that when the Al Qaeda organization has been destroyed in Afghanistan, and as we continue to try to destroy it in all the nations in which it exists around the world, and when the Taliban regime has gone to its final reward, we need to put in place a new government in Afghanistan, one that represents all the people of Afghanistan and one that is not dominated by any single powerful neighbor, but instead is dominated by the will of the people of Afghanistan. Executive Producer Recommendations Elect Stephanie Gallardo 2022 Krystal Kyle and Friends. August 21, 2021. “Episode 35 Audio with Matthew Hoh.” Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

Will women ever be proportionately represented in Congress? Political journalist, novelist and cookbook author Jennifer Steinhauer joins Billy Shore to talk about today’s political climate and her new book The Firsts: The Inside Story of the Women Reshaping Congress. “We still are below 25% of the entire legislative branch. It’s hard for women to make a difference as a group of women. Partisanship always trumps gender in the legislative process,” says Steinhauer. Her book examines the remarkable group of women elected to the 116th Congress in 2018. “It was a class that was so diverse geographically, racially, ethnically, but also professionally… female veterans, women who worked in national security, these interesting resumes that are not so typical to Congress… I don’t think we can fully grasp the impact.” Steinhauer and Shore share their reactions to the January 6th insurrection. “In all my days of walking around the United States Capitol… I never took that for granted, and to see it ripped apart like that was really quite chilling and I suspect you felt the same way,” says Steinhauer. However, she remains hopeful. “If women continue to look in the mirror and see themselves as lawmakers, the way men have for generations, women have an endless ceiling,” she concludes. Listen to this insightful conversation about women’s political power with one of America’s most astute political journalists.

On this week’s 51%, hear from a longtime Capitol Hill reporter on women reshaping Congress. She followed them in 2019. Veteran New York Times Capitol Hill reporter Jennifer Steinhauer followed the women who, in 2018, were elected as the first representations of different ages, races, and religions in Congress. The result is her book, The […]

On this week's 51%, hear from a longtime Capitol Hill reporter on women reshaping Congress. She followed them in 2019. Veteran New York Times Capitol Hill reporter Jennifer Steinhauer followed the women who, in 2018, were elected as the first representations of different ages, races, and religions in Congress. The result is her book, The […]

This is the thirty-fifth episode of "Talking with Authors" by HEC Media and HEC Books. We're a program dedicated to speaking with some of the best selling authors around, covering many different genres. We’re excited to be back after an unplanned hiatus due to the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020. Since no authors were able to travel, and our partners at the St. Louis County Library and Left Bank Books were physically closed in the early days of social distancing, we were unable to conduct many of the scheduled interviews that we had planned. But, after the initial weeks of the global shutdown, we were able to set up remote video interviews with many authors. And in the coming weeks, we’ll be providing you with the audio of these interviews. The sound quality may be slightly different than our previous podcasts, but they all still contain the great content that you’ve come to expect.Our guest this time is Political Journalist Jennifer Steinhauer. We spoke with her via Zoom in June of 2020 about her latest book “The Firsts: The Inside Story of the Women Reshaping Congress” by publisher Algonquin Books.She has been a journalist with the New York Times for over 30 years. Throughout her career she’s written about everything from the West Coast, to politics, business, food, and health care. Since 2010 her main beat has been the US congress and her new book explores the experiences of the women in the 116th congressional freshman class and how the sudden increase in female members has impacted the house and senate. We’ll explore the hurdles many women have to overcome when running for public office, hear how the current social climate and the pandemic have affected the freshmen class, and learn about the history of women in the congress, as Jennifer Steinhauer joins us now on this edition of Talking With Authors from HEC Media and HEC Books. HEC Media is a production company out of St. Louis, Missouri. With the help of independent bookstore Left Bank Books and St. Louis County Library, we are able to sit down with these amazing writers and thought leaders to discuss their work, their inspiration, and what makes them special. You can watch video versions of most of our interviews at hecmedia.org. Host and Video Producer – Victoria Babu Supervising Producer – Julie Winkle Video Editor – Greg Kopp Audio Editor – Paul Langdon Production Support – Jayne Ballew and Christina Chastain HEC Media Executive Director - Dennis Riggs Podcast Executive Producer - Christina Chastain Podcast Producer – Paul Langdon Podcast Host - Rod Milam You can follow us on all social media platforms. Just search for "Talking with Authors": Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/talkingwithauthors Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwithauthors Twitter: https://twitter.com/TalkingwAuthors

They came with their sleeves rolled up, ready to make some noise in numbers unimagined in the past. We're talking about the new women members of Congress making up a group that author, Jennifer Steinhauer, calls ‘The Firsts'. This history-making class includes the youngest woman ever to serve; the first two Muslim women; the first … Continue reading EP 366 A Class Like No Other: The Women Entering Congress in 2019

[REBROADCAST FROM MARCH 10, 2020] Jennifer Steinhauer joins us to discuss her book, The Firsts: The Inside Story of the Women Reshaping Congress.

In her career as a reporter at The New York Times, Jennifer Steinhauer has worked a wide range of beats, including the metro, bureau and national desks, the Los Angeles bureau chief, and the United States Congress. She has covered pressing issues spanning across the country, including health care, veterans' rights, and disaster relief during Hurricane Katrina. Now, Steinhauer divulges a fresh perspective on a shifting political landscape in her book The Firsts: The Inside Story of the Women Reshaping Congress. Steinhauer documents the incredible story of the women who were newly elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 and follows their pursuit of groundbreaking change. Tune in as Steinhauer shares her unique perspective of a congressional reporter to give insight into the campaigns of these strong freshman congresswomen and how their victory in November 2018 has translated to change on the Hill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SPEAKERS Jennifer Steinhauer Congressional Reporter, The New York Times Marisa Lagos Correspondent for California Politics and Government, KQED—Moderator In response to the Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak, this program took place and was recorded live via video conference, for an online audience only, and was live-streamed from The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on June 4th, 2020.

Announcements. 42nd Street Moon discussion about the musical The Scottsboro Boys originally scheduled for Tuesday June 2nd will now air next Tuesday, June 9th at 8 pm on Facebook live and on the 42nd Street Moon website. Theatre Rhino presents Doodler, Thursday June 4th, conceived and performed by John Fisher, on Facebook Live at 8 pm (with a new play every Thursday at 8 pm, and Lavender Scare can be streamed through the KALW website.   The Booksmith lists its entire June on-line schedule of interviews and readings on their website, which includes Lockdown Lit every Tuesday at 11 am. Book Passage also offers Conversations with Authors every weekend in June. Coming up this weekend, Jennifer Steinhauer at 4 pm on June 6th and Michael Connolly at 4 pm on June 7th. Dark Carnival Bookstore presents a conversation between John Scalzi and Sarah Gailey, Wednesday, June 10th at noon. Sign up for Zoom. National Theater At Home on You Tube: Shakespeare's Coriolanus with Tom Hiddleston. Today's program is in solidarity with those protesting every day America's institutionalized racism and the racism and militarization of police departments around the country, and with the Black Lives Matter movement and for justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other African Americans killed by police violence, and in solidarity with anti-fascism the world over. Bookwaves Erik Larson discusses In The Garden of Beasts, recorded in 2011. While history never repeats itself exactly, some elements remain the same. After an election in which a plurality, not a majority, of votes went to the Nazi Party in 1933, Adolf Hitler became Germany's Chancellor, and over the course of the next few years, used a combination of propaganda and state-sanctioned violence to become dictator. What we're seeing in the United States are similar moves by Donald Trump and his enablers. Erik Larson is the author of several other works of narrative non-fiction, including his latest, The Splendid and the Vile, about Winston Churchill, Great Britain and World War Ii in 1940. Hosted by Richard Wolinsky.    Complete 44-minute interview. Artwaves Tarell Alvin McCraney, playwright, actor and screenwriter, recorded in 2014 as he had two plays produced in the Bay Area, Head of Passes at Berkeley Rep, and Choir Boy at Marin Theatre Company. Both plays eventually made it to New York to excellent reviews. Since the interview, he won the Academy Award for co-writing the screenplay of the film Moonlight, based on one of his plays, and wrote the screenplay for the Netflix film High Flying Bird. Tarell Alvin McCraney is also the author of the acclaimed Brother Sister Plays Trilogy, and most recently, created the TV series David Makes Man, which aired on the OWN network and can be seen now on DirectTV.   The post Bookwaves/Artwaves – June 4, 2020: Erik Larson – Tarell Alvin McCraney appeared first on KPFA.

On Connecticut Today with Paul Pacelli, Paul spoke to Dr. Carrie Bulger, a Professor of Psychology at Quinnipiac University about the post COVID-19 Workplace, and after the governor's address of the state, Paul spoke to author Jennifer Steinhauer about her latest book, "The Firsts: The Inside Story of the Women Reshaping Congress"

What does a restaurant critic do when there are no restaurants to review? The San Francisco Chronicle's Soleil Ho has shifted to primarily covering how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the restaurant industry in the Bay Area, while also writing profiles of people like the Indonesian artist known as Nao, who publishes drawings of toast that, according to Soleil, "have garnered her a legion of followers who swoon at the accuracy of her char marks, the glorious shimmer of her half-melted butter and the detailed brush strokes in her crusts." And this week's Special Sauce guest, Pete Wells of the New York Times has similarly broadened the scope of his work. He recently wrote a terrific piece with Jennifer Steinhauer about the ripple effects of restaurant closures, particularly in areas where restaurant booms have helped sustain local economies. The story really struck a chord with me, so I decided to ring Pete up and find out more about what he's been up to for the last two months. Our thought-provoking, far-reaching conversation covered so many bases that we've split it into two episodes. The first one covers how the restaurant industry has shifted, and how those changes have affected cities throughout the U.S.; in part two, which we’ll publish next week, you’ll hear more about how his job and life as a whole has changed. And, again, if you care about the fate of restaurants as much as Pete and I do, please go to saverestaurants.com to find out what you can do. Or donate what you can to Jose Andres's organization, World Central Kitchen. Through its Chefs for America initiative, it has served over seven million meals to people in need during the pandemic and has activated many restaurant kitchens in the process. -- The full transcript for this episode can be found over here at Serious Eats: https://www.seriouseats.com/2020/05/special-sauce-pete-wells-coronavirus-1.html

The 2018 midterm elections were a milestone for women in politics. Not since the 1992 midterm elections— popularly named “the year of the woman” — had so many women, especially from such diverse backgrounds, been elected to the U.S. Congress. Many of these women have emerged as headliners with powerful voices that are reshaping the country’s political landscape. Today, Jennifer Steinhauer, a journalist at The New York Times and author, shares her thoughts on the freshman class of Congress. She is the author of a new book on the subject, “The Firsts: The Inside Story of Women Shaping Congress.”

A reporter for the New York Times for 25 years, Jennifer Steinhauer has covered the United States Congress since 2010. Her former assignments include Los Angeles bureau chief and New York City Hall bureau chief. The winner of the Newswoman's Club of New York Front Page Deadline Reporting Award in 2006 for her coverage of Hurricane Katrina, Steinhauer is the author or co-author of two cookbooks and a novel about the entertainment industry. The Firsts follows the diverse stories of the 87 women in the House and the 23 in the Senate-the largest number in American history-elected to the 116th Congress. (recorded 5/12/2020)

It Takes A Woman is one of the great songs from one of the great Broadway musicals of all-time Hello Dolly and women are very much at the forefront of our political lives today. Think of the most powerful woman in America, Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Dr.Deborah Birx who, love her scarves or not, holds our lives in her Trump-powered hands. And think that in January 2019, the largest number of women ever elected to Congress was sworn in—87 in the house and 23 in the Senate. This week on The Halli Casser-Jayne Show we take a look at the power of the women elected to the 116th Congress with veteran New York Times Capitol Hill reporter, Jennifer Steinhauer, whose new book THE FIRSTS: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE WOMEN RESHAPING CONGRESS is a must read. As always, Halli and her partner in politics, Matthew Cooper, slice and dice all things politics in this week's conversation on the political scene. The podcast is posted at Halli Casser-Jayne dot com and is available on all your favorite apps.We begin with Halli and Matt. Over sixty-thousand Americans are dead from Covid-19 and the virus continues to spread. Yet Trump is pushing to open up the economy. Is he trying to kill us all? Republican governors are going along with the plan, ignoring the standards set by Trump's own task force. Presumed Democratic Party presidential candidate, Joe Biden, is rising in the polls, and Trump is not happy with his campaign's team. Is long-time South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham's re-election bid in trouble? Where oh where is Kim Jong Un? And we're just beginning. It takes a woman doesn't begin to cut it. But one hundred years after earning the right to vote, women still only make up twenty-five percent of Congress. Still, the history-making Class of '19 included many remarkable firsts. And Rhashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Deb Haaland, Abigail Spamburger, Ilhan Omar, Kysten Sinema and her hot pink dress and metallic heels, Katie “Yes, We have to fix this shit” Porter became household names. How are they making a difference? The story of this transitional moment has been chronicled by veteran New York Times Capitol Hill reporter, Jennifer Steinhauer, who has been following this historic transition from day one and she reports the story in her new book THE FIRSTS: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE WOMEN RESHAPING CONGRESS, a dizzying ride into what makes a Congresswoman, and how they navigate that ride.Tune in.It takes a woman, Nancy Pelosi, Dr. Birx, the Coronavirus, Donald Trump, Joe Biden and Election2020, Stacey Abrams, Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida, Florida, Florida, and we're just beginning. Tune into The Halli Casser-Jayne Show the podcast always available at Halli Casser-Jayne dot com, on all your favorite apps, and on your Alexa device, too. https://bit.ly/2xmKJ7f

For many lucky enough to still have a job, getting dressed and made-up is a vestige of normalcy in a world that feels upended. For others, gray roots, shaggy beards and chipped nails are the last thing to worry about. But what has this unprecedented period behind closed doors revealed about our self-care and priorities? And what will happen to the beauty market when it’s all over? On Second Thought e xplores these questions, which are particularly pertinent now that Gov. Brian Kemp has given the green light for barbershops and hair and nail salons to re-open. The closure of schools, restaurants and hotels has wreaked havoc on the nation’s food culture, from one end of the supply chain to the other. Jon Jackson, founder of Comfort Farms in Milledgeville, joined On Second Thought to share what they’re dealing with, as well as how he got into farming in the first place. We also learn about StagVets , of which he’s executive director, and how it helps veterans dealing with PTSD.

How coronavirus isolation is changing people's beauty and self-care behaviors; one Milledgeville farmer shares how he's turning the coronavirus crisis into an opportunity for service; Helping Mamas works through new challenges to meet high demand for childcare supplies; Jennifer Steinhauer on her new book, “The Firsts: The Inside Story of the Women Reshaping Congress”

What will Granite Staters need to see to be comfortable resuming their "regular" lives? Chris talks about this with Former Attorney General Tom Rath. He is also joined by Jennifer Steinhauer from the New York Times, Democratic Candidate for Governor Dan Feltes, Greater Concord Chamber for Commerce President Tim Sink, GOP Political Analyst Mike Dennehy and Paradigm Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning owner Steve Labbe.

Ron tries to bake and it doesn't work out well. He then blames this new generation for ruining romance. Want to look smart? Wear glasses....Guest: Reporter/Author Jennifer Steinhauer "The Firsts: The Inside Story Of The Women Reshaping Congress"

Kathryn interviews NY Times Reporter Jennifer Steinhauer, author of “The Firsts: The Inside Story of the Women Reshaping Congress.” In January 2019, the largest number of women ever elected to Congress was sworn in - 87 in the House and 23 in the Senate. Steinhauer has been following this historic transition from day one and uses her rare vantage point to take a behind-the-scenes look at these newcomer's individual and collective attempts to usher in real change in Washington. Kathryn also interviews Washington Post columnist & Associate Professor of History, Miami University in Ohio Kimberly Hamlin PhD, author of “Free Thinker: Sex, Suffrage, and the Extraordinary Life of Helen Hamilton Gardener.” It's the ideal time to shed light on Helen Hamilton Gardener, a suffragist for the #MeToo era, who paved the way for women like RBG, HRC and AOC, as well as raising questions about racial inequality. Professor Hamlin contributes to the “Made by History” series in the Washington Post.

Kathryn interviews NY Times Reporter Jennifer Steinhauer, author of “The Firsts: The Inside Story of the Women Reshaping Congress.” In January 2019, the largest number of women ever elected to Congress was sworn in - 87 in the House and 23 in the Senate. Steinhauer has been following this historic transition from day one and uses her rare vantage point to take a behind-the-scenes look at these newcomer's individual and collective attempts to usher in real change in Washington. Kathryn also interviews Washington Post columnist & Associate Professor of History, Miami University in Ohio Kimberly Hamlin PhD, author of “Free Thinker: Sex, Suffrage, and the Extraordinary Life of Helen Hamilton Gardener.” It's the ideal time to shed light on Helen Hamilton Gardener, a suffragist for the #MeToo era, who paved the way for women like RBG, HRC and AOC, as well as raising questions about racial inequality. Professor Hamlin contributes to the “Made by History” series in the Washington Post.

Kathryn interviews NY Times Reporter Jennifer Steinhauer, author of “The Firsts: The Inside Story of the Women Reshaping Congress.” In January 2019, the largest number of women ever elected to Congress was sworn in - 87 in the House and 23 in the Senate. Steinhauer has been following this historic transition from day one and uses her rare vantage point to take a behind-the-scenes look at these newcomer's individual and collective attempts to usher in real change in Washington. Kathryn also interviews Washington Post columnist & Associate Professor of History, Miami University in Ohio Kimberly Hamlin PhD, author of “Free Thinker: Sex, Suffrage, and the Extraordinary Life of Helen Hamilton Gardener.” It's the ideal time to shed light on Helen Hamilton Gardener, a suffragist for the #MeToo era, who paved the way for women like RBG, HRC and AOC, as well as raising questions about racial inequality. Professor Hamlin contributes to the “Made by History” series in the Washington Post.

Kathryn interviews NY Times Reporter Jennifer Steinhauer, author of “The Firsts: The Inside Story of the Women Reshaping Congress.” In January 2019, the largest number of women ever elected to Congress was sworn in - 87 in the House and 23 in the Senate. Steinhauer has been following this historic transition from day one and uses her rare vantage point to take a behind-the-scenes look at these newcomer's individual and collective attempts to usher in real change in Washington. Kathryn also interviews Washington Post columnist & Associate Professor of History, Miami University in Ohio Kimberly Hamlin PhD, author of “Free Thinker: Sex, Suffrage, and the Extraordinary Life of Helen Hamilton Gardener.” It's the ideal time to shed light on Helen Hamilton Gardener, a suffragist for the #MeToo era, who paved the way for women like RBG, HRC and AOC, as well as raising questions about racial inequality. Professor Hamlin contributes to the “Made by History” series in the Washington Post.

New York Times reporter Jennifer Steinhauer chronicles the first year of the largest class of women elected to the U.S. Congress. She was interviewed by first term Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Claudia Cragg @claudiacragg speaks here with Jennifer Steinhauer @jestei @nytimes about her lively study, “ The Inside Story of the Women Reshaping Congress.” In January 2019, the largest number of women ever elected to Congress was sworn in—87 in the house and 23 in the Senate - this was a dress rehearsal for the 2020 primary and general election. Democratic women won largely on painting the GOP as incompetent especially around health care.  This history-making Class of ’19 included many remarkable firsts: the youngest woman ever to serve; the first two Muslim women; the first two native American women, one openly gay; a black woman from a nearly all-white Chicago suburb; and a Hispanic woman from a heavily Republican border region. In many instances, these were the first women and/or persons of color and/or youngest persons to serve from their state or district. Veteran New York Times Capitol Hill reporter Jennifer Steinhauer has been following this historic transition from day one. She uses her rare vantage point to take a behind-the-scenes look at these newcomer’s individual and collective attempts to usher in real change in Washington.Offering expert historical context, intimate detail, and you-are-there access to the halls of the Capitol, Steinhauer followed these women closely for their first year, interviewing them and their staff and colleagues.  With her seasoned political eye, she assesses not only how these women are doing, but whether their election will have a long-term impact… Will the issues they and their constituents most care about—such as health care, childcare, and pay equity—finally get a permanent place at the table? Can these women, many already social media stars and political punching bags, find a way to break through the partisan stalemate and hidebound traditions of Washington, DC? Which is a more salient marker of change—their gender, or the diversity of age, race, religion and economic status they bring to Congress? Who will have staying power in our era of twenty-four-hour news cycles and nonstop social media feeds, and who will be gone in two years? Jennifer Steinhauer has covered numerous high-profile beats in her twenty-five-year reporting career at the New York Times, from City Hall bureau chief and Los Angeles bureau chief to Capitol Hill. She won the Newswoman’s Club of New York Front Page Deadline Reporting Award in 2006 for her reporting on Hurricane Katrina. She has also written a novel about the television business, and two cookbooks.

New York Times reporter Jennifer Steinhauer joins CBS News' Caitlin Huey-Burns to discuss her new book, "The Firsts: The Inside Story of the Women Reshaping Congress." Steinhauer shares what she learned as she followed along for the first year of the historic class of congresswomen elected in 2018. She explains why Democratic women fared better in their contests than Republicans and how the growing number of women is helping to reshape House rules.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

New York Times reporter Jennifer Steinhauer joins CBS News' Caitlin Huey-Burns to discuss her new book, "The Firsts: The Inside Story of the Women Reshaping Congress." Steinhauer shares what she learned as she followed along for the first year of the historic class of congresswomen elected in 2018. She explains why Democratic women fared better in their contests than Republicans and how the growing number of women is helping to reshape House rules.

Hello! And welcome to another edition of Inside The Newsroom. A very special guest today as we welcome in Jason Kander, army veteran and former secretary of state of Missouri. Jason quickly became the darling of the Democrat Party after he lost to Roy Blunt in the race for U.S. Senate by just 2.8 points, in one of the closest senate races in the traditionally red state. After almost pulling the trigger on a presidential bid, Jason instead ran for mayorship of his hometown Kansas City, before pulling out to treat his chronic PTSD and depression. Since then, he’s joined the Veterans Community Project, an organization dedicated to making sure that no veteran falls through the cracks of the deeply broken system currently in the U.S. I had a very moving conversation with Jason about his past year and how he’s treated his health. Listen above and read below.Presidential bids, mayoral races and PTSDWhen Jason lost to Roy Blunt back in 2016, the attention on him soared. Overnight, he went from a relatively unknown army veteran and statewide politician in Missouri, to a rising star within the Democrat Party, with rumours swirling of a potential presidential bid. And he came close. Jason had a hit podcast with the folks at Crooked Media, did daily and nightly hits on cable TV, and had a growing supporter base urging him to throw his hat in the ring. But as he travelled the country, symptoms of PTSD — Jason tried to shrug them off as tiredness and just part of serving in Afghanistan — began to affect him so much that suicidal thoughts started to creep in. He decided to return home to Kansas City and run for mayor, in part because he thought being closer to friends and family would make his chronic depression drift away. It didn’t. Three months after announcing his mayoral run and well ahead in the polls, Jason announced in a heartfelt post that he was dropping out to get himself right. It was the first time he’d gone public about his problems.David Philips, the New York TimesThe Facebook PostIn October 2018, Jason finally admitted to himself he needed help. After 11 years of telling himself he didn’t have PTSD, the symptoms grew too great. Jason was never seriously injured during his deployment, nor did he have to take another person’s life. How could he possible have PTSD when his friends had gone through much worse? But that’s a common way of thinking when it comes to depression: The person next to me has it worse so just get on with it. But a simple analogy helped change Jason’s mind. Take the hypothetical scenario that you broke one of your toes and your friend broke their leg. Your friend’s injury is worse, but both injuries inhibit the ability to walk, and a broken toe still needs to be fixed. The same principle applies to mental health and it’s important to treat it in the same way as your physical health.Jason KanderNow Do You Love Me?If you like what you read every week, throw us a wee like by clicking the ❤️ up top. I’m eternally grateful. 😘How Many Vets Are Taking Their Own Lives?The Trump administration has sadly been unable to make a dent in the abhorrent rate of 20 veterans killing themselves every day. That’s about one and a half times more than those who haven’t served in the military. Trump isn’t alone though. Homelessness, traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress and a military culture that shies away from seeking help are all factors that haven’t been dealt with for decades. Between 2017 and 2018, though, the suicide rate among veterans jumped 2.9 points to 24.8 percent. Jennifer Steinhauer, the New York TimesThe U.S. Has Screwed It’s VeteransIs it me or do veterans get put on a pedestal seemingly every election cycle? That should be a good thing, but the fact that the same issues are talked about in debates and town halls over and over again — untreated PTSD, homelessness, lack of employment opportunities, loneliness — means nothing is actually being done about them. That’s part of the reason Jason and millions of other vets feel lost, hopeless and considering suicide. When a veteran completes her/his service, they should be immediately setup with basic things like housing, employment and integrated back into their community. But that’s not what’s happening. The system is broken, and it can take weeks if not months to see a therapist, even after the Veterans Health Association scandal of 2014. Mark Hay, ViceTiny Houses, Big Plans: The Veterans Community ProjectJason seems happier than he’s been in a long time. That’s party due to his involvement in the Veterans Community Project, which aims to build housing and medical services for army veterans. He’s welcomed several high-profile politicians to the project’s HQ in Kansas City, including Democratic presidential candidates Beto O’Rourke and Pete Buttigieg, and even Republican U.S. senator from Missouri Roy Blunt, who beat him in the 2016 election. The VCP aims to expand nationally and their next ports of call are Denver and St. Louis. You can donate and find out more below. Trump is Strategically BrilliantIn case you’ve been living under a rock this week, Trump branded himself “strategically brilliant” after announcing that the U.S. had brokered a ceasefire between Turkey and the Kurds. He claimed victory by temporarily ending a war and humanitarian crisis he allowed to happen in the first place. But the last two weeks of chaos in the Middle East haven’t gone unnoticed by House Republicans: On Wednesday the House passed a bipartisan bill condemning Trump’s actions by a 354-60 vote.It’s one of the biggest signs so far that Republicans are beginning to publicly turn against Trump, as they know their boss’ actions will have deadly long-term effects. Reports of ISIS fighters and their families escaping prisons have already surfaced, but that’s just the start. Future foreign policy has been severely damaged for the future, and the keys to Syria are now in the hands of Russia. Robin Wright, The New YorkerNext Week… I’ll be talking to the amazing Katie Notopoulos from BuzzFeed news about Facebook’s new advertising tracking tool, and how Apple is masquerading as our privacy saviour. Also on the pod will be the red hot Emily Atkin, formerly a climate reporter for the New Republic who recently launched her own newsletter on fighting climate change, aptly named Heated.Related Podcasts#49 — David Armstrong (ProPublica) on the opioid crisis#44 — Sebastian Junger (Perfect Storm, Tribe) on tribes, surviving and PTSD#20 — Daniel Dale (CNN) on fact checking Trump Get on the email list at insidethenewsroom.substack.com

Hello, and welcome to The Rob Burgess Show. I am, of course, your host, Rob Burgess. On this, our 110th episode, our guest is Jonathan Weisman. Jonathan Weisman is Deputy Washington Editor of The New York Times. He is the author of the novel, “No. 4 Imperial Lane,” which was a Chautauqua Prize finalist, Amazon Best Book of the Month and Great Group Reads Pick at the Women's National Book Association. His latest book is “(((Semitism))): Being Jewish in America in the Age of Trump.” He has reported for The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and others. He is the father of two teenage daughters, and lives with fellow writer Jennifer Steinhauer in Washington, D.C. Join The Rob Burgess Show mailing list! Go to tinyletter.com/therobburgessshow and type in your email address. Then, respond to the automatic message. I have a Patreon account, which can be found at www.patreon.com/robburgessshowpatreon. I hope you'll consider supporting in any amount. Also please make sure to comment, follow, like, subscribe, share, rate and review everywhere the podcast is available, including iTunes, YouTube, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Google Play Music, Facebook, Twitter, Internet Archive, TuneIn and RSS. The official website for the podcast is www.therobburgessshow.com. You can find more about me by visiting my website, www.thisburgess.com. If you have something to say, record a voice memo on your smartphone and send it to therobburgessshow@gmail.com. Include “voice memo” in the subject line of the email.

Ms. Gillibrand, Democrat of New York, is one of the leaders behind a charge to overhaul policies on sexual harassment on Capitol Hill. She spoke to The New York Times’s Jennifer Steinhauer about her own experience with harassment, power dynamics, President Bill Clinton and more.

The United States says its goal in Syria is to help its allies defeat the Islamic State, not to fight the government. But it’s getting harder stay out of the civil war. Guests: Helene Cooper, the Pentagon correspondent for The New York Times; Jennifer Steinhauer, who covers Congress. For more information on today’s episode, visit http://nyti.ms/2tdgVBP.

What we can learn about this administration from the taxes it hopes to cut. Plus, we look at three big moments from the week. Guests: Jesse Drucker, a business reporter at The Times; Jennifer Steinhauer, who covers Congress; Adam Liptak, who covers the Supreme Court; and Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

The United States has launched 59 tomahawk missiles at an air base in Syria — a swift and decisive response to the Syrian government’s chemical weapons attack this week. And we navigate a historic day in the Senate. Guests: Helene Cooper, the Pentagon correspondent for The New York Times; Jennifer Steinhauer, who covers Congress. For more information on today’s episode, visit http://nyti.ms/2oMOPPR.

In 2013, Republicans in the Senate warned Democrats that they would soon regret a decision so extreme that it’s called “going nuclear.” That prediction may prove true this week, as Republicans prepare to go one step further to ensure the confirmation of Judge Neil M. Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Guests: Jonathan Weisman and Jennifer Steinhauer, reporters at The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit http://nyti.ms/2naaW2G.

President Donald Trump received generally positive marks for the more presidential tone he struck in his first address to a joint session of Congress. In this episode of "TrumpWatch: The First 100 Days," host Jesse Lent examines the substance of what the President said in the speech with New York Times congressional correspondent Jennifer Steinhauer.

On January 11, 2017, former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson began his confirmation hearings with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in order to become the 69th US Secretary of State. In this episode of "TrumpWatch: Countdown To Inauguration," host Jesse Lent takes a look at some of the controversy surrounding Tillerson's appointment, with New York Times Washington DC correspondent Jennifer Steinhauer.

President Donald Trump received generally positive marks for the markedly more presidential tone he struck in his first address to a joint session of Congress. In this episode of TrumpWatch, host Jesse Lent examines the substance of Trump's speech with New York Times congressional correspondent Jennifer Steinhauer.

President Donald Trump received generally positive marks for the markedly more presidential tone he struck in his first address to a joint session of Congress. In this episode of TrumpWatch, host Jesse Lent examines the substance of Trump's speech with New York Times congressional correspondent Jennifer Steinhauer.

On the 299th episode of Eat Your Words, host Cathy Erway is joined by Jennifer Steinhauer, a congressional reporter for The New York Times. Prior to moving to Washington with the Times in Feb. 2010 she was the Los Angeles bureau chief for the paper. She is also the co-author of the book A Meatloaf in Every Oven: Two Chatty Cooks, One Iconic Dish and Dozens of Recipes - from Mom's to Mario Batali's.

Frank Bruni is a New York Times op-ed columnist and author of several books about subjects ranging from the Bush administration to the college admissions system, but most food lovers know him as the paper’s chief restaurant critic from 2004 to 2009. Bruni stopped by the Eater Upsell studios to talk about the current President of the United States, Frank's tenure as the most powerful critic in the world, and the creation of his new cookbook with Jennifer Steinhauer, “A Meatloaf in Every Oven.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On January 11, 2017, former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson began his confirmation hearings with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in order to become the 69th US Secretary of State. In this episode of TrumpWatch, host Jesse Lent takes a look at some of the controversy surrounding Tillerson's appointment, with New York Times Washington DC correspondent Jennifer Steinhauer.

On January 11, 2017, former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson began his confirmation hearings with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in order to become the 69th US Secretary of State. In this episode of TrumpWatch, host Jesse Lent takes a look at some of the controversy surrounding Tillerson's appointment, with New York Times Washington DC correspondent Jennifer Steinhauer.

The 2016 Election is finally here; in this episode, we take a look at the job performance of our 114th Congress. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Vote on Trade Promotion Authority (Fast Track) H.R. 2146: Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act (The final version of fast track) House Vote: 218-208 Senate Vote: 60-37 Bill Highlighted in This Episode S. 764: A bill to reauthorize and amend the National Sea Grant College Program Act and for other purposes (The GMO labeling law) The real title should be "National bioengineered food disclosure standard" but S. 764 (about the college program) was used as a vehicle to get the GMO labeling bill into law. Definitions Bioengineering Food that "has been modified through...(DNA) techniques" using a modification that "could not otherwise be obtained through conventional breeding or found in nature". Food Food intended for human consumption Establishment of a Labeling Standard By July 29, 2018, the Secretary of Agriculture has to establish a "national mandatory bioengineered food disclosure standard" Animals fed bioengineered foods will not be labeled as bioengineered themselves Regulations will determine how much of a bioengineered substance needs to be present for the food itself to be considering bioengineered The labels can be text, symbol, or electronic or digital link; the manufacturers get to pick If they choose the electronic or digital link, the bioengineering information must appear on the first page presented and without advertisements. The link can not "collect, analyze, or sell any personally identifiable information about consumers or the devices of consumers" Foods served in restaurants and "very small food manufacturers" are excluded from the regulations "Very small" is not defined. States are prohibited from enacting their own bioengineering labeling laws. Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD096: Fast Tracking Fast Track CD098: USA Freedom Act CD110: Government Funding Crisis of 2015 CD112: Dingleberries on the Omnibus CD113: CISA is Law CD114: Trans-Pacific Partnership Investment Chapter CD127: The FAST Act: Transportation Funding Law CD135: Education is Big Business: Every Student Succeeds Act Additional Reading Article: Puerto Rico Control Board Names Carrion Chair Amid Protests by Katherine Greifeld, Bloomberg Markets, September 30, 2016. Article: John Boehner, House Speaker, Will Resign From Congress by Jennifer Steinhauer, New York Times, September 25, 2016. Article: Former House Speaker John Boehner Joins Washington Law Firm by Elizabeth Olson, New York Times, September 20, 2016. Article: Heavy Smoker John Boehner Joins Tobacco Company's Board by Matt Egan, CNN, September 15, 2016. Blog: Deep conflicts of interest plague Obama's newly appointed fiscal control board in Puerto Rico by Saqib Bhatti, The Hill, September 9, 2016. Report: Scooping and Tossing Puerto Rico's Future: Puerto Rico Borrowed $3.2 Billion to Pay Fees & Interest to Banks & Investors by ReFund Project, August 31, 2016. Article: Who are the Members of the Puerto Rico Fiscal Control Board? by Patricia Guadalupe, NBC News, August 31, 2016. Report: Puerto Rico's Payday Loans: $33.5 Billion of the Island's Debt is Actually Interest on Payday Loans by ReFund Project, June 30, 2016. Article: U.S. Dropped 23,144 Bombs on Muslim-Majority Countries in 2015 by Adam Johnson, Alternet, January 10, 2016. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations

It's law! The USA Freedom Act, which reauthorizes and privatizes portions of the Patriot Act, is being called a victory for privacy... but it's not. In this episode, find out all the details of the bill that was signed into law just hours after this episode was recorded, including how it continues bulk data collection and lets the most powerful men in the United States get away with breaking the law. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! H.R. 2048: USA Freedom Act of 2015 Title I: FISA business records reforms The government will need to provide "a specific selection term to be used for the basis" for the data being collected The term can't be the name of a telecom, unless that telecom is under investigation The term can't be a "broad geographic region, including the United States, a city, a county, a State, a zip code, or an area code" The term must be something that "specifically identifies an individual, account, or personal device." The government will have 180 days to comply after the bill is signed into law Limits ongoing phone call record collection to 180 days unless extended Orders the telecoms to keep secret the order from the government to turn over call records The Attorney General can require records be turned over in "emergencies" if he/she informs a judge and applies for the warrant within 7 days. If the warrant is denied, nothing collected under the Attorney General's emergency power will be admissible in court, "except with the approval of the Attorney General if the information indicates a threat of death or serious bodily harm to any person." The Attorney General will be in charge of determining if the standards above are met. Eliminates a clause that lets a judge immediately dismiss a protest from a company fighting a FISA order Gives immunity to any company that hands over information under a FISA order or an emergency order from the Attorney General Companies will be paid for "expenses incurred" producing the information or assisting the government with FISA or emergency orders "Call detail record" will not include the contents of the call, the person's name, address or financial information, or the cell phone's GPS location. The bill expressly says that nothing in the USA Freedom Act will limit the government's authority to get orders from the secret FISA court, as authorized in by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 Title II: FISA pen register and trap and trace device reform The Attorney General will get to determine the privacy procedures for the use of tracing devices installed to track phone numbers dialed in monitor Internet communications. Title III: FISA acquisitions targeting person outside the United States reforms "Limits on use of unlawfully obtained information" can be waived if the government fixes whatever illegal thing they were doing, which would allow information they collected before the fix to be used in court. Within 180 days after enactment, FISA court judges will pick at least five people to serve as amicus curiae - "friends of the court" - to argue on behalf of privacy and civil liberties. FISA court judges will write the rules for the amicus curiae participation. The FISA court gets to decide if the amicus curiae's participation is appropriate The Director of National Intelligence must make publicly available "to the greatest extent practicable" any FISA court decision that includes "a significant construction or interpretation of any provision of law" The decision, order, or opinion can be released to the public in redacted form The Director of National Intelligence can waive the requirement to make FISA decisions, orders, and opinions public as long as they say it's "necessary to protect the national security of the United States or properly classified intelligence sources or methods". Title V: National Security Letter reform National Security Letter (NSL): Letters served by the FBI to telecoms that allow the FBI to secretly demand data. There is a gag order on anyone who receives these letters, guaranteeing that the public is not told and that there is no judicial review. Allows NSLs to be issued for telephone, financial, and consumer records if the order "specifically identifies a person, entity, telephone number, or account as the basis for a request". There will be a gag order, preventing companies from telling anyone that the FBI is requesting the information, as long as the order also has a notification of the telecoms right to judicial review and if the FBI says disclosure could result in: "A danger to the national security of the United States" "Interference with a criminal, counterterrorism or counterintelligence investigation" "Interference with diplomatic relations" (new) "Danger to the life or physical safety of any person" Title VI: FISA transparency and reporting requirements Orders the government to submit a bunch of new reports to Congress Allows companies served with National Security Letters to publicly report approximately how many NSLs they've received They can only report the number of FISA orders and NSLs subject to a gag order to the nearest thousand They can only report the number of FISA orders and NSLs not subject to a gag order to the nearest 500. They can report twice a year on the total number of orders, directives, and NSLs served to the nearest 250 These reports are only allowed to cover NSLs for the previous 180 days Once a year, they can report on the total number of orders, directives, and NSLs they were required to comply with to the nearest 100 The FISA court, if their ruling "includes significant construction or interpretation of any provision of law or results in a change of application of any provision of this Act", will have to submit their decision or denial of disclosure petition to Congress within 45 days Title VII: Enhanced national security provisions Emergency monitoring of a person outside the United States is limited to 72 hours without a warrant Extends PATRIOT Act and Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 provisions until December 15, 2019. Title VIII: Safety of Maritime Navigation and Nuclear Terrorism Conventions Implementation Allows civil forfeiture of property of people suspected of trying to harm a United States ship Gives a fine of up to $2,000,000 and possible life in prison to a person who possesses radioactive material or a device with intent to damage people or property or someone who threatens to do so. Sound Clip Sources Hearing: House Judiciary Committee Markup of H.R. 2048 from April 28, 2015 Senate Floor Proceeding: May 20, 2015 Senate Floor Proceeding: May 31, 2015, Part 1 Senate Floor Proceeding: May 31, 2015, Part 2 Speech: President George W. Bush speaks at Kansas State University, January 23, 2006. Television Appearance: President Barack Obama on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, August 6, 2013. Hearing: Director of National Intelligence James Clapper lies to Congress, March 12, 2013. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: HBO, October 5, 2014 Information Presented in This Episode USA Freedom Act Article: White House backs bill that would end NSA bulk collection of phone records by Ellen Nakashima and Mike DeBonis, Washington Post, May 11, 2015. Article: House Votes to End NSA’s Bulk Phone Data Collection by Jennifer Steinhauer, New York Times, May 13, 2015. Article: House reaches deal on bill to end NSA phone collection by Associated Press, April 30, 2015. Article: House Says No To NSA Bulk Data Collection As Fight To End Mass Surveillance Gathers Momentum by Thomas Fox-Brewster, Forbes, May 14, 2015. Article: US Congress to vote on bill banning NSA from bulk-collecting phone calls by Spencer Ackerman and Sabrina Siddiqui, The Guardian, May 13, 2015. Patriot Act Expiring Provisions Legal Summary: Section 206 - Roving Surveillance Authority under FISA by Mary DeRosa, American Bar Association. Legal Summary: Lone Wolf by Mary DeRosa, American Bar Association. Legal Summary: Section 215 - Access to Business Records under FISA ("Libraries Provision") and Section 214 - Pen Register and Trap and Trace Authority under FISA by Mary DeRosa, American Bar Association. NSA Surveillance System Article: Bush Lets U.S. Spy on Callers Without Courts by James Risen and Eric Lichtblau, New York Times, December 16, 2005. Article: The NSA is Building the Country's Biggest Spy Center (Watch What You Say) by James Bamford, Wired, March 15, 2012. Article: The NSA's New Spy Facilities are 7 Times Bigger Than the Pentagon by Aliya Sternstein, Defense One, July 25, 2013. Article: In NSA-intercepted Data, Those Not Targeted Far Outnumber The Foreigners Who Are by Barton Gellman, Julie Tate, and Ashkan Soltani, Washington Post, July 5, 2014. Editorial: Meet Executive Order 12333: The Reagan Rule That Lets the NSA Spy on American by John Napier Tye, Washington Post, July 18, 2014. Podcast Appearance ProfitCast Episode #48: Effective NON-Marketing Ways to Grow Your Podcast - Interview with Jen Briney Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Bill of Rights Song by Rhythm, Rhyme, and Results Let Their Heads Roll by Jack Erdie (found on Music Alley by mevio)

On this week's 51%, hear from a longtime Capitol Hill reporter on women reshaping Congress. She followed them in 2019. Veteran New York Times Capitol Hill reporter Jennifer Steinhauer followed the women who, in 2018, were elected as the first representations of different ages, races, and religions in Congress. The result is her book, The Firsts: The Inside Story of the Women Reshaping Congress. She had insider access in the Capitol and followed these women, including representatives such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib. We spoke with Steinhauer about her book as well as the new Congress for 2021, starting with her take on whether all the attention on AOC was warranted. In another first in sports, Bianca Smith will be joining the Boston Red Sox as a minor league coach, making her the first Black woman to coach in professional baseball history. That's our show for this week. Thanks to Tina Renick for production assistance. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock. Our theme music is Glow in the Dark by Kevin Bartlett. This show is a national production of Northeast Public Radio. Follow us on Twitter @51PercentRadio This week's show is #1643. Photo courtesy of Workman Publishing/Algonquin Books.